I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and I don't think I've ever been more happy to get an email saying a book has been approved because I adore The Duff and this being a companion to it, I was dying with excitement. I was totally stoked about this book and I've got to say - this book did not disappoint.



Sonny and Amy have been best friends for pretty much forever. Sonny is the loud, outgoing and kind of obnoxious one whereas Amy is the sweet, quiet, reserved one. The two give a balance on each other, I thought this was quite a good example of where 'opposites attract'. The two are best friends; they're soulmates. Throughout the book we see them have their ups and down and I feel like it can go back to where it all started. Near the beginning of this book, Amy said all the bad things happening to Sonny was 'karma' and I thought it was a sneaky foreshadow as this book feels like a very big, fat book of karma being finally delivered to Sonny.

Sonny has bad things happening to her because she's a liar - a big, fat, compulsive one at that. We learn she uses it to protect herself from all the bad things going on, she likes to be in control when she isn't. She doesn't want anyone to get close because the two people who are supposed to always be there for you, have let her down. No one, but Amy, has been there for her.

Amy, is Wesley Rush's little sister - I'll get onto Wesley in a second, don't forget I'm skipping Bianca - and is pretty much the opposite of him. Wesley, in The Duff is flirty, outgoing, loud, the 'school slut' was his reputation pretty much and Amy is shy, peaceful and a bit of a pushover. I thought her character development was great in this book - she went from shy to fierce - and I get all happy thinking about the amazing character development Keplinger produces but I'll talk about it later.

Now, lets talk about Ryder. Ryder's the new kid to Hamilton High and he's missing his life in Washington DC and keeps complaining about what a deadbeat town Hamilton is and that his mother dragged him from his friends and family. Lets get this out in the clear, at the start of the book (once again, amazing character development) Ryder's the most pretentious douche bag you have ever met in your entire life. Everyone at school hates him for his negative views on the town and for his annoying positive views about DC and he has a pretty big crush on Amy.

And it doesn't help when Amy and Sonny write a mean email reply when he's sent a polite one asking Amy on a date. The thing is, Amy doesn't want to go on a date with him but she's too nice to say no so Sonny takes it into her hands and the two write an email that was meant for their eyes only.

Until Sonny's hand slips and it sends.

So when Sonny apologizes through IMing him, he accepts it and the two talk all night and Sonny thinks she might have a crush on the pretentious, snobby, preppy new boy - and then it all goes crashing down in flames for when Ryder thinks he's been talking to Amy for the whole night. Let me tell you, this is the beginning of the disaster. I'm not going to give anything more away because I don't think I can without writing about this book for hours.

Now onto Wesley Rush. Oh Wesley. Wesley Wesley Wesley. I have loved Wesley ever since Bianca threw a cheery coke in his face and I will continue to love him until the day I die and the days after. Wesley Rush will always be hot - even when he's old, I'll bet money on that. I adored Wesley's little cameos in this book and it made me feel all gooey inside.



And Bianca with Wesley and their little squabbles made me die with cuteness inside and Kody Keplinger I know this is one of many blog posts but PLEASE just make a sequel to Bianca and Wesley's college life or after college or anything about them, please. They make me cry, in a good way. I missed them when I finished The Duff and I miss them now. I loved their appearances and some of the little quotes.

"The way Wesley looked at her,"

"I let her do whatever she wants," he said.

Yeah, they make my heart melt over and over again.



Okay, moving on because this post is going in a very different direction - the character development. The character development in this book is the best I've read in a long time and it made me really happy. Sonny went from a lying, okay she really only went from lying to being honest but seeing her at the start of this book, that is still quite a good feat for her. I also liked that she had to be reminded by Amy or had to scold herself, I liked that she didn't do it straight from the hat - it seemed much more relatable. Amy went from being quiet and allowing people to talk over her to being someone who doesn't let them - I admired that, she stuck up to her best friend which I would find pretty hard. Ryder, in my opinion, had the smallest development now I think about it. I believe Ryder was always who he was, his character outlook just changed because Sonny saw him in a different light or he saw people in a different light aka his Mother. I'm gonna bring up Wesley one more time because I can.



Also, Kody that ending was too mean. Too, too mean. You should make up for it by writing a road trip novel about Sonny, Ryder, Wesley, Bianca and Amy going on a road trip. Just saying!