The DUFF - Review

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

By: Kody Keplinger

Published: September 7th 2010 by Little Brown/Poppy (first published January 1st 2010)

280 pages

Genre: YA/NA, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from my sister

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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 sister recommended The DUFF to me because she had the audiobook, and she thought I would enjoy it. My sister and I don’t always agree on books, but she was pretty sure that I would like this one. And so when I had some downtime at work I decided to take her up on it to help pass the time. And well overall I did enjoy The DUFF.

The DUFF is one of those books where the characters have a LONG way to go from being likeable in the beginning. Considering that this book is at least inspired in part by Wuthering Heights, it’s understandable that none of the main characters are particularly likeable. I struggled through the beginning, but in the end the character growth and development won me over.

Bianca is our main female character. She’s flawed as all get out. She’s judgmental. She has an awful potty mouth. She jumps to conclusions. She makes assumptions. She’s even hypocritical. She talks and thinks negatively about herself and about others. While I find Bianca, and The DUFF in general, fairly realistic, this isn’t a reality that I really want to be a part of.

Here’s an IM conversation my sister and I had about this book. I’m tried to exclude all of the spoilery parts. I feel like this just gives you the best idea of how I felt about this book (this conversation took place over the two days that it took for me to finish this book):

Sandy [10:37 AM]: I relate to this girl, yet I can't say I really like her that much.
Sandy [10:45 AM]: she's very judgmental
Melissa [10:45 AM]: yeah. I can see you not liking her very much.
Sandy [10:47 AM]: i hope she grows as a character. [removed]
Sandy [1:19 PM]: oh boy...there she goes making out with wesley again
Melissa [1:19 PM]: yep. I was like "what in the world are you doing?!?!"
Sandy [1:19 PM]: yep. next thing you know she's going to be sleeping with him just to not think about [removed]. oh wow...there goes the shirt. maybe i'm not that far off
Melissa [1:20 PM]: smh.
Sandy [1:20 PM]: and the bra. sheesh
sheesh
!!!!!!!!!!!
Melissa [1:22 PM]: :)
Sandy [1:22 PM]: seriously!!!!!!!!!! :-O
Melissa [1:23 PM]: hahahahaha.
Sandy [1:23 PM]: this girl SMH i can't believe her
Melissa [1:25 PM]: yep. she's insane.
Sandy [1:25 PM]: GREAT ^o) i almost feel bad for Wesley.
Melissa [1:26 PM]: oh dear.
Sandy [1:27 PM]: bahahahaha!!!!!!!!! or not
Melissa [1:27 PM]: why?
Sandy [1:27 PM]: she's not nice to him at all
Melissa [1:27 PM]: no, she's not, but he called her the DUFF.
Sandy [1:27 PM]: yeah i know. sometimes he seems like he cares though. perhaps i'm naïve.
Melissa [1:28 PM]: I liked him too. after a little while.
Sandy [1:29 PM]: he keeps asking her if she's alright seems like he actually cares. otherwise why even ask?
Sandy [1:32 PM]: and him having his own bookshelf and stuff. indicates there's more than meets the eye.
Melissa [1:32 PM]: :)
Sandy [1:33 PM]: or...he could just be rich :) she's going to go back for more too i bet
Melissa [1:33 PM]: I bet.
Sandy [1:33 PM]: hey...you already know. ;)
Melissa [1:39 PM]: I didn't say what happens. I was betting the same thing.
Sandy [1:39 PM]: :|
Sandy [1:45 PM]: oh sheesh. that is why i never told my friends if i had a crush on someone
Melissa [1:47 PM]: what happened?
Sandy [1:48 PM]: well first of all kacey told jessica about b kissing wesley to begin with. but then i think it was kacey again said something angie and vicki at lunch about her making out with him. AFTER vicki had already said that she and wesley fooled around in his car at homecoming.
Melissa [1:49 PM]: oh yes. I remember thinking I would have been annoyed if i were Bianca.
Sandy [1:49 PM]: for sure. i would have been furious
Sandy [3:12 PM]: ok just when i was starting to like this book... toby tucker's helping her pass out VD flowers etc
Melissa [3:13 PM]: YEAH...
Sandy [3:13 PM]: 8-)
Melissa [3:13 PM]: what's wrong with that?
Sandy [3:14 PM]: i just doubt it will end happy. i'm assuming she's built him up too much in her head.
Melissa [3:14 PM]: :D
Sandy [3:14 PM]: i bet you love hearing my predictions
Melissa [3:15 PM]: i do.
Sandy [3:15 PM]: i don't mind being wrong
Melissa [3:15 PM]: :)
Sandy [3:16 PM]: and i like to have proof if i guessed correctly and how much do you want to bet that [removed]
Melissa [3:20 PM]: :)
Sandy [3:20 PM]: :D (H)
Sandy [8:36 AM]: did you see where i said yesterday that i keep thinking the narrator says lesley instead of wesley?
Melissa [8:38 AM]: oh yeah. I remember thinking that too.
Sandy [8:38 AM]: i always have to remind myself his name and that he's a boy since i keep thinking she says lesley
Melissa [8:39 AM]: hahahahaha.
Sandy [9:06 AM]: bahahahhaah....[removed]
Melissa [9:07 AM]: :)
Sandy [9:07 AM]: and he was like "while that's disappointing that's not what i was going to ask" BAHAHAHAHA!!!!! oh boy!!!!!!!!
Melissa [9:19 AM]: Hee Hee.
Sandy [10:42 AM]: haha...yep
ugh...i don't want her with toby.
Melissa [10:43 AM]: I didn't either. But, who do you want her with? Wesley???? :)
Sandy [10:43 AM]: well yeah
Melissa [10:44 AM]: :)
Sandy [10:50 AM]: i can't believe she said [removed]. SO NOT TRUE
Sandy [10:54 AM]: and toby just admitted to watching gossip girl seriously?
Sandy [11:02 AM]: BAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! busted
Melissa [11:07 AM]: what?
Sandy [11:07 AM]: [removed]
Melissa [11:08 AM]: [removed]
Sandy [11:08 AM]: yeah go wesley!!!!
Melissa [11:09 AM]: what did he do?
Sandy [11:10 AM]: he said [removed]
now she's [removed]
Melissa [11:10 AM]: :)
Sandy [12:06 PM]: CHEESE! WESLEY RUSH DOESN'T CHASE GIRLS...BUT [removed]. :D
Melissa [12:06 PM]: HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sandy [12:06 PM]: (H)
Melissa [12:07 PM]: I knew you'd like this book. :)
Sandy [12:08 PM]: WELL...I'm torn on some things, but overall I've enjoyed it and looked forward to it when I had to stop listening.
Sandy [12:48 PM]: man....this book is running out of time for [removed].
Melissa [12:50 PM]: hahahaha.
Sandy [12:50 PM]: :|
Sandy [1:10 PM]: i finished
Melissa [1:10 PM]: yeah? And?
Sandy [1:10 PM]: i liked it. need to write my review now. :)
Melissa [1:11 PM]: were you happy with the ending?
Sandy [1:11 PM]: yeah

I battled with The DUFF because I didn't like Bianca very much in the beginning. I feel like there's more to address and I could over analyze a lot of this book, but I was happy to see the character growth in Bianca as well as the other characters. The DUFF gets 4 stars from me. I debated giving it 3.5, but pushed it up to the 4 stars because of how much I wanted to come back to it whenever I would have to press "pause." Have you read The DUFF? What did you think? Let me know!

Pivot Point - Review

Pivot Point (Pivot Point, # 1)

By: Kasie West

Published: February 12th 2013 by HarperTeen

343 pages

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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*Note: The above links to Amazon, The Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

I’ve read three Kasie West books at this point, and I have to say that I’ve been impressed with every single one of them. I’ve had Pivot Point in my possession for MONTHS. And anytime the subject of Kasie West came up someone would ask if I’ve read Pivot Point or they would recommend Pivot Point to me, and I would always say “I have it in my possession, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” And so with the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge that Kimba The Caffeinated Reviewer hosted, I decided that was the time to pick up Pivot Point. It just so happened that I was also off work for a day. I woke up around 8:00 am and said “I’m just going to read until 9:00 am.” Nine came and I said “I’m just going to read until 10:00.” Ten came and I said “I’ll just read until 11:00 and then I’ll eat lunch and get up and get some stuff done around the house.” Eleven came and I did put the book down, ate lunch, and then I said “I’m so close to finishing. I might as well just knock this book out.” HA! That’s how that all went down. I just didn’t want to stop reading it. I also have to say that I was impressed with how different Pivot Point was from the other two (contemporary) books I’ve read by Kasie West.

