This is a tough review to write because I love what the book was trying to do. I just wasn't keen on the execution. I'LL BE THE ONE is about a heroine named Skye who wants to be a K-Pop star. The only problem is, she's plus-size and she knows that it's an industry that pretty ruthlessly regulates the appearances of its stars and is very unforgiving to girls (and boys) with bigger bodies. Despite that, she enters a singing competition anyway and manages to woo 2/3 of the judges to get to the next stage.
I think the way you feel about this book will depend on two things: how you feel about books that are as sweet and airy as storebought cupcakes (i.e. pure sugar and not a lot of substance, but nice to look at and endearing in their way) and how you feel about books that have a pretty obvious agenda and spend their whole page count whacking you over the head with it repeatedly.
As a plus-size woman, I love seeing books that raise women with bigger bodies up. But I want it to feel natural and I do want it to feel real and not like a post-it I've stuck to my bathroom mirror to empower myself. I'LL BE THE ONE is very cute but I personally felt like the shallowness of the material made its messages ring a little hollowly. Your mileage may vary.
2 to 2.5 out of 5 stars
Great review. I fully agree and needed a few minutes to ponder about the discrepancy between your rating and my own (4star). I'm fat, middle aged and have no illusions whatsoever about my fellow humans. If you take I'll be the One' as anything even remotely situated in reality it rings hollow. There's no happy end for average fat people. I took it as a fairy tale and had the time of my life.
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