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You Asked for Perfect

Laura Silverman (Goodreads Author)

3.83 · Rating details · 3,485 ratings · 762 reviews

For fans of History is All You Left Me and Love, Hate and Other Filters comes a new and timely novel from Laura Silverman about a teen's struggle when academic success and happiness pull him in opposite directions.

Senior Ariel Stone is the perfect college applicant: first chair violin, dedicated community volunteer, and expected valedictorian. He works hard—really har

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Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Published March 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire

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· 3,485 ratings · 762 reviews

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Mar 10, 2018 Elle (ellexamines) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, elle-recs-list, contemporary, z-2019reads, y-2019releases, x-arcs, lgbtq, characters-of-color, x-buylist, favorite-characters

It was really, really, weird reading a book about the stress of applying to college your senior year only a month after getting into college... my senior year.

"I think of all my classmates, bent over textbooks, shoulders strained under heavy backpacks, eyes hooded from lack of sleep. We’re all in it together, whether we want to be or not."

You Asked For Perfect follows Ariel, a bisexual Jewish boy trying to become class valedictorian and later get into Harvard. BUT: his best friend S ...more

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Jun 05, 2019 Elena rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

I’ve been so busy racing to the finish line, I haven’t thought much about what happens when I cross it.

You Asked for Perfect is . . . not perfect at all. But it doesn't aim for it to be it either.

We follow Ariel, our protagonist, who is a bisexual teenager in his senior year of high school. He feels ready for his upcoming Harvard interview, is expected to be valedictorian, remains as first chair violin, and is continuing to dedicate some of his time to the community, but things come ...more

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Jul 18, 2019 C.G. Drews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, ya-male-narrators, young-adult, read-2019

Look, forget thrillers: come read this book if you want to be stressed out of your entire brain. Seriously, I had to put it down at one point because I was about to start anxiety crying in sync with Ariel. It's such an intense story about the weight school puts on students, the point of making them ill. It reminded me of The Otherlife, although that focused more on mental illness. And I always say a sign of a good book is when you suffer with the narrators so 🤗I'm so glad I read this.

(I'm also g Look, forget thrillers: come read this book if you want to be stressed out of your entire brain. Seriously, I had to put it down at one point because I was about to start anxiety crying in sync with Ariel. It's such an intense story about the weight school puts on students, the point of making them ill. It reminded me of The Otherlife, although that focused more on mental illness. And I always say a sign of a good book is when you suffer with the narrators so 🤗I'm so glad I read this.

(I'm also glad I never went to an American school lmao.)

// it also is quite a short and sweet story
The focuses are so intensely on friendship, family, and taking a step back to breathe and put things in perspective before you destroy yourself. It is really short (250pgs) so there were a lot of times I expected it to go deeper and darker...and it didn't. Problems seemed to be fixed or smoothed out quite easily (especially with the relationships?) so it overall lacked a meaty grit that I hoped for. But there is absolutely a need and place for stories that leave you with soft warm feelings. so here for that!

// I also loved the diversity rep!
I mean, I always adore books with diversity, but this seemed all very loving and respectful. The main ship is m/m (Ariel is bi) and he's also Jewish. There are TONS of Jewish scenes which I loved!! So much culture and it's important to see that in YA. Also Amir and his family are Muslim, Ariel's best friend is fat and queer, there are POC characters!

// exhaustion? ya that's me
mate, I feel like I just got flung through highschool again and w o w that is a solid no thanks. I can't even fathom all the work these kids had to do and I am FURIOUS at the teachers. It's all about a system. It's not even about learning or knowledge; just how can you "win" against a system to get the best test scores and the best college. And arghsshg like even the guidance counsellor was constantly pushing Ariel. They ALL were. To the detriment of these kids' healths. This is a real issue and it makes me so angry tbh. (Hate hate hate the orchestra conductor too.) Ariel needed a nap and I just freaked out every time he was driving himself to the point of breaking. GIVE THE KID A NAP.

// overall it is a fantastic story, lots of heart and warm feels despite also being here to stress you tf out
as a good book should be 😌why relax with a book when you can clutch the pages and whisper-shout "WOULD SOMEONE TAKE CARE OF ARIEL PLS" as he burns himself out trying to achieve something he's not even sure he wants. Feels. Overachiever/Slytherin relate. 😫💛

(ps there are a lot of Harry Potter references in here and I am ZERO percent in agreement with Amir that Ariel is a Gryffindor?!?! Like no, sit down. He is a soft Slytherin.) ...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Larry H rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars.

Before I talk about the many reasons I loved this book, can we discuss that Laura Silverman shares her grandmother's matzo ball soup recipe at the end? I cannot wait to make it because matzo ball soup is one of my favorite things IN THE WORLD.

Okay, I'm done.

"When I signed up for classes freshman year, no one told me that straight As, volunteer hours, and time in the arts aren't enough. No one told me I'd have to know every answer to every test and also be a 'unique individual' followin ...more

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Nov 11, 2018 chan ☆ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, ya-contemporary, lgbtq

no, i asked to feel something

and sadly with this book i didn't feel much. what is it with me reading about guys with mental illness and no character development... i'm just a glutton for punishment.

this book was about ariel who is in his senior year of high school. he's criminally over invested in school and being the perfect student, that he isn't able to really be GOOD at any of it. his relationships with friends, boyfriend, family go up and down throughout the story has he tries to grapple wi no, i asked to feel something

and sadly with this book i didn't feel much. what is it with me reading about guys with mental illness and no character development... i'm just a glutton for punishment.

this book was about ariel who is in his senior year of high school. he's criminally over invested in school and being the perfect student, that he isn't able to really be GOOD at any of it. his relationships with friends, boyfriend, family go up and down throughout the story has he tries to grapple with his uncertain reality.

the issue was that nothing seemed real at all to me except for the feeling of anxiety while reading this. i wanted so badly to sympathize with ariel. i know how hard it can be with the pressure of college and parental expectations. and just personal pressure we put on ourselves. but i just didn't find ariel to be a sympathetic character. too often he was lying to people or forgetting about things even though he seemed to write himself reminders? that might seem nitpicky but it was little things like that, to me, that made him hard to understand. his actions weren't always congruous with his characterization.

the real kicker was his epiphany that he has in the middle of his harvard interview. i won't say anything other than his actions were EXTREMELY unbelievable and out of character.

and more than anything, it makes me sad that this will be pedaled as some sort of lgbtq+ contemporary... when the romance was nonexistent. you can't become boyfriends because someone tutored you once, you kissed once, and have a mutual love of harry potter. or maybe you can, i guess it's been a while since i was a teen.

all of that being said, i do think a lot of people will appreciate the author's choice of subject matter. this is definitely an issue that kids face. and also the jewish representation was absolutely fantastic. i genuinely can't think of a modern story where there is a jewish protagonist with a culture presence throughout the story. very cool.

overall i'm not upset that i read this but i was wishing for... more. ...more

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Dec 14, 2018 lily ☁️ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, lgbtqiap-rep, arc-and-arr, from-pub, anxiety-rep, reviewed

➳ 2 1/2 stars

From the very second I first laid my eyes on this book, I knew right away that it’s one I absolutely have to do everything in my power to read as soon as possible. Not only is its cover the exact right amount of artistic and emotive; in hindsight, it also perfectly captures the main characters’ inner turmoil, and all the little details that surround the character on the cover depict this book’s aesthetic so well.

What I really appreciated was how Laura Silverman so effortlessly creat ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Hamad rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, 2019-reads

This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription

“I’ve been so busy racing to the finish line, I haven’t thought much about what happens when I cross it.”

🌟 Have you ever read an average book at the perfect time and you liked it very much for that?
That was me and this book. I read it during my last finals in med-school. I am not kidding you, I was like: Why isn’t there a book about the education system and all this stress we’re going through. The NEXT DAY I find th ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 julianna ➹ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: people with anxiety!

