The Duff

The Duff
By Kody Keplinger
2010
277 pages

Summary: Bianca is cynical, sarcastic and a little jaded, but she has two wonderful and beautiful best friends. And while she would never call herself pretty, she’s still surprised when the school’s popular hottie (ie. womanizer), Wesley, calls her the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). But things aren’t great at home and in a drastic attempt at distraction, Bianca finds herself kissing Wesley. Even if he is the enemy, Bianca needs something to take her mind off her life and as it turns out Wesley isn’t really what he seems.

Review: The Duff was a fantastic and fun read. One of the strengths of the novel is the writing. It’s very fluid and quick, making it an easy novel to fall into. I thought that Bianca and Wesley were interesting characters and I think readers will approve of Bianca’s sass. While issues such as self-esteem, friendship, abuse, divorce and of course sex were addressed, there were parts of the book that did seem a little shallow and unrealistic. Readers should also be aware that there is a lot of sex and that it is treated in a way that was for the most part flippant. That being said I think it was an enjoyable read, one that female young adult readers will enjoy, especially considering that Kody was herself a teen when she wrote it.

Also by Kody Keplinger: Shut Out (due out Sept 2011)

If you liked The Duff, you might also enjoy: Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern, Audrey, Wait! By Robin Benway and Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Author Website: http://kodymekellkeplinger.blogspot.com/

Rating:
Writing: 4/4
Characters: 3/4
Plot: 2.5/4
Originality: 3/4
Popularity: 4/4
Cover Art: 2.4/4
Grade Level Interest: S