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Popped #1
Popped, Too
Destination: Seoul, Korea *where dreams come true*
Purpose of Travel: Protect BFF from fan woman who wants to destroy all competition for the biggest K-Hip-Hop band's lead vocalist (and maybe hang out with hot Korean guy who looks like K-Pop crush).
Travel Companions: Fellow K-Pop fangirls/BFFs
Seoul Wishlist:
- A total K-Pop makeover
- Violet potato latte fix (a heart swirl on top wouldn't hurt)
- An appearance at only the most happening club in Seoul
- Bumping into your K-Pop celebrity crush
- Buying an adorable Hello Kitty subway card
- Holding hands with the Korean boy you've helplessly fallen head over heels for (and praying he likes you back)
Will the K-Pop fairy wave her sparkling wand and grant Andie and her friends their wishes as they adventure in the motherland? This time, the BFFs have no idea what to expect! But one thing's for sure, they're met with K-Pop giddiness at every turn.
Purpose of Travel: Protect BFF from fan woman who wants to destroy all competition for the biggest K-Hip-Hop band's lead vocalist (and maybe hang out with hot Korean guy who looks like K-Pop crush).
Travel Companions: Fellow K-Pop fangirls/BFFs
Seoul Wishlist:
- A total K-Pop makeover
- Violet potato latte fix (a heart swirl on top wouldn't hurt)
- An appearance at only the most happening club in Seoul
- Bumping into your K-Pop celebrity crush
- Buying an adorable Hello Kitty subway card
- Holding hands with the Korean boy you've helplessly fallen head over heels for (and praying he likes you back)
Will the K-Pop fairy wave her sparkling wand and grant Andie and her friends their wishes as they adventure in the motherland? This time, the BFFs have no idea what to expect! But one thing's for sure, they're met with K-Pop giddiness at every turn.
200 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 18, 2011
29 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
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February 11, 2012
“Popped” tells the story of Andie Bautista and her friends, Trixie, Nica, and Cesca. The four of them have been brought together by what the initially call their “secret shame” — a fondness for Korean dramas and KPop.
That secret shame soon blows up into a full blown obsession, as Andie and the guys end up not just collecting any available merchandise on their Korean idols, but going on trips to Tokyo and Korea just to watch them perform and hopefully bump into them and be their friend, in real life.
As I’ve been through some of these things myself — with Hanson, though, and not KPop — I found the first few pages of the book to be really hilarious and engaging. I could relate to the need to know everything about your favorite group and to have everything even peripherally connected to them be in your possession. I couldn’t help but find the giddiness contagious.
However, somewhere around page 28, I started getting a terrible feeling down in the pit of my stomach. At a fictional KPop concert, Andie and the girls encounter someone who they eventually dub “Munchkin Oppa”, who as it turns out is part of a fan club. The girls act all snotty and superior, mostly because “Munchkin Oppa” has “orange-toned, badly-rebonded, chin length hair” and designs crappy fan shirts.
I mostly dismissed this feeling as irrational, but when “Munckin Oppa” reappears again on page 56 and the girls were equally dismissive, I started feeling like I had something stuck in between my teeth and I couldn’t get it out.
This unnecessary meanness continued to grate even more when Andie goes on a trip to Tokyo and is faced with nothing but absolutely model fans who don’t scream and shout and whatnot.
The same goes when Andie and the gang head to Korea to hunt down their KPop dream boyfriends. The foreign fans are such models of great behavior while the Filipino fans are dubbed as either “Orcs from Mordor” or “dementors” because they were noisy and got in the four heroines’ personal space. I just couldn’t let it go.
What made these four girls so much better than the other local fans? What makes them any less crazy? If those “Orc” kids were in line — just like these girls were — what would make them Orcs? Is it because they invaded your personal space and just made your waiting experience uncomfortable? That’s de rigeur for concerts, Andie and co. Maybe you were those girls that were at the Kris Allen concert I went to. I would understand if Munchkin Oppa was a constant thorn in the girls’ side, preventing them from fulfilling their KPop dreams, but the only crime he’s committed is just not being the right kind of fan for Andie and her oh-so-special crew.
And even if we set that aside, I just found it hard to suspend my disbelief in the face of Andie’s international adventures. It might amuse guys to know that Andie is a freelancer who hasn’t taken a job in weeks because her obsession with all things Korean has taken over her life, while Trixie is unemployed. And yet they can afford to splurge on trips to Tokyo and Seoul within the space of a week, coupled with goddess knows how many bags of overpriced fan merchandise! What is this magical world they live in?!?
