THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2020 AKUTAGAWA PRIZE

'My oshi was on fire. Word was he'd punched a fan'

High-school student Akari has only one passion in her life: her oshi, her idol. His name is Masaki Ueno, best known as one-fifth of Japanese pop group Maza Maza.

Akari's dedication to her oshi consumes her days completely. She keeps a blog entirely devoted to him, religiously chronicling and analysing all his events. He is the spine of her life; she cannot survive without him. When Masaki is rumoured to have assaulted a female fan, facing waves of social media backlash, Akari's world falls apart.

Offering a vivid insight into otaku culture and adolescence, Idol, Burning is a brilliantly gripping story of obsession, coming of age and the addictive, relentless nature of fandom culture.

"Usami so successfully depicts the consequences of pure obsession" - * Guardian *

"A short but mighty novel that sheds a light on the world of superfans, obsession and the dangers of building your identity around a phenomenon that can disappear in a second . . . Usami's novel lifts the lid on the unique world of fandom and 'stan' culture in Japan" - * The Skinny *

"Compelling and unsettling in equal measure, Idol, Burning is a pitch-perfect insight into how confusing and exhausting modern life can feel to young women today." - * Buzz Magazine *

"Idol, Burning is a window into the world of teenage obsession and the dark places it can venture to . . . This is like nothing else I've read" - * Red *