Superfan

by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

From National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree Jenny Tinghui Zhang, a novel about a pop idol and his superfan, whose stories shockingly collide

Freshman Minnie is adrift at college in Austin, Texas, when she discovers a boy band called HOURglass and the online forums that worship them. She especially loves Halo, whose sharp edges feel somehow familiar. After a brief romance goes painfully awry, Minnie pours everything into her new fandom, clinging to each livestream and bonding with other fans online. But when a scandal threatens to expose Halo to harm, Minnie decides that she is the only one who can save him.

Except Halo’s secret is darker than anything the tabloids could imagine. Before he was a superstar heartthrob, he was a high school dropout haunted by a tragic accident. When he is recruited for HOURglass, it feels like a chance to become someone else. And when he is onstage in front of his fans, he can almost forget the horrors of his past—until one of those very fans threatens to destroy everything.

Dazzling, entrancing, and deeply heartfelt, Superfan is about fandom in all its magic and its terror, and the extreme lengths to which we go to rid ourselves of loneliness.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 3, 2026

About the author

Jenny Tinghui Zhang is a Texas-based Chinese-American writer and the author of Four Treasures of the Sky (forthcoming from Flatiron Books on April 5, 2022). She is a Kundiman fellow and graduate of the VONA/Voices and Tin House workshops. Her work has appeared in Apogee, Ninth Letter, Passages North, The Rumpus, HuffPost, The Cut, Catapult, and more.

Reviews

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep being drawn to novels about fame and fandom, although I’ve never read anything that comes close to The Ghost Network. While fun in parts, Superfan continues that trend. Minnie is a lonely student who hasn’t made any friends at college and is stuck in a messy entanglement with a guy who belittles her. Then she gets obsessively attached to HOURglass, a ‘K-pop-inspired’ boyband, and one member in particular: Halo. Through the fandom, she finally starts to make connections with other people, but is also pulled into a conspiracy rabbit-hole. In a parallel set of chapters, we follow Halo – real name Eason – as he strives to keep his past secret from the media and his fans.

The best parts of the book are about Minnie’s college experience, the character believably failing to find her feet in an environment where everyone else seems to do so effortlessly. If the guys she encounters seem a little too cartoonishly awful, it’s also easy to believe in Minnie as someone who would endure this behaviour for the sake of acceptance. There’s an unevenness, though – both narratives are third person, but Minnie’s digs into her character whereas Eason always remains at a remove. I wanted to know more about Minnie; I was tempted to skip or skim some of Eason’s chapters. The plot’s machinations are simple, and there are some annoying loose ends (I was particularly irritated by the whole thing with Nate’s short story about Minnie, which gets no payoff).

An enjoyable read with an engaging main character in Minnie – but maybe just a bit ‘young’ for me and better suited to readers closer in age to the characters.

I received an advance review copy of Superfan from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Claire Reads Books]

I adore Jenny and will be thinking about this book and its themes of loneliness and connection for a long time 💜

[Sarah (berriesandbooks)]

ITS HAPPENING ITS HAPPENING ITS FINALLY HAPPENING

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

Superfan follows Minnie who is a lonely college student who discovers the k-pop inspired boy band, HOURglass. The band gives her an escape from her lonely life and soon she is watching everything they do and hoping her favourite member, Halo will see her in the comments. Halo whose real name is Eason is becoming addicted to the adoration from his fans and escapes into the band to ignore his tragic past. Minnie ends up drawn into a fan community for the band that believes they need to protect the band members from a dark conspiracy. As Minnie gets deeper into the fan community, the line between fandom and obsession blurs and Minnie is desperate to discover Halo and the secrets he is keeping.

This book is a good deep dive into fandom culture and how dark things can get. It was easy to relate to Minnie and how lonely she felt and it was easy to understand how Minnie got involved into the fan community. This book feels like a realistic interpretation of the negative parts of being in a fandom and stan culture. It was also interesting to see Eason’s point of view of being in a band and experiencing the attention from fans. The writing felt a little remote and this just wasn’t the perfect story for me because I do think this was a little too on the nose with the points made. That said I’m giving this 3.5 stars and I would recommend this.

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dizzying and sickening reflection of fame, idols, and how quickly we can lose ourselves. As someone who spent her formative years online and in spaces dedicated to boybands, this novel hit close to home. Similar to Minnie, I sought refuge in fandoms and celebrities that felt larger than life. I saw firsthand the delusions, conspiracies and fears that circulated around these online communities.

There was so much real fear in this story, and choosing to tell it from both inside the band and out was a clever move. I felt the want and need of the fans, and Minnie, but also the desperation in the boys, particularly Easton. I wish there was a bit more development with the other boys, but this was really Easton/Halo’s story.

I loved the slow descent into madness, and the subsequent hope at the end. This was such an exciting book to read, it felt almost like a thriller in parts. Truly a fantastic and important story about parasocial relationships and the damage they cause. If you were once a fangirl, or in online fandoms, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Superfan #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance reader digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a ride! I enjoyed the dive into parasocial relationships that can go way too far.

