Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen)'s Reviews > You Asked for Perfect

3 Stars

“How do you know if a goal is worth it until you get it? We work hard for a lot of stuff. Should we not put in effort because the reward might not be what we thought?”

It’s been 84 years since I read this so take this mini-review with a grain of salt

Pros:

- A book that actually addresses the crazy pressure high-school kids are under and the big-decisions we ask them to make
-Own-voices, Jewish representation!
-The romance is cute and they are nerdssss
- There’s a great dynamic between MC and his best friend. Friends who grow up together but there's not that stereotypical drama and instead they just feel like family.

Cons:

- Like…. This could have been a short story. Everything is really ground and feels super realistic to the overachieving high-school experience. But you get the point by the end of the first chapter.
- Also the characters are cute and their world feels really grounded, but nothing about them really drew me in. I felt for Ariel’s struggles… but probably more because they are so relatable, than because I was invested in him as a character.

In Conclusion:

It a startlingly accurate depiction of high school. It’s cute, has super important representation and overall enjoyable -- but there’s not a ton to sink your teeth into.

But if you read this and enjoy it, I strongly recommend Girl Out of Water which is an entirely different book, but one I really enjoyed.