“An energetic, thoroughly entertaining read.

”
—Axie Oh, author of XOXO and the New Visions Award winner Rebel Seoul

“A fun, insidery look at the fascinating world of K-pop stardom.”

—Leila Sales, author of This Song Will Save Your Life

S G O S S I P S Q U A RES
DELICIOU HEART
W I T H G E N U I N E
OFF A TA
S I N S I D E L O O K
IN THI .
K- P O P A C A D E M Y
Every Friday after school, seventeen-year-old
Alice Choy and her little sister, Olivia, head to
Myeongdong to sing karaoke. 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, her only
musical outlet is vamping it up in a private karaoke
booth to an audience of one: her loyal sister. Then
a scout for Top10 Entertainment, one of the biggest
K-pop companies, hears her and offers her a spot at
their Star Academy. Can Alice navigate the culture
clashes, egos, and extreme training practices of
K-pop to lead her group onstage 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 . . .
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
This debut novel is about standing out and fitting HC: 978-1-5362-1364-5
$18.99 ($24.99 CAN)
in, dreaming big and staying true. It will speak to Age 12 and up • 352 pages
fans of K-pop and to anyone who is trying to take Also available as an e-book and in audio
their talents to the next level.
#idolgossip
ALE X AN D R A LE IGH YOUNG currently
produces the New York Times podcast
The Daily. She produced tours for pop
bands for three years before moving to
South Korea as a freelance journalist.
Photo by Earl Wilson

An assignment on K-pop for NPR’s

Radiolab became the basis for Idol
Gossip, her first novel for young adults.
She lives in New York City. www.walkerbooksus.com
 E X A N D R A L E IG H Y O U N G
A NOTE FROM AL
I can split my life into two distinct halves: the time before I knew about K-pop and
the time after. It all started in 2014, when I quit my job in New York City and moved
to South Korea for a tiny artist residency and to report on the music industry there. I
was instantly hooked. K-pop is epic—the personalities are irresistible, the visuals are
dazzling, and the music is so catchy, you’ll wash your hair twice just to keep singing it in
the shower. But then a friend told me I could actually see idols “up close and personal”
at a show called M Countdown. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but nothing could have
prepared me for what I experienced.

As I waited outside the M Countdown studios with about a hundred other fans, a small
van with tinted windows rolled right up to us. To my utter surprise, the six poised but
humble members of Teen Top emerged in their matching black suits and stepped right
into the crowd. To my even greater shock, the people in line with me didn’t scream or
try to mob them; they were just as gracious as the idols themselves. Teen Top signed
autographs, posed for photos, bowed and thanked the grateful crowd, then loaded back
up into the van and drove off. It was unlike anything I had seen back when I used to tour
manage for pop bands in the United States, where artists keep rabid fans at arm’s length.

After Teen Top left, I interviewed members of their fandom, and there was one girl
in particular who stood out. She had straight black bangs and was in her high school
uniform: a long skirt with knee-high socks and loafers. We struggled to talk to each other
in my broken Korean, but she explained to me that loving K-pop isn’t just worshipping
idols. Idols and their fans look out for one another, and both know that one wouldn’t
exist without the other. I realized then that the idol-fan relationship is just that: a
relationship.

Idol Gossip is about Alice, a Chinese-American girl who moves to Seoul with her family
and pursues her K-pop dreams. Even though I can’t sing to save my life, I had similar
dreams growing up, which is why pop music has remained so important to me. As she
trains for her K-pop debut, Alice learns about fitting in and standing out, owning her
privilege, and, of course, the idol-fan relationship. I think K-pop fans get a bad rap for
being crazed or obsessed. What I’ve learned over the years is that K-pop is so much more
than a fleeting craze—it’s about family, big dreams, and the power of a group united
under one cause. And that’s really what I set out to capture in my book.

illustration copyright © 2021 by Angelica Alzona www.walkerbooksus.com