Shelves: drc, ownvoices, diverse-read, queer-rep-read, full-review

me after looking at the cover: wow, amazing
me after looking at the synopsis: wow, amazing
me after reading this book: wow, amazing

I know you’ll be hearing this from every single review ever, but god this book was so freaking relatable. I constantly and always feel the pressure of academics and school and college; the difference is that I’m not succeeding as much as he is. *sighs in failure*

This made me feel so, so much anxiety about school that I honestly had to put it down for a couple of weeks ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adorableeee, arc, favorites, from-publisher, grinning-like-an-idiot, oh-the-fluff, own-kindle, perfect-ending, predictable, swoony-book-boys

Y'ALL SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS HERE GEM. 💎
💘 It's so fucking relatable. I was (still am?) Ariel, and I empathized so hard with his academic and time-related struggles.
💘 This book wins at diversity. The characters are of different races, religions, and sexualities.
💘 AMIR IS THE SOFTEST LOVE INTEREST EVER CAN I HAVE HIM?
💘 The friend- and family- relationships went through so much development and I reveled in it all.
💘 There's a loooot of Harry Potter references if you're into that. 😉

Full review ...more

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Mar 07, 2018 Elke marked it as to-read · review of another edition

As someone who dropped out of college to preserve my (mental) health and happiness I am so incredibly glad we'll get a book about perfectionism and academic pressure 😭💕

also OH MY GOD why have i never mentioned this cover before i am blown away. can we please? i just want to read this book already. please ...more

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Jan 30, 2019 Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: almost-great, contemporaries, lgbt, unpopular-opinions, young-adult

3 Stars

“How do you know if a goal is worth it until you get it? We work hard for a lot of stuff. Should we not put in effort because the reward might not be what we thought?”

It’s been 84 years since I read this so take this mini-review with a grain of salt

Pros:

- A book that actually addresses the crazy pressure high-school kids are under and the big-decisions we ask them to make
-Own-voices, Jewish representation!
-The romance is cute and they are nerdssss
- There’s a great dynamic between MC ...more

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Nov 23, 2018 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5 stars

I loved this book so much. The story it tells is one that I think many students can relate to. This book deals with the pressure people feel to always do a good job in school and to always be the best. Ariel, the main character, is trying to juggle his life and the huge amount of workload the school is putting on him. Having lots of extracurricular activities and being in AP classes se ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Fadwa (Word Wonders) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, lgbtq-m-m, religious-non-muslim-mc, bipoc, young-adult, sent-for-review

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange of an honest review*

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Original review posted on my blog : Word Wonders

Hello this is my love letter so Laura Silverman’s books and how their softness never disappoints. Way back when, I read Girl out of Water and absolutely fell in love with it and the author’s writing, and knew that no matter what she writes next I will gobble and love and I WAS RIGHT, You Asked for Perfect did not disappoint. This book made my heart so fu *I received a copy from the publisher in exchange of an honest review*

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Original review posted on my blog : Word Wonders

Hello this is my love letter so Laura Silverman’s books and how their softness never disappoints. Way back when, I read Girl out of Water and absolutely fell in love with it and the author’s writing, and knew that no matter what she writes next I will gobble and love and I WAS RIGHT, You Asked for Perfect did not disappoint. This book made my heart so full and was just so real and true that I couldn’t help but love it as much as her debut, if not a little bit more.

The writing is absolutely immersive, I found myself invested in Ariel (the MC)’s ambitions, struggles and doubts from very early on, so much so that I found myself getting anxious for him. But whether that’s do to the writing or to me relating to his state of mind is up for debate. Probably a bit of both if we’re being honest. The author’s writing style is also extremely accessible but no less beautiful, the way she strings words together has a way to pull at your heart strings while simultaneously wrapping you in a gentle hug. And I think that’s the best thing about it, because no matter how much the MC struggles (spoiler: it’s a lot), You Asked for Perfect explores it in such a gentle way without ever taking away from it. Also, the characters are total softies.

This is a very character driven story just like I adore them. Ariel, the main character is set to be his school valedictorian, attend Harvard, and excel in everything he does. That’s until his grades start slipping up, he puts too much on his plate with school, family, friends, etc… and starts losing control of everything. And the way that Academic pressure and stress was explored was just so realistic and genuine that I couldn’t help but set parallels between Ariel’s life and mine, even though you know…I’m a grandma in medical school and not a high school student. But from what I’ve seen from teenagers, they could relate to Ariel’s experiences on a visceral level too, especially those of them that are more Academic oriented.