At around 100 pages in, Andie does this:
“I could tell the four of us were going to lose our voices over the next couple of days. I was just glad that I had the chance to finally get our of my head and talk to people. Another week of traveling all by myself and I would have spontaneously combusted.”
Of course, Andie. How can anything compare to the absolute AGONY of traveling by yourself to Tokyo on a FREELANCER’S BUDGET, buying BAGS OF OVERPRICED FAN MERCHANDISE on a FREELANCER’S BUDGET? MY HEART BLEEDS FOR YOU. I am SO HAPPY that you can now talk to your friends. One of whom is still able to travel INTERNATIONALLY even if she is UNEMPLOYED. I AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE NOW IN THE COMPANY OF YOUR FRIENDS. MOTHERFUCKING BITCH.
By page 120+, I was already having a nervous breakdown.
It’s not like I can’t handle a book with a Mary Sue in it. For fuck’s sake, I finished Becca Fitzgerald’s “Hush, Hush” and Alexandra Adornetto’s “Halo”. But the unnecessary meanness coupled with the Mary Sue characters was just too much for me to handle. It has none of the charm, the tenderness, and the intelligence of “Between Dinner and the Morning After”. Joseph Gordon-Levitt would definitely disapprove of this book.
That secret shame soon blows up into a full blown obsession, as Andie and the guys end up not just collecting any available merchandise on their Korean idols, but going on trips to Tokyo and Korea just to watch them perform and hopefully bump into them and be their friend, in real life.
As I’ve been through some of these things myself — with Hanson, though, and not KPop — I found the first few pages of the book to be really hilarious and engaging. I could relate to the need to know everything about your favorite group and to have everything even peripherally connected to them be in your possession. I couldn’t help but find the giddiness contagious.
However, somewhere around page 28, I started getting a terrible feeling down in the pit of my stomach. At a fictional KPop concert, Andie and the girls encounter someone who they eventually dub “Munchkin Oppa”, who as it turns out is part of a fan club. The girls act all snotty and superior, mostly because “Munchkin Oppa” has “orange-toned, badly-rebonded, chin length hair” and designs crappy fan shirts.
I mostly dismissed this feeling as irrational, but when “Munckin Oppa” reappears again on page 56 and the girls were equally dismissive, I started feeling like I had something stuck in between my teeth and I couldn’t get it out.
This unnecessary meanness continued to grate even more when Andie goes on a trip to Tokyo and is faced with nothing but absolutely model fans who don’t scream and shout and whatnot.
The same goes when Andie and the gang head to Korea to hunt down their KPop dream boyfriends. The foreign fans are such models of great behavior while the Filipino fans are dubbed as either “Orcs from Mordor” or “dementors” because they were noisy and got in the four heroines’ personal space. I just couldn’t let it go.
What made these four girls so much better than the other local fans? What makes them any less crazy? If those “Orc” kids were in line — just like these girls were — what would make them Orcs? Is it because they invaded your personal space and just made your waiting experience uncomfortable? That’s de rigeur for concerts, Andie and co. Maybe you were those girls that were at the Kris Allen concert I went to. I would understand if Munchkin Oppa was a constant thorn in the girls’ side, preventing them from fulfilling their KPop dreams, but the only crime he’s committed is just not being the right kind of fan for Andie and her oh-so-special crew.
And even if we set that aside, I just found it hard to suspend my disbelief in the face of Andie’s international adventures. It might amuse guys to know that Andie is a freelancer who hasn’t taken a job in weeks because her obsession with all things Korean has taken over her life, while Trixie is unemployed. And yet they can afford to splurge on trips to Tokyo and Seoul within the space of a week, coupled with goddess knows how many bags of overpriced fan merchandise! What is this magical world they live in?!?
At around 100 pages in, Andie does this:
“I could tell the four of us were going to lose our voices over the next couple of days. I was just glad that I had the chance to finally get our of my head and talk to people. Another week of traveling all by myself and I would have spontaneously combusted.”
Of course, Andie. How can anything compare to the absolute AGONY of traveling by yourself to Tokyo on a FREELANCER’S BUDGET, buying BAGS OF OVERPRICED FAN MERCHANDISE on a FREELANCER’S BUDGET? MY HEART BLEEDS FOR YOU. I am SO HAPPY that you can now talk to your friends. One of whom is still able to travel INTERNATIONALLY even if she is UNEMPLOYED. I AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE NOW IN THE COMPANY OF YOUR FRIENDS. MOTHERFUCKING BITCH.
By page 120+, I was already having a nervous breakdown.
It’s not like I can’t handle a book with a Mary Sue in it. For fuck’s sake, I finished Becca Fitzgerald’s “Hush, Hush” and Alexandra Adornetto’s “Halo”. But the unnecessary meanness coupled with the Mary Sue characters was just too much for me to handle. It has none of the charm, the tenderness, and the intelligence of “Between Dinner and the Morning After”. Joseph Gordon-Levitt would definitely disapprove of this book.
August 23, 2017
Sequels can be disappointing but I'm relieved Popped, Too went the opposite direction. The fangirling lives on!
February 20, 2012
Originally from here There's a BIGBANG music video if you read this over at my blog!
I think it would be fair to say that "Popped Too" had its job cut out for it from the very beginning. Unlike the first book -- which I expected to love -- I was prepared for this to be a shitshow of epic proportions. And maybe that worked to its advantage, because as the people following me on Twitter and on Goodreads found out, there were some things that I ended up liking about this book.
For instance, Chinggay Labrador displays a knack for writing those cute romantic scenes that make you feel butterflies in your stomach and have you grinning for no reason other than the fact that everything is so cute. I mean, you kind of wish that AndieBau actually did something to deserveMac Park in the first place, but it's something you can overlook in this instance.
The villain in this book -- we "meet" her early on in chapter 2 -- actually makes a little more sense than the Munchkin Oppa of the first book. And the internet attack that she initially launches against Nica? Well, let's just say that I know firsthand what that feels like.
For about 30 pages in -- and maybe bits and pieces later on -- I'm solidly behind AndieBau and company. I was actually finding these people relatable! Could it be that these people have redeemed themselves and won me over?
Of course not.
At around page 21, Nica starts getting on my nerves. Apparently, things with Choi Jungsang is not progressing as smoothly as she had hoped. But rather than muse on the trials of celebrity and popularity, we get a 12-paragraph diatribe that basically consisted of Nica going "How dare this Korean superstar whom I snagged with no effort at all, and who got me a job in the Korean entertainment industry, ignore ME? ME? THE NERVE!"
And this line of entitlement keeps going on and on whenever the girls meet Nica, and I'm just about ready to have an aneurysm.
There are also constant declarations of AndieBau and co.'s impending bankruptcy, and yet none of the characters seem to have gotten the memo, as evidenced by page 46, where AndieBau makes this declaration:
It's getting to the point where only gifs of drag queens can adequately express my frustration.
The girls also continue the hallowed tradition of gaining access into the hallowed halls of their idols' lives without any sort of effort on their part. At one point they do pay an outrageous taxi cab fee, but that's about the most they ever sacrifice to get to where they are.
And as for the villain? Things develop in a rather predictable way for her. I had thought that she would be different from the Munchkin Oppa, but just like him, she only seems to be the enemy because she is older than the girls and uglier to boot.
On page 136, there's this:
Really? REALLY? REALLY? We're going this route again? Why can't the villain have been Korean? Aren't these the very same fans who staged a strike in front of the SM (?) office because they felt the ~racial purity~ of Super Junior was being compromised because of the addition of other members of slightly more Chinese origins? Weren't these the same fans who threw out Jay Park because he said something ~unpatriotic~ years before ? WHY DOES THE VILLAIN HAVE TO BE FILIPINO?
AND WHY DOES THE VILLAIN HAVE TO HAVE A THICK FILIPINO ACCENT? Can't Filipinos who have perfect English -- if that even exists -- along with the perfect slang intonation to go with it, be vindictive and possessive bitches as well? Why must this specific character detail be highlighted as if it were such a negative thing?
The ~power of friendship~ doesn't even "save" Nica from this ~nefarious~ Speaker of English with a Thick Filipino Accent. They are actually saved by Choi Jungsang himself, along with Harvey Kim, a part of the Movement entourage. It's still the men who save these women. They can't even save themselves.
Oh, and Harvey Kim? Also has the hots for Nica.
Can we talk about how these girls seem to have vaginas lined with kimchi and beer-flavored nipples? Nica, perhaps due to the mingled scent of kimchi and beer emanating from her body parts, has snagged two hot Korean guys (Harvey Kim looks like Jay Park, apparently) just by existing. She accomplishes this while being a twat who KEEPS. ON. COMPLAINING.
