Shine Review – Book Geek Musings
I am a SONE since 2010 and a multi-fandom fan since then. I have a playlist in Spotify that is dedicated to sounds that I enjoy listening to. I follow mostly girl groups but Super Junior and Monsta X have a special place in my heart. I listen to soloists such as IU, Jessi, Lee Hi, among others. I also watch variety shows that features the idols that I follow and Youtube clips of them doing crazy things. Being a fan is enjoyable and I became proud when the artists that I follow grow and become successful in the industry.
As a fan, it breaks my heart to see the groups I am a fan of disband or be involved in scandals and controversy. In the case of Sonyeo Sidae (소녀시대), a.k.a. SNSD and Girls’ Generation, Jessica’s abrupt departure (“kicked out”) from the group that caused a lot of backlash in 2014. Since then, Jessica has been a soloist under Coridel Entertainment and pursued a fashion company, Blanc and Eclair. Fast forward to 2020, she published Shine, a YA novel which generated a lot of buzz due to the nature of the story.
The Book
Title: Shine
Author: Jessica Jung
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publishing date: September 29, 2020
Genre: Young adult , Asian, Romance
Trigger Warnings: bullying, body-shaming, racism, drugging, blackmail
Book Availability (Philippines): Fullybooked, PhP 582 (Paperback)
Synopsis:
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.
The Review
I read the book with low expectations because it’s a celebrity written book. Generally, readers are wary of works written by celebrities and I am no exception. And not just any celebrity but a celebrity who spent most her life training for many years, debuting and performing for more than 13 years. Not to mention, the rigorous standards she needs to follow (or overcome).
Shine is a novel that follows 17-year-old Korean-American Rachel Kim who is one of the trainees under DB Entertainment. As a trainee, she is constantly under pressure because she wants to debut and to make it there, she needs to be perfect. On top of trainee-related issues, she feels she doesn’t belong anywhere: too Korean for America, too American for Korea. The story presents two sides of the industry: the glamorous and the dog-eat-dog world of K-Pop.
As a trainee, Rachel Kim needs to be perfect in all areas: singing, dancing, public relations, and of course, beauty and body. I have watched numerous videos of KPOP idols describing what they had to endure as trainees. Every month, they have evaluations where they have to present their improvements and as they get closer to debuting, they have to make it weekly. More than the morning to night practices, they have to keep their bodies as thin as possible and if they go over the prescribed weight, they will starve themselves. Trainees are also expected to not date and not cause scandals. Also, there is the added anxiety of not being included in the final line up. I watched several idols who expressed that until they stepped on the stage and performed, all is still unsure.
Shine tried to tackle the issues surrounding the K-Pop industry. The Korean strict standards on beauty were brought up. Body-shaming and fat-phobia were constantly part of Rachel’s narrative. Also, the double standards when it comes to male and female idols. These issues were not really the main focus of the novel. At the end of the day, Rachel became part of the system.
Rachel’s romantic relationship with Jason was given too much importance. It would be more interesting if instead of the romance, Shine explored more on Rachel’s motivations and her reactions to the dark side of the industry. Her relationship with Mina was described but what about the other trainees? Not to mention, the other adults that were part of her trainee life.
I remembered the first time I heard that Jessica Jung will publish a book about the K-Pop industry and she will be spilling some tea. This led to many theories and expectations including the reason why she was kicked out of SNSD and SM. Frankly, this is a good marketing strategy because most of the netizens who follow SNSD and are SONEs are still waiting for that. If one reads it to find similarities between SNSD and the trainees, you will find that you will question every interactions idols make towards other idols and the image of SNSD as dorky but caring idols who are close with each member will be changed.
Shine is trope-y and cliche-y. Rachel knows what she wants and is prepared to do whatever it takes to get there. Family dynamics is probably the best thing in the novel. Asians place a big importance on family relationships. Although there is a conflict between Rachel and her mom because of her decision to pursue a career as a K-Pop idol, her family is still behind her and supporting her throughout.
Final Thoughts
The novel is a fast-read and can be finished in one sitting. If you want to support Jessica Jung, this novel is for you. The novel tried to tackle double-standards, racism, body-shaming, bullying; however, these issues were not really the focus. Characters were not really fleshed out and their voices blur.
I give this a one-star rating.
I heard that there will be a sequel. Are you interested in reading it? I am leaning towards not reading it.
