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    The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
    The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
    The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
    Audiobook7 hours

    The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

    Written by Kody Keplinger

    Narrated by Ellen Grafton

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Soon to be a major motion picture!

    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, who calls Bianca the Duff—the designated ugly fat friend—of her crew.

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 7, 2010
    ISBN9781441858245
    The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
    Author

    Kody Keplinger

    Kody Keplinger grew up in a small Kentucky town. During her senior year of high school she wrote her debut novel, The DUFF, which is a New York Times bestseller, a USA Today bestseller, a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and a Romantic Times Top Pick. It has since been adapted into a major motion picture. Kody is also the author of Lying Out Loud, a companion to The DUFF; Run; Shut Out; and A Midsummer's Nightmare, as well as the middle-grade novel The Swift Boys & Me. Kody currently lives in New York City and writes full-time. You can visit her online at www.kodykeplinger.com.

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    Related categories

    Reviews for The DUFF

    4/5

    747 ratings91 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      A high school senior "takes advantage" of the promiscuous classmate who was trying to use her to get to her prettier friends as distraction from a bad home situation. Things develop. Readable and well moving it manages not to be a waste of time. Bonus for literary references well deployed.
    • 1/5
      Bianca was one of the most annoying main characters I ever read. she a completely self absorbed, judgmental and such a shitty friend.

      the issue for me of this book was she always avoided the problem. the big 'WTF' is how she run off to have sex instead of helping her father who falling off the wagon. this book was just about how she avoided everything and wished it go away and IT DOES!! she hasn't do anything, everything wrap up nicely by itself.

      the romance was meh, I can't see the chemistry between Bianca and Wesley and it so lame.
      the ending was so clichéd. I have to roll my eyes so hard. the unnecessary love v thing, the way she got away so easily with everything ugh! I'm DONE
    • 5/5
      Loved this book so much. This was brilliantly narrated. ?
    • 5/5
      I sat here and started to read this book this morning and finished it a few hours ago. All the messages and situations are things that I have gone through and just the message this book gives is something that I stand behind. No one needs should judge you because everyone makes mistakes and if they do judge you you shouldn't pay them attention because they may not know you or the situation you are in. Over all I loved the book!
    • 4/5
      Haber releído este libro fue toda una experiencia, sí, no es perfecto, sí, tiene sus detalles, pero siento que te deja con lecciones importantes y sobretodo, que te ayuda a entender que NADIE es perfecto, que todos somos víctimas y victimarios en algún punto de nuestra vida, a veces sin quererlo. Me gustó menos de lo que me gustó la primera vez que lo leí, pero más de lo que imaginé que me gustaría al releerlo.
    • 4/5
      Totally different from the movie but I really liked it :D
    • 3/5
      Read by Ellen Grafton. Bianca has teen troubles. Her parents are getting divorced, her dad is drinking again, her old boyfriend is in town with his fiance, and she's suddenly insecure about being the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) as described by Wesley Rush, the school hottie and slimeball, and a boy she can't stand. But as her father finds escape from his divorce in drink, she finds her own escape by having casual sex with, shockingly, Wesley himself, who actually turns out to be the friend she needs. Lib notes: swearing, sexual activity (not too graphic but not euphemistic, either), drinking.
    • 4/5
      Despite all the differences to the movie, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wouldn't be surprised if I reread or re-listen this in the future:)
    • 3/5
      This novel was easy to read and get sucked into. All of the characters were realistic, and made me think of my own high school friends and classmates. The ending was, of course, a little sappy and predictable, but the majority of the story is strong enough to stand up despite the wimpy resolution.
    • 2/5
      I have been wanting to read The DUFF since it came out but never got around to it. When I found out it was going to be a movie, I decided that now was the time to pick it up. I was so excited. I had heard nothing but amazing things about it and I was finally going to read it. Boy was I disappointed.I didn’t really like that much about this book. The plot was predictable, which I kind of expected going into it, but it still bothered me. I didn’t really like any of the characters. I’m not exactly sure how many times I wanted to smack Bianca because of the dumb choices she mas making, but it was a lot.I can’t even tell you what I liked about The DUFF. I can’t think of a single thing I liked. I didn’t hate it. In fact I actually thought it was okay. Maybe it’s just because it’s a fast, easy read and I needed that when I read it. I was in a bit of a reading slump when I picked this up. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting.I will be seeing the movie with my mom when it comes out. It looks pretty good and a little different from the book. Which would normally bug me, but for once I’m excited about that. Maybe I will enjoy it more than the book. That would be a first.I will be reading more by Kody Keplinger in the future. I just wont be running out to buy her books any time soon. Hopefully whatever I read next by Keplinger I enjoy more.
    • 2/5
      2.5/5

      pretty much your typical early 2010s ya novel. nothing special.v
    • 4/5
      A teen romance story with a twist. I enjoyed this audiobook!
    • 5/5
      I listened to this because I enjoyed the movie and it’s couldn’t be further from the movie, but in the best way possible. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this audiobook
    • 5/5
      The DUFF by Kody Keplinger is WAY more than your typical novel about high school cliques. I was so hooked on this book that I finished it in one day and then went to see the movie the next day. The DUFF covers so many situations that typical teenage books don't delve into. Bianca's struggles with her family, friends and self image are so well written that you can really relate to her and feel what it might be like to be in that situation. I love how Bianca and Wesley both grow and learn to handle the problems they face and I also love how her friends stick by her no matter what even after Bianca treats them so badly. I would definitely recommend The DUFF as I can promise you it won't be what you are expecting. As a side note I know this isn't meant to be a review on the movie but I have to let it be known that the movie was EXTREMELY disappointing. It is only very loosely based on the book which is a real shame because the book has such an amazing message and story. I do understand how with teenagers being the main target audience how the movie would have to take a different approach but if the teens are able to read it why not include it in the movie too??? I would NOT recommend the movie if you love this book. It will only take away from the feeling the book brought to you.
    • 2/5
      When I heard about this movie, I cringed, and vowed to stay as far away from it as humanly possible. I mean, how could a girl that pretty be a Duff? It seemed like the movie would be torturous for anyone who was actually from the land of Duff. Then I came across a good review of it and became curious. I read the preview of the book and got super-excited.

      But this book... ugh. It started off promising and just got worse and worse and worse. My initial evaluation was right. The book ends up all warm and fuzzy- the girl and her friends are all like, "No! You're the hot one, I'm the ugly one." "No, me!" The writing style was too simplistic, no flair, no depth. The Duff thing is barely even explored properly. And the use of pop culture references was horrifying. They referred to Gossip Girl like a dozen times without really making any point. And it throws in conversations about The Scarlet Letter, Jane Eyre, & Wuthering Heights that are just plain ridiculous- like over-the-top-alien-sounding intellectual stuff that no-one would ever actually say, let alone teenagers.

      Maybe at 21, I'm just too old for it. Perhaps young teens would like it? But I don't know, it seems like a good concept that turned out a little trashy. After reading the preview, I was hoping for something MORE. Like with Fangirl's depth about anxiety and loneliness and social struggle. Or Easy A's wit and charm. I may still watch the movie- I hope it's not just a faithful copy, and can fix some of the book's flaws.
    • 2/5
      When I was working on moving my goodreads rates to here I had initially put three stars on this book then I realised that was to high. I really did not enjoy this book and being honest two stars may be a little to high for this book. I didn’t like the characters or anything else in the book. I really only read this to get it off my TBR shelf and to watch the movie again. I’m not a fan of the movie, but I wanted to see the resemblance in the two works. If that was your plans too I would suggest skipping the book. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.
    • 2/5
      I have been wanting to read The DUFF since it came out but never got around to it. When I found out it was going to be a movie, I decided that now was the time to pick it up. I was so excited. I had heard nothing but amazing things about it and I was finally going to read it. Boy was I disappointed.I didn't really like that much about this book. The plot was predictable, which I kind of expected going into it, but it still bothered me. I didn't really like any of the characters. I’m not exactly sure how many times I wanted to smack Bianca because of the dumb choices she mas making, but it was a lot.I can’t even tell you what I liked about The DUFF. I can’t think of a single thing I liked. I didn't hate it. In fact I actually thought it was okay. Maybe it’s just because it’s a fast, easy read and I needed that when I read it. I was in a bit of a reading slump when I picked this up. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting.I will be seeing the movie with my mom when it comes out. It looks pretty good and a little different from the book. Which would normally bug me, but for once I’m excited about that. Maybe I will enjoy it more than the book. That would be a first.I will be reading more by Kody Keplinger in the future. I just wont be running out to buy her books any time soon. Hopefully whatever I read next by Keplinger I enjoy more. What should I read next? Any suggestions?
    • 4/5
      I was not sure what I was going to think about this based on the title, but I ended up loving it. I read it only one sitting as it was a really fun and quick read.This had so much more to do than with being the DUFF. Actually, being the DUFF played a very small role in the story itself. Yes, this still deals with teen girls finding themselves but also so much more.This deals with alcoholism, divorce, and of course, romance. The romance was super cute and I even thought it was a hook up romance, I liked them together. Both character are dealing with family issues and are bonding/building a relationship without even knowing it.Overall, this surprised me and I enjoyed it.
    • 4/5
      The book begins with us being introduced to Bianca who never really saw herself as the “DUFF” and never really seemed inadequate next to her beautiful friends. Her interests were similar to every other somewhat angsty teen, nothing too interesting there. The main annoying thing about Bianca was that she kept going along with things she really didn’t want to do because her friends wanted to do it and I hardly, if ever, saw her friends doing things they hated for her sake. She’d go out dancing with them but never really dance but that’s how the story starts anyway.

