The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

“I was the Duff. And that was a good thing. Because anyone who didn't feel like the Duff must not have friends. Every girl feels unattractive sometimes. Why had it taken me so long to figure that out? Why had I been stressing over that dumb word for so long when it was so simple? I should be proud to be the Duff. Proud to have great friends who, in their minds, were my Duffs.”

This was a pure impulse read. I literally decided at 11 o'clock at night last Friday that I was going to read this. Then it was 1 o'clock in the morning and I was reading the last chapter. I read this book in one sitting, with one break to get a drink. I read this book incredibly fast. This was in part because I enjoyed it, but also because it is a very short book.

This book deals with the issue of being that one friend in the group that does not quite fit in. At least that person believes they do not. In this book that girl is Bianca. However, Bianca does not learn about her status as the DUFF (or Designated Ugly Fat Friend) until one night when Wesley decided he wants to hook up with one of her friends so he is nice to Bianca. He lets it slip that she is the DUFF and if he is nice to the DUFF her friends will like him more.

I could relate to Bianca's feelings about being the one friend who did not quite fit in. There have been many times where I've been the only single one in my friend group, the only one who does not have weekend plans, or even the boring one at a party who just kind of sits there. However, I appreciated that Bianca did not let it fully consume her once she realized she was the DUFF. Yes she was constantly thinking about it, but she still did something about it.

I absolutely loved the progression of the relationship between Bianca and Wesley. I loved all the scenes with them getting to know each other and slowly opening up to each other about their messed up lives. And I was really happen with how everything tied up in the book.

Overall, this was a solid contemporary. I'm not a fan of contemporary books for the most part, but I appreciated this one. I also really want to see the movie, so I was motivated to read the book (because you always have to read the book first).

Wow, I didn't love this.

Okay first, because of the title of this book, I would honestly never have read it EXCEPT for the fact that I met the author once and she was absolutely spectacularly lovely. So then of course I HAD to read it. I met Kody very briefly at YALLFEST in 2015 (??) and I just now read the book because I'm a professional procrastinator, clearly. I also did the unthinkable and saw the movie years ago before I read this.

I don't have a lot to say about this other than I don't like many YA tropes. And this book is a melting pot of classic tropes (love triangle, enemies to friends, etc). It was kind of all over the place, dealing with a lot of issues at once including (spoiler alert??) alcoholism, divorce, family problems, low self esteem, teen pregnancy, friendships, and trying to find a means of escape from problems instead of dealing with them. Let's throw in a love triangle! Because there were so many issues on the table, it felt scrambled, rushed, and like nothing was really properly addressed or resolved.

Anyway, I don't have much positive to say and Kody is lovely and I would try reading another of her books instead so I'm going to cut this short.

Would I recommend? No, but maybe pick up another of her books instead.

2,5
Ao término do livro, meu único pensamento foi “AHN?!”

ainda escreverei algo melhor, mas, alguns tópicos:

- li em poucas horas, e sinto que tinha tanta expectativas... Mas 90% se perderam no caminho.
- O filme, por mais que tenha enfraquecido as personagens, e dado um ter muito sessão da tarde a história, usou a idéia do termo DUFF de forma mais “inteligente” do que o livro.

A grande questão é: ELA NÃO SE ENCAIXA NOS PADRÕES DE BELEZA IMPOSTOS PELA SOCIEDADE ATUAL!
Ponto.
Qualquer um, quando ao lado de alguém mais condizente com a beleza estabelecida por outros, acaba tornando-se um DUFF.

to be continued...

“I'd say we're both pretty fucked up.” “Very true.”

Wesley Rush was the most disgusting womanizing playboy to ever darken the doorstep of Hamilton High... but he was kind of hot. Maybe if you could put him on mute... and cut off his hands... maybe—just maybe—he'd be tolerable then. Otherwise, he was a real piece of shit. Horn dog shit.

This was a quick read, I managed to get through it in a few hours. The book was good, the main character likable, but the story was almost painfully predictable. That being said, the author was just 17 when she wrote this, 19 when it was published. So, I would call that an impressive feat, especially since I have no complaints about the writing itself. I couldn't recommend this to younger teens simply because of the language (I can't count the number of f-bombs dropped in the book) and the subject matter of the book.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. Initially, I picked it up because I love reading books that are turned into movie adaptations. After reading it, I'm not sure if I'll watch the movie. With the way the few clips I've seen show, it's not much like the book at all. And some of the things I really loved about the book seem to be missing from the film... but back to the book! The Duff is a laugh out loud, sweet, sexy, and at times serious read. It's a book about friendship, loyalty, and even love.

