The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

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 “Duffy,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

My Review:

Wow. I read that fast. This book got right to the nitty gritty, kept up the momentum, and ended just as quickly. It was satisfying. There were many times that I related, albeit more about my college experiences (according to Kody Keplinger, I'm a late bloomer). It has been years since I've been in school (yes, I'm admitting to ready Young Adult as a full-fledged adult), but Keplinger wrote this book when she was 17 years old and her book was first published in 2010. I'd say she has probably hit the high school nail in the head.

I have read some people claiming that the upcoming movie doesn't follow the story all that well, but now that I've read it, I'm hoping it isn't. Otherwise, it'd be another "fifty shades" for high schoolers. This story was much darker and serious than the previews portray. It was beautiful in it's own way. If you like the previews because it seems comedic, or reminds you of She's All That, then don't waste your time reading this. Just spend your $10, eat popcorn, drink a cherry coke, and watch the movie. However, if you want to read something with more heart, then read this! Or don't, it's always your choice.

I really liked Bianca, she always told it like it was. Yes, she bottled up her feelings, and found an escape in something destructive, but like Keplinger said, who hasn't fucked up a few times.

"We're all fucking Duffs"

I'm not a big fan of love triangles, and I was getting worried towards the end because I was hoping Bianca would end up with Wesley, but Toby was just too effin' perfect. I could see her dilemma. I'm happy with the way things were wrapped up. No one got hurt, but things worked out.

Bianca's friends, Casey and Jessica were sweet, and they were good friends. We'd all be so lucky to find friends like that.

Wesley was your run of the mill playboy. At first, I didn't care for him too much, but then (way before Bianca figured it out) I realized he was just as lost as she was, trying to find an escape, a distraction. I think I fully fell for him when she realized she had fallen for him.

Toby was your run of the mill good boy. The kind you can bring home to your parents and they'd love him more than you. He was sweet, polite, cute, and boring. Although he was great, I never really felt a strong connection to him.

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I plan on seeing this movie, and I'm hopeful that it is a comedic escape at the time.

P.P.S. So I saw the movie last night and it was hilarious, just like I was hoping. It didn't follow the story all that much, but I was expecting that, it was still good. Although the movie was more comedic, there were some innuendos and underlying issues directly from the book, which I really liked.

In the movie Bianca self-destructed in a different way, her parents were already divorced but it was Wesley's parents who were having issues, Toby was a dickhead (the complete opposite of book Toby - which I was ok with too, since I didn't care for him all that much in the book), and there was a lot more bullying in the movie rather than sexual conquests. I liked Bianca just as much, she was strong and funny, and although I hated to love Wesley at first in the book, I immediately liked him in the movie.

I guess what I'm saying is I'd recommend both the book and the movie if you are remotely intrigued (each for their own reasons). I'd also recommend you experience both without trying to compare them to each other, it makes for a more pleasant experience all the way around.

**One last personal note - you couldn't pay me enough to go back to high school, especially in this day and age of technology!**

Read on February 24, 2015

Top 5 Genres*: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women's Fiction/Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system

5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews