Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF 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 "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that 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.

Review:

I've been looking forward to reading The Duff for a LONG time and, luckily, it was just as awesome as I had hoped.

Bianca was a fantastic main character, I loved reading about her unique perspective on things. She was cynical, moody, and awesome. Bianca was such a realistic character, I think anyone could relate to her. I’d never heard of the “DUFF” (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) before, but I think it’s a term everyone can relate to at some point. What teenage girl doesn’t compare herself to her friends and feel less pretty, stylish, etc?

The plot was completely original and well written. Tired of being the DUFF and sitting by herself while her beautiful friends dance at clubs, she gets into a secret relationship with known playboy Wesley Rush. I loved the scenes featuring Wesley and Bianca. Their arguments and bickering were entertaining and realistic, I loved watching their relationship grow and turn into something more than a fling. She was the one girl who could knock him off his feet and give a feisty retort to his come ons. Bianca and Wesley were both flawed, but that just made them perfect for each other.

The language and sex in The Duff may make some readers uncomfortable, but I think without her “rough” language and often careless opinion of sex, she wouldn’t be Bianca. Watching her whirl wind relationship with Wesley was exciting and proved not all teen romances are innocent, sweet, and slow moving. Divorce, alcoholism, and other family issues were tackled in this novel and Bianca and Wesley really bonded over this.

Other than Bianca and Wesley, there were a lot of other fabulous characters in this novel. Bianca’s two best friends, Jessica and Casey, were both likable and interesting girls, and really great friends to “B”. Toby Tucker, Bianca’s father, Amy… I liked a lot of the characters.

Kody Keplinger’s writing is one of my favorite aspects of this novel. It flowed effortlessly and every word was perfect. The Duff drew a variety of emotions from me and the ending left me immensely satisfied. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Overall, The Duff was a realistic, hot, and fun filled debut novel that is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Every girl who has ever felt like the DUFF will be encouraged by this novel, it proves how important it is to feel good in your own skin, and that, at some point, everyone has been the DUFF.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

September 7, 2010/Poppy/288 Pages/Young Adult

Source: BEA 2010 (signed ARC)

Other books by this author: Shut Out