We Are the Perfect Girl

by Ariel Kaplan

This witty, warm-hearted retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is a love letter to female friendship. Perfect for Stephanie Perkins fans, and anyone who's ever thought of trying on a new identity to impress a guy.

Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D'Agostino, a proverbial "ten," who happens to be fluent in six languages--seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes . . .
     What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It's only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany's friendship survive the fallout?
     From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming.

"There is much to appreciate about this book: its cleverness, its humor, that it embraces and normalizes therapy, that it places familial love and friendship on a level with romantic love. But, perhaps best of all, it offers teens, especially those struggling to accept and love themselves, a picture of a girl who makes mistakes and fights to begin again." --Booklist, starred review

"At once painful and heartfelt . . . a smart and honest look at female beauty, with plenty of panache to boot." --Kirkus, starred review

• ISBN10: 0525647104
• ISBN13: 9780525647102
• Publish Date: 21 May 2019
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 27 September 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House USA Children's Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525647102

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Aphra had experienced many kinds of love. She had been showered with lots of "storge" (familial love) from her family, and was lucky enough to share scads of "philia" (brotherly love) with her best friend, Bethany, but Aphra was longing to experience that elusive "eros" - romantic love. She wanted a boy to look at her and really see her, but all they seemed to notice was her not-so-attractive nose. Therefore, she was left watching as her best friend embarked on a relationship with Aphra's years long crush, and Aphra may have had a hand in making it happen.

• Pro: Kaplan writes books I enjoy reading, and this one was a clear hit for me. The characters, the story, the banter, the feels -- it was all there. Not only was the story entertaining, it was thoughtful and thought provoking.

• Pro: Aphra, how I adored thee! I loved her bravado and her can do attitude so much. She was so witty and funny, and often left me in stitches. But, Aphra was also a young woman trying to not let the beauty standard get her down, and there were times it did. Those times, when she showed her vulnerability were heartbreaking, and I may have gotten a little emotional and wanted to hug her.

• Pro: Though they experienced a few bumps during the course of this story, Aphra and Bethany enjoyed a beautiful friendship, and in the end, philia conquered all.

• Pro: I thought Kaplan did an incredible job with this retelling. It was very true to the original, but also fresh and new. I liked that she focused more on the friendship, and how it evolved as Aphra and Bethany worked through this covert-love-triangle situation.

• Pro: The exploration of the beauty standard and how it affected Aphra was accomplished quite well. I especially liked, that much of that happened with the guidance of Aphra's therapist, who was yet another fantastic character.

• Pro: There was something really beautiful about the ending, and the choices Kaplan made. When I was telling my co-blogger about it, she agreed, it was a nice choice. There was this one loose end, I would have liked tied up, but it only left me a tiny bit wanting, and didn't diminish the value of the ending.

Overall: A wonderful, and often humorous tale of one young woman's journey to realizing her self worth isn't tied to her physical beauty.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS