Thank you to Disney Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
This book was the K-Drama YA novel that my heart needed right now. It was everything I thought it would be, everything I wanted it to be, and then some. It reminded me of how much I love & miss K-Pop/Korea, and highlighted the fact that sometimes the way we perceive things is not always what is happening behind the scenes.
Elena is a flawed character in the best way. Her flaws make her real and believable – and thus the best type of main character to follow. In fact, all of the characters were written with believable flaws, coming off as very realistic and not too perfect, even the K-Pop stars. Everyone in this book is accessible and I would want to be friends with most of these characters (there are a few I would be fine leaving in the book). The whole book is just very sweet, even when my heart ached because of the misunderstandings and miscommunications.
Kat does a great job as well with highlighting the chaos that it is to be an idol in the Korean music industry, especially after the Hallyu 3.0 wave started. Between the netziens, dating scandals, reality TV shows following the groups, and the struggle with finding your own voice while under contract. The entertainment industry in Korea very different than the US, and this does a good job explaining some of the weird nuances of it.
There is so much I could say about different small points about the plot, but overall this book just made my heart sing. It made me emotional through a combination of nostalgia and just cute YA-ness. I can’t wait for it to be out for everyone to read as I think it is just a sweet book. 5/5