Book Review: Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young
The Details
Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: Idol Gossip
Author: Alexandra Leigh Young
Publisher: Walker Books US
Pages/Length: Hardcover; 352
Release Date: September 14, 2021
Source: Publisher
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An inside look at the K-pop phenomenon, in a wry, punchy young-adult debut that probes cultural differences, sisterhood, and the minefield of fame.
Every Friday after school, dressed in their new South Korean prep-school uniforms — sweater vests, knee-highs, pleated skirts, and blazers — seventeen-year old Alice Choy and her little sister, Olivia, head to Myeongdong, brave a dank, basement-level stairwell full of graffiti, and slip into a noreabang. Back in San Francisco, when she still had friends and earthly possessions, Alice took regular singing lessons. But since their diplomat mom moved them to Seoul, she pours herself into karaoke, vamping it up in their booth to Lady Gaga while loyal Olivia applauds and howls with laughter. Alice lives for Fridays, but when an older woman stops her on their way out one day, handing Alice a business card with a bow, singing turns serious. Could the chance encounter really be her ticket to elite status at Top10 Entertainment’s Star Academy? With a little sisterly support, backed by one of the world’s top talent agencies, can Alice lead her group on stage before a stadium of 50,000 chanting fans — and just maybe strike K-pop gold? Not if a certain influential blogger and the anti-fans get their way.
Delicious gossip squares off with genuine heart in a debut about standing out and fitting in, dreaming big and staying true — for avid K-pop fans and those just discovering the worldwide cultural phenomenon.
The Review
Ah, the world of KPop. I admit that I too have been drawn into this world, full of super talented and gorgeous people. A world where music is pumped out on a regular basis, and the average fan has access to their idols pretty much constantly. It’s a much contested place to exist in. On the one hand, the music that comes out of this space is vibrant and spans a vast set of genres. On the other hand, it is really easy to forget that the people inside these shiny, photo perfect groups are real human beings. So when I saw that Alexandra Leigh Young was writing a YA with the focus on the world of KPop idols, I was 100% in.
For the most part, I enjoyed this story! Like I mentioned above, the glossy part of this KPop idol world comes with some big issues underneath. I appreciated that Leigh wasn’t afraid to shine a light on this part of things. Alice definitely gets dumped head first into a space that she wasn’t prepared for. As a KPop idol her every move is scrutinized, and often manufactured. Her food intake is watched. Her social media is monitored. Worse still, she has barely any time to keep up with her family because of her insane training schedule. These are all very real things that happen, especially to trainees. It was almost refreshing to see this called out into the open.
The biggest issue that I had with Alice though is that Leigh really did just throw Alice straight into the fray with no background. Alice had no idea any of this was coming, and really all she wanted to do was sing. What ensues is a mess of a character arc where Alice refuses to change at all, is a stubborn brat, and starts to drag down the dreams of the other girls in her group who have been training for years. Alice becomes that frustrating entitled character who has done no research and just won’t adapt. Now I would have been more forgiving of this if she had learned any lessons at all, but by the time any real progress is made the story is almost at an end. Alice is not just unlikable, she’s unbelievable. That made it hard for me to make it through this story.
It was truly the other characters here that saved the day. So-ri with her famous past, and her eccentric personality. Alice’s band mates, with their sweet personas and their excitement over their new group. Even Joon, who I didn’t expect to like all that much, stole my heart. I loved that the was that famous character who was still humble, and genuinely excited about what he did. In my time spent in the KPop world I can tell you that there are a lot of idols like that. People who are genuinely love making music, and adore their fans. So this was a nice addition for me.
Honestly, I really felt like this book could have benefitted from some more length. More time for Alice to learn and grow, more time to really dive into the lives of the idols. It all felt very superficial, and wrapped up too quickly with a neat little bow. I would rate this on the younger side of the YA spectrum though, so maybe that isn’t such a bad thing. This is a quick read, and it does have some very cute moments. So, three stars it is!
