A review by liralen
I'll Be the One, by Lyla Lee
3.0
Read this on the heels of [b:K-pop Confidential|49090423|K-pop Confidential|Stephan Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576656079l/49090423._SX50_.jpg|73524551], and it makes for an interesting comparison. I know approximately nothing about K-pop,* though I've heard dire things about the pressure stars are under.
In I'll Be the One, Skye is not a star...yet. But when she qualifies for a televised competition in which the winners are offered a chance to train in a Korean K-Pop factory, she has her shot. The stumbling block: K-pop is not an industry that encourages breaking the mold, and just by being plus-sized—and, perhaps more to the point, fine with being plus-sized—Skye is challenging the norm.
I love seeing books doing their part to address fat-shaming and...how do I put this? highlighting things that are not part of dominant (white) American culture. I think the K-pop part of things ends up getting the short end of the stick here, though; so much time goes to the body image / family / relationship parts of things that the competition ends up feeling a bit like we're only getting the highlights of the highlights and none of the worry about whether she will or won't make it. It's not egregious, just occasionally feels like story is secondary to the (very important!) inclusivity goals. But still—very cute, very fun, very fast read.
*This has less to do with me not paying attention to K-pop and more to do with me not paying attention to music, period.
In I'll Be the One, Skye is not a star...yet. But when she qualifies for a televised competition in which the winners are offered a chance to train in a Korean K-Pop factory, she has her shot. The stumbling block: K-pop is not an industry that encourages breaking the mold, and just by being plus-sized—and, perhaps more to the point, fine with being plus-sized—Skye is challenging the norm.
I love seeing books doing their part to address fat-shaming and...how do I put this? highlighting things that are not part of dominant (white) American culture. I think the K-pop part of things ends up getting the short end of the stick here, though; so much time goes to the body image / family / relationship parts of things that the competition ends up feeling a bit like we're only getting the highlights of the highlights and none of the worry about whether she will or won't make it. It's not egregious, just occasionally feels like story is secondary to the (very important!) inclusivity goals. But still—very cute, very fun, very fast read.
*This has less to do with me not paying attention to K-pop and more to do with me not paying attention to music, period.