The DUFF

If there’s one thing I’ve heard consistently about Kody Keplinger’s writing, it’s that her portrayal of teenagers (especially with regards to sex) is extremely realistic and unapologetic. And if YA fiction needs anything, it definitely needs to sugarcoat sex less than it does now—in my opinion, of course.

So in that respect, I found The DUFF to be extremely refreshing. Bianca, the main character, has a lot of sex, and the sex she has isn’t of the “one true love, forever and always with this guy” variety. Bianca is using Wesley—who she really can’t stand—as a means of distracting herself from her parents’ divorce and her dad’s lapse back into alcoholism. And while Bianca and I are very dissimilar people, and I would never do what she does, I respected her choices and found them to be very realistic.

Overall, I was definitely a huge fan of Bianca. In one of the very first chapters, she quickly proved herself worthy of my attention when she went on a tirade against instalove and meaningful relationships. Definitely my kind of girl.

Beyond that, the whole “enemies with benefits”, while not exactly new or unique, was still a fun, engaging plot. I very much enjoyed the snappy banter between Wesley and Bianca; it was nice to see that she could hold her own against his “man-whore” persona. Of course, it wouldn’t be a good love story if things between Bianca and Wesley didn’t change. However, I thought Kody Keplinger did an excellent job in showing the subtle transition in her protagonists’ relationship over a period of several months.

There was also a more serious edge to The DUFF, beyond the lighthearted romance. Both Bianca and Wesley had issues with their family, reasons they sought distraction from sex. That darker undertone gave this novel a bit more depth that it wouldn’t have had otherwise.

However, The DUFF is still a debut novel, and it came accompanied by a few rookie mistakes. For one thing, Keplinger picked up quite a few plot threads but didn’t carry them out to the end, leaving them dangling and unresolved. That was disappointing.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the way Kody Keplinger inserted her own opinions (or I assume they’re her opinions) into the narrative. I’m not in any way adverse to discussions of politics, homosexuality, or how awful the Brontë sisters are in my books, but the way those topics were handled in The DUFF was nothing short of preachy. It felt very unnatural, like Keplinger was forcing those segments into her narrative just to prove her PC-ness or whatever. Definitely, I thought the preaching and forcing issues into the book that really had nothing to do with the main story was not a good stylistic choice.

But other than that, The DUFF was a cute romance with a wonderfully refreshing take on teen sexuality, instalove, and slut shaming. We need more books like this, in my opinion. Kody Keplinger is a welcome addition to the YA community.

!!!!!
That’s pretty much how I feel after finishing The DUFF. When I’d gotten about 50 pages in, I really wasn’t sure that I’d like it. Yes, the synopsis warned me Bianca was cynical, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the level of cynicism her character contained. Turns out, I didn’t really need to worry. This turned out to be one of those awesome books that caused my heart to swell and make me all happy inside.

So, Bianca. Her bitter outlook on life really got to me sometimes. I could really see where she was coming from a lot of the time, though. For one, she’s only 17 trying to navigate life and we all know how big of a pain in the butt that can be sometimes. On top of that, she had problems at home.
At first I found it a little unnerving to be reading from the point of view of someone who was using sex as an escape tactic. After a while, though, I came to respect the fact that Keplinger would delve into an issue most people wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

Then there’s Wesley. I wanted to hate him most of the time just like Bianca (he could be quite the jerk), but he was just so sweet sometimes! I’m still not entirely sure about my feelings for Wesley, but be assured that I was totally Team Bianca+Wesley.

That’s enough about characters, though. I really appreciated what Keplinger was willing to write about. She got right down to the nitty gritty (in this case, that would be sex) and didn’t let up. This means The DUFF probably isn’t for everyone, but if you can handle it, definitely give it a go. She also touches on issues like divorce and alcoholic parent/s.

The Nutshell: This really isn’t a very eloquent review, but in a way, I think that fits with The DUFF. Now, don’t take that the wrong way. This book isn’t bad, it’s simply…raw. Keplinger looks at a relationship and a person that most people would never write about. Honestly, Bianca’s not very likable, but that’s one of the reasons I ended up loving this book. If you’re up for a contemp that’s not so mushy-gushy, then this should definitely be your next read.

This book is a great way to think about the politics of women. We all think at some point, "I'm too ugly or I'm too fat." But it's not true (Mostly). And we usually bounce back from it or off of it. But sometimes somebody says something that you can't Bounce back from as easily.A great tale of Love, and accepting yourself. I Love this Book.
Here's the Blurb:


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.
I give this book Four Stars.


"Wesley stood up, his face hard and serious. He grabbed me by the shoulders and held me firmly, forcing me to look up at him.
“Listen to me,” he said. “You are not a whore. Are you listening, Bianca? What you are is an intelligent, sassy, sarcastic, cynical, neurotic, loyal, compassionate girl. That’s what you are, okay? You’re not a slut or a whore or anything remotely similar. Just because you have some secrets and some screwups… You’re just confused… like the rest of us.”

Reader reviewed by The Bookshelf Sophisticate

I have to start out by saying that this was not a book I thought I would really be a big fan of, or be able to really get into, but I had read some positive reviews and decided to jump on the tour despite my hesitations. Boy am I glad I did! I was pleasantly surprised to find that I became far more invested in this book than I thought I would. Kody Keplinger is an author who drew me into the story and had me relating to characters I never thought I would.
I think this is going to be a book that will end up taking people off guard. You get the chance to see more of people than just the stereotype and category you/others might have filed them under previously. I didn't think that I would ever champion a womanizing, spoiled rich boy who treats people like their pawns to be moved around a chess board, but here I am, doing just that. Wesley surprised me and his relationship (or whatever you might call it) with Bianca and it had me invested the whole way through. I was laughing at them when they were ridiculous, and sympathizing with them when they were struggling with the events taking place. Keplinger had me from their first introduction and after that there was no way I could let go.
The DUFF was a new term for my vocabulary and at first I thought it meant exactly what it stood for (the designated ugly fat friend) but eventually further into the story, I think readers will agree and realize as I did that it's more than just an acronym, it's a state of mind that goes far beyond what I'd originally given it credit for.
Keplinger gave this story and scenario depth that I didn't think it would or had the potential for. I always love when I've been waiting for a book to come out that I've been dying to read and it turns out to be just as great and enjoyable as I knew it would be. What I like even more is when a book comes along like The DUFF, that I either didn't know enough about or wasn't expecting much from, and then turns out to be wonderful! It was so much fun to read. To me this was a book that turned out to be a dark horse that I wasn't anticipating or expecting and it surpassed my expectations by miles. That was The DUFF, a complete dark horse for me that I'm so glad I gave the chance and took the time to read, totally worth every minute.