I also liked how by the end of the book, the takeaway is that most people struggle in one way or another, everyone’s just good at hiding it so we think we’re alone when, in fact, we definitely aren’t. From the outside looking in, most people look like they have it all together and that they’re doing more, achieving more, succeeding more when in fact, they might be putting a huge amount of pressure on themselves as well and thinking the exact same thing about you. The main message of the books is also that you don’t have to do it on your own, it’s okay to ask for help when life gets overwhelming and I appreciated that about it.

Ariel is a cinnamon roll that must be protected AT ALL COST! He’s a bisexual Jewish boy who’s super tight-knit with his family and loves and cares about them deeply. I also loved how attached to his religion he is and how invested in the Jewish community his family is. He cares too much about his Academics but for the completely wrong reasons and he’s just so lost and overwhelmed for most of the book that I just wanted to sit him down, make him some hot chocolate and tell him everything will be okay. I loved how close he was with his family, especially with his little sister, Rachel, who’s as much of a stress ball as he is when she’s only ten. She’s super witty and bright and their relationship was just so cute.

Amir was the light of my life in this book, I absolutely adored him. He’s a Muslim Pakistani gay boy who’s so comfortable in who he is and what he wants, you can just feel it through the pages. He’s sweet, effortlessly confident but never cocky. One thing I’m 1000% grateful for is the fact that he wants to be a doctor because HE ACTUALLY LOVES IT, he’s so passionate about it and I think that’s pretty cool since it’s the first time I see this in a book, most of them have characters who are pressure into that career path and absolutely resent it so it was refreshing. This also subverted the trope of Muslim parents pushing their kinds into more “money making” careers, because his actually want him to major in photography because he’s so good at it.

Their romance is the CUTEST THING EVER!!!! It’s so nerdy and cute with lots of Harry Potter references, and they’re just *clutches heart* so good to each other, they’re definitely not perfect but do their best and care SO MUCH about each other, also that thing Ariel did at the end…*dies of cute*. The conversation between them flows so naturally and they just make sense together, the banter and ease between them is so endearing and precious!!! That being said I really wanted to see a bit more of them.

This book warmed my heart so much while still tackling the important topic of academic pressure that’s put on kids in an honest way, which not enough books do even though a lot of people struggle with it. ...more

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Dec 24, 2018 Romie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, disabilities-mental-health, contemporary, bi-mc, queer-books, nearly-a-favourite, poc, young-adult, owned-books, read-as-an-arc

a book that deals with academic pressure perfectly? a book that made me feel like being Jewish is totally normal? a book with a bisexual main character who falls for a Muslim boy? a book that shows that loving spending time with your family is completely acceptable? yeah, this book (4.75)

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Apr 01, 2019 Karima chermiti rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, coming-of-age, contemporary, gorgeous-covers, romance, young-adult

Wow, This book is the real deal, guys. A story that gives you all the feelings, a romance that warms the heart and characters you can connect with and relate to, How can I not love it with all my heart and soul. I only wish it was longer so I can immerse myself in it more and feel more and because I genuinely think the content of the book deserved more space to flourish and to have the emotional punch it could give has it been explored more.

The story revolves around Ariel Stone, a high school b Wow, This book is the real deal, guys. A story that gives you all the feelings, a romance that warms the heart and characters you can connect with and relate to, How can I not love it with all my heart and soul. I only wish it was longer so I can immerse myself in it more and feel more and because I genuinely think the content of the book deserved more space to flourish and to have the emotional punch it could give has it been explored more.

The story revolves around Ariel Stone, a high school boy who is dealing with a lot of pressure from himself and everyone around him and the more he nears his graduation, the more intense his life become. So we kind of witness as the story progress how he becomes more and more pressured to be the perfect student who gets to go to the perfect university and we see how his life starts to unravel and gets out of control

I think of all my classmates, bent over textbooks, shoulders strained under heavy backpacks, eyes hooded from lack of sleep. We’re all in it together, whether we want to be or not

I read so many books that take place in high school but this one was so different and so powerful, I can see a lot of people connecting with the story on a deep emotional level and seeing themselves in Ariel journey. I know that I did and it hit really close to home, the pressure to be the perfect student, to have the perfect grades and to not disappoint anyone who thinks you’re capable of great things and that affects our lives and our relationships is depicted very well.

I really loved how the book deals with the theme and how emotional and relevant it was. I loved the writing style and how it was translating the struggle of the characters with honesty that’s painful to read. I cried more than once while reading this book and that doesn’t happen a lot with YA contemporary books and me but this book did really hit a nerve and it left a mark in me.

I also loved the romance and how cute and heartwarming and pure it was, I think it brought another side of Ariel that made me feel that I know him more. Also the side characters are all great, flawed at times but you understand them because of what they’re going through and the progress they make.

All in all, I really recommend this book especially for fans of Adam Silvera books and for those who like their books emotional and maybe even a little bit painful. ...more

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Jan 03, 2019 Madalyn (Novel Ink) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, edelweiss, cover-love

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After thoroughly enjoying Laura Silverman’s debut, Girl Out of Water, and after chatting with her at a couple book events here in Atlanta, I knew I would pick up anything she published next. And, friends, I’m happy to report that You Asked for Perfect did not disappoint!

In You Asked for Perfect, we follow high school senior Ariel Stone, the golden boy at the top I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After thoroughly enjoying Laura Silverman’s debut, Girl Out of Water, and after chatting with her at a couple book events here in Atlanta, I knew I would pick up anything she published next. And, friends, I’m happy to report that You Asked for Perfect did not disappoint!

In You Asked for Perfect, we follow high school senior Ariel Stone, the golden boy at the top of his class who’s beginning to crack under the pressure of impending college applications and the pressure to perform perfectly. Ariel is forced to find a tutor after his Calculus grade begins to slip, and to his surprise, he finds himself falling for his new tutor and former rival, Amir.

While I recommend You Asked for Perfect wholeheartedly, I can’t really say that I enjoyed the experience of reading it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this stressed while reading a YA book; Laura Silverman captured all of the very worst– but also VERY REAL– parts of high school, in my eyes. I think academic pressure is a concept so many readers, particularly those of us in the book community, will relate to, and this book captures the ways in which that pressure can come from external sources (even well-meaning adults in teenagers’ lives) as well as internal ones. So while “enjoy” isn’t a word I can use for how I felt while reading YAFP, I can say that I appreciated it and related intensely to the characters.

Ariel’s group of friends felt a lot like my group of friends in high school. They’re all intensely dedicated overachievers, and all of them are desperately trying to hide the cracks in their facades in an effort to be the best, the most perfect, the one who has it all figured out. They’re often so caught up in their own inner turmoil that they aren’t able to be good friends to one another– which, damn, if that isn’t a MOOD for all *~nerdy kids~* in high school (at least, it was for me and my friends). Ariel was almost less worried about the fact that he was struggling in his classes, and more concerned about any of his peers finding out he was struggling (WOW; me). Overall, I think Laura Silverman nailed these parts of the high school experience that are often glossed over in YA books. I mean, I don’t think this is a universal experience for everyone, but it definitely rang true for me.

The romance was really sweet, too. I love reading romances where it feels very much like the beginning of a relationship between two characters, not the entire story, and the romance between Ariel and Amir very much had that vibe. It was two people getting to know each other (and doing some kissing along the way), with the promise of more further down the road. As for representation, Ariel IDs as bi and Amir IDs as gay. I will say, though, I’m getting very tired of books with bi protagonists containing so little nuance regarding gender. There’s lots of discussion about boys and girls, men and women, and no acknowledgement of any other genders. It’s not that this portrayal of bisexuality is necessarily wrong, but rather that it only feels like part of the story. (This is just me speaking as a Tired Bisexual™️.) That aside, I loved Ariel and Amir’s bonding over their shared love of things like Harry Potter. Their relationship instantly brought me back to the days of those first flutters of attraction to people in high school.

I also loved how close Ariel was to his family! So often in YA, we have fairly absent parents, but that was not the case here. And I loved how close Ariel was to his younger sister, even though she was significantly younger than him, because my older brothers and I are super close even with 15+ years between us. Ariel and his family are also Jewish, which is #ownvoices rep. I am not Jewish myself, but I always love seeing protagonists with strong religious practices outside of Christianity, because we can always use more of that in YA. Religion is a large part of Ariel’s life and identity, like it is for so many teenagers.

