cestdanielle's review
4.0
This was my second time reading this book and I loved it just as much as I did the first time. Leon really ticked me off at some points (like when he decided to break up with Melody for Amy), but that was only because Katcher made him such a convincing teenage boy. He thought more with his... well, something other than his brain a lot, but I thought his heart was in the right place. If it wasn't, he wouldn't have felt so guilty about Melody when he was with Amy and he wouldn't have constantly been comparing Amy to Melody. What really won me over was when he declared his love for Melody in the movie theater. His friend (I can't remember if it was Johnny or Jimmy) told him not to, but he followed his heart and went for it. I couldn't help thinking that I would be so embarrassed, yet so smitten with a boy if he ever did that for me. The cliffhanger ending kind of upset me, but it still leaves a lot of room for imagination. I will definitely be reading more of Katcher's books.
adunnells's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katiecoops's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. Once again, a male author has trumped female authors in general in my opinion. I got Almost Perfect today and I'm excited to start reading it.
tmaluck's review against another edition
4.0
The premise is rather predictable -slacker geek must choose between the nerdy (and in this case, deformed) girl with a heart of gold or the shallow, hot girl- but Katcher writes teens in a funny and insightful way that did not feel like I being ranted at or forced through fluff exposition. I often have trouble laughing at jokes in books because I tend to take all text at face value and simply recognize "humor" as I read through, but Katcher actually made me laugh. (It's a joke that involves loneliness and vomit.)
While I am sure Katcher deserves points for his depiction of a burn victim (who is anything but a victim in terms of how she deals with it - if anything, she is a victim of humanity), I most enjoyed his depiction of a "hot chick." All of the main characters are affected by people's readiness to judge based on looks, and the beautiful are no exception.
While I am sure Katcher deserves points for his depiction of a burn victim (who is anything but a victim in terms of how she deals with it - if anything, she is a victim of humanity), I most enjoyed his depiction of a "hot chick." All of the main characters are affected by people's readiness to judge based on looks, and the beautiful are no exception.
dairyqueen84's review against another edition
3.0
Leon Sanders wants a girlfriend desperately but he has low expectations about his prospects. He also has low self esteem and when he makes Melody Hennon smile, he overcomes his squeamishness about her looks and becomes friends with her. Melody was severely disfigured in a fire when she was four years old. As their friendship grows, like any teenage boy Leon begins to notice her nicer physical attributes and begins to have romantic feelings for her, but he cannot overcome his fear of what others will think of him for dating her, after all she’s the school pariah. To complicate matters, Leon saves his crush, Amy, from a suspension and then she begins to show some interest in him. Leon is torn between his growing feelings for and intimacy with Melody and his opportunity to date a girl who, in his view, is a living angel. The character development is strong, especially of Leon and Melody. Katcher writes about Leon’s struggles and Melody’s strength poignantly but it is hard to accept that a boy as insecure as Leon would ever become involved with Melody in the first place. The book raises important questions about looks, how people treat those who look differently, popularity, and relationships.
chwaters's review against another edition
3.0
A refreshing take on the traditional coming-of-age/first romance story. Leon is a guy who deems himself one of the most unpopular kids in school. Not as unpopular, however, as a few others, including a girl named Melody, who has burn scars all over her face due to an early childhood accident. One day, Leon makes a joke and Melody laughs. A friendship begins. Eventually, Leon must admit to himself and everyone else that he actually is more than friends with Melody, even if it might mean losing any remaining social status. Enter Amy: pretty, popular and the object of Leon's crushing for years. After a few encounters where Leon proves himself to be willing to do just about anything for her, she asks him out. Will Leon dump Melody for her? Is she even worth it? Can Leon live with himself if he doesn't take a chance? Honestly, the plot's not all that surprising, but the situations and emotions feel convincing. The book is light-hearted enough to keep it flowing, but serious enough to give readers pause to think about their own tendencies towards shallowness, loyalty and acceptance. Not exactly new subject matter, but a nice take on it nonetheless.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Jenny
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Straight Up
Bonus Factors: Freaks and Geeks
Relationship Status: Kid Brother
Read the full book report here.
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Straight Up
Bonus Factors: Freaks and Geeks
Relationship Status: Kid Brother
Read the full book report here.
onclout99's review against another edition
3.0
☆the good☆
leon is hilarious; his friends are on point; melody is such a great person i love her to death; the samantha/amy drag session about feminism; melody telling leon the truth and giving it to him straight; the freakin axlerod movies or w/e; satanic dan; satanic dan suffering through a foreign film w/ buttercup
☆the bad☆
leon thinking he deserves a gf; leon leaving melody for amy; amy as a whole; leon trying to get melody back by embarassing her to death at a movie theatre; leon getting easily riled and being sh!tty to his friends
☆in conclusion☆
★★★☆☆, because leon was a likeable douchebag, the book was funny, and melody won in the end
greenbeanteenqueen's review
5.0
I read this one because it was on the Gateway premlinary nominee list and I'm so glad it was. I'm not sure if I would have come across it otherwise. I wasn't sure what to expect-I'll admit when I first saw it on the list, I thought "oh, it's just on there because it's a Missouri author." But I was blown away by this book.
Brian Katcher packed so much emotion into this story-I found myself tearing up at parts and honestly, I don't cry that much in books. The characters are all well drawn and the writing flows easily. I wanted to keep reading this one and found myself staying up late to do so.
Things moved a little fast, but I reminded myself I was reading about teens. I did like that it didn't take long to get the book going-I hate when the book jacket tells you a main plot point that doesn't happen until halfway through. That is not the case here-the story starts right away.
The only complaint I really had was Amy's character wasn't what I expected. I thought the way she turned out was a little unrealistic. I did like that she surprised me and had more depth though. (I don't want to spoil the book, so I won't say much else).
I would give this one to readers who have enjoyed John Green's novels-I can see the audience being the same. I'm looking forward to reading Brian Katcher's latest novel, Almost Perfect, and I'm very proud to say he's a Missouri author!
Brian Katcher packed so much emotion into this story-I found myself tearing up at parts and honestly, I don't cry that much in books. The characters are all well drawn and the writing flows easily. I wanted to keep reading this one and found myself staying up late to do so.
Things moved a little fast, but I reminded myself I was reading about teens. I did like that it didn't take long to get the book going-I hate when the book jacket tells you a main plot point that doesn't happen until halfway through. That is not the case here-the story starts right away.
The only complaint I really had was Amy's character wasn't what I expected. I thought the way she turned out was a little unrealistic. I did like that she surprised me and had more depth though. (I don't want to spoil the book, so I won't say much else).
I would give this one to readers who have enjoyed John Green's novels-I can see the audience being the same. I'm looking forward to reading Brian Katcher's latest novel, Almost Perfect, and I'm very proud to say he's a Missouri author!