I haven’t read as much paranormal over the last year or two as I used to so that aspect of Pivot Point I was both looking forward to and dreading. As descriptions can sometimes be, I felt like the Goodreads description above was slightly deceiving and gives off the impression of this book being “less” than it is. The description feels a bit juvenile to me. It kind of reminds me of the Vampire Academy movie advertising. The wrong portrayal of the book can give you a totally different impression of what this whole experience is about to be about. For one, Addie doesn’t enjoy Searching the future that much. I actually got the impression from reading the book that she only tries to search major decisions. It’s not about having an insurance plan against the menial aspects of teenage life. Though there are times she’s able to avoid disaster thanks to her ability.

In this particular case as the description says, her parents tell Addie that they’re getting a divorce and because of her gift they want her to see which future she will adjust to the best and which one she should pursue. So using her gift in this rare instance, Addie Searches even further than she normally would and Searches six weeks into the future. She sees two futures that both hold their own pros and cons. But unlike the description seems to indicate, it’s not really about which guy to choose or whether she wants to be popular by dating the quarterback or stuck in some boring Norm school. It’s much deeper than that.

We basically start Pivot Point in the present. Then when faced with the choice of which parent to live with Addie Searches both futures and the narration swaps back and forth between the potential futures—the one where she lives with her mother in the Paranormal compound that she grew up in or the one where she lives with her father off the compound in the Normal world. And then eventually Addie comes out of her Search and she has to choose a future. Luckily since we already know how that future goes for the next six weeks, we don’t have to live that future out, but instead skip six weeks ahead so that we know what happens after the last thing that Addie sees in her Search.

Addie as a character was easy for me to get attached to. I enjoyed seeing how true to character she was despite whichever future was playing out at the time. She’s all for the paranormal side of things and having gifts, but yet, she’s been manipulated by the different gifts she’s been around her whole life. Even when people aren’t using their gifts on her, she knows they have the ability to which prompts her to behave in a way that doesn’t force them to use their gifts on her. She dreams of a world and a relationship where she is completely not manipulated.

Addie’s best friend, Laila, has had a rough childhood. Her father has a drug addiction which has caused all kinds of problems for her family. This has led to Laila acting out at times as children from troubled homes often do. I got annoyed with Laila in both futures that Addie sees, but when push comes to shove Laila is a good friend to Addie despite everything.

And then there are the guys. Bobby who wanted to take Addie to homecoming but Addie saw him being a bit too aggressive in a Search prior to the start of this book. Duke who is the quarterback from the paranormal compound who pursues Addie in the future where she lives with her mom, and then normal Trevor who was injured last year and no longer plays football. Trevor is Addie’s only friend for a while in the future where she lives with her dad. I enjoyed all of the secondary characters, and I love how they are all present in both futures even if their roles and events that take place are different in both futures.

Pivot Point does have a mysterious aspect that Kasie West plays out quite well. Aside from wondering which future Addie will choose, the reader is given clues to each puzzle in the opposite reality. I loved this. Only the reader and the version of Addie performing the Search know all of the pieces to the puzzle. Information is released slowly, but as information is released I don’t think the reader will have too much difficulty figuring out the majority of the plot. This didn’t bother me because I was so wrapped up in seeing how every piece comes together that I wasn’t worried about the parts that were predictable.

Kasie West’s writing style is smooth and easy to get wrapped up in. Having now read three books by her, I find her stories and writing very consistent in quality. Pivot Point was so much more than I expected and so much more than I think the description lends to it. I loved the unique concept as well as the way Kasie West executed everything. I’m definitely looking forward to Split Second and would recommend Pivot Point to anyone who enjoys a bit of paranormal, a bit of mystery, with likeable characters that I found myself rooting for. Pivot Point gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Pivot Point? What did you think? Let me know!