Also, I’d be remiss not to mention that You Asked for Perfect is set in a suburb of Atlanta, which I always love seeing in YA, since that is exactly where I grew up! At one point, Amir mentions the superiority of Publix sugar cookies, and I have never felt so much love for a character.

Overall, while this reading experience was extremely anxiety-inducing, I think that You Asked for Perfect is a book both teenagers and adults will relate intensely to. I can’t wait for Ariel’s story to be out in the world, because I think it fills a needed void in YA contemporary, with some excellent representation to boot! ...more

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Apr 06, 2019 Natasha marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqiap-all, lgbtqiap-m-m

This isn't a "this book is bad" dnf, this is more of a "oh hey I'm being reminded of how bad I did academically in high school and am getting actual anxiety". Tried pushing through but I can't handle books that really focus on that kind of stuff. ...more

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Jan 02, 2019 Tiffany (Read By Tiffany) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc, read-in-2019, 2019-favorites

FULL REVIEW: https://readbytiffany.wordpress.com/2...

Even though we’re only in the second month of 2019, You Asked For Perfect has already made my list of favorite books of the year. I honestly don’t think this review could’ve come at a better timing for me too because I recently just finished what I anticipate to have been the hardest academic week of my semester. I had multiple exams and essays due, and I was constantly studying during my free time. You Asked For Perfect follows Ariel Stone, a ...more

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Mar 15, 2019 kav (xreadingsolacex) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-contemporary, summer-contemp, queer-fiction, dif-religions-rep, south-asian-fiction

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

hey so who gave Laura Silverman the right to write about all of our lives???

You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman is a young-adult contemporary novel that follows the story of Ariel Stone, our Jewish, bisexual protagonist, who feels immense pressure to be the best because the best is what will give him access to the future he wants. While trying to balance the unimaginable workload he has taken upon himself, Ariel is also tryi ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 Vicky Again rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 stars

This book was so cathartic, especially because I just got out of applying and waiting for my college decisions in December! (I got into my first choice mid-December, so I’ve been cruising through senior year ever since!)

I intentionally waited till after decisions came out to read this because I was scared of jinxing things (so scared oh my), and reading this after really let me release some of those feelings I’ve been having about STRESS AND STRESS AND STRESS AND COLLEGE.

Yeah. Fun times. ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, contemporary, cover-envy, favorites, lgbtq, mental-health, poc-main-character, standalones

“I’ve been so busy racing to the finish line, I haven’t thought much about what happens when I cross it.”

You Asked For Perfect is an impactful story about stress, anxiety, and self care. It’s easily one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. It captivated me with such raw emotion and honesty that I fell head over heels in love.

I basically loved everything about the story . I thought Ariel was so relatable, because I was the same studious AP/Honors student nerd. He goes thro ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 anna (½ of readsrainbow) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-contemporary, 2-lgbt, 2-mlm, 5-young-adult, 2-bi-pan-protags, 2-ownvoices, 4-siblings, first-person-pov, pub-2019, 2-jewish

rep: bi Jewish mc, gay Muslim li, Korean-American lesbian side character, Indian-American side character

listen, my own high school experience didn't stress me out as badly as this book did. i'm Exhausted™. i need like a week long nap now.

also, ariel is a disaster bi and i love him with my whole heart

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Reads Rainbow ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Marie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, all-times-favorites, arcs

New favorite book alert. Everything was relatable and I loved these characters so much and that adorable romance and I teared up and I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT OKAY.

Read my review of You Asked For Perfect on the blog.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.