And that nice ordinary Korean boy, Mac Park? The one I thought would signal that dreams are nice and all, but reality can be just as good? Well, he's also a motherfucking celebrity in South Korea. How about that. It's like this book is just fucking with me now.
It's a good thing that the latter part of the book just focuses on the AndieBau and Mac Park side of the equation, because that certainly made things much more easier for me. Why wasn't there more of that in the book? I would have been so much happier.
Compared to the first book, "Popped Too" is definitely an improvement. But that's not really saying much.
I think it would be fair to say that "Popped Too" had its job cut out for it from the very beginning. Unlike the first book -- which I expected to love -- I was prepared for this to be a shitshow of epic proportions. And maybe that worked to its advantage, because as the people following me on Twitter and on Goodreads found out, there were some things that I ended up liking about this book.
For instance, Chinggay Labrador displays a knack for writing those cute romantic scenes that make you feel butterflies in your stomach and have you grinning for no reason other than the fact that everything is so cute. I mean, you kind of wish that AndieBau actually did something to deserveMac Park in the first place, but it's something you can overlook in this instance.
The villain in this book -- we "meet" her early on in chapter 2 -- actually makes a little more sense than the Munchkin Oppa of the first book. And the internet attack that she initially launches against Nica? Well, let's just say that I know firsthand what that feels like.
For about 30 pages in -- and maybe bits and pieces later on -- I'm solidly behind AndieBau and company. I was actually finding these people relatable! Could it be that these people have redeemed themselves and won me over?
Of course not.
At around page 21, Nica starts getting on my nerves. Apparently, things with Choi Jungsang is not progressing as smoothly as she had hoped. But rather than muse on the trials of celebrity and popularity, we get a 12-paragraph diatribe that basically consisted of Nica going "How dare this Korean superstar whom I snagged with no effort at all, and who got me a job in the Korean entertainment industry, ignore ME? ME? THE NERVE!"
And this line of entitlement keeps going on and on whenever the girls meet Nica, and I'm just about ready to have an aneurysm.
There are also constant declarations of AndieBau and co.'s impending bankruptcy, and yet none of the characters seem to have gotten the memo, as evidenced by page 46, where AndieBau makes this declaration:
"I have thirteen pounds of free baggage space to fill up with H&M, Uniqlo, MCM, Nature Republic, Etude House, Tony Moly, Holika Holika, Dongdaemun loot, Beanpole, Artbox supplies, ithinkso stickers -- "
It's getting to the point where only gifs of drag queens can adequately express my frustration.
The girls also continue the hallowed tradition of gaining access into the hallowed halls of their idols' lives without any sort of effort on their part. At one point they do pay an outrageous taxi cab fee, but that's about the most they ever sacrifice to get to where they are.
And as for the villain? Things develop in a rather predictable way for her. I had thought that she would be different from the Munchkin Oppa, but just like him, she only seems to be the enemy because she is older than the girls and uglier to boot.
"There, in full color, was a photo of a woman who kind of resembled my homeroom adviser from sophomore year, high school. The photo had the woman wearing an oversized black Movement t-shirt, while posing, lightstick in tow, in front of Yokohama arena...She had a neon green fanny pack tied around her waist...."
On page 136, there's this:
"Fan Woman spoke up in what was a thick Filipino accent."
Really? REALLY? REALLY? We're going this route again? Why can't the villain have been Korean? Aren't these the very same fans who staged a strike in front of the SM (?) office because they felt the ~racial purity~ of Super Junior was being compromised because of the addition of other members of slightly more Chinese origins? Weren't these the same fans who threw out Jay Park because he said something ~unpatriotic~ years before ? WHY DOES THE VILLAIN HAVE TO BE FILIPINO?
AND WHY DOES THE VILLAIN HAVE TO HAVE A THICK FILIPINO ACCENT? Can't Filipinos who have perfect English -- if that even exists -- along with the perfect slang intonation to go with it, be vindictive and possessive bitches as well? Why must this specific character detail be highlighted as if it were such a negative thing?
The ~power of friendship~ doesn't even "save" Nica from this ~nefarious~ Speaker of English with a Thick Filipino Accent. They are actually saved by Choi Jungsang himself, along with Harvey Kim, a part of the Movement entourage. It's still the men who save these women. They can't even save themselves.
Oh, and Harvey Kim? Also has the hots for Nica.
Can we talk about how these girls seem to have vaginas lined with kimchi and beer-flavored nipples? Nica, perhaps due to the mingled scent of kimchi and beer emanating from her body parts, has snagged two hot Korean guys (Harvey Kim looks like Jay Park, apparently) just by existing. She accomplishes this while being a twat who KEEPS. ON. COMPLAINING.
