There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.Īfter surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on.

In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than 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 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. The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. While most of the supporting characters are Korean, Jason is biracial (Korean/White Canadian), and Rachel’s best friend and fellow trainee, Akari, is Japanese. Local details and the integration of Korean-both romanized and in Hangul-smoothly immerse readers in Rachel’s world. An embarrassing, banter-filled meet-cute adds to this fast-paced, entertaining romp. Debut author Jung’s background as a former Korean American K-pop star informs this world of catty, sabotaging antagonists elite private school classmates and parental pressure. Further conflict arises as the double standards female stars face in contrast to their male counterparts become hard to ignore. After a disastrous audition with Jason Lee, DB’s golden boy, Rachel will need some bold moves to redeem herself. And despite the viciousness of trainee life-with its uber-talented teens, nonstop gossip, and the reality that she is seen as an American outsider in Korea-Rachel is determined to make it and hold onto the joy music brings. When she felt the sting of racism as a young girl in the U.S., she turned for solace to K-pop. It’s been years since DB Entertainment has debuted a girl group, and as a senior trainee, this is Rachel’s last shot.

Many will hone their talents, spending 24/7 invested in K-pop, but only a handful will make it. Korean American teen Rachel Kim has spent six years in Seoul as a K-pop trainee for one of the city’s biggest entertainment agencies.

Jessica jung shine book