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Mar 20, 2019 Finitha Jose rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance

I started reading this hoping for a light-hearted m/m romance and ended up agonising over the slipping grades and lack of time along with Ariel. Oof! So much for a laid back read. The powerful language will suck you into the story within no time and my tension was so apparent that my poor kindle must have reached a breaking point, thanks to the strenuous handgrip.
Romance plays just a subplot here, so I won't advise you to take this for a cute little love story. But this is a must read for all t ...more

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May 02, 2019 nova ☼ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, 3-stars, coverly-love, drugs, lgbtqia, poc, realistic-fiction, reviewed-or-ish, romance, standalone

this book was pretty good. very enjoyable, a quick read, and painfully relatable (as the cover says). unfortunately, it fell flat in the beginning and parts in the middle. there was a lot of telling and not enough showing. and while it was a cute read, i just had a hard time feeling anything. i wanted it to be more. i wanted to see ariel falling for amir, and not just "oh he likes him now even though they've known each other like their whole lives okay then" we're just supposed to go along with ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 Eva rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review comes from the perspective of an overachieving teen Jew. So, as you might expect, I was very excited to have a chance at reading a book that I can see myself so clearly in. For this opportunity, I have to thank the wonderful Vicky Who Reads who provided me the ARC of this lovely novel.

Overall vibes: very spot on. I love contemporary novels, but they universally tend to vastly underestimate the work load of high schoolers. It was refreshing to have a book where we saw the characters d This review comes from the perspective of an overachieving teen Jew. So, as you might expect, I was very excited to have a chance at reading a book that I can see myself so clearly in. For this opportunity, I have to thank the wonderful Vicky Who Reads who provided me the ARC of this lovely novel.

Overall vibes: very spot on. I love contemporary novels, but they universally tend to vastly underestimate the work load of high schoolers. It was refreshing to have a book where we saw the characters do actual teen things, like homework and orchestra practice, instead of attending an inexplicable number of parties and making weeknight plans on every other page. In a Jewier sense (yeah that’s a word now), I also really enjoyed the casual cultural elements that felt authentic rather than a lame attempt at diversity. Silverman nailed the temple social scene, wholesome rabbi energy, and reinvigorated my longing for a local JCC. I’m personally not religious enough to have experienced the fear of a parent yelling your full Hebrew name for *drama*, but I fully resonated with the vibes of that and thought it was super cool. I also completely felt the reverence for challah and matzoh ball soup. I could’ve read a whole book of these characters just coming up with new metaphors to encapsulate their love for Jewish foods. Lastly, I really really love the choice to have a pretty religious bisexual protagonist. It shows that the two descriptors don’t need to be mutually exclusive, or even in any sort of conflict. One thing I really love about being a Jew is how we in general have been very accepting as a community, and I deeply enjoyed having that reflected in this novel.

Some nitpicking that made it not quite 5 stars: despite everything this book got right, there were a few details that bugged me. Now, to the general reader these may not matter at all. But, as someone who is in the midst of the college application process as a stressed out Jew, I was hyperaware of stuff that didn’t quite live up to reality. First of all, while the accurate emotions of college applications were definitely present, technicalities of the process weren’t always perfect. I know it’s small, but I was consistently bothered when Ariel brought up his Harvard interview and how it was scheduled and ready to go Before he even applied. Alumni interviews are never offered until after an application is sent in. On a related note, the essay is one of the most essential parts of the process, so the idea that Ariel could not have started it and then decide to be like “oh yeah I’ll just do it and send it off next week” was also a bit off putting. But again, I think these little details only bothered me because I am literally in the midst of the exact same process as him. If that is not you, then you probably won’t notice or care. Also, for some reason I didn’t love the transliterations of some prayers that were put in. I’m all for showing off the Jew-ness of characters super proudly, but it was something about seeing these words in a non religious book not subject to the care of a Siddur or something that worried me. Now, for context, I practice reformed Judaism so I do not worry about this as much as some people might. But it has always been my understanding and habit not to include G-d’s name in full because the pages may not be treated properly or get thrown away....which is not good. I don’t know the exact rule on this but I was a bit uncomfy at these parts.

So overall, while I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who like slice-of-life-y contemporary novels, there are a few issues I found with accuracy and presentation that it might be best to be aware about going into it. Obviously though, given the four star review, the flaws of this book do not detract from its ability to tell a compelling, sweet story that captures the essence of a teen experience not seen too much in young adult fiction. ...more

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Mar 13, 2019 Sahitya rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, lgbtqiap, romance-and-or-relationships, young-adult, 2019-read

It’s mostly a 3.5.

I have been excited to read this book for a long time because it seemed so adorable and the kind of YA book I would enjoy. And this was definitely what I was hoping for.

The story is completely told through Ariel’s POV, so we see everything thats going on in his head and that’s not comfortable at all. He is constantly struggling with keeping up his grades and extracurriculars in preparation for his Harvard application and just doesn’t have enough time in the day for managing eve It’s mostly a 3.5.

I have been excited to read this book for a long time because it seemed so adorable and the kind of YA book I would enjoy. And this was definitely what I was hoping for.

The story is completely told through Ariel’s POV, so we see everything thats going on in his head and that’s not comfortable at all. He is constantly struggling with keeping up his grades and extracurriculars in preparation for his Harvard application and just doesn’t have enough time in the day for managing everything. But he also doesn’t want to admit his problems to anyone and that just exacerbates all his issues. I will not say I related to Ariel completely but I understood him very well. His character is a lived in experience for many young students these days and we get a very realistic picture of the stress and pressures and expectations that are put on young people and how it affects them physically and mentally.

There is a whole host of characters in the book who are all wonderful and supportive and diverse and I loved them all. The romantic dynamic that develops between Ariel and Amir may come across as sudden, but I kind of enjoyed how realistic it felt as a teenage romance. It has all the elements of sweetness and wonder and joy of young love and I think it was written very well. I’m also very glad that it’s just written as two young boys deciding to date and there are no declarations of eternal love. Despite this romance in the book, I think it is definitely more about family. YA books feature a lot of absent/problematic parents, so it was very refreshing to read about completely present and supportive parents and siblings. Ariel’s relationship with his mom dad and his sister Rachel is so healthy and amazing. Their dinner time conversations felt authentic, their religion/faith is depicted as an important part of their life but something that’s also personal and not something that they use to preach. I obviously can’t comment on the Jewish representation but it’s ownvoices for the author, so I think it’s really authentic for her own experiences. Amir’s family is Muslim and Pakistani and it was great to see both these families be very supportive of their kids’ sexualities. I also loved the whole friend group - Sook, Malka, Pari, Issac, Rasha - everyone has their own issues and is dealing with them in their own ways but no one really understands what the others are going through because they don’t feel comfortable sharing their problems.

This is my first read by the author and I really enjoyed her writing. The book has a very diverse cast which feels very realistic and not tokenism at all. I also liked that it’s quite a positive representation and these kids have families and friends who are supportive and don’t discriminate at all because of their religion or sexuality or anything else. The author also does a great job of showing us the consequences of our very competitive education system and how it adversely affects the kids. There is obviously no easy solution for this but the book really stresses on the importance of being open about issues and having a support system to be able to cope. Religion is also depicted as something positive that brings peace of mind and maybe provides perspective for young kids when dealing with such life changing issues like college and future - I thought this was very refreshing and so rare in YA.

If you like YA with great diverse family and friend dynamics and an adorable couple, you should definitely check this out. It also has some great representation of the anxiety that young students face in these hyper competitive times, and I think everyone who has been in these shoes before or is going through high school or college right now will find something relatable in this story. ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 . (not active on this account stop adding me) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-and-edelweiss, lgbt, mlm-or-m-m, bisexual, arcs

ARC kindly provided by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I WENT 18 YEARS WITHOUT READING A BOOK LIKE THIS

Review to come!

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Jun 04, 2019 Flora⁷ ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019

i don't know what to say and i usually always have something to say.
im so emotional right now. as someone who always thought i needed to get good grades to achieve something in life, yet stuggled to graduate at all because of depression, i can understand ariel and his sister rachel so well. the whole school system (even here in germany) can be so toxic to kids. i loved school but it got to the point that school made me sick. i might not be in school anymore but this whole system of having to st ...more

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Dec 08, 2019 CW (The Quiet Pond) ✨ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, diverse-shelf, 2019-favourites, has-lgbtqa-rep, ownvoices, realistic-fiction, young-adult, contemporary

You Asked For Perfect is fantastic and I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone who ever put pressure on themselves to succeed and be the best and put all their eggs into succeeding in school.

- Follows Ariel, a bi Jewish teen who puts a lot of pressure on himself to be the valedictorian, to maintain his perfect grade, and to get into Harvard. When he fails his Calculus test, he seeks tutoring help from Amir, his gay Pakistani classmate.
- Though this book has a romance, this isn't a book ...more

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