Juvenile Fiction
Poppy
2011-06-07
280
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper starts sleeping with Wesley Rush, a notorious womanizer who disgusts her, in order to distract her from her personal problems, and to her surprise, the two of them find they have a lot in common and are able to help each other find more productive ways to deal with their difficulties.
Review:
When I began reading “The Duff”, I thought I would find a somewhat typical teen romance. I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case at all.
Bianca and her two best friends are inseparable, and on one of their nights out Bianca is told by the school’s resident that she is “The Duff” of her group of friends. Duff means “Designated ugly fat friend”, and along with some other major issues occurring in her life, the term completely ruins her self-esteem. The internal feelings are something most of us can relate to, both male and female. Bianca’s internal dialogue is witty and self-deprecating, revealing to the reader the things she cannot see for herself.
What really hooked me is the ultimate conclusion to her cycle of self-hatred. While I cannot elaborate without spoiling the story, I can say that it is something that every single person needs to hear, young and old, male and female. The overall message is one of empowerment and awareness. I am not ashamed to admit that part of it made me cry from the memories of my own time in high school.
I wholeheartedly recommend “The Duff” to all older high school readers. While the message is good for everyone, the content is explicit (and very realistic), making it a book best saved for when middle readers get a little older.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Explicit Sexual Content, Language, Minor Violence, Alcohol Abuse
