Book Review: Perfect You

Perfect You
by Elizabeth Scott
282 pages - Paperback
Published March 25th 2008 by Simon Pulse
Source: Bought

Summary:
Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast.

Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.

And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....

Review:

Kate Brown tends to wallow a lot in her own misery. She is pessimistic and always assumes the worst in a person, even in herself. She acts as if she’s got all people figured out, so she goes ahead of them and often says something bitchy. Her character is not something that is very likable, but it is easy to empathize with her given the situation she’s in.

Kate’s life is a total mess. Her long-time best friend, Anna, suddenly stopped talking to her and is hanging out with the popular people they used to make fun of. Her brother who has graduated from college chose to make a career in watching television instead of finding a real job. Her father quit his desk job in order to live up to his ‘dream job’ which is selling vitamins at the mall. And her grandmother who they all dislike is coming over to help with financial problems, because apparently, Kate’s dad’s new job isn’t providing enough for the bills and other expenses.

The characters here have intense personalities. Even though they tend to be immature, annoying and sometimes unrealistic, they all add a very good flavor to the story. In Kate’s family, she’s the only one who seems to have a good grasp with maturity, though she’s not one without attitude problems. I really like Will a lot. He’s hot, cute, thoughtful, understanding and has very nice teeth! He’s the sanest character in the book. Other than them, all the characters could be nerve wracking. Her father acts like a grade-schooler. He’s too caught up with his dream that he doesn’t realize that he’s neglecting his family. I also hate how he does everything to avoid bad news and confrontations. Her mother is also very disappointing. She’s TOO understanding for her family’s own good. She understands why her husband seems to have neglected their family. She understands why he chose selling vitamins at a mall instead of getting a real job. The grandmother tends to be really annoying as well, but among the family, she’s the one who understands things the most.

This is my first Scott book, but this will surely be not the last. I love Scott’s writing. The way she wrote Kate was simply amazing! I especially love the ending. I was a little scared back then because there were only a few pages left, and everything in Kate’s life was still a total mess. I was worried that the ending may seem rushed, but oh, she nailed it! She totally nailed it! It’s probably one of my favorite contemp endings. This book has great pace, great plot, great writing, great everything! Absolutely recommended to everyone of all ages!


Rating: 5/5 stars!