"Ma-Kellams is not the first novelist to examine the supposedly poisoned chalice of fame, or, as her narrator puts it, the 'compulsively addictive thinking' that can make an outward success want to die. She may, though, be one of the first to get at these ideas through a roving, time- and perspective-jumping story that links K-pop with classic psychological research. We all face pressure to succeed, and to look good doing it, she implies, famous or not. Some of us nearly work ourselves to death."—New York Times
Description
A psychologist with a savior complex offers shelter to a recently cancelled K-pop idol in this “first great K-pop literary phenomenon” (Debutiful) that is perfect for fans of Mouth to Mouth and Black Buck.
Sang Duri is the eldest member and “visual” of a Korean boy band at the apex of global superstardom. But when his latest solo single accidentally leads to controversy, he’s abruptly canceled.
To spare the band from fallout with obsessive fans and overbearing management, Duri disappears from the public eye by hiding out in the McMansion of a Chinese American woman he meets in a Los Angeles H-Mart. But his rescuer is both unhappily married and a psychologist with a savior complex, a combination that makes their potential union seductive and incredibly problematic.
Meanwhile, in Seoul, the band’s music producer, Pinocchio, remembers his first brainchild: a girl group that tragically disbanded under mysterious circumstances.
The past and the present combine to ignite a spiral of violent interactions that might change the fates of both the band members and the music industry.
In its “gripping exploration of the complexities that accompany fame” (Booklist), The Band considers the many ways in which love and celebrity can devolve into something far more sinister.
Reviews
"Ma-Kellams takes readers on a gripping exploration of the complexities that accompany fame...This darkly humorous novel examines the more sinister aspects of celebrity and the profound impact it can have on the individuals caught up in global stardom. As K-pop has become a worldwide sensation, this timely book provides a different perspective on societal pressures associated with fame and the dangerous toll they can take on a person’s mental health."—Booklist
"This could very well be the first great K-Pop literary phenomenon. Expect a stylized, pop culture romp."—Debutiful, Most Anticipated Books of 2024
"Equal parts academic and cheeky, Christine Ma-Kellams' debut novel The Band is the perfect companion for brainy pop culture heads, my people." —Anna Dorn, author of Exalted
