It just feels more specific this time because it deals with another thing that I love - K-Pop!īut more than the gossip, I loved the book because it humanized the struggles of K-Pop trainees/artists - the extremely difficult training, the tight and tough competition, which can involve sabotaging each other's chances and pulling people down to overtake them, the huge pressure to debut, how you should never let your guard down because everyone seems to be out to get you, how management exploits and manipulates the talents and treat them like commodities, etc. It brought me back to my youth when I used to read young adult novels. So reading this book felt very much like reading K-Pop gossip. Jessica Jung said she did not intend this book to be an autobiography but she also admitted that a number of the characters are based on real people. Shine takes us through Rachel's journey to that highly-coveted debut. Rachel's story mostly revolves around her training, her younger sister Leah Kim, her number one rival and co-trainee Mina Choo, and her love interest, K-Pop singer Jason Lee. The book unmasks the glamor we often associate with K-Pop as it shows us the difficulties trainees have to go through. I haven't been in any contact with the members since my withdrawal.Shine is about the story of Rachel Kim, an 18-year old Korean American K-Pop trainee of DB Entertainment. 'The eight members asked me to choose one thing whether I left Girls' Generation or quit my business for no justifiable reason. When she departed from the group, SM explained that Jessica left to focus on her business, but Jessica refuted this on social media and complained that although she didn't want to leave the group In fact, at the time of Jessica's withdrawal, Girls' Generation was set to hold a concert in LA in the U.S. They were all doing well not until conflict started when Jessica opened her own fashion Business, BLANC & ECLARE. There's also content unveiling that certain members continued to bother Rachel.Īs 'Bright' was described as an autobiographical novel, it can be considered that the book is close to Jessica's experiences.Īs such, netizens and K-pop enthusiasts compared the book to Jessica's relationship with the Girls' Generation prior to her departure.

'I don't want to go to the LA concert with Rachel.'.(Photo : Bright novel excerpt (Money Today)) ALSO READ: Jessica Jung’s New Book Gives Insight Into Her Departure from Girls’ GenerationĪs the story progressed, all the members, except Rachel, protested to the agency, making comments such as:

Jessica jung book