Helpful Score: 1
I just can't gush enough about how much I enjoyed this book! I was completely shocked when I saw on the back cover that an 18 year old had written it. The writing was so mature, I could hardly believe it! I was completely engrossed from page one. The story was fun and deep all at once. Bianca has a hard time for awhile with her family life and really didn't handle it with as much grace as she could have. She ended up isolating the friends that really could have helped pull her through it. Good thing her mistakes didn't lead to any disasters, and she was able to learn from them and become a better person once she was through it all.
Bianca was a character that I immediately connected with. It felt like the author had took the teenage me and stuck her onto the page. I loved her snarky, take no crap from anyone attitude. She had a great friends that stood by her, even when she was acting like a fool.
Wesley was a great male lead. He appears to be a stuck up womanizer, but that's just the surface that he hides beneath. Under it all he's a caring guy that has problem of his own. I started to have feelings for him right along with Bianca.
Overall, this book was A+ fantastic for me! The writing was fun and light, even when handling deeper issues. I would sit down to read for just a few minutes and before I would know it I'd be 100 pages farthur through the book. I can't wait to see what Kody writes next!
Bianca was a character that I immediately connected with. It felt like the author had took the teenage me and stuck her onto the page. I loved her snarky, take no crap from anyone attitude. She had a great friends that stood by her, even when she was acting like a fool.
Wesley was a great male lead. He appears to be a stuck up womanizer, but that's just the surface that he hides beneath. Under it all he's a caring guy that has problem of his own. I started to have feelings for him right along with Bianca.
Overall, this book was A+ fantastic for me! The writing was fun and light, even when handling deeper issues. I would sit down to read for just a few minutes and before I would know it I'd be 100 pages farthur through the book. I can't wait to see what Kody writes next!
Eva Marie L. (babyjulie) - , reviewed The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend on + 336 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I don't like the cover with the girl with the close-up. That's what my ARC had and I like the cover I've seen with the close-up of the girl who is blowing a bubble with her gum.....
Anyway, the book is good. Real good. I'd read another by Keplinger with no hesitation whatsoever. It's definitely YA but I'm 32 and enjoyed it a lot. I loved, loved, loved Bianca's attitude! Not the robot chick you see so much now but someone who says what she wants, when she wants, someone who is sassy and smart and isn't afraid to wait instead of settle!
I was able to relate a lot thinking back to the high school days and I know kids these days will be able to relate just as much, if not more. I liked, a lot, that it wasn't all wahsed out and toned down with a parental advisory sticker on it. There is cursing, there is sex, there's even a little family violence thrown in. From the small amount of YA that I've read so far, most don't go that route, you know, the reality route - unless that's all their about of course. If it's a regular high school-like story the reality type aspects are usually wiped out and this isn't the case here. The conversations could all real, the feelings could all be real, etc.
I was scared towards the end that the ending wouldn't go the way I wanted it to - but it did. :) I loved the processing of certain things that Bianca does throughout the story and Wesley's character is just awesome and so totally on point.
There are only a very few editing issues which is more refreshing that I can even say. To read a published book and find more mistakes than an ARC really says something.
~~To Kody Keplinger - Please don't jump on the sequel/prequel/series bandwagon! This story is awesome on it's own. As much as I loved Biana, as much as I loved (by the end) Wesley, it just wouldn't do. Authors these days seem to have a tough time letting the characters die and more often than not that's exactly what they should do. Bringing them back, over and over and over is only running them into the ground. I hope we get to remember Bianca and Wesley just like this.
That said, please keep writing! ;)~~
Anyway, the book is good. Real good. I'd read another by Keplinger with no hesitation whatsoever. It's definitely YA but I'm 32 and enjoyed it a lot. I loved, loved, loved Bianca's attitude! Not the robot chick you see so much now but someone who says what she wants, when she wants, someone who is sassy and smart and isn't afraid to wait instead of settle!
I was able to relate a lot thinking back to the high school days and I know kids these days will be able to relate just as much, if not more. I liked, a lot, that it wasn't all wahsed out and toned down with a parental advisory sticker on it. There is cursing, there is sex, there's even a little family violence thrown in. From the small amount of YA that I've read so far, most don't go that route, you know, the reality route - unless that's all their about of course. If it's a regular high school-like story the reality type aspects are usually wiped out and this isn't the case here. The conversations could all real, the feelings could all be real, etc.
I was scared towards the end that the ending wouldn't go the way I wanted it to - but it did. :) I loved the processing of certain things that Bianca does throughout the story and Wesley's character is just awesome and so totally on point.
There are only a very few editing issues which is more refreshing that I can even say. To read a published book and find more mistakes than an ARC really says something.
~~To Kody Keplinger - Please don't jump on the sequel/prequel/series bandwagon! This story is awesome on it's own. As much as I loved Biana, as much as I loved (by the end) Wesley, it just wouldn't do. Authors these days seem to have a tough time letting the characters die and more often than not that's exactly what they should do. Bringing them back, over and over and over is only running them into the ground. I hope we get to remember Bianca and Wesley just like this.
That said, please keep writing! ;)~~