Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Publisher: Poppy (13th Jan 2015 - Movie Tie-In Edition)

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Purchased.

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, a biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush.

But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out 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.

Upon reading the blurb of The Duff, I knew I had to get it because who doesn’t love a kick-arse heroine with a smart mouth and biting wit? And, of course, after discovering that the book has been made into a film, the urge to read it became a giant, overexcited puppy.

The Duff centres on the life of a high school girl who feels like she’s the less attraction one among her best friends who are beautiful, popular and everything Bianca Piper is not. With the added antagonism from the school’s fittest guy aka “The Manwhore” where he digs the knife deeper by calling her the “duff” which is the abbreviation for “designated ugly fat friend”, shreds every sliver of her self-esteem. Soon, Bianca develops a purely physical relationship with Wesley (manwhore) to distract herself from her own personal problems, but surely hate will eventually blossom into love when feelings are added into the mix?

I loved every bit of The Duff because of Bianca! I could really relate to her with her chilly little heart and smart mouth and even her take on things. Finally a heroine I can see myself in. She’s feisty, sharp and funny but at the same time, everything she says is tinged with sarcasm. The witty banter between Bianca and Wesley was gold – funny, fresh, flirty and so naughty. *giggles*

The characters are extremely likeable, especially Bianca. For someone who claims that she has a layer of ice around her heart, she could be really nice and sweet. I loved the part where she finally realised that she was falling for Wesley, then her insecurities started clawing their way up her walls, taunting her with thoughts of doubt that Wesley doesn’t want a duff like her. I guess appearances are everything to people. When Bianca comes to a realisation that everyone makes themselves look better then compare themselves to others who don’t look as good as they do, they feel better. But why would we do that?

All in all, The Duff is a teenage love story which will make you laugh out loud, smirk and swoon. I promise you that you won’t be able to stifle that snort when you read Bianca’s witty remarks. The book ends with a crescendo that will make your heart soar for Bianca and Wesley and it’s too cute too pass up. It’ll make your insides gooey and you’ll want to hug your puppy after reading this. So funny, original and highly entertaining. Bianca Piper is my soul sister! I cannot wait to watch the film when it shows here!

I LOVED Mae Whitman in The Perks of Being A Wallflower so I reckon she'd be an awesome Bianca. Behold, Zac Efron as Wesley. *fans self*