The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Release Date: 8/7/2010
Publisher: Little Brown
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Overall:

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.

In case you hadn't noticed I was in such a romance mood this weekend. And the last read definitely didn't end the way I wanted it to, so I tried this one, which totally reminded my why I love fluffily (Yes. I made up a word. So what?) romances... they are SO adorable!

I loved Bianca's snarky, real, sometimes harsh, razor-sharp voice. There was also humor aspect that I loved, and how she isn't afriad to say, or show, how she feels. Anyone else ever wanted to throw your soda in someones face? She actually did it. The character arcs are my favorite part of this book. There's no makeover a la She's All That. No tropetastic turning point when Bianca lets down her hair and slaps on some eyeliner and voila! she's a supermodel! No, Bianca accepts herself for the way she is -- although she does grow emotionally, which makes the book's unlikely romance believable. Under Bianca's tough-talking exterior and Wesley's wisecracking manwhore ways, they both find the vulnerability in one another, and as a result, we fall for them both.

The plot was beautiful, where you could really see the two main characters shape from being characters to real live people.

. . . And I liked the ending :)

A great read!

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xoxo,

Shelbie