Title: Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance
Length: 272 pagess
Book Rating: A
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
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:
1. Avoid her at school.
2. Keep his mouth shut about what they do together.
3. 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?
Review:
Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips is an absolutely outstanding young adult romance. A marvelous cast of characters, a unique storyline and realistic situations make the novel easy to relate to and impossible to put down.
Lexi Shaw has carefully created a persona that helped her cultivate a circle of friends who are popular and well-liked. In an effort to appear as perfect as her friends, Lexi covers up the things she does not like about herself (i.e. her freckles) and her past (her drug addicted absentee father). But she refuses to give up the one friend who knows everything there is to know about her, Nolan Bruce. Nolan’s family provides her the stability and normal family life she does not get in her own home and despite her friends’ disdain for him, she will not let them come between her and her best friend. Although she has had a long term crush on perfect Ben Dorsey, she also has a penchant for bad boys and she scratches this particular itch with Tyler Flynn. Lexi and Tyler have been involved in a secret no strings fling for months but it is purely a physical relationship with a strict set of rules that Tyler must follow if he wants to keep seeing her.
Lexi has not had an easy life with her single mother and sometimes their roles are reversed since her mom is more interested in her latest loser boyfriend than paying bills or keeping food on the table. Lexi escapes as often as she can by hanging out at the Nolan house or going out with her friends. She does not always make the best or wisest decisions, but fortunately, she learns from her mistakes. Her experiences with Ben become a turning point as Lexi comes to the realization that no one is perfect. Once her secrets are exposed, Lexi finally begins to embrace herself, flaws and all.
Faking Perfect is a compelling novel with an appealing, angst free storyline. The cast of characters is vibrantly developed with relatable flaws and imperfections. Rebecca Phillips realistically depicts teen behavior and she handles some very difficult issues in a forthright and matter of fact manner. It is a heartfelt and thought-provoking young adult novel that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.
