5-MInute book club - The Duff

This month we've chosen The Duff by a fellow Absolute writer.



Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

What we thought:

Krista:

I'm honored to have been one of the three first beta readers of the Duff, and I was equally honored and stoked for Kody to mention me in the acknowledgements. I loved Bianca and Wesley when I first read it, and I loved it just as much after the revisions and edits. It was so
cool reading the final copy and seeing most of the original book was still in tact. I love the snark of Bianca, and I love Wesley's "manwhore with a heart" mentality.

Bianca holds nothing back with her sarcasm and wit, and I always liked how she was not intimidated by Wesley, nor did she ever give him any breaks. It's very cool to watch their relationship grow and change over the course of the book. The humor is spot on as well, and there's many lol moments.

Jamie:

The Duff was a fun read with witty dialogue and sexy scenes. It proves there's more to people than meets the eye, and if you get past the persona they project into the world, you'll find the vulnerability and honesty.

Annie:

Bianca is a strong female protagonist, who I feel, is very honest character and has an authentic feel. The author, Kody Keplinger, was only seventeen when she wrote this novel, which only validates the organic nature of this novel. A lot of people will think, why would a hot guy have a fling with the Duff (Designated, Ugly, Fat, Friend), the answer is simple. All girls feel like the Duff sometimes, even though they really aren't, which, I think, is truly the lesson in this story. The relationship between Wesley and Bianca feels so real, and the dialog you can practically hear in your head, which always makes for a great read.

I enjoyed the grittiness of this story and how Kody wasn't afraid to write sex scenes in a YA novel that might make people's jaw drop.

Jennifer:

The voice was great. Bianca was a character that was so imperfect that she was perfect. And there is a moral mixed into this story, amid the hot love scenes. The Duff is gritty, real and a fantastic read.

Read The Duff? Let us know your thoughts. Haven't read it - then what are you waiting for?

Beta Readers Meets Lord of the Rings and Makes a Duff plug!!!!

I've noticed that "betas" seem to be a hot topic lately in the blogasphere. Actually, it's not beta fish people are talking about. Although I did have one when I was in middle school. His name was Mr. Dude....but that's a story for another day.

Critique Partners are an invaluable part of your writing career. I'm forever in debt to the people who have bravely gone where no man has gone before and read my manuscripts.

One of the first beta readers I ever had on my YAUF is someone you may have heard of. She has a book officially coming out in September, although it has been spotted in the wild! (subliminal message: Go buy the Duff!) Yep, Kody Keplinger was one of my original betas. And guess what? I got to do the same for her on The Duff. She was gracious and awesome enough to include me and some of the other beta readers in the acknowledgements!! :)

Anyway, I digress. Writing is often an isolating hobby. We hunker down in strange locations, clutching our laptops or notebooks as we escape into the uncharted realms of our imagination. In a way, we become Gollum from Lord of the Rings with our own “preshus”. If you've ever had a word count deadline or been in revision hell, you know how feasible it is to actually begin to resemble Gollum physically. And when this happens, you should seriously step away from the computer for a period of time.

So, stay with me here as I continue to use the Lord of the Rings analogy for critique partners. After you've taken that first brave step and had someone, or several people, read your work, it's only natural that you become comfortable with a select few. The bond you form with these people is very much like that of the Fellowship of the Ring. You're out for a common good: making that manuscript the best it can be either for querying, for an agent, or for an editor. The best critique partners are the ones who give a mixture of tough, constructive criticism as well as comments that can talk you down from the ledge or stop you from torching your laptop in rage.

But the greatest gift I've found with my critique partners is the friendship. These are people who will pick me up when the publishing game has left me bloodied and battered on the floor. They are the wind beneath my wings, and the reason I get up, brush myself off, and try to fly once again. Some people say it takes a village to raise a child. I think this is true in the publishing world as well. I know I couldn't have made it this far without my critique partners....my manuscripts most CERTAINLY could not have made this far!

So, if you've got your own group of Sam's, Merry's and Pippin's, then hold tight to them. They're what make the journey--the quest up to Mt. Doom feasible.