Favorite quote:

"Sometimes perfection reveals the lie, Addie, not the truth."

Waiting on Rowdy

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Rowdy (Marked Men, # 5)

By: Jay Crownover

Expected Publication: October 21st 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks

400 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--After the only girl he ever loved told him he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and decided he was going to do everything in his power to live up to his nickname. Life was all about a good time, good friends and never taking much too seriously. Rowdy learned his lesson early on, when you care that much about anything it can destroy you, and he never wants to risk feeling like that again. Only now he has a new coworker, a ghost from the past who’s making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in a house with too many rules, too many regulations, and no fun allowed. That never worked for her so she left it all behind as soon as she could, but she never forgot the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been in love with her little sister. Fate and good intentions from an old friend have placed her right in Rowdy’s path and she’s determined to show him he picked the wrong sister all those years ago. A mission that is going along perfectly until the one person that ties them together shows up and could very well tear them back.

I've enjoyed every single one of the books in this series, and I can't wait to read this one. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Books on my Summer 2014 TBR List

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books on my Summer 2014 TBR List.

This top ten is going to be remarkably similar to my Top Ten Books in my Beach Bag from a couple of weeks ago. I can't help it. I didn't actually knock out that many books from that list in the last two week.

1. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
2. Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly, # 1) by Susan Dennard
3. Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes
4. Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot
5. Driftwood Tides by Gina Holmes
6. The Kiss of Deception (This Remnant Chronicles, # 1) by Mary E Pearson
7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
8. Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassins, # 1) by Robin LaFevers
9. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, # 3) by Laini Taylor
10. Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Which books are on your Summer TBR List? Let me know!

Very Bad Things - Review

Very Bad Things (Briarcrest Academy, # 1)

By: Ilsa Madden-Mills

Published: September 9th 2013 by Little Dove Publishing (first published September 7th 2013)

389 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect...

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.

Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about... until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.

As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy... where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

Let me start off by saying that not everyone is going to like Very Bad Things. There’s insta-love (aka love at first sight). There’s talk of being soul-mates. There’s cheesiness. There’s ridiculously fast happy endings. But you know what? Sometimes I just need these types of books. Sometimes I like cheesy. Sometimes I need an unrealistic love story that’s going to hook me until I read every page. And Very Bad Things fit that bill for me.

Very Bad Things is told from alternating POVs between Nora and Leo. Nora is a high school senior. She’s the class president, a star debater, she’s got an IQ of 160. She’s a beauty queen. She’s a talented pianist, and she’s on track to go to Princeton. But Nora doesn’t really want any of that anymore. She only wanted it before to please her mother who demands perfection from her. But Nora’s been through some very bad things in her life and she doesn’t want to pretend anymore. Leo has recently moved to town. He’s older than Nora and solely responsible for raising his younger brother, Sebastian. And he’s terrified of letting anyone too close because he knows how quickly they can be ripped out of your life.

Nora and Leo have this moment when their eyes meet across a parking lot. I think there’s a lot to be said about the circumstances surrounding the events taking place that contribute to said moment. And I can definitely understand having a moment with someone, feeling connected, and then seeking them out after that, but it’s a bit of a stretch to say anything more than that took place within the moment. Nora is pretty set on the idea of Leo from then on out. Yet Leo fights the relationship tooth and nail for much longer than I expected.

The secondary characters could have used a bit more page time. Sebastian and Mila especially since they had the biggest roles outside of Leo and Nora. But even Cuba felt like he could have been explored more. I had many questions about Mila and Cuba. And Sebastian was just such a likeable character that I’d love to learn more about him. I’m excited to say that book 2, Very Wicked Things is Cuba’s story and I look forward to delving deeper into his character. Of course, we’ll have to wade through the man-slut to get to the good stuff, but I’m invested at this point.

Very Bad Things only had two or three graphic scenes, and as new adult books go this is pretty tame.

Truthfully, Very Bad Things isn’t one of those books that I want to dissect too much. I’m not expecting anything too deep, too philosophical, or too poetic or beautiful from a story such is this one. It was good enough that I was interested to keep reading. Very Bad Things gets 3.5 Stars from me. Have you read Very Bad Things? What did you think? Let me know!