Freak 'N' Gorgeous

by Sebastian J. Plata

Everyone is ugly sometimes.

In a world not unlike our own, there is a phenomenon called the INEXPLICABLE DEVELOPMENT—a rare occurrence with permanent consequences.

Average-looking, under-the-radar sixteen-year-old Konrad Wolnik's life is turned upside down when, one morning, he wakes up stunningly attractive.

That same day, his classmate, Camilla Hadi, has her own transformation; the lean, pretty athlete is now devastatingly ugly.

The teens face the cruel world of high school from very different perspectives. Konrad shoots to the top of the pecking order, Camilla slips into pariah status. But soon the school starts rallying around Camilla, and Konrad’s sudden popularity sours as people blame him for her transformation. And, the truth is, so does she.

All he wants is for everyone to like him. All she wants is to destroy his perfect life.

So what if they could use each other for personal gain?

Told in dual POV.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming Of Age, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

312 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2018

About the author

Sebastian J. Plata was born in Poland and raised in Chicago. He spent his twenties in Japan, his thirties in New York City, and is now based in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Scrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

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ARC provided via Edelweiss for a fair review.

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. The morning that Konrad’s inexplicable development happened, making him an utter hottie, Camilla experiences the opposite effect, making her ugly. Adjusting to their new looks is creates an entire lifestyle change for them both.

The Story-
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I initially thought. First of all, I love the adjustment that Konrad himself has to go through as he discovers that his looks, yes, is bringing on the attention that he might have wanted, but is bringing on more than that. Though it’s battled with some high school clichés, the same ones trump itself such as his friendship with the jock character. It was unexpected. I think the thing I liked most was Camilla’s battle with her own ID. Her reaction to her looks was extreme, but she was still brave enough to confront it face first (pun intended). I think it’s her actions though that really reflected her ugliness, not her face.

Their relationship though was so painful (in a good way) to read. Konrad never doing the right thing, and Camilla having her ulterior motives just made me ache so hard for the two of them.

Ultimately, the story is about the reasoning behind their wishes, why they were fated with the faces they were given and of course how they handle themselves respectively.

The Characters-
First of all, I would like to say the side characters (their friends) were excellent. The way their friends handled the ID’s was exceptional. I’d like to point out that though Konrad and Camilla sort of treat their friends poorly at times, they were still able to forgive them and still support them, despite and through their own personal problems.

Konrad was sort of annoying as he was so self absorbed. I love that his friends pointed out how shallow it was for him to wish to be so good looking, and yet he admits that yes there were times that he wished he was good looking, but most people wished that sort of thing. I mean, really guys, is there a day that you don’t look in the mirror and think if only this was better? It may seem shallow, but I know it’s true for me, sometimes its something big like wishing I could be just a little fitter, and some days it’s something completely random like wishing my hair would hold a curl better. I love that by the end his wish is explained in a less shallow way, because though he does flaunt it in the beginning, he does realize that it’s not worth all that it was.

Camilla was great. I loved her dark vendetta that she was so bent on following through, even if it made her an uglier person. I think what I really appreciated was the fact that her lashing out still had it’s consequences, and she knew that she was probably going too far at times, yet her anger still lets loose.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

This review and more: Sharing Inspired Kreations

I was quite disappointed by this book. I thought it was going to be a nice, light read…maybe a feel-good book. However, I didn’t get that from it at all. I didn’t care for the characters much. I thought Camilla was extremely unlikeable. She was mean and all she cared about were looks. In fact, this whole book was pretty much about people who only cared about looks. I think it was likely meant to reverse that in the end and try to prove that looks aren’t everything, but I don’t think it was successful in that.

I wasn’t into the romance at all. It was instalove on Konrad’s end and then Camilla just couldn’t get over the fact that he was so good-looking – he couldn’t possibly actually be into her! And so she was a total bitch to him and to everyone around her. She even lost the support of her friends. And that’s not the first time she’s been mean to her friends either. Her and her one friend were actually just recovering from something nasty that Camilla did to her previously.

The story itself was only okay. The characters really kept me from enjoying it. The synopsis describes it as being “A hilarious…look at society’s unrealistic beauty standards….” I didn’t get “hilarious” from it WHATSOEVER. Not once did I laugh, not once did I think anything about it was funny, not even a little bit. The story captivated me well enough, but I didn’t enjoy it and I don’t think I would recommend it.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Be careful what you wish for.....

In a world where such things as "Inexplicable Developments" (aka IDs) exist, one must be wary that their life may change overnight. That was what happened to both Konrad and Camilla. Konrad, who was recently dumped woke up looking better than a Disney prince, and Camilla arose to find her features distorted, her stature shortened, and her athletic body out of shape. These once average teens were forced to deal with a lot of new attention, most of which they didn't want.

The Good
This book was rather fun. Plata explored and exposed the beauty standard in several ways, which I found interesting, honest, and sometimes, sad. I appreciated the struggles both Camilla and Konrad experienced, and thought they evolved over the course of the book. I really liked the friendship that developed between Konrad and Camilla, even if it wasn't always on the up and up, and I thought Plata rounded out the cast with some great friends and family.

I Wish
I actually really enjoyed many of the auxiliary characters, and though we learned some about them, I would have like to known them better.

With that said, I do believe the author accomplished what he set out to do in terms of exposing the privilege that accompanies traditional physical beauty, and he did so in a way that was rather fun.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Zili · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars in my Sky!

Inexplicable Developments or IDs aka overnight miracles, are an albeit rare but accepted part of life in Freak 'N' Gorgeous. When Konrad wakes up more handsome than a supermodel he can't believe his luck. What a fab ID for him, or is it?! Camilla on the other hand suffers the opposite fate with her ID and finds herself extremely ugly, to the point where nobody wants to look at her.

The story is fun and angst filled. Sebastian J. Plata takes the usual teen drama and then really ups the ante. Konrad discovers that beauty isn't everything. He finds his new body and face may come at a huge cost and struggles to adapt. Camilla switches between anguish and anger before trying to find out who is to blame for her upsetting ID.

Konrad and Camilla form a bond over their ID and slowly begin to learn that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder; that to be happy they need to focus on other things. I liked their friendship - it's a slow burner, going from dislike to true camaraderie.

I liked the idea of testing the limits of beauty, and that all actions have consequences. Plata points out that sometimes bad things do happen to good people, but the strength of character is how people deal with these upsetting events.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Melissa17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA debut is a hysterically funny and honest send up of the importance of appearance during young adulthood. Sebastian takes tropes and flips them on their head, so the story continues to subvert expectations. This is the kind of book that will stay with you for weeks after you finish reading!

[Lost in Book Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an ARC of Freak ‘N’ Gorgeous earlier this summer, it comes out next week and I am so excited to get to talk about it with you all. I read lots of different types of books and often times I read a book based on the cover (I know I shouldn’t) or based on my current mood. I read Freak ‘N’ Gorgeous a little earlier this summer and it was a total mood read for me but I loved every second of it!

SPOILERS AHEAD

This book is set in a bit of a dystopian world where you can experience an inexplicable development. This is when essentially overnight you change, maybe you become amazingly beautiful or maybe you become horribly ugly. It just happens and you do not know when or if it will for sure happen to you. Konrad a regular 16 year old wakes up one day to find his world totally different when he is now completely gorgeous. When he goes to high school, his new looks gives him new popularity as well. However, on this same day Camilla (another girl at his school) wakes up and she is ugly. Her once lean, athletic figure gone. This causes her popularity at school to take a huge dip. Until people begin to rally around her. Some starting to blame Konrad for her beauty being gone, even she blames him. Camilla wants to destroy Konrad’s new life and Konrad just wants people to like him.

I enjoyed this read, I thought the concept was interesting and unique. I had never read anything quite like it before. I found the two different perspectives to be valuable in this story. Additionally, the illustration of how the kids struggled with the changes made the book all the more interesting. I would definitely recommend this book when it comes out next week. I gave it 3.75 stars out of 5 on Goodreads!

[Courtney R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about insecurities and how they can hurt both ourselves and those around us.

