The DUFF

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

The DUFF. Keplinger, Kody. Little Brown and Company, New York. ISBN 978-0-316-04823-6
PLOT SUMMARY:

Bianca is seventeen, and the DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend. She is unaware of her DUFF status until school playboy Wesley explains it to her one night. His theory is that if he is nice to the DUFF then Bianca’s friends will see how nice he is and he will hook-up with them. Bianca is disgusted by Wesley, she hates him. Yet somehow she finds herself kissing him one night. As things for Bianca get worse, her parent’s relationship and her ex-boyfriend coming back to town, she finds herself having sex with Wesley. Is Wesley as bad as she thinks or is he just as lost as she is?

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

Bianca is not different than most teens, when she is feeling horrible she looks for way to escape. For her that escape is Wesley. She hates him, yet she keeps returning to him. As their relationship progresses, she finds herself having feelings for him. She began by using him, and as she gets to know him, she discovers that his playboy behaviors are his form of escape. Bianca’s friends to her are perfect, they are beautiful and guys just seem to fall all over them. She cannot bring herself to tell them about what she is doing with Wesley. She knows it is wrong to use him as her escape, and this is why she cannot tell anyone. What Bianca does not realize is that everyone feels like the DUFF at some point. Throughout her journey, Bianca comes to realize that she needs to stop running from her problems and face them head-on. This is a book that many teens will be able to relate to. Many teens feel like the outsider at some point. Many choose different means to numb themselves in response to what is going on in their lives. This is a great read for any teenage girl. Whether they feel like the DUFF or just misunderstood.

READER’S ANNOTATION:

Bianca is the DUFF. And somehow she finds herself sleeping with the school hottie/playboy. How did she get here?

AUTHOR:

The Duff is Jody Keplinger’s debut novel. She began writing The Duff her senior year of high school. She wrote The DUFF based on her high school experience. When she first heard the word DUFF, she knew she was the DUFF.

Keplinger is now nineteen and attending Ithaca College in New York. She is majoring in writing as well as finishing her second book. (Kiplinger)

GENRE:

Fiction, Realistic

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: English, Health

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Do you ever feel like the DUFF?
Love/hate relationships

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 15 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

Sex, Language

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

This book was displayed as part of the New to the Library section. The title caught my eye.