The story has tones of misogyny in the entertainment business.

What I enjoyed about Shine was that we see Rachel in training, but we get to meet people through her that have debuted. But once I got into the flow, they became easier to remember. We had people from DB but because Rachel still goes to school, we had her classmates there as well. In the beginning, it was a bit hard to remember everyone because it seemed a bit packed. One wrong move and you get cut from the program. Even what they eat has to be cleared and their weight checked every so often to make sure they’re staying fit. It’s insane to think that this is the real world, that these people get scrutinized all day every day. From mock interviews, constant dance and vocal practices, and even sabotaging from the other trainees. We get to see the secrets of the world and how rough it is to be a trainee. I was super invested in the book, especially in wanting Rachel to become a K-Pop star. Between her enemies, friends, family, and even love interest, Rachel stops at nothing to make sure she gets noticed by the top dogs.

But at seventeen, it’s her final chance to debut. Moving from America to Korea, Rachel’s entire life is turned upside down as she becomes the outsider in this cutthroat world. Six years ago, Rachel Kim, a Korean-American teenager, was recruited by DB Entertainment, the top K-Pop producing company in the world. įormer Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung writes about a girl’s tale into K-pop stardom in Shine.

Jessica Jung offers delicious secrets about the K-Pop world in her debut novel, SHINE.

Shine jung novel