pages to get into the book. Everything before all that is confusing and slow. But if you can bring yourself to trudge through those first 100 pages guys, then you will delve into heck of a treasure.
"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."
Hardcover: 228 pages Publisher: Poppy: 1 edition (7 sept 2010) Genre: Contemporary Source: Bought
Rating:
"You're a disgusting, shallow, womanizing jackass, and I hope that soda stains your preppy little shirt." Just before I marched away, I looked over my shoulder and added, "And my name isn't Duffy. it's Bianca. we've been in the same homeroom since middle school, you self absorbed son of a bitch."
My Thoughts - THE DUFF is a fast paced and very enjoyable read. It brings forth a premise which I have been waiting for a long time. It's basically a more realistic and greater version of stories who like to depict relationship with boys and family in YA but never really seem to go into real depth because they worry too much about the audience and therefore restrict themselves, the plot, and the characters. Be assured fellow readers, there are no restrictions with THE DUFF and it's received all the great and well deserved praise because of it.
Bianca is labeled the duff "Designated ugly, fat friend" the day man whore Wesley approaches her. Now he's not the type of bad boy we have become familiar with: he's the real deal. Let's just say that he's not particularly picky about who he sleeps with. Although she's perplexed at first as to why the school hottie is even talking to her it becomes very clear that it's not her that he's interested in. In confiding the real reason - being that he's talking to her because she's the duff which will give him just the right amount of brownie points to get in her hot friends pants she shows him just what she thinks of him and storms out. "well this is a first" I thought to myself. In your typical YA fashion the guy will be a prick and the girl will swoon, the guy will be a jerk again and yet the girl will swoon. Yet here we had a completely different situation and a heroine who was reacting differently to this very hot guy. I have to admit I was very pleased.
Ever since that night she can't stand him, in fact, his mere presence disgusts her, but this is where things get tricky. One day when she's feeling a little sorry for herself she decides to throw herself at him, and then continues to take her top off. My initial reaction was bafflement, disappointment and then confusion. You see in the scene there is no built up sexual tension, they are hardly cordial with each other and have no interest in the other at all! In fact at this point she still can't stand him, yet that doesn't stop her. Her excuse of having low self esteem issues and needing comfort only = BS for me and vexed me! I'm sorry but we all go through that and it's no excuse for throwing yourself at a guy who called you fat and ugly, who you hate: it just doesn't make sense.
Apart from her bipolar tendencies Bianca herself was a very amusing and extremely cynical. Personality - wise she was someone who I had not come across before. Her traits are all over the place which make her harder to analyse, but they make an interesting character. She's snappy, snarky and even a little snide, not exactly loyal to her friends either, one of those who hates being the centre of attention and speaks her mind.
However, I think amidst of trying to write this honest portrayal things got a little carried away. Wesley is the prime example of that. He is described as a complete jerk who sleeps with anything that moves yet I am supposed to believe that a guy like him sleeps with a girl he couldn't care less about and then suddenly develops a conscious and becomes concerned for her welfare? With tackling all these teen issues I just would have liked a Wesley that was true to his image. I just felt a little let down from that perspective. I think somewhere towards the middle the book lost its purpose. The whole reason I admired Bianca was because she wasn't like your average whining girl who swooned after jerks that were no good for her, but towards the middle it was like suddenly the author had a change of heart and the end gave me exactly what I didn't want. So where does this leave THE DUFF when I feel the ending defeated the whole purpose of the book, and defeated the message I felt it was initially trying to give? My answer is that I really don't know because on this note I'm completely stumped.
THE DUFF was thoroughly enjoyable as in I seriously devoured it and if I didn't think too much into it it would be getting 5 stars hands down. However, my disappointment in the ending and where the book ultimately headed won't allow me to do that. Keep in mind that I might be one of the very few who think this way and even IF you share the same disappointments with me THE DUFF regardless is a very enjoyable read.
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