Book Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger (3 Stars)

I picked up this book after hearing generally positive things about it, and wanting a bit of light relief after reading several heavy fantasy books and classic literature. It’s a very fast read and I read it in one sitting of about two hours. You do have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief and just accept that this is not a book where reality is going to play a big part.

For example, having been a teenager and having experienced many boys like Wesley I could not quite get over the fact that there was no way he could turn out to be the good guy that he did, despite his redeeming storyline. Anyone who comes up with the tern DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) is not a nice person at heart, I’m sorry but that is just the way that I feel. It takes a certain mind to come up with such a cruel phrase. I am all for Bianca claiming the term and using Wesley, as it starts off, I would also have been happy for them to become friends out of it and have grown through it. I actually would have preferred that they hadn’t fallen in love, it just didn’t quite ring true – and for someone who loves a good happy ending this is pretty hard for me to say.

That being said, once I got over my disbelief, I really did enjoy this book. There were some strong messages that came out, towards the end of the book in particular, about how all teenage girls seem insecure no matter how beautiful they are perceived to be. I think this is something that is really important in today’s world where it is so easy to be negative and the media pushes us towards these feelings. The way that the girls come together at the end to talk through their issues and support each other was something I really enjoyed of and we need to see more of. It was also really nice to have two so-called beautiful friends who were genuinely good people and cared about the heroine. There were no darker intentions behind their friendship, all they wanted to do was help and support Bianca – even when she’s being a truly terrible friend.

I debated long and hard between giving this book two stars and three stars, but in the end my enjoyment of the friendship aspect overcame my issue with the relationship and the one-dimensional side characters. There is a solid message in The Duff in my opinion, even if it isn’t the one that I expected when I first picked up the book.

Book Review: The Rest Of Us Just Live Here - by Patrick Ness (Four Stars)

I went into this book with high hopes and huge expectations. For me a Patrick Ness novel is always a pleasure to read. Meeting the man in person is considerably more intimidating, so be aware before you go to see him for the first time!

I think that most people reading this book will be a fan of Ness’s writing style and this doesn’t disappoint at all. He knows exactly how to capture the teenage voice and make it applicable to any situation. This is a fantasy novel that is working it’s hardest not to be. And I admire that as a concept. Much as I enjoy a good fantasy novel full of daring deeds and brave people – how many times have I also secretly thought that the hero was an idiot? Many other people have mentioned in their reviews that this novel seems to have been heavily influenced by Buffy and I totally see where that comes from. I always had a soft spot for Xander and I feel like we have his story played out here. In a world that regularly falls apart, where fights can break out at any moment how do you also manage to live a daily teenage life. Being a teenager is already about heightened emotions and everything is intense, seeing the wider picture is hard. I liked the juxtaposition in the novel of the snippets of the ‘Indie Kids’ story line, which were short and punchy and to the point, unlike the general fantasy novel exposition, and the day-to-day lives and actions were drawn out and described in detail.

Instead of pure action this book heavily relies on its cast of characters. Mikey is the main character and watching him interpret and misunderstand the world around him was a pleasure and all too familiar. Even as you are certain that he is missing something you are still just as much in the dark as him.

What I really about Patrick Ness is that you can never have a preconceived notion of what to expect from his writing because he always goes out of his way to surprise you and that is such a joy when so many books just do the same thing. I think everyone who has ever felt on the outside can learn something from this book – just being you is your story, and that’s pretty wonderful.