A review by snowhitereads
Shine by Jessica Jung

lighthearted fast-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

 
When I heard that THE Jessica Jung was writing a novel about k-pop I knew I had to get it. I  rarely pre-order books, but this was one of the cases I HAD to.

Shine follows a teenager during her k-pop trainee days.

I do think it does a great job showing the hardships of k-pop trainees and idols and that not everything is rainbows and unicorns and not everyone gets along.
In regard to that I think it’s a great book for the people that romanticizes that industry.

It does touch on more serious topics such as bullying and eating disorders and body shaming, not always criticizing enough of that aspect of the industry in my opinion, so you might want to consider that before reading this book.

Now for the things that I didn’t really like.

I didn’t really like any of the characters. I didn’t find them likeable at all, and I never found myself actually rooting for them.
At times, this book reads more like fanfiction, especially when it comes to the romance part. That might be due to the inexperience of the author so there's room for improvement.

Overall, the story didn’t click with me but also keep in mind that I’m way past the target audience’s age for this novel so that might be why.

If k-pop is something that interests you, consider checking out this book but keep your expectations on the lower side.
 
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