The story faces sexual identity issues head on, especially internalized biphobia, as Darcy realizes she doesn't feel "queer enough". It offers representation from all over the sexual identity spectrum and shows young adults exploring their identity and navigating their internal and external challenges, learning to love themselves as they are and to believe they are enough. (Plus, Gonzales/Phillips gives some sound relationship advice!) He visto muchas comparaciones con otros libros de romántica juvenil, pero sinceramente, creo que esta novela destaca por sí misma. I really enjoyed Sophie Gonzales' last book, Only Mostly Devastated, but I loved Perfect on Paper even more than I expected. She's taken some classic tropes and a couple of familiar premises and blended them together with all the queerness I could hope for. Yes, the bisexual female protagonist does end up with a cis boy. And that doesn't make her less queer, dammit.

Darcy was a chaotic mess but in the best way possible. She was flawed and although she did annoy me at times with her bad decisions, she was so endearing and relatable. I could not help but root for her happiness. I also loved her relationship with Ainsley. Their bond was so supportive and sweet. It’s refreshing to see a healthy and supportive sibling relationship. Tal vez me ha faltado algo de realismo o empatizar más con las motivaciones y acciones de algunos secundarios, porque tal y como están contadas algunas resoluciones, me parecen inverosímiles, pero puede que sea porque yo personalmente no podría aceptar nunca algo así, y creo que eso dice mucho de lo realista que me ha parecido el resto del libro.Gonzales has crafted a lively story with multilayered appeal...then wraps it all up in an electrifying love story.” — Booklist One aspect I really liked was the way this book talks about internalized biphobia and the still rampant notion that bisexual people don't really belong to the queer community unless they are in a relationship with a person of the same gender. Darcy struggles immensely with this as a bisexual girl who used to fall for a lot of girls but now develops feelings for a boy. The scene in which she explains this to her queer friends is honestly amazing and warmed my heart. This is important, and I loved that Gonzales chose to talk about this subject very explicitely. WOW! Sophie Gonzales has truly done it again. I did not think there was any way for her to beat out my love of Only Mostly Devastated but BOOM - She did it. I am beyond shook after having read this book. I highly recommend that book. I really do. It has a great message about queerness and being true to yourself. It is fresh and sweet. Grab yourself a copy! A classic enemies-to-lovers romance but with some very contemporary obstacles thrown in.” — Good Housekeeping

In this riveting diverse YA contemporary, the Netflix TV show Sex Education meets Too All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han when a young teenage bisexual girl struggles between giving relationship advices and applying them to her own love life. I shook my head and laughed a little too loudly. “No.” The heat in my cheeks told me my face was betraying me. Sophie Gonzales, who wrote last year’s charming Grease takeoff Only Mostly Devasted, pens another high school romance.... Twists and turns and hate-to-love ensue.” —Forbes, “10 Of The Most Notable YA Books Of 2021 (So Far)” Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke…who is in love with someone else. I don't think I have enough words to describe how PERFECT* this book is. *You appreciated the pun and you know it*

Featured Reviews

There is a tonne of rep in the book (aside from the mindblowingly perfect bisexual rep) including: trans, non-binary, lesbian, gay, fat. I also found the relationship with all the parents portrayed very well. Quite often our relationships with our parents are a strong mix between loving them and hating them and feeling grateful and feeling unsupported and so on and so on. Sophie definitely hit the spot in portraying this. I really enjoyed the read and it will hopefully because an immediate hit. So let me channel my inner Darcy Phillips for a moment and offer you some advice: don’t miss this book!

This was probably one of the few situations where a sopping wet, fully clothed teenager standing in the school hallway an hour after dismissal wasn’t the elephant in the room. It’s when bisexuals start to believe the biphobia they’re surrounded by. We’re told that our sexuality isn’t real, or that we’re straight if we’re with another gender, and that our feelings don’t count if we’ve never dated a certain gender, that kind of crap. Then we hear it so many times we doubt ourselves.” Okay, I don’t mean literally. Lots of people know who I am. Darcy Phillips. Junior. That girl with the shoulder-length blond hair and the gap between her front teeth. The one who’s best friends with Brooke Nguyen, and is part of the school’s queer club. Ms. Morgan-from-science-class’s daughter. Also something I haven't heard anyone talk about is how Darcy lives between separated parents AND is the scholarship kid at a private school. As someone who lived both these experiences I just want to say how fantastically they were handled! It felt authentic and Darcy's thoughts regarding the extreme wealth of her classmates were so honest that I cried (again) at recognising how I used to feel at school.

Jean Meltzer

From the looks of the very wet guy standing behind me, though, I’d made a fatal miscalculation. Apparently, someone did use the pool this late in the day. I'm an adult reading this, but I'll note for parents that the f word is said A TON in this book. Didn't bother me, and seemed realistic, and I'm sure the youths have heard it before, but I just wanted to note it. Well, wasn’t this guy dramatic? “Um, look, I’m sorry, but I don’t really have time to be anyone’s coach. I just do this before bed as a hobby.” One thing I really loved about the book is that it made me pause and reflect on my own relationships and also the relationships I want to have. It made me think about and recognize the power and consequences of my own behavior and choice of words. I can't wait to read more from this author and Perfect on Paper is definitely a book not to be missed! Darcy has to navigate SO many issues in this book: she’s keeping secrets from almost everybody, has made decisions she regrets, and—when she starts to have feelings for a boy—worries about what it means for her bisexual identity. Her mom is incredibly busy, so Darcy doesn’t feel as if she can bother her with her problems, and Ainsley is supportive but also in college, so she’s a bit removed from the high school scene.