Book Review: I'll be the One by Lyla Lee | Amie
- READefineToday
- Oct 1, 2020
- 6 min read
I first discovered this book on the official website for one of my local libraries. It was new, colorful, and the eBook was available (o_O) ! . This is quite a first for new release novels in my area—people are usually swiping at them like vultures— and I couldn’t help but check it out. This was a fun, humorous novel about the glittering world of K-pop (YES). This novel was so contemporary and diverse, and it really showcased the amazing world of K-pop and its fans. There was so much representation—black representation in K-pop (not common y'all), Asian-American representation, bisexual rep.,—and it all just made the novel even better. This is the first time I read a novel about K-pop*, and I cannot express enough how much I loved it. This is perfect for fans of Maurene Goo, such as myself.
*Sorry I lied; I forgot that Maurene’s novels got K-pop too (Somewhere Only We Know). And they were so good too
Genres: Humor, Romcom, Lower-Level YA Fiction (younger teens)
Content: fatphobia, queerphobia, parental emotional abuse
Page Count: 328
16 year old Skye Shin loves to sing and dance, especially K-Pop. All her life, she has been told by many people, including her own mother that, “fat girls shouldn’t dance,” and “fat girls shouldn’t wear bright clothes or draw attention to themselves.” But Skye is ready to prove to the world—and her mother— that “girls like her” can do anything they want to. So when the biggest chance possible, an International K-Pop Trainee Show arrives in LA looking for the next big talent in K-pop, Skye knows she has to audition. Join Skye on her journey through defying toxic-fatphobic beauty standards in the K-pop industry, and meeting a bunch of diverse friends (and competitors) as Skye learns more about her mother (and her strict reasoning), and ultimately, about herself.
“What she went through in the past doesn’t give her an excuse for how she treats me now.” - Queen Skye
So overall, I think this novel is really well-written and well-executed. I really enjoyed reading this novel, as it was so diverse and obviously, the KPOP. If you know me or have read my bio you’ll know I’m a huge K-pop stan. I absolutely loved the artists mentioned and the competition was so realistic and thrilling. If you’re a hardcore K-pop stan like me, I think this novel is definitely worth checking out. I promise you won’t regret it °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
Okay. So let’s talk about characters. Absolutely all the characters were interesting and so down to earth. Most of the characters and especially the main were so multifaceted (especially main boy Henry), and so realistic.
The one I really want to talk about though is Skye. She is such a queen. Even in the novel people recognize her royal highness. I don’t know if it’s possible to be that talented, but many K-pop idols constantly wow me. I’m not surprised. (*≧ω≦*)
Also, she is so mature. She openly accepts her body type and encourages many people to be themselves. Skye is so beautiful, inside and out. She is the kind of person I’d idolize. She’s the kind of person I’d want to be friends with. Seriously. Is that creepy? (does anyone else do this?)
Throughout the novel, Skye has inspired so many people, and even as a reader I feel so inspired by her courage, mental maturity and her eloquence. Seriously, that last one may seem small or trivial, but trust me, I am not good at expressing my feelings and turning them into words. Like literally, Queen Skye be throwing them inspirational quotes at our faces. (I guess you could probably tell that I stan Queen Skye. Big time.) Literally:
“It shouldn’t matter that I’m a certain weight. Being fat doesn’t make me any less of a person.”
“If I’m accepted into this competition under the condition that I lose weight, I’d rather not participate.”
“Being fat and pretty aren’t mutually exclusive traits, though. Fat people can be pretty, pretty people can be fat.”
“Why should I have to stand up for myself all the time? Just because I’m fat doesn’t mean I have to let myself get hurt by these people over and over again.”
“My friends aren’t perfect, but they know me. And sometimes, that’s more than enough.”
“I hang up. Not today, Satan. Not today.”
“I’m fat. People think it means I should hate myself, and when I don’t, it makes them uncomfortable. But this is just another part of who I am, and I’m happy with who I am.”
When I was reading these quotes and generally the whole story, I was like YES GO OFF KWEEN. Like the ones above are just a fraction of the inspiration Skye throws at me. When I was reading the story, I made sure to record these quotes down, so that I could share its powerful messages about fatphobia and prejudice/degrading with all of you. ~
Okay, now it’s main boy Henry’s time to shine. Beautiful, misunderstood and so dang cute. Like it’s not even about looks anymore. The way I imagine their time spent together is literally the photo-edited heaven-on-Earth date pictures you find on Social Media. (Well, it made its way onto Instagram in the novel). Writing this now I can just imagine Henry’s beautiful angel smile with the El Flamin' Taco truck in the background. Henry is so human when people treat him like he’s a god. I mean they’re probably not wrong, but I guess gods have emotions too.
So I mentioned before that Henry is multifaceted. And yes, yes he is. He’s like this ethereal human being, who comes from a rich, power/money hungry and unloving family. Henry is a teen model (it’s nice that he decided to share his beauty with the world), and I think the lack of love he receives from his parents led him to not have a clear idea about what a healthy relationship looks like (until he met Skye of course). Maybe that’s why he dated someone like Melissa, who constantly degraded him and made him feel like she was the only good thing about him. Perhaps I’m remembering this wrong, but Melissa is just not it. She’s beautiful and talented but none of that makes up for her snake personality. (↼_↼)
But I’m just so happy that Henry met Skye and vice versa. Although this book isn’t really based on their romance and more about the competition and Skye’s positivity mission and message, I still reveled in the little things they did together because I want that someday too uhhh whaaaaaaat? I mean they may not be perfect but at least they’re imperfect together. (o^▽^o)
Now, a real dazzler of the story; The K-pop Competition. Skye befriends many of her fellow competitors and I’m so pleased with how things worked out. Everything that happened just made perfect sense and all the events flowed so well. This isn’t my first time watching an idol-producer based show but reading it was just so enjoyable. I won’t disclose anything further for the sake of spoilers, but I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU FELLOW KPOPPERS (AND NOT) TO READ THIS BOOK. I know I’ve said it before but I can’t help say it again. This light hearted rom com about K-pop has won a place in my heart.
Overall, I rate this book a 4.5 stars out of 5 stars, because it was light hearted and beautifully written. Also, I absolutely loved the body and self positivity throughout the novel. I especially enjoyed Queen Skye’s perseverance and strong will as she powered through all the criticism, especially that of her mother. I admire her so dang much for getting through all of that and still remaining true to herself. If it was me, I would’ve broken down. I guess this just proves that I have a lot yet to learn and grow. But no rush, we’ll all get there someday. (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)
And YES. I totally recommend you to read this book, because we could all use some positivity in our lives from time to time. Especially since I discovered this during quarantine, I really appreciate how it got my mind off of the things going on in my life and around the world. I’ll be the One was so inspiring in subtle ways, and I’ll always remember what Skye has taught me; be brave, be unapologetically you and always keep working hard and doing the things you love because your happiness is worth it.
Happy Reading all! Until next time!
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