seoul reading date VLOG | my thoughts on BTS' Book 💜 

The BTS book felt like a historical record of their start and achievements. I think some people were expecting personal narratives and voices, but it was more about providing information. Maybe if there was more time, there could have been more personal elements and stories to round it out rather than a long comprehensive biography of their careers.

It’s a good retelling of things that happened. I’ve an ARMY for 5 years and I knew A LOT of their story but seeing it pieced together was amazing to me. I loved reading about their journey. Honestly, I know books like this can be ‘juicy’ or dramatic but I loved just reading more of their thoughts. The members of BTS are very private people too, people will probably never find the drama they hope for.

I became ARMY during dynamite and lots of the information in the book was new to me. I liked it a lot but didn’t feel like it was really the “tell all” I was hoping for. There was nothing juicy, you know? It was very “safe”. I’m still waiting for Namjoon’s tell all memoir when they actually retire in 40 years with all the detail. That will be the book. I thought the QR codes to the albums was clever and modern.

as an army, i think this book was definitely written as a historical document. it’s helpful for new army to reference things they may not know very well. i also think that by putting out an official record of everything they’ve done in their career, it can help combat some of the rampant misinformation that gets spreads around within army sometimes. i know we love our boys but sometimes the facts get changed as they’re told through the grapevine. 💜💜 thanks for trying your best to read it cari

I'm an army since 2015, since I Need U, and i can say that for older armys like me this book was a confirmation about a lot of stuff we knew but now they are kind of confirmed directly by the member. We should keep in mind though that the size of this fandom has almost tripled since 2017 and a lot of armys need to be aware of the past and the struggles of BTS to better understand their craft. So i think this book is more about armys and BTS themselves to have as a historical record. a tell all is not really the style of BTS, at least not for now.

I’m a 2020 ARMY and I loved it. I didn’t expect a tell all bc I knew it was written by a journalist and that’s also not their style. I think I was the target audience. I loved getting to read their story in order (even though I knew a lot of it)- because when I became ARMY I learned a lot of information but not in any linear way. I also LOVED the QR codes bc I got to watch things in order to. Again, even if it wasn’t brand new to me- I liked having an organized chronicle to reference. I loved the member quotes and I thought the translation was great. It is more informational and isn’t done in a storytelling fashion- but I think that’s why the subheading is “a 10 year record” and not specifically stated as a memoir. I think a record is exactly what it is and I appreciate it for what it is- a chronicle not a narrative per se.

As a Chapter 2 ARMY (😭😭), this book is invaluable to me. There's so much misinformation from other ARMYs and the media that it's really nice to hear the boys' journey in such an in depth way. But also, I'd love to hear the same stories from the members' perspective. The interview portions were the best part and I wish it was the whole book.

I also think this exists so that they have their own version of their history that they can reference. Because there were so many similar books that has been popping up that aren't affiliated with them and profiting off their story.

I think some helpful context is that the person who did the interviews and wrote this book is Myeongseok Kang, who is also the chief editor for weverse magazine. If you read those articles this style will be familiar. Secondly, Anton Hur the translator did press for this and shared that they had just ONE month to translate lol, he talks about the challenges and conscious choices they had to make for certain things.

can't wait to watch your raven cycle reactions! not into kpop personally but I always appreciate a reading vlog 🩵

The book was in my opinion for BTS and ARMY. For BTS because this was the first time they ever went through the events like this and explained what happened. ARMY knew, and casual fans knew because ARMY who witnessed it, kept sharing it with anyone who wanted to know. But it was our perspective. BTS members talk about hardships in their songs but they never talked about it in this way. It's important they tell their own story, even if it might feel like you already heard it. And for ARMY it's a big deal, firstly because we can verify all this preexisting information that is online, and reference the book and the BTS members themselves when talking about them, and not this one ARMY that was at that 1 event in 2014 l, for example. It's a big difference. I understand that for some the expectations was that they will write from the first perspective and give more insight, into their own feelings, but honestly, they have been doing that for the all this time. This was as the title says, a 10 year record of BTS..

