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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
This book is SO MUCH BETTER than the movie. It was actually confusing, because I can't figure out why they didn't make this book instead of that mess of a movie. Definitely a little more sassy than the average YA book, but it definitely reflected what I remember of high school.
i did not know what i was getting myself into at age eleven. there is deadass a scene of two people fucking on a pool table and it blew my little brains out. honestly altered my brain chemistry, but that may have been the onset of my menstrual cycle, not the unprepared introduction to erotica
THAT WAS IT? It's done? OH MY GOODNESS I CAN NOT EVEN. What a big cliffhanger? Why do I feel like it is not enough? W H A T HAPPENED. God. I am frustrated. I did NOT like how it ended. I feel like the author was greedy– or maybe I was asking for more. I don't know. I just don't get it. It feels so short. I... AHHHH.
Anyway, I lied. I enjoyed reading this. A lot. Mixed emotions were flowing in my system as I were reading The Duff. But at some point, I did not like Bianca's character. Well none of them really sparked up my interest to be honest. But then again, I'm satisfied. I liked the story behind it. I'm sort-of used to reading a book with this kind of a plot and I'm very thankful that Kody Keplinger did not transform Bianca like what most authors might probably do. I mean she was the designated ugly fat friend, but she didn't do anything to change herself. She stayed true to herself. I liked that. No major transformation physically.
The story was good and pretty much fast paced. Entertaining, too. :)
So I'd rate this a 3.5-4/5. (Generously) I just did not connect to any of the characters. Even emotionally. But I did like the plot. I was hoping for more character development. But that didn't happen. So that's that.
Anyway, I lied. I enjoyed reading this. A lot. Mixed emotions were flowing in my system as I were reading The Duff. But at some point, I did not like Bianca's character. Well none of them really sparked up my interest to be honest. But then again, I'm satisfied. I liked the story behind it. I'm sort-of used to reading a book with this kind of a plot and I'm very thankful that Kody Keplinger did not transform Bianca like what most authors might probably do. I mean she was the designated ugly fat friend, but she didn't do anything to change herself. She stayed true to herself. I liked that. No major transformation physically.
The story was good and pretty much fast paced. Entertaining, too. :)
So I'd rate this a 3.5-4/5. (Generously) I just did not connect to any of the characters. Even emotionally. But I did like the plot. I was hoping for more character development. But that didn't happen. So that's that.
Well, this book was very surprising! I wasn't even going to read it. It didn't sound like anything I would read, but I was only basing my expectations off the movie trailer. Which, by the way, is completly different than this book. WTH.
Anyway, This was so sweet and amazing! I loved the characters and the overall message. Every girl feels like they are the Duff sometimes!
Anyway, This was so sweet and amazing! I loved the characters and the overall message. Every girl feels like they are the Duff sometimes!
I really enjoyed this book, especially Bianca as the main character and her personal narration was extremely interesting to read, as a reader. Although i definitely didn't agree with all her choices i liked how the personal struggle and internal conflict was played out in her head and written on the page. I was very impressed with the story and throughly enjoyed it!
The resolution was a bit too neat (also was totally expecting a random twist to happen that didn't happen) and I also felt the drama with her parents was a bit too glossed over for how severe it was. But I was into the concept and I think it will make a good teen movie.
This review is from a reader who values traditional, wholesome content, and lives according to a Christian world view. If that perspective isn't relevant to you, you won't likely glean helpful insight from this review.
I have had this book for forever. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to it because I was always interested in the concept from the second I first read the blurb. Enemies-to-lovers? Check. MC that's the Ugly Duckling of the friend group? Double check. Teen drama? Check check check! It lived up to those expectations, except for one thing: if you saw the movie first and thought they stuck closely to the book, you'll be disappointed/confused. But the book's story worked in its own right, and although there is annoying stuff for Prudie readers to trudge through, I found this to be a flawed but compelling read that will not appeal to everyone.
