The Forest Called You

by Amil, Joheun Lee (Translator)

In a future Korea, the world has been ravaged by dust clouds and the deadly Akanta virus. Rather than live in their nightmarish present, people slip on virtual reality headsets to indulge in nostalgic simulations of the past.

18-year-old Soop - stigmatised due to her brush with Akanta, which causes VR-rejection – is bullied at school for having to live solely in the real world. Her only solace comes from the K-Pop music she listens to on repeat. When a chance encounter brings Soop face-to-face with her idol, Yichae, a super-star whose new music video is being filmed at Soop's high school, she hopes this might be her chance at real connection.

But Yichae has her own troubles. She is one of the few remaining ‘real’ human idols. In a K-pop world where virtual stars dominate, Yichae is forced to live up to unattainable beauty and body standards, under the guise of being celebrated for her supposed authenticity.

The Forest Called You is a love letter to K-Pop, romance and high school politics – a novel about staying true to our passions, loving ourselves and each other, in an increasingly artificial world.

Genres: LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Lesbian

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Amy ☁️ (tinycl0ud) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to see that this author had a new book out. I loved her short story collection. It's very, very underrated. I did wish some of them were full-length novels so I was glad to see that my wish was answered here. And with sapphic characters? Made for me.

Set in the 23rd century, this story focusses on two young women from very different parts of the world. There is a deadly virus with no guaranteed vaccine and the survivors become unable to tolerate virtual reality, essentially handicapping them and severely limiting their options. VR-rejects thus get ostracised, or in Soop's case, bullied relentlessly in her school in Seoul, which is seen as a kind of disease-ridden backwater slum for low-class citizens. Ironically, Seoul is also seen as a place where the old ways are still being practised. The 'real' is always believed to be in the past, forever inaccessible and eternally lost.

Yichae is a Kpop idol in a new world so saturated with virtual beauty and reliant on VR that it demands nothing less than perfection from its human idols. She has to be 'genuinely' gorgeous and maintain that standard. She was from Seoul but finally made it out of that accursed place, so when her company decides to send her back to her alma matar to film a nostalgic music video (in-person proximity to others! girls in school uniforms getting up to shenanigans! PE classes!), she is resistant. Everything changes when she meets Soop and they form an unexpected attachment. If you love Kpop girl groups (like me) but also feel ambivalent about the industry that produces these lovable products, this story would resonate with you.

[Lau · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have conflicted feelings about this book. I don't even understand the point of it? Not so talented idol receiving a song from a fan, got sick in the process, and that was all..? The connection seemed unrealistic and unresolved. I don't know what I expected but honestly not this.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of honest review.

[Chantelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 ⭐

I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. When I heard sapphic kpop love story with a dystopian twist I was at the front of the queue to read it, but the story felt incredibly lacklustre. Literally nothing happened, and I didn’t care about anyone at all sadly. The premise was there, like a dystopian 23rd century Seoul where people predominantly use VR headsets and AI, unless you come down with a virus that means you can’t was so promising, but it just fell flat.

Anyways, thank you to novel tours for the physical arc.

[Hannah Boyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘The Forest Called You’ is a queer, dystopian K-Pop romance by South Korean author Amil (translated by Joheun Lee).

TW: there is the discussion of eating disorders both in my review, and in the book itself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was an interesting concept, and it felt very well done.

I would say this does have a heavy focus on disordered eating in parts, so I would be wary of this for anyone that may find that triggering.
As someone with lived experience of an eating disorder, I did feel that much of what was discussed in this area felt very relevant to my lived experience. I don’t know much about the authors experience on this, but it felt like authentic representation to me, and although it was difficult at times, I do think it was an important topic to be discussed.

Soop, one of the FMC’s is disabled following the Akanta virus, leading to something called VR-Rejection, which makes her an outcast from those at school, who bully her. This was originally published in South Korea in 2023, and, maybe I’m reading too deeply into this, but does in my opinion, reflect the experiences of long covid (from a more futuristic perspective of course), but especially with the feelings of being unable to participate in society in the “typical” way.
Although Soop does still engage with the Idols her fellow students like, she isn’t able to do so in the same way as her peers.

