Perfect on Paper is a perfect read. Sophie Gonzales has done it again. From perfectly depicting how a private school reacts to any type of scandal ( it saves its own reputation), to dealing with many issues that the LGBTQ+ community face. It had everything. Particularly powerful and resonating was how biphobia was dealt with as that's something that's never really discussed anywhere much less in YA book when it's something that really should be.
Full of strong characters who are all flawed in some way like everyone, but learn and grow as the story unfolds, Perfect on Paper has something in it that anyone reading it will connect with.

A nice romance. I love the agony aunt angle, and the advice, given to us at the top of some chapters, was really good. I loved the different explanations Darcy had for different types of people.

I did get a little confused over Ainsley, but I sorted that out as it went on. She was so supportive of Darcy; it was really nice to see siblings getting on that well, as it's fairly uncommon in YA books. Or at least the YA books I read.

The writing was great. This section really spoke to me:

There was something special about being seen the way that Brougham seemed to see me. Maybe Ainsley understood me in a similar way, but that was different, because she was my sister. This was someone who was a total stranger to me only months ago, sizing me up and listening to what I said—and listening harder still to what I didn’t say—and somehow correctly piecing it all together to understand me. And maybe he could do that because in some ways, we mirrored each other. We shared cracks in complementary places.
Brougham made me see the best version of myself, the kinder, wiser, more empathetic version I’d always wanted to be. And that was a hell of a lot to gain, which made it a hell of a lot to lose. And I almost had.
I was so scared to lose him again.

I really enjoyed reading this one, and I'm looking forward to more from Sophie.

'Perfect on paper' might not be quite perfect, but it is very much a book I wish I'd had many, many years ago. Sophie Gonzales wrote it for bi or pan people who are made to feel like they're not queer enough. I appreciate this so, so deeply, and I know that many others will, too.

At one point, Darcy, the main character, makes a speech about biphobia and I swear every word could have come out of my mouth. Now, at least, because I've read up on it, and the info has become available to me. But that wasn't the case 20 years ago. It's so important to have these words.

The book starts off on a premise loosely similar to Sex Education. Darcy gives anonymous relationship advice to her schoolmates, who post letters to her in an unallocated locker. It's a fab basis for the plot and the way things develop is hugely enjoyable and well done. Darcy's advice can feel like info dumps at times, however she insists on communication, consent and respect at all times - I guess these things cannot be said too many times.

It's a super queer book, where in addition to the bi rep you get trans, lesbian, gay, nonbinary and ace characters, as well as lovely reflections on gender.

There is a lot of emotional nuance. The main characters may be good people, but they still make big mistakes, and get to do a lot of reflecting and repairing. Romance-wise, the chemistry is subtle, believable, and satisfying.

I enjoyed reading this one very much and look forward to Sophie's future releases!

I really enjoyed this beautifully written queer YA novel, written by a new favourite author, Sophie Gonzales. As a queer woman myself, I loved how the LGBTQ+ characters (especially Darcy) were portrayed, the internalised biphobia, the inner conflict, her voice, were all really well written and relatable.
The relationships (romantic and platonic) were all a delight to read, and all the secondary characters felt just as thought out as the main ones.
All in all, a fun, queer, coming of age story that I will definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read the authors previous novel,, Only Mostly Devastated, so I knew I was in for an absorbing, fun read. I was not disappointed!

The characters were all really likeable but still flawed at the same time. The main character Darcy made some questionable decisions at times but it was clear that her heart was in the right place and she was just a person and people make mistakes.

I loved the rep in this book. Partly for the variety of identities represented and also specifically the bi rep and the discussion of biphobia.. It’s a really important topic that I haven’t really seen much in literature, particularly YA literature. I can see this book being so important to many people.

Perfect On Paper is a YA romcom about a girl who gives anonymous love advice at her school, but that doesn't make her good at managing her own love life. Darcy Phillips secretly runs an advice service in which people post letters to her through the slats of an empty locker. Darcy is also in love with her best friend Brooke, but she doesn't know, and doesn't know that Darcy holds a secret relating to Brooke and the advice locker. And when the hot swimmer Alexander Brougham catches her getting the letters out of the locker, Darcy is forced to help him try and win his ex-girlfriend back on top of everything else. Suddenly, Darcy might be all out of good advice.