And that nice ordinary Korean boy, Mac Park? The one I thought would signal that dreams are nice and all, but reality can be just as good? Well, he's also a motherfucking celebrity in South Korea. How about that. It's like this book is just fucking with me now.
It's a good thing that the latter part of the book just focuses on the AndieBau and Mac Park side of the equation, because that certainly made things much more easier for me. Why wasn't there more of that in the book? I would have been so much happier.
Compared to the first book, "Popped Too" is definitely an improvement. But that's not really saying much.
May 25, 2021
I've reread it so many times when I was a teen. Now that I've reread it again this year, I've realized how judgy the characters were towards other fans. I mean Andie (and her friends) just got into Kpop but the superiority complex sometimes tho...
I still enjoyed reading it! Trixie is my favorite <3
I want to have tutong bibimbap with friends and chat about kpop and kdramas too.
I still enjoyed reading it! Trixie is my favorite <3
I want to have tutong bibimbap with friends and chat about kpop and kdramas too.
December 7, 2019
very nice
November 7, 2011
If you are a fangirl of all things Korean or you are keeping it a secret from all the real people in your first life then you should pick up Popped and Popped 2, along with some other Summit books (just to make it look like you are a chick lit fan and not a fan of kpop including book) and line them up to read. I have been a collector of some of these books and I would recommend No Boyfriend since Birth, No Strings Attached amongst many others. I have a few more than I care to mention.
Popped is almost like reading a part of you, yes you, the working drone who got hooked into Autumn in my Heart, Boys over Flowers and Coffee Prince. My secret shame is books and korean dramas. Then I got into Big Bang because at my job, as a former video English teacher for Koreans, I HAD to learn about Big Bang since there were a group of girls in my avalon class (of evil 15 year old Korean middle school students) who used their name (BigBang's stage name) as their English names. And the only way those girls would pay attention in class was if the sample sentences were made about Big Bang. So before I knew it was already in love with TOP rapping, GD's songwriting,YB's moves, D-Lite's smile and Victory's antics.
So Popped was perfect for me. Ten out of five gold stars for it. It was so difficult not to finish the book en route from Megamall to Makati. But I was able to stop myself from reading it all in one sitting. I loved Mac in all of his personas. It was almost like it was happening to me. Though I am a big fan of Korean actors and performers, I had my own encounter with a Korean guy in college, several actually and the fact that he said Koreans hated Japanese (I was an otaku then) stopped me from ever dating any Korean guy. If I had to choose between the two, Japan would still win. Korea is like my husband and Japan was my hosto or geisha. Let's go for geisha.
Still, I woke up Saturday morning at two in the morning. (not unusual since I work on the a.m. Shift and my mind auto-wakes around that time) I wake up this early even on Saturdays since my brain is now unable to adjust to the fact that it's a non-working day.
I was not in full control of my faculties yet and my hand grabbed my brown Nine West bag and took the holy grail, I mean Popped, out of it. And no less than an hour later, I was having a tummy ache from all the laughing and spazzing. I was, in kerfag heaven. I reminded myself that I would go to Market!Market! later to buy books at Chapters & Pages and that Popped 2 could wait. (or I could borrow it from my own fangirl support group co-spazzer Nina. (Yes, I notice that that odd closeness tot he name of Nica is apparent. But her real name is Janina. Mine is actually Niña so mine is ACTUALLY closer to Nica or Nicole. But I'll let her be Nica since she is prettier than me. I have my own Cesca, Jans who is a singer kinda close right? And well we don't have a Trixie and an Andie so they can just be me. Since I seem to share the mad Googling skills of those two and I write.)
I loved the small almost OC details in this book about describing the experience like you were actually there. And the many culture shocks they experienced made me want to spazz out completely. I also dream of going to Korea and meeting some real Korean friends. I have some students I would want to meet with if I ever go there to visit. I have a couple of them that I can meet up with (I think) if I ever go there. But that would require me to get out of my actual job now and work for a company that would pay me twice or thrice than this so I could afford tickets, accommodations and what not. By that time, Big Bang would be in their thirties. And some other group would be gunning for the Worldwide Act award. But they would always be the first in my heart.
Popped wrote down what many of us would love to have. Encounters of the K-pop kind. But the fact that in the story, the real happiness that they found isn't all the merchandise, Korean lovelife, chance encounters with the hottest men in their fanfic dreams, but the friendship that was formed between four seemingly cut from my own first life kind of people. Nica, Trixie, Cesca and Andie reminded me of my friends and I realized that sometimes the sailormoon fandom, kpop addiction or Mig Ayesa stalking are just means to an even great story.
Someday I would write about my Elbi life and it would make college girls who remember their close friends want to call em up and say, “Let's go out for coffee.”
And if by then those cute Coffee Prince cups and lattes would already have a branch in the Philippines, then that would be super awesome. Till then, we can hit Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Popped is almost like reading a part of you, yes you, the working drone who got hooked into Autumn in my Heart, Boys over Flowers and Coffee Prince. My secret shame is books and korean dramas. Then I got into Big Bang because at my job, as a former video English teacher for Koreans, I HAD to learn about Big Bang since there were a group of girls in my avalon class (of evil 15 year old Korean middle school students) who used their name (BigBang's stage name) as their English names. And the only way those girls would pay attention in class was if the sample sentences were made about Big Bang. So before I knew it was already in love with TOP rapping, GD's songwriting,YB's moves, D-Lite's smile and Victory's antics.
So Popped was perfect for me. Ten out of five gold stars for it. It was so difficult not to finish the book en route from Megamall to Makati. But I was able to stop myself from reading it all in one sitting. I loved Mac in all of his personas. It was almost like it was happening to me. Though I am a big fan of Korean actors and performers, I had my own encounter with a Korean guy in college, several actually and the fact that he said Koreans hated Japanese (I was an otaku then) stopped me from ever dating any Korean guy. If I had to choose between the two, Japan would still win. Korea is like my husband and Japan was my hosto or geisha. Let's go for geisha.
Still, I woke up Saturday morning at two in the morning. (not unusual since I work on the a.m. Shift and my mind auto-wakes around that time) I wake up this early even on Saturdays since my brain is now unable to adjust to the fact that it's a non-working day.
I was not in full control of my faculties yet and my hand grabbed my brown Nine West bag and took the holy grail, I mean Popped, out of it. And no less than an hour later, I was having a tummy ache from all the laughing and spazzing. I was, in kerfag heaven. I reminded myself that I would go to Market!Market! later to buy books at Chapters & Pages and that Popped 2 could wait. (or I could borrow it from my own fangirl support group co-spazzer Nina. (Yes, I notice that that odd closeness tot he name of Nica is apparent. But her real name is Janina. Mine is actually Niña so mine is ACTUALLY closer to Nica or Nicole. But I'll let her be Nica since she is prettier than me. I have my own Cesca, Jans who is a singer kinda close right? And well we don't have a Trixie and an Andie so they can just be me. Since I seem to share the mad Googling skills of those two and I write.)
I loved the small almost OC details in this book about describing the experience like you were actually there. And the many culture shocks they experienced made me want to spazz out completely. I also dream of going to Korea and meeting some real Korean friends. I have some students I would want to meet with if I ever go there to visit. I have a couple of them that I can meet up with (I think) if I ever go there. But that would require me to get out of my actual job now and work for a company that would pay me twice or thrice than this so I could afford tickets, accommodations and what not. By that time, Big Bang would be in their thirties. And some other group would be gunning for the Worldwide Act award. But they would always be the first in my heart.
Popped wrote down what many of us would love to have. Encounters of the K-pop kind. But the fact that in the story, the real happiness that they found isn't all the merchandise, Korean lovelife, chance encounters with the hottest men in their fanfic dreams, but the friendship that was formed between four seemingly cut from my own first life kind of people. Nica, Trixie, Cesca and Andie reminded me of my friends and I realized that sometimes the sailormoon fandom, kpop addiction or Mig Ayesa stalking are just means to an even great story.
Someday I would write about my Elbi life and it would make college girls who remember their close friends want to call em up and say, “Let's go out for coffee.”
And if by then those cute Coffee Prince cups and lattes would already have a branch in the Philippines, then that would be super awesome. Till then, we can hit Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
September 17, 2016
I'm a big fan of Chinggay Labrador ever since she began writing for Seventeen magazine and Candy. I bought this book on a whim because I found out she was at the book fair and I really wanted to meet her. I am not a big fan of k-pop or Korean dramas so I wasn't able to connect with a book on a much deeper level but I'm big in fangirl-ism and pop culture, friendship and love which is probably why I still enjoyed reading it. It's a very light read and can be finished in one sitting. The plot line reminded me a lot of the Shopaholic series in a sense that I had so much hate for the protagonist at first (because of her impulsiveness and borderline stupidity) but the character grows on you and somehow, at some point, you get to love her inspite of everything. All in all, I recommend reading this for long train rides as it is not so heavy (literally and figuratively) and it's interesting enough to keep you preoccupied.
