A sensitive YA novel about accepting imperfection.
Ultra-high-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has always had a plan—and no room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection comes to a screeching halt when her boyfriend leaks racy pictures of her to the entire school. Making matters worse, her parents might be getting divorced and now her perfect family is falling apart. For the first time, Viviana feels like a complete and utter failure. Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new group of friends who know nothing about her past and make her want to do something she never thought she’d do again: trust. For the first time in her life, Viviana realizes she can finally be whoever she wants. But who is that? While she tries to figure it out, she learns something they never covered in her AP courses: that it’s okay to be less than perfect, because it’s our imperfections that make us who we are.
One of Barnes & Noble’s Most Anticipated
Contemporary YAs of Fall 2016
One of Paste Magazine’s
10 Best New Young Adult Books of November 2016
Viviana has spent her entire life being perfect — from grades to dating — but when a series of unfortunate events unravel that perfection, she’s left wondering who she is. It’s an unlikely new job and an unlikely new beau that lead her down the path of self-discovery and she’s excited to find a version of herself that might just not be as perfect as she’d once thought. [An] emotional, personal story. - Teen Vogue
With her follow up to the emotional How to Be Brave, Kottaras shows us a painful side of the overachieving-teen-whose-bubble-is-burst story…A powerful book about learning how to be imperfect. - Paste Magazine
Vivi’s vividly portrayed panic attacks and pressure to succeed will speak to many readers. Supporting characters are also strong. A sensitive novel about accepting imperfection. - Kirkus Reviews
Kottaras’ creative use of ‘College Admission Tips’ and tongue-in-cheek SAT questions at the start of each chapter adds a terrific satiric touch to the angst around all things college, and will speak to teens looking for a life amid the pressures and expectations of their high-school journey. A warmhearted and sensitive coming-of-age romance. - Booklist