One of the great things about this book is that it's about a bisexual main character who has crushes on a girl and a guy throughout the book, but the focus is on the fact she needs to stop pining over someone, let them live their life, and realise she might have feelings for someone else (a classic romcom trope). Darcy and Brougham's unexpected connection, from her being paid to give him advice to becoming friends and then her realising there might be something more, is depicted well, and they have a fun, bantering dynamic that suits the genre and also allows Darcy to underestimate him at times. Another element of the book I really liked was Darcy's sister Ainsley, a YouTuber with a passion for sewing, as the two have a close-yet-occasionally-bickering relationship and the narrative doesn't make a big deal about the fact Ainsley is trans.

What I did find difficult at times was the way Darcy acted in the narrative, lying and making bad choices multiple times about how she treats people, especially Brooke, in relation to the secret advice locker. As the narrative made clear, she didn't really learn what she was doing wrong, and it felt like there needed to be a bit more reflection near the end for it to be more satisfying and less like she was still going to be a bad person to her friends if she thought it helped her. I did appreciate the realism of the school's harsh approach to her advice money-making scheme becoming public though, as it does feel like a lot of YA has elements that are similar but are somehow not treated like the quite sketchy thing they are.

Overall, Perfect On Paper is a fun romcom that is about someone learning to apply some of their relationship advice skills to themselves, with a subplot about her dealing with internalised biphobia. There's occasionally a few too many "down with the kids" type references in the descriptions, but generally the style is readable and I wanted to keep reading. Maybe because I'm older than the target audience, I do now wish I could read a spin-off about Ainsley at college.

This was a really sweet book to read. I loved how inclusive it was of all genders and sexualities and how this was done in a subtle way without drawing the reader's attention to it. I found the biphobia element to the novel addressed an important issue and I loved the use of attachment theory that ran throughout the story.

The characters were likeable and realistic and I loved the element of the locker being used to seek relationship advice.

All in all a brilliant read!

A really sweet queer romance. I loved the representation of a young, bisexual woman and her navigating high school while constantly questioning her identity and whether she is queer enough.

Easy and lovely, I'd recommend it.

Perfect on Paper follows Darcy who gives out anonymous relationship advice through a locker at her school, after she gets caught by a student, she finds herself helping him get back his ex-girlfriend in order to keep her secret.

The book is a short and enjoyable read, the plot is very predictable and cliché, but it was still fun to read and I did like the various characters. Darcy is a flawed but likeable character who wants to help other people but often makes mistakes along the way, I liked her character development and how she dealt with the fact that she is not always in the best position to be giving out advice. The side characters were also interesting, and I liked the representation and what they added to the story.

The book was a fun read in the way most contemporary books are however because it was so predictable, I did get bored a lot, the writing style was also not for me because I found the dialogue really hard to read/get through – there was so much of it and it made the story drag on a lot. Throughout the book, there are some letters and then the advice that Darcy gives them which was nice because it showed that Darcy really cared about what she was saying and that she was researching and backing up her advice, I thought it was a nice touch at the start of the chapters, but then the letters/advice part were longer than I thought it would be and I felt like it was too much. Also, the ending was really rushed, with things being wrapped up and dealt with quickly which was disappointing.

3/5

Perfect on paper is an adorable and unique rom-com book packed with loveable characters and ANGST!! Our main character Darcy is the anonymous owner of locker 89, her schools infamous place to go for relationship advice. Only 2 people know that Darcy runs it though, her and her sister Ainsley, until she's caught red handed collecting letters from the locker after school by Brougham, who's on the swim team and a total jerk, right? What ensues is a hilarious and heart-warming journey where Brougham and Darcy work together to get Brougham's ex girlfriend back, only for them to fall in love with each other without knowing it!! This book is adorable, and I was totally rooting for this couple and SO happy with the ending! I also loved the monologue in the Q and Q club about Darcy opening up about her internalised biphobia. I'm sure this book will help so many people while also being such a fun read!

This was the most satisfying YA romance I've read in a while, with some really, really great bi rep. I've seen this compared to Leah on the Offbeat, but as someone who had issues with the representation in that book, I would rather compare this book to an Alice Oseman book, in that it has great overall representation, focuses on friendships as much as romance and deals with big issues really well and in a way I think is realistic for teenagers. The relationship between the MC and her love interest was so good and open even alongside some classic romantic misunderstandings, and the character growth of the main character was also suitably excellent. I would have loved to have read this book as a teen.

I saw another review that says overall it's a 4-star read but they'd rounded it up to 5-stars for the *fantastic* bi rep and I'm doing the same.

I really enjoyed Perfect on Paper. It's the story of Darcy Phillips, who acts as an anonymous agony aunt to the other students in her school via locker 89 - if you have a problem, you can write a letter, leave it in locker 89 with a tip and Darcy will use her copious, self-taught interrelationship knowledge and email you advice. No-one knows it's Darcy who runs locker 89, until new boy Alexander Brougham catches her one day and asks her to help him win his ex-girlfriend back. Before she knows it, her entire life is unravelling and she has to think seriously about what she wants, and what she's prepared to do to get it.

I loved the characters in this book. Darcy is so flawed, but also quite self-aware. There's a running plot point about how she used locker 89 in one particular case, and she knows she did something terrible and is wracked with guilt about it (although not enough to have come clean). Locker 89 also means she's constantly keeping something from her friends, and although she doesn't really notice the strain it's putting on her friendship with Brooke in particular until Brougham comes along, the strain is still there, underlying all her interactions. Brougham is also great. He has a terrible homelife, despite his family's money, and is quite repressed in some ways, but his friendship with Darcy helps them both open up and share things they wouldn't tell anyone else. He's very sweet, and thinks about others more than himself, and I maybe fell a little bit in love with him myself.

I'm not going to lie, the plot is kind of predictable in many ways, but it was well-written and I was engaged in what was going on throughout the book. I liked that Darcy was bisexual, but still working out what that means for her, and worried that if she ends up in a relationship with a boy, people will question her sexuality, and I liked that she was part of a LGBT+ community in school. Her sister Ainsley was also amazing, and I absolutely loved that it was such a non-issue that she was trans, and that she was never dead-named or misgendered. There's also an adorable scene near the end of the book as Darcy tries to make amends which I really liked.

I definitely recommend Perfect on Paper. It was exactly what I expected, but that's very much a good thing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the years.

"Perfect of Paper" is a very enjoyable read that has a few very good conversations about sexuality, relationship advice, it discusses internalized biphobia for a bit and is a very wholesome read.

I was hesitant between giving it 3 and 4 stars and settled for 3.5, since this is an ARC I decided to settle for 4 stars because the things I didn't enjoy are actually less than the ones I did.

The story itself gives a lot to think about. I particularly enjoyed the focus on bisexuality since the main character is bi herself and how dating the opposite gender doesn't make you less queer than dating the same gender. I really liked the love story in the book and even though at first I thought it happened a bit too fast, I loved it nonetheless.

While I didn't like and agree with Darcy's choices and acts in the book, I have to admit it's quite understandable, even if what she did isn't actually right. The same thing goes about Brooke and Ray, but in the end, everything was sorted out so that's why I also decided to stick to 4 stars.

This book was a super cute and super easy read that focused on real issues with a hint of gossip girl style drama. I loved the idea of Locker 89, the anonymous agony aunt is something that worked really well with the characterisation of Darcy. I enjoyed how originally each chapter started with a letter and email response, usually relating to something that happened in the chapter. I LOVED the LGBTQ+ representation in this book! I didn't feel that any character was a 'token' character which can sometimes happen when authors try to insert more LGBTQ+ characters however the use of the Q&Q club made it so much easier to view each character separately and as actual characters with their own identities beyond their sexual orientation.

The main character is bisexual, something that is not usually portrayed in fiction and if it is, the character's are not always written well. However, Gonzales perfectly creates Darcy and reveals the inner conflict that many bisexual people feel in regards to biphobia and being accepted by those around them. I loved Ainsley as a character, she was a great character who I personally classed as a comic relief character, along with Finn, which is sometimes necessary in a novel that deals with such a level of drama. Although there were times that the narrative felt predictable it was a pleasant predictability that felt comforting and didn't stop me from reading.

The book dealt with some really important issues however I feel as though the agony aunt could have been pushed further to deal with more relationship issues although this would have likely changed the direction of the narrative and made it too heavy so I can see why these choices were not made.

Truthfully, I really enjoyed this book and I loved the development of Darcy and Alexander and being able to watch their interactions develop through the stages it did. They had a really enviable friendship at times. I found that the scene in the Q&Q club in regards to biphobia was really important and I appreciated how it bonded some of the characters and helped Darcy understand her sexuality more in the sense of warranting her own feelings and still being able to face the world as a bisexual girl despite her significant other.

