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caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- Who's ready for another QUEER SCREAMING review!? Because that's what this is! I loved this book so much! AAAAAhhhh!
- Main character identities include: bisexual, lesbian and trans identities. Minor characters run the whole spectrum - nonbinary, gay, pansexual, asexual, and more.
- Plus there also so much talk about attachment styles and how even if your childhood wasn't outright abusive you can still carry baggage from it.
- PERFECT ON PAPER really captures the biphobia a lot of people experience, both internalized and from other members of the queer community. Additionally, I really appreciated that although we were exploring these biases, there was no general queerphobia in the book - no one was hated or feared for who they were - just misconceptions being righted.
- Also, one of the letters Darcy answers is from a person who doesn't want to sleep with their significant other and says "but obviously I'm not asexual because I love them," and Darcy comes back with just the most excellent explanation of asexuality vs aromanticism and I was all HEART EYES!
- Main character identities include: bisexual, lesbian and trans identities. Minor characters run the whole spectrum - nonbinary, gay, pansexual, asexual, and more.
- Plus there also so much talk about attachment styles and how even if your childhood wasn't outright abusive you can still carry baggage from it.
- PERFECT ON PAPER really captures the biphobia a lot of people experience, both internalized and from other members of the queer community. Additionally, I really appreciated that although we were exploring these biases, there was no general queerphobia in the book - no one was hated or feared for who they were - just misconceptions being righted.
- Also, one of the letters Darcy answers is from a person who doesn't want to sleep with their significant other and says "but obviously I'm not asexual because I love them," and Darcy comes back with just the most excellent explanation of asexuality vs aromanticism and I was all HEART EYES!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Vomit
Minor: Violence
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Drug use, Violence, and Vomit
dhwani's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, and Cursing
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Violence and Vomit
kait_sixcrowsbooks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reread 22 June 2022
Hi, I still really love this book. I’m very much wishing that Sophie would, like, write other books in the same universe or whatever, I need the POPCU (Perfect On Paper cinematic universe)
Original Read Through 10 April 2021
I don’t even know what to say...tbh, I plan on re-writing this later on next week when I have more time. I just wanted to mark my having read this.
I just.
Y’all.
I didn’t even come here expecting that I would love Perfect on Paper, but this lovely little pile of paper sucked me in as soon as I started around 8am this morning. Even when I had to leave for work at 2pm and couldn’t touch it again till later tonight to finish up the last 20 or 30 pages, I could not stop thinking about it.
The characters and their development! Their relationships with each other! The simple yet engaging plot! The focus not only on romantic relationships but platonic ones as well! I couldn’t take it, they were all so well done.
I’ll allow myself time to write a better review later, but for now this is what y’all get. Incoherent babbling, lol.
Hi, I still really love this book. I’m very much wishing that Sophie would, like, write other books in the same universe or whatever, I need the POPCU (Perfect On Paper cinematic universe)
Original Read Through 10 April 2021
I don’t even know what to say...tbh, I plan on re-writing this later on next week when I have more time. I just wanted to mark my having read this.
I just.
Y’all.
I didn’t even come here expecting that I would love Perfect on Paper, but this lovely little pile of paper sucked me in as soon as I started around 8am this morning. Even when I had to leave for work at 2pm and couldn’t touch it again till later tonight to finish up the last 20 or 30 pages, I could not stop thinking about it.
The characters and their development! Their relationships with each other! The simple yet engaging plot! The focus not only on romantic relationships but platonic ones as well! I couldn’t take it, they were all so well done.
I’ll allow myself time to write a better review later, but for now this is what y’all get. Incoherent babbling, lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Violence and Kidnapping
spearly's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So, maybe I didn’t always get things right, about myself, or about others. And maybe a part of learning my place in the world was about accepting that I wouldn’t always have the answers, and I wouldn’t always be the hero in every scenario, and maybe I wouldn’t win everything I attempted.
But I was pretty sure about a couple of things.
Perfect on Paper follows Darcy Phillips, a bisexual high school student who runs an anonymous relationship advice business out of a vacant locker. When classmate Alexander Brougham catches her collecting letters from the locker, he enlists her to be his personal dating coach and help him get his ex-girlfriend back.
This was a refreshing YA story that artfully wove in themes of sexuality that a lot of young adult novels don't explore outside of some minor side-character. Darcy is bi, and totally in love with her best friend Brooke. And she's used her anonymity to meddle into Brooke's love life not once, but twice. On top of dealing with her feelings toward her best friend, she spends much of the novel as Brougham's personal dating coach. And, in true YA fashion, she starts to realizes he maybe isn't as awful as she thought he was.
I loved that Gonzales including a high school group called Queer & Questioning (or Q&Q for short) to help our characters work through their distinct experiences as queer teenagers. It also allowed the audience a little insight without coming off as preachy or expositional. We saw Darcy dealing with internalized biphobia after she begins to have feelings for Brougham, a guy . We see another character join the Q&Q meetings after seeking advice from locker 89 about not wanting to have sex with her boyfriend. After it's revealed to the school that Darcy is behind the lockers, we have a gay Korean character explain that he never wrote in to Locker 89 because he figured it was some white, straight girl behind the locker (and, as he says, he was "half right"), and he doesn't need advice from someone who doesn't know the first thing about his life.
