Flip the Script
Ratings12
Average rating3
In this simmering, joyous novel, I’ll Be the One author Lyla Lee delivers a tender romance set between two brave teens who decide that when the script isn’t working, it’s time to rewrite it themselves. The first rule of watching K-dramas: Never fall in love with the second lead. As an avid watcher of K-dramas, Hana knows all the tropes to avoid when she finally lands a starring role in a buzzy new drama. And she can totally handle her fake co-star boyfriend, heartthrob Bryan Yoon, who might be falling in love with her. After all, she promised the TV producers a contract romance, and that’s all they’re going to get from her. But when showrunners bring on a new lead actress to challenge Hana’s role as main love interest—and worse, it’s someone Hana knows all too well—can Hana fight for her position on the show, while falling for her on-screen rival in real life?
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I absolutely adore how the book represented bisexuality, as a bisexual myself. And, it is a kind-of introduction to the issues of the Korean media industry, as well as bringing up the clashing beliefs of the South Koreans. If you're a K-Pop or K-Drama stan, this book might just be your taste. Moreover, it's an easy read, and I love Minjee as a character.
However, I want to bring up a few notes about the book. For me, it's a little fast-paced with the progression of how these characters interacted eith each other. I get Minjee and Hana as childhood friends, however Hana and Bryan's fake dating arc seem to be a little bit of.. dragging. I didn't see the point of it since I don't think Hana learned anything from their arc except her feelings. Second, it's a book where it tells you—not show you. Maybe the writing style isn't my taste, but the dialogues sound far-fetched or unnatural (“Let's take down the homophobic patriarchy”) and the non-dialogues fall flat for its straight-forward description. It leaves no room for imagination, at least for me. Last, I think there are parts written solely for fillers or for easy-out solutions, and the conflict ended way too fast. It didn't seem... impactful rather. As if it was glossed over, it's written with sugarcoated solutions for the characters' progression for growth.
Hence, a score of 3.5 / 5. It's a good quick read after I read Poppy War, something light and not too serious however I would still appreciate how the author raised issues and represented the B in LGBT!