I don’t think I necessarily fully understood the ending, but I don’t know if that was due to a miscommunication in the translation, or if it’s just a me problem.
Otherwise I actually really enjoyed this!

[Saima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was expecting more from this story set in a 23rd century Seoul of people living in virtual reality worlds if they can afford it, rarely meeting in person and a virus that makes some people outcasts as unable to use VR. I don't listen to K-Pop, don't like girl bands much and the fatphobic culture. This story was about those topics. It was sad and realistic because of the rich v poor divide, bullying, and fatphobia. The plot was a poor VR reject fan meeting a pop idol who isn't virtual and more real than other pop stars, and *spoiler* the two women kiss.The overall writing was lacklustre and disappointing.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the people who are fans of the k-pop world, this book would be for you. In the distant future, with a post-apocalyptic type of world where interaction is basically impossible, two people who meet by chance make it seem less dark and more hopeful.

[Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointing, honestly! Trying to work out how to put it. It never quite entirely coheres; individual chapters are fine, the writing isn't bad, but there's a persistent sense of arm's length that prevents it from coming together in a convincing way. Arguably, this could simply be intentional, given the theme of isolation, of how VR technology contributes to isolation indirectly (people less and less likely to interact face-to-face) and directly (a chunk of the population cannot access VR due to a health condition), but if that is the case, well... maybe it needed defter execution.

I did wonder if maybe some of this stems from translation choices - I'd really enjoyed Amil's short story collection, Roadkill, when I read it last year. Pulled my copy of latter off the shelf as I wondered if it was same translator; it was not. Pure speculation on my part that this is a contributing factor, as I do not know Korean. Could just as easily be that Amil is better at short fiction than novel-length.

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

How much more real did she have to look to be loved? How much more perfect? The more Yichae tried to feign perfection, the more it felt like a lie, while the more she tried to be real, the more unsure she became about who the real her was.

얼마나 더 진짜 같아 보여야 사랑받을 수 있나? 얼마나 더 완벽해 보여야 사랑받을 수 있지? 완벽한 모습을 보이려고 할수록 사람들에게 거짓말하는 것 같고, 진짜가 되려고 할수록 진짜 자신을 모르게 되어가는 것 같았다.

The Forest Called You is Joheun Lee's translation of 너라는 이름의 숲 by 아밀 by (Amil - a penname) who as a translator has rendered works by James Baldwin, Joyce Carol Oates, Jeanette Winterson, R. O. Kwon and Lucas Rijneveld (most notably the brillinat De avond is ongemak as 그날 저녁의 불편함) into Korean, under her real name 김지현 (Kim Ji-hyun).

This is the second of the author's books to appear in English after the fascinating connection of short stories, Roadkill, which had a speculative fiction and feminist slant, and a fablistic style.

Based on those expectations, The Forest Calls You was a relative disappointment, closer to a YA novel.

The novel is set in the future (seemingly the 22nd century) in a world where most, except the well-off, eat manufactured food; Seoul is a run-down poor area of Korea; and the wealthy also live much of their lives in virtual reality. The novel written in the near aftermath of Covid, there is also an infectious disease circulating, Akanta, which as well as causing illness, sometimes fatal, can leave the sufferer with permanent VR-rejection, cutting them off from more advanced social life.

Yichae is a K-pop idol in her early 20s, a solo-artist, and one of a diminishing group of real-life performers, although even then her fans interact with her largely via VR. She comes from a unpriviliged background in Seoul.

Soop (the Korean word 숲 means Forest, which the translator chooses to gloss) is an 18yo student at the same school Yichae attended, one where the pupils are (the shame!) taught in person, and a social outcast as she suffers from VR-rejection.

The novel has Yichae, whose career is struggling after she (the shame!) put on 4kg, come to the school to film the video for her comeback track, one supposed to show the gritty city real-life from which she came, although in reality everything is very sanitised.

Soop is a secret fan of Yichae, and the two form an intense, if not always harmonious relationship, despite the best efforts of the school alpha. Da-on, with designs on stardom of their own and who wants to form her own friendship with the pop idol.

Much of the novel concerns the, to me, rather weird world of K-pop idolatry alongside YA high-school petty rivalry, alongside some rather unconvincing world building.

