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A review by neopetsfaerie
I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee
4.0
"i'll be the one" is a book with a lot of heart and passion. it's clear that the author, lyla lee, had a defined vision for the novel and although a bit predictable in some parts, it was heartwarming and fun until the end!
skye herself was a phenomenal main character who never lost herself in the rigorous, intense world of k-pop training and competition. naturally, she has her own insecurities about not being the best she can be. this makes sense given the nature of the competition she's in and her relationship with her mother. i found myself always rooting for skye and not wishing for her downfall. when she begins to develop a crush on the love interest of the novel, i had moments when i squealed and smiled out loud because i was excited for her, while "i'll be the one" is about the k-pop industry and skye's hopes to win a competition to become a trainee, i found it wasn't too centered on any of the more popular groups. in the beginning, admittedly, there was one chapter that mentioned bts five times but i appreciated the mention of groups like epik high, gfriend, and solo artist ailee (one of my personal favorites!) i found myself liking most of the characters, except for the ones the author sets up to be antagonists of course. i cheered, i smiled, and i had fun with the overall story.
this all being said, the main reason i didn't give "i'll be the one" five stars was because... well. the writing isn't the best and the story is a bit cliché. i knew what would happen in the end before i got to the second chapter. it reminds me much like a typical shoujo manga or a teenage tv drama. while it's very easy to tell the conflict and the rise and fall of the characters, there's a certain dreaminess that keeps you sucked in. the book is written in the first-person point of view from sixteen-year-old skye. obviously, it's not going to be filled with allegories, prose, and poetic metaphors. this makes the book a quick read (i finished this in one sitting) yet, because of this some of the writing was just so gen-z speak, it made me flatline at some points. i couldn't tell if i liked it or not. one notable moment of this was when skye described a character's facial expression like "the guy sipping tea" meme. i also enjoy fleshed-out characters and while skye, henry, lana, and tiffany were given some life, many characters fell to one flat characteristic. i wish skye's friends she went to school with and had known since middle school had more to them than just going out to eat korean shaved ice with her and squealing, but maybe this is just me being nit-picky.
overall, i really liked "i'll be the one!" though it has its faults, it was a fun and bright read. it didn't fall short on the type of book this was supposed to be. i'd recommend this to k-pop fans, those who enjoy a quick-read, and who enjoy poppy romances. (also: shout-out to the lgbt rep!)
skye herself was a phenomenal main character who never lost herself in the rigorous, intense world of k-pop training and competition. naturally, she has her own insecurities about not being the best she can be. this makes sense given the nature of the competition she's in and her relationship with her mother. i found myself always rooting for skye and not wishing for her downfall. when she begins to develop a crush on the love interest of the novel, i had moments when i squealed and smiled out loud because i was excited for her,
Spoiler
especially when the love interest, henry, begins to fall for her too and they define their relationship and share their first kiss.this all being said, the main reason i didn't give "i'll be the one" five stars was because... well. the writing isn't the best and the story is a bit cliché. i knew what would happen in the end before i got to the second chapter. it reminds me much like a typical shoujo manga or a teenage tv drama. while it's very easy to tell the conflict and the rise and fall of the characters, there's a certain dreaminess that keeps you sucked in. the book is written in the first-person point of view from sixteen-year-old skye. obviously, it's not going to be filled with allegories, prose, and poetic metaphors. this makes the book a quick read (i finished this in one sitting) yet, because of this some of the writing was just so gen-z speak, it made me flatline at some points. i couldn't tell if i liked it or not. one notable moment of this was when skye described a character's facial expression like "the guy sipping tea" meme. i also enjoy fleshed-out characters and while skye, henry, lana, and tiffany were given some life, many characters fell to one flat characteristic. i wish skye's friends she went to school with and had known since middle school had more to them than just going out to eat korean shaved ice with her and squealing, but maybe this is just me being nit-picky.
overall, i really liked "i'll be the one!" though it has its faults, it was a fun and bright read. it didn't fall short on the type of book this was supposed to be. i'd recommend this to k-pop fans, those who enjoy a quick-read, and who enjoy poppy romances. (also: shout-out to the lgbt rep!)