Goodreads Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
My Confession: I think I decided to buy this book because the title was so in-your-face. I mean, "Designated Ugly Fat Friend," really? My finger was poised over my Nook--I was just looking for a quick, fun read. I wasn't totally in the mood for a story that was going to "teach me a lesson" about body love. But then I realized how many times I identified as a DUFF, and I pressed "purchase." Yes, Barnes & Noble, I'm okay with you charging my credit card $7.99 for this ebook. I want to read what this brave teenager (yes, the author is a teenager) has to say about this topic.
Okay, so who hasn't felt like the ugly, fat one in their group of friends? If you haven't, then you can stop reading here. Because I have--almost every day of my twenty-three year existence. And I can count on one hand how many times I've read a character like this--someone simultaneously smart, sassy, and completely uncomfortable in their own skin because of what society perceives as "pretty." And not once have I ever believed that a legitimately attractive male would fall for someone with a little junk in the trunk. But I believed Wesley's genuine affection for Bianca, not because of what she looked like, but what she brought out in him. In never trying to please Wesley, Bianca is herself--she doesn't worry about her body or image. And in doing so, she finds a peace within herself and everything she has to offer. I think it adds a little truth to the adage that you can never love someone without truly loving yourself first. In many ways, I don't think you can ever be truly loved until you love yourself enough to show all of yourself to that person, until you realize you have nothing to hide. That's how Wesley and Bianca fall in love with each other's true self. And that's why it feels so real. Wesley never really loses his edge, and Bianca never really loses that cynicism, but they find a way to soften the other.
But I think this can be more than a feel-good story for girls who have always felt marginalized for not fitting into a size 2. I was really impressed with the eighteen-year-old author's concept of storytelling and building character. A lot of this book was very believable, and Bianca's voice was strong and consistent. There were a few points where I winced or grimaced, mainly in the moments when Bianca equates Wesley to a drug, the way she uses him to avoid facing her home issues. I get where the author was trying to go with this--I just don't think it totally got there.
Recommendation: This was a really cute read and a page-turner in its own way. The characters are three-dimensional and I really enjoyed reading a truly relatable female voice, someone who wasn't at the top of the high school food chain. Bianca's not a blonde, perky cheerleader (even though one of her best friends is); she doesn't have "tragic beauty" that she just doesn't realize. She's 100% normal, American teenager who is just trying to survive adolescence. Her uber-popular friends really love her, and it was utterly refreshing to read about how perception really is reality. And a little self-love and confidence never hurt anyone.
Rating: 3.5/5
280 pages, published by Poppy (Sept. 7, 2010)
No comments:
Post a Comment