The Duff ~ Kody Keplinger

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 “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

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

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out 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. 

 

Words cannot describe how much I love this book. It carries such a good message (I've simplified it to "Don't judge a book by its cover") and it has a strong cast of fantastic characters.

Bianca Piper is cynical about love as well as a strong feminist. She abhors the handsome Wesley Rush, or as she calls him, the 'man-whore'. He tells her that she is the DUFF in her group of friends and it bugs her. Over the course of the novel, events things in her life take a turn for the worst and she ends up turning to Wesley more and more for their 'enemies with benefits' relationship which develops into something more. However, Bianca soon realises that she can't run from her problems forever...

One of my favourite characters in the book was Bianca's best friend Casey because of how consistent and dedicated she is to her friends and her caring personality. She is always there to talk to, which was a welcomed contrast in the 'girl eat girl' world of Hamilton High.

Bianca is relatable and opinionated with a well expanded swear vocabulary -"language". She has a biting wit but a tendency to conceal/bury her problems which is what leads her into swoon worthy Wesley's arms. He is arrogant, rich and tends to sleep with anything that moves but has a kind heart and problems of his own. There is much more to him than I thought that there would be, and for that I am glad. By the end, he became one of my favourite characters, and not just for his letter writing abilities.
The one line, when read in context, gave me butterflies even though I wasn't the intended recipient of it "Wesley Rush doesn't chase girls. But I'm chasing you."

The relationship between Bianca and Wesley wasn't as bad the second time I read the book- and by bad I mean explicit/inappropriate for a younger audience but was actually tamer than I remembered. Of course there were a few scenes which focused on the details, but many were more about their emotional connection rather than the physical.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed 'The DUFF' and I think it is a must read if you like a light hearted but romantic YA. But as mentioned, it maybe slightly better suited to slightly older teens, and I would recommend you don't read it when your grandma is visiting unless you want to be squirming and blushing at certain scenes. I made that mistake so you don't have to.

As usual, please comment suggestions on how I could improve my reviews or which books I should review next. And don't forget to follow me here, as well as on Instagam: janaotaylor, and Pinterest: janaOlivia2 xXx