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evilplants's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Biphobia
fangslibris's review
3.0
3? 3.5?
I was obsessed with the idea of this book, and I still recognize it as important. Fat rep, Asian rep, queer rep, all wonderful and meaningful. The execution just didn't measure up.
Aside from things like clunky dialog, a bland romance, and an overwhelming desperation to be modern and relatable, the MC just feels so much like a skinny person imagining what being fat is like.
Every single conversation Skye has, every experience she goes through, every thought that occurs to her, is written with an immediate follow-up of being fat, looking fat, or thinking about how fat she is. Even when she is being body positive in a relentlessly shallow way, the obsession with her weight is too much. It makes the whole book hard to get into because she never really goes anywhere, and she never ends up feeling like an actual person.
As a Certified Fat Person, I am here to tell y'all that we do all think of things other than being fat, if you can believe it! We don't all just walk around with fat, fat, fat running through our heads. Fat people are just humans who are alive, and have thoughts and goals that don't always have to be accompanied by kitschy thoughts on the plus size experience. Sure, it influences our lives in numerous ways, but not every conversation boils down to BUT I'M FAT, as this book would have you believe.
If you're a person who's just now realizing what fatphobia looks like, you'll probably love this book and find it very #inspo. If you're fat, you're probably going to roll your eyes the whole way through. But it's a quick read and the K-Pop competition setting is fun, so YMMV on this one.
I was obsessed with the idea of this book, and I still recognize it as important. Fat rep, Asian rep, queer rep, all wonderful and meaningful. The execution just didn't measure up.
Aside from things like clunky dialog, a bland romance, and an overwhelming desperation to be modern and relatable, the MC just feels so much like a skinny person imagining what being fat is like.
Every single conversation Skye has, every experience she goes through, every thought that occurs to her, is written with an immediate follow-up of being fat, looking fat, or thinking about how fat she is. Even when she is being body positive in a relentlessly shallow way, the obsession with her weight is too much. It makes the whole book hard to get into because she never really goes anywhere, and she never ends up feeling like an actual person.
As a Certified Fat Person, I am here to tell y'all that we do all think of things other than being fat, if you can believe it! We don't all just walk around with fat, fat, fat running through our heads. Fat people are just humans who are alive, and have thoughts and goals that don't always have to be accompanied by kitschy thoughts on the plus size experience. Sure, it influences our lives in numerous ways, but not every conversation boils down to BUT I'M FAT, as this book would have you believe.
If you're a person who's just now realizing what fatphobia looks like, you'll probably love this book and find it very #inspo. If you're fat, you're probably going to roll your eyes the whole way through. But it's a quick read and the K-Pop competition setting is fun, so YMMV on this one.
readtotheend's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This was a fun body positive book about a Korean girl auditioning to be in the K-pop world. There's so much fatphobia in Korean culture that I think it's great that Lyla Lee brought it right to the forefront. It was so realistic and as someone who was told by my parents that I was too fat to dance on a stage, it definitely resonated with me. I was totally rooting for Skye the whole time! I really loved Henry but almost wish they didn't get together - I think becoming friends and even besties would've been sufficient for me. Loved the queer representation as well! This was great on audio and it was just a fun read.
shiqingxuan34's review
2.0
very fluffy, and i was really happy w the lgbtq+ rep.
some parts of this felt tooooo cheesy though. i really would've liked to see more of skye's struggles w practicing her performances, instead of her just instantly being better than everyone ??
it was an enjoyable read though !
some parts of this felt tooooo cheesy though. i really would've liked to see more of skye's struggles w practicing her performances, instead of her just instantly being better than everyone ??
it was an enjoyable read though !
harleyrae's review
4.0
This was super cute!! While I wish the competition part of the story had been a bit more fleshed out, I enjoyed everything about this. Such a fun and cute read.
antidietleah's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
adventuresinfictionland's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
that_little_drop_of_poison's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
lbarsk's review against another edition
4.0
Really sweet and full of heart! Plus we have to stan a bi main character AND a bi love interest. I think the only reason this got 4 stars instead of 5 is because Skye’s high school friends felt less developed than the friends she makes in the K-Pop competition, but they’re still given screen time and we’re told (not shown...) that they’re important to Skye? But otherwise this was so so so lovely.
hannahhbic's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing and destroys fatphobia, biphobia, and the patriarchy all in one go. I don't know much about k-pop but thankfully prior knowledge was not required. It does take on some darker topics, such as the abuse Skye endures from her mom, so be ready for some heavier emotions as well. It still manages to be extremely fun, though. The love interest has a giant white husky named Snowball and I wish she was real!!