"Shine was born because I wanted to tell the truth about my experience, the way only good fiction can."

Jessica Jung is stepping into a new spotlight on her own: her first novel, Shine, comes out later this year. 

The novel tells the story of Korean-American teenager Rachel Kim, who has been training with the fictional Korean idol company DB Entertainment for six years. As she awaits her chance to debut, Rachel deals with competitiveness, friend drama, and of course, love.

“Shine was born because I wanted to tell the truth about my experience, the way only good fiction can," Jessica referencing her own experiences as a trainee and eventual K-pop star in Girls' Generation and as a solo artist. “But I also wanted to create good entertainment, like I’ve been doing my whole life, and I know that entertainment means blending real details with great storytelling and giving all the characters their own plots to follow."