After Camilla’s ID, she became so insecure that she believed everyone was out to get her. She wanted revenge. Her ugly appearance led her to act in an ugly and bitter way, even to those who proved time and time again that they still stood by her and loved her (like Jodie, Ashley, and Konrad). She, however, just did not believe that she could be loved due to her appearance.

Konrad started out so insecure with his appearance that after his ID that made him look perfect, he was thrilled. He was eventually shown though throughout the story that those who love him and are there for him the most (like Alan and Lauren) didn’t love him for his appearance, but instead for who he was inside, and that looking perfect isn’t so great after all.

Both Camilla and Konrad’s transformations led them to falling in love with each other. They both learned that you don’t need to look perfect to be loved! They both looked past the shallowness of appearance and were able to dig deeper and find that they were the perfect match! MWA CHEFS KISS!

Moral of the story: Be authentically you! Everybody is capable of love and to be loved! There is so much more to a person than their appearance! Perfection is
overrated!

The only reason I gave 4/5 instead of 5/5 is because I felt the pace of the book was a little slow. Most of the action was in the last probably quarter of the book. But I still definitely recommend! It’s an important message to receive through this story.

[Janette McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what a unique premise! Well written, great message, fun read.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mostly fluffy book where an average-Joe teenage boy wakes up one morning taller, more cut, hotter, better-endowed, and starts taking advantage of it. Meanwhile, at the same school, an average-Jane teenage girl wakes up much uglier. Naturally, the things you might expect to happen do happen...

Something I wish we had more explanation about are these "IDs" (Inexplicable Developments). The characters keep asking Konrad and Camilla, "what did you wish for?" as if there were some designated wishing day or wishing form in this world when they specifically made the wish that led to their IDs. But it sounds like there isn't a day or formal wishing procedure like this and that people just have ever-present wishes in their heads that sometimes come true. That's the part that could've been fleshed out and more interesting -- if they live in this world where IDs do happen sometimes, why aren't people a lot more careful or specific about the wishes that are ever-present in their minds? Why aren't people WAY more curious and less accepting of these IDs, considering how rare and bizarre they are?

I was pretty disturbed by Camilla's way of reacting to anyone she was angry at -- never stopping to fully access the situation, or heeding other people's words of caution -- she lashes out rashly and devastatingly by anonymously bullying her target online. Sure, it's part of her character arc, but that behavior is dismissed too quickly. We don't really FEEL the destruction she causes to her victims, and she herself doesn't really suffer the consequences other than, "Oh no, my friends aren't speaking to me now. Well, gotta move on to this other thing I need to do!" I don't think Plata was able to nail home the necessary message about revenge/social media/bullying here. And everything pretty much turns up roses for Camilla in the end. She may look ugly, but she found love with a beautiful boy who loves her for the "right" reasons.

Diversity: In this book we had characters of various backgrounds. Konrad was Polish American (Becca appeared to be as well, based on her surname), Camilla was half-Turkish American (sadly, because her Turkish father died when she was 14, there wasn't much about being Turkish in this book). The American-Turkish expat in me was a little sad that Konrad and Camilla didn't end up going to that Turkish restaurant. :(

Diversity cont'd: Konrad's best friends are a tough-as-nails lesbian who doesn't GAF and tells things as they are and a Vietnamese American boy who apparently isn't shy about his masturbatory activities. I love reading male POVs written by men. I just don't think many female authors do them authentically. Plata did a pretty good job with Camilla's POV, too -- I thought she was convincingly female and pretty fierce (except for her disturbing vengeful cyberbullying -- are we sure she can be redeemed from that?). Camilla's two best friends seem to both (?) be of African descent, though Jodie's is not really mentioned much, whereas Ashley's Afro and "beautiful dark skin" feels a bit exoticized.

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Freak N Gorgeous' by Sebastian J. Plata provides an in-depth and telling look into the world of two teenagers who unexpectedly have their looks changed. The setting of the book is not unlike a normal world, but one large difference is that there is something called Inexplicable Developments in which people have changes happen to them based on wishes. These changes sometimes come unexpected and in ways that do not feel deserved, which is one of the main ideas of the novel.

Konrad and Camilla are the two characters whose dual viewpoints are showcased from chapter to chapter. While Konrad has gone from average looks to being taller and considerably better looking, Camilla has had the opposite happen. She has gone from average looking to quite bad-looking, in the eyes of not only herself, but the vast majority of the school. Even though her friends stand by her when they first learn of her inexplicable development, she doesn't have many others who do, aside from her mother.

Konrad, on the other hand, loses his friends due to the dramatic and sudden change that has made him what the most popular and good-looking kids consider gorgeous. Yet, despite his seeming good fortune, he comes to learn that beauty is not just something that one can see on the outside; the way one acts and treats others also plays a part. The main conflict of the story lies in the fact that Camilla learns of Konrad's change and attributes her own social downfall and poor looks to his wish to be better-looking. Even though nothing proves this to be true apart from Camilla's insistence that it must be, she holds firm thinking that he is to blame. When he tries to befriend her, she aims to use his friendship tactics against him, believing against all else that he's only doing it because it's good for him in some way.

A novel that teaches the importance of looking beyond the surface and learning to deal with the hand that life deals you, 'Freak N Gorgeous' shows how getting everything you want isn't necessarily what it's cracked up to be, and getting dealt a bad hand won't necessarily bring the worst results. The play on words in the title is fun, too, as Camilla believes she's a freak while Konrad is gorgeous, but it also plays on another level, because they both realize that if they find a way to work together, maybe they will come to be "freakin' gorgeous," and come to be the best versions of themselves possible.

Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Freshman Fourteen' and 'Sweet Fifteen,' Young Adult Novels

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uhhh .. I did not like this book ;-;

I picked it up randomly and I love to give all sorts of books a chance but this was soo boring to read and I found myself skimming through most of it. ( I refuse to not finish a book no matter what)

Like the premise of the book seemed promising and it drew me in with the synopsis, but it just didn't hold the potential.

It came from two povs. One from an average guy turned gorgeous and then from an average girl turned well horrid to look upon.



SPOILERS


Wtf. So it was revealed that they changed from their wishes. He wanted the looks so that he would be popular. Even though it was not up to what he thought. lmao?


And for her...she wanted love. Love. LOVE?????

Like not once but like towards the end did it mentioned she desperately wanted to fall in love!! Like I get them getting together because of their circumstances and having similar interests. But like that fact that hers is more superficial than what he wished for. Like to turn ugly for your true love? It irritated me so much. What a cop out for the wishes. Like I know the IDs are random and have weird rules but still. Idk this book was not something to note. I could also be irritated from having back to back bad reads. Or maybe I'm just picky. Over all not worth to pick up in my opinion.

[Tara Ho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.

Everyone is ugly sometimes.

In a world not unlike our own, there is a phenomenon called the INEXPLICABLE DEVELOPMENT—a rare occurrence with permanent consequences.

Average-looking, under-the-radar sixteen-year-old Konrad Wolnik's life is turned upside down when, one morning, he wakes up stunningly attractive. ...


This was a light interesting book to jump into. The concept was different, but felt a tad far fetched to me. I have to say that the character development was rather great for most of the characters. The author really managed to turn around some terrible personalities. Also the stopped touched on sooner great subjects teens need to be acknowledging. Cyber-Bullying, Rape culture, privacy issues, forgiveness and even caring for the less fortunate.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like Camilla, the female lead, I just couldn't. I wanted to understand her inability to trust, but I also wish she had learned before it was too late.

Konrad was a fun guy to read about. He was related to wake up gorgeous and though he may have carried things too far initially, was quickly humbled by things going on around him.

The minor characters were very rich. The story was interesting and didn't lag. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I recommend if you're looking for a quick contemporary ya novel to escape in.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konrad wakes up one morning with an Inexplicable Development--he's now absolutely gorgeous. Meanwhile, his classmate Camilla has also gone a quite different Inexplicable Development--she's definitely not gorgeous. As both teens try to navigate their new looks in the typical world that is high school, they learn lessons about looks, friendship, and trust.

Freak 'N' Gorgeous reminded me a lot of Beastly with a twist. Konrad and Camilla are well-written characters, and the lessons they learn are important for all teens. I didn't care for the casual no consequence pot use, and I think the book wraps up a little too nicely to be believable. Still, the alternating points of view are an effective narrative style for a fun sarcastic book with important messages.

[Kierstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was honestly a great book. I love how it is told from multiple perspectives, because it adds to the plot and gives the reader a lot better understanding of the plot. One thing though, the book's plot is very typical and cliche. Like, the conflict itself is very unique, but the way the story goes is very much your basic high school movie. However, I love how the book progresses right into the conflict. The pace of the story is good, and it doesn't have the issue of waiting until the conflict occurs, hence making the reading experience boring. All in all, this book gets a four star rating from me, but if you're into young adult romantic comedy books, I would highly suggest reading this story.

[Ruthsreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to Edelweiss for giving me access to a DRC of this book*

I’ve been choosing books to get out of my reading slump and this one did the trick. It’s a very light read. It’s a contemporary story about two sophomores figuring out how to navigate high school and even life with their family now that they went through an “Inexplicable Development”, and this obviously affects them internally, too.

Unluckily, I had some problems with the book. First, the love interest... There was so much potential with their friends: Lauren was epic, I feel like her character could have done so much more for representation, but she was just there to create diversity... and the same happened with Ashley, she was the sweetest and described as a POC who had her struggles and there was too much that could’ve been done with her character. Even Mike, that started as a bully and a girlfriend-thief had a character development. Second and most important, I really wanted to like Camilla, I really tried. She came off as childish and petty and just a little bit too soulless. Konrad was a great guy but the fascination he developed later on kind of bothered me, in all honesty.

All in all, it’s a light read and I enjoyed some of the moments. It was interesting to see how they took on their new appearances and evolved (for the best or the worst).

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads First Reads and the publisher for the chance to read this!

A surprisingly witty read, I caught myself laughing out loud more than once. I also found myself angry and irritated with the characters at times. The two main characters, high school sophomores Konrad and Camilla, have one thing in common...an ID, or Inexplicable Development. These IDs are basically a deepest desire, and certainly are a good reminder to be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it!

[Piper Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/10. ahhhhhh i love this book. it deserves to be known as much as all of the most popular books. i loved the characters so much and they all went through amazing development towards others and themselves. i also love how the chapters switched back and forth between the 2 main characters. read this now.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh. What a sleeper hit, thought I had seen all the ugly duckling tropes done and finished, but this one had fantastic character development and turning of stereotypes and what true beauty is...

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read. The concept is very interesting and done well. Yes, it was predictable, but it was very fun and captivating. I would recommend this book if you are stuck in a reading slump.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute coming-of-age story with a pretty realistic portrayal of highschool relationships and drama. Good for light reading with a little bit of a sci-fi element in Camilla and Konrad's "Inexplicable Developments".

[Zara Brumana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imperfect and superficial but cute enough for what it's selling.

[Sophie Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost didn’t finish this, but it actually got a little bit better at the end (which is why I gave it 3 instead of 2 stars).

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute YA book. Plot was predictable but it's still pretty good

[Kelli Belli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book started on the middle, or at least a few chapters in. I would have given this 4 stars if Camilla had been more likable. She was mean girl before and after her ID.

[Davizshaneke williamsaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the feels!

Grabbed me and never let go. I was devastated, elated...I was everywhere! And baby I loved it lol. Read it you won't be disappointed. Imma go read it again now...

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was very shocking. I did not expect it. It needs a second book.

[zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

not so heavy but not so light, cliche for a teen movie

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I received a free ebook, the review is my own

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahk! What a concept. It wasn't perfectly executed or anything, but it was definitely fun. I think this is another one of those missed opportunity books; because it could have been really fantastic. In the end, the book turned out to be just okay, which is fine. I definitely enjoyed it. A few mistakes here and there, though, prevented it from being amazing. I'm pretty sure this is the author's first novel, though. Full review to come.

[Liz Lyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different twist on beauty and the beast. This book was an easy light read. I do wish that they had been a bit more creative with the ID phenomenon but it was cute and well executed.