Bianca is the type of heroine I love reading about. The kind that's snarky, outspoken, is who she is and doesn't change for anyone. She is also relatable. She's a good friend and a good daughter. And she is the ‘Duff' of her group, according to Wesley Rush. Wesley is one of the best looking guys at school. A duff isn't someone who is fat or ugly necessarily, all it means is that out of your group of friends, you may be the least attractive, etc. It's not a term of endearment, even though Wesley makes it seem that way.

So this Wesley guy... he seems like a total tool, right? Rich, popular, thinks he's the all that. Well, there is more to Wesley than meets the eye. Wesley's life isn't as perfect as it seems. And really, by the end of the book, I completely loved him. Wesley and Bianca's not so much friends with benefit's relationship was something that developed over time. At first, it was just physical. A way to escape what they were both going through, but with time, feelings developed. Both characters realized they cared and Bianca realizes that she's doing the unthinkable. She is falling for Wesley Rush.

If you're looking for a good enemies-to-lovers story, a story about friendships, finding yourself and coping with the hard stuff in life, this would be a great pick. I loved both of the main characters, and Bianca's friends were great too! It's one of the better YA books I've read lately, and honestly, for YA it was a little on the steamy side, which is just another plus. I listened to the audio version of this book and I loved the narrator. I thought she captured Bianca perfectly.

Escrito Originalmente en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Cuando empecé a leer el libro no sé porque quise odiarlo, las primeras páginas me hicieron sentir incómoda ¿La razón? Nadie quiere ser una Duff, quieres tener una, no serlo. Es la verdad, porque la definición de Duff es algo así como la amiga menos guapa del grupo. Esa que llevas para que sea el conductor responsable y nadie intentará cambiarlo. Fea, confiable y manejable, si nos ponemos en plan crueles.

La cosa es que en el primer capítulo te encuentras con estás amigas que parecen superficiales y solo utilizan a B, de esas chicas que en realidad odio, y sintiéndome tan conectada como me sentía con B, me llenó de mucha rabia. Sí, todo eso en el primer capítulo.

Bianca (B) me gusta, bueno si no lo hiciera tendría un cierto conflicto de intereses y tampoco estamos para eso ¿verdad? Quizá no nos parezcamos físicamente ni nada, pero tenemos muchísimas cosas en común (también tengo un novio sexy a veces... de acuerdo, eso no es tan cierto, pero en lo demás sí). Ella es única, realista como ningún otro personaje que en este momento pueda recordar, prácticamente odia todo, pero no de una manera antipática o pesada, te da un buen argumento porque piensa de la manera que lo hace y, tiene estas dos amigas maravillosas que mi lado pre-juicioso las odió al principio sin conocerlas.

Me gustó mucho la historia, no es chica-emo-llorona-conoce-chico-lindo-y-cambia-para-siempre. Es sobre una chica de verdad con problemas que todo el mundo tiene, una chica que tiene miedo como todos nosotros, y al igual que todos los esconde y se avergüenza de tenerlos.

Reseña Completa: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Super cheesy, but so cute. I was really surprised that I ended up liking this book so much because I was convinced from the beginning that it would just another typical contemporary romance. And it was, but it was still a good read. I connected well with Bianca through all of her typical teenage insecurities. Keplinger also lightly addresses name calling and bullying in the novel, which I liked. It was a cute happy read that got me through the night and who am I kidding, the ending had smiling me nonstop! (:

This was a fun read! I found Bianca to be a pretty relatable teen narrator, in terms of her attempts to be pragmatic and actually ending up pretty bitter? I also thought this love triangle scenario worked pretty well and I liked the ~lessons learned~ about friendship and body positivity. (I haven't seen the movie yet but from what I hear, the movie lost a lot of that, which is a real bummer.)

All the family, school, and relationship drama wrapped up pretty neatly and happily–a nice way for the book to end, if slightly incredulity straining? But overall, a very enjoyable teen romantic dramedy.

Mmm...this book grew on me.

It was one of those books you had to keep on reading, even if you were bored with it. By the time I had finished The Duff, I liked Keplinger. Not bad for a debut. Not bad at all. Yes, cliché, but then isn't chick lit supposed to be? And it's funny too. I like the idea of the Designated Ugly Fat Friend. I like how it's Wesley who nicknamed her “the Duff.” But I didn't really fall all that hard for Wesley Rush. I didn't really like Bianca either. Or anyone else. But I liked the story. It all works out for the better, there's a ‘yeah, everything's going to be okay' ending.

I'll read anything else she likes when I'm caught in a reading rut.