the most important message I learned from this group is about loving yourself, working hard and protecting what you love. But also being kinder to others… cuz everyone can learn and grow. Quoting Jimin’s shirt: Be a better person 💜💜💜 I think this book is like a proof of how hard they worked. A way of saying "this happened. we did it." for the people who met them now and think it was always easy. I agree that the best parts were when the members were able to tell their experiences for themselves. 💜🍃

when bts got big globally a lot of books about their journey popped up and none of them was official, people were just looking for a quick money. i think that this book is a response to the unofficial biographies

I’ve seen a lot of comments (not just here but various social media) that since every army knows their story the book is not necessary. I think we undervalue the importance of compiling information in a permanent format, especially when the internet is not forever. there’s so many new fans, myself included, who mix up facts or even the basic timeline of when things happened. reading these interviews and their reflections on past events was super valuable since I haven’t seen every documentary or vlog yet, and sometimes I’ll misremember random things they’ve mentioned it doesn’t read like a cash grab to me considering the amount of work it took to put everything together. I follow one of the translators anton hur and he’s expressed how the entire team took on this project as a labor of love

Interesting to hear your thoughts! As a long-time ARMY, let me say that absolutely none of the book was new information for me. I knew everything they spoke about in the book, from the facts to even what the members directly said. I think the targeted audience is meant to be newer fans who know a little about the k-pop industry already but don't know BTS' story - anyone from someone who just became a fan to maybe post-COVID era. The book doesn't explain a lot of k-pop terminology but expects the readers to already have an understanding of how the industry works. Meanwhile, it is like a glorified wiki - I totally get that. I agree that it read very straight forward and you can really tell is was written by a journalist versus a creative writer. The quotes from the members were also my favorite part but I could tell that they were translated very literally versus interpreted with more nuance to sound more natural to an English reader. It makes me curious how the book reads in other languages.

Sending lots of love cari 💛 love your videos and your takes on reading even when they're critical 😊

I think part of the reading experience for this book depends on what your expectations are for it. As someone who is chronically online and is on Twitter, I knew going in that this wasn't really going to be a memoir or a tell all. Simply a history of BTS. I became ARMY during the pandemic and while I went down the rabbit hole and learned/watched everything I could, this was exactly what I was looking for to potentially fill some gaps. A chronological re-telling of their history put out by them and not some random US kpop writer making a profit. While a lot of this information wasn't new, I really appreciated the quotes from the members as well as the QR codes because there were a few things I had never seen before (the OG blog, older performances, etc.). I definitely think this book is primarily for fans that are either newish or want this as a keepsake since it came out on ARMY's anniversary. I also think that this would be a great book for someone who may be curious about why BTS is as big as they are and aren't heavily online (for example I'd love to convince my mom, who's a librarian and a reader like me, to read it so she may understand why I like them so much lololol). Maybe one day we'll get a real, member told memoir but for me now, this was enough. I'm just happy to have an official BTS book for my shelves. Overall, I appreciate your honest thoughts. Thank you 💜✨

Cari, you have no idea how excited I am that you are reading The Raven Cycle!! It has been my favorite series since high school, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!! 😄😄😄

Many have already stated their thoughts already, but my 2 cents is that it is for ARMY -to have a written record or new fans or anyone who wants to read it really... I am pretty open minded. We have tons of videos and interviews but no written history such as this. There may be a time when the members discuss their lives and thoughts in a more memoir format, but if you are an ARMY and are paying attention the members themselves share so many of their thoughts, values, etc with ARMY in present day - in connection through their lives, letters (just one letter from Namjoon can put you right where he is right now and he is so poetic ) and communications through all their content. And something that no one has mentioned here yet - there is a group of ARMY that put together Book Club discussion questions and groups have been meeting, connecting and discussing much deeper concepts than what is at the surface. From my perspective it has fueled community and puts their 10 years on record in black and white-a written history along with links to the videos (which is a great idea).Without written history, do we know about the past? It also serves as a tool to dispel rumors or incorrect stories about the group. I really like that they made it accessible in so many languages. With any merchandise, including music, some business perspective and forethought, of course it is good for the bottomline. I have really enjoyed your videos over the years on your main and am not as frequent over here on READ...so not as familiar with your work on this channel. Thanks for sharing your perspective.❤

I agree that the book is not written in a very engaging way like a memoir, but I look at it as a conveniently laid out timeline of their past 10 years with handy QR codes for stuff. I did already know pretty much everything and to be honest, I still haven't finished the book (I've gotten through Chapter 5 and I need to be in a certain mood to read it). I've been listening to Korean music since 1999, been Army since 2015, and BTS are the only group I would buy a book like this for so I don't regret it. I think it's for collectors and maybe newer fans to get caught up on the history of BTS.

It feels like a book that was inteded for fans, but maybe will be more likely used for people who aren't fans but are interested in how BTS came to be. Or for fans wanting a source for a paper. Something like that is how I'm imagining this book being used.

To me, this book is somewhat like an academic work I read for uni! It literally says "10-year record of BTS" on the front, so I don't really know where this "it's lacking personality for a memoir" is coming from? I enjoy it, not because it's super entertaining or something, but because it just cements the official story. I such a wonderful confirmation of why BTS is what they are, how they came to be and what makes them special. Yes, there are no (or not many) personal stories or little tid-bits but I also didn't expect that? To me it was advertised like a complete collection of BTS's story and I think it did that job very well. Also, as many already mentioned, the QR codes are a wonderful addition!

Cari you are the best! Love your reviews ALWAYS, even when we disagree 😂 You have such a funny and respectful way about you, it’s like being part of your inner monologue 🥰 Keep doing what you’re doing cause it’s GREAT!! 💖

I’m soooo exciteddd that you’re reading the Raven cycle ! I hope you love this fever dream of a series as much as I do.

Speaking as someone who plummeted like a stone into the BTS rabbit hole and became an ARMY over the past year and half, I feel you and I agree with a lot of what you said. Loved the first chapter and breezed through it, and that was over two months ago. I'm still struggling with the rest and I've been feeling so bad about it because I call myself ARMY and can't even finish a book about them? So, it was good to hear your thoughts. I feel like it's a lovely book for a keepsake and good for flipping through randomly but reading it linearly cover to cover is a struggle. Like you said, it is a historical document.

I completely agree with you on the book and I love BTS. You made it further in the book than I did. There’s no there there!

I loved the book to bits and think its a pretty useful resource, especially for people who dont have the hours to spare to go through endless video footage, including contents that are harder to access, to find all this information, and all in one place at that. Its described as the "ten year record of bts" and that's exactly what it is. Ten yrs is a long time and its a great feat to compile it so well in one book. Older fans might not realise how valuable this is for newer fans, or even older fans who could never keep up with the whole "story" of bts actively Imo this was a very important release all army should own but some fans who were expecting juicy secrets and industry dirt are bound to be disappointed bc its just not bangtan style to cause a ruckus like that, theyre too classy for it.

I'm an army since 2016 and found your channel earlier this year, and you're already one of my favorite RU-vidrs. Like others said, 90% of the information is not new to us. I bought the book, and I don't regret it, part of which was that I managed my expectations early on when I found out they were interviewed by a journalist for it. The members' interviews are definitely the best part. I also found the translations weird at times because it felt choppy, like the members said more, but it was condensed if you get what I mean? (And the translator said that they weren't allowed to translate the nicknames the members called each other ex. Jimminie, Hobi, Namjoonie, and were forced to translate to the stage names, so there is definitely something up with the translations and rushing for the release, shown by the grammar mistakes.) As a casual kpop fan on the side, I felt that even in the Info dump sections, sometimes they gave too much unnecessary information, and sometimes they didn't elaborate enough. Before you mentioned it I haven't asked myself who this book is actually for, you're right, because even as a loyal army getting through THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE PT1/2 spelled 10 times on a page for 20 pages straight got kinda unbearable😭 . Like I said, I don't regret buying the book, and love to go back to the members quotes, but I do also think it was somewhat of a cash grab on the side to Disney docu series they are realeasing later this year. Like .... a BTS documentary definitely works best in a video format because that's what showcases their magic best. But as a side note, there were a lot of fake "BTS Story" books by journalists who earned money on the back of bts' name though the years, so I can assume that bighit is filling this exact space in the market. Your description as a Wikipedia with interviews from the members is spot on. It does feel like that. Also, you don't need to worry about "backlash" from armys, because I have faith that we are a rational fandom that can see things as they are and respect other's opinions. Love your videos, and after watching the UK vlog, i want to have a road trip there, too. Like I never thought of visiting more than London, but now when I get there, I know I have to add a couple more cities to my tour👌❤️

Not matter your views on the book cari I'm a fan of your vlogs 😭😭 how come you make everything so calming (also I'm an army and get your pov like every literary piece deserves its part of criticism and you're doing it well) But but --- thank you I'm waiting for your main channel vlogs so desperately 😤

I'll be totally honest, I was disappointed in this book as well. When they said it's going to be a biography, I expected it to be... I don't know... little bit more personal? I read. A lot. And I mean A LOT, with all capital letters and English is not even my first language. 😁 I stopped after maybe 250 pages. I just couldn't finish it. As you said it's extremely dry, factual, no personal touch in it at all. Basically an extended explanation of their discography. I was telling myself that it will get better and hold on but the last straw was when I got to their first Daesang which was a mindblowing thing for them, for the fans, for everybody, I still get emotional to this day if I watch the video them receiving the award. I expected to read about their emotions, their joy when they got home after the award show, anything really. And what I got was basically like an after-thought "oh and by the way we got our first Daesang". That was the point when I put the book down. I wanted to read about Namjoon driving the others mad with singing in the shower, Jungkook vacuuming the mosquitos in the middle of the night, the troubles of having so many pairs of shoes in front of the door... Personal stories in between the impersonal details to make it an enjoyable read. Not a 500 pages long discography and list of achivements written in weird style.

girl i was randomly watching one of your How much a spend in a week videos on your main channel, and then I thought it would be super cool if you made a How much I read in a week video. it would be interesting to know more. of course booktubers read more than average since its their job, but it would be super cool to hear more details about your reading habits in a week. i would also like to see this coming from other booktubers, but you are my favorite in the universe so yours is more important anyway.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that the book reads like music journalism and really, that’s what it says on the tin - a ‘10-year record of BTS.’ from that perspective, it’s a great book, especially in combination with the footnotes and qr codes. but a memoir or personal tell-all it certainly is not and that’s a little disappointing. but I’m not sure anyone involved in the genesis of the project ever intended it to be that tbh

Your Skillshare course is absolutely amazing and I can 100% recommend it! It's the reason why I finally decided to start vloging myself and I'm so happy I did. Forever grateful for your videos and the course 💙

sooo excited for your thought on the raven cycle

I am reading the BTS Book too, I think it is a book for all armys to keep, a book that telling the journey of all the 7 members to their success. My daughter was a fan since 2015 and I followed them closely starting 2020 when they released Dynamite. Though I did know their story, but the book still helps me to learn more about their struggles from the early days.

I’m pretty sure the purpose of this book was to document the first ten years of their career. More like a historical record. And it sounds like it was written by a music critic because it was. The author has probably interviewed BTS more than any other journalist.

I’ve never used my candle warmer because I love watching the little flames from the candles…but you are making me want to use it for a whole different vibe💕

oMG Cari + Raven Cycle AM I DREAMING??? most excited to hear your thoughts on it! (fingers crossed that you'll love it)

I'm just here to say hiiiii, I saw your story on insta about the hate comments 😭😭 Love your content, great as always!

I havent read the book, but the fact that you arent the only one with this opinions makes me wonder "is this book worth reading". As a army myself, i wont read it. From what i know, it's already enough. You are doing great cari. Love your content and keep doing what you love the most 💜

I'm so excited that you're reading the Raven Cycle! It's one of my favourite series, I can't wait to see your thoughts.

ok firstly i’m so excited you’re reading the raven cycle! it’s a favourite of mine and i’ve been meaning to reread it. i’m also a now-casual bts fan who was there in the beginning and i suspect i’ll feel the same as you if i decide to read the book.

Just finished the book as a start to my nonfiction TBR for Fall 💜

a book will inevitably be reviewed as a book, as it should. very influenced by your trc vlog, cari ! ❤

I have been a fan of your vlogs and signed up! Thank you, learning more about vlogging really gave me the courage to start :)

I liked that the book had QR codes linking to any music video or performance they referenced I think this was a great idea especially for non ARMY readers. I feel like it gave more insight into their own feelings throughout the last ten years rather than spilling any tea. The missing piece for me though is Bang Si Hyuk’s insights on his vision for the group and marketing strategy as they alluded to having to take a non traditional approach due to not being a big company. Maybe in the next one…..