It does occassionally develop something more of an edge when Yichae, whose polished public image hides a more troubled past, comments explicitly, and somewhat jarringly, to her manager, and to Soop, on the reality of her sexualisation by fans: 'People all love my body,' Yichae seethed. 'They want to be thin like me, pretty like me. They want to fuck my skinny body and ejaculate on my pretty face.'

2.5 stars rounded to 2.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is not my usual type of read and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I have again been left pleasantly surprised. Yes, I wish there had been more background to the climate crisis and virus that appeared to be going on and I think more could have been done to explore the class divides being created by the virtual reality scenarios because this aspect I found particularly interesting. However , then the book wouldn’t have had the light hearted k-pop vibe it was aiming for and I think, although there is not a lot of substance to the book it did what the author set out to do. The book is light on details on purpose because it’s highlighting the fake and artificial nature of the very world it’s set in and I found this world fascinating. It manages to have some cosy elements to it with the tentative lesbian romance budding between our two FMCs Soop and Yicheon, but it felt like watching an episode of something rather than even that being real. It is not a book that is going to appeal to everyone and I can understand why it’s being hit with some low ratings but I personally liked it for what it was trying to do. Yes, I wanted more of our two female leads, and I think their romance could have been handled a bit better rather than left so immaterial - I did want more from them and I also think there should have been a trigger warning about the topics of eating disorders and abuse that is referenced several times. I also needed more about the world itself but it’s all about the fake nature of reality these days so the book achieved that vibe with its lack of any finality - I think it’s just been a bit too clever for its own good so it’s missed the mark with so many other readers. I think if this had been a bit longer it could have really shone, as it was I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt and I was left feeling a bit like I was waiting for another series of my favourite show to drop. The storyline only takes place over a couple of days so there is a lot packed in but not a lot of substance happens if that makes sense. I read it in a day and it’s quite fast paced but a little bit repetitive at times and it’s not one I’d re-read again but I’ve gone 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads)

[Aga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage | Harvill Secker and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was such an interesting and thought-provoking read. I love Asian literature, so I was really excited to be approved for this one, and it definitely gave me a lot to sit with.

The story is set in a slightly apocalyptic future, after the Akanta virus has devastated society and pushed most people into living through VR. Soop, an eighteen-year-old schoolgirl, is a “VR reject” — someone unable to fully take part in that virtual world — and because of this, she is bullied and excluded.

Yichae, a famous idol, appears to have everything on the surface, but she is fighting her own demons. When she comes to Soop’s high school to record a video, their paths cross, forcing Yichae to revisit her own past.

What I found most powerful was how full of metaphor this story is. Being a VR reject works so well as a metaphor for being excluded from society simply for being different. It also explores how we function as a society, how easily people are pushed aside, and how technology can both connect and isolate us.

The author takes inspiration from the Covid-19 pandemic and builds it into the fictional Akanta virus, creating a world where human interaction has been deeply damaged. I also really appreciated the focus on food shortages, and the contrast between organic food and manufactured alternatives. It added another layer to the world-building and made the future setting feel unsettlingly believable.

The book also touches on the K-pop industry and the pressure placed on artists — the image they are expected to maintain, the expectations from fans, and the emotional cost behind the glamour.

Even though the story focuses on young people, it did not feel too YA for me. It had enough depth, social commentary and emotional weight to keep me invested.

Overall, this was a clever, reflective and quietly haunting read. It is the kind of book that lingers with you after you finish it and makes you think about exclusion, technology, fame, and what it really means to belong.

A very solid 4 stars.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forest Called You is a Korean dystopian love story between an idol who performs in virtual reality and a high school student who can't use VR. In a Korea of the future in which people have mostly retreated inside their homes due to viruses and dust, Yichae is one of the last remaining 'real' idols, an actual person rather than virtual perfection. She struggles with having the image expected of her, especially when she is suddenly required to film a music video at her former high school, with a cast of current student extras. Soop is one of the students at the school, bullied and treated as an outcast due to having VR rejection, meaning she cannot use VR devices, but she loves Yichae's music. When the two meet, their very different worlds collide.

This book is a queer coming of age story that has a dystopian setting, rather than being a full dystopian novel. The focus is on how the characters interact and exist in this world, rather than the how and why things got to where they are, and the narrative moves between the perspective of the two protagonists, offering the ability to see their very different lives but also the assumptions other people make about them. The relationship between the characters, though brief, is built up from both perspectives, which gives a lot more context to it than you'd get if it was only from one perspective.

