I'll Be the One

by Lyla Lee

Overview

Diverse book recommended by The Today Show * A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year * Bank Street Best Book of the Year * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults * ALA’s Rainbow Book List Top 10 for Teen Readers

The world of K-Pop has never met a star like this. Debut author Lyla Lee delivers a deliciously fun, thoughtful rom-com celebrating confidence and body positivity—perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Julie Murphy.

Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.

She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.

When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.

But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062936929
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	137,344
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lyla Lee is the author of I’ll Be the One and the Mindy Kim series for younger readers. Born in South Korea, she’s since lived in various cities throughout the United States. Inspired by her English teacher, she started writing her own stories in fourth grade and finished her first novel at the age of fourteen. After studying psychology and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California and working in Hollywood, Lyla now lives in Dallas, Texas. When she’s not writing, she is petting cute dogs and searching for the perfect bowl of shaved ice. You can visit her at www.lylaleebooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/13/2020

Korean American high school student Shin Haneul, aka Skye Shin, 16, is a passionate vocalist and dancer whose size-16 body makes her a prime target within the K-pop industry she’s trying to enter. Used to harsh criticism from her appearance-obsessed immigrant mother, hardworking, confident Skye is determined to overcome biases when she lands coveted spots in both the voice and dance portions of L.A.-based show You’re My Shining Star, “the first major K-pop competition set exclusively outside of Korea.” Friendship—and possibly more—with fellow competitors, such as vocalist Lana Min and her dancer girlfriend Tiffany Lee, and Henry Cho, 17, a bi celebrity triple threat from an esteemed Korean family, augment bisexual Skye’s experience, even as a fatphobic judge and culture, overwhelming online attention, and Skye’s strained relationship with her mother cause mounting pressure. While not plus-size herself, Lee (the Mindy Kim series) believably portrays Skye’s struggles, as well as her affirmations and triumphs. Though characters tend toward underdeveloped and the plot leaves little room for surprise, this YA debut is an uplifting read for K-pop stans and readers interested in body privilege within the entertainment sectors. Ages 13–up. Agent: Penny Moore, Aevitas Creative Management. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Skye’s strength and talent make her an inspiration to K-pop–loving teens everywhere—including those in real life. Lee’s YA debut slathers on all the juicy drama, high emotion, and kick-ass performances you’d expect from a K-pop talent competition but also has quieter moments where true friendships and a swoony romance develop... A fresh perspective on body image and K-pop? Jjang!"
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This rom-com is everything it needs to be…filled with a sweet new romance and starring a heroine to root for. Lee finds a spot alongside Jenny Han and Stacey Lee in representing the diversity of Asian American experiences. A joyful protagonist who speaks to Generation Z.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Lee's debut whips up intense Dumplin' vibes with a main character you want to reach into the pages for and honestly just hug for hours…[The] story is strong, punctuated by moments of cheering triumph as Skye dismantles her emotional trauma. Readers looking for positive role models will gravitate to Skye's story, which will resonate with girls of every size.” — ALA Booklist

"Charming, romantic, and empowering. A remarkable gem of a novel that celebrates following your dreams and staying true to yourself."  — Robyn Schneider, author of The Beginning of Everything and Extraordinary Means 

“An absolute delight. Full of messages about self-love and following your dreams, I’ll Be the One is equal parts adorable and inspiring. Lyla Lee has crafted such a refreshing main character with Skye, whose charming confidence made me root for her from the very first page.”  — Akemi Dawn Bowman, author of Morris Award Finalist Starfish

“I’ll Be the One delivers on all dimensions: a swoony ship, body positivity, a complex mother-daughter relationship, and a realistic, relatable protagonist readers will root for!”  — Gloria Chao, author of American Panda and Our Wayward Fate

"The real secret to loving yourself is simple: confidently believing in and standing up for yourself like Skye does in this book!" — Ailee, singer-songwriter

From the Publisher

Lee's debut whips up intense Dumplin' vibes with a main character you want to reach into the pages for and honestly just hug for hours…[The] story is strong, punctuated by moments of cheering triumph as Skye dismantles her emotional trauma. Readers looking for positive role models will gravitate to Skye's story, which will resonate with girls of every size.

ALA Booklist

I’ll Be the One delivers on all dimensions: a swoony ship, body positivity, a complex mother-daughter relationship, and a realistic, relatable protagonist readers will root for!” 

Gloria Chao

"Charming, romantic, and empowering. A remarkable gem of a novel that celebrates following your dreams and staying true to yourself." 

Robyn Schneider

An absolute delight. Full of messages about self-love and following your dreams, I’ll Be the One is equal parts adorable and inspiring. Lyla Lee has crafted such a refreshing main character with Skye, whose charming confidence made me root for her from the very first page.” 

Akemi Dawn Bowman

"The real secret to loving yourself is simple: confidently believing in and standing up for yourself like Skye does in this book!"

singer-songwriter Ailee

★ 05/01/2020

Gr 7–10—Skye Shin is plus-sized, bodyp-ositive, and mega-talented despite the negativity her mother continually batters her with. Skye sings and dances in her audition for a spot on "You're My Shining Star," hoping to become a breakout K-pop star. When she gets in for both talents, the real challenges begin: to win and tackle prejudice because of her size and her budding relationship with celebrity Henry Cho, who is also on the show. Skye needs to navigate vitriolic social media, her mother, and her friendships while remaining true to her talents and challenging the body norms of Korean women. This rom-com is everything it needs to be: predictable, filled with a sweet new romance, and starring a heroine to root for. The blend of contemporary cultural references and social media amplify Skye's generational conflict with her mother. The dynamic is entertaining and comfortable, but balanced with the seriousness of her ambition to succeed authentically as a bisexual Korean girl who isn't thin. In her dialogue-rich and character-driven novel, Lee finds a spot alongside Jenny Han and Stacey Lee in representing the diversity of Asian American experiences. Teens will feel seen in Skye's growing confidence as she faces multifaceted aspects of discrimination. VERDICT With the groundwork laid for a sequel and a joyful protagonist who speaks to Generation Z, this pleasantly contemporary title will fly off the shelves.—Alicia Abdul, Albany High School, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2020-04-05
A plus-sized Korean American teen enters a K-pop competition in both the singing and dance categories.

It was a long time coming, but at 16, Skye Shin is finally comfortable with her size-16 body. But that doesn’t mean she’s immune from the microaggressions she encounters everywhere she goes. Skye does a great job describing not just what it feels like to be on the receiving end of hurtful bias, but also how her experiences have shaped her, given her strength, and taught her to love herself. When a K-pop competition show comes to Los Angeles, nothing will stop Skye from competing, not even her own immigrant mother, whose body-shaming comments border on abusive. The judges, however, are a different story. She’s going to have to work harder than she ever has before to prove that talent can outshine prejudice. In the process, Skye’s strength and talent make her an inspiration to K-pop–loving teens everywhere—including those in real life. Lee’s YA debut slathers on all the juicy drama, high emotion, and kick-ass performances you’d expect from a K-pop talent competition but also has quieter moments where true friendships and a swoony romance develop. While most of the cast, including the hunky love interest, is Korean or Korean American, there are competitors of other races. Skye and the boy she likes are bisexual, and there are queer secondary characters.

A fresh perspective on body image and K-pop? Jjang! (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews