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The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)

by Kody Keplinger (Goodreads Author)

397 · rating details · 5681 ratings · 1181 reviews

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 ...more

Hardcover, 280 pages

Published September 7th 2010 by Little Brown/Poppy (first published August 19th 2010)

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Jul 23, 2011

Lora rated it

Recommends it for: older teens and people that are more open-minded than me

Shelves: g-ya-realistic, lib-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A note to anyone that chooses to read the following: I am critiquing this book solely based on the first 80 pages or so as I simply didn't have the will to continue any further.

Have you ever been sitting with a group of friends and one of them tells a joke and immediately everyone but you starts laughing? And then you sit there looking like the stupefied idiot who's just not getting it? That's how I felt while reading The DUFF. So many of my GR friends have liked this, and I've read ...more

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Jun 12, 2011

Janina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, contemporary, annoyed-me, love-triangle, read-in-2011, given-away, not-for-me, lovestory-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So. I finished The DUFF yesterday and I’ve calmed down a little after being majorly annoyed with its main character, Bianca. Sorry, but how can a supposedly intelligent person be so dumb and so clueless? The only explanation I can think of: Someone gave her very bad advice.

“Hey, my father is a dry alcoholic, hasn’t been drinking for almost 18 years, and now consumes huge amounts of beer and whiskey because my mom left him.” - Better not tell anyone, it is his secret and you’re not in t...more

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Aug 03, 2011

Nic rated it

Shelves: contemps-challenge, 2010, young-adult, swoon-worthy-read

My take on Wesley - http://irresistiblereads.blogspot.com/20... (hope you like JJJ :)

My Favourite Quote: "No matter where you go or what you do to distract yourself, reality catches up with you eventually".

I have never heard of the term The Duff (The Designated Ugly Fat Friend) before I bought this book. I thought maybe it was just a term used in the States. But apparently not. It is even used here in Australia. As I was paying for the book at the counter, ...more

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Feb 13, 2011

Kirsten Hubbard added it

Shelves: ya-highway

I first read THE DUFF in a Word doc, post-agent edits but pre-editor edits. I enjoyed it then. Now that I've had a chance to read the polished, expanded version in an ARC graciously sent by Kody's agent, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, I enjoy it even more.

There's a lot to love about The Duff: the humor, Bianca's razor-sharp voice, and of course, the romance. Hot hot hot. What is it about a love-hate relationship that gets us going? Who knows, but Kody nailed it.

The character arcs are...more

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Sep 20, 2010

Penny rated it

Shelves: check-your-brain-at-the-door, chick-lit, guilty-pleasures, reviewed-books, ya-fiction

Alright ladies, I've got a question: say you're at a scummy dance club that your friends all but forced you to go to. You're not having a good time. In fact, you're pretty miserable and can't wait to go home. As you sit at the bar nursing your Cherry Coke a good-looking guy comes and sits next to you.

That would be nice, right? A good way to pass the time until your friends decide they've had all the man-handling they can take (for the night).

Well, say the hot guy i...more

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Jan 26, 2011

Jen rated it

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2010

This one took me by surprise. But I guess I should've expected to enjoy it. Bianca is abrasive, snippy, and let's be honest, kind of a beotch. I can totally emphathize with Bianca. We'd be friends, for sure. I think every girl has felt like the DUFF at some point in her life before. Insecurity is a part of growing up (and even after that.) Seriously though, you guys. I'd never heard of a DUFF before, but I'd be heinous, too, if a guy ever addressed me by that term!

Bianca is an aweso...moreThis one took me by surprise. But I guess I should've expected to enjoy it. Bianca is abrasive, snippy, and let's be honest, kind of a beotch. I can totally emphathize with Bianca. We'd be friends, for sure. I think every girl has felt like the DUFF at some point in her life before. Insecurity is a part of growing up (and even after that.) Seriously though, you guys. I'd never heard of a DUFF before, but I'd be heinous, too, if a guy ever addressed me by that term!

Bianca is an awesome, ballsy character. And what an amazingly honest portrayal of a teen. I distinctly remember having a ridiculous potty mouth like her, having a bad attitude like her, and never thinking I was good enough. Sure she dropped a few hundred F bombs, but so what? That's her. That's her personality. She's got a lot to be frustrated about: problems on the homefront, a seemingly unattainable goal to date the school's cute smarty-pants valedictorian, and two drop dead gorgeous BFFs who make her completely insignificant, physically. Yeah, I can imagine you'd want to four-letter-word it up a little bit to blow off some steam.

The connection between Wesley and Bianca was interesting. I don't know how believable the plot scheme was, but, hey! That's why they call it fiction. I frickin' loved it. Even though Wesley was a grade A jerkface, I kept rooting for them to work it out. Especially when their friends-with-benefitship started to solidify and it was obvious that these two had stronger feelings for one another than just a booty call. I'd like to believe that NO girl would hook up with a guy who affectionately called her fat and ugly on a consistant basis, though. That part really upset me. But, again, these things really do happen. Bianca was aware that what she was doing was completely twisted and scorned herself for it. She's flawed, and that's okay.

I really liked Wesley's character development. He grew from an arrogant a-hole to an arrogant a-hole who learned the repercussions of his actions and showed potential to become a future decent human being.

If you're cool with harsh female leads who are awesomely smart-mouthed, witty verbal sparring, and a hefty amount of borderline adult romance-worthy touchy-feely scenes, by all means... pick up this deliciously edgy book. I love Kody Keplinger's writing style and finished this book in less than 24 hours. Not to mention she's 19, so she knows wtf she's talking about as a teen. My little sister is 19 and hasn't yet blasted out a book of sheer badazzness like Kody has. Blows my mind everytime I think about it.

As far as stars? Four for you! You go, Glen Coco....er, Kody Keplinger!

Oh come on, you know you love the Mean Girls ref.

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Jan 30, 2011

Cory rated it

The Duff brings back memories from two years ago. I was just beginning to get into serious writing. My characters were cynical as hell. They all needed to prove something to the world by being as snarky and sarcastic as they possibly could. I didn't know that certain phrases were grammatically incorrect such as,

"I'm tired,"John sighed.

or

"I hate him,"Lissa hissed.

And I was very annoying with my character descriptions. Yes, I described th...more

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Sep 15, 2010

Annalisa rated it

Recommends it for: lots of language and casual sex

Recommended to Annalisa by: author blog

Shelves: young-adult, romance, contemporary

This book depressed me. Has the world really gotten to a point where the best solution to overwhelming problems is the dive into the endorphines of meaningless sex with the town man-whore who you absolutely despise? Please don't answer that question. Maybe we should back up in health class and do more than talk about STDs and pregnancy and talk about the emotional complications of sex.

I kept waiting for Bianca's reckless behavior to catch up with her, but it never did. On the physica...moreThis book depressed me. Has the world really gotten to a point where the best solution to overwhelming problems is the dive into the endorphines of meaningless sex with the town man-whore who you absolutely despise? Please don't answer that question. Maybe we should back up in health class and do more than talk about STDs and pregnancy and talk about the emotional complications of sex.

I kept waiting for Bianca's reckless behavior to catch up with her, but it never did. On the physical scale, every time she slept with Wesley I kept wondering how "clean" he could be after sleeping with hundreds of girls, sometimes hours before hooking up with Bianca. Protection or no protection, there are still risks and Bianca got lucky that nothing happened. On a social scale, nobody found out and called her out for being a hypocrite by doing the exact same thing Wesley was doing after being so vocally disgusted by him. On an emotional/mental scale, she had a second's regret at being dirty before she pushed the reaction out of her mind. It could have come back later, coupled with all the problems she was running from, and Bianca would have had to face herself and the decisions she'd made and deal with the mess she'd created. But when the emotional effects started to catch up with her, she threw herself in other distractions (making the same mistakes without consequence) until everything worked out so that her reckless behavior ended up benefiting her. She still had problems to deal with and realizations about herself to make and all that was good and well done, but this not-very-wise decision that's pivotal to the story doesn't ever really affect her the way I think it should have.

The good news is that Keplinger, a teenager herself, has written a humorous, engaging tale that although it made me feel a little dirty for liking it :), I couldn't put it down. In the beginning, I didn't quite believe Bianca throwing herself at Wesley. I mean she hates him with a passion and after he insults her she's making out with him. I think that would have worked better if he had made the first move and she got caught up in someone hitting on her. But beside that, the plot is well paced and the characters well developed and very authentic (personally, I think Lauren Oliver did a better job in Before I Fall with about a hundredth of the swear words and none of then f words, but that could just be my personal preference). Besides warnings for a lot of language and a lot of non-descript sex, I have another warning: The DUFF mentions Wuthering Heights. No! Gratefully, it's not some literary snob who is obsessed with WH at the exclusion of modern fiction (although there is a jab about Twilight and Harry Potter). But when introduced to WH, Bianca starts seeing her own life in the characters and we have yet another twisted love story comparing itself to WH. Again, it works here, but it is so overdone.

Even though Bianca often exasperated me, I felt for her and got a little sad for her at times, maybe even a little choked up. I rooted for her. And I ended up really liking Wesley too. Yeah it's a little stretch that the town womanizer who objectifies women is really a sensitive guy, but the way Keplinger writes him, it works on him. I had trouble sympathizing with him that his grandmother would be embarrassed that he was flaunting his man-whore status, but he ended up being a good guy that I could root for despite all his jerky comments and lack of morality. (On a sidenote: the guy I did sympathize with was the boyfriend. I got the impression that he didn't want to do anything but when a girl throws herself at you, it's not socially acceptable for a guy to say no. And in today's world, it's not the guys coercing girls into having sex but the other way around. Nice boys really do finish last and that's so wrong.)

The story is strong and lingering, but I'm not sure I agree with all the messages in the book. The biggest message is that everyone feels like the duff sometimes. It's a nice idea, but I doubt it. Everyone feels less than beautiful at times, but not everyone has potential to be the hot one with a change a friends and wardrobe in the spirit of She's All That. The message may be optimistically wrong, but I like where Keplinger is going with it, that we all have insecurities. I just wish the message had been more about accepting who you are regardless. Throughout the book I was reading Bianca as a heavy-set girl who wasn't ugly but wasn't that attractive (and it seemed strange that she was so comfortable with her sexuality and nudity around the very Greek god who dubbed her duff), but then at the end her friends were calling her cute and petite and I was disappointed to realize she was averagely attractive and just insecure. I think I liked it better when she was unattractive and it didn't matter.

Don't judge because we're all sluts, therefore, nobody is a slut. Okay, the don't judge thing is always a good message and it was a good wake-up call for Bianca to realize she could be that girl that everyone was talking about behind her back, but the rest of that logic is a little faulty in a two-wrongs-make-a-right sort of way. Maybe don't be so slutty would have been a better message?

I loved that Bianca kept denying that she could ever be in love. That teenagers don't have the potential for that kind of love in their relationships because it takes years to develop. But if love is too much emotional responsibility for teenagers, why isn't sex? And why is casual, meaningless, unplanned sex as escapism okay but sex with someone you might actually love something you should stop and consider and maybe be a little hesitant to jump into? I've read sex in YA that worked for me because it was about love and emotional connection and commitment. If this had been about how screwed up this kind of base, unattached sex made Bianca's and Wesley's life I would have liked it a little better.

Keplinger uses her novel to go on a rant about gay marriage rights, not really part of the plot, but that didn't bother me as much as her disdain for emo music. Sorry, but I'm a fan. If she'd made fun of country music I would have liked it so much more :).

But despite all that, I still liked it. For a debut novel by such a talented young author, overall I'd say well done. There are definitely friends I would recommend this to who would enjoy Bianca and Wesley and the story and the writing. And there are friends I would definitely not recommend this to because the twisted messages about sex detract from an otherwise fun story. (less)

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Jun 02, 2010

Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it

Out of all of the books I got my first day at BEA, I chose The DUFF to read first. It's a medium length book (not too overwhelming) and had a contemporary topic that I was interested in.

The book started off fine enough - we are introduced to all of our key players. The descriptions allowed me to visualize them in my head easily, so each scene was pretty well laid out in my mind.

After a few pages, I realized I was going to have a problem - Bianca (The "DUFF") ha...more

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Jul 20, 2010

Veronica Roth added it

Shelves: badass-titles

I started to read this book at about 10PM, thinking I would just get through a chapter and come back to it later, but that didn't happen. I stayed up until 2AM. What first sucked me in was Bianca's voice, which I found funny and engaging. But what really kept me going was my sudden and inexplicable love for Wesley. This book is well-paced and well-written, but its greatest strength lies in its characters. They are interesting, likable (even when they're doing things I don't approve of!), and the...more

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Dec 01, 2011

JoJo - JJJ (Jo Anna) rated it

Recommended to JoJo - JJJ (Jo Anna) by: Everyone

Shelves: own, favorite, crushing-on-him, bad-boys, luv-the-covrrrrrr, loaned-out, hawt, books-everyone-should-read, read-in-2011

Unputdownable-Awesomeness-Unexpected-Funny-Serious-Realistic <b/>

I had just finished Hunger Games and needed something upbeat and light to read. I had browsed my collection of books however nothing said “READ ME NOW.” So I looked at a couple of trusted reviews for some of the books I was considering. I decided on The DUFF (Designated, Ugly, Fat, Friend), by Kody Keplinger.

I devoured this book and could have read it in one sitting had I not needed sleep for work. :...moreUnputdownable-Awesomeness-Unexpected-Funny-Serious-Realistic <b/>

I had just finished Hunger Games and needed something upbeat and light to read. I had browsed my collection of books however nothing said “READ ME NOW.” So I looked at a couple of trusted reviews for some of the books I was considering. I decided on The DUFF (Designated, Ugly, Fat, Friend), by Kody Keplinger.

I devoured this book and could have read it in one sitting had I not needed sleep for work. :=), damn job! Kody, a very young author, made a smash with this novel. This book was SOOOOOO MUCH MORE than I ever expected it to be. I had thought this would be a light read about a boy teasing a girl and then they live happily ever after with everything in between. Not the case with The DUFF. This book takes you through the struggles of teens at school, with friends, relationships, alcohol abuse, violence and divorce.

The DUFF, a term I honestly have never heard. I don’t know if it is because I am in the middle of the United States or perhaps I am too old. Regardless, I have been The DUFF so many times in my life I can’t keep track on my fingers. Bianca/The DUFF, the main character, was a character I felt I could relate. I have walked in her shoes many times. I too was the girl who sat and watched while her friends danced and received all of the attention. I was the one who usually drove them around as well…. I, like Bianca, many times sat and visited with the bartender. Her struggles and feelings were quite easy for me to embrace obviously. She is a very likable and easy to relate.

I thoroughly enjoyed the other characters and felt they were superbly written. Casey and Jessica are Bianca’s two best friends. These girls are what everyone should look for in friendship. Toby is a likable crushworty studious good guy and is so kind and sweet to Bianca. Toby is the boy Bianca has had a crush on forever. Then there is Wesley Rush, just the name oozes hotness. He is the rich playboy who is sooo naughty you just want to eat him up. He is quite irresistible and definitely my new book boyfriend. Of course there are Bianca’s parents. Her dad is struggles to accept the realty of his own life; while her mother can’t deal with the reality so travels as a public speaker to escape. Lastly, although he is barely in the book there is Joe the bartender. Now come on people you have to love a good sensible bartender. I loved all of these characters and feel like they are really well done. They are relatable and likable.

My favorite element of this book has to be the steamy hot chemistry between Duffy aka Bianca and Wesley. I loved their constant banter back and forth. It was obvious they loved to hate one another. When you push aside their intense connection you see there is more there than just sex. These are two people who discover their chemistry is not only in the bedroom however in their struggles, deepest feelings and self discovery.

For me this book was a lot of fun however it was also layered with some very real situations. I would recommend anyone to read it and enjoy it as I did. Although I am not the target audience, teen, this book brought back so many feelings and memories.
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Feb 08, 2012

Anya rated it

Shelves: came-out, books-i-own, 2010, must-read-again

I absolutely love this book. It's sexy and it feels so much close to reality than most of the books and not because it lacks some fantasy storyline. There isn't the always bitchy Queen B of the high school for once and all the teens act like real teens do. And most importantly - they have SEX. Because that's what teens do, whether you like it or not and I hate how all the YA fantasy books are trying to tell you, that it's all about the ultimate love and finding the real person (especially when t...more

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Apr 25, 2011

Jessica rated it

Shelves: 01-faves, 05-literary-crush-worthy, 16-chick-lit, 25-hawt, 02-hall-of-fame-♥

I'm fully aware of the fact that this does have its flaws but I had such a blast with this book, I can only rate it 5 stars.

Update:

Simply put: I loved this. One reason might be that I’m the biggest sucker on earth for stories like this. Bad boy falls for good/ordinary/average girl. Give me a main character I can relate to, a plot that keeps me entertained and doesn’t strike me as stupid or ridiculous, make the bad boy swoon-worthy and top it off with some hot and sizzling...more

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Dec 27, 2010

Jean Pearl rated it

**edited with a warning tidbit below**

This book is sweet and adorable. I find myself carried away by the Designated Ugly Fat Friend, Bianca, the usual teenage problems she confronts with and I find her escape of those to be a hell of a super exciting hot and wild one. Despite the imperfections that were already imprinted on her mind ever since forever, even more so when she was introduced by the word DUFF, which was implied to be her by someone, she actually coped with it so well no ma...more

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Jul 31, 2011

Alice rated it

Shelves: not-enough-liquor-in-the-world, bad-lust-stories, brandishing-my-pink-gucci-chainsaw, young-adult, young-adult-fail, writing-styles-i-abhor, the-goggles-they-do-nothing, the-love-triangle-of-doom, book-stroke-in-3-2-1, waved-a-flag-in-my-face, reads-like-subpar-fanfiction, broke-every-rule-of-girldom, girl-politics, rich-white-people-problems, zero-stars-if-i-could, happily-dated-itself, owned, masochism-at-its-finest, melodrama-galore, e-books, glutton-for-punishment, worst-friend-of-the-year-award, protagonists-from-hell, reads-like-a-bad-lifetime-movie, contemporary, icknast-love-interests, ugh-that-trope-again-shelf, daddy-issues-and-tissues, stale-bread-characters, message-lost-in-translation, slut-shaming-of-epic-proportions, will-cheerfully-burn-later, things-authors-should-not-do

I don't think I've ever been so happy to have finished something in my entire life.

If I can ever manage to work myself out of the sputtering state of disbelief this book has managed to put me in I'll try and attempt to review it. Until then...the shelves speak for themselves.

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Aug 29, 2011

Simona rated it

Recommended to Simona by: Petra Sýkorová

Shelves: contemporary, absolutely-love, en, i-own

Už dávno som potrebovala knihu v tomto štýle a myslím si, že som si vybrala správnu :) I LOVE IT! :)

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Apr 16, 2011

Faye rated it

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2011, favorites, book-i-love-thus-the-5-stars

18th book in 2011

March 16, 2011: So, first I was interested in this book because of the term "duff" then I read that the lead character is a cynical yet smart girl so I was like, let's see what this book got. At first I was like okay, this is somewhat a so-so, and Bianca could be irritating with her being the most pessimistic girl among her 2 best friends and it also made me wonder how two very popular girls will hang out with the cynic or should I say emo girl (not that she ...more18th book in 2011

March 16, 2011: So, first I was interested in this book because of the term "duff" then I read that the lead character is a cynical yet smart girl so I was like, let's see what this book got. At first I was like okay, this is somewhat a so-so, and Bianca could be irritating with her being the most pessimistic girl among her 2 best friends and it also made me wonder how two very popular girls will hang out with the cynic or should I say emo girl (not that she is into wearing blacks and thick eyeliners) but you probably know what I mean when I say that her two best friends are Casey, the popular cheerleader, and Jessica, one of the hottest girls in Hamilton.

I think the story really started when Welsey Rush (oh yeah, I did like him even if he was a jerk at first) entered the picture and introduced B to the duff word. Then B, having family problems turn herself into the womanizer-jerk for distraction and as hot as their relationship was, or the lack there of, I liked the story because it showed an evolution from a girl who saw herself as really, the Duffy (or the designated fat friend)among her friends to being the confident girl who accepts who she is and also becoming stronger in facing the reality of life; that she can't always look for something or someone just to distract herself from facing her problems in life because eventually, it or they will all come and get you.

Call me a hopeless romantic but I really liked the part where Welsey is chasing B, his exact words being, "Welsey Rush doesn't chase girls, but I'm chasing you". It was not only their secret nookies (w/c is good because it's not very graphic and somehow manage to make the story even more appreciative because a lot of young adult books now have very graphic descriptions of sex scenes which I don't appreciate all the time because it seems so casual and meaningless). It was also a story of two people wanting to be seen for who they really are without forcing themselves just for the people to see that not everything can be seen by what the eyes see.

I think that the duff word was somehow degrading or insulting at first, but as the book progressed, I appreciate the new vocab word in my list as it means to me that no matter who you are, those that judge you are 99% strangers to you, they don't really know you and most of the time, they do so to make themselves feel better because they know that there is a part of them that is duff too. That sometimes, they are the Duff too. That even if they try so hard, they will never be perfect so they project it to others' fault so they can boost their own self-esteem. So that's one of the reasons that I find this book worthy of reading and recommending.

I recommend it to everyone who wants a short but enlightening read, to girls who want a boost to their self-esteem.

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Jan 23, 2012

Eunice rated it

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, damn-gorgeous-males, favourites, taught-me-lessons, realistic-fiction, ya-romance, young-adult

5 of 5 stars

"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you"

Oh baby, you don't know how I just swooned at that line! *sigh*

Anyway, Gahd, I love love luuurve this book. I had this on my TBR pile for quite a long time but I keep on passing through it. Seriously, I should have read this a long time ago. But yeah, I guess it's better late than never, right? And I am really glad that I finally read this! This is just so freaking awesome. I'm surprise on ...more5 of 5 stars

"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you"

Oh baby, you don't know how I just swooned at that line! *sigh*

Anyway, Gahd, I love love luuurve this book. I had this on my TBR pile for quite a long time but I keep on passing through it. Seriously, I should have read this a long time ago. But yeah, I guess it's better late than never, right? And I am really glad that I finally read this! This is just so freaking awesome. I'm surprise on how much I enjoyed this book.

I had a lot of fun reading this book, this made me laugh, swoon, and grin a lot! And the characters, though they have their obvious flaws were still really adorable and lovable. Kody Keplinger did a very great job on developing the characters. You'll definitely notice how these characters changed and grew throughout the story, most notably Bianca.

I loved Bianca! Even though she could be a bit whinny and frustrating at times her character was still really lovable and understandable. I don't hate her for her actions during those times when she was trying to escape the problems she had. Even if it was kinda bitchy or slutty, the author was able to make us connect with Bianca and understand what she was trying to do. As the story progressed, Bianca was able to realize things about herself and how to finally stop running away from her problems and face it. It was really amazing how noticeable her development was. She was very different from how she was on the very first part and how she turned out on the last part. Not just the way she acts but also the way she thinks. Her experiences and her past actions did change her perspective in a lot of things in a really good way.

Wesley. All right, he's a jerk and I am very well aware of that but still I really loved this guy! I love how Keplinger wrote his character. She didn't try to gloss his character by being a total good, nice guy in the end just so that everyone would like him. In fact he was still a bit of a jerk in the end but not really in a bad way. But what the author did was to make us understand why he was doing it. And I don't deny that it was still bad and awful but I also realized that it wasn't entirely his fault why he was like that. That there were really big reasons behind it. He did changed in the end, just like Bianca, he finally stopped running away and finally faced his problems. But the witty, overly confident, a bit of an a-hole Wesley was still there - which I really did like.

I always find it hard to understand guys who were like Wesley or to find logical reasons why they were being like that. But Keplinger was able to help me realize that maybe there were really reasons for that - like escaping - and we shouldn't be all too judgmental. I don't say that it's okay for them be like that but maybe we have to be a bit sensitive because at some point we tend to become like them too, maybe in a different way, but still there were times that we all wanted to escape too. They needed someone that would make them realize the things they should really do.

Casey and Jessica, Bianca's best friends were also really lovable. I love Casey for being so supportive and caring. She's the kind of best friend every girl would want to have. A best friend who will always be there when you needed them, who would immediately notice if there was something wrong and would easily lend her help and her ears even if you keep on pushing them away. I love that Jessica was the one who saw that Toby wasn't really for Bianca. That she saw pass Bianca that she wasn't at all happy and that what she really want was Wesley. I would love to have best friends like this two. They're one of the sweetest and most adorable best friends in all the books I'd ever read.

Whoa! I think I wrote a really long review. Haha. But that just means I so loved this book. I really have a lot to say whenever I got so engaged over a book. Over all, this was a very wonderful and insightful read. Not just fun but you'll also get lessons from here. I highly recommend this! A must read! :))(less)

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Apr 24, 2011

Katya rated it

Shelves: 2011, teen-lit

Enemies with benefits? Why dost this sound so familiar?

By some weird coincidence, I read this book right before Phoebe interviewed Kody Kaplinger for her blog It's a fabulous interview, and it made me see a lot of the things in this novel a lot clearly.

