The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend, by: Kody Keplinger

       ​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.

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My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

       Here it is, folks: the first 2-star read of the year. This book has been on my TBR for a looooooonnnnnnnnggggggg time. I bought it when the movie came to theaters so I could read the book before seeing the adaptation, and after finally getting around to reading it this past week, I was so disappointed that I have resolved not to waste my time watching it.
       The most prominent letdown for me was the overall message this book is sending to teenagers and especially young woman. Bianca serves as the main character, narrator, and the DUFF of her friend group. After she kisses the boy she hates the most, her choices lead her to avoid her problems by hooking up with Wesley, whom she claims to despise. Instead of facing her situations head-on throughout the book, Bianca seeks the distraction of having sex with him. Her parents’ marriage is not going well, and she grows distant from her best friends, but the only thing she ever shows interest in is the sexual friendship she has with a boy that is “no strings attached”.
       I understand what the main point that the author is trying to get across. She wants the readers to know that it’s okay to feel a little ugly sometimes, and everyone feels that way at some point or another. The other message is to not judge others by what you hear about them. I am glad this book features these issues because I believe them both to be very important. My problem is that both of these messages could’ve been presented to readers in a way that didn’t imply that screwing someone you hate to avoid your difficulties is okay. Also, to top it all off, (Highlight for Spoilers) SHE FALLS IN LOVE WITH HIM. This book is saying that casual sex in high school of all places with lead to finding your one true love. I understand that in the real world, there are probably more relationships like this that stem from sex than I realize, I still don’t think it is the message you want to send your readers. There are just a lot of things regarding relationships that I feel as a young woman are sending wrong signals to other girls my age, especially when most of these girls are not ready for this kind of relationship.
       Besides my dislike of the messages in the book, there were a few things that I did enjoy. Every once in a while a character would say something that made me chuckle. I also liked that Bianca was not afraid to tell it like it was every once in a while. The size and atmosphere of her school were neat to see, and it was something to which I could relate. She mentions that her student body is around 400 kids, and that’s just a bit bigger than mine. It was nice to see a smaller town in a young adult book since the schools placed in the stories I read are more massive than I could ever imagine.

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       Overall, there just wasn’t a whole lot that hooked me in and made me keep reading this book. Have you read The DUFF? Do you agree with its messages? Did you just find more enjoyment in this book than I did? Let me know in the comments!

Your blogging high school girl,
Ashton

No matter where you go or what you do to distract yourself, reality catches up with you eventually.

― Kody Keplinger, The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend