A review by bleaksalad
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

One To Watch at its core is a fun read with a great message. Bea is a plus size girl who carves space for herself in an industry that has only ever wanted conventionally pretty, skinny women. Does it sometimes feel like overkill with her thinking that every problem she encounters is because she’s plus size? Yes, but us plus size girlies know that is in fact our realistic thought process. That being said, some of the moments where she was being ridiculed for her size or her thinking she isn’t worthy of love because of her size came off as sounding scripted. 

My favorite part was truly the structure of the book. Having interviews, text chains, news articles, etc dispersed throughout was a really creative way to tell the story. Each chapter being an episode of the show was also a cute touch that made it felt like I really was watching reality TV. Now, I’ve never seen an episode of the Bachelor/Bachelorette in my life so I’m sure some of the nuance was lost on me here, but I can see how the format would be entertaining. 

Overall, One To Watch is a lighthearted, fun read for anyone looking for a quick romance with a creative format and character diversity. 

Also fuck Ray <3
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