August 05 2021
Super easy, Summery read.<br />There is some faith based moments for anyone that's bugged by that.<br />Overall it was just a relaxing book to get lost in and maybe have some emotional moments.
September 04 2020
AJ and Della. AJ is a straitlaced student, attending a prestigious highschool in Michigan. Della is a wild child, always having fun in Florida. Two different people? Not really -- AJ and Della are the same person. Adelaide Johnson keeps her two lives with her two divorced parents as separate as possible, until one day, her lives clash and she has to face both her lives at once.<br /><br />I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I'm excited and can't wait to read this YA, coming-of-age book!
January 30 2021
I really liked this! When I picked it up, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It felt fresh and summery, and was a super cute read. <br /><br />I loved how almost every character was fleshed out. Even though I spent almost the entire book disliking Marnie, I could sympathize with her, and did want her to find her way. Lilli was the character we got to know the least about, but really enjoyed any scenes she was in! Della was a super interesting character, and I was rooting for her the entire time. It was super touching to watch her come into her own, and to do what she wanted to. <br /><br />I also really enjoyed the romance were given in this book! By no means is this a romance, but the romance was a great addition. Della and Jude were adorable together, and I loved how healthy their relationship was. It was an understated enemies-to-lovers, which is something I always love. <br /><br />I do have to say that the first half of this was a bit hard to get through. This may only be for me, but I really couldn't handle Della's Michigan family. They were manipulative, and were keeping so many secrets. I loved watching them navigate their way back to each other, but it was hard to read at the beginning. <br /><br />This was a super enjoyable book! I felt like it dealt with split families super well, and I loved how realistic our characters felt. I'd definitely recommend this! <br /><br /><i>Thanks to Netgalley and Liz Reinhardt for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review! </i>
February 20 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I’ll post that review upon publication. In the meantime, this is a decent but not particularly noteworthy read (in a sea of forthcoming YA that is excellent).<br /><br />Updated 4/6/21<br /><br />3 stars <br /><br />The main character of this book is living two separate lives, which appear when she is living with her mother or visiting her father. Her name, her appearance, and even her sibling makeup and placement change in each location. As expected, this is confusing for her, and it's a little creepy for the reader to see how dramatically she changes to match her environment. <br /><br />While I enjoyed the first quarter of this book, I started to get a bit frustrated with the character and plot. For me, too little was happening. The identity switching began to feel too one-note, even when it expanded to other characters and their various life situations. I did not dislike this book, but - in an unexpected twist - I do find myself feeling apathetic toward it (a highly uncommon situation for me in all genres). Around that one quarter mark, I sped up looking for more action...which I did not find. <br /><br />I will absolutely read more from this author. The style works for me and the writing is enjoyable. However, I hope to see a bit more action and depth in future works.
January 18 2021
For me this was a DNF at 30%, i just couldn't get into it. it felt like something was lacking.
March 24 2021
“Now that I’ve seen the flip side of perfect, I don’t think I could ever go back.”<br /><br />AJ Jepsen is the picture of perfection at her elite school in Michigan. An overachiever, she strives to solve any problems her two younger sisters bring her way. Della Beloise is the complete opposite. Carefree and radiant, she spends as much time as she can on the beach in Florida when she visits her dad and older siblings during the summer. The catch? AJ and Della are the same person, specifically Adelaide Beloise Jepsen. Adelaide has the art of splitting herself into two people down to a science. She’s kept her Florida family a secret from her friends in Michigan for many long years. But during the summer between junior and senior year, her middle sister messes up. Big-time. When she’s sent to join Adelaide in Florida, Adelaide’s plans for a carefree summer evaporate. With a blossoming romance, family financial problems, and long-buried secrets of her past emerging, Adelaide will have to figure out a way to combine her two halves if she wants to save her summer…and stay true to herself.<br /><br />As soon as I began reading, The Flipside of Perfect erased any expectations I’d previously had. What seems to begin as a light and fluffy beach read soon ventures into deeper and darker territory as Adelaide is forced to confront her life’s imperfections. I really enjoyed the romantic elements, but after Adelaide made some questionable choices in her reactions to difficult situations, I found myself not really connecting to her. Additionally, some of the characters feel a bit one-dimensional, even though Adelaide, her romantic interest Jude, and her middle sister Marnie shine with wonderful depth. And speaking of Marnie, her character growth arc is fantastic. By the end of the novel, I found myself cheering for her as she faced her problems head-on. Still, the story lacks some emotional connection, and it all wrapped up a bit too, well, perfectly. Yet, the story may satisfy fans of sweet romances, complicated family relationships, and fighting to find the truest part of oneself. <br /><br />Content Warnings: Strong language, unplanned pregnancy, intimate scenes, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, mentions of the death of a loved one, divorce, emotional manipulation, sexual harassment, underage drinking<br /><br />(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)<br /><br />Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.pinereadsreview.com">www.pinereadsreview.com</a> for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
June 25 2021
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.* <br /><br />The Flipside of Perfect tells the story of Della and AJ. Della is a wild, carefree, beach bum of a girl who is the baby of the family and does whatever she wants. AJ is a Type A, straight edge, perfect big sister. The problem is that AJ and Della are the same person, who splits time between two families and essentially two lives. "Flipside" is what happens when those two worlds collide. <br /><br />Not gonna lie, I absolutely loved Della's world, but hated everything about her life as AJ. I wanted to go through the book and just shake her into talking to the adults around her. I realize that as an adult now I see things differently than a teenaged character might, but a lot of her problems could have been fixed a little sooner if she had just had the courage to tell any of the adults in her life how she felt about the things she was going through. Even still the story was a good one. Life on the Florida Keys sounds great, and I really want to be on the beach myself. I enjoyed Della's story and I wouldn't be upset if we got to reenter her life again, through a sequel. <br /><br />"The Flipside of Perfect" was published on 4/6/2021 and is available for purchase.
August 20 2020
Commentary on IRL versus digital life using the dual lives of AJ/Della. AJ attempts to be a perfectionist under the influence of her blogger/influencer mom who heads up a family of girls. She goes to private school, has a carefully curated wardrobe, friends, and far too many activities at which she'd like to excel. Della is AJ during the summer when she stays with her biological dad in the Florida Keys. This all needs to be said because it is murky to navigate why we have this weird say nothing about who you are during the summer alter ego type situation . . . because it isn't really all that believable. Seriously, your little sisters aren't saying anything about that, AJ? Not buying it after the Marnie drama. But Flipside of Perfect is a fun read, just a bit too melodramatic with some unacceptable digs at Catholicism. A lot happens in the story . . . no one's life is perfect is the subtext and the moral is be yourself. You just need to Marie Kondo the details to get to the message.
October 01 2020
<i>Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an earc to review!</i><br /><br />I absolutely love this cover and premise for this book. Living two different lives and having them come together is just asking for trouble, haha.<br /><br />There are good moments in this book but I just couldn’t get behind the main character. Aj/Della was a bit confusing at first because you can easily forget that they are the same person. She has divorced parents and decides to live two different lives because of it. I’m not really sure that’s the best way but we all cope in different ways.<br /><br />I didn’t care for the other characters, Lex being the worst. What a dillweed!<br /><br />One of the bigger issues I struggled with was the writing. It was hard to get into and sometimes the characters kind of just meshed together.<br /><br />Overall, it just wasn’t a book for me but I can see others liking this story especially if they can relate to the family dynamic.
March 30 2022
1.5/5<br />It's possible that I could've rated this a solid 3.5 within the first half or so, but it just went downhill from there. <br />I tried so hard to like this book but I just couldn't. 60% of the characters were incredibly unlikeable the entire time, especially the main character AJ/Della. It doesn't even make that much sense that AJ could be whip-smart and deal with tons of extracurriculars while at the same time maintaining one of the top statuses' at her school? Not to mention the obnoxious, self-centered girls that she is friends with.<br />Even the classic trope of falling in love with the childhood nemesis got me annoyed, and I typically enjoy those. <br />One of my biggest peeves was the fact that this book was long as hell. Soo many unnecessary details and things were just all over the place. For example, <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="b473aa27-7893-45d4-af33-cf4e9e4eb191" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="b473aa27-7893-45d4-af33-cf4e9e4eb191">Dani being pregnant??</label> I saw that coming, but Della was so incredibly clueless of it.<br /><br />This book definitely disappointed me and I did not have enough interest to finish it.