Wish Upon a K-Star

Gr 7 Up–The door into the world of K-pop is wide open for readers in this spin-off to Once Upon a K-Prom; it is a complicated, scripted, and drama-filled world both on and off stage and screen. Hyeri, 19, is on-again, off-again herself—always in competition for music and screen roles. In the insulated world of K-pop that confines the stars to their own interior world while requiring them to interface with the world of their fans, it is hard to know which feelings are real and which are to be kept hidden so that the two worlds never collide. But collide they do when Hyeri is accused of bullying and being cold, unfeeling, and two-faced, when all she wants to do is make sense of herself and identify her own true feelings. Her feelings for childhood crush Minesok are confusing and cause rom-com complexities that intertwine with K-pop expectations of being perfect in all ways. For fans of K-pop, this world will ring a familiar tune, while those just dipping a toe in will have to pay attention to the writer’s introductions to each character. The story is deeply embedded in K-pop culture, and also in the universal confusion of young adulthood. Love, hate, wanting to please others, wanting to just be themselves; this romance, mystery, and coming-of-age story will resonate with young people interested in the world of K-pop stardom.