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Holy Boy
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Expected 17 Feb 26Four obsessed women kidnap a K-Pop idol with unexpected and devastating results in this chilling, thought-provoking literary thriller that blends the dark impulsions of
Butter
with the ratcheting tension of
Misery.
Four wildly different women are consumed by Yosep, a dreamy twenty-one-year-old K-pop idol known as “the boy.”
Ahna, a woman in her forties, first sought the company of younger men to quell the loneliness she experienced accompanying her husband on his trips abroad. When an affluent friend introduces her to the boy and she sees him on television, Ahna joins his cultish fandom. She soon bonds with Mihee, a beautiful, socially isolated woman in her twenties, who also worships the boy, and they eventually meet two other Nami, a young shaman, and Heeae, who worked as a maid for Ahna’s family and is Yosep’s birth mother. Heeae gave her son up for adoption to ensure him a better life but yearns to be reunited.
Fierce and unapologetic, each woman has her own reason for wanting Yosep—a yawning desperation that spawns a dangerous plan. After taking the young singer hostage at a mansion in the mountains of South Korea’s Gangwon Province, Ahna, Yosep, Mihee, Nami, and Heeae will go to extreme lengths to keep him there, no matter how coercive—or murderous—the means. But the fervency that united this formidable team begins to fracture them, igniting a holy war over that sets each woman against the other. Who will emerge the victor? And just how far will she go to win the boy for herself?
A probing, psychological novel as thrilling as a rollercoaster ride, told in exquisite, breathtaking prose, Holy Boy is a subversive, intricately plotted novel that explores the perils of objectification, the dark undercurrents of female desire, and the precarity of love.
Translated from the Korean by Joheun Lee
Four wildly different women are consumed by Yosep, a dreamy twenty-one-year-old K-pop idol known as “the boy.”
Ahna, a woman in her forties, first sought the company of younger men to quell the loneliness she experienced accompanying her husband on his trips abroad. When an affluent friend introduces her to the boy and she sees him on television, Ahna joins his cultish fandom. She soon bonds with Mihee, a beautiful, socially isolated woman in her twenties, who also worships the boy, and they eventually meet two other Nami, a young shaman, and Heeae, who worked as a maid for Ahna’s family and is Yosep’s birth mother. Heeae gave her son up for adoption to ensure him a better life but yearns to be reunited.
Fierce and unapologetic, each woman has her own reason for wanting Yosep—a yawning desperation that spawns a dangerous plan. After taking the young singer hostage at a mansion in the mountains of South Korea’s Gangwon Province, Ahna, Yosep, Mihee, Nami, and Heeae will go to extreme lengths to keep him there, no matter how coercive—or murderous—the means. But the fervency that united this formidable team begins to fracture them, igniting a holy war over that sets each woman against the other. Who will emerge the victor? And just how far will she go to win the boy for herself?
A probing, psychological novel as thrilling as a rollercoaster ride, told in exquisite, breathtaking prose, Holy Boy is a subversive, intricately plotted novel that explores the perils of objectification, the dark undercurrents of female desire, and the precarity of love.
Translated from the Korean by Joheun Lee
304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
tried-it
February 4, 2026This is weird & sinister & makes you feel a little uncomfortable (which I think is the point). The writing style is interesting and took a bit for me to get used to, but I think it’s very effective for increasing that uncomfortable feeling.
I think this will work for those who like weird lit. Something different. something uncomfortable and can handle the subject and content.
I was quite enjoying this, it’s not my usual genre, but I like to sprinkle in something different to break up the fantasy and romance and this was definitely that.
Unfortunately it is a DNF for me at 28% due to the nature of the content. I wish there had been a content warning or author’s note available for this. There are a number of heavier topics, please read with care.
Audio Narration: 4/5. Solid performance. Pacing and inflection were good. Pausing at the end of sentences was a bit exaggerated.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you HarperVia for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I think this will work for those who like weird lit. Something different. something uncomfortable and can handle the subject and content.
I was quite enjoying this, it’s not my usual genre, but I like to sprinkle in something different to break up the fantasy and romance and this was definitely that.
Unfortunately it is a DNF for me at 28% due to the nature of the content. I wish there had been a content warning or author’s note available for this. There are a number of heavier topics, please read with care.
Audio Narration: 4/5. Solid performance. Pacing and inflection were good. Pausing at the end of sentences was a bit exaggerated.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you HarperVia for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I like nothing more than a strange and wonderful novel. However this had me entirely baffled after the first quarter and I had my head in my hands by the end, trying to work out what I'd just read. It is an interesting premise but I feel like the author simply tried to put too much into it.
Yosep is a member of a K-pop band. However he has had some personal problems which lead him into a dangerous situation whereby he is "kidnapped" by four women who all purport to adore him.
Ahnna has a penchant for young men, Nami believes that if Yosep sees her he will fall in love, Mihee who also worships the pop star and Heeae, who gave up the infant Yosep for adoption.
The women hole up with the unconscious Yosep in a mansion but after this their plans for his future begin to diverge and rivalries emerge with terrible consequences.
This is the basic story - I think - there are parts of the novel that are completely incomprehensible as the women begin to contemplate what they've done. There is also another thread narrated by a bodyguard (possibly) which explains why Yosep is found in his car on the night of the kidnap.
Unfortunately, the more I tried to unravel what promised to be an interesting look at stalking/fandom/hero worship, the more confused I became. Contemporaneous notes did not help.
Not for me.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Picador for the digital review copy.
Yosep is a member of a K-pop band. However he has had some personal problems which lead him into a dangerous situation whereby he is "kidnapped" by four women who all purport to adore him.
Ahnna has a penchant for young men, Nami believes that if Yosep sees her he will fall in love, Mihee who also worships the pop star and Heeae, who gave up the infant Yosep for adoption.
The women hole up with the unconscious Yosep in a mansion but after this their plans for his future begin to diverge and rivalries emerge with terrible consequences.
This is the basic story - I think - there are parts of the novel that are completely incomprehensible as the women begin to contemplate what they've done. There is also another thread narrated by a bodyguard (possibly) which explains why Yosep is found in his car on the night of the kidnap.
Unfortunately, the more I tried to unravel what promised to be an interesting look at stalking/fandom/hero worship, the more confused I became. Contemporaneous notes did not help.
Not for me.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Picador for the digital review copy.
October 22, 2025
Some people fall in love with a figure in an old painting while strolling through an art gallery . . . Compared to them, I would say I’m lucky. I dipped my feet in the same water as him, if only for a moment.
미술관을 걷다 불현듯 오래된 그림 속 인물과 사랑에 빠지는…… 그에 비하면 나는 운이 좋은 셈이지요. 적어도 한순간은 그애와 같은 강물에 발을 담갔으니까요.
Holy Boy (2025) is the translation by Joheun Lee of 성소년 (2021) by 이희주.
The figure, or perhaps the void, at the centre of the novel is Josep, a K-pop idol. The narrator, whose identity is clearer at the novel's end, opens by telling us that, as per the quote above, she was fortunate that her life overlapped with his, if only briefly, and, writing after his death, tells us that she is imagining more details of the story that 'that remains untold between those women and him'.
The story, which comprises much of the novel, has four women obsessed with Josep, some as pure fans, others for deeper reasons (their connection to Josep becoming clearer as the novel progresses): Ahnna, Nami, Mihee, and Heeae. Saju of the four women was under the strong influence of metal, earth, fire, and wood, respectively. Since Yosep’s had water, the five of them were destined to help each other.
Ahnna decides that the only logical outcome of her obsession is to kidnap Josep, concealing him in a remote and abandoned mansion, on the north-east coast close to the Korean border, and recruits the others to help her: After wandering the streets for a while, Ahnna went to the river. On an excessively wide and long bridge, she had only one thought. That she wanted to die. That she wanted to throw herself into the gray, gloomy water. She felt like she could be reborn if she could immerse herself in the rolling stream. She might become milky-white again like a lamb pulled out of a boiling cauldron. But she didn’t let herself fall to the river bottom. Yosep held her back at the last moment. Even if she were to go, she had to embrace him, Yosep, one last time. When she reached that thought, Ahnna scoffed at herself. Embrace Yosep? There was no way she could achieve that unless she kidnapped him or something. Yes, unless she kidnapped him ...
Much of the novel is the story of them holding Josep captive - he has lost his memory, and is convinced by the women that he has also lost the use of his legs in a car accident. Even as someone who has neither read the book, nor seen the movie, it's hard not to think of Stephen King's Misery, but the book acknowledges that by having one of his captors draw the same parallel:
Yosep might have lost his memory, but he hadn’t gone deaf. He might grow suspicious if he learned that the women were driving around when he believed they were marooned in the mansion. What if his memory came back? They wouldn’t be able to keep scaring him and bandaging him up like they were now. They might have to resort to breaking his leg, like in Misery. “That can’t happen. He needs to dance,” Nami said to herself loudly.
As the story progresses, the rivalries between the women come to the surface, each believing Josep's true fate is to be with them and the others are merely helping this destiny, and the level of violence, both to those who might interfere with their plan and between each other, cranks up to somewhat extreme levels, with the K-pop idol himself almost incidental to their machinations.
And the narrator concludes the story by revealing her identity, telling us the aftermath of the incident but perhaps also calling the story she's told us into question.
An effective, and rather different (the Misery link notwithstanding) K-novel. 3.5 stars rounded to 4
Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.
Some selected quotes:
A nod to a real-life hostage situation from Korean in 1988 that mirrors that in the novel (the song referred to The Bees Gees's Holiday, which the hostage-taker was playing as the siege ended)
When Mihee turned on the system and set the radio station, a familiar pop song started to play. “I haven’t heard this in a while,” she said. In a gleeful voice unbecoming of the tragic melody, Ahnna asked, “How do you know this song?” “I heard it on TV.” “Weren’t you only in grade school back when the incident happened? You remember all sorts of things, don’t you?” Ahnna started to hum excitedly. Filthy, unkempt heads began to barge into Mihee’s mind. The criminals who broke into a family’s home and took them hostage in a standoff against the police.
The real-life hostage situation is also famous for the phrase 유전무죄 무전유죄 - “If you have money, innocent. If you don't have money, guilty.” - shouted by the lead hostage-taker. The novel also draws on the Asama-Sansō hostage situation at a remote mountain lodge in Japan in 1972.
The CEO of Josep's talent agency, who is both horrified and impressed by the obsessive K-pop bands, comparing their efforts to those of the generation that rebuilt the country after the Korean War:
“How did we make it all this way from the devastated battlefield using only our bare hands? That’s all our people’s doing. That’s how relentless we are. Smart, diligent, persevering. Where do you think all that blood went to?” The CEO heaved a deep sigh, his admiration and disgust blending together.
“In my opinion, those girls are talented. It takes a special kind of patience to live on the street, stay up all night stalking, and use your brain to send things like these. If they’d been born under the Japanese occupation, they would have fought for independence. If they’d been born just a decade earlier, they would have made their name in pro-democracy protests. The problem is, why are these girls wasting their talent doing this? It’s just amazing. Amazing, but gross.”
“걔들은 말이다. 내가 봤을 때 보통 인재가 아니다. 웬만한 인내심으로는 밤새우면서 쫓아다니고, 길에서 살고, 머리 굴려서 이런 거 보내는 짓 못한다. 일제강점기 같은 때 태어났으면 독립운동했을 거다. 십 년만 일찍 태어났어도 운동으로 날렸을 거다. 문제는 인재들이 왜 이딴 짓을 하고 있느냐 이거다. 하여간 정말 대단하다. 대단한데 징그럽다.”
Ahnna's obsessive view of the need to preserve Yosep's beauty:
The shape of his head deserved to be preserved for generations to come. Along with the Happy Prince’s sapphire eyes, a green emerald plucked from a lion’s heart, and a blood-stained red ruby and a fist-sized white diamond that once sat on top of the mightiest tyrant on earth, Yosep’s smooth chin and cheekbones needed to be displayed under subdued indirect lighting, shrouded in the sweet dust of a museum. And one day, they would get shot by bullets, pouring down like rain at the heart of war, and crumble away along with the glittering blue beetles a model of an evolving human. Such sorrow was the pinnacle of Yosep’s beauty. But all of that was to happen after Ahnna died. She couldn’t let anyone else have Yosep before then.
The quote from the narrator that gives rise to the title, the author herself inspired by Yumiko Kurahashi’s Holy Girl(聖少女/Seisho-jo)
The moment I saw Father’s face—tinged with pity, loneliness, slight affection, and a peculiar sadness for mortal beings—I realized that, unlike those women, his body had meant nothing to him. Father had resigned himself to distributing his meaningless, bound-to-decay body to wretched women who could only satisfy their hunger with his flesh and their thirst with his blood. After this epiphany, I felt at peace, as if enveloped in a massive body of light. My father was a saint. A Holy Boy, who resolved to love no one yet loved everyone.
미술관을 걷다 불현듯 오래된 그림 속 인물과 사랑에 빠지는…… 그에 비하면 나는 운이 좋은 셈이지요. 적어도 한순간은 그애와 같은 강물에 발을 담갔으니까요.
Holy Boy (2025) is the translation by Joheun Lee of 성소년 (2021) by 이희주.
The figure, or perhaps the void, at the centre of the novel is Josep, a K-pop idol. The narrator, whose identity is clearer at the novel's end, opens by telling us that, as per the quote above, she was fortunate that her life overlapped with his, if only briefly, and, writing after his death, tells us that she is imagining more details of the story that 'that remains untold between those women and him'.
The story, which comprises much of the novel, has four women obsessed with Josep, some as pure fans, others for deeper reasons (their connection to Josep becoming clearer as the novel progresses): Ahnna, Nami, Mihee, and Heeae. Saju of the four women was under the strong influence of metal, earth, fire, and wood, respectively. Since Yosep’s had water, the five of them were destined to help each other.
Ahnna decides that the only logical outcome of her obsession is to kidnap Josep, concealing him in a remote and abandoned mansion, on the north-east coast close to the Korean border, and recruits the others to help her: After wandering the streets for a while, Ahnna went to the river. On an excessively wide and long bridge, she had only one thought. That she wanted to die. That she wanted to throw herself into the gray, gloomy water. She felt like she could be reborn if she could immerse herself in the rolling stream. She might become milky-white again like a lamb pulled out of a boiling cauldron. But she didn’t let herself fall to the river bottom. Yosep held her back at the last moment. Even if she were to go, she had to embrace him, Yosep, one last time. When she reached that thought, Ahnna scoffed at herself. Embrace Yosep? There was no way she could achieve that unless she kidnapped him or something. Yes, unless she kidnapped him ...
Much of the novel is the story of them holding Josep captive - he has lost his memory, and is convinced by the women that he has also lost the use of his legs in a car accident. Even as someone who has neither read the book, nor seen the movie, it's hard not to think of Stephen King's Misery, but the book acknowledges that by having one of his captors draw the same parallel:
Yosep might have lost his memory, but he hadn’t gone deaf. He might grow suspicious if he learned that the women were driving around when he believed they were marooned in the mansion. What if his memory came back? They wouldn’t be able to keep scaring him and bandaging him up like they were now. They might have to resort to breaking his leg, like in Misery. “That can’t happen. He needs to dance,” Nami said to herself loudly.
As the story progresses, the rivalries between the women come to the surface, each believing Josep's true fate is to be with them and the others are merely helping this destiny, and the level of violence, both to those who might interfere with their plan and between each other, cranks up to somewhat extreme levels, with the K-pop idol himself almost incidental to their machinations.
And the narrator concludes the story by revealing her identity, telling us the aftermath of the incident but perhaps also calling the story she's told us into question.
An effective, and rather different (the Misery link notwithstanding) K-novel. 3.5 stars rounded to 4
Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.
Some selected quotes:
A nod to a real-life hostage situation from Korean in 1988 that mirrors that in the novel (the song referred to The Bees Gees's Holiday, which the hostage-taker was playing as the siege ended)
When Mihee turned on the system and set the radio station, a familiar pop song started to play. “I haven’t heard this in a while,” she said. In a gleeful voice unbecoming of the tragic melody, Ahnna asked, “How do you know this song?” “I heard it on TV.” “Weren’t you only in grade school back when the incident happened? You remember all sorts of things, don’t you?” Ahnna started to hum excitedly. Filthy, unkempt heads began to barge into Mihee’s mind. The criminals who broke into a family’s home and took them hostage in a standoff against the police.
The real-life hostage situation is also famous for the phrase 유전무죄 무전유죄 - “If you have money, innocent. If you don't have money, guilty.” - shouted by the lead hostage-taker. The novel also draws on the Asama-Sansō hostage situation at a remote mountain lodge in Japan in 1972.
The CEO of Josep's talent agency, who is both horrified and impressed by the obsessive K-pop bands, comparing their efforts to those of the generation that rebuilt the country after the Korean War:
“How did we make it all this way from the devastated battlefield using only our bare hands? That’s all our people’s doing. That’s how relentless we are. Smart, diligent, persevering. Where do you think all that blood went to?” The CEO heaved a deep sigh, his admiration and disgust blending together.
“In my opinion, those girls are talented. It takes a special kind of patience to live on the street, stay up all night stalking, and use your brain to send things like these. If they’d been born under the Japanese occupation, they would have fought for independence. If they’d been born just a decade earlier, they would have made their name in pro-democracy protests. The problem is, why are these girls wasting their talent doing this? It’s just amazing. Amazing, but gross.”
“걔들은 말이다. 내가 봤을 때 보통 인재가 아니다. 웬만한 인내심으로는 밤새우면서 쫓아다니고, 길에서 살고, 머리 굴려서 이런 거 보내는 짓 못한다. 일제강점기 같은 때 태어났으면 독립운동했을 거다. 십 년만 일찍 태어났어도 운동으로 날렸을 거다. 문제는 인재들이 왜 이딴 짓을 하고 있느냐 이거다. 하여간 정말 대단하다. 대단한데 징그럽다.”
