Description
Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2020 AKUTAGAWA PRIZE
'My oshi was on fire. Word was he'd punched a fan'
High-school student Akari has only one passion in her life: her oshi, her idol. His name is Masaki Ueno, best known as one-fifth of Japanese pop group Maza Maza.
Akari's dedication to her oshi consumes her days completely. She keeps a blog entirely devoted to him, religiously chronicling and analysing all his events. He is the spine of her life; she cannot survive without him. When Masaki is rumoured to have assaulted a female fan, facing waves of social media backlash, Akari's world falls apart.
Offering a vivid insight into otaku culture and adolescence, Idol, Burning is a brilliantly gripping story of obsession, coming of age and the addictive, relentless nature of fandom culture.
Trade ReviewUsami so successfully depicts the consequences of pure obsession * * Guardian * *
[
Idol, Burning] cracked a door open into an intense world of obsession . . . essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what it is like to be a teenage girl, where priorities are skewed, emotions are high, and everything feels like it's life or death -- CATHERINE PRASIFKA
A vivid depiction of the joys and despairs of teenage fan culture,
Idol, Burning is urgent and all-consuming . . . In this passionate and compassionate novel, the voice of teenage desperation sings out -- KATIE HALE
A short but mighty novel that sheds a light on the world of superfans, obsession and the dangers of building your identity around a phenomenon that can disappear in a second . . . Usami's novel lifts the lid on the unique world of fandom and 'stan' culture in Japan * * The Skinny * *
Compelling and unsettling in equal measure,
Idol, Burning is a pitch-perfect insight into how confusing and exhausting modern life can feel to young women today. * * Buzz Magazine * *
Idol, Burning is a window into the world of teenage obsession and the dark places it can venture to . . . This is like nothing else I've read * * Red * *
Praise for Rin Usami: Pure brilliance -- TOSHIYUKI HORIE, author of THE BEAR AND THE PAVING STONE
Poignant -- YOKO OGAWA, author of THE MEMORY POLICE
[Usami's] writing is extremely fresh and she has high literary ability -- Akutagawa Prize Judges