Darcy has a great arc in this novel. Like Gonzales intended, I'm sure, Darcy is very naive in the beginning. She thinks her advice is near full-proof, she thinks it's alright to betray her best friend's trust to "protect her" (when really, she was just jealous), and she doesn't think through the consequences of her actions. It's only when Brougham starts to push back on things that she's able to look at her advice more objectively.
For all that I enjoyed about this novel, however, it's still middle of the road plot-wise and pacing-wise for me. Specifically, I think the big bad thing that Darcy is trying to keep Brooke from finding out could have been revealed later. I will try to be more lenient with the melodrama since, even though I thought the misunderstandings between all the characters were a bit flimsy, I have to remember these characters are 16. I was a drama queen, too. I misunderstood things, too. I thought I knew everything, too.
So, a solid read, and a happy addition to my bookshelf!
But I was pretty sure about a couple of things.
Perfect on Paper follows Darcy Phillips, a bisexual high school student who runs an anonymous relationship advice business out of a vacant locker. When classmate Alexander Brougham catches her collecting letters from the locker, he enlists her to be his personal dating coach and help him get his ex-girlfriend back.
This was a refreshing YA story that artfully wove in themes of sexuality that a lot of young adult novels don't explore outside of some minor side-character. Darcy is bi, and totally in love with her best friend Brooke. And she's used her
I loved that Gonzales including a high school group called Queer & Questioning (or Q&Q for short) to help our characters work through their distinct experiences as queer teenagers. It also allowed the audience a little insight without coming off as preachy or expositional. We saw Darcy dealing with internalized biphobia after
Darcy has a great arc in this novel. Like Gonzales intended, I'm sure, Darcy is very naive in the beginning. She thinks her advice is near full-proof, she thinks it's alright to betray her best friend's trust to "protect her" (when really, she was just jealous), and she doesn't think through the consequences of her actions. It's only when Brougham starts to push back on things that she's able to look at her advice more objectively.
For all that I enjoyed about this novel, however, it's still middle of the road plot-wise and pacing-wise for me. Specifically, I think the big bad thing that Darcy is trying to keep Brooke from finding out could have been revealed later. I will try to be more lenient with the melodrama since, even though I thought the misunderstandings between all the characters were a bit flimsy, I have to remember these characters are 16. I was a drama queen, too. I misunderstood things, too. I thought I knew everything, too.
So, a solid read, and a happy addition to my bookshelf!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
mezzarella's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales has a great concept for a Young Adult noel. Darcy is a teenager attending a ritzy private school due to her mothers' job as a biology teacher. When Darcy isn't with her best friend Brooke or her older sister Ainsley, she is fixing relationship woes from Locker 89. Brougham, a boy from the school, happens to find Darcy checking the locker while after a swim practice, and asks her to help him get his girlfriend back. What follows is a predictable love story, intertwined with Darcy's own twist. Darcy has never actually been in a relationship, even though she's had a crush on Brooke for ages.
Unlike some Young Adult novels, the main characters in this story are considerably flawed, and the everyday drama of high school does at time seep into its pages. My favorite aspect of the story were definitely Darcy and Ainsley's interactions, which showed a healthy and loving sibling relationship. My close second favorite was Darcy slowly learning that her own biases were preventing her from forming a meaningful connection with someone she liked, and recognizing her own unhealthy behaviors.
Other reviewers have mentioned that the beginning of this book felt slow and uneventful, but the beginning and middle were my favorite parts of this story. It was sweet to see Darcy learn more about Brougham's Australian heritage and slowly open up about herself. The events and outcomes feel realistic and properly paced, whereas the ending of the book can come across as grand and dramatic. Given everything that happens from the middle to the end of the novel (no spoilers!) I was surprised at how neatly the story was wrapped up. Darcy pays a pretty big price as the result of her business venture, which was popularized around the school by someone she previously trusted. There is a power dynamic that is welcomed and celebrated at the end of the book, when I honestly thought it would have been better for Darcy to learn how to part ways. This is my first Sophie Gonzales book, but apparently other books by her have grandiose happy endings also, which isn't an inherently bad thing. With so much toxic behavior in this book, however, it would have been nice to see more personal growth before things were so neatly tied back together.
Unlike some Young Adult novels, the main characters in this story are considerably flawed, and the everyday drama of high school does at time seep into its pages. My favorite aspect of the story were definitely Darcy and Ainsley's interactions, which showed a healthy and loving sibling relationship. My close second favorite was Darcy slowly learning that her own biases were preventing her from forming a meaningful connection with someone she liked, and recognizing her own unhealthy behaviors.
