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# Y/N and Idol, Burning: Book Recs.
- URL: https://www.joemilanjr.com/y-n-and-idol-burning-book-recs/
- Published: 2024-04-10T17:09:23.000Z
- Updated: 2024-04-10T17:09:23.000Z
- Author: Joe Milan, Jr.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0c/1b/0c1bd5ca-0bf0-4f40-a939-57b19c5048f6/content/images/2024/04/N-Cover-1.jpeg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0c/1b/0c1bd5ca-0bf0-4f40-a939-57b19c5048f6/content/images/2024/04/Idol-Burning.webp)

A couple of books that have been hanging out in my mind recently are Y/N by Esther Yi and Idol, Burning by Rin Usami. Both are books about fans of pop groups. Y/N is about a Korean American Expat living in Germany who journeys to Korea in search of her idol, while Idol, Burning is about a Japanese fan/blogger who weathers life as her idol's career falls apart, mimicking her own personal journey.   
Without digging into the plot (everyone does that), I find it striking that these stories of maturation speak to the sort of fandom that struggles to find its footing about being 'normal.' Tamar Herman over at [*Notes on K-pop*](https://notes-on-k-pop.ghost.io/untitled/?ref=joemilanjr.com) makes a great point that fandoms of sports are considered normal. Painted faces, camping out and waiting in line, wearing the clothes and the kitch representing your favorite player, flying to see a game, all normal (sports betting included). Yet, being a Swifty, a super fan of BTS, etc., I do not know much. (There's always the 'dark side' of pop fandoms. Though, I'm unaware of any riots after a pop group won a Grammy).   
Consider this: could fandoms and the communities we build around them be integral to our maturation? Could they be the threads that bind us to our true selves, as \[name\] suggested in relation to children at play?   
Returning to *Y/N* and *Idol, Burning*, these books not only delve into the world of fandom but also explore the personal growth of a fan and, by extension, ourselves within the fandom community. They're not just good; they're haunting. They whisper to you every time you see a jersey, hear a pop song, or ponder the meaning of growing up.   
  
In short, read those two books. They're great and speak to each other.