The story is quite simple and the book itself is a nice quick read, making it ideal when you want something that isn't too taxing, but still engages with some darker stuff (which is a combination of real world issues like disordered eating, alcohol abuse, and bullying, alongside the virtual reality and fictional virus elements). The ending is perhaps a bit quick compared to the pace of the rest of the book, but it manages to explore quite a lot in a short space.

[Claire Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Forest Called You is a K-pop idol, queer coming-of-age story set in a future we might one day end up in ourselves. Where virtual reality plays a huge part in everyday life, those who cannot access it are shunned, bullied and left out. Soop is one of those people.

Worship the idol. Fall for the real girl.

Soop is a high school student who cannot access VR and as a result is relentlessly bullied by her classmates, leaving the teachers to watch on with pity and disdain. However, there's a spark of hope for Soop as her favourite K-pop idol, Yichae, uses her school as a set for a new music video.

On the other hand, superstar Yichae has a whole host of problems, from getting used to the VR world to being constantly pressured by her music label to stay skinny, eat this, sing that, wear this... and so on.

As the two cross paths at the school, they form an unlikely bond through their love of music. But is this new friendship enough to help each of them through their troubles?

When I read the blurb, I was surprised at how drawn I felt to it because none of it is my usual vibe, but I'm really glad I read it and enjoyed it a lot! It was an easy read, but raises lots of important questions around growing up, bullying, life's pressures and the various relationships we have to maintain in our lives as children and adults.

I've never tried anything 'virtual reality', but I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes normal for us at some point in the future, so that aspect was very interesting. I also liked how realistic the high school situation was - horrible kids, teachers doing nothing, and needing an 'older sister' figure to step in.

I will say that this felt quite young adult in the writing style and simplicity of the language, but there was quite a lot of talk of sex and pornography, so perhaps not such young adult themes?

Either way, I really enjoyed the book and I think anyone interested in the following themes would also like it:

* LGBT
* Coming-of-age
* Dystopian future
* K-pop/Korean culture

A huge thanks to Hollie, Amil and Penguin Vintage for the book as part of Hollie's Novel Tours on Instagram.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

In 23rd century Korea, climate change has rendered so much of the country inhabitable and the majority of jobs - and life- takes place in virtual reality.

18-year-old Soop has a rare condition that means using VR makes her sick, so she is ostracised from this world.

When Yichae - Soop’s favourite K-pop idol - comes to her school to film a music video - they find themselves drawn to each other and questioning what is really important.

This was a lovely and thought-provoking YA / LGBTQ coming-of-age story.

I enjoyed the sci-fi angle of what might the world look like in the 23rd century with the rapid development of AI and technology, and the effects of climate change on food availability.

It was easy to draw parallels with modern life through the very relatable issues of bullying, being on the outside, and what is real and fake in an online world.

Yichae is one of the last idols who actually exists in real life. But with AI idols being the new norm, she is constantly under scrutiny about her size and looks.

Most of her fans, including Soop’s bullies, are obsessed over her appearance and VR music videos. But Soop can only experience the music and doesn’t see any of that side.

When the two connect, they both learn about their true feelings. But I wish more time had been spent on their developing relationship - it felt like it was only just starting and then the ending was a little abrupt!

[Evita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin for allowing me to read this early copy.

I rarely read translated works but this one sounded very interesting. In a dystopian future where people spend most of their time in virtual reality, a bullied school girl gets a chance to meet her idol. Will they become friends or something more?

This isn’t my usual type of read but I have to say the premise drew me in. The virtual reality where the rich spent their time was such a sharp contrast to the main character, Soop’s experience. I think the idea of a virus that made people basically allergic to VR was another interesting touch. I liked the storyline of Yichae filming her music video at Soop’s school.

Where the book lost me a bit was with the characters. I feel like this particular style of writing creates characters that feel a bit flat and one-dimensional. They can still have important things to say but it feels like every character is either someone you’re meant to like or someone you’re meant to hate. I live more for characters who fall between those cracks.