Hello! I am a 42 year old ARMY, bookworm, and caricakes fan. I appreciated the book, but it seemed to be more Weverse magazine than memoir. I think it is geared toward new fans as a compendium of BTS to add their collection of merchandise. Which I happily added to my own shelf. I like BTS and your channels. I think honestly reviewing books is wonderful whatever the book and the opinions. One of the best qualities of being ARMY is their shared loved of BTS and the kindness we should show each other and non-ARMY. I hope that no one experiences any toxicity from the ARMY fandom, and I apologize if those kind of hateful comments have been directed at you over your review.

Omg ur reading the raven cycle literally one of my favorite book series!!!! Can’t wait to hear wat u think😍

We recently bought that book, my sis was so happy to finally have an official merch from BTS.

yey excited to watch this as an army who loves your vids ❤

ANHHH can’t wait for the raven video! I got the ebook a while back and haven’t gotten to it yet, but now I might have to if you love it 😈

I became ARMY at a BTS concert in soldier field when I took my daughter to their concert in 2019. They have a lot of new fans and I think this is for a lot of the new fans. There are literally a ton of new fans who have no clue and are trying to piece things together. I look forward to the future when they write their own books memoirs in their own words. I look at stuff like this as a momento. Merch. I have it and have not read it. I have it to display with the rest of my merch.

I just picked up the raven cycle two months ago cuz i found the first audiobook free on Spotify 😭 im on the 3d book now and im seriously obsessed

Korea is very risk-adverse so like with interviews and books involving celebs.. they will never be like the tell-all that people might expect from books published in America

I love the book & as matter of fact, they did leave out a few things that did happen & that ARMY remembers. And while I do know some stuff, I like seeing their side of the story & there’s background info that just BTS knew. Tho I admit, the formatting & style was something I had to get used to.

Hi cari... always here for you. Truth has to be said without sugarcoating.

My problem with this book is not the book itself, but the way it was written. Going by chronological order, each chapter dedicated to a certain era/album, doesn’t make a reader (at least longtime fans) feel excited. We already know what’s gonna happen lol! The only interesting things are the quotes from the members. But what really took me out is when the writer would just go “RM talked about this and that at the Love Yourself concert…which you can watch on the group’s youtube channel via Bangtan Episode dated so and so” and then there are actual links to youtube for reference!!! Like. Gurl??? 😂 I am reading the book on my Kindle or laptop so sure fine I can click those links, but if it’s a printed copy??? Anyway I feel like this book’s format would work as a straightforward documentary. Because on film, I don’t have to be distracted by RU-vid links or ill placed photos. Because all those video clips and images can be seamlessly woven by the members’ own narration. Oh speaking of photos. All the photos in the book are promotional photos from each albums. Nothing new. J-Hope has a hard drive of photos and videos that he took of the members meticulously organized by folder depending on what year. Where were those lmao??? I just wished they added some personal photos to make this feel like a true memoir of the boys rather than something so obviously produced by an entertainment company :(

Just dropping by to say i’m ARMY and 100% agree with you on the book.

Maybe the international fans, like those in the USA? Gabbyreads is a booktuber in Washington state and she recorded a vlog where part of it included her reading her BTS book. She seemed to love it.

I’m so stoked you read this book and made a vlog for it! 😍 I am new to BTS, I just became a fan in March 2022, so I feel like this book was kind of perfect for me because I have heard so many things about their debut and their early years, but it was different to hear about it directly with quotes from them. I thought it was very informative, but I also agree that it kind of reads like a Wikipedia page and I wanted more from it in a way too haha

100% the book is for new(er) ARMY to maybe get the history from the members "directly". I felt the same way you did reading it...I loved the interview sections but as a whole there wasn't any new information. It was also jarring to have the members called by their stage names for the whole thing, even during the interview sections where you know they're not calling Taehyung "V" or Namjoon "RM". Probably done for consistency and to lessen the confusion for baby ARMY, but it was very strange for someone who's been with them for a while. Like you said, it's nice to have an a historical record but it would have been better if more of it had been the member interviews.

I actually enjoyed reading the book, I'm Dynamite ERA ARMY, and I have done a ton of research on BTS, so I know a lot of the information in the book, I still have Chapter Seven to read, and I too enjoyed the interview comments, and I learned stuff about them that I didn't know, and it was fun to hear their experiences from their own words. It wasn't an amazing book, but it was worth buying to have on my shelf. I think they put this book out to have a record of their Journey, and I think it was aimed more toward the General public, because the information is a lot of what ARMY's already know. I know there will be follow up books, probably for each member, so I will also look forward to that. I enjoyed your VLOG, and seeing you walk around Seoul, Korea. I hope to visit there someday. I'm a California ARMY, and I haven't travelled out of the country yet. I should probably do that soon, since I'm not getting any younger (57 years old). I was 55 yrs old when I saw BTS for the first time at Los Angeles SOFI Stadium, and then 56 yrs old when I saw them in Las Vegas at Allengiant Stadium, and 57 when I got to see Agust D in concert in Oakland, CA, for his sold out D-Day world Tour. That was an amazing concert, they were all amazing. I really hope you look into their solo work, if you haven't yet, becuase it shows each of their colors. And they are shining right now, and I can't wait for when they are back from their military service, because I can just imagine the comeback, it's going to be huge. If you are curious about what's up right now with Big Hit/HYBE, bang Si-hyuk did an interview with Bloomberg and talked about BTS and their future. All Seven Members have renewed their contracts with Big Hit Music. They are all 26 to 30 right now, and they will be here for a long time. I'm glad I found your channel.

Loved the video! I loved the book cafe segment, it sounds like such a lovely place to go. Have a great day :)

I love the raven cycle omg !! So interested to listen to your thoughts on the series

As 2020 ARMY I appreciated the record of the last 10 years. It's kinda what i expected. Even though i was am annoyed reader when I was younger, I've had trouble reading books recently, taking it through audiobook really helped and actually made me emotional at several moments during the book.

i was waiting to see your opinions on this! i'm an army and i was wondering if it was worth to read it because i had a feeling it would kinda be like how you described. when i heard the news that this book was coming out i also wondered who is this for? i would genuinely LOVE to read any of the members memoirs in the future specific to them and their experiences ya know? anyway great video !

I felt similar to you. The book needed to be written better even if I would have read info that I already know but I think as a narration of their history as is, It's a good thing cause many things about them gets manipulated with time and how media handles their achievements.

I've been Army since 2017/18 and I totally agree with your review, except I finished the book. I feel this book target audience is for new fans or fans that didn't look beyond the music. Also the book read like a cliff note of a bigger story. Unfortunately for me I had seen the RU-vid series The Rise of Bangtan and countless hours of video interviews and various BTS shows like In The Sopp and Run BTS that totally contradict some of what was in the book. Which made me question what was Hybe thinking, because if anything it made me diatrust the motive for the book. The next book I read about BTS will be directly from the members themselves without any input from Hybe or an unauthorized version from a known investigative author. I do recommend the book for newbies or if you collect BTS merchandise. Otherwise just watch The Rise of Bangtan.

Hey cari I just saw your video about rating 50 most popular ya books ( i think?) Anyways I personally think that you should read the entire shatter me series from the start like with the novellas ( feel free to skip fracture me) but yeah the series get so much better after ignite me like the plot, it completely changes and i honestly completed the 10 books in like four days so yeah its pretty great and i am looking forward to reading bts book

Ooooo those books about Raven Boys sound good! Just ordered them :D Ty! Re: BTS book. I have the actual book to keep in my collection and got it on audible/kindle too. Yep Im Army lol. I think the book is mostly for Amry. Yes, a historical document to be kept/collected and also or amry to find some snippets that we haven't heard/read yet. And of course anyone else who wants to read their whole story and history cos its incredible! x

As a army from butter era I agree with you 100%, thanks for the great review! even though I only stan them since 2021 there was literally no new information for me, even though it was advertised as ‘Beyond the story’. Sorry but where? The interview sequences were the only interesting, personal thing, I skipped over all the goals and numbers at some point, it was absolutely visible that the author/entertainment just wanted to present how successful BTS are which both ARMY and non-ARMY already know, lol. I’m thinking of selling my copy because the price’s insane (obviously they wanted to milk every dollar out of ARMY like always)

i absolutely adoooore your thoughts! love the way you analyse things and it was so interesting to watch this being an army myself((( i always hate it when celebrities publish books because i rarely see them as the token of gratitude for fans but more just as smth profitable and smth poorly written just for the sake of being written. not talking about the boys themselves, we all know what is the main goal of all companies: to gain more profit. BUT it’s not a bad thing as long as you deliver smth worth that amount of money! smth unique, smth that cannot be found on the internet and definitely smth written grammatically correct without mistakes. it’s just a banal respect for the customers. love the boys immensely, but really am not a fan of such poorly done things. thank u again, queen!

