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Illusive

After four years of hell, Katie Wu is finally safe. Too bad her heart hasn’t gotten the memo.

When pop singer Katie Wu returns to Seoul after escaping an abusive relationship, her longtime friends, rapper Jung Do-won and singer Kitahara Akihiro, are stunned by just how much she’s changed.

Her scars run deep, but even Katie is surprised by how often her trauma resurfaces, threatening her attempts to make music and find love again. At least this time, she isn’t suffering alone in secret. Akihiro’s determined to prove to Katie that he’s nothing like her ex while his bandQmate Do-won buries his emotions, focusing on his music instead.

How will Katie overcome her dark memories and create a brighter future?

Take a peek behind the glamor of the K-pop industry, and join Katie as she fights to rebuild her life in the witty and steamy contemporary novel Illusive, part of the Her Multiverse series written by Asian American author Virginia Duan.

Description

Skillfully moving across time and between perspectives, “Illusive” is a spicy and evocative behind-the-scenes story about the realities of fame, the bonds of friendship, the journey of healing, and how love and sex shape us.

Leading Characters

Katie Wu

The troubled singer

Stubborn and too proud for her own good, singer Katie loses her sense of safety and security in the aftermath of her ex’s abuse. The brilliant musician must reckon with the demons left in his wake and give herself permission to rebuild her life and find herself worthy of love — from others, and most importantly, herself.

Kitahara Akihiro

A idol on a mission

Fiery K-pop idol Akihiro believes that if you love someone, you love their whole person — faults and all. When the singer falls for Katie, he hopes his love will be enough to pull her out of her anxiety. Their love affair is tumultuous and toxic, and though Akihiro wants to believe that love bears all wrongs and can fix all hurts, Katie’s trauma just might tear him apart.

Jung Do-won

The ambitious rapper

Rapper Do-won is sick of living up to his “delightful” moniker and not being taken seriously as a producer despite his numerous credentials. Feeling like an imposter, the rapper recognizes a fellow fraud in Katie as she pretends that everything is fine when she returns to Seoul. Despite his quiet love for her, Do-won chooses to focus on his career instead. How will he succeed without sacrificing authenticity?

A spicy and evocative behind-the-scenes story about

Making yourself whole after loss

How do you make yourself whole after loss? Katie seeks a fresh start after leaving her abusive relationship, but no matter how hard she tries to move on, her past keeps clawing its way into her present. What must Katie do to fully heal and feel worthy?

Friendship and found family

What role does friendship play in our lives? How can we deepen and strengthen these relationships? For Akihiro and Do-won, their band DOYEN is essential to their success and survival. As for Katie, her friendships with Alton, Mina, and Ha-joon literally save her life.

Shining a light on our shame

How do we ask for help and what keeps us from asking for it? Due to her trauma, Katie believes she doesn’t deserve love — that she’s “too much.” How does Katie learn to trust and break free of her shame, emerging with a sense of worthiness?

Book Reviews

Aaronica B. Cole
Aaronica Cole Media, LLC

This book took me through an emotional journey.

I was angry, sad, happy and stayed up until 2am because I just couldn’t sleep without finishing it.

The protagonist is a woman who did NOT get on my nerves making unwise decisions. There was so much to her story. There was a lot of great in this book but the one thing I wanted was more of the characters back stories to understand more of who they are.

I can’t wait for the other books in the series to drop!!!!!

Marsha U.
@princesshungry

I finished this book in a single day because I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

I laughed, cried, screamed, and scream-laughed through the entire book. On the surface, the novel may seem like a glam story about KPOP artists but there is so much depth and evolution in the characters’ histories, motivations, mental health, traumas, and desires. Duan brilliantly utilizes entertainment review snippets, album track lists, and song lyrics to enrich the dynamic story of pop singer Katie Wu, mirroring her character’s journey and transformation. Strap in for an exciting ride that delves into love, friendship, passion, all things KPOP, the wounds parents inflict, and how healing isn’t a linear journey, imbued with wit, humor, and cultural nuggets that made me feel so seen as a first gen Asian American.

Chomping at the bit for the next book in the series! Can’t wait!

Brandi Riley
@brandijeter

The dialogue in this book is unbelievable! The characters felt so real, and I actually CARED about what happened to them. I ordered the hard copy because I want to read it again, slowly, and mark it up!

Sarah Coggins
2 Paws Designs

Not sure why Amazon has this fantastic book marked as poetry unless it's going off the few poetic song lyrics Duan has crafted for her characters and shared throughout? The book is actually a fictional story around K-Pop stars, their music, lives, vulnerability, & love. One thing that really stuck out to me was the true depth of the friendships in this book. May we all be so lucky to have people that care so hard in our darkest of moments.

“Illusive” Reading Guide

Are you reading “Illusive” for your book club? Here is a reading guide with some suggested discussion questions.

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