      Bianca is at this teen club that she hates, watching her friends dance when this sleazy creep, by this I mean he’s known to have slept with half the school, from her school basically comes up to her and calls her ugly and fat and says that talking to her will make him seem more desirable to her “hot friends”. To that Bianca responds appropriately however, as the story progresses and her home life seems to deteriorate she goes down this terrible path with this asshat of a boy. Of course they get paired together for a school assignment, this happens in most stories. Of course he has some issues of his own to work through, they always do. My issue with this was not so much she used sex to escape her problems, its that she let this boy to refer to her as “Duffy” instead of her name. The word increased in weight every time she heard it but never wanted to tell anyone. She didn’t want to tell her friends he called her that, I understand. She didn’t seem to want to tell anyone anything, she just wanted to be distracted from her problems. Perhaps she found it freeing to be with someone who would tell her how fat and ugly she is every time they spoke.

      Regardless of her reasoning, this was not a healthy relationship by any means and I wanted better for Bianca. Any time she went over the douchebag’s mansion (yes, they all have mansions), I felt a little piece of her would die. She may have thought she was distracting herself from her real problems but distractions are just that and once she’s *ahem* finished her problems are there to greet her. Rather than facing them head-on, she would drop everything to go to this losers house. I call this Teen Brain because there’s very little logic involved but there’s still time to mature. So Bianca turns on her Teen Brain anytime something serious happens. Her life at home isn’t great, her memory of an ex-boyfriend is tormenting her when he comes back into town, and she just generally seems dissatisfied with life. I get it Bianca! I just wanted to tell her things would get better, even if they might not it’s still nice to hear sometimes. Right?

      Some of the reviews I’ve seen of people hating The DUFF mentioned the teenage sex and drinking as a reason for not enjoying the book which ... okay here’s how I feel about this: the DUFF, as I see it, is supposed to be a real depiction of teenage life. I’m not that far removed from my teenage years so I know that teenagers have sex, teens drink, teens do drugs, and generally teens make awful decisions. This book wasn’t written to set an example for anyone. Seriously, look at the title. If it were to set an example, then they wouldn’t refer to the main character as ugly and fat. Regardless, I would recommend this book to anyone, especially anyone who has ever felt like the designated ugly fat friend of their circle.
    • 3/5
      The Duff, or The Designated Ugly, Fat Friend, is a girl whose friends are prettier than she is, and thus, the girl that Wesley Rush talks to in order to get the hot friends to like him. Or, that’s his game, until he meets Bianca.

      Kody Keplinger’s debute novel touches on the sensitive issue of body image, or so it seemed in the beginning. When Wesley says those words to Bianca, she can’t seem to get it out of her head, it plagues her. However, that’s about as far as that issue goes. Instead, Bianca, not wanting to deal with her parents and the issue of their divorce winds up going to Wesley - the guy she hates and thinks of as a “disgusting womanizing playboy” - for comfort in the form of sex.