Other reviewers have mentioned that the beginning of this book felt slow and uneventful, but the beginning and middle were my favorite parts of this story. It was sweet to see Darcy learn more about Brougham's Australian heritage and slowly open up about herself. The events and outcomes feel realistic and properly paced, whereas the ending of the book can come across as grand and dramatic. Given everything that happens from the middle to the end of the novel (no spoilers!) I was surprised at how neatly the story was wrapped up. Darcy pays a pretty big price as the result of her business venture, which was popularized around the school by someone she previously trusted. There is a power dynamic that is welcomed and celebrated at the end of the book, when I honestly thought it would have been better for Darcy to learn how to part ways. This is my first Sophie Gonzales book, but apparently other books by her have grandiose happy endings also, which isn't an inherently bad thing. With so much toxic behavior in this book, however, it would have been nice to see more personal growth before things were so neatly tied back together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, and Stalking
Minor: Alcoholism and Violence
_thelitlibrarian's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5-star round-up due to the amazing representation this book has.
-
Everyone knows of locker 89, if you leave an anonymous letter asking for help and a tip you'll get advice on how to approach your situation. No one knows who runs locker 89, this quickly changes when Alexander Brougham catches Darcy Phillips red-handed as she gathers letters out of the locker. He won't tell on her...as long as she helps him win his ex-girlfriend back. This creates a chain of events as Darcy's services are hired as she mends the broken relationship. Darcy has no choice but to agree to his terms as she doesn't want anyone knowing she's the person behind locker 89 - she's used it to her advantage in the past and her secret getting out could possibly ruin one of the only friendships she has.
I can't express how much I loved this book, I loved Darcy and the relationship that forms between Brougham, the slight love-triangle that is explored (it is mainly one-sided as Darcy has been in love with her best friend Brooke for the longest time; the feelings aren't reciprocated. This leads to a shift in Darcy as she starts to question how she can be falling for the boy who's hired her to win his ex back, I absolutely loved the scene where all of her fellow club members reassure her that she will not lose her queer credit is she decides to date a boy.
I really was rooting for the relationship between Brooke and Darcy to blossom, but I quickly changed my mind as her connection with Brougham started to get more serious. I just loved him so much as a character, this was a real feel-good story that had a diverse representation of characters that anyone could connect to!
-
Everyone knows of locker 89, if you leave an anonymous letter asking for help and a tip you'll get advice on how to approach your situation. No one knows who runs locker 89, this quickly changes when Alexander Brougham catches Darcy Phillips red-handed as she gathers letters out of the locker. He won't tell on her...as long as she helps him win his ex-girlfriend back. This creates a chain of events as Darcy's services are hired as she mends the broken relationship. Darcy has no choice but to agree to his terms as she doesn't want anyone knowing she's the person behind locker 89 - she's used it to her advantage in the past and her secret getting out could possibly ruin one of the only friendships she has.
I can't express how much I loved this book, I loved Darcy and the relationship that forms between Brougham, the slight love-triangle that is explored (it is mainly one-sided as Darcy has been in love with her best friend Brooke for the longest time; the feelings aren't reciprocated. This leads to a shift in Darcy as she starts to question how she can be falling for the boy who's hired her to win his ex back, I absolutely loved the scene where all of her fellow club members reassure her that she will not lose her queer credit is she decides to date a boy.
I really was rooting for the relationship between Brooke and Darcy to blossom, but I quickly changed my mind as her connection with Brougham started to get more serious. I just loved him so much as a character, this was a real feel-good story that had a diverse representation of characters that anyone could connect to!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism and Vomit
obscurepages's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The author mentioned that this was a book written because of biphobia, that this was written especially for bi/pan readers. I couldn't agree more.
This book was so, so wonderful, I feel like crying.
I feel like crying because it was validating and real and honest and perfect. The way this book tackled biphobia and bisexuality, as well as what it means to be queer/questioning, was so so good and heartfelt. In a way, it felt like an eye-opener. In a way, it felt like friend guiding you on, a friend who has your back.
Also, I have to mention, I had a smile on my face after reading the last page because it was just so heart-warming and satisfying. That's how much I adored this book.
That's it for me, for now. I'll ramble more about this book on my blog with a full review! Soon!
What a great book to start my 2021!
TW: internalized biphobia, confidential information accidentally getting leaked, a little bit of violence
A big thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC of Perfect on Paper! (This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
This book was so, so wonderful, I feel like crying.
I feel like crying because it was validating and real and honest and perfect. The way this book tackled biphobia and bisexuality, as well as what it means to be queer/questioning, was so so good and heartfelt. In a way, it felt like an eye-opener. In a way, it felt like friend guiding you on, a friend who has your back.
Also, I have to mention, I had a smile on my face after reading the last page because it was just so heart-warming and satisfying. That's how much I adored this book.
That's it for me, for now. I'll ramble more about this book on my blog with a full review! Soon!
What a great book to start my 2021!
TW: internalized biphobia, confidential information accidentally getting leaked, a little bit of violence
A big thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC of Perfect on Paper! (This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism
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