nglofile's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars. (I had every intention of assigning an even 4 but cannot quite bring myself to do so.)
A fresh and fun story that came around at a time when that's what many of us crave. The voice is great, there is smart writing in play, and sentiments are grounded in a realism that will mean much to many readers. The flip side of that, however, is the burden of expectations, and each one of the primed audience will have decided opinions of how this should play out. The very fact that satisfaction is divided - plus-size women are not a monolith, and even confident individuals struggle with moments of succumbing to self-doubt - speaks to complex and authentic representation.
I have not seen a single episode of The Bachelor or any related dating shows, though I know multiple intelligent, savvy women who are devoted. [full disclosure: I did succumb to a complete and near-involuntary fascination with the series UnREAL, but that's another tale]
The nods to fashion and styling were definitely my candy, and who among us wouldn't sign up to be lifelong subscribers to the Boob Tube podcast (this SO needs to be conjured into existence!). Bea's playful and devoted dynamics with best friend Marin and later with stylist Alison were incredibly appealing, leaving us wishing each had been granted larger parts to play.
The outcomes of the suitors are fairly telegraphed, but that's not necessarily a mark of disfavor. The attitude of the story is its primary appeal, and the excitement surrounding this book is not only unsurprising but also encouraging.
A fresh and fun story that came around at a time when that's what many of us crave. The voice is great, there is smart writing in play, and sentiments are grounded in a realism that will mean much to many readers. The flip side of that, however, is the burden of expectations, and each one of the primed audience will have decided opinions of how this should play out. The very fact that satisfaction is divided - plus-size women are not a monolith, and even confident individuals struggle with moments of succumbing to self-doubt - speaks to complex and authentic representation.
I have not seen a single episode of The Bachelor or any related dating shows, though I know multiple intelligent, savvy women who are devoted. [full disclosure: I did succumb to a complete and near-involuntary fascination with the series UnREAL, but that's another tale]
The nods to fashion and styling were definitely my candy, and who among us wouldn't sign up to be lifelong subscribers to the Boob Tube podcast (this SO needs to be conjured into existence!). Bea's playful and devoted dynamics with best friend Marin and later with stylist Alison were incredibly appealing, leaving us wishing each had been granted larger parts to play.
The outcomes of the suitors are fairly telegraphed, but that's not necessarily a mark of disfavor. The attitude of the story is its primary appeal, and the excitement surrounding this book is not only unsurprising but also encouraging.
sapphirelain's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The first chapter about here being in Paris and not being able to find anything to wear. 100% understand. I live in Asia, and it’s even worse. Over all though a good book. I think it was really liberating to read a book with someone who was plus sized as the main character. I can’t believe more writers won’t do that.
kcoccia's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad someone wrote a book like this because I do watch the Bachelor and Bachelorette and I have wondered how that show would do if we put some women that looked normal and not like models.
It's not realistic to think that would ever happen but it was entertaining to read about.
It's not realistic to think that would ever happen but it was entertaining to read about.
ob_ledbetter's review against another edition
3.0
Super fun writing from a story that runs along the lines of a Bachelor knock-off. I wish I could rate this higher but I felt this left just a bit to be desired, the middle section dragged for me. I did love Bea but I think this would be more fun if I were a Bachelor fan, perhaps I just wasn’t the right reader for this.
katreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
I inhaled this read. I loved the format with the emails, etc. which added so much to the story. The banter was excellent and Bea was impossible not to root for. If you love The Bachelor/Bachelorette, definitely for you!
rosered879's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow— I don’t think I have ever read a book that captured what it feels like to exist in a fat body the way this one did. And still managed to be a fun, light hearted, rom com.
fromsarahsbooknook's review
4.0
I have to say… I wasn’t sure I’d even post about ONE TO WATCH. I’d heard good things and figured I’d enjoy it, but I didn’t know if it would be worth highlighting. For starters, I’ve watched exactly 1.5 seasons of The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, so would I care much about a book that is all about a character taking part in a fictional Bachelorette-like tv series?
Apparently I would.
Maybe I don’t care about The Bachelor/Bachelorette but I *do* care about dissecting our culture’s values of beauty and thinness, dismantling diet culture, and about women learning to take up space in the world. And if the pace at which I blew through this book is any indication, maybe now I kind of understand the obsession with The Bachelor…?
This book felt real, as in I forgot at times that Bea wasn’t a real person I could follow on Instagram. I loved the way Stayman-London used fictional tweet threads, internet articles/think-pieces, transcripts, and the like to tell the story. So fun and effective.
Overall, ONE TO WATCH was fun and light enough to be a great juicy summer-read, but also thoughtful and had some depth beneath the surface. My favorite kind of beach read.
Apparently I would.
Maybe I don’t care about The Bachelor/Bachelorette but I *do* care about dissecting our culture’s values of beauty and thinness, dismantling diet culture, and about women learning to take up space in the world. And if the pace at which I blew through this book is any indication, maybe now I kind of understand the obsession with The Bachelor…?
This book felt real, as in I forgot at times that Bea wasn’t a real person I could follow on Instagram. I loved the way Stayman-London used fictional tweet threads, internet articles/think-pieces, transcripts, and the like to tell the story. So fun and effective.
Overall, ONE TO WATCH was fun and light enough to be a great juicy summer-read, but also thoughtful and had some depth beneath the surface. My favorite kind of beach read.
ajteyn's review against another edition
5.0
I should be sleeping but I needed to finish this book. I loved it!
The varying format kept my attention, Bea was hard on her self in a very relateable way, and we got representation! No muss, no fuss, just a casual ace character, a slid in gender non-conforming character. Even when these aspects formed part of the plot, they didn't feel like they only existed to be a plot device. The characters were just diverse people existing in a complex and confusing real world.
So good!
The varying format kept my attention, Bea was hard on her self in a very relateable way, and we got representation! No muss, no fuss, just a casual ace character, a slid in gender non-conforming character. Even when these aspects formed part of the plot, they didn't feel like they only existed to be a plot device. The characters were just diverse people existing in a complex and confusing real world.
So good!
dannycakez8808's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This book was absolutely wonderful. I loved the plus size/body positivity rep. We got an interesting perspective from our main character Bea on what it was really like to be a plus sized lady in a world where thin is the definition of worth and beauty for women. Bea is a strong and confident lady but she also is very vulnerable. This aspect of the book made the story very relatable for me. The exploration of hyper feminism was a very interesting theme of this book. If you enjoy a good reality TV dating show I think you'd love this one.
This book was absolutely wonderful. I loved the plus size/body positivity rep. We got an interesting perspective from our main character Bea on what it was really like to be a plus sized lady in a world where thin is the definition of worth and beauty for women. Bea is a strong and confident lady but she also is very vulnerable. This aspect of the book made the story very relatable for me. The exploration of hyper feminism was a very interesting theme of this book. If you enjoy a good reality TV dating show I think you'd love this one.
amberdebo's review
3.0
I have...many thoughts. Overall favorable. Some of this hits a little close to home so it's hard to separate emotions tbh.