Review Detail

Reader reviewed by designsbymikayla

Just recently I read Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott. This narrative tells the story of Kate Brown as her life is both destroyed and rescued. Her life, for the most part, is great and everything is in order, but in six months, everything changes. This is due to the fact that 1.)Kate's best friend, Anna, has left her for the popular crowd after losing a ton of weight and now has forgotten Kate exists, and 2.)her, child at heart, father has quit his corporate job to sell vitamins at the mall. And to add even more frustration, Will, a classmate of Kate's who she pretends to despise but really loves, seems to be interested in her. However, her knowledge that he is only interested in her at the current moment and that after one date, he will move on, keeps her from allowing him to sweep her up. As the storyline progresses, Kate tunnels into herself, seeing it better to be by herself and rely only on herself rather than be dependent upon the people of her world that seems to be collapsing. When her father buys vitamins and health products in bulk and sells very little, the family goes into debt and while Kate works at her father's cart in the mall, her parents marriage cracks under the pressure and her mother must call for help. This results in Kate's maternal grandmother moving in with them and Kate's older brother gets a job, as compared to his previous life of dates and relaxation. Meanwhile, Kate finds that unattainable Will also works in the mall and soon become involved in an emotionless, make-out relationship. Kate longs for there to be more, but when Will tries to progress into a real relationship, Kate assumes he is only after one thing, a hook up. Kate finally caves under pressure/confusion and realizes that Will is truly interested, for the long term, in the same way she is. As they explore their relationship, her parents are forced in further debt due to the father's refusal to get a better job and they sell their house. Tension builds and the parents get a divorce and Kate's brother moves out when Kate, her mother, and her grandmother move into an apartment. Her father remains disconnected and she and her brother seem more connected due to their experience. The story ends with the developing relationship between Will and Kate and she realizes that life changes and that is what it is all about.

In my opinion, the characters in this book are very believable and realistic. As a teenager, many things change, most often, without regard to you or your opinion. It is very realistic to see how losing a friend, a father changing jobs, and a new personal interest could effect a teenage girl so significantly. However, the main idea/concept/lesson that must be learned is that change is part of life and without it we would be trapped in a world of indifference. As Christina Baldwin once said, "Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the pheonix."