The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

  From the title, it is quite obvious that this is another generic Young Adult (YA) novel that attempts to be 'hip' and relate to teenagers. The DUFF is the story of seventeen year old Billie Piper who is the stereotypical smart and 'ugly' one in her group of friends. At a party, the 'school hottie' (I am cringing), Wesley Rush, who Bianca initially cannot stand as he is a renowned womanizer, nicknames Bianca 'The Duff'. This stands for the 'Designated Ugly Fat Friend', people that boys have to pretend to be cordial to in order to 'get with' their prettier friends. As Bianca's life begins to go awry and she is desperate for a means of distraction, she begins a secret friends/enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley and finds that there might actually be more to him beneath his 'player' facade.

  This book really irked me. The fact that the main character is supposedly intelligent is doubtful, considering the many stupid decisions that she makes throughout the story. I mean, what clever person begins having sex with a boy that she hates, who abuses her constantly just to 'escape' the problems in her life? Bianca also states repeatedly (the book is written in the first person from her perspective so the reader hears her side a lot, the joy!) that she feels 'dirty' after their intercourse so her reasoning behind doing it makes no sense. Even though I am seventeen like Bianca, I could not empathise with her as a character at all and I found myself becoming increasingly irritated at her and her poor choices. Keplinger gives off a negative message to teens: have meaningless sex with people you despise, don't worry about STDs and the risk of pregnancy and all your problems will miraculously sort themselves out, yeah!

  Another reason why The DUFF annoyed me is that Keplinger did that author fail of trying to incorporate teenage slang and swear words into the book and for me, they didn't work. I've never even heard of the expression of 'the duff' and I would say that I am fairly 'on it' with colloquial terms. I'll admit grudgingly that The DUFF does explore the themes of friendship, insecurity, alcohol abuse and divorce, and how appearances are not always what they seem, issues that teenagers face on a day to day basis but I critique the way that everything was resolved too quickly in an unrealistic manner. Furthermore, I felt that some of the characters were unnecessary or not developed enough for the reader to care for them. Bianca is also not a good model for teens. I read the book quite a while ago and I am still trying to wrap my head around why a character would cheapen herself so with a boy that cares nothing for her.

  My friends seem to think that I have become a sort of 'book snob' that only reads 'the classics' and hates everything else but I actually have nothing against Young Adult/Teen books that are well written, i.e The Princess Diaries. The DUFF was not for me. Yes, I did chuckle whilst reading but that was more at the book than with the book.

  I would like to reiterate that this review and entire blog consist of my own personal opinions that people do not have to agree with and I know that I can be quite harsh sometimes. Maybe I'll read more of Kody Keplinger's work in the future. In the distant future.

Rating 2/5 **

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Duff-designated-ugly-fat-friend/dp/1444903500/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353588496&sr=1-1