I would like to share a new YA novel with you called Idol Pursuits: Debut by Robert Rioux that I received a copy of from the Author and Voracious Readers in exchange for this review. Inside this post is my affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the items you purchase.
Idol Pursuits: Debut was a teaching moment for me as I heard to learn what K Pop was but if you or your teenagers know then they will enjoy this book which is part of a series. you love K-pop you will love this story of a diverse group of young women chasing their dreams of stardom in the competitive music scene of Los Angeles.
In the novel the Author brings us an American-born Korean main singer, songwriter, guitarist Heather Moon and a Vietnamese American choreographer and dance specialist Vanessa Nguyen along with a North Korean refugee and talented dancer June Kwan. There is 7 bandmates and if you like me you will be rooting for all seven of them although at times you may find yourself scratching your head asking why this or that happened and why.
Idol Pursuits: Debut is perfect for older readers of YA and this is a clean New Adult fiction. If you love bands and music then you need to check out this novel as soon as possible. I like how the story is about a Indie Band.
About the book:
When eighteen-year-old Heather Moon shoots to the top of her agency’s trainee class, the goal of becoming a K-Pop singer lies within reach. That dream, however, is shattered when a callous executive offers a deal she has to refuse. Banished but undaunted, Heather must piece together an indie girl group with enough daring and talent to challenge society’s constraints while meeting her lofty artistic goals.
Struggling to navigate life as musicians and new adults, the seven spirited misfits vow to stick together through thick and thin. Can Heather’s band of friends survive the apathy of a brutal entertainment industry, or will their aspirations burn to ashes like dry grass in a blaze?
Debut is the sassy opening novel of the Idol Pursuits series about dreaming big and believing you can. This is the second edition and the Author has been revised and updated. This is the first book of Robert Rioux I’ve read but it will not be the last book of his I read and I can’t wait to share this set of book with my niece and my sister so they can share the series with my nieces.
About the author: Robert Rioux
Upon graduating from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Robert Rioux spent two decades working in the Hollywood entertainment industry, rubbing shoulders with struggling dreamers and top-level achievers. A year spent circumnavigating the globe ignited an intense admiration of the world’s varied cultures. The lesson learned was that our shared commonalities far outweigh our perceived differences.
As a lifelong admirer of female singers, the author believes the girl group concept has been perfected in Korea. Nothing has the power to unite, inspire, and heal the human spirit quite like music does. Now married and living in Cascadia, Idol Pursuits marks the author’s first attempt at trilogy form.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
