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In a future Korea, the world has been ravaged by dust clouds and the deadly Akanta virus. Rather than live in their nightmarish present, people slip on virtual reality headsets to indulge in nostalgic simulations of the past.
18-year-old Soop - stigmatised due to her brush with Akanta, which causes VR-rejection - is bullied at school for having to live solely in the real world. Her only solace comes from the K-Pop music she listens to on repeat. When a chance encounter brings Soop face-to-face with her idol, Yichae, a super-star whose new music video is being filmed at Soop's high school, she hopes this might be her chance at real connection.
But Yichae has her own troubles. She is one of the few remaining 'real' human idols. In a K-pop world where virtual stars dominate, Yichae is forced to live up to unattainable beauty and body standards, under the guise of being celebrated for her supposed authenticity.
The Forest Called You is a love letter to K-Pop, romance and high school politics - a novel about staying true to our passions, loving ourselves and each other, in an increasingly artificial world.
© Amil 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
