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I'll Be the One

by Lyla Lee

Narrator Greta Jung

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Length 8 hours 50 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“I'LL BE THE ONE has the perfect summer romance feel. The entire time I was reading I wished I was at the pool, in an adorable swim suit, soaking up the sun and listening to some KPop. Skye's voice is so distinct I could hear her narrating over my shoulder. A perfect read to hand to teens looking for a light romance (aka no sex), queer characters, and a confident plus-sized main character who handles fat-shaming from many fronts with a strength that will leave you cheering. I'm so glad this is a book one because I'm already counting the days until book two!”
— Faith • Page 158 Books

Bookseller recommendation

“An uplifting, empowering and inclusive YA rom-com about a plus-size Korean-American girl competing in a K-Pop idol competition. She challenges toxic beauty standards with her refusal to change her body for the industry or her mother.”
— Amy • Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers

Summary
About the author

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.

Romance LGBTQIA+ Fiction YA Fiction

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.