The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This really is an awesome book, I was almost surprised at how good it was, since I read wildly conflicting reviews about it, all from people whose judgment I usually trust. But for me, the character of Bianca (the titular DUFF), who I liked so much, even as the story made my heart ache for her, totally won me over. I know YA books are about separating from parents and all, so of course the parents have to be dead, clueless, remote or otherwise awful, but in this particular case I couldn't help but be angry at just how badly Bianca and even Wesley got the short end of the parenting stick. Another great element was the offbeat relationship between the two of them (I realize this is an odd word to describe it if you've read the book, but I can't think of another). It's not a love-hate relationship, it's a hate-hookup relationship. So maybe we've seen that before (in one of Lauren Barnholdt's At the Party books, for one place), but here it comes across as believable in a sharp and emotionally impactful way. I also liked the way two great books were worked in, The Scarlett Letter and Wuthering Heights. The themes of the books - which most high schoolers have to read at some point in their academic careers - really resonate with the story and with the characters and the reader. It's like Leaves of Grass in Paper Towns in the way it illuminates the personalities of the characters and also moves the story forward. I am looking forward to reading Kody Keplinger's other books now, this was an amazing debut for a 17 yo author. Wow!



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