The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend By: Kody Keplinger
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 “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.  But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She 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.
I read this book last night, in one sitting. I have this horrible habit of reading before I go to bed. The reason it's horrible is because I can never actually put a book down when I say I will. It's always, one more chapter! Or ten more minutes! In the case of The Duff, I started it around 2 A.M., and didn't fall asleep until after I finished it around 5. Since I wake up for school around 8, this wasn't a very good plan. But I don't regret it, because this book was awesome. I don't think I've ever read a book containing enemies-with-benefits. Friends-with-benefits, sure. But enemies? No. And it was really good. I was a little afraid I would be kind of disgusted with the relationship, but I wasn't. The sex wasn't the main focus of the book, it wasn't even very detailed. It was just something that happened, and what was important was Bianca's thought process before and after. And their banter? I loved it. Even when they were making fun of each other, which was often, you could tell they got each other. They were totally on the same page humor-wise. "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. Bianca and Wesley are both imperfect people, and their flaws made them really likable. I mean, even though they were both kind of jerks, I was still rooting for them. Wesley said some of the stupidest things (like repeatedly calling Bianca 'Duffy'), but he was sincere. He never said anything he didn't mean. And even if what he said sounded harsh, it was honest. He didn't bother with white lies like most people. "He wasn't perfect, or even remotely close, for that matter, but, hey, neither was I. We were both pretty fucked up. Somehow, though, that made everything more exciting. Yeah, it was sick and twisted, but that's reality, right? Escape is impossible, so why not embrace it?" I found Bianca easy to relate to, even though I haven't ever had a enemy (or friend)-with-benefits. I understood how when she's going through a lot of stuff she kept it inside, trying to find a way to deal with it. Some people might have been frustrated that she didn't open up to her friends, but I found her dealing with it on her own very realistic. I mean, how many kids go to school announcing all their problems? Not many that I know. I definitely recommend this book. It's a quick read, and I wish there was a sequel so I could read more of Wesley and Bianca's sarcastic interactions. I want to read more books with interactions like theirs, because that's how people really communicate. Or at least how I do. "Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you."