I’d heard a little bit about Elizabeth Scott and the comparisons to Sarah Dessen when her latest book fell into my lap (Thanks Jessica!). I liked the title and the cover, not to mention my misassumptions about the reasons behind it. I’m not sure if it’s her best, but it was an enjoyable summer read nonetheless.
Believe it or not Perfect You is actually the brand name of vitamins Kate’s dad has quit his job to sell at a booth in the local mall. Not only is money now tight in the Brown household, but Kate’s free time goes to helping her dad while avoiding being recognized by her classmates and mourning the loss of her best friend Anna, who lost 70 pounds over the summer and is now popular. And of course there’s Will. Good-looking, popular, and known for hooking up with half the girls in school, Kate still wants him no matter how hard she tries to convince herself otherwise. But when Will begins noticing her, she’s almost sure he can’t be serious. But what if it’s different this time? What Kate is yet to learn is that though life isn’t fair or perfect, there are still chances for happiness if you’re open to them.
The biggest strength of this book is Elizabeth Scott’s ability to authentically capture the complex, conflicting feelings in a love/hate relationship. I couldn’t help but think of my own experiences of being abandoned by a best friend like a drop of a hat and denying infatuations with the popular guy out of my league. Having just read Wake I’m reminded of how much appearances and gossip can deceive and how quick we are to judge. Underneath his flirtatious facade, Will is not what he seems. I loved the clever arguments and smart banter between himself and Kate. Kate’s hope of rekindling her friendship with Anna and inability to see things clearly feels very true to life. It’s easy to feel her loneliness and understand why any trade-off is worth being able to spend time with your former friend.
That said, I tired of Kate too-quickly forgiving Anna of her unwillingness to acknowledge her around her new friends or stand up for Kate when she’s being laughed at. I also lost my patience with Kate failing to believe over and over that Will may honestly want to go out with her, that he may ACTUALLY like someone like her. And while I felt like it all wrapped up a little too fast as Kate’s bleak outlook peaked, the ending was still rewarding and offered just enough closure in the epilogue-like final chapter. Props to Scott for not sugar-coating any of the harsher realities of teen and family life.