What I liked:
*I wasn't expecting to get the boy band member, Eason's point of view in this book. It was a cool concept to be able to see what the life behind the celebrity is like.
*Minnie as a character was enjoyable. I really felt for her at times during this story.
*I really enjoyed the found family that Minnie gets(not really a spoiler but won't be specific just in case!)
*The commentary on parasocial relationships and how fan culture can create narratives that can be ultimately life destroying out of signs that aren't there was really interesting to read about.

What was challenging:
*There were a lot of sub plots that I don't feel got to have enough depth but were taken as crucial parts of the story. I think the story could have eliminated a few and really dove deep and it would have fleshed the characters' stories out.
*I was a bit confused by Eason's background at times.
*The relationship between the members didn't feel like it got enough attention so even if the intention was that they were sort of strangers to one another no matter what, it still didn't necessarily feel "right".
*The pacing was slow in the beginning. I feel like it went from 0 to 100 on how deep Minnie got in with the obsession and there could have been clearer buildup.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend!

[Ana Palatnic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who’s been a fan of a boyband in the 2010’s will feel this book to the bone. The para social relationship Minnie and all HOURglass fans develop with the band is similar to all stan culture! Minnie’s loneliness and pain is very raw and real, and her pursuit of meaning, friendship, and belonging is one of the strongest points of the book. I enjoyed the story being told by both perspectives (Minnie and the band member Halo) and was counting the pages for them to be linked. Eason’s chapters provided a clear break from Minnie’s struggles, but towards the end his own confusion made ME very confused, I had to reread a couple of pages to understand what he was thinking/seeing. The fangirl community and Minnie’s blindness to their escalation and delusional conspiracy theories feels very real to anyone on Tumblr in 2014. Would definitely recommend this book!

*Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.*

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Though this book is in some ways about doing and being the most, there's something incredibly understated about the true nature of these characters and about the markedly timely topic. This is a read I enjoyed, despite the discomfort I constantly felt, and by the end, it has grown on me even more.

I came into this audiobook a little unsure about how much it would resonate with me because I do not experience fandom in the way it exists in modern society. One friend and colleague teaches a basic writing course with fandom as the overarching theme. Another received a doctoral degree in fan studies with a specific emphasis in fan fic. Though these things are happening around me, I don't really *get* them on my own. In case you are like me with these incoming reservations, I'm here to tell you that my non-fan status did not hamper my enjoyment of this book. I hope this note helps some reluctant readers out there.

This novel is told through joint perspectives: Minnie, a young woman entering college in Texas and Halo/Eason, a boyband star. Zhang's first brilliant move is to use this setup. Readers get deep into the minds and experiences of both characters. We don't have a parasocial relationship with Eason; we see him as a human being, which provides opportunities for empathy and reality to infuse his story. Though Eason's life is built on a facade in obvious ways, Minnie's is, too, in much the same way that most people are trying on different faces at this life stage. She lacks confidence (there is an incredible scene when another character shares their impression of her that is so spot on with how Zhang writes her, it is almost physically painful), she's deeply isolated even in a crowd, and she is looking for meaning. Minnie is drawn to the band and its members because of her relationship to them but also to the fan community. In her fandom, she is no longer alone. Both characters come off as believable and layered.

There are some tough but important moments that center on sexual assault and harrassment. While they are difficult to read, they are fundamental to the plot and character development. I also can't say how much I appreciate the choices Zhang makes in these areas. The specific scenarios Zhang chooses are so common but are not necessarily commonly discussed, leading to even more victim blaming and confusion than might be found in other more frequently represented situations. There's a constant feeling of discomfort in this novel in part because of these situations, but also because readers get to see the truth behind various secrets and the complicated ways in which these characters try to see themselves and grapple with who they are versus what has happened to them.

This is not a book that I would describe as fun or lighthearted in any way, but it IS hopeful and it reveals an aspect of modern culture that shapes many people's lives and is still relatable to those of us who haven't gone down this specific rabbit hole yet. The understated aspects of the work veil this outcome, but this is a real banger from Zhang. I'll recommend this mindfully and with CW/TW to very specific prospective readers. I'll also look very forward to more from this writer.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superfan is a novel about a college student who discovers a new boy band and becomes a huge fan, whilst secrets about one of the band members threaten to be revealed. Minnie is lonely, a freshman at college in Texas who feels like an outsider struggling to make friends. When she discovers a video of HOURglass, an American band created in a K-Pop model, she's found her new obsession. The band, especially the group's bad boy Halo, bring her happiness and an online community that is there for her as she struggles in real life. However, Halo himself is struggling, with secrets from before he became famous and the pressures of life in a band where everything is controlled by the record label.

