This book was kindly provided to me by the author, and I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
MY RATING:
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Kim Ji-soo has spent five years believing her father was nothing more than a boring government clerk who died in an accident. But when she discovers a mysterious coded card hidden in his vinyl record collection, followed by a suspicious break-in at her apartment, Ji-soo’s ordinary high school life shatters.
Read More:
With the help of Min-ho, a secretive new transfer student with uncanny skills, and her best friend Yuna, whose family restaurant hides underground connections, Ji-soo decodes her father’s messages hidden in music. What she uncovers is her father was an intelligence agent who was murdered for discovering a vast conspiracy using K-pop choreography to transmit covert operational codes.
As Ji-soo infiltrates the glittering world of Korean entertainment to find proof, she becomes the target of Director Jung, the powerful intelligence chief behind her father’s death. When Eclipse, Korea’s hottest boy group, gets caught in the crossfire, Ji-soo must convince their leader that they’re being used as unwitting pawns in a dangerous game.
Racing against time and pursued by deadly operatives, Ji-soo must navigate a web of deception where nothing is as it seems—not the entertainment industry, not the government she once trusted, and not even the quiet classmate who harbors his own vendetta against the conspiracy. With her father’s encoded notebook as her guide, Ji-soo must expose the truth before she becomes the next victim of a conspiracy that moves to the rhythm of K-pop’s perfectly synchronized choreography.
In a city where secrets pulse beneath the neon surface, the key to survival might just be hidden in plain sight—in the precise movements of a dance that millions watch but only few truly see.
- Pages: 186
- Genre: YA, Espionage, Mystery
- Publication date: February 27, 2025
- Format: Kindle, Paperback
- Source: Author
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON
KOBO
THE REVIEW:
Okay, so this book was not my usual go-to genre, but when I read the premise and had a chance to exchange words with the author I was hooked and intrigued. So let me dive into it!
I really don’t know why this book does not have more reviews! It sure deserves it, especially for those of us who love South Korea and well K-Pop with a mystery thrown in there and a mission that might put everyone you know in danger but also has secrets buried waiting to be unravelled for justice to reign!
We follow Kim Ji-soo a 17-year-old girl who’s still dealing with the sudden loss of her beloved father five years ago. Everything is normal, school, and life until someone breaks into her flat where she lives with her aunt. This is when Ji-soo starts to suspect something is a miss when it comes to her dad’s death and someone is after something he might have left behind…
This is when the adventure begins! Ji-soo makes unlikely alliances, learns more about her best friend Yuna and her family business and meets a mysterious new school transfer boy, they all unite each one driven by their own reasons. Min-ho is a very enigmatic character and I want to know everything about him.
The writing style is easy to follow, engrossing and it draws you into the story. It is fast-paced maybe a tad faster than I would have liked, and it reads like a YA novel. The author makes social and political commentary about South Korean society, she delves into the exploiting world of the Korean entertainment industry and presents us with a very true-to-life picture of nowadays K-pop bands.
Although this is a work of fiction it is still true when it comes to this industry and if you follow K-pop and K-actors and not only, you would know how overworked, used and treated like objects/adorments these idols are. Always on the go, with no privacy, and no private life allowed everything from their social media to what they say is controlled and rehearsed and scrutinised for the littlest thing they did or said.
The twists and turns and hurdles our characters had to go through were vividly described, to say the least, and I can totally see this series getting adapted to a movie or a K-drama and if it does I would absolutely watch it. The way the music was incorporated into the plot was a great and unique touch that I have not encountered in any book I have read so far. It scratched the surface of the concept of subliminal messages but it dived deep into the espionage world with diverse characters that we are yet to get to know better.
Since this is only book one, there is a lot that has to be discovered yet and I have a lot of questions I need answers to! Like who broke into Ji-soo’s flat in the first place and why, my hunch is telling me the Maestro is yet to be found I don’t think this will be the end of it!
Overall this was a solid 4-star read for me, I really am curious to find out where this story takes us and how it will all work out in the end.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
An accomplished author, Yuna Lim is a 48-year-old woman who embraces life with passion and purpose. As a mother of two, she has traveled extensively around the world, immersing herself in diverse cultures and experiences that shape her writing. Yuna does not confine herself to a single identity; instead, she lives by her values and morals, which serve as the foundation of her work.
With a lifelong career as an executive assistant, Yuna has cultivated a deep appreciation for the people she has worked with, navigating the highs and lows of professional life. Her journey has been enriched by her love for food, music, and the vibrant cultures she encounters. Among her greatest comforts and inspirations is the globally renowned K-pop group BTS, whose music has guided her through challenging times.
Yuna’s writing reflects her multifaceted life—exploring themes of Korean culture, the influence of BTS, and leadership insights drawn from her extensive experience in the corporate world. Through her stories, she aims to connect with readers on a personal level, sharing the lessons learned from her adventures and the wisdom gained from her career.
Lin's Perspective 
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