Perfect on Paper

Product Information

Gonzales is a talented storyteller who brings new life to young adult romance through her unique concepts, dynamic queer characters, and spot-on dialogue. In Perfect on Paper, she both engages with and subverts classic tropes of the genre with wit and skill. I mean, and I know I’m not the first to say this, but there’s just something about the timeless “two characters who only refer to each other by their last names suddenly switching to a first-name basis to show the growing intimacy between them” that really hits me hard in the ole heart. I’m not sure I truly buy into the relationship Brooke suddenly develops with someone she didn’t like a moment ago. How do you go from mutual dislike to dating over a weekend? Maybe it’s just been a while since I was in high school, but I have trouble seeing this being realistic. My Opinions For fans of Netflix’s Sex Education or anyone who loved Sophie Gonzales’ previous YA rom-com, Only Mostly Devastated, prepare to be dazzled yet again. Perfect on Paper is a hilarious, heartfelt story full of great relationship advice, trips to Disneyland, and a damn-good romance. The novel is also an unabashed rejection of queerphobia (biphobia specifically), showcasing widespread normalized queer representation and an openly bisexual heroine whose interest in a boy in no way “erases” her queerness.

Well, I’d committed to this enough to shove them down my tights so I might as well follow this through to the end, right? I held my empty hands out, palms up. “I don’t have any letters.” Friendships were on the menu, a smattering of drama, lots of secrets and lies and problematic parents. I liked Brooke but only a bit, Ray definintely grew on me, Ainsley was fab and Brougham delivered on the slow building chemistry. Brougham slowly defrosted in this story and I enjoyed the reveal of his character.

Featured Reviews

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. I absolutely loved this book. As a bisexual female, who was in love with my female best friend, and now dating a straight cismale, I have never related so much to a character. He visto muchas comparaciones con otros libros de romántica juvenil, pero sinceramente, creo que esta novela destaca por sí misma. Aside from the different reps we got from this book, issues revolving family, school, and friendships were also present which makes this so much more a perfect book for teenagers to be able to relate to. The part where Darcy was being manipulative towards Brooke’s life was handled well, that kind of behavior was problematic so I was glad that after everything, Darcy apologized and has seen it by herself how the actions that she has done was wrong and how the people were affected by it. This is why I would honest-to-god promote this book to every one of my friends because this book dealt with so many issues and helped me become more knowledgeable in a lot of aspects that I haven’t known before. After this book, I would gladly read anything Sophie Gonzales writes. If you couldn’t tell, I really loved this book. I cannot say enough good things about it. I can’t wait until it releases so I can get my physical copy. I know this will be a book I reread anytime I need a happy read. I encourage everyone to read Perfect on Paper!

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. I feel like I could write an entire love letter to this book and it still wouldn’t be enough. Was this book perfect? Not necessarily. But did it perfectly pair some of my favorite things together? Absolutely.The side characters were all well done, and none of them felt like token representation. They felt natural and were fun to read. Darcy's sister especially was a great show of sisterly affection and love, and while the fact that she's trans is mentioned, it's never a plot point for pain or contention. It's just a fact of the story. Brooke, Darcy's best friend, felt like every best friend I've had. It was interesting to watch Darcy pine after a clueless Brooke and watch how it changes their relationship. Brougham started as the literal worst. Seeing him through Darcy's eyes meant seeing him as the spoiled rich jerk she assumed he was, and he is. But learning about the layers of his past and toxic familial relationships meant giving us insight into why he behaves the way he does, and how he wears his good behavior like a suit of armor. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers, St.Martin's Press, for sending me an arc in exchange for an unbiased opinion. Además, he tenido bastantes momentos de reírme nerviosa en voz alta y fangirlear, al igual que lo he pasado mal cuando Darcy se da cuenta de qué es lo que la está frenando en ciertos aspectos de su vida. The was a particular scene in the Q&Q club that actually had me crying because I was just so happy and overwhelmed with how an issue was dealt with. This story is truly out here to represent Bi- people. The rep didn't end there though which I greatly appreciated. Gonzales is incredible at creating such authentic, fun characters. I truly was rooting for all of these characters even through all of their silly, and sometimes infuriating, mistakes! I absolutely recommend this book, and I, personally, cannot wait to see more from the author!

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. There is a tonne of rep in the book (aside from the mindblowingly perfect bisexual rep) including: trans, non-binary, lesbian, gay, fat. Perfect On Paper is one of those books I could have read in one sitting. Had I been able to pause time and all my responsibilities, I would have stayed up all night reading this book. But there was a bonus to not being able to do that, as I then had something to look forward to reading when I got home from work! I am so grateful I got the opportunity to read the ARC of this book because it was such a fun read that made me smile – something we all need in our lives these days. It’s not often that a book meets all of your expectations so superbly, but that’s exactly what Perfect on Paper managed to do. From the protagonist, to the romantic tropes, to the excellent writing, this book was a wonderful little story that made me giddy with happiness. The romance was impressively written. Perfect on Paper somehow managed to combine my love of the fake dating trop a lá To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with the sweet, slow-burn that starts as friendship that made me love If I’m Being Honest so much. I love watching a romance unfold through characters’ thoughts and actions and not just being told, and that’s exactly what we are given in Perfect on Paper. In short, it was spectacular.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. 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)” 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.