Review: Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips
Faking Perfect
272 Pages
Release Date: 06/30/2015
PUBLISHER: KENSINGTON BOOKS
GENRE: TEEN/YA | YA ROMANCE | YA CONTEMPORARY
How long can she keep the truth under wraps?
When Lexi Shaw seduced Oakfield High’s resident bad boy Tyler Flynn at the beginning of senior year, he seemed perfectly okay with her rules:
- Avoid her at school.
- Keep his mouth shut about what they do together.
- Never tease her about her friend (and unrequited crush) Ben.
Because with his integrity and values and golden boy looks, Ben can never find out about what she’s been doing behind closed doors with Tyler. Or that her mom’s too busy drinking and chasing losers to pay the bills. Or that Lexi’s dad hasn’t been a part of her life for the last thirteen years. But with Tyler suddenly breaking the rules, Ben asking her out, and her dad back in the picture, how long will she be able to go on faking perfect?
NOTE: This book deals with serious, relatable teen issues (drugs, alcoholism, abandonment), in the vein of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and other similar contemporary YA novels.
“Edgy and honest, Faking Perfect is the real thing.” –Huntley Fitzpatrick
“Faking Perfect didn’t have to fake much at all – this book is an amazing read! Packed with chaotic family drama, sneaky bad boys who’ll steal your heart and a resident nerd best friend any girl in real life absolutely needs, Phillips’s latest delivers an emotional roller-coaster ride of a not-so-perfect teenage girl’s life. Fans of The Duff will love this, as it is a great story of an underdog finally coming out on top, as she learns to love each flaw she has, one at a time.”– RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars Top Pick
*ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review *
Faking Perfect is an intriguing, well-written, young adult contemporary romance by Rebecca Phillips. In it, Lexi Shaw’s life is anything but perfect, though she does her best to make it appear as if it is. By day, she’s the smart popular girl at school with a crush on an equally popular boy. But at night, she’s sleeping with the good-looking high school bad boy because she knows he can keep a secret and follow the rules for which she needs him to abide. Except after six months of doing what they do, Tyler Flynn decides to break the rules Lexi set, and then what started out as the perfect distraction becomes anything but when it appears the bad boy wants more.
I really enjoyed this read. Lexi tries so hard to hold onto the image of who she wants to be that she doesn’t even realize living up to that image is part of what is smothering her. Her life is so messed up and she’s struggling to deal the only way she knows how…avoidance and denial.
Because of my day job, I’ve known a lot of at risk teenagers just like Lexi and I have seen all too often the kind of masks these kids put on to deal with the painful disappointments and experiences in their lives. Rebecca Phillips does an excellent job of showcasing Lexi’s real issues: the struggle for self-identity amidst a dysfunctional home life and her own fears of not being good enough for those around her.
This is a brilliant, honest look at issues that are all too common with today’s teens, and the author deftly portrays how easy it is for some youths to pretend things are fine and have the people around them believe that when the reality is far, far different.
Final Review: An outstanding and realistic read, one with an ending I adored. Highly, highly recommend!
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Rebecca Phillips has been a fan of contemporary young adult fiction ever since she first discovered Judy Blume at the age of twelve. She’s the author of the JUST YOU series, OUT OF NOWHERE (2012 ABNA finalist), FAKING PERFECT, and ANY OTHER GIRL (January 26, Kensington).
Rebecca lives just outside the beautiful city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband, two children, and one spoiled rotten cat. She absolutely loves living so close to the ocean.
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Other Books by Rebecca Phillips:
JUST YOU SERIES
STANDALONE BOOKS
And releasing January 26, 2016
