Lily Chu has done it again. Seriously, books don’t get much better than hers. I laughed. I cried. I laughed so hard I cried. I even started listening to K-pop because the way she describes it made it come to life for me. This felt like fanfiction, but in the best way possible. Ariadne and Jihoon felt so real and so raw that I felt more like I was in the room with them than reading a book about fictional characters. 
On top of all that, Chu explores Asian identity, which as an adopted half-Asian, I appreciate SO MUCH. Her writing has helped me to make sense of my own identity and put words to feelings that always got too tangled up to be properly expressed. She also continues an incredibly interesting and important conversation on fame, especially within the k-pop world. Celebrities, especially ones as big or as young as idols, experience far more pressure and judgment than I think we give them credit for. They do a heck of a lot more than just look pretty on a yacht, and The Comeback explores the negative side of international stardom for the idols as well as everyone they are seen with. 
Both The Comeback and The Stand-In have quickly become all-time favorites and books I know I will turn to over and over again throughout the years. I talked about The Stand-In so much that I convinced a stranger in Target who overheard my conversation with someone else to buy it, so now I’m off to do the same with this one. You absolutely will not regret picking it up.