UPDATE: Read it again this year and CRAP. I loved it because I finally got the hang of K-Pop. I cannot help but imagine Movement as GOT7's members.
UPDATE: Read it again this year and CRAP. I loved it because I finally got the hang of K-Pop. I cannot help but imagine Movement as GOT7's members.
September 28, 2011
I was very much excited to read this chick lit. Imagine, a book dedicated to Pinay kpop fans.
Well, I'm not like Andi though. I never had a boyfriend yet but my addiction to kpop started in kdramas as well. I think those are the roots.
When I checked on the checklist, I thought "This book is meant for me".
Every chapter, talagang napapapintig ang puso ko. Nakadagdag pa na ang nagpeplay na songs ay KPOP at JPOP. Talagang nagpipilit akong tapusin sya in a day. Pero dahil sa acads, naging one week ><.
However, I was disappointed with the ending. I thought "Oh.. That was it?" I mean, super bitin yung kwento. What happened to others? He just welcomed a korean guy?
Anyways, This is really a MUST for every korean fangirl out there.
Grab a copy now!
PS: They are thinking of releasing Popped Too. And I'm very much eager to get a copy.
hwaiting! :)
Well, I'm not like Andi though. I never had a boyfriend yet but my addiction to kpop started in kdramas as well. I think those are the roots.
When I checked on the checklist, I thought "This book is meant for me".
Every chapter, talagang napapapintig ang puso ko. Nakadagdag pa na ang nagpeplay na songs ay KPOP at JPOP. Talagang nagpipilit akong tapusin sya in a day. Pero dahil sa acads, naging one week ><.
However, I was disappointed with the ending. I thought "Oh.. That was it?" I mean, super bitin yung kwento. What happened to others? He just welcomed a korean guy?
Anyways, This is really a MUST for every korean fangirl out there.
Grab a copy now!
PS: They are thinking of releasing Popped Too. And I'm very much eager to get a copy.
hwaiting! :)
February 1, 2011
Fluffy, fluffy, fun. I enjoyed reading it mainly because I could really put myself in the girls' shoes. I've seen lots of the scenarios and I've probably even felt what they were feeling at one point or another. Sometimes they freaked me out with their over-the-top antics and I'd make faces at the book much as I'd make faces at crazy fangirls in real life. The ending was a little too surreal, but if that's what's coming to all fangirls, then I say bring it on! haha just kidding. Cotton Candy Fluff. But that's really what I was expecting anyways. All in all, a fun-filled glimpse into the life of a K-pop fangirl. As AndieBau says "Welcome to the fantastic world."
August 25, 2011
awww... Popped reminds me too much of my Kpop obsession that I can't help but relate to the characters.
Andie and her friends are so fun you think you're reading about high school girls when in fact they are all working women. This book is about 4 bestfriends who are soo caught up in their kpop world (mostly Movement-fictional kpop band) that they found themselves in Korea and meeting their idols no less!!! whooo! thumbs up for them! sooo jealous...
anyway, its such a fun read that I took my time reading it. I love fangirling and for all other fangirls out there, you rock! Let's keep loving kpop...
Andie and her friends are so fun you think you're reading about high school girls when in fact they are all working women. This book is about 4 bestfriends who are soo caught up in their kpop world (mostly Movement-fictional kpop band) that they found themselves in Korea and meeting their idols no less!!! whooo! thumbs up for them! sooo jealous...
anyway, its such a fun read that I took my time reading it. I love fangirling and for all other fangirls out there, you rock! Let's keep loving kpop...
October 10, 2016
'Popped' is a light-hearted novel about a girl named Andie and her barkada (her group of friends), and Andie's adventure into becoming a fangirl for Korean culture (which I can heavily relate to.)
It is a fast-paced and quick read - but beyond the surface you can find that it is quite shallow. There is no depth and while it is easy to relate to the characters you can quickly see how shallow they are themselves (judging and making fun of a fan-boy for designing what they deemed were 'crappy' fan shirts. Futher, even, naming him 'Munchkin Oppa' for his “orange-toned, badly-rebonded, chin length hair”.)
While it was fun to read there was nothing much more to it than that.
