Idol, Burning

Akari, a teenager who spends much of her school day in the sick room and has a couple of diagnoses to her name, finds daily life heavy and clumsy. What holds her upright is Masaki Ueno, a pop idol she first saw on stage as a small child and rediscovered on an old DVD. Whatever she earns from her job goes on him; she logs every remark and clip and studies them like scripture, so that even a throwaway word in an interview can be decoded. Around her are a clever older sister she is measured against, a mother and grandmother at odds, and a father working overseas. Then Masaki is said to have struck a fan, the internet turns on him, his star starts to dim, and Akari's fragile routines begin to give way.

AI-generated summary

About the book

Form

Novella

Length

125 pages in the original

Genres

Coming of age (assigned by AI)

Set in

Japan

First published

2020 by Kawade Shobo Shinsha

Author's age

21 when first published

ISBN

9784309029160 (original)

9780063213289 (HarperVia, United States)

9781838856120 (Canongate, United Kingdom)

More

Wikidata