BOOKS

Welcome back to our Bestie Book Club—a community for book lovers from Girls' Life magazine.

If you're new here, hello and welcome! Here's how this works: Each month, we read, discuss and obsess over a new book. If you haven't already, be sure to follow us on TikTok and Instagram for Bestie Book Club updates, fun reading challenges, amaze giveaways and so much more!

Hikaru Ongino is just like every other middle school girl: She goes to class, hangs out with her brothers and helps around the family's bathhouse in Tokyo. But Hikaru's got bigger plans than being the normal girl who sings with a mop in her hands—she dreams of international stages and glamorous concerts…just for starts. And when her best friend (and former girl group member) Ran offers her the chance to make it big, Hikaru's ready to trade that mop for a microphone.

Cut to Girls In The Light, the intense pop star survival camp where Ran and Hikaru compete to become members of the next hit girl group—against the fiercest competition in Japan.

Whether you're dreaming of being the next singing sensation or just building up the confidence to crush your Spanish presentation, there's much to learn from Hikaru's pop star boot camp. So after our GL Book Besties (and certified profesh performers in their own right) finished reading Hikaru in the Light!, we asked them: What's the best piece of pop star advice you've got?

Hey, Besties! What's your biggest dream?
"I would love to make the cheer squad in college!" —Lorelei L.
"Getting accepted into Juilliard. I'd love to keep acting in films." —Kira M.
"Whether it's acting or dancing, I've always dreamed of building a career in the spotlight!" —Daylyn O.

"I've been auditioning and acting for years…and I still get shaky before a big opportunity or performance," says GL Book Bestie Makenzie F. "It's just a normal part of putting yourself out there—you're excited and know all the hard work you've put into doing your best. Honestly, I don't think anyone is ever *totally* cool, calm and collected."

Think of it like this: You wouldn't be nervous if you didn't care. Everyone who's ever had a big dream, goal or even just a huge test has felt that same feeling. The trick is to use that nervousness as an extra boost of motivation you need to get yourself over the finish line.

And when you are trying to manage your nerves? Try Hikaru's hack: When she gets nervous, she starts doing sit-ups to get rid of all that extra energy. And it sure doesn't hurt to get your blood pumping in the process!

"I recently auditioned for a performance high school," explains GL Book Bestie Kira M. "It was so nerve-wracking! I could definitely relate to Hikaru's own experience in her first audition."

When Hikaru gets up in front of the judges for the first time, she's terrified to fail—she even starts by dancing her routine backward! But she doesn't let a little slipup stop her, and she's able to (literally) turn her audition around. The takeaway? Sometimes, mistakes happen. What matters is how you recover.

So how did Kira overcome her own fear of failing? "I try to remember that everyone makes mistakes or falls sometimes. I don't book every role I audition for, and that's just how it goes. The key is to keep going."

Hey, Besties: Tell us about your own girl groups!
"I've made so many friends on set. It's always so fun to see everyone at events together!" —Kira M.
"My cheer team friends are amazing. Everyone is so high energy and quirky, practice is never boring." —Lorelei L.
"I love the friends I make at modeling gigs. Hanging out backstage at a runway together never gets old." —Angelique R.

"Being a performer is about more than just the bright lights and cute outfits," says GL Book Bestie Angelique R. "There really is a lot of hard work that goes into it behind the scenes."

And for Hikaru, that experience comes firsthand. She knows there's so much more to being a profesh pop star than glitz and glam. There's long hours practicing, and time spent memorizing lyrics and dance moves. But if it was easy, then everyone would be doing it.

As Ran tells Hikaru, if you're already putting in the effort, you're already halfway there.

"In my own girl group, we love performing together, but we especially love supporting each other," says GL Book Bestie Daylyn O. "It's so important to lift up your friends and teammates, instead of viewing them as your competition."

It's fierce competition at Girls In The Light, but that never stops Hikaru and Ran from supporting each other through and through. That doesn't mean they never get jealous or compare themselves—everyone does that. But Hikaru and Ran care about each other enough to know that they share the same dreams.

"If you can turn negativity into something positive, you'll see how much it can help you grow as a performer *and* a person," says Daylyn.

Hey Besties! Would you attend pop star survival camp?
"Literally where do I sign up?" —Angelique R.
"It would be so amazing to learn from all the talent scouts. Count me in!" —Makenzie F.
"Making new new friends *and* get to sing, too? Yes, please." —Daylyn O.

"It was really relatable to see Hikaru doubt herself," explains GL Book Bestie Lorelei L. "I definitely know what it's like to question myself and my abilities. But watching Hikaru build up her confidence throughout the book was so inspiring. It reminded me that I need to be able to do that for myself, too."

Here's the scoop: Sometimes your inner fears turn you into your own biggest enemy. That's when you need to pump yourself up, take the leap into the light and let yourself shine. "Never doubt your potential," says Lorelei. "Hard work and passion are an unstoppable combination." 🧡 

Want to get involved with our Bestie Book Club? Here’s how…
+ SOLO. Snag your copy of Hikaru in the Light! and get ready to be *seriously* inspired.
+ ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Connect with us @glbestiebookclub and find your fellow book nerds from all over. Hello, instant community! 
+ WITH YOUR SQUAD. Gather your own girl group and choreograph your own K-Pop routine à la Girls In The Light. 🌸 

by GL | 3/12/2025