I will also mention: huge trigger warning for eating disorders and fatphobia in the K-pop industry. I really felt bad for all the comments Yichae read, and how much she struggled with herself throughout this story.

The Forest Called You is out June 4th. Give it a pre-order if it sounds like something you’d enjoy!

[Clarisse]

Soop is a schoolgirl from Seoul who lives in a world that has been seriously affected by climate change. It’s a dusty place where only the wealthy can get proper food and water. The less fortunate have to make do with substitute food that’s full of additives and not very healthy, but that’s all they can afford. Plus, she has VR Rejection, which means she gets sick when she tries to use virtual reality. At school, she was bullied by other students who thought she was worthless and treated her very badly.

Yichae is a K-pop idol who is quite used to performing and living her life in virtual reality, having moved away from her Seoul roots. She is under so much pressure to follow quite extreme diets to lose weight and stay thin, even though she wasn’t overweight to start with. The beauty standards for idols are so high that she had to lose weight to keep up with the expectations of many younger fans.

This book really shone a light on how much Asian societies are obsessed with being thin and beautiful.

The pressure to stay pretty and thin as an idol is incredibly toxic and, honestly, I think it could drive anyone to depression. Anyone who struggles with body image will find this incredibly relatable. I just wish the author had explained more about how the VR experience works and how Seoul ended up in a world filled with dust.

[Pree&Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in a dystopian 23rd century Seoul. Due to dust storms caused by climate crisis, and a contagious virus, people have stopped meeting each other in person 😷 The rich and middle class confine themselves to their homes, and meet others on virtual reality. The poorer folks like Soop, who cannot afford VR attend in-person schools and take up 'dangerous' people-facing jobs.

There are no butterflies, or seasons anymore. Real food is prohibitively expensive, and people live on meal substitutes. Music is written by AI. 

In a world where everything is virtual and artificial, people are crazy over anything real. Including Yicheon, for her 'real' beauty. I found the worldbuilding and all these details fascinating - it's realistic seeing the path we're headed on 🥲

While the setting was dystopian, the book itself was pretty cosy. The story felt like watching a K-Drama, where a rich idol falls for a regular fan. It also gives a peak into the life of idols and the impossible standards they are held to.

I liked Yicheon and Soop, though I'd have loved to see more of their romance. It felt rather sudden and ended in an ambiguous way, left me wanting more.

Lastly, I wish the songs in the book had actual soundtracks, because they seem very cool!

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Forest Called You’ is a beautiful read. It’s really raw and emotional. It highlights the difficulties of being in the limelight, the pressure of maintaining a certain weight and a certain appearance. It tackles bullying and how bullying can affect you and how it knocks down your confidence and the inability to talk freely. I love the dystopian edge to this read.

There is a lot of character building involved, I love both Yinchae and Soop, they are in two different worlds but they have similarities.
I like how we can see both points of view, as a reader we can see that they both care for each other but they are both still exploring their identity and I like that the book is very focused on identity building. I noticed towards the end Soop gains a tiny bit of confidence, it is satisfying to read that.

As a whole, this is a really engaging read, I adore that there are song lyrics written in the book and I love that this was a K-pop queer love story as I am wanting to read more lgbtq+ books.

If you are a fan of coming of age reads with a queer love stories and a story that involves exploring identity then add this to your TBR!

[Maya]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage | Harvill for providing me with the ARC.
Pub Date 4 Jun 2026
If you love YA, sci-fi, k-pop and dystopian fiction blended into one, you should most definitely read this. I am familiar with Amil’s short story collection “Roadkill”, I loved almost every single story in there and I was very excited to read this novel, but unfortunately, it is not for me. It is a hard YA, involving a pop star - two things I am so not interested in. I don’t want to do the book disservice; I acknowledge that I’m not the target audience, so I’m dnf-ing at 20%. I’m not reading books for the sake of reviewing them, I want to enjoy and find entertainment in fiction, and also if I could learn a thing or this, this would be my optimal pleasure of reading. Here I can detect the themes that would excite a high school girl – k-pop, eating disorder, bullying and themes of belonging and loneliness. I highly recommend Amil’s short stories and as I’ve already said above, read this if you love YA fiction.