Yay I’m so early! Love your videos so much! I’m reading on my iPad for the first time because I’m studying abroad and I keep thinking that I feel like you haha

Hi from México, Carie!! Have a wonderful end of a week 💜

as an ARMY i also had a hard time going through the whole book, as i know almost all of the things that happened. for me chapter 1, like you said, was really interesting since it's kind of a time they talk about a lot with fond memories but also struggles. i'd also recommend skipping and just read chapter 5. it talks very personally about their struggles from like 2017/2018 that lead them to almost disband, which put a lot of things into perspective for me, as to why and how they do things today. i thought those two were the best chapters. :) (also i think the german translation was so much better than the english one, i had to switch after a few pages)

I'm definitely ARMY and I agree there is a question of who it is for. I did find some spots where I skimmed. Overall I didn't hate it, but I am biased (pun heavily intended). I did watch an interview with one of the translators (Anton Hur) and he mentioned that the translations were VERY rushed. I think maybe just a few months and the last chapters were still being written. He also mentioned that there were pieces of lyrics that couldn't be translated the way the team wanted, but they were instead required to use the official lyric translations, even if they felt more stilted and awkward. I will say that there were things I appreciated learning about more recent times (2020 and on) that really shed some light on the planning and decision making of recent years. I also wonder how the Korean version compares to the English...is it written with more nuance? I know I really appreciate having the physical with the qr codes, knowing that future-me will love reliving the moments chronologically. Thank you for reviewing and sharing with us 💜

The way I would fanboy if I was walking around and saw Cari vlogging in public

Army since 2014, to be honest I never had expectations with the book so I don't feel disappointed but yes I expected something more, it's just info in chronological order nothing new and poorly translated,many points with a lot of information but without importance, I think it's a waste, they could have done something much better Hybe has the resources but they decided to do something rushed and without depth,thanks for the video 💜

I felt the same about the book also. I only halfway reading it.

came from instagram.. so.. hi! I always look for honest reviews, especially ones like yours, that are informative and logical but still light-hearted. as a casual listener of bts(but not have read the book, I dont really like to read translated works, that's on me..), this video was interesting, it didn't make me want to read beyond the story any less, in fact, now I'm more curious. I hope no negativity discourages you from sharing personal opinions and reading experience! much love!

Army here! Honestly, I started listening to the book and didn't finish it. I wanted to read it on paper, also to be able to scan the QR codes, but it is waaaay too expensive. So I don't know if I'll ever finish it haha 😂 But also, I feel like sometimes people forget that being a fan does not mean you have to love everything your idol does. Having a critical mind is necessary and important in society! 😊

agreed. i forced myself to finish it. it's disappointing but maybe i was expecting too much from it....

I love the opening shot and the plush pup in the background as you talk about vegan kimchi dumplings. The audience for the BTS book: "just read this book, mom/dad, and you'll get it, especially since you said you didn't want to watch an hour-long youtube video about them."

Great content Cari! As a 34 year old Army it is appreciated when reviews discuss books like you do and highlight any issues they may have. Love the boys and fully support them but as an avid reader this one wouldn't be for me. Love your content 💛

As a longterm Army (since 2014) I didn't see much value in the book. However, I liked the included QR codes and I do believe it can be useful for new Army's. There are lots of misinformation within the fandom and this book that goes through their journey chronologically and also including information that is largely forgotten or ignored to make their story seem worse than it was might be a great start for misinformation to clear out. A little disappointment comes from reading their latest interviews though. They were so well written that I expected the same will be in this book - them doing a deep dive on certain topics and narrator not taking most of the book space. But I can't say I regret buying the book. It's huge in size, so the price wasn't merch priced, which was a shock (at least on Amazon). I also expected to know most of the things, that also was no surprise. All in all, I think I wasn't the target audience, the newer ARMY were so I can't be mad about that. Can't also speak about grammar since English is not my first language so it wasn't a problem for me. Edit: I just wanted to mention that Korean version book was higher quality which is a bit of a ripoff now that I think about it. They had a good packaging, photocatds, bookmark and full cover glossy pictures. Mine came just in the box, with no protection so it had scratches the first moment I saw it🙄. That's a part that I don't like though. Lower quality product for international fandom