This is a multi-faceted novel that combines a coming-of-age college narrative with a story about parasocial relationship and manufactured fame. It is told concurrently from Minnie and Halo (real name Eason)'s perspectives, bringing a dual narrative that you know must collide at some point beyond Minnie's obsession. A lot of the book actually isn't just about Minnie and the band, but about Minnie's time at college as she attempts to find herself, but instead finds a controlling guy who isn't quite her boyfriend and his creepy friend. It is interesting therefore that the book has a dual narrative, as it is easy to imagine it just from Minnie's perspective, but by having Eason there as well with a separate tense narrative, there's a lot more packed in. There's a lot of realistic details about online fan communities, though there's not as much resolution from that side of things, nor around the ways that the band were manipulated and the ethics of that.

Overall, Superfan is a campus novel crossed with a boy band novel and a dash of thriller, and it's definitely fascinating for anyone who has spent time online seeing fan communities in action.

[Bhuku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desperation pervades this book, even more than loneliness. I'm not a part of any fandoms, but even without relating in that way this was such an emotional read!

Premise: A lonely Korean-American girl falls deep into parasocial superfan culture when college doesn't turn out to be the 'best days' she's been promised. Told in dual perspective, from both the perspective of the girl (Minnie) and the boyband superstar (Halo/Eason).

Live thoughts:

I am surprised how much I'm enjoying Eason/Halo's perspective.

The loneliness in Minnie's perspective feels so deep and real.

Nate's neg of Minnie's taste in books makes me so mad for her. She should have gotten up and left right then and there.

Eason's backstory is so creative and interesting. Love this choice!

Nate is so hateable.

Ugh I saw every last bit of that party scene coming before it happened.

Some of this is a little too on-the-nose, but maybe that really is how K-pop idols talk.

Choosing “the boys” over something real (and messy) is step 1 towards dating AI.

The way I punched the air when she ended that phone call like that!!

WHAT IS THE SECRET.

😧

For readers of:
🐙 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt
📚 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
💄 Make Me Famous by Maud Ventura
🪞 The Compound by Aisling Rawle

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Eric Yang and Katharine Chin. They did an amazing job -- a really emotional read, like this story required.

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minnie is a truly intriguing character. She is from the only Asian family in Colorado Springs but then at college is struggling to find her place. She is a pretty typical talented but insecure teenager and she licks in on the new boy band HOURglass. They are a k-pop inspired band who shoots to stardom and inspires a message board culture and community of fans.

Alternating POE chapters go to Eason, whose stage name is Halo. Similarly insecure, he isn’t a good dancer he’s running from a difficult family situation. Many chapters were by far better, and I found Eason‘s chapters to be a little bit lacking. It all comes together in a dramatic moment when many finally is able to meet the band. It’s definitely a book that explores fandoms and obsession with celebrity. The content is mildly dark, and definitely intriguing in terms of setting. I would’ve liked a little bit more character building on the part of the band members. That said, it was definitely well written and worth reading if you like YA and books about celebrity culture.

Audiobook review- there are some parts of the narrative that are messages and message board material. This has a lot of depth and can be difficult to follow on audio. The performance for Minnie is great and really captures her voice. I was fortune to have a digital copy as well and I enjoyed reading along with audio in an immersive read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan audio for the ALC and Flatiron Books for the ARC.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
Minnie is a freshman at a big Texas university. She is battling loneliness and fitting where to fit in when she begins her obsession with a boy band online. It takes over her days and nights giving her a world far away from awkward dating and social situations. The new group equally obsessed with the band takes her to a dark place and feels a lot like stalking. One of the boys she really identifies with is struggling with his own dark place and secrets. This story takes two very different people who share the common struggle of identity, isolation and stress. It also highlights some of the pitfalls on online communication and perception. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What seems to be a book about a young woman's obsession with a boy band really digs deep into the feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Minnie, a first year at a large university, never felt like she fit in, and is full of insecurities and yet, feels seen, as a fan of HOURglass and especially with one of it's singers, Halo. Halo is also running from his past and seeks to connect with the anonymous fans. When their worlds collide, and how each deal with that, makes this such an interesting read. This author remains one to watch.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Critter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. It has a great concept and themes. I think the main character is really engaging and interesting as a main character. I just couldn't fully get into the story and it might be more of me than the book itself. I know I didn't really like the male main character's pov as much as the female main character. I just didn't find him as interesting to follow compared to the other main character. I did think the narrators did a good job with this one and each of their povs.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan I have read many books over the years about K-pop which have mainly focused on trainee life and making it as an idol. This offers an in-depth look more at being a fan, finding a group when you feel lonely and becoming increasingly obsessed with them.

We do get the POV of the idol too and there's mystery over the secret he's hiding which threatens the future of the group but the Minnie chapters were by far my favourites.

Jenny Tinghui Zhang must have spent a lot of time researching the world of K-pop fandoms because parts of this were scarily accurate. A wonderful read with a satisfactory ending.

[Veerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Read as an ARC)
Suuuper weird, pretty fun, deeper and more emotional than I thought it would be! Like being on tumblr in 2014

[Tal]

Still need to think about it before I can rate it.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really for me but I can see where others would LOVE this book.

[Jools · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my new favorite books of all time. The writing was so beautiful and I resonated so much with how Minnie found community within an online fan space

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved every bit of this so very much, this is perfection

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