      I found it very odd and felt very frustrated with Bianca when she winds up going to Wesley instead of confiding in her best friends. Why would she go to a person she hates and is disgusted by when her two best friends are trying to understand what’s going on? It’s just so puzzling to me that the entire hooking-up-to-escape plot line seemed unrealistic and I couldn’t take it seriously. I want to be clear that it’s not the fact that Bianca is having sex to escape her issues that is puzzling - people (teens included) do that all the time - it’s the fact that she’s doing it with Wesley.

      There were so many good places that this book could go, dealing with divorced parents, a dad who’s drinking again, a mom who is constantly way, and self esteem issues, but all of this was eclipsed by her relationship with Wesley. It’s hard to appreciate Bianca as a protagonist, especially when she turns around and hurts the people who seem to care about her the most, the people who rally as her champions - her two best friends.

      However, there is no denying that, these aside, Bianca would be a snarky, witty heroine. Kody did a great job in creating a character that is constantly disgruntled, but is still lovable. She’s spunky, and if not for the entire Wesley plot, The Duff would have been a great read.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book very much. I quite literally could not put it down and the evening I started it, I stayed up until I had read it through! Right away I was drawn to the main character, she reminded me of how I felt in Jr. High and High School. The idea of a DUFF is a fairly new one to 30 somethings like me, but that feeling that girls have of being the "ugly" or possibly the "least pretty" friend in the group is something that we have likely all felt at some point or another. I liked how Bianca finally realized this by the end of the book and I think that will speak to the teens who read it.
    • 3/5
      17 yr old Bianca is called the Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Wesley, the high school hottie and man-whore whom she despises, yet sleeps with in order to forget the absentee mom and alcoholic father at home. When Bianca discovers that Wesley has family drama as well and is turning into a thoughtful and sympathetic listener, she finds herself falling in love with him. Predictable, unrealistic characters, but a quick, fluffy read.
    • 4/5
      When I first saw this novel doing the rounds a couple of years ago, I wasn't even remotely interested - mostly because where I'm from, "up the duff" means pregnant, so I thought this was just the latest in a wave of teen pregnancy novels. I'd never actually looked at the cover carefully enough to see those little words explaining that DUFF actually means "designated ugly fat friend".Once the movie arrived on the scene and I realised the ACTUAL premise of the novel, I was a bit more interested. In Keplinger's world (and now everywhere, I guess), the DUFF is the person in any given group who is more approachable, less intimidating, maybe less high maintenance or less attractive. Although the word becomes more nuanced by the end of the novel, at the beginning our protagonist Bianca is understandably horrified when mid-night out at the local underage club, The Nest, school man-hunk (and man-whore) Wesley casually refers to her as the DUFF and explains exactly what it means. That cherry coke she dumps down his shirt is well-deserved, is all I'm saying.The book isn't just about DUFFhood, however, although obviously it seeps into Bianca's life and view of herself in a fairly all-consuming way. Bianca also has parental issues, with a divorce looming on the horizon and both parents coping badly, as well as friendship drama with her beautiful friends Casey and Jessica. She escapes from all of this by snogging the face off Wesley, ending up sleeping with him on a regular basis as her conflicted attraction to him drowns out all the bad stuff happening around her. In the end, of course, she has to finally face everything head-on in order to straighten her world back out in time for a happy ending.It's clichéd, definitely, and predictable, and all those other things that can drag a book down - but it's also fun and frothy and despite some occasional eye-rolling moments that were probably meant to be clever (like Bianca's world-weary conversations with the bartender at the Nest, who has to 'cut her off' when she gets too maudlin. IT'S CHERRY COKE, JOE), I did enjoy it. I liked the character arcs of the three main characters (Bianca, Wesley and B's father); again, this was hardly groundbreaking stuff, but sometimes a gradual reveal of different sides to a person, their darkness and their light, and the way they finally become rounded people instead of stock characters, is really satisfying. I also loved the way sex was approached in the novel. These are high school characters, but the sex was unapologetic and safe and real and enjoyable. Admittedly Bianca is basically using Wesley to get away from her problems - but while the 'why' and 'who' are definitely areas of conflict for her, the 'what' is never questioned. She's not a virginal teenager being magically deflowered by the high school hunk; she isn't raped; she isn't going to have fun sex then find herself pregnant - she's just having sex with a hot boy because sex is awesome, and that was INCREDIBLY refreshing for a young adult novel.All in all, I liked the idea of DUFF-hood and the way Keplinger pulls the reader to the realisation that everyone feels like a DUFF sometimes. I appreciated the frank approach to sex, and the character development of Bianca and Wesley. It wasn't a new novel, it wasn't ground-breaking or life-changing, but it was positive and fun and an interesting take on the 'regular girl realises her true worth' trope. Tentatively recommended?
    • 5/5
      This book took me by surprise, in a good way.

