SuitabookI’ll Be the One
Lyla Lee
- Reading
- Read alongside the young person rather than treating body positivity as a single lesson. Pause after difficult family or bullying scenes, ask what support Skye receives, and let the reader decide which cultural tensions feel familiar.
- Themes
- Body image and self-acceptance: Skye is comfortable with her body but still encounters criticism from her mother, the entertainment industry and others. The narrative presents appearance-based prejudice as an obstacle and gives Skye an active struggle towards self-acceptance.
- Family and cultural expectations: Skye’s relationship with her mother places personal ambitions and appearance expectations within a Korean American family context. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- LGBTQ representation: Skye is bisexual, and other LGBTQ characters appear; the story also includes a romance with fellow competitor Henry. The book presents this favourably.
- Worth knowing
- Some readers may need support with repeated body-shaming, emotionally abusive comments from Skye’s mother and online or face-to-face bullying. Romance is restrained, with dating and several kisses; language is infrequent.