The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend (Hamilton High, #1) in Around the World in 80 Books

Jun 06, 2015 Tanya rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-young-adult, 2015, challenge-2015-popsugar, challenge-2015-semi-charmed-life

I have seen this on the Barnes & Noble "Popular Teen Reads" shelf, so thought I would pick it up as a possible recommendation for my daughter. I had read no previous reviews of it and just dug in. The book has way too much cursing in it, which would be the first turn-off for my daughter, yet, she might forge ahead anyways. That is when she would discover the main character lost her virginity at age 14 and links her sexual activity to the displaced feelings she has because her mom and dad are hav I have seen this on the Barnes & Noble "Popular Teen Reads" shelf, so thought I would pick it up as a possible recommendation for my daughter. I had read no previous reviews of it and just dug in. The book has way too much cursing in it, which would be the first turn-off for my daughter, yet, she might forge ahead anyways. That is when she would discover the main character lost her virginity at age 14 and links her sexual activity to the displaced feelings she has because her mom and dad are having marital problems. It would be more helpful if the girl faced her problems head on and the young teen reader could see that it is good to deal with problems head on, including discussing confusing emotions with a best friend (a very loyal one she has known and trusted since age five). But her dad can't face reality either and her mom has left the house indefinitely, so she is on her own and making bad decisions, which we all do, but this seems desperate, although it maybe is supposed to come off as empowering--hard to tell the teenage perspective as I am definitely not within the age range of the target audience. All I know is that I won't be recommending this to my kids any time soon, nor any of the moms who ask me what I can suggest for their kids to read since we all read a lot. When she started lying to her best friend to be able to spend time with the boy (not even her boyfriend at this point, just a boy you that is so hot all of her friends want to be with him, despite his "player" perspective who just wants to wrack up the number of conquests). The girl rationalized her slutty behavior by comparing it to a cancer patient who uses medical marijuana, as she saves herself lots of money by avoiding therapy and self-destruction by feeding her need for a sexual high to be fulfilled by the boy: she is using him, so it is okay. Argh! I figured this might count as a romance or maybe develop to a love triangle and then I could add it to my Popsugar 2015 reading challenge, so despite my dislike for the book, I finished it. But really, my original thoughts were to place this on my Abandoned bookshelf since I really have limited time and many more books that I want to read. It is a fast read at least.

6/13
Also adding this to the semi-charmed kind of life summer 2015 challenge in the category of "Read a book you have never heard of before." (10 points) ...more

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May 02, 2015 alana rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, females-and-feminists, young-adult, guilty-pleasures, addicted-to-ya-2015

So I accidentally read this in one sitting. It's all the enjoyable kinds of wrong with some anti-slut-bashing thrown in for balance. Bianca feels like the unpretty one in her circle of high school friends. When her family life becomes heavy, she turns to sex with the bad boy as a way of escaping reality. It's a clique parade but was very fun to read. Reading it at the same time as I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet, I saw some of the same themes repeated. However, I'd be mo ...more

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