[andshe.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming of age fiction is set in a near future Korea where those that are rich can have the ability to escape reality in the form of VR. Soop our main protagonist is sick & is unable to use the technology making her an outsider in this society that thrives on AI. 

The story examines how celeb culture, unrealistic beauty standards & technology is able to shape identity & relationships. I felt for Soop not only did she have the sickness but she was from a family that didn't have the means for such technology leaving her susceptible to bullying. The romance between her & Yichae develops naturally & their connection feels genuine. I really rooted for Soop to have this bit of happiness. 

Amil has highlighted the differences between this virtual world & imperfect real world with impeccable world building & emotional writing

Overall The Forest Called you is a moving story about having the courage to be true to yourself even when the world values perfection rather than authenticity. 

Thank you to Novel Tours & Vintage Books for a copy of this book. 

[Jazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings for eating disorders, purging, binging and probably abuse could do with being added. The ED related ones being more prominent throughout.

This had a lot of potential but im not sure it really fufiled it. With the book being fairly short I feel like a lot more could have been done to flesh the story out, especially the ending which felt very abrupt.

I enjoyed seeing both perspectives, exploring the preconceived ideas people had about the lives of both characters VS what they actually were. We got to see both realise they were queer, and unpack what it means to be loved as a public persona or an idea, but both still have a lot of growth and learning to do.

The book itself takes place over a few days, and I read it in a single afternoon. Its a fast paced read, though it does feel jumpy and slightly repetitive at times. Still recommend to fans of coming of age and/or idols!

[Miss E · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .75

The forest called you
This book is set in Korea in a future where life happens in a virtual reality because climate change has rendered the setting apocalyptic and inhabitable.

The main characters are a high school student who struggles to use Vr so is bullied and isolated from everyone (its quite sad) and a k-pop idol who films a music video at the school so their worlds collide.

This is a queer coming of age book with some really big messages of the effects we are having on the world and the way things are progressing with technology/ai.

The k-pop idol having to try to be perfect due to the things we see online? Such a powerful message.

I feel like this is a great book for a YA/teen reader so long as triggers are known (such as an ED message throughout)

The ending felt a little abrupt for me personally but i did enjoy this fast paced book with important messaging in this one.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vibes are:
🌫️ dystopian Seoul with pandemic echoes
🎧 K‑Pop industry pressure + beauty standards
🌲 metaphors about belonging, exclusion, and being “too real”
💚 sapphic tension that feels soft and fragile
🕶️ VR as both escape and prison
🍜 food scarcity + class divide woven into the worldbuilding

Set in a future Korea swallowed by dust clouds and VR nostalgia, this story follows Soop, a girl forced to live in the real world when everyone else escapes into simulations. Her life is messy, fragile, and painfully human.

When she meets Yichae, one of the last “real” idols in an industry obsessed with virtual perfection, their connection feels like a spark in a world going dim. Two girls trying to stay authentic in a society that worships the artificial. Navigating beauty standards, loneliness, and the pressure to perform, all while searching for something true.

This was a real hard hitter as it felt very real and now with how society is and the way the world is at the present. For me the book sent a firm message, choosing authenticity even when the world prefers illusions.

[Charlotte Cutter-Byford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows Yichae a top K-pop idol and Soop a regular school student when they meet at a music video filming.

The use of vr to show status and popularity throughout is done really well and as a K-pop fan myself I really enjoyed the iverally premise. Both characters are extremely likeable and relatable in different ways and I thoroughly disliked Daon from the start.

Unfortunately on this occasion whilst I enjoyed the book it felt like it was maybe written for a younger audience and I could definitely see a younger teenage audience really connecting with the characters in a way I no longer can.

[Isaac Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ready Player One for the kpop girlie of the future.

Felt a bit predictable. I wonder if the pre-translation was more exciting. Or maybe YA like this just isn't for me

[Ruth]

Dnf @ 80 pages
CW for eating disorders, bullying, fatphobia, child abuse

Kind of wild to have all this in a YA book

[Rozenn R · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a dystopian future where virtual reality, inequalities, fake relationships and destroyed planets, the story reminds us about our humanity.
A real idol shooting her clip in a school reminds us of how trivial mankind is in spite of the surroundings: the need for social ties linked with exclusion and bullying, idol celebrities and fangirls, how we eat ...