Ahnna's obsessive view of the need to preserve Yosep's beauty:
The shape of his head deserved to be preserved for generations to come. Along with the Happy Prince’s sapphire eyes, a green emerald plucked from a lion’s heart, and a blood-stained red ruby and a fist-sized white diamond that once sat on top of the mightiest tyrant on earth, Yosep’s smooth chin and cheekbones needed to be displayed under subdued indirect lighting, shrouded in the sweet dust of a museum. And one day, they would get shot by bullets, pouring down like rain at the heart of war, and crumble away along with the glittering blue beetles a model of an evolving human. Such sorrow was the pinnacle of Yosep’s beauty. But all of that was to happen after Ahnna died. She couldn’t let anyone else have Yosep before then.
The quote from the narrator that gives rise to the title, the author herself inspired by Yumiko Kurahashi’s Holy Girl(聖少女/Seisho-jo)
The moment I saw Father’s face—tinged with pity, loneliness, slight affection, and a peculiar sadness for mortal beings—I realized that, unlike those women, his body had meant nothing to him. Father had resigned himself to distributing his meaningless, bound-to-decay body to wretched women who could only satisfy their hunger with his flesh and their thirst with his blood. After this epiphany, I felt at peace, as if enveloped in a massive body of light. My father was a saint. A Holy Boy, who resolved to love no one yet loved everyone.
February 5, 2026
This book was going to be a 2star read up until the epilogue in which the daughter of the victim who was kidnapped basically calls her father a succubus and that he wanted to be raped because he was bored with his life??? What in gods name makes someone write that? I understand that it may be to show the depravity of these women's mental states but the daughter who was conceived during her father's kidnapping saying that feels insane.
The book also for being a thriller, has the same chapter lengths as Donna Tartt's the Secret History, why was every chapter 100pages long?
Not to mention that this book is premised around the kidnapping of an Idol and yet he has less time in the book than the random police officers and side characters?
Normally with a translated book there is debate about who messed up, the author or the translator. I this case I think its both. The writing in English felt incredibly dull and half hearted, there was no tension, no passion, no nothing in a book about literal obsession? The pacing was insane, I think we saw the main women go shopping about 3 times for absolutely no reason. The book seemed to focus more on the women's lives outside of their obsession rather than on what lead them to commit such a crime or how obsession changed them over time, nope nothing.
I actually feel like watching those videos of Idols get swarmed at the airports are scarier than this. While some depraved things do happen in this book it felt like the editor said to the author 'hey maybe we should actually mention the victim once in a while, you know? Have the kidnappers actually do something with their hostage', but it came across like begrudgingly bad hospice care workers who would rather be anywhere else.
I fully believe this book was written to capitalise of the global success of the Idol industry, and instead of showing how genuinely scary it can be in the world of stalkers, dieting, creeps so on and so forth. This book does very little in the way of actually highlighting any real issue and if anything downplays alot of the current fears surrounding fan culture.
Please do not read this absolute drivel.
The book also for being a thriller, has the same chapter lengths as Donna Tartt's the Secret History, why was every chapter 100pages long?
Not to mention that this book is premised around the kidnapping of an Idol and yet he has less time in the book than the random police officers and side characters?
Normally with a translated book there is debate about who messed up, the author or the translator. I this case I think its both. The writing in English felt incredibly dull and half hearted, there was no tension, no passion, no nothing in a book about literal obsession? The pacing was insane, I think we saw the main women go shopping about 3 times for absolutely no reason. The book seemed to focus more on the women's lives outside of their obsession rather than on what lead them to commit such a crime or how obsession changed them over time, nope nothing.
I actually feel like watching those videos of Idols get swarmed at the airports are scarier than this. While some depraved things do happen in this book it felt like the editor said to the author 'hey maybe we should actually mention the victim once in a while, you know? Have the kidnappers actually do something with their hostage', but it came across like begrudgingly bad hospice care workers who would rather be anywhere else.
I fully believe this book was written to capitalise of the global success of the Idol industry, and instead of showing how genuinely scary it can be in the world of stalkers, dieting, creeps so on and so forth. This book does very little in the way of actually highlighting any real issue and if anything downplays alot of the current fears surrounding fan culture.
Please do not read this absolute drivel.
dnf
November 14, 2025DNF’d @ 60%
The writing was honestly impossible to get through. This book should have been an edgy thriller, delving into parasocial relationships, but instead I was bored out of my mind. The four women were severely underwritten and Yosep himself was as stiff as cardboard. There were also abrupt parts of the book that were overtly sexual and misogynistic for no reason. A let down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #HolyBoy #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The writing was honestly impossible to get through. This book should have been an edgy thriller, delving into parasocial relationships, but instead I was bored out of my mind. The four women were severely underwritten and Yosep himself was as stiff as cardboard. There were also abrupt parts of the book that were overtly sexual and misogynistic for no reason. A let down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #HolyBoy #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Everyone harbors a weird fantasy or two. It just happens that some people actually have the means to carry them out."
In Holy Boy, four women come together to enact an unhinged plan: kidnap Yosep, their favorite K-pop idol. With Yosep under their control, they plan to show him just how much they love him. And hope that he comes to love them in return.
This book offers an interesting dive into how these four so-called fans turned into obsessed and dangerous individuals who think their actions are justified because of the "love" they have for their idol. Each woman has her own selfish reason for going along with this plan, this parasocial relationship taken to the extreme. What they do is bone-chilling, but also sad. Because these women clearly have nothing else to live for and so they pour everything they have and all that they are towards a K-pop idol who doesn't even know they exist. And the devastating part about this is, despite what they believe, they don't ~know~ Yosep, not truly. They can only fantasize and project their desires onto him.
As I read, I realized Yosep also remained a vague figure to me. We only ever see him the way other characters see him. As a brilliant young K-pop idol. A moneymaker for the company. A delicious young body. An angel of a lost son. A soulmate. A gift from Fate herself. A rival whose beauty and charisma you can never compete with. But the real Yosep? Is he even any of those things, or is he someone else entirely?
And while the four women have Yosep in their grasp, they won't be able to share him forever. Eventually they'll have to find out which one of them will get to win the ultimate prize: Yosep's love.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Picador Press for the ARC.
Holy Boy by Lee Heejoo (translated by Joheun Lee) is out today Feb 5, 2026 🫰🏻❤️
In Holy Boy, four women come together to enact an unhinged plan: kidnap Yosep, their favorite K-pop idol. With Yosep under their control, they plan to show him just how much they love him. And hope that he comes to love them in return.
This book offers an interesting dive into how these four so-called fans turned into obsessed and dangerous individuals who think their actions are justified because of the "love" they have for their idol. Each woman has her own selfish reason for going along with this plan, this parasocial relationship taken to the extreme. What they do is bone-chilling, but also sad. Because these women clearly have nothing else to live for and so they pour everything they have and all that they are towards a K-pop idol who doesn't even know they exist. And the devastating part about this is, despite what they believe, they don't ~know~ Yosep, not truly. They can only fantasize and project their desires onto him.
As I read, I realized Yosep also remained a vague figure to me. We only ever see him the way other characters see him. As a brilliant young K-pop idol. A moneymaker for the company. A delicious young body. An angel of a lost son. A soulmate. A gift from Fate herself. A rival whose beauty and charisma you can never compete with. But the real Yosep? Is he even any of those things, or is he someone else entirely?
And while the four women have Yosep in their grasp, they won't be able to share him forever. Eventually they'll have to find out which one of them will get to win the ultimate prize: Yosep's love.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Picador Press for the ARC.
Holy Boy by Lee Heejoo (translated by Joheun Lee) is out today Feb 5, 2026 🫰🏻❤️
January 27, 2026
This book is absolutely bonkers. Holy Boy follows four women who are each vividly well written and, in their own ways, struggling with day to day life. They turn to their idol, Yosep, to bring brightness and hope into what would otherwise be an ordinary life amid the late 1990s South Korea.
The novel does a great job at discussing the human need for love and connection, and how far one will go to claim an idol as their own. There are so many parts of this book that made me flinch or want to stop reading, and Lee definitely doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable and completely outlandish scenarios. Some trigger warnings are needed I think, specifically regarding sexual violence and violence in general, even if the end of the novel puts this into question.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but I think some parts could do with some refining as there’s a lot going on. The structure felt bloated and all over the place, like Lee was trying to do as much as possible in a short span of time.
I liked that Lee was unflinching in their discussion of how far these women were willing to go, as it definitely shows the ugly side of fan culture, especially when things go too far. I think it’s also an important subject with the current culture of unhealthy parasocial relationships.
Thank you to Picador / Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the arc.
The novel does a great job at discussing the human need for love and connection, and how far one will go to claim an idol as their own. There are so many parts of this book that made me flinch or want to stop reading, and Lee definitely doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable and completely outlandish scenarios. Some trigger warnings are needed I think, specifically regarding sexual violence and violence in general, even if the end of the novel puts this into question.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but I think some parts could do with some refining as there’s a lot going on. The structure felt bloated and all over the place, like Lee was trying to do as much as possible in a short span of time.
I liked that Lee was unflinching in their discussion of how far these women were willing to go, as it definitely shows the ugly side of fan culture, especially when things go too far. I think it’s also an important subject with the current culture of unhealthy parasocial relationships.
Thank you to Picador / Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the arc.
January 18, 2026
Idols exist within every facet of the entertainment industry; with the music sphere breeding particularly hardcore followings of artists. Eminem accidentally penned the verb used by many to describe their support: ‘I stan’ youths now text, tweet and post. Whilst Donald Glover explored how far fans are willing to go in ‘Swarm’.
Lee Heejo takes us down the dark side of devotion through her novel ‘Holy Boy’. An unhinged tale traversing the minds of four women all expressing deep admiration (turned addiction) for a young Korean idol. The twists and turns of this book had me hooked from the first chapter. Themes of femininity, motherhood, and age all play a part in the lives of our protagonists. Time is played with in an interesting, if not slightly convoluted way, taking us back and forth across different POVs.
Overall, a greatly uncomfortable read (meaning it most definitely achieved what it set out to do), with plot twists galore, making it very reminiscent of a thrilling kdrama (fingers crossed somebody picks it up for production).
Would highly recommend!
Lee Heejo takes us down the dark side of devotion through her novel ‘Holy Boy’. An unhinged tale traversing the minds of four women all expressing deep admiration (turned addiction) for a young Korean idol. The twists and turns of this book had me hooked from the first chapter. Themes of femininity, motherhood, and age all play a part in the lives of our protagonists. Time is played with in an interesting, if not slightly convoluted way, taking us back and forth across different POVs.
Overall, a greatly uncomfortable read (meaning it most definitely achieved what it set out to do), with plot twists galore, making it very reminiscent of a thrilling kdrama (fingers crossed somebody picks it up for production).
Would highly recommend!
December 12, 2025
2.5 Sad to say this was hard to get through. I appreciate the eARC from NetGalley and HarperVia though, so I felt I needed to finish it. I thought this was going to be a wild and fun ride where four women team up to kidnap a K-pop idol, who they’re all obsessed with and obviously have parasocial relationships with. But there was nearly no action or character development. We hardly hear from the Holy Boy himself. And I was bored for most of the book. The very ending picked up, and I wish that ending had been expanded as the crux of the book instead of what it is. I read that this book started as a story published with weekly installments. Maybe that’s why it seems disjointed with overlapping parts, and having difficulty to get to its point. I think the description and cover don’t set the right tone. Pub date Feb 17, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
1.75⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I found this to be a muddled, confusing account of four women holding a young man hostage - or, alternatively, four fans keeping their K-pop idol hostage. For something so inherently serious, this was told in such a mundane way that I felt like the author wanted us to assume that it was all a bit of fun.
I was not engaged in the characters or their back stories. The structure was obviously trying to be somewhat nonlinear, but the result was a mess that I could not untangle. The strange ending practically rendered the entire work pointless. It asked some questions and answered nothing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I found this to be a muddled, confusing account of four women holding a young man hostage - or, alternatively, four fans keeping their K-pop idol hostage. For something so inherently serious, this was told in such a mundane way that I felt like the author wanted us to assume that it was all a bit of fun.
I was not engaged in the characters or their back stories. The structure was obviously trying to be somewhat nonlinear, but the result was a mess that I could not untangle. The strange ending practically rendered the entire work pointless. It asked some questions and answered nothing.
January 19, 2026
With thanks to Pan Macmillan for the proof!
Lee Heejoo offers a thoughtful and unusually tender perspective on the parasocial relationships that grow between idols and their fans. The novel’s ensemble cast, all drifting into the orbit of the enigmatic Holy Boy Yosep, feels vivid and deliberately constructed. The pacing is gentler in the first half but ramps up noticeably in the second, with a few great jaw dropping plot twists throughout. A compelling and original concept that will resonate with readers interested in fame, adoration, and the people behind the spotlight.
Lee Heejoo offers a thoughtful and unusually tender perspective on the parasocial relationships that grow between idols and their fans. The novel’s ensemble cast, all drifting into the orbit of the enigmatic Holy Boy Yosep, feels vivid and deliberately constructed. The pacing is gentler in the first half but ramps up noticeably in the second, with a few great jaw dropping plot twists throughout. A compelling and original concept that will resonate with readers interested in fame, adoration, and the people behind the spotlight.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an interesting read as it's not the typical cosy crime i normally read from South Korea. The 4 women were all very distinctive in tone and characterisation and i thought that the idol side with Yosep and his manager were also written really well. This felt like it had a distinctive look at idol culture and it felt layered in it's approach. I enjoyed this and can see myself recommending this to other people who enjoy crime novels that blend popular culture and unhinged women.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Want to read
January 19, 2026this seems like a mess, i’m so in
December 21, 2025
Thanks Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy!
Actual rating: 3.25 stars.
As a K-pop fan of nearly 20 years, the synopsis of Holy Boy stood out to me: four saeseng K-pop fans kidnap their idol, Yosep, to keep him all to themselves. Framed as the ultimate act of love, Yosep is entrapped in a secluded mansion as his kidnappers slowly lose their grip on reality.
I really enjoyed this unhinged thriller for a few reasons: the concept was hilarious to me as somebody that got into K-pop during its second-generation and saeseng fans were a dime a dozen, and the slow unfurl of the four women’s character really stood out. While a little unevenly told in parts (and I believe this is because the story was originally published in weekly instalments, a bit like a webtoon), I found it fascinating to try and unpick what was happening, to add more story to the characters myself. Yosep wasn’t very well developed as a character, which I was a bit gutted about, and, in hindsight, neither were the women. But, this added a layer to the mystery of it all, and I found it to be a pacey, twisting look at par asocial relationships and celebrity worship.
Actual rating: 3.25 stars.
As a K-pop fan of nearly 20 years, the synopsis of Holy Boy stood out to me: four saeseng K-pop fans kidnap their idol, Yosep, to keep him all to themselves. Framed as the ultimate act of love, Yosep is entrapped in a secluded mansion as his kidnappers slowly lose their grip on reality.
I really enjoyed this unhinged thriller for a few reasons: the concept was hilarious to me as somebody that got into K-pop during its second-generation and saeseng fans were a dime a dozen, and the slow unfurl of the four women’s character really stood out. While a little unevenly told in parts (and I believe this is because the story was originally published in weekly instalments, a bit like a webtoon), I found it fascinating to try and unpick what was happening, to add more story to the characters myself. Yosep wasn’t very well developed as a character, which I was a bit gutted about, and, in hindsight, neither were the women. But, this added a layer to the mystery of it all, and I found it to be a pacey, twisting look at par asocial relationships and celebrity worship.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC!
“Holy Boy” tells the story of K-Pop Idol Yosep, who is kidnapped by four of his fans who are working together. Hiding him away in a secluded mansion, their plan seems to have worked, but challenges to their perfect little world are about to reach them… and misfortunes never come alone.
This book sounded right up my alley. I love explorations of fan culture and when it goes too far, and I think K-Pop culture is especially conducive to unhealthy fan-idol relationships. I do think that aspects of this book explored this well, but to me it isn’t the central theme, being a fan isn't even the motive all of these women have for their obsession with Yosep and their kidnapping of him.
I did like the motives of two of the women, I thought the backstory was really interesting, and the fan
I really wanted to like this, and I was excited to read it, but unfortunately I just don’t really have anything positive to say. I often think Korean must be pretty difficult to translate, because I find that many translations of Korean to English end up sounding a bit flat, and this was the case here too. Now this is something I can easily overlook if the story is good, sadly it wasn’t here.
There are many different elements to this story and many different POVs, I would even say too many. I did think that it was nice to have each of the women’s POVs, get their backstories and how they came to be the type of person who kidnaps an Idol. Two POVs especially were intriguing to me, but they also don’t really fit what you are told is the premise of this book – Fans being obsessed. But then there are several other POVs, which I honestly think were largely unnecessary and could’ve easily been switched to scenes we see through the eyes of characters we already know, instead of introducing more POV characters. There is also one character whose POV I would've liked to read more from, but I can also understand why there wasn’t more of it. But TL;DR: Too many different POVs, most not on a straight timeline, which makes the book feel disjointed and the story a bit hard to follow.
I think if you approach this book as a thriller telling the story of a young man who is kidnapped by four women, all of whom have different motives for why they participate in this crime, and if you are used to reading Korean works translated to English, you can still have a good time with this, but as an exploration of fan culture I did not find this compelling, and I would not recommend this if that is what you are looking for.