Bianca is the DUFF. That's the designated ugly fat friend to those of you who aren't spoiled rich boys with nothing better to do than come up with insulting nicknames for women. She's introduced to the term by the biggest ...moreEnemies with benefits? Why dost this sound so familiar?

By some weird coincidence, I read this book right before Phoebe interviewed Kody Kaplinger for her blog It's a fabulous interview, and it made me see a lot of the things in this novel a lot clearly.

Bianca is the DUFF. That's the designated ugly fat friend to those of you who aren't spoiled rich boys with nothing better to do than come up with insulting nicknames for women. She's introduced to the term by the biggest womanizer in school when he, stupidly, explains to her that by socializing with the DUFF (herself), he increases his chances of getting into her friends' panties. She responds to that by throwing her Cherry Coke in his face.

The thing that sets "The DUFF" apart from most contemporary YA is that there is sex. Lots of it, and not always of the chaste black-out moment variety. Bianca quite honestly uses Wesley to escape the difficult stuff in her life, something which he is not averse to, as it turns out, because he too has things he'd rather not think of. The way Keplinger portrays sex in this book is very different from what some authors show in YA, but not necessarily the bad kind. Unlike Meyer, she doesn't have her characters ashamed of their desires, and, as the story progresses, the sex becomes less the sourse of escape and more a show of love and affection. And while it wasn't quite like my high school experience, I related to the events in the book, and understood why Bianca did the things she did. It fit her character, and the situation she was in.

So this was a great book... for the first two thirds of it. The last third just felt rather bizzare. Ok, so Bianca's father gets over himself because of Wesley giving him an... ahem... wake-up call (and I won't lie when I say I got a kick out of that scene, the sadist that I am), but that subplot just felt under-developed for me. Bianca's struggles with it were purely internal, and the solution to it was just too quick. Her father just didn't seem like a well-developed character.

The other problem is that the subplot about Jake just didn't make much sense. Bianca never confronts him, which would have been a good resolution for her. Instead, she gets her resolution through Jessica, who acts like a messanger for her brother's apology, which makes the plot pretty redundant. Bianca could get over that part of her past with or without that apology, so why throw it in there if she can't even confront the bastard?

Finally, the whole thing with her running away from Wesley after her epiphany felt a little redundant. Yes, yes, I know, she's afraid of having her heart broken. But the thing is that at that point, she is fully aware that she needs to stop running from the problems in her life and start solving them. She knows that she has to stop using Wesley to run away, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they can't stop seeing each other. Moreover, he's the one who helped her get to this conclusion - does she really not realize that he likes her?

Then again, that could be chalked up on Bianca's inexperience in that field, so yeah, that's not such a huge problem for me. Still, why do they have to keep dragging Wuthering Heights in whenever they want a love story? I could barely stand Catherine and Heathcliff, or any of the other characters for that matter. Why do they keep paining this as a love story when it's clearly a tragedy about some brat, taken in by good people, who repays them by ruining their family? I just don't get it!

That aside, "The Duff" is a pretty adult-novel plot material redeveloped in a book for teenagers. Is that a bad thing? Not really - it's realistic, and it's one of the few novels I've read which treats teens like adults, and not like children. It's a good, fun read.(less)

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Jun 09, 2011

Tammara added it

Bianca doesn't seem to actually have major self-esteem issues -- not any more so than the typical girl. Yes, her best friends are skinny and popular, but it doesn't bother her or reflect on her self-image. She's realistic about how she looks, but doesn't want or intend to do anything to change it, because she's fine with herself. Sure, she's bored sitting at The Nest -- the music isn't her thing, she doesn't dance, and doesn't care for the crowd that hangs out there -- a lot of preening people h...moreBianca doesn't seem to actually have major self-esteem issues -- not any more so than the typical girl. Yes, her best friends are skinny and popular, but it doesn't bother her or reflect on her self-image. She's realistic about how she looks, but doesn't want or intend to do anything to change it, because she's fine with herself. Sure, she's bored sitting at The Nest -- the music isn't her thing, she doesn't dance, and doesn't care for the crowd that hangs out there -- a lot of preening people her age. But she goes there occasionally with her girlfriends to keep them from their own bad choices (I love that, btw). She's smart and she knows it, cynical and not sorry about being so. Bianca struck me as a girl biding her time, waiting for adulthood so she could go live her life. Lots of smart girls feel this way during that last couple of years of high school.

The lead male character, Wesley: my God, what a piece of work this guy is. What struck me immediately about Wesley: he's blatantly, unapologetically honest about how little he cares about anything but getting what he wants. He straight-up tells Bianca that she is the DUFF -- the Designated Ugly Fat Friend -- and that being nice to her will make him look more sensitive to her hot friends! He chooses the wrong girl to say this to (here's the moment I got hooked on this book) because Bianca is having none of that. She tosses her entire coke on him and tells him blatantly and unapologetically what she thinks of him... and then she takes her friends and leaves! And then Wesley thinks "What a bitch!" and gives up, right? WRONG.

I loved Kody Keplinger's voice. She nailed the thoughts, feelings and reactions of an intelligent, loyal girl who has just enough emotional turmoil at home, and just enough past heartbreak, to be a little more harsh and cynical than she needs to be. I also thought she got Wesley right. He's arrogant, full of himself, rich and used to getting his way all the time, every time. Good God, how boring that would be after a while, if no one was ever a challenge. Then along comes Bianca. Let the fireworks begin.(less)

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Apr 12, 2011

Aleeza Rauf rated it

Shelves: 2011-read

As soon as I got my (virtual) hands on this one, I delved into it. I’m a HUGE fan of Kody Keplinger. Huge, huge, huge. She was one of the first published teen authors I came to know, and was obviously a huge inspiration for me. So her book was one I wanted to read as soon as I found out about. The whole girl-hates-the-jerk-who-turns-out-not-to-be-a-jerk-and-subsequently-girl-falls-for-him premise sounded amazing. And then, everyone’s been praising it non-stop, so I was sure I’d adore it.

...moreAs soon as I got my (virtual) hands on this one, I delved into it. I’m a HUGE fan of Kody Keplinger. Huge, huge, huge. She was one of the first published teen authors I came to know, and was obviously a huge inspiration for me. So her book was one I wanted to read as soon as I found out about. The whole girl-hates-the-jerk-who-turns-out-not-to-be-a-jerk-and-subsequently-girl-falls-for-him premise sounded amazing. And then, everyone’s been praising it non-stop, so I was sure I’d adore it.

Except that I didn’t. The first thing that bothered me was the writing. It just didn’t flow very well, and the voice, even if, in other people’s opinions, was realistic, just didn’t gel with me. I was hoping throughout it’d improve, but it didn’t. Bianca’s aggression rubbed me in all the wrong ways. I love, love, LOVE snarky protags. Half of my novels have snarky protags! But in this case, I failed to comprehend her narrow-minded view of the world. It didn’t quite make sense that she was so angry at everything. She didn’t have any esteem issues in the beginning, and wasn’t a total loser—she had two adoring, albeit somewhat annoying (to me) friends—so where the cynicism stemmed from, I’m at lost cause.

The chemistry between Wesley and Bianca…quite frankly, was zilch. Wesley Pissed. Me. Off. Even in the tender moments, I was rolling my eyes. Which probably wasn’t the intended effect. Also, the first thing Bianca says to Wesley on their first meeting is: Wesley Fucking Rush. Okay, she’s never actually spoken to him before, just hates him on what she’s heard and seen of him, and curses at him in the first sentence she speaks to him. And Wesley takes it in a stride. What?

There also weren’t any emotional repercussions for Bianca for using Wesley through her body. I’m not saying she should’ve suffered brutally or anything, but if you’re screwing a guy on a regular basis just for distraction, and one that you eventually fall in love with, wouldn’t you feel somewhat bad about it?
I don’t know. This book just didn’t do it for me. There were so many issues in the book, and they could’ve been dealt with so much better to make a killer novel, but it kind of failed for me in every department. The ending was also put together way too easily.

BUT, I will give credit to how the author shed light on labels being employed by people as a way to make themselves feel better. Like, if someone is sleeping around with loads of people, whatever the reason behind it, they’re classified as whores. But the person who calls them a whore has their own set of issues…and it could be anything, but it’s something, because we’re all humans, and we’re all flawed. And basically, judgementalism SUCKS. (That isn’t even a word. But whatever.)(less)

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Dec 24, 2011

Jodi rated it

Shelves: library, best-characters, favorites

LOVE IT! Not many non-fantasy books make it to my favorites shelf, but I don't have to think twice about adding this one.

I kept listening to Taylor Swift's "The Way I Loved You" while I read this because it's 100% this book's theme song. Well, okay the second half of this book's theme song. The first half is more like Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (the booty call song). So if you want to know what this book is about check out those songs.

Okay I coul...more

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Mar 09, 2011

Vinaya rated it

Shelves: could-have-been-better, romance, ya-fiction, hmm-that-was-interesting

I think one of the worst things that could ever happen to a book is an unsympathetic protagonist. A person would be willing to forgive a lot of things — loopholes in the plot, slow-moving story, clichéd endings — if they fell in love with the hero/heroine. Unfortunately, this did not happen to me with The DUFF.

I read a blog post by Kody Keplinger today where she remarked that a lot of the people who criticised The DUFF did so because of the sex scenes in the book. Personally, I have ...more

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Jul 14, 2011

rachel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: own, read-for-one-of-four-book-clubs, ya, 2011

When I was 18, my parents encouraged me to write a book. I laughed at the idea and said, "But I haven't lived long enough to understand people. That would be a bad book." I think they had this impression that because I had gone to summer camps for writing, my creative efforts up until this point would have consisted of pithier things than two pages of handwritten story about a rabbit couple, erotica about video game characters (written so young that the sex parts probably consisted of...moreWhen I was 18, my parents encouraged me to write a book. I laughed at the idea and said, "But I haven't lived long enough to understand people. That would be a bad book." I think they had this impression that because I had gone to summer camps for writing, my creative efforts up until this point would have consisted of pithier things than two pages of handwritten story about a rabbit couple, erotica about video game characters (written so young that the sex parts probably consisted of "then sex happened!!" which is not too far from an actual scene in this book), and hideous Seventeen magazine collage-covered sketchbooks of teenage poetry.

Which is not to say that all teenagers who like to write write crap. I picked up The DUFF planning to forget about Kody Keplinger's age and the further and further I read, the more I found those age related thoughts creeping into my head. Teachers call their students "people." Bianca's "Converse" are mentioned more than once, which is I guess supposed to give her some hip outsider cred.

"Of course these adult characters feel like cutouts of dysfunction, not adults," I thought. "She was 18."

"Of course this dialogue doesn't resemble the way real people talk, except in romantic comedies and Boy Meets Boy. She was 18."

"Of course the boy Bianca's in love with yet barely ever talked to has been secretly admiring her. It's wish fulfillment. She was 18."

My biggest disappointment, and I'm not sure if it's age/experience related or a mismatch of author intent and my hopes for the book, is that our DUFF is insecure and angry. Early reviews calling the book "fresh" left me with the impression or the hope that maybe Bianca would be an atypical girl character. That there would be an iota of self-actualization, since online communities of girls even younger than 18 are becoming versed in social justice and awareness. I hoped that Bianca would understand why she was having sex with Wesley and that using him for sex would be in line with her needs. I didn't expect this flaily "why do I like him he is mean but he makes me tingly so I'll still do it because he is hot and an escape from my home life HE IS MY SEX TOY HA HA but I'm not giving blowjobs, ewww" that is what the book actually is.

It ends up being the story of every teen girl in a hookup situation. Except this time, it was written by a teen and the girl happens to be fat. (But Wesley seems to lift her up onto a pool table for hot, hot sexing without much effort. Do you know how high those things are off the ground? I'm skeptical about the level of fatness involved, is all I'm saying.)

Also, there is oral sex, described in a vague "weird but then I started feeling feelings I've never felt before" way, which made me laugh out loud, and then there are suddenly specific shaking legs and I suddenly felt creepy and voyeuristic by proxy. If this is my reaction to an 18 year old's prose about sex, then it's probably a good thing I can't find my old writing. I may literally die from reading my 11 year old conception of What Sex Is Like.

Maybe Kody Keplinger will be the age-defying Tea Obreht of the YA world in a few years. As it is, enough people have read and loved this to make up for my opinion. (less)

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May 31, 2011

Kassiah rated it

Recommended to Kassiah by: Caren

Shelves: fictionators-rec, high-school, swoon-worthy-boys, ya, read-2011

So my beautiful friend Caren wrote a review about this book on our site and after a little prompting, I had to read. I mean, the high school genre is my fave. You probably already know that about me. Right from the beginning, The DUFF pulled me in.

I really loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved Bianca. I loved her friends. And omg I loved Wesley Rush.

**spoiler alert**

Suddenly, I felt Wesley’s breath hit the back of my neck.
He’d gotten up fr

...moreSo my beautiful friend Caren wrote a review about this book on our site and after a little prompting, I had to read. I mean, the high school genre is my fave. You probably already know that about me. Right from the beginning, The DUFF pulled me in.

I really loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved Bianca. I loved her friends. And omg I loved Wesley Rush.

**spoiler alert**

Suddenly, I felt Wesley’s breath hit the back of my neck.
He’d gotten up from the floor and slid up behind me without
me realizing it. His arms slid around my waist from behind,
his fingers undoing the button of my jeans before I could stop
him.
“… and Jess had her hopes up that we’d do something
fun…”
I couldn’t focus on a word Casey was saying as Wesley’s
hand slid beneath the waistband of my pants, his fingers
moving lower and lower.
I couldn’t say a word. I couldn’t tell him to stop or show any
reaction at all. If I did, Casey would know I wasn’t alone. But,
God, I could feel my whole body turning into a ball of fire.
Wesley was laughing against my neck, knowing he was
driving me crazy.
“… I just don’t understand what’s up with you.”
I bit my lip to keep from gasping as Wesley’s fingers
slipped to places that made my knees shake. I could feel the
smirk on his lips as they moved to my ear. Asshole. He was
trying to torture me. I couldn’t handle it much longer.
“Bianca, are you there?”
Wesley bit my earlobe and pushed my jeans even lower
with his free hand as the other continued to make me shiver.

Um...yeah.

You know how it felt when you were in high school and the guy you'd been crushing on notices you? Keplinger captures that perfectly. The descriptions and fun dialogue brought me right back to high school. Everyone's reactions were authentic and nothing felt contrived. There was enough backstory to everything without overloading with details.

Ngl though, there were a few things that I didn't love. There are a few plot developments that I think could have been explored more, namely with her dad. Although I realize this was a story about Bianca and her growth as a character, I felt like that was a loose end that didn't have to be tied up per se, but certainly addressed with a little more depth. Of course, I wanted more at the end *grin* Also, I don't know much about book covers, but I don't love this one and without Caren's recommendation, I never would have thought to read this.

I really did love it though and will definitely be checking out more of Keplinger's work :)(less)

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Jan 08, 2012

Julianna Helms rated it

Recommended to Julianna by: Brooke

4.5 stars

Quick reaction: Whoa. Whoawhoawhoawhoa. I stayed up until almost 3AM this morning finishing this. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop reading! I think the thing that got me the most with the transformation of the characters. They changed in such subtle and drastic ways that when I realized that the Bianca at the end of the story was so different from the Bianca at the start, well I...

Kody Keplinger, kudos to you. I'm actually really shocked that I didn't ...more4.5 stars

Quick reaction: Whoa. Whoawhoawhoawhoa. I stayed up until almost 3AM this morning finishing this. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop reading! I think the thing that got me the most with the transformation of the characters. They changed in such subtle and drastic ways that when I realized that the Bianca at the end of the story was so different from the Bianca at the start, well I...

Kody Keplinger, kudos to you. I'm actually really shocked that I didn't find the lascivious scenes to be overwhelming or overly dramatic. More on that in the actual review.

I only had two little problems with this novel, and they're pretty big spoilers, so definitely do not read on if you haven't read THE DUFF.

(view spoiler)

Actual, full review: Original is here. (Note: Due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

There is something deeply refreshing and horrifying about The Duff. It's about a girl. About sex, about insecurity, but mostly, about the word how. I was addicted to this book. The Duff will shock you out of your numb membrane of a shell and introduce you to the ugly world of ours that has a way of aggravatingly, thankfully, impossibly remedying itself.

Bianca is sarcastic, perpetually annoyed, and always, always intelligent in both the philosophical and physical sense of knowing to never go near Mr. Wesley I-will-sleep-with-you-next Rush. But she's also the DUFF, according to Wesley--the Designated Ugly Fat Friend. And I want to clap Kody on the back and hug her and fist bump her, because she's right--every. body. feels. like. the. freakin'. DUFF. And though throughout the novel we see from Bianca's sole viewpoint, Kody incorporates the other characters' own personal struggle to accept themselves as they are subtly, realistically--brilliantly.

This book contains a lot of lascivious scenes, and quite the number of profanity. But they are not fancy, pointless scenes used to illustrate how teenage-like the protagonist is, a technique used so often nowadays. They are, in fact, a vital part to the story that makes you realize that some things just aren't what they seem. I was put off by some of the scenes at first--especially when I felt like they weren't necessary at the time. Considering some grotesque mood swings and sudden twists, I questioned the authenticity of Bianca's actions. But I found that after I finished the book, Bianca's actions didn't disgust the heck out of me. They didn't encourage anything. They didn't destroy anything. But they taught, they revealed something. And that something is this: You can be as insecure or as pretentious you are. You can pretend to be insecure or not pretend at all. You can pretend anything. But there are some things you can't pretend, and only insecurity can bring those things out from all of us--not because we need to be insecure, but because insecurity is necessary for us to correct the things we can't pretend.

Sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us. Sometimes we let the truth be swept up in a storm of lies. But if you join in on this journey with Bianca, you just might be able to change the weather forecast to something other than a facade of a storm.

(P.S. Wendy! Look! Now you're influencing me to write long reviews... -.-)(less)

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May 14, 2011

Fran rated it

Shelves: wish-i-never-read, read-in-2011, given-away, ebooks, overhyped, kill-me-now

Lots of people liked this book, so I guess it must be me. I just hate cheesy books and protagonists who have trouble using their brain. I should probably stop trying to read Contemporary romance. I can stand some bad books but this shit made me want to shoot myself.

Bianca, our protagonist, is apparently a feminist. I don't think that's an accurate description of her character. If anything, she's exactly the type of person that anti-feminists think of when they hear the term 'feminist...moreLots of people liked this book, so I guess it must be me. I just hate cheesy books and protagonists who have trouble using their brain. I should probably stop trying to read Contemporary romance. I can stand some bad books but this shit made me want to shoot myself.

Bianca, our protagonist, is apparently a feminist. I don't think that's an accurate description of her character. If anything, she's exactly the type of person that anti-feminists think of when they hear the term 'feminist'; she's a cynical and bitter person who has been rejected by her first love. I also hated every single mention of her interest in politics because it just seemed ridiculous to me that a girl who would be smart enough to care about these things would be stupid enough to believe some idiot who tells her she's the "DUFF". She also constantly called people around her slut/whore/etc. which makes her seem rather stupid.

That brings us to the next problem I had with this book. The term DUFF. I honestly didn't know what DUFF meant before I started reading this book. If I would've known what it would be about before I bought it, I wouldn't have picked it up. The entire storyline is RIDICULOUS.

As a random sidenote I'd like to add that any girl who decides to leave the house to have sex with some jackass to distract herself from the situation of seeing her relapsing alcoholic Dad is selfish. She never even tried to help him, lied to her Mom about it and if he wouldn't have realized what was happening himself, the situation would've gotten out of control.

Just how stupid is Bianca for sleeping with a guy who keeps insulting her over and over again? How can the "happy" end of it all be that they start using the term DUFF as a joke? Basically, the lesson of it all is "Oh yeah well we all feel like the DUFF sometimes so it's okay to use that term!". This book is just so idiotic that it literally made me feel like I was losing brain cells while I was reading it.

I'm so glad I've finally finished it and don't recommend this to anyone at all. (less)

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Jan 11, 2011

Cass - Words on Paper rated it

Shelves: arc, giveaway-win, the-contemps, read-2010, favorites

Sex. Swearing. If any of those two words make you squirm in your seat there's a chance The DUFF won't be for you. Kody Keplinger tells it like it is, the true beauty that is contemporary YA fiction. The DUFF is raw and inspiring and packs a damn powerful punch. I knew what I was getting into when I read the synopsis, when I saw the cover, when I read the reviews, when I bought my own copy, when I cracked open the book for the first time and just read. Did The DUFF live up to my expectations? No....moreSex. Swearing. If any of those two words make you squirm in your seat there's a chance The DUFF won't be for you. Kody Keplinger tells it like it is, the true beauty that is contemporary YA fiction. The DUFF is raw and inspiring and packs a damn powerful punch. I knew what I was getting into when I read the synopsis, when I saw the cover, when I read the reviews, when I bought my own copy, when I cracked open the book for the first time and just read. Did The DUFF live up to my expectations? No. It was even better. (cue cheesy music phrase here)

Bianca Piper is a strong, independent girl who, one night when "out" with her friends (they're partying down while she's chatting with the barkeep), is called "The DUFF" (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by the "hottest" guy in the school, womaniser Wesley Rush. The womanising playboy he is, he's chatting to her in hopes of getting freaky with one of her best friends. Disgusted, what more does she do than this:

With one swift motion I jumped to my feet and flung the contents of my glass in Wesley's direction. Cherry Coke flew all over him, splattering his expensive-looking white polo. Drops of dark red liquid glistened on his cheeks and coloured his brown hair. His face glowed with anger, and his chiseled jaw clinched fiercely. (p.7)

Yes, this girl is gutsy, and prefers to stand away from the crowd. After being deemed worthy of the DUFF status, what does she do next time she sees Mr Dreamy? She kisses him--which instigates the complex relationship that transpires between the two. Kody Keplinger has delivered a story that explores the inner psyche of teenage life: Everyone has felt like the DUFF and Distractions in hopes of running away catches up with you.

The story just plays out so nicely, though nice is definitely not the word that should be associated with The DUFF. I was pleased with all the side-plots, too.

Yes, there is swearing. However, in most cases, the swearing works so well. Without it, I'm sure Bianca's voice wouldn't be so authentic. Plus, at seventeen-years-old, swearing is heard on a daily basis. Hats off to Keplinger for creating such a realistic portrayal of teen life.

The characters are unique and developed thoroughly, given it's rather short length. While I didn't feel I could relate to any one character on a personal level, Kody gave me reason to care about them. Even Wesley, who is presented as a complete jerk in the beginning, became someone I could sympathise with.

Cover: Bold and bright, The DUFF makes its presence heard, loud and proud. Pink and yellow has never looked so good together, and the letters DUFF sprawled diagonally across the front . . . extremely effective. The model is so Bianca. The cover is one of the main factors why I became obsessed with obtaining a copy.

Conclusion: The DUFF rocked my world. It's one of those books that I just couldn't put down until I was done, and so few of them can successfully do that, considering my short attention-span.(less)

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Aug 22, 2010

Princess Bookie rated it

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: When I first saw this book, I was intrigued. Who hasn't felt like the Duff in their life? I know I have. I know my friends have. I than was able to read a few reviews of this book and one was good, and one was bad. I didn't let that keep me from reading the book. I was drawn in from page one. We meet Bianca Piper who is not the prettiest of her friends. But really beauty is in the eye of the beholder so we may not all agree on that. We are also introduced to her two girl friends and...more

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Nov 05, 2010

Kristi (The Story Siren) added it

Shelves: bea-2010, own-arc, signed-arcs

I'd have to say that normally I'd hate a character like Bianca.... the girl is a hater. But I couldn't help but feel a kinship with her sarcastic and smart-ass attitude. In the end, I loved Bianca. I'm sure some readers will hate her. With Bianca, I think readers are either going to love her or hate her.... I don't think there will be too much in between.

Once of my favorite things about this novel beyond Bianca was her friends Casey and Jess and their friendship. It was so refreshing t...more

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About Kody Keplinger

I'm a 19-year-old college student and young adult author. My first book, THE DUFF, debuted on September 7, 2010. I write books for teenagers and strive to be honest and true-to-life. For more info, check out my website.
http://kodykeplinger.com

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Trivia About The Duff

6 trivia questions

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Quotes from The Duff

“Spanish, huh?" he said, glancing down at the scattered papers as he grabbed them. "Can you say anything interesting?"
"El tono de tu voz hace que queria estrangularme." I stood up and waited for him to hand over my papers.
"That sounds sexy," he said, getting to his feet and handing me the stack of Spanish work he'd swept together. "What's it mean?"
"The sound of your voice makes me want to strangle myself."
"Kinky.” — 175 people liked it

“First:
"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls. They chase him.”

Then:
“You’re right. Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, and I’m not chasing you”

But in the end:
"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you" ♥” — 152 people liked it

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Perry's SHSU YA Lit Class...

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last activity Dec 12, 2011 05:54pm

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title link	preview: The Duff
avg rating	preview: The Duff Goodreads rating: 3.97 (5681 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6931356-the-duff?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1271108843m/6931356.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6931356-the-duff?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Duff by Kody Keplinger[/url]

The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)

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