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The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
by Kody Keplinger
So this one had you gushing at the end just like any good contemporary should, however, that did not automatically make it a good book. This novel had its issues. For one, the main character was all of the places in the way that her personality and mannerisms were conveyed.
Bianca was a selfish character who at times would even bully the girls who were supposed to be her best friends. I found Bianca's character development to be quite choppy and at different points throughout the novel her behavior would change unexpectedly before reverting back to the same person in the end as she started out as in the beginning. It felt as if the author had picked one path for her but then changed it around a few times throughout the book before finally coming full circle to end up right back where she started.
Casey and Jess were constantly portrayed as caring and understanding people who would do anything for Bianca. It was highlighted that the bond that the three girls shared was strong and had been for many years, especially the one Bianca had with Casey. Yet for most of the novel, she felt as if she couldn't tell them anything. This itself did not add up to me. In turn, Casey would also gang up with Bianca and leave Jess out in the cold with their friendship. Toward the end, the author tried changing around the dynamic to be more inclusive toward Jess, however, it felt rather forced which led to the feeling that their friendship had a foundation of fake elements to it since they were supposed to be three best friends.
Wesley was a strong round character throughout the novel and was the only character who's progression remained consistent.
For minor characters, Bianca's parents were strong influential roles in her life even though some of their actions seemed out of character.
Some of the continuous themes throughout the novel ring true to the lives of the target audience though I found the consistent cattiness and the far too casual way that suicide was mentioned throughout the book to be setting a poor example for the manipulative minds of the young readers.
I did appreciate how the book started and ended in the same location but with varied character development. The author utilized a lot of clique lines throughout the novel. When done right, these lines can enhance the story, however, this was not the case in this particular work. I found myself inwardly cringing at some points throughout as the writing style would chop and change at points and it seemed like the author was trying to mirror other famous works in her writing style. It was clear that the author was purposely forcing a more 'in depth' and 'insightful' way of writing scenes though this did not work out in her favor and just looked out of place.
Overall, I found this book to fall short of its hype. While some parts of the story were enjoyable to read I found the overall choppiness to be far too distracting from the conveyance of the story and to be an effort to read. This, in turn, caused my enjoyment of this book to be lacking. I would recommend this book to readers who tend to skim read and not pay too close attention or those who are a fan of fluffy, coming of age stories who don't really read all that much.
Bianca was a selfish character who at times would even bully the girls who were supposed to be her best friends. I found Bianca's character development to be quite choppy and at different points throughout the novel her behavior would change unexpectedly before reverting back to the same person in the end as she started out as in the beginning. It felt as if the author had picked one path for her but then changed it around a few times throughout the book before finally coming full circle to end up right back where she started.
Casey and Jess were constantly portrayed as caring and understanding people who would do anything for Bianca. It was highlighted that the bond that the three girls shared was strong and had been for many years, especially the one Bianca had with Casey. Yet for most of the novel, she felt as if she couldn't tell them anything. This itself did not add up to me. In turn, Casey would also gang up with Bianca and leave Jess out in the cold with their friendship. Toward the end, the author tried changing around the dynamic to be more inclusive toward Jess, however, it felt rather forced which led to the feeling that their friendship had a foundation of fake elements to it since they were supposed to be three best friends.
Wesley was a strong round character throughout the novel and was the only character who's progression remained consistent.
For minor characters, Bianca's parents were strong influential roles in her life even though some of their actions seemed out of character.
Some of the continuous themes throughout the novel ring true to the lives of the target audience though I found the consistent cattiness and the far too casual way that suicide was mentioned throughout the book to be setting a poor example for the manipulative minds of the young readers.
I did appreciate how the book started and ended in the same location but with varied character development. The author utilized a lot of clique lines throughout the novel. When done right, these lines can enhance the story, however, this was not the case in this particular work. I found myself inwardly cringing at some points throughout as the writing style would chop and change at points and it seemed like the author was trying to mirror other famous works in her writing style. It was clear that the author was purposely forcing a more 'in depth' and 'insightful' way of writing scenes though this did not work out in her favor and just looked out of place.
Overall, I found this book to fall short of its hype. While some parts of the story were enjoyable to read I found the overall choppiness to be far too distracting from the conveyance of the story and to be an effort to read. This, in turn, caused my enjoyment of this book to be lacking. I would recommend this book to readers who tend to skim read and not pay too close attention or those who are a fan of fluffy, coming of age stories who don't really read all that much.