“Holy Boy” tells the story of K-Pop Idol Yosep, who is kidnapped by four of his fans who are working together. Hiding him away in a secluded mansion, their plan seems to have worked, but challenges to their perfect little world are about to reach them… and misfortunes never come alone.
This book sounded right up my alley. I love explorations of fan culture and when it goes too far, and I think K-Pop culture is especially conducive to unhealthy fan-idol relationships. I do think that aspects of this book explored this well, but to me it isn’t the central theme, being a fan isn't even the motive all of these women have for their obsession with Yosep and their kidnapping of him.
I did like the motives of two of the women, I thought the backstory was really interesting, and the fan
I really wanted to like this, and I was excited to read it, but unfortunately I just don’t really have anything positive to say. I often think Korean must be pretty difficult to translate, because I find that many translations of Korean to English end up sounding a bit flat, and this was the case here too. Now this is something I can easily overlook if the story is good, sadly it wasn’t here.
There are many different elements to this story and many different POVs, I would even say too many. I did think that it was nice to have each of the women’s POVs, get their backstories and how they came to be the type of person who kidnaps an Idol. Two POVs especially were intriguing to me, but they also don’t really fit what you are told is the premise of this book – Fans being obsessed. But then there are several other POVs, which I honestly think were largely unnecessary and could’ve easily been switched to scenes we see through the eyes of characters we already know, instead of introducing more POV characters. There is also one character whose POV I would've liked to read more from, but I can also understand why there wasn’t more of it. But TL;DR: Too many different POVs, most not on a straight timeline, which makes the book feel disjointed and the story a bit hard to follow.
I think if you approach this book as a thriller telling the story of a young man who is kidnapped by four women, all of whom have different motives for why they participate in this crime, and if you are used to reading Korean works translated to English, you can still have a good time with this, but as an exploration of fan culture I did not find this compelling, and I would not recommend this if that is what you are looking for.
February 5, 2026
Heejoo opens this novel with a newspaper report about two dead bodies found in a mansion, and straight away we’re dropped right into the middle of the action. A young man (later revealed to be Yosep, a huge K-pop star), is bedbound and being cared for by several women. He can’t remember anything: how he got there, who these women are, or how long he’s been trapped.
The publisher’s copy says it all: “Kidnapping Yosep seemed like the ultimate act of love. For four of his adoring fans, a poster on the wall just didn’t cut it. They needed him all to themselves.”
The story unfolds from multiple perspectives: the immobilised boy, the fans driving the action, Yosep’s agent, the police, and others. A deep well of secrets and lies is slowly revealed, and just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, Heejoo pulls the narrative in a completely unexpected direction. I was totally absorbed, tearing through it in just a couple of sittings.
Heejoo organises her narrative with tremendous efficiency and clarity. I always felt safely guided through time and space, never lost in the criss-crossing storylines.
Heejoo does an excellent job of situating us within Korean culture, showing how politics, both past and present, shape the characters’ actions, emotions, and perceptions of one another. The novel powerfully illustrates how simply living our daily lives is a political act in itself, through relationships, social encounters, and power imbalances. All of this builds layer upon layer, offering a sharp and unsettling exposure to Korean society.
By the final chapter, Heejoo turns everything up a notch, delivering one of the most violent and beautifully bizarre endings I’ve encountered in a long time. I loved spotting echoes of Genet’s The Maids, alongside other European and Korean cultural references. I didn’t catch them all, and that didn’t stop me from having an absolute blast reading.
This is Heejoo’s first novel translated into English, and she is without a doubt a thriller writer to watch.
I also want to highlight Joheun Lee’s excellent translation. I especially appreciated the decision to leave certain cultural elements untranslated, which deepened my sense of immersion in the Korean context.
Boldly original, Holy Boy is an unsettling, gripping thriller that is as politically charged as it is compulsively readable.
Thanks to Book Break, Picador and PanMacmillan for the copy
#pudseyrecommends
The publisher’s copy says it all: “Kidnapping Yosep seemed like the ultimate act of love. For four of his adoring fans, a poster on the wall just didn’t cut it. They needed him all to themselves.”
The story unfolds from multiple perspectives: the immobilised boy, the fans driving the action, Yosep’s agent, the police, and others. A deep well of secrets and lies is slowly revealed, and just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, Heejoo pulls the narrative in a completely unexpected direction. I was totally absorbed, tearing through it in just a couple of sittings.
Heejoo organises her narrative with tremendous efficiency and clarity. I always felt safely guided through time and space, never lost in the criss-crossing storylines.
Heejoo does an excellent job of situating us within Korean culture, showing how politics, both past and present, shape the characters’ actions, emotions, and perceptions of one another. The novel powerfully illustrates how simply living our daily lives is a political act in itself, through relationships, social encounters, and power imbalances. All of this builds layer upon layer, offering a sharp and unsettling exposure to Korean society.
By the final chapter, Heejoo turns everything up a notch, delivering one of the most violent and beautifully bizarre endings I’ve encountered in a long time. I loved spotting echoes of Genet’s The Maids, alongside other European and Korean cultural references. I didn’t catch them all, and that didn’t stop me from having an absolute blast reading.
This is Heejoo’s first novel translated into English, and she is without a doubt a thriller writer to watch.
I also want to highlight Joheun Lee’s excellent translation. I especially appreciated the decision to leave certain cultural elements untranslated, which deepened my sense of immersion in the Korean context.
Boldly original, Holy Boy is an unsettling, gripping thriller that is as politically charged as it is compulsively readable.
Thanks to Book Break, Picador and PanMacmillan for the copy
#pudseyrecommends
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVia for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Here’s the thing. I think if the book was advertised differently than the blurb (and with the category of horror rather than categories of “general fiction” “literary fiction” and “multicultural interest”) it would get better reviews. This book is definitely more like a psychological horror. It’s a deeply uncomfortable story of four mostly-deranged women who decide to kidnap a Kpop star because they have unhinged obsessions with him. Things devolve the longer they hold him in the mansion and they turn on one another (although that part was rather rushed tbh). This book was dark, sometimes hard to follow / choppy, and very uncomfortable at times. It actually makes more sense when you get to the authors note and find out that this book was originally serialized, because it does read as a bit choppy. I’m between 3-4 stars on this one because what I expected (a whacky, wild, perhaps even darkly funny book with four crazed fans kidnapping a kpop star and then some of his perspective on the crazy fans) was the complete opposite of what I got (a disturbing horroresque vibe accompanying a choppy story that left many questions unanswered—who is the CEO? Why does he not have memory? What is the deal with the doll? What happened to Yohan? Etc.) I feel like a quick cleanup/editing of the description to set more accurate expectations would make this book a bigger success. The cover is amazing but also does not convey the type of book this is (again more horror than quirky darkly humorous thriller/fiction). I would recommend this to horror readers who like a weird story that makes you slightly uncomfortable (I would liken it to Jawbone). If you want a darkly funny thriller about crazed fans who love kpop? This is not it. That I would totally read though! Hah. I think this book suffers from appearing to be one thing but being another and I think if expectations were properly set, this book could be a great success! Kpop meets Misery… that’s what it is so that’s what to expect! Horror is great but it’s not for everyone so I hope this review helps the book find readers that will enjoy it rather than non-horror readers who leave disappointed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.
This is a quirky little novel, and it will definitely appeal to the right reader. But that reader was not me.
This was a very odd book. It felt like a fanfic version of The Hole, with the caregiver figures attracted to the patient instead of hating him. I think it’s probably a lot more powerful than I realized, and I missed a lot of nuance that would be obvious to a Korean reader.
The blurb and many reviews give away a lot of information that is not made clear to the reader until well into the novel, which surprised me.
I struggled to stay focused on this one. Partly it might be a translation issue (there are some really weird phrases in here, and that's probably a product of both the author and the translator - the word “saliva,” for example, is used seventeen times), but mostly it's the characters and the pacing. The characters are not very interesting or likeable - they SHOULD be interesting, but they just aren't. Even the "holy boy" himself had all the personality of a store mannequin. And the pacing is all over the place, key information is deliberately withheld from the reader until later in the book. Perhaps that was an attempt to have a Big Reveal, but instead it just caused me to not care very much.
Each time a new character is introduced, we are treated to their FULL back story, most of it completely irrelevant to this book's plot. I don't understand that choice. Despite all this extraneous information, it can still be very confusing to know who each character is and how they are related to THIS story.
The first half of this vaguely written novel moves slower than a turtle in a snowstorm. FINALLY halfway through, things start to happen (but slowly).
I am really sad that I did not enjoy reading this more. Buried within it is an amazing and powerful novel. I should feel shook.
This is a quirky little novel, and it will definitely appeal to the right reader. But that reader was not me.
This was a very odd book. It felt like a fanfic version of The Hole, with the caregiver figures attracted to the patient instead of hating him. I think it’s probably a lot more powerful than I realized, and I missed a lot of nuance that would be obvious to a Korean reader.
The blurb and many reviews give away a lot of information that is not made clear to the reader until well into the novel, which surprised me.
