Shine, Jessica Jung
Shine, Jessica Jung
6 Rating(s)
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

Shine

Author: Jessica Jung

Narrator: Joy Osmanski

Unabridged: 9 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/29/2020


Synopsis

An instant New York Times bestseller

Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knockout debut about a Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls’ Generation.

What would you give for a chance to live your dreams?

For seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Six years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment—one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world’s most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7. Be perfect. Don’t date. Easy, right?

Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she’s strong enough to be a winner, or if she’ll end up crushed… Especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise.

Get ready as Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of Korea’s most famous girl group, Girls’ Generation, takes us inside the luxe, hyper-color world of K-pop, where the stakes are high, but for one girl, the cost of success—and love—might be even higher. It’s time for the world to see: this is what it takes to shine.

About Jessica Jung

Jessica Jung is a Korean American singer, actress, fashion designer, and international influencer. Born in San Francisco, Jessica grew up in South Korea where she trained as a K-pop singer, debuting as a member of the international sensation Girls Generation in 2007. After going solo in 2014, she launched the successful fashion line, Blanc & Eclare. Jessica has been featured on the covers of magazines worldwide, her brand now spanning platforms including film and television.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Thomas on October 11, 2020

Such an entertaining, drama-filled book! I appreciate Jessica Jung for giving us an insider look into the K-pop industry. As a huge BlackPink stan – or at least a stan of their music and artistry – as well as someone who consumed K-Pop throughout middle and high school, I liked having the curtain pu......more

Goodreads review by b. ♡ on May 27, 2021

entertaining in that “lol i wonder if this actually happened with snsd and jessica” way, but not actually entertaining in the “this book is filled with bad writing and one-dimensional characters” way......more

Goodreads review by Monte on October 03, 2020

We're going to pour one out for reading a book on the same day it was purchased. Like who is she? I don't know her. As for this book, I was pleasantly surprised at how it managed to pull me in, almost immediately. I really enjoyed reading from Rachel's perspective and following her on this journey. I......more

Goodreads review by Alex on June 13, 2020

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a digital ARC of Shine in exchange for an honest review. So I'm not a Kpop fan (stan?). I firmly believe all YA book lovers are either into showtunes or Kpop and I fall firmly into the first catagory. Truthfully, I had no idea who Jessica Jung was until......more

Goodreads review by Ellie on September 20, 2020

For me, SHINE's main strength was in its honesty about how gruelling the K-Pop industry is for trainees and idols, and how it laid bare the sexism and double standards rife within the industry. It's supported by Jung's experience of being a girl group member, and there are times where you can just t......more


Quotes

"Narrator Joy Osmanski provides a spirited performance of a novel about the cutthroat world of K-pop. Rachel's talent and ambition led her family to uproot themselves and move from America to Korea. Her dream-come-true quickly diminishes as she faces bullying from the girls she competes against and relentless pressure for perfection from DB Entertainment, the label that recruited her. Tension mounts as heartthrob and K-pop star Jason begins to take an interest in her. Osmanski's youthful narration captures the emotional intensity of a forbidden romance and brings to her performance the energy that K-pop performers are known for. This contemporary romance will delight K-pop fans."