The DUFF by Kody Keplinger (Review + Giveaway)

Genre:	Young Adult, Contemporary, Comedy, Romance
Publication.Date	April 5th 2012
Pages:	343
Published By:	Hodder Children's Books |
Website	David H. Steinberg
	The DUFF - Goodreads
My review copy:	Finished copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

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 “Duffy,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that 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.(Goodreads)

“I wanted to make sure you were fine...and that he was okay, too. You didn't, like, stab the boy, did you? I mean, I totally disapprove of murdering hotties, but if you need help burying the body, you know I'll bring the shovel.”

“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.”

“Bianca, whore is just a cheap word people use to cut each other down," he said. His voice softer. "It makes them feel better about their own mistakes. Using words like that is easier than really looking into the situation. I promise you, you're not a whore."

I looked at him, into his warm gray eyes, and suddently understood what he was trying to tell me. The message hidden beneath the words.

You're not alone.”

“Spanish, huh?" he said, glancing down at the scattered papers as he grabbed them. "Can you say anything interesting?"
"El tono de tu voz hace que queria estrangularme." I stood up and waited for him to hand over my papers.
"That sounds sexy," he said, getting to his feet and handing me the stack of Spanish work he'd swept together. "What's it mean?"
"The sound of your voice makes me want to strangle myself."
"Kinky.” 

     The DUFF is probably one of the best contemporary novels I have ever read. And I totally did not anticipate it to be. I went into reading it without really knowing what to expect. I haven't read any reviews of this book prior to picking it up, nor was I especially pining for it. I'll even go as far as to admit that I was a bit put off by both the cover (which, by the way, grew on me rather quickly and I ended up adoring it!) and the premise. I mean, come on, how many of us get excited at the prospect of reading about an unattractive girl and a total man-slut guy, and their wild, not-really-friends-with-benefits relationship? Well, I certainly don't (OK, maybe I do, but only if you take the fat-and-ugly out of the equation). I expected something mildly amusing at the very best. What I didn't know, though, is just how big of a surprise I was in for! This book blew my socks off, made me shiver from the excellent sexual tension and spine-tingling chemistry between the lead characters, and, ultimately, left me speechless, exhilarated, and with a stupid grin stuck to my face for the rest of the day. Brilliant, clever, brutally honest, steamy, and choke-on-your-drink hilarious, The DUFF packs a strong punch for all fans of romantic comedies. An absolute MUST-READ!

“Wesley Rush doesn't date, he fucks - everyone, for that matter.”  

     Wesley Rush (or Sugar-Rush as I like to call him) has a theory. He believes that every group of friends has a weak link, a so-called DUFF. DUFF stands for "Designated Ugly Fat Friend". According to Wesley, girls respond well when guys socialize with their DUFFs, which inevitably leads to at least one happy hook-up. As shallow and disgusting as this theory sounds, it seemed to be working well for Wesley. That is, until he approaches the wrong DUFF. Seventeen-year-old Bianca is snarky, cynical and very assertive, and she considers herself way too smart to ever fall for a repulsive man-whore like Wesley Rush. When Wesley approaches her at the bar, trying to have a "nice conversation", Bianca is far from charmed. Things get even less civil when Wesley calls her Duffy, calmly explains the motives behind his sudden interest in chatting with her, and asks her to co-operate. Well, that's when Bianca throws her drink in his face and storms away, hating him more than ever. 

     But Bianca's difficult family situation forces her to look around for distractions. And what's a better way to forget about your family problems than to throw yourself at the hottest guy at school, losing yourself in 100% feelings-free, purely physical "relationship"? As much as she hates Wesley, she must face the facts: he provides a fabulous distraction from her complicated life at home, and before she knows it, she's completely addicted to the guy she still loathes with burning fierceness. 

      This book was beyond phenomenal. Every aspect of it, down to the very last detail, was awesome. Every single thing, from the beautifully fleshed-out, authentic, colorful characters, to the mind-popping chemistry between them, to the way the story unfolded, leaving me amazed, fascinated, and man... so turned-on! - everything was excellent and executed with perfection. Kody Keplinger nailed this book. She has given us a story with a clever and sassy burst of teen relationship strife that stealthily pulls you into its incredibly, overpowering magnetism. What can I say? This book is freaking HOT! Full of aggressive, passionate kisses, steaming-hot sex scenes, fire, sweetness, and top-notch humour. I absolutely loved the dynamics of the relationship between Wesley and Bianca, their bickering, the undeniable gravitational pull between them, the addiction and the thrill! Watching them slowly realize just how much they really mean to each other has sent many shivers down my spine and kept me fully captivated well throughout the novel. 

     Wesley was absolutely gorgeous. He was just the perfect mix of cocky, charming, flirtatious and hilarious. He was also a very complex protagonist, with such a huge emotional baggage and many problems of his own, and yet that part of his personality did not overshadow the overall wickedness of his character. He didn't get all dark and gloomy, you didn't need to worry that he will go all emo on you, he kept it all under control. Whatever struggle he was facing, he was doing it internally, and he managed to do that without appearing withdrawn, disconnected or cold. As the story progressed and I got to know him better, it became clear to me just how fascinating a person he truly is. Sure, he wasn't perfect, he had many flaws, but in the end he was just so irresistibly charismatic, confident, and, well, yummy. He is hands down my number one YA hottie by far. 

     The truth is, all the characters in The DUFF were fantastic. Bianca, too, was really great and I found it very easy to connect with her on a more personal level. I, too, can be quite cynical and snarky, and I, too, don't always feel like the prettiest girl in the room. Bianca's personality really shined through and elevated this story. Sure, she was mean and bitchy sometimes. Sometimes she appeared to be quite self-centred, as well. But overall, she was just a girl with very low self-esteem, who was doing her best not to get hurt. With all the stuff going on with her parents, she was slightly unbalanced and lost, and, yes, she might have made a couple of not-so-good decisions, but that's exactly what I loved most about her: the fact that she was perfectly imperfect. I don't want to read about perfect pretty girls, with flawless figures and cheerful personalities. I want characters that are authentic, even if painfully so. I want to be able to relate to their stories and get emotionally involved in them. And in The DUFF, Kody Keplinger delivers all that and more. 

     If, like me, for whatever reason you were staying away from this book, stay away no more! You absolutely have to read it. You can thank me later! 

Giveaway~! 

Hachette Children's UK has generously offered to give away one paperback copy of The DUFF to one lucky Canadian reader!
I loved this book SO SO SO MUCH I am giving away an additional copy (open WW)

Open to: WORLD WIDE and CANADA ONLY (please make sure to let me know in your comments if you're in Canada or WW!)

Ends: June 30th

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This review is posted as part of the Contemporary Fiction Month feature!

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing