Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
Minnie is a college freshman, feeling adrift and isolated after relocating from Denver to Austin. College was supposed to be a time to meet lifelong friends and have new experiences. Instead she finds herself eating dinner alone in the dining hall and watching internet videos in her dorm room.
That is where she first encounters HOURglass, a soon-to-be-viral boy band modeled after K-pop groups.
The boys make her feel less alone. Their shining light beaming out of the laptop screen and into her soul. She watches their performances, follows their journal videos, participates in live streams – HOURglass becomes the center of her life.
Jenny Tinghui Zhang’s SUPERFAN is a dual-perspective novel. Half of it follows Minnie through her first year of college while the other focuses on Eason, one member of HOURglass, and a secret from his past that could destroy their chance at fame.
To the fans, Eason is Halo. He is the bad boy of the group; rough around the edges, but loved the most because of it. Each member of HOURglass has had his image and history carefully curated to endear them to their fanbase.
The public knows that Halo is the member that came in with the least experience. Minwoo was an opera singer in Korea. Julian was a professional figure skater. Colt has model-like good looks and a background in sports.
Eason’s big break came when he delivered food to an audition. A week later, he got a phone call telling him the executives liked his air of pent-up frustration. It was a break that he did not know he needed. He has worked himself to the bone to become Halo – to avoid ever going back to his old life.
HOURglass has accumulated a devoted following. Their U.S. tour has sold out stadiums, and they have a huge following for all of the videos they post. Minnie feels deeply connected to the boys, but she knows that she is one devoted fan in a legion of devoted fans.
Still seeking connection, she finds an online forum dedicated to HOURglass called The Heaven. The people are all welcoming and she can tell that they are all huge fans of the band. Minnie is even able to find support about the other issues in her life through the forum.
But there is a darker side to The Heaven. A sub-group of members has dedicated themselves to following the band. They have connections in particular industries or enough money to buy privileged information. They appear at the airports and hotels when the band is traveling. And they know the secret that is haunting Eason.
SUPERFAN is an excellent examination of fame and fandom. The ways that we claim ownership over something that can never really be ours. Minnie loves Halo, and she is motivated by wanting to help and protect him.
When they do come face-to-face, Eason also feels a connection to her – he can feel how passionate she is about HOURglass. But she is more than just their fan and he is more than just her idol, and neither of them will ever experience that part of the other.
Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian
