Perfect

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Natasha Friend
Pages: 172
Format: Paperback
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Thanks GoodReads): Isabelle Lee has a problem, and it's not just Ape Face, her sister, or group therapy for an eating disorder, or even that her father died and her mother is depressed and in denial. It's that Ashley, the most popular girl in school, is inviting Isabelle to join her at lunch and at sleepovers at her house, and this is presenting Isabelle with a dilemma. Pretty Ashley has moved Isabelle up the social ladder, but is it worth keeping the secret they share? Caught in the orbit of popularity and appearances, Isabelle must navigate a world with mixed messages, false hopes, and potentially harmful turns, while coping with her own flailing family and emotions. The author brings a depth of characterization, humour, and a real adolescent's voice to this multileveled story about the desire to be perfect in an imperfect world.

My Thoughts: This book had a pretty hardcore topic. I won't try to sugarcoat it and neither did the author. I'm glad that she didn't. So many girls (and boys) live through this or things like this and for them it's hard to see an end in sight. This book shows that you can get better and that is just what people in this situation need to know. The author doesn't say that it's super easy just that it is possible. I love that.

Another great thing about this is that it's written how somebody might speak to you. That makes it a simple and quick read. In other words, it's short but its full of plot, getting better, learning to take care of yourself, and growing up.

P.S. I've gone through something very similar to this. It isn't just girls. If you are in the middle of something like this or are cutting, get help. You can get better. Find someone that you can talk to that make you feel better about yourself, not worse.