this book really helped me through some tough times, friend portrays the mind of a tween girl perfectly I could really relate to this book, I recommend this to all teen girls, from 11 to any age really
Perfect
(2004, Fiction - Coming of Age, Written by Natasha Friend)
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Is it age appropriate?
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Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Poignant read perfect for mom-teen girl book club.
Themes in this book include: honesty, peer pressure
updated 01.22.10
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13 and Up
The good stuff
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Perfect was written by Pam Gelman
Parents need to know that this book is a powerful read -- the depiction of troubled 13-year-old Isabelle Lee will touch a nerve with adolescent girls. Isabelle's bulimia is caused by her mourning for her father. Besides graphic descriptions of bingeing and purging and some experimentation with laxatives, there are painful scenes of Isabelle's observations of her mother and sister, each also desperately mourning in silence.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the effects of bulimia and laxatives on the body.
- How does it damage your teeth and digestive system?
- What are other harmful long-term effects?
- Parents can also talk about Isabelle's distorted image of her body. How do you think mourning for her father contributed to Isabelle's eating disorder? How did the rest of the family mourn?
- What kind of support does this family need to move forward? What should you do if you or someone you know shows signs of an eating disorder?
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More on Perfect
Book Summary
Ape-Face, otherwise known as April, or Isabelle Lee's 10-year-old sister, catches Isabelle in the midst of making herself throw up. She tells her mother, who then enrolls Isabelle in group therapy for eating disorders. Isabelle's thoughts are always on the death of her father and her frustrations with her mother's insistence on keeping these painful thoughts on the inside. In therapy, Isabelle is surprised to be joined by Ashley, the most popular girl at school -- of course everyone thinks she has it all. They bond over their bingeing/purging and start socializing together outside of group therapy. Ashley invites Isabelle to sit with her at the "popular" table at lunch.
Though silent in group therapy, Isabelle takes to journal writing and begins meeting with Trish, the counselor, individually. Trish helps Isabelle open up and talk about her sadness and the problems at home. From there she looks for ways to connect to her sister and help her mother.
Is It Any Good?
In PERFECT, Natasha Friend has created a character who will make readers cry and cheer as she struggles and then slowly faces her problems. These problems reflect her mother's inability to accept the father's death, her sister's desperate need to talk about him, a new relationship with the most popular girl at school, and most of all, her own sadness she's repressing in damaging ways. Readers may not have the same problems as Isabelle, but watching her ability to face them and move on will be inspiring.
With its realistic dialogue, difficult moments of self-discovery, and harsh critique of relationships, Perfect is a very quick yet unforgettable read. The graphic nature of this book may make it hard for some young teens to read alone. However, it's an excellent choice for a mother-teen daughter book club.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: Milkweed Editions, Publication date: 10/10/2004
Number of pages: 172, Price: $6.95 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 12, Read Alone: 12
Number of pages: 172, Price: $6.95 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 12, Read Alone: 12
Our Members Say
See all 37 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
Great message
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
my review
i loved this book! it was recomendet to me by my la/ss teacher. he liked it and saw my style and thought tht i would like it. well i guess he was rite. this book ig better for girls in junior high or middle school all the way throught high school.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Educational
A Review with Advice
Role models aren't so great in this book. Forcing yourself to throw up is not a good way to deal with depression. It is never explained if Isabelle deals with her bulimia or not. It may send messages to young girls that have bulimia that you should just ignore it. Although it was not that positive. Perfect was educational about what some girls go through. If you have a problem like Isabelle's don't put yourself what she went through.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Perfect for teens
I loved this book. It is interesting, it gives a good message, and i found myself wanting to read more and more. I recommend this book for teen girls.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
A step to a new life!
This is a very good book because i did the same thing before i read this book and it made me want to change
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