I struggled to stay focused on this one. Partly it might be a translation issue (there are some really weird phrases in here, and that's probably a product of both the author and the translator - the word “saliva,” for example, is used seventeen times), but mostly it's the characters and the pacing. The characters are not very interesting or likeable - they SHOULD be interesting, but they just aren't. Even the "holy boy" himself had all the personality of a store mannequin. And the pacing is all over the place, key information is deliberately withheld from the reader until later in the book. Perhaps that was an attempt to have a Big Reveal, but instead it just caused me to not care very much.
Each time a new character is introduced, we are treated to their FULL back story, most of it completely irrelevant to this book's plot. I don't understand that choice. Despite all this extraneous information, it can still be very confusing to know who each character is and how they are related to THIS story.
The first half of this vaguely written novel moves slower than a turtle in a snowstorm. FINALLY halfway through, things start to happen (but slowly).
I am really sad that I did not enjoy reading this more. Buried within it is an amazing and powerful novel. I should feel shook.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A Feverish Descent Into Fandom Gone Wrong
Lee Heejoo’s Holy Boy , translated by Joheun Lee, is a taut, dark novel set in modern Korea, spinning the thriller genre on its head. At its heart are four women, very different, equally consumed by their infatuation with K-pop idol Yosep. Their fixation pushes them to a point of no return: they kidnap Yosep, convinced their devotion is its own defence. As their plan careens out of control, the novel unspools layers of psychology, unresolved trauma, and the messy power of secrets.
What sets Holy Boy apart isn’t just the plot (as wild as it sounds), but Heejoo’s scalpel-sharp portrait of obsession and desire. Each woman brings her own fractured perspective, her wants and wounds cutting across the group and fueling the chaos. Through their eyes, Yosep morphs from distant celebrity to an almost mythic figure, the embodiment of everything they’ve longed for and can’t have. The story pulls apart the dangers of parasocial attachment and what happens when adoration turns into something monstrous.
Heejoo’s writing is remarkable, intense yet elegant, lyrical without flinching away from the darkness. The translation keeps the prose punchy and atmospheric, never letting the reader escape the sense of creeping dread. The result is a narrative that thrums with tension and psychological depth, examining not just fanaticism, but loneliness and the raw craving for connection.
For all its strengths, this is a story that deals in discomfort. The subject matter, kidnapping, manipulation, and the collapse of moral boundaries, is jarring and, for some, may prove difficult to stomach. But if you’re up for a thriller that puts its characters’ inner lives ahead of easy shocks, Holy Boy is hard to put down. It’s a chilling, unvarnished look at the human cost of obsession, and it lingers long after the final page.
Rating: 3.5/5
Lee Heejoo’s Holy Boy , translated by Joheun Lee, is a taut, dark novel set in modern Korea, spinning the thriller genre on its head. At its heart are four women, very different, equally consumed by their infatuation with K-pop idol Yosep. Their fixation pushes them to a point of no return: they kidnap Yosep, convinced their devotion is its own defence. As their plan careens out of control, the novel unspools layers of psychology, unresolved trauma, and the messy power of secrets.
What sets Holy Boy apart isn’t just the plot (as wild as it sounds), but Heejoo’s scalpel-sharp portrait of obsession and desire. Each woman brings her own fractured perspective, her wants and wounds cutting across the group and fueling the chaos. Through their eyes, Yosep morphs from distant celebrity to an almost mythic figure, the embodiment of everything they’ve longed for and can’t have. The story pulls apart the dangers of parasocial attachment and what happens when adoration turns into something monstrous.
Heejoo’s writing is remarkable, intense yet elegant, lyrical without flinching away from the darkness. The translation keeps the prose punchy and atmospheric, never letting the reader escape the sense of creeping dread. The result is a narrative that thrums with tension and psychological depth, examining not just fanaticism, but loneliness and the raw craving for connection.
For all its strengths, this is a story that deals in discomfort. The subject matter, kidnapping, manipulation, and the collapse of moral boundaries, is jarring and, for some, may prove difficult to stomach. But if you’re up for a thriller that puts its characters’ inner lives ahead of easy shocks, Holy Boy is hard to put down. It’s a chilling, unvarnished look at the human cost of obsession, and it lingers long after the final page.
Rating: 3.5/5
December 2, 2025
Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC!
Holy Boy follows four women who kidnap Yosep, a K-pop idol. Hiding themselves in a secluded mansion, the women start to unravel and their plan falls apart. But they will do whatever it takes to keep Yosep for themselves...
I was completely intrigued by the premise of this book, I'm much more familiar with Western pop culture so I was looking forward to reading something based on Korean pop culture. This book definitely didn't live up to my expectations, but what I got was something so dark and unsettling and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"It didn't matter whether it was love or not. What did matter was that Yosep would appear before their eyes the moment boredom nearly drove them mad. No stimulation felt better than wholly devoting themselves to another person."
I really loved that we experience the majority of this story through each of the women despite it being so uncomfortable. We understand their motives, which are all different and personal, yet ultimately lead to obsession. I did find myself wanting to know more about Yosep but I appreciate that we mostly view him through the women, which encapsulates one-sided celebrity obsessions.
There were moments that felt a bit disjointed, but I did like that not every scene was in chronological order as it meant we gained context to certain scenes. I enjoyed how slowly everything unraveled, however the end felt very quick in comparison and I would have loved more time during those scenes.
"Despite the fact she had just hidden a dead man, she somehow couldn't feel a thing. She tried to swallow but couldn't. It was as though she had become a mummy. Her thoughts and youth had shriveled like dried intestines. If she were to sit inside a burning pit, she would surely crackle."
TWs:
Kidnapping
Child grooming
Attempted SA (on page)
Holy Boy follows four women who kidnap Yosep, a K-pop idol. Hiding themselves in a secluded mansion, the women start to unravel and their plan falls apart. But they will do whatever it takes to keep Yosep for themselves...
I was completely intrigued by the premise of this book, I'm much more familiar with Western pop culture so I was looking forward to reading something based on Korean pop culture. This book definitely didn't live up to my expectations, but what I got was something so dark and unsettling and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"It didn't matter whether it was love or not. What did matter was that Yosep would appear before their eyes the moment boredom nearly drove them mad. No stimulation felt better than wholly devoting themselves to another person."
I really loved that we experience the majority of this story through each of the women despite it being so uncomfortable. We understand their motives, which are all different and personal, yet ultimately lead to obsession. I did find myself wanting to know more about Yosep but I appreciate that we mostly view him through the women, which encapsulates one-sided celebrity obsessions.
There were moments that felt a bit disjointed, but I did like that not every scene was in chronological order as it meant we gained context to certain scenes. I enjoyed how slowly everything unraveled, however the end felt very quick in comparison and I would have loved more time during those scenes.
"Despite the fact she had just hidden a dead man, she somehow couldn't feel a thing. She tried to swallow but couldn't. It was as though she had become a mummy. Her thoughts and youth had shriveled like dried intestines. If she were to sit inside a burning pit, she would surely crackle."
TWs:
Kidnapping
Child grooming
Attempted SA (on page)
February 5, 2026
More like 3.5 🌟
I don’t believe in celebrity worship. It’s good to be a fan and admire the person for all their talent, but to treat them as something more, to make them the whole reason for your existence, is too much. It’s not only unhealthy, but it’s also inconvenient for the celebrities involved. When their personal lives become something to be seen and scrutinised by everyone, when their every waking moment is something they have to think about, when they become more idol than human, it chips away at them too. And this book captures all that is wrong with the idea of wanting someone to the point of their destruction.
🫰🫰🫰
It took me around 30 pages to understand the story's flow and what was going on, but after that, it picked up speed. It delves into the history of the four women who kidnap Yosep, their motives, and their insanities. One of them is a paedophile and she disgusted me and no amount of mental instability would ever justify her actions for me. And others, they weren’t any better either. What they do to Yosep and also to each other crosses boundaries of humanity. I wish it explored Yosep’s side a bit more but whatever we got, gives a glimpse of how tired he was of this fame.
What I liked most about the book is how much of it is relevant in real life. It is a warning bell for the fanatics out there who fail to identify the line between being a fan and being a stalker. I liked the writing too. It achieved the right effect of creeping me out while keeping me hooked. I shared some quotes from the book while reading on threads and they all explored the darkest human emotions.
🫰🫰🫰
I think K-Pop fans would love it but some might also fling it away in anger. Even then, I would definitely recommend you pick it up. Persevere through the first 30 pages and the long chapters, because it’s good.
I don’t believe in celebrity worship. It’s good to be a fan and admire the person for all their talent, but to treat them as something more, to make them the whole reason for your existence, is too much. It’s not only unhealthy, but it’s also inconvenient for the celebrities involved. When their personal lives become something to be seen and scrutinised by everyone, when their every waking moment is something they have to think about, when they become more idol than human, it chips away at them too. And this book captures all that is wrong with the idea of wanting someone to the point of their destruction.
