Perfect

Perfect

AB.

Nobody wants to read about a person who has a perfect life, everyone wants to read about someone who has problems. Like Isabelle. In Natasha Friend’s book Perfect, Isabelle has to face going through life without a Dad, how to deal with her emotional wreck mother, her annoying younger sister April, and her new friend Ashley the most popular girl in school.

Throughout this book, the author does an amazing job showing feeling. This is one reason why this book was so good. You could always tell what the characters are feeling, which makes everything so much more real and understandable. Natasha Friend also has many ways of showing emotion. By people's actions, thoughts, and dialogue.

“Okay....” I took in a breath, looked up a little bit. “So. Let’s say there is something bothering me.”

“Is there?”

“There might be.”

Trish nodded. “Okay.”

“Am I supposed to just come out and say it?”

“That would be a good place to start.”

I took another deep breath and looked at Trish. “I don’t have a dad anymore. Okay? He died.”

This scene shows that Isabelle a strong feeling of missing her father. It shows this feeling by actions and dialogue. How she says that she doesn’t know how or if she even should tell anyone about her father’s death, and how she doesn’t just go out and say it. She only looks up slightly because she’s afraid. Emotion helps this book because once you know the feeling in the book, you understand everything much better in this outstanding story.

Natasha Friend also has great characters. And she uses these characters to her advantage, to make the reader have to go on. Like how the mother is so unpredictable. You are always on the edge of your seat needing to know if everything will fall in place.

    “Because that is the deal,” my mother said.
    “Some deal. It’s not like I had a choice.”
    “You’re right...” She turned to look at me. “About this, you don’t have a choice. You need to do this one thing.”
    This is one part of the book where Isabelle’s mother is acting like a normal controlled adult who is just like any other mom, doing what’s best for their daughter.
But there are other parts of the book where her mother is obviously missing her husband and that makes it hard for Isabelle and her younger sister.
    In the middle of the night, I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. This happens a lot but it’s worst when I can hear Mom... She was crying not loud but loud enough. And she was saying his name, over and over again, the way she always does when she thinks we can’t hear her. Jay. Oh, Jacob. Oh, Jay. I waited outside the door for her to stop crying. But she didn’t.
    This scene shows another side of Isabelle’s mom. Her depressed and lonely side. This is a part where she just lets it all out. But she does this every night, and this worries Isabelle and April. How hard would it be to lose your father then have your mother, the one who’s supposed to guide you through this loss, is the person who can’t control her emotions?
    Perfect is the kind of book that you don’t want to end. With all the amazing factors, the characters, the storyline, etc., you feel as if you could read the rest of Isabelle’s life. Also, this book definitely deserves at least nine and a half stars out of ten. This book has made me 100% believe that Friend is a fantastic author. If anybody can write a perfect book, it’s Natasha Friend.