      I haven't seen the movie, but expected a fluffy generic romcom book. Instead I got a very honest, sincere and accurate book.

      Yes, there's sex. But let's be real: high school kids have sex, whether the parents like it or not. I found the way it's handled in this book to be very honest and true to life.

      Besides that, I found the rest of the book excellent as well. It started off very slow for me, and I was tempted to DNF, but I usually will give a book at least 20%, and I'm glad I did. I could identify so well with Biance, the way she sees herself as the DUFF and the way the definition of that term changes for her throughout the book.

      This book far surpassed my expectations, and I look forward to the movie. I hope the movie lives up to the book
    • 1/5
      Bianca Piper has always managed to keep her life together. She’s smart and resourceful, loyal to her friends and responsible in most aspects of her life. But lately, her life has been spinning a little out of control. Her ex-boyfriend is coming back to town with his fiancée, her parents are getting a divorce and her dad slipped off the sobriety wagon after 18 years. Add to that the label she was recently given by heartthrob Wesley Rush … “The Duff” … Designated, Ugly, Fat Friend. With a multitude of reasons to hate Wesley already, that one pushes her feelings over the edge. Despite that, she finds herself, inexplicably kissing him one night. Hmmm … what better way to distract oneself from the trials and tribulations of real life than meaningless, mindless sex with someone you really can’t stand. She opts for a one night stand which turns into an almost everyday occurrence.

      OH ??? Did I forget to mention? Bianca and Wesley are 17-year-old high school students.

      Every once in a while I dip into the available pool of YA fiction. Often I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of books (The Book Thief). This one, unfortunately, was an accident that you want to look away from, but just can’t. Granted, its been a lot of years since I was in high-school, and yes I understand that teenagers become different creatures when they are not with family and parents, but this book was over the top. If this is an honest reflection of what high school is like these days then I am also very grateful that my kids are grown and settled. Aside from the language: “slut” “skank” whore” “f*** this” and “f*** that” (yes, yes, yes … I know kids swear but this was unnecessarily excessive) this book glamorized a very poor way of dealing with difficult life situations. I know I am nit picking now, but the title isn’t even accurate. In reading the book it turns out that Bianca is not ugly, nor is she fat. The only redeeming quality to this whole book is the way the author addresses the DUFF issue at the end of the book. Unfortunately, it is at the very end of the book. I wish Keplinger had chosen a different path to get there.

      Having raised daughters I think by the time they reached 17 or 18 they would have had no interest in this book and at 13 or 14, it is not a book I would have wanted them to read.
    • 5/5
      Something to Note: This book has a little heated scenes, but other than that DIVE IN! The Characters: Bianca is a character that I am back in forth on. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely loved her character, but sometimes she just didn’t make sense. But, I feel like that’s the reason I enjoyed her so much. She was so down to earth, and she had her opinions about certain things, yet at times she went against them. She hated Wesley, then she fell for Wesley – yet continues to go on about how much she totally and utterly hates him. I see a lot of reviews talking about how that annoyed them, but I think that part of the story really goes along with how people act now-a-days. I don’t agree with what she did, but she acted how I expected her to, I guess. Anyway, Bianca is just a fun, loving character that I would love to get to know.Wesley is a snobby, jerk…but I do think that he actually cares about Bianca. I didn’t really like his character throughout the book because he was too cocky and he just annoyed me with all of his snood comments. I do appreciate how he was with Bianca and that’s the reason that I was able to tolerate him as a character.Bianca’s two best friends — they were both so brutally honest and I loved it. I wish that they were in the book a little more than they were. My Thoughts: This book was amazing in every way…yes, I may not have loved Wesley that much, but Bianca was such a great narrator and she alone made you fall for this book. Her family situations were wonderful and I love how her dad had such a huge impact on what happened throughout the book. I love how every bit of the story went and there were new things that tied everything together so well.There is anger, frustration and guilt thrown into this novel and it is played out so beautifully. There are definitely tears…but without any of that, this book would have fell flat on it’s face. It is such a quick, wonderful read that I highly recommend. I cannot wait to see the movie (it’s been too long & I need to see it). One Line Wrap Up: Fun-loving, laid-back story about friendship, love, and the struggle of being you. Recommended for: people looking for an easy-going, fun read.
    • 4/5
      Almost!
      It was almost perfect. Seriously, I would have freaking loved it. If it weren't for the ending and how things turned up to give way to a nice ending. With her Mom and Toby's admission and all that.
      BUT OH MY GOD I LIKED IT A WHOLE LOT!
    • 4/5
      At a dance club with her friends, seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper finds out, from the “man-whore” Wesley Rush, that she is known as the “Duff” - the Designated Ugly Fat Friend - vis-a-vis her two BFFs Casey and Jessica. Wesley tells her this by way of asking her help to hook up with her hot friends. As Wesley explains:"'Hey, don't get defensive. It's not like you're an ogre or anything, but in comparison..." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Think about it. Why do they bring you here if you don't dance?”Wesley is everything Bianca hates: he is, she thinks, “the most disgusting womanizing playboy to ever darken the doorstep of Hamilton high . . . but he was kind of hot.” After Wesley explains that girls find it “sexy” when guys “socialize with the Duff” and by talking to her he is doubling his chances of getting laid, she throws her coke all over him, calling him a “disgusting, shallow, womanizing jackass…” and a “self-absorbed son of a bitch.” Bianca wasn’t unaffected by the insult, and brooded over this new revelation that she was thought of as “The Duff” even though she couldn’t believe she was worried about “such stupid, pointless, shallow bullshit.” But she wasn’t as invulnerable as she wished, and she did obsess over it.And that wasn’t all that was worrying Bianca. Her mother kept taking longer and longer trips, and her father was getting more and more upset. He used to be an alcoholic, and Bianca was scared he would relapse. She desperately needed her own distraction, and the next time Wesley approached her at the dance club, she lunged at him and kissed him fiercely, a kiss he returned just as passionately. Then his hand traveled over her body, and she shoved him away, slapping him. But she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss.Nevertheless, Bianca managed to avoid Wesley until their English teacher made them partners for writing an analysis of The Scarlet Letter. She said he could come to her house, but in the interim, her dad got served with divorce papers and went on a drinking binge. The house was littered with broken bottles, so Bianca called Wesley and said she would go to his place instead. They talked briefly about Hester Prynne in the book, and it occurred to Bianca that Hester slept with Dimmesdale because she needed distraction, and that seemed like a pretty good strategy to Bianca. She turned to Wesley and kisses him, and before long they were having sex:"I might have hated Wesley Rush, but he held the key to my escape, and at that moment I wanted him . . . I needed him.”And of course, as things get worse for Bianca at home, she finds she needs the diversion of sex with Wesley more and more. Bianca is upfront that all she wants from Wesley is “distraction,” but as the liaison continues - free of artifice and with occasional moving forays into deeply honest communication - it inevitably changes, and so do Bianca and Wesley.Discussion: There is plenty of sex (albeit safe) and “language” in this story, but it feels quite authentic, and the heart of the story isn’t actually about sex at all. Rather, it delves into issues of self-image and sources of self-esteem, as well as the need for authenticity and being true to oneself.But the relationship between Bianca and