Raise Your Voice (K-Pop Power #1)

Yun, Erin. Raise Your Voice (K-Pop Power #1)

June 2, 2026 by Scholastic Inc.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Yuna is the leader of MoonGlow, a K-Pop bad managed by Mr. Han, who works for the K4 2ND music dynasty. In addition to singing and having a great public image, it is critical for Yuna and her bandmates Jade, Ara, and Sun-Hee to be able to fight monsters, since an evil woman named Echo is trying to assert her control over society and has minions called the Whispers who do her bidding. When the lead singer, Ji-Na, of the Sunshine Squad is attacted and her voice is damaged, MoonGlow is picked to debut in their place. They are going to play at the Unity Concert, which is meant to boost citywide happiness in Seoul. Yuna has a bad feeling about this, and discovers that she and the band need to find the pieces of a magical implement called the Rose Chord in order to thwart Echo. Working off clues from Ji-Na the quartet uses their powers to locate the magical petals, follow the clues, and assemble the Rose. Sun-Hee does magical choreography, and has very wealthy parents, Ara designs the costumes and is able to imbue them with powers that can keep the girls safe, and Jade writes the lyrics to the songs. The hunt for the petals takes them to Bukchon Hanok Village, the National Museum of Korea, and Bukhansan National Park... all the way to Baegundae Summit Peak! There are some fights with the Whispers, who wear masks, but Yuna and her crew are able to defeat them. Right before the Unity concert, they confer with Ji-Na in the hospital, who doesn't think they should take the Rose Chord to the concert. When they get back to the hotel to head to the venue, they find that Ara has taken the Rose Chord and is set to perform with the Sunshine Squad at the Unity Concert. MoonGlow arrives unprepared to perform, and Yuna is aghast when she realizes that the Rose Chord is stealing all of the singers' voices. There is a heated onstage battle, disguised by clever lighting, with the Whispers, and the Sunshine Squad must fight as well. Echo appears and sends a bird to steal the Rose Chord, leaving Yuna a mysterious locket. The second in command of the Sunshine Squad, Ha-Rin, who has been acting suspiciously, is gravely injured, but secrets are revealed about her motivations. There is definitely room for a sequel!
Strengths: This was a good overview of the K-Pop industrial complex, training bands and making them fit for popular consumption. The layering of magical abilities on top of that makes for an interesting combination. The plot moves swiftly, there is a clear delineation between good and evil, and there is an upbeat quality to the story. Yuna and her bandmates are easy to tell apart, and each have very clear roles in the band. The Sunshine Squad and Ji-Na are a tiny bit evil, which makes MoonGlow even more appealing. I have never watched K-Pop Demon Hunters, but it looks like I will have to do this soon so that I can tell if this is anything like the movie!

Weaknesses: The petals of the Rose Chord were ridiculously easy for the girls to find, and the fight scenes were laughably short. It reminded me of a Scooby Doo or Josie and the Pussycats cartoon where the mystery is easily solved in twenty minutes. This does make the book and fast and enticing read, and I am not the target demographic for this book!
What I really think: Yun, who wrote the Pippa Park series, has created a fast moving K-Pop Demon Hunters-esque novel that will be popular with fans of this musical genre or the movie. It's a bit cheesy, but so were the 1970s Patridge Family mystery books. This reminds me a little of Yee's foray into the Super Hero High books. Readers who enjoyed Goldie's Skylar and the K-Pop Principal, Bowman's Generation Misfits, or Kim's Make a Move Sunny Park will definitely enjoy this. Is it great literature? No. Will I buy a copy for my K-Pop obsessed fans? Absolutely. Stacia Deutsch also has a series out, K-Pop Demon Detectives (Bluestone Books), but I haven't been able to get ahold of any copies.  (But it is available through Follett. I like Deutsch's writing, and it seems like a fun series for the librarian who replaces me to find in fifteen years!)