🫰🫰🫰
It took me around 30 pages to understand the story's flow and what was going on, but after that, it picked up speed. It delves into the history of the four women who kidnap Yosep, their motives, and their insanities. One of them is a paedophile and she disgusted me and no amount of mental instability would ever justify her actions for me. And others, they weren’t any better either. What they do to Yosep and also to each other crosses boundaries of humanity. I wish it explored Yosep’s side a bit more but whatever we got, gives a glimpse of how tired he was of this fame.
What I liked most about the book is how much of it is relevant in real life. It is a warning bell for the fanatics out there who fail to identify the line between being a fan and being a stalker. I liked the writing too. It achieved the right effect of creeping me out while keeping me hooked. I shared some quotes from the book while reading on threads and they all explored the darkest human emotions.
🫰🫰🫰
I think K-Pop fans would love it but some might also fling it away in anger. Even then, I would definitely recommend you pick it up. Persevere through the first 30 pages and the long chapters, because it’s good.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is one of those books where “I didn’t like it” often actually means “I didn’t understand the cultural context.”
Because when you read a book rooted in a culture very different from your own, translation alone doesn’t guarantee understanding—and this feels like one of those cases.
This is one of those books where some reviews felt overly critical simply because the readers didn’t quite get it.
Once I wrapped my head around the cultural context informing the story, my enjoyment increased significantly. Is it off-the-wall, messy, and completely twisty? Absolutely—and that’s very much the point.
I consumed this via audiobook, and I’m genuinely glad I did. I think I would’ve gotten a little lost if I’d tried to read it with my eyeballs alone. Narrator Greta Jung did a fantastic job honoring both the prose and the characters, grounding the story while still letting the story be as unhinged as it needed to be.
As for the story and characters themselves: if you’re looking for likable people making reasonable choices, this is not your book. But if you want fully unhinged women, intimate access to their inner thoughts, and a plot involving the kidnapping of a K-pop star, then yes—scoop this one up. Just be willing to set aside American or Western moral frameworks, because they don’t map cleanly onto this story.
Between the reprehensible behavior, wild choices, and several twists you may not see coming, this won’t be for everyone.
This won’t be for everyone, but for readers willing to step outside their own lived experience, it’s absolutely worth the ride.
I was fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Harper Audio via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.
Because when you read a book rooted in a culture very different from your own, translation alone doesn’t guarantee understanding—and this feels like one of those cases.
This is one of those books where some reviews felt overly critical simply because the readers didn’t quite get it.
Once I wrapped my head around the cultural context informing the story, my enjoyment increased significantly. Is it off-the-wall, messy, and completely twisty? Absolutely—and that’s very much the point.
I consumed this via audiobook, and I’m genuinely glad I did. I think I would’ve gotten a little lost if I’d tried to read it with my eyeballs alone. Narrator Greta Jung did a fantastic job honoring both the prose and the characters, grounding the story while still letting the story be as unhinged as it needed to be.
As for the story and characters themselves: if you’re looking for likable people making reasonable choices, this is not your book. But if you want fully unhinged women, intimate access to their inner thoughts, and a plot involving the kidnapping of a K-pop star, then yes—scoop this one up. Just be willing to set aside American or Western moral frameworks, because they don’t map cleanly onto this story.
Between the reprehensible behavior, wild choices, and several twists you may not see coming, this won’t be for everyone.
This won’t be for everyone, but for readers willing to step outside their own lived experience, it’s absolutely worth the ride.
I was fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Harper Audio via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.
December 10, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for the ARC!
In the world of celebrities and idols, one particular young man, Yosep, stood out to a group of desperate and delusional women. Like most fans, they loved and adored him, but perhaps a bit too much. These four women are in some way connected to each other, so they devise the ultimate plan to take their holy boy and keep him to themselves.
This book was quite bonkers. The author had no issue going hard with difficult topics like sexual assault, including that of minors. I find that realistic, because people be doing all types of crazy shit in the world anyway. The characters each had their own backstory and their connection really was the perfect recipe for a terrible plan. I did wish we had more insight into our holy boy though.
The story progressed pretty logically to me. People who are cooped up and high strung probably don’t make the best choices, so for their plan to go sideways multiple times isn’t entirely shocking. The ending was slightly confusing to me. Writing wise, it’s important to keep in mind the translation aspect. Sometimes it just translates to a way you aren’t used to, but I don’t think it affects the story telling at all.
This is a timely story in my opinion, as we see these idols and celebrities pop up left and right all the time, people forming a parasocial relationship, and the overall toxic fandom we see across the internet. It’s concerning and honestly terrifying the lengths people will go. And people will never not surprise you.
In the world of celebrities and idols, one particular young man, Yosep, stood out to a group of desperate and delusional women. Like most fans, they loved and adored him, but perhaps a bit too much. These four women are in some way connected to each other, so they devise the ultimate plan to take their holy boy and keep him to themselves.
This book was quite bonkers. The author had no issue going hard with difficult topics like sexual assault, including that of minors. I find that realistic, because people be doing all types of crazy shit in the world anyway. The characters each had their own backstory and their connection really was the perfect recipe for a terrible plan. I did wish we had more insight into our holy boy though.
The story progressed pretty logically to me. People who are cooped up and high strung probably don’t make the best choices, so for their plan to go sideways multiple times isn’t entirely shocking. The ending was slightly confusing to me. Writing wise, it’s important to keep in mind the translation aspect. Sometimes it just translates to a way you aren’t used to, but I don’t think it affects the story telling at all.
This is a timely story in my opinion, as we see these idols and celebrities pop up left and right all the time, people forming a parasocial relationship, and the overall toxic fandom we see across the internet. It’s concerning and honestly terrifying the lengths people will go. And people will never not surprise you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC review - thank you to HarperVia for the early access!
"A madwoman may be happier than anyone else; it is just the observers who feel pain." This quote from Chapter 3 of the book is honestly the best summary of Holy Boy that I could possibly provide. As the reader, I was unsurprisingly horrified by what was unfolding on the pages in front of me, seeing just how complex everyone's relationships were around Josep, and how Josep himself was losing himself to his own dehumanization by both fans and media.
Josep's perspective was very minimal in this novel, where you got to see the other figures throughout the story far more, whether it's the women who abducted him or those who worked with him at his company. Regardless of which character you read about, you see the darkest side of humanity in most of them - all who have some claim over Josep, all typically without his consent or knowledge of the depth of the role he plays in these people's lives.
Overall, it was a weird story from start to finish. I have no better way to describe the novel than just saying that it was weird. Some of the scenes in the book can be quite unsettling or triggering, so I highly recommend that anyone who may be interested in reading this book review content warnings before proceeding. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers and have familiarity with Korean culture, then this could still be a good read.
"A madwoman may be happier than anyone else; it is just the observers who feel pain." This quote from Chapter 3 of the book is honestly the best summary of Holy Boy that I could possibly provide. As the reader, I was unsurprisingly horrified by what was unfolding on the pages in front of me, seeing just how complex everyone's relationships were around Josep, and how Josep himself was losing himself to his own dehumanization by both fans and media.
Josep's perspective was very minimal in this novel, where you got to see the other figures throughout the story far more, whether it's the women who abducted him or those who worked with him at his company. Regardless of which character you read about, you see the darkest side of humanity in most of them - all who have some claim over Josep, all typically without his consent or knowledge of the depth of the role he plays in these people's lives.
Overall, it was a weird story from start to finish. I have no better way to describe the novel than just saying that it was weird. Some of the scenes in the book can be quite unsettling or triggering, so I highly recommend that anyone who may be interested in reading this book review content warnings before proceeding. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers and have familiarity with Korean culture, then this could still be a good read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Human minds are like rooms behind thick, closed curtains. What happens inside them forever remains a mystery."
Lee Heejoo's novel is described as an exhilarating descent into the dark side of devotion. Yosep is a K-pop idol with millions of adoring fans. But for four of them, a poster on the wall just won't cut it. They have come up with the perfect plan to capture and keep their idol all to themselves. Kidnapping Yosep seemed like the ultimate act of love. But inside a secluded mansion, plagued by paranoia and with their grip on reality slowly loosening, the women use increasingly disturbing strategies to keep Yosep in their possession. As their plan begins to unravel, the women fight not only to keep him, but to keep their secret buried no matter what the cost.
I expected this to be a thriller with a few twists but boy was it more than that. It was unhinged and progressively became darker as the story went on. I knew that the women that were going to kidnap the idol may be a little disturbed but the backstory of these women and how they are connected to this idol was something I didn't expect.
There were times I had to pause to keep up with what I was reading because of all the twists. This was an addictive read, I didn't want to put it down, the more I read on the more I realised the idol may be lost forever.
A twisted but entertaining story I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks to @panmacmillan for the copy.
Lee Heejoo's novel is described as an exhilarating descent into the dark side of devotion. Yosep is a K-pop idol with millions of adoring fans. But for four of them, a poster on the wall just won't cut it. They have come up with the perfect plan to capture and keep their idol all to themselves. Kidnapping Yosep seemed like the ultimate act of love. But inside a secluded mansion, plagued by paranoia and with their grip on reality slowly loosening, the women use increasingly disturbing strategies to keep Yosep in their possession. As their plan begins to unravel, the women fight not only to keep him, but to keep their secret buried no matter what the cost.
I expected this to be a thriller with a few twists but boy was it more than that. It was unhinged and progressively became darker as the story went on. I knew that the women that were going to kidnap the idol may be a little disturbed but the backstory of these women and how they are connected to this idol was something I didn't expect.
There were times I had to pause to keep up with what I was reading because of all the twists. This was an addictive read, I didn't want to put it down, the more I read on the more I realised the idol may be lost forever.
A twisted but entertaining story I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks to @panmacmillan for the copy.
October 17, 2025
Depraved. Deranged. Unhinged.
Holy Boy has a striking and unsettling concept, combining psychological thriller tropes with themes like fandom, celebrity worship and obsession.
Four very different women abduct a K-Pop idol. The character’s motivations are extreme but uniquely personal to them. They have a cult-like devotion, which alongside the isolated setting (mansion house) helps sustain the tension. This book explores how people project desire onto public figures and how devotion can cross the line into coercion and violence.
Holy Boy may not appeal to everyone - there are some disturbing themes such as kidnapping, child grooming, sexual assault, dark emotional stakes. And because the character’s actions cross moral lines frequently, it is a struggle to sympathise or understand them - this is not a safe read emotionally.
For readers unfamiliar with Korean social or pop culture norms, some details may feel alien, but the translator has done a good job of keeping that strangeness in line with the book’s premise and author’s intention.
Overall, Holy Boy will appeal if you enjoy literary thrillers that unsettle you, explore obsession in unconventional ways, and raise questions about desire and power.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-arc of this book.
Holy Boy has a striking and unsettling concept, combining psychological thriller tropes with themes like fandom, celebrity worship and obsession.
Four very different women abduct a K-Pop idol. The character’s motivations are extreme but uniquely personal to them. They have a cult-like devotion, which alongside the isolated setting (mansion house) helps sustain the tension. This book explores how people project desire onto public figures and how devotion can cross the line into coercion and violence.
Holy Boy may not appeal to everyone - there are some disturbing themes such as kidnapping, child grooming, sexual assault, dark emotional stakes. And because the character’s actions cross moral lines frequently, it is a struggle to sympathise or understand them - this is not a safe read emotionally.
For readers unfamiliar with Korean social or pop culture norms, some details may feel alien, but the translator has done a good job of keeping that strangeness in line with the book’s premise and author’s intention.
Overall, Holy Boy will appeal if you enjoy literary thrillers that unsettle you, explore obsession in unconventional ways, and raise questions about desire and power.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-arc of this book.
November 26, 2025
Holy Boy was unhinged for sure! Maybe more so than the description leads on. It's more of a psychological effect than an actual thriller. And that's ok when it works to your advantage.
The premise is hilarious...... 4 women obsessed kidnap a K Pop Idol... C'mon..... that's a little funny.
All I can picture is 4 moms hot from the PTA meeting kidnapping Jinu from the SAJA BOYS.
I feel like the book was enjoyable for what it was but I would have loved to see more character development. The characters felt more like the characters instead of actually leading and carrying the story, they served more as background. I mean that in the sense that the characters were more of an image / vessel to carry out the true star of the book; the obsession, the morals, the unhinged parts of obsession that lead you down a dark and dangerous path.
Some of the messages, or rather the full weight of the messages may have been lost in translation but I did enjoy the story and if you can sit back and read without being overly critical and just want to have a good time,..... why not?
If you enjoy stories that are unhinged and out there, give this one a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Via for the advanced copy .
The premise is hilarious...... 4 women obsessed kidnap a K Pop Idol... C'mon..... that's a little funny.
All I can picture is 4 moms hot from the PTA meeting kidnapping Jinu from the SAJA BOYS.
I feel like the book was enjoyable for what it was but I would have loved to see more character development. The characters felt more like the characters instead of actually leading and carrying the story, they served more as background. I mean that in the sense that the characters were more of an image / vessel to carry out the true star of the book; the obsession, the morals, the unhinged parts of obsession that lead you down a dark and dangerous path.
Some of the messages, or rather the full weight of the messages may have been lost in translation but I did enjoy the story and if you can sit back and read without being overly critical and just want to have a good time,..... why not?
If you enjoy stories that are unhinged and out there, give this one a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Via for the advanced copy .
November 21, 2025
I went in expecting something twisty and thriller-esque, but the book turned out to be far more unhinged than the blurb suggests. It leans heavily into psychological tension rather than clean, conventional suspense, which makes for an atmospheric (if occasionally disorienting) reading experience. There’s a certain brilliance to that commitment, yet it also means some characters feel more like ideas in motion than people you fully grasp or grow attached to.
What really stood out to me was the way it handles the nature of parasocial obsession. The premise sets the stage, but the book’s real strength lies in how it probes the emotional and moral murkiness behind devotion, longing, and the need to be seen. There’s a subtle twistiness to the narrative, not in loud, shocking reveals, but in the sense that perspectives might not be entirely trustworthy.
That ambiguity adds intrigue, even when the structure wobbles a bit. I also felt that a few nuances may have slipped through the cracks in translation... nothing deal-breaking, but occasionally the prose tilts into heaviness or metaphor in ways that feel slightly less natural in English.
What really stood out to me was the way it handles the nature of parasocial obsession. The premise sets the stage, but the book’s real strength lies in how it probes the emotional and moral murkiness behind devotion, longing, and the need to be seen. There’s a subtle twistiness to the narrative, not in loud, shocking reveals, but in the sense that perspectives might not be entirely trustworthy.
That ambiguity adds intrigue, even when the structure wobbles a bit. I also felt that a few nuances may have slipped through the cracks in translation... nothing deal-breaking, but occasionally the prose tilts into heaviness or metaphor in ways that feel slightly less natural in English.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro porqueeeeee, creo que la historia en sí esta muy buena. Es un idol que es secuestrado por cuatro mujeres que estan fanatizadas al 100% con el (aunque hay algunas cositas por allí...) y que lo tienen encerrado. Hasta ahí vamos genial, y despues hay varios giros en la trama que me parecieron espectaculares, incluso hasta el final del libro en las ultimas páginas hay algunas cosas que woooww, tremendo.
Lo que le faltó, para mi, fue la escritura, la ejecución, el desarrollo. Senti que en todo momento había pco desarrollo de todo en general. Que se podrían haber explotado ciertas cosas, que el tono de lectura era en algunos momentos muy pesado, denso y que no conducía a ningún lado.
La verdad es que tenía las expectativas super altas y si bien esos giros en la trama se llevan las tres estrellas, me hubiera gusto un poquito más de todo.
Tambien me gustó mucho cómo se van entrelazando las historias y conocemos un poco el detrás de los que pasa. Eso estuvo muy bueno.
Muchas gracias Pan Macmillan por el ARC que leí en Netgalley a cambio de una reseña honesta. El libro se publica en febrero de 2026.
Lo que le faltó, para mi, fue la escritura, la ejecución, el desarrollo. Senti que en todo momento había pco desarrollo de todo en general. Que se podrían haber explotado ciertas cosas, que el tono de lectura era en algunos momentos muy pesado, denso y que no conducía a ningún lado.
La verdad es que tenía las expectativas super altas y si bien esos giros en la trama se llevan las tres estrellas, me hubiera gusto un poquito más de todo.
Tambien me gustó mucho cómo se van entrelazando las historias y conocemos un poco el detrás de los que pasa. Eso estuvo muy bueno.
Muchas gracias Pan Macmillan por el ARC que leí en Netgalley a cambio de una reseña honesta. El libro se publica en febrero de 2026.
November 27, 2025
Holy Boy is a novel about a K-pop idol who is kidnapped by four women, each with their own motivation for being involved. Yosep is kidnapped by four very different women with a plan to get him for themselves, but as things start to unravel, maybe pinning their hopes on this plan wasn't such a good idea after all.
I enjoyed the concept of this book, with its look at how parasocial relationships and one-sided desire turn into actual violence, and the way the narrative keeps escalating as it goes on works well, feeling similar to dark comedy films. However, I did find reading it was sometimes a struggle, with the book feeling quite disjointed at points and making it quite difficult to distinguish more about the individual characters. The book feels like an onion, with each layer questioning what you read in the previous part, but this does mean that it can be difficult to piece together.
I enjoyed the concept of this book, with its look at how parasocial relationships and one-sided desire turn into actual violence, and the way the narrative keeps escalating as it goes on works well, feeling similar to dark comedy films. However, I did find reading it was sometimes a struggle, with the book feeling quite disjointed at points and making it quite difficult to distinguish more about the individual characters. The book feels like an onion, with each layer questioning what you read in the previous part, but this does mean that it can be difficult to piece together.
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