It is a fast-paced and quick read - but beyond the surface you can find that it is quite shallow. There is no depth and while it is easy to relate to the characters you can quickly see how shallow they are themselves (judging and making fun of a fan-boy for designing what they deemed were 'crappy' fan shirts. Futher, even, naming him 'Munchkin Oppa' for his “orange-toned, badly-rebonded, chin length hair”.)
While it was fun to read there was nothing much more to it than that.
April 27, 2011
My rating is actually 3.5. This is the chick-lit for K-Pop fanatics. It was really funny most of the time. A K-Pop male idol group was featured and they are a combination of Big Bang and 2PM. wahaha! The grown-up women who are secretly K-Pop fanatic surpassed my expectations of a K-Pop fanatic. (>.<) I can't see myself doing half the things they did. It was just crazy! But then again, if I will end up with a Korean Prince Charming, it will be worth it! :))
October 30, 2012
Never have I been so thrilled and satisfied with a sequel, but this book, Popped 2, is such a spazz-worthy and more kilig-overload sequel! Everything in it speaks what a fangirl dreams and what a fangirl really does! I highly recommend this to every fangirl who wish to get even the tiniest feeling on how to be on the "Kpop motherland" (which is Korea) and to make your fangirl heart kilig-to-the-bones than ever! I'm definitely buying the 3rd book!
May 22, 2017
This book is one of our Recommended Reads! Read our post here.
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Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
Would like to be a reviewer/contributor to Bookbed? Sign up here!
We also accept review requests. More info here.
September 21, 2011
I shelved this book because it felt like a memoir when it's not supposed to be one. While fan girls might find it entertaining, it'll probably be hard for one to appreciate it if one isn't familiar or interested with the Korean wave, or anything Korean maybe. I myself had a phase of fangirling but this just didn't work for me.
October 19, 2012
"Just welcome," I smiled. "Welcome to the fantastic world" -- Gosh! This book is just a fun, light read. It sooooooo reminds me of the thrill and craziness I felt at the beginning of my love story with Seoul. This book made me miss Seoul and fangirling even more. Oh, the memories when life was exciting and had so much meaning. I miss it dearly.
September 17, 2016
This book (this series) proved to me that second chances exist. I bought the whole Popped series because I wanted to meet the author so badly but I didn't really like K-Pop back then. Fast forward to 2 years later, I found myself engrossed in K-Pop and fell in love with this book as well. Love how relatable the characters are, and how each scene made me want to go to Korea, ASAP.
June 18, 2020
Out of all the Summit Books that I owned, this was the most irritating. No offense, but the mentality of the characters in this story annoyed the hell out of me. I could understand the 'fangirl' phase since I'd been there before but they were already in their twenties. I just found it unacceptable.
October 23, 2012
I think I enjoyed Popped 1 better. But this book didn't fail to make me feel all giddy like a high school girl who is super in-crush. Black Hoodie guy is just too cute and too Kboy to be true! I really feel like I'm Andie. SERIOUSLY.
July 3, 2017
my friend gave this book to me years ago.
i really liked this book because as a kpop fan i can so relate!!! <3 gosh how i wish this could happen to me too (if i visit korea).. anyways, if you r a kpoper then you should read this book!! <3
i really liked this book because as a kpop fan i can so relate!!! <3 gosh how i wish this could happen to me too (if i visit korea).. anyways, if you r a kpoper then you should read this book!! <3
October 12, 2016
Sequels scare me. But I can gladly say that this one did not disappoint. It held the same candor and light-heartedness as it's predecessor and was just as happy-go-lucky and fun.
The girls go to Seoul to visit their friend, Nica, and drama ensues.
Also, I need my own Black Hoodie Guy.
The girls go to Seoul to visit their friend, Nica, and drama ensues.
Also, I need my own Black Hoodie Guy.
June 22, 2012
so LIKE..
September 18, 2012
To all the Kpop fangirls out there, you'll love this book, promise! ~ I will definitely read the 2 epic sequels! Yieeee, lots of love! Thank you for making my fangirl heart so kilig! <3
September 25, 2012
Popped is like the story of every fangirl. I was totally hooked to it's story coz I can relate to the characters of this book. Love Popped! ♥
December 13, 2012
its great
August 9, 2014
It was a fun read especially if you can relate to all the excitement you get in the fangirl world~
June 5, 2013
I have read POPPED TOO. This book is really hard to find in book stores.
August 16, 2013
PERFECT!!!
August 16, 2013
GREAT FOR ALL KPOPERS OUT THERE
Read
September 1, 2013:D 1 word to describe Popped, DAEBAK!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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