What I liked most:
The MC, Bianca, was very relatable to me in how she perceived herself: her body, her social role, and how she messily evaluated her own worth. I'd say she struggled with body dysmorphia, and aspects of that were like looking into a mirror. Even her cynicism, threaded through with idealism, at times resonated with me on a personal level. Her friends were initially flat and interchangeable to me, but as the story progressed, I came to see Casey and Jessica as loving, charming individuals, and they easily stood on their own two feet as characters by the end of the book. And of course, Wesley Rush: like Bianca, I found him appalling and a typical Alpha-dog man-whore in the beginning. By the end, I was really rooting for him. Without going into spoilers, his arc was satisfying, and though I would have liked to have seen even more deeply into his character, he was a great match for Bianca. Writing wise, the story was paced particularly well, I thought, and the narrative was usually very accessible and compulsively readable.
What I didn't like:
I didn't realize going into it that, unlike the movie, the book version is heavily, heavily focused on sex. Also, the profanity is gratuitous. I like a spunky outlier of a heroine as much as the next reader, but why must that equate with a potty mouth? Also, there were some elements to the writing that I didn't buy into, mostly relating to character and dialogue -- for instance, people used each other's names in dialogue A LOT, which isn't natural. And sometimes the way Wesley talked didn't at all sound like an authentic teen alpha boy. There were a few story devices that were not clear or were difficult to buy into, like the nuances of Wesley's home life; more than anything, though, what held up the least was that Wesley's from a super rich family, lives in the best house in town, is gorgeous and fit, is charismatic and flirty but not dumb, gets all the girls he wants, drives a Porsche, and yet...has only one guy friend (who's gay to boot). Having attended an American small-town high school myself, those alpha guys are always SURROUNDED by other guys, not by girls. The other dudes treat them as a god: they emulate the alphas, and want to leech as much benefit as possible from their association with the alphas--mooching status, girls, and even tangible perks. I've never, ever seen an alpha guy with all of Wesley's assets who was essentially a lone ranger. It's just not real life, in my experience. And lastly--to no one's surprise--there were loads of conceptual and philosophical points addressed and/or celebrated/rejected in the book that promoted liberal, post-modern garbage mindsets. This is definitely not a book I'd recommend for a youthful audience, although that's exactly who it's intended for. It's extremely mature and does not shy away from its topics.
A quick-ish Prudie breakdown of the content:
(0 is none to speak of, 10 is atomic bomb)
->Language: 7 out of 10 - Many instances of the F-bomb, plus many instances of "sh-t", "b--ch, "a-s", etc.
->Sexual Content: 7 out of 10 - Open door sex scenes. Regular talk of sexual encounters. Kissing, sleeping in the same bed overnight, groping, discussion of birth control and other contraceptives. A character has a pregnancy scare. Characters have multiple sexual partners.
->Positive Themes: 4 out of 10 - Friendship, family, compassion, personal growth, patience, grace, forgiveness, moving on, second chances, communication, facing your fears, owning up to your actions, not enabling others who are harming themselves (even if you love them). Some complex messages about love/romance, but the MC learns that "every girl feels unattractive sometimes" and to treasure those who love and care about her.
->Political Correctness: 8 out of 10 - Passive approach to teen drinking/drug use, very sex positive (and ultimately communicates that no one should judge anyone else's sexual choices), pointed commentary on darling liberal movements and policies, casual acceptance of the token gay character and of the lifestyle, divorce is normal and fine, everyone should just love and accept themselves, cherry picks what you can judge others about and what you can't, the teen view of adults was that adults are helpless and need teenagers to take care of them and everything else.
->Violence and Gore: 2 out of 10 - A drunken parent hits their child and swears at them in an alcohol-fueled rage; a teenager punches the parent in response. Someone throws a drink in another person's face.
Overall, this was a story about teens, but I don't at all recommend it FOR teens. I wouldn't do a book like this with students, and I wouldn't read this aloud with my kids. Even though the age group of the kids in the story is 17, this is more aligned with what New Adult looks like nowadays.
I have had this book for forever. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to it because I was always interested in the concept from the second I first read the blurb. Enemies-to-lovers? Check. MC that's the Ugly Duckling of the friend group? Double check. Teen drama? Check check check! It lived up to those expectations, except for one thing: if you saw the movie first and thought they stuck closely to the book, you'll be disappointed/confused. But the book's story worked in its own right, and although there is annoying stuff for Prudie readers to trudge through, I found this to be a flawed but compelling read that will not appeal to everyone.