i became an army in 2017, so idk if anything will be new to me when i read it. i got this for my birthday in july & was so hyped for it. i still haven't read it. when it was first announced i thought it was going to be an actual book by the members, but the comments, tweets, reviews, etc. i've seen about the content in it, as well as the translation has disheartened me a bit. however, i love books, music & bts, so i will eventually get to it. it's such a shame because bts are such an incredible group, as well as 7 individuals, so the potential was there. maybe it was rushed, idk. i would love to actually read something by the members that's not overly edited or restricted or whatever. if they actually wanted to & would be comfortable releasing something candid. anyway, i appreciated this vlog!! also, you're allowed to say critical things about bts. lol 💜

oh i will be both living and dying for trc content. do i remember the plot of the books? no. would i die for adam parrish? yes

omg you finally read the raven cycle! i hope you get to read the other ones during Fall

Hi Cari - I was comforted to hear your thoughts about Beyond the Story, because I had a very similar reaction. I started getting into BTS over the summer, and I was really looking forward to this book, hoping it could curate some of the bottomless information that's out there about BTS (tiptoeing into a 10-year-old fandom is a daunting experience!). It does do that, to some extent, but most of the storytelling feels very surface-level and it's not an engaging read. I've literally been feeling *guilty* about not persevering with it (bad new fan - no army for you!), but every time I pick it up, it's a slog! As you said, the interviews are the best part, but the rest is pretty dry. The author also seems a little fixated on how much the members have suffered. Of course BTS wasn't an overnight success! But parts of the book read like a litany of pain and anxiety and depression and self-doubt...it makes me hope that they at least had *some* fun over the last 10 years! 😿 On the plus side, though, the QR codes were a really nice addition, especially the ones that linked to their pre-debut blogs (OMG, their sad little trainee Christmas in 2012!). And it's a beautifully packaged book, just a nice thing to have a physical copy of. So I think its value is more as a collectible for any kind of fan than as a compelling chronicle of the band. I'm sure there will be one -- or more! -- of those someday.

Im still reading this book on audible idk who it’s written for buts very interesting to hear their stories cari I hope you have a wonderful day 😸😸

I’ve learned more about the “old days” by watching the members’ candid conversations on Suchwita than I did reading this book 😂 I really appreciated the QR codes in the physical copy. The best thing about this book was how immersive it was stopping to listen to a song or watch an MV as it was being discussed on the page. That being said, I’m surprised at how many BTS bombs and other videos (even ones as recent as 2019) don’t have English translation. I wish Hype would hire people to go back and add subtitles to older videos. I agree the book felt rushed. I really wish the narrative had continued up until the Busan concert and the end of chapter 1. It seemed odd that the book left off when it did.

I haven't finished the book yet. I became an army in 2017 and ngl most of what i've read for now, I already knew. Minus some things they never talked about like idols from big companies mocking them. I'm a bit confused at who is supposed to be the target audience for the book cause it feels like it's for both fans and non fans? Like, it gives very generic info about them and their coming up and the kpop industry that seems aimed at newcomers but there's also some things they mention that you'd only know or really care about if you're already a fan? So, I feel like they were trying to target everyone

Girl, same. I’m new ARMY and thought this book would be a great for me to catch up on everything I missed over the last 10 years. I wanted to devour this book and just couldn’t. It’s so dry. Honestly, I learn more from watching RU-vid (concert footage, In The Soop, and Rub BTS), and the many, many reels on Insta. I’m literally returning this book tomorrow.

This is not the video to be making this comment on but can I say that I'm going nuts in anticipation of your TRC review? There's nothing else like those books

So glad ur picking up the raven boys ur so not ready

Our H Mart in the US just recently started carrying a ton of Bibigo vegan products!!! So exciting!

I had such a shitty day, I needed this thank you Cari

Cari I love your videos ❤️❤️

Personally, reading the book felt like watching a documentary for me and I believe that's one thing BH excels in, so I kinda sorta wished we got this book as a documentary instead, lol. It did felt off in some parts, but I did end up highlighting so many excerpts, too. I kept thinking that if I were a new/casual fan, I would end up so confused while reading it, idk. I love seeing it in my bookshelf though.

I can't wait for your Raven cycle opinions