This book was a really enjoyable read and I found that it made me smile a lot. I read the book in a day so it was clearly an easy and quick read. Contemporary is not usually my chosen genre but when I saw this book I felt an urge to read it.

I loved this so much! It’s the kind of books that feels cosy and warm, even when it’s dealing with tough important issues like biphobia and bierasure in the queer community. Characterisation is amazing, plot is perfectly paced. Everyone should read this!

Full review coming to aboywithabook.Wordpress.com

Sophie Gonzales’ ‘Perfect on Paper’ is such a sweet, but equally so important story.

‘Perfect on Paper’ follows Darcy Phillips as she navigates high school, while running a particular business on the side. Hiding behind locker 89, she’s anonymously giving other student advice on relationships. Self-taught and clearly passionate about the subject, Darcy is an intelligent sixteen-year-old, but at the end of the day, she’s a teenager. With her own love life at its low, things are getting from bad to worse when everyone finds out her secret.

Though not always believable with Darcy’s secret business going a bit too well, it is an important book. And our main character gets put back down to Earth by the end of the story, and behaves like a typical teenager very often. But most importantly, Sophie Gonzales’ lead is a strong, opinionated bisexual-lead bringing up many important issues, problems and challenges others like can face. When we meet Darcy, she has feelings for a girl, but the main romance focuses on the growing attraction between her and her straight schoolmate, Alexander. Biphobia, and feeling like she’s not queer enough, like she doesn’t necessarily belong anywhere, are important topics tackled by Sophie Gonzales in ‘Perfect on Paper’.

A mash-up of ‘Sex Education’ and ‘Leah on the Offbeat’, ‘Perfect on Paper’ a fun read. I would definitely recommend Sophie Gonzales’ book to anyone enjoying contemporary YA romances.

This book...

Have you ever watched a sappy Netflix romcom and groaned because the story is cute but WHERE is the lgbt+ rep!?

This is the representation you wanted in book format. It’s warm, angsty... and honestly? A puddle of everything good AND inclusive.

Darcy is a secret relationship advisor. The secret? No one knows who she is.

However when she uses her business to manipulate the girl she loves, everything goes , well, catastrophically wrong.

Her downfall? Brougham, who is annoying, cunning and wants her to help him land a certain gal of his own, or he threatens to reveal her identity.

But is he all that bad? And can she even say she’s good herself after what she’s done?

My only gripe was that some characters I didn’t fall in love with which is why I’ve rated this 4 stars instead of 5.

Grab a cup of tea and settle in for the night with a cute book that will keep you smiling through the winter months.

After reading Only Mostly Devastated, I was desperate to read Perfect On Paper and it definitely did not disappoint.

Darcy is running an anonymous advice business out of an empty locker in high school., until Alexander Brougham finds out and demands her help. Will she help him to stop her secret leaking?

This novel was absolutely perfect and I devoured it in 2 days. I was rooting for Darcy and Brougham from the start and couldn't wait to get to the end to find out how it ended. I'll be telling everyone about this book when it comes out in March!

Dear locker 89,

How do I sum up in words how full of warmth and happiness I feel after finishing Sophie Gonzales' new young adult novel 'Perfect On Paper'? There was always something in the Creekwood novels I felt was missing which I have most certainly found in Gonzales' writing (she is arguably the US version of the equally wonderful young adult writer Alice Oseman). The representation of the LGBTQIA+ community is so pure, particularly shining a light on biphobia but portraying characters of all different identities. I would not hesitate to recommend this to any 'Queer and Questioning' (the name of Darcy's supportive queer groups from school in the novel) students I work with.

We meet Darcy when she is retrieving letters from locker 89, her anonymous school agony aunt business (her sage advice is yours for $10 a time!). Despite flying under the radar for 2 years, on this day she is seen by the obnoxious Alexander Brougham. They strike a deal: Brougham will keep Darcy's secret if she helps him get his ex-girlfriend back. Darcy is a relationship expert so this should easy... right? However, it all becomes more complicated when Darcy starts to fall for Brougham's charms. But he is in love with his ex and Darcy still has feelings for her female best friend...

I raced through the book, completely charmed by the characters, flawed main character Darcy (she seems so wