Publishers Weekly
07/13/2020
Candace Park, 15, is a top student at New Jersey’s Fort Lee Magnet, a secret K-pop fan, and a terrible viola player who desperately wants to sing, like her older brother Tommy. But their Korean-born parents, who met at a prestigious music school in Korea but now run a convenience store, “won’t budge.” Encouraged by best friends Imani and Ethan, Candace secretly auditions for a new girl group being created by the entertainment company behind an internationally popular K-pop boy band. Getting in is only the start of Candace’s challenges, however: she must persuade her protective parents to let her visit Seoul for intensive training, live in a dormitory with 49 other competitive young women, and navigate culture shock, training, and the competition. Debut author Lee captures the fun of K-pop music while exploring a factory where young women are scrutinized and subject to extreme dietary and physical expectations. This wish-fulfillment story twines “Cinderella” moments with intersectional issues—class, racism, sexism—but it’s Candace’s sense of self-worth that will get readers to cheer. 12–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, the Book Group. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Lee’s Cinderella story, set to a pulsing soundtrack of Blackpink and Red Velvet, is the delectable K-pop confessional we’ve all been waiting for… frothy bubble tea of a book.” —
The New York Times Book Review
"[Lee] gets at the heart of why trainee programs operate the way they do and wraps it all in a coming-of-age story that’s as much about finding your voice as it is about finding your heritage." —
Fast Company
"Riveting tale of friendship, love, and passion." —
Teen Vogue
"I'm still giddy over this electrifying, big-hearted, all-kill smash of a debut. I couldn't put it down." — Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
"A hit on like, every level. There is all of the glamour and intrigue of our very relatable, big-hearted, gutsy heroine entering the world of K-pop and finding her voice, but it’s also so brilliantly grounded in family, friendship, and just the perfect amount of romance." — Emma Lord, author of Tweet Cute
“Debut author Lee captures the fun of K-pop music while exploring a factory whereyoung women are scrutinized…but it’s Candace’s sense of self-worth that will get readers to cheer.” — Publishers Weekly
“A thoughtful portrayal of determined multinational teens balancing authenticity with pursuing their dreams” — Kirkus Reviews
"Addictive, glamorous ... K-Pop Confidential is an unputdownable must-read for everyone, whether they’re a fan of K-Pop or not. A mesmerising debut that leaves you wanting more!" — The Nerd Daily
Kirkus Reviews
2020-06-25
Who doesn’t want to be a K-pop idol?
Fifteen-year-old Candace Park is just a typical Korean American teen from Fort Lee, New Jersey. She loves hanging out with her friends Imani and Ethan while watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, mukbang shows about eating massive amounts of Korean food, and advice from beauty vloggers. While Candace focuses on doing well in school, her hardworking immigrant Umma and Abba gave up on their own dreams to run a convenience store. Candace loves to sing and is a huge K-pop stan—but secretly, because she fears it’s a bit stereotypical. Everything changes after Candace and her friends see an ad for local auditions to find members of a new K-pop group and Candace decides to try out, an impulse that takes her on the journey of a lifetime to spend a summer in Seoul. Lee’s fun-filled, fast-paced K-pop romp reads like a reality show competition while cleverly touching on issues of racism, feminism, unfair beauty expectations and labor practices, classism and class struggles, and immigration and privilege. While more explanation of why there are such unfair standards in the K-pop industry would have been helpful, Lee invites readers to enjoy this world and question the industry’s actions without condescension or disdain. Imani is Black; Ethan is White and gay.
A thoughtful portrayal of determined multinational teens balancing authenticity with pursuing their dreams. (Fiction. 14-18)
