An entertaining peek behind the scenes of Korean pop culture.
A former K-pop star seeking a fresh start in the K-drama world gets involved in a fake relationship with a fellow celebrity in order to help both their careers.
Shin Hyeri is a Korean American actor living in Seoul whose star is on the rise, although online she’s been dubbed the “scandal princess” due to the rumors swirling around her (including that she bullied a fellow member of her former band, Hellowglow). Her relationship with her mother, who “loves having famous kids,” is difficult, adding to her stress. But a backstage encounter with K-pop boy-band sensation Moon “Moonster” Minseok ends up turning him and Hyeri into more tabloid fodder. To save her career, Hyeri must do what she hates most: lie. She enters a fake-dating scheme with Moonster, whose own band, WDB, is struggling with a dating scandal. Soon Hyeri finds their complicated history and feelings hard to ignore—and she wrestles with her attitude toward an industry that loves a good story, even if it’s false. This entertaining novel calls out gender double standards and the brutality of critical anti-fans, highlighting the less glamorous sides of the K-pop world. Interspersed amid the prose, readers will find celebrity profiles, news articles, and a transcript of video footage, all of which enrich the narrative. Even though the romance doesn’t deliver when it comes to chemistry, Hyeri is a charming and relatable lead, and her journey is thoroughly enjoyable.
An entertaining peek behind the scenes of Korean pop culture. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781368103015
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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