What I liked most:
The MC, Bianca, was very relatable to me in how she perceived herself: her body, her social role, and how she messily evaluated her own worth. I'd say she struggled with body dysmorphia, and aspects of that were like looking into a mirror. Even her cynicism, threaded through with idealism, at times resonated with me on a personal level. Her friends were initially flat and interchangeable to me, but as the story progressed, I came to see Casey and Jessica as loving, charming individuals, and they easily stood on their own two feet as characters by the end of the book. And of course, Wesley Rush: like Bianca, I found him appalling and a typical Alpha-dog man-whore in the beginning. By the end, I was really rooting for him. Without going into spoilers, his arc was satisfying, and though I would have liked to have seen even more deeply into his character, he was a great match for Bianca. Writing wise, the story was paced particularly well, I thought, and the narrative was usually very accessible and compulsively readable.
What I didn't like:
I didn't realize going into it that, unlike the movie, the book version is heavily, heavily focused on sex. Also, the profanity is gratuitous. I like a spunky outlier of a heroine as much as the next reader, but why must that equate with a potty mouth? Also, there were some elements to the writing that I didn't buy into, mostly relating to character and dialogue -- for instance, people used each other's names in dialogue A LOT, which isn't natural. And sometimes the way Wesley talked didn't at all sound like an authentic teen alpha boy. There were a few story devices that were not clear or were difficult to buy into, like the nuances of Wesley's home life; more than anything, though, what held up the least was that Wesley's from a super rich family, lives in the best house in town, is gorgeous and fit, is charismatic and flirty but not dumb, gets all the girls he wants, drives a Porsche, and yet...has only one guy friend (who's gay to boot). Having attended an American small-town high school myself, those alpha guys are always SURROUNDED by other guys, not by girls. The other dudes treat them as a god: they emulate the alphas, and want to leech as much benefit as possible from their association with the alphas--mooching status, girls, and even tangible perks. I've never, ever seen an alpha guy with all of Wesley's assets who was essentially a lone ranger. It's just not real life, in my experience. And lastly--to no one's surprise--there were loads of conceptual and philosophical points addressed and/or celebrated/rejected in the book that promoted liberal, post-modern garbage mindsets. This is definitely not a book I'd recommend for a youthful audience, although that's exactly who it's intended for. It's extremely mature and does not shy away from its topics.
A quick-ish Prudie breakdown of the content:
(0 is none to speak of, 10 is atomic bomb)
->Language: 7 out of 10 - Many instances of the F-bomb, plus many instances of "sh-t", "b--ch, "a-s", etc.
->Sexual Content: 7 out of 10 - Open door sex scenes. Regular talk of sexual encounters. Kissing, sleeping in the same bed overnight, groping, discussion of birth control and other contraceptives. A character has a pregnancy scare. Characters have multiple sexual partners.
->Positive Themes: 4 out of 10 - Friendship, family, compassion, personal growth, patience, grace, forgiveness, moving on, second chances, communication, facing your fears, owning up to your actions, not enabling others who are harming themselves (even if you love them). Some complex messages about love/romance, but the MC learns that "every girl feels unattractive sometimes" and to treasure those who love and care about her.
->Political Correctness: 8 out of 10 - Passive approach to teen drinking/drug use, very sex positive (and ultimately communicates that no one should judge anyone else's sexual choices), pointed commentary on darling liberal movements and policies, casual acceptance of the token gay character and of the lifestyle, divorce is normal and fine, everyone should just love and accept themselves, cherry picks what you can judge others about and what you can't, the teen view of adults was that adults are helpless and need teenagers to take care of them and everything else.
->Violence and Gore: 2 out of 10 - A drunken parent hits their child and swears at them in an alcohol-fueled rage; a teenager punches the parent in response. Someone throws a drink in another person's face.
Overall, this was a story about teens, but I don't at all recommend it FOR teens. I wouldn't do a book like this with students, and I wouldn't read this aloud with my kids. Even though the age group of the kids in the story is 17, this is more aligned with what New Adult looks like nowadays.
¿Quién no se ha sentido la "Duff" del grupo? Al principio quería abandonar el libro y tenía muchas ganas de matar a Bianca, pero me terminó gustando y me sentí un poco identificada con ella.
I would have hated her too not because she is fat but because she is annoying
Probably a 2.5… not great, but could have been worse.