Kody Keplinger’s debut novel, The DUFF, was originally published in 2010 and is currently being re-promoted to coincide with the release of the film.
Bianca Piper is a particularly cynical seventeen year-old. Her mother is rarely home, her father has his own issues to deal with and a “relationship” that ended badly a few years ago has left her no longer believing in true love. This “relationship” isn’t explored nearly as much as it should be, it’s alluded to and we find out how it ended but we don’t learn a whole lot else and the parts that left me feeling uncomfortable aren’t elaborated on at all.
Bianca has her friends; Casey and Jessica and a crush on classmate Toby Tucker. Whatever is happening at home, she will be alright.
When Wesley, the school man-whore (as he’s described in the book), talks to her one night when she is out with Casey and Jessica things change. Bianca can’t stand Wesley, she thinks he’s selfish, arrogant and will use anyone to get what he wants. When he tells her that she is the DUFF – Designated Ugly Fat Friend – of her group she throws her glass of coke in his face.
Things don’t end there. She ends up kissing Wesley, because why not? She likes it. Hmmm, maybe she can stand him after all.
I read this in one sitting. It was engaging, entertaining and style wise easy to read. The characters were believable; contradictions and all, which stems from the fact that Kody Keplinger was a teenager when she wrote it. But it left me feeling conflicted.
Slut-shaming is rife and despite Keplinger trying to turn things around, especially with Bianca’s attitudes to some people changing, the lasting message for me was still that if you actually enjoy having sex then you must be escaping from something. There are no other explanations.
People are either in committed relationships or running away from their emotions. The possibility of simply being a fan of sex doesn’t get a look in. How Bianca and Wesley’s relationship played out just reinforced this message for me. And frankly, I think that’s nonsense.
I don’t know if this was the intended message. I hope it wasn’t because it’s not a particularly nuanced message for young people to hear.