Wesley makes a very good story by itself, even without the other plot elements. Ironically, by the end, I liked Wesley a whole lot more than Bianca. But Bianca is still a good character: she is fighting a whole lot of demons, and has a lot of lessons to learn, some of which take her a really long time, and some of which she never does really get. But that felt real as well.Evaluation: This is a good book with a commendable ending that I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t have objections to high school sex and “language.” (I know many adults do have such objections, but I believe all that means is that they haven’t been around high schoolers, or honest high schoolers, lately.)Note: The author wrote this when she was 17 and it was published when she was 19. The film adaptation, starring Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, and Ken Jeong, was released on February 20, 2015.
    • 2/5
      I decided to read The Duff after seeing the movie in theaters. To say I was disappointed with the book would be an understatement. I downright loved the movie, but I hated the book. I honestly believe that it’s the first time I have read a book and liked the movie better (even when I watched the movie before the book like I did with the Twilight series or The Hunger Games). The dynamic between protagonist Bianca and antagonist/deuteragonist Wesley Rush was lacking in the novel. Their childhood best friend turned high school ‘enemy’ dynamic portrayed in the movie drew me in and enticed me. In the novel they had never really associated before the whole Duff thing came about. The novel also lacked the major antagonist the movie presented in the character of Madison. The book is filled with a FWB relationship that the movie (thankfully lacked). Not to mention a load of other things I found annoying about the novel. For the first time ever I’m going to suggest that if you’re presented with the option of reading the book or watching the movie, you would have a much better time watching the movie. While the book was not awful, it wasn’t great either. Out of five stars I’d give it a solid 2. The idea was solid, but it wasn’t very well executed. I didn’t like it, but I’m sure someone out there might. So if Wesley and Bianca’s FWB type relationship in the book is your kind of thing, go ahead and give it a try, but I personally preferred the relationship in the movie. ~Kate
    • 5/5
      Bianca Piper isn't peppy, cheery or flirty. She'd rather stay home on a Friday night binge watching old TV shows than being dragged to a crappy club and forced to dance to music that she hates. But that is exactly where we find her at the beginning of the book. Sitting alone at the bar, nursing a Cherry Coke and watching the minutes tick by so agonizingly slow that she is almost tempted to go out on the dance floor. Almost. Cue Wesley Rush. Bianca is less than thrilled when he starts chatting with her, so much so that she doesn't even try to hide her distaste for him, but that doesn't stop Wesley. After all if he talks to her (The DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) of the group) that will make him more appealing in the eyes of her two hot friends. After processing what Wesley said and what he called her all Bianca can do it throw her Cherry Coke in his face, find her friends and leave. But Bianca can't get that four letter word out of her head, no matter how hard she tries she keeps thinking of herself as the DUFF. When her home life gets to be too much and a blast from the past shows up the only thing Bianca can do to distract herself is... Well... Wesley. Suddenly she finds herself addicted to him, needing him to keep her mind off of all the drama unfolding in her life. It's nothing real, they aren't dating, it's simply a friends with benefits situation, minus the friends part. But after a series of rather unfortunate events Bianca realizes that Wesley isn't as bad as she thought he was and that maybe, just maybe she's falling for him. Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Book Depository--------------------------------------------------I don't know why I'm so surprised that I loved this book as much as I did. I think this is the first time ever that I watched the movie adaptation before reading the book so maybe that has something to do with it but let me just be clear- THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER!While the movie was all fun and games and centered mostly around the DUFF and what it meant, the book was so much deeper and felt much more real then it's counterpart. I instantly felt a connection to Bianca, her snarky comments and constant cynicism spoke to my soul- or the lack there of. I've never been a fan of 'insta-love' but after reading The DUFF I can say that I'm a HUGE fan of 'insta-hate'. From the beginning Bianca despises Wesley and everything he stands for, he's a man-whore, nothing more. But slowly she comes to realize that there is so much more to him than what she previously thought and that you can't judge a book by it's (seriously toned) cover. One of my favorite parts is when Wesley tells Bianca "No matter where you go or what you do to distract yourself, reality catches up eventually." I instantly had a flash back to Paul Varjack telling Holly Golightly that "No matter where you run you just end up running into yourself." Distractions are just that, they don't make the problems go away, they don't make them any smaller or easier to deal with. Whether our problems center around being a DUFF, divorced parents or alcoholism. Soon or later we have to face them head on. For a man-whore Wesley had some pretty good advice. ;)Simply put I adored this book. I'm a little pissed at myself for having put off reading it for so long and I fully intend on making up for that with quite a few re-reads in the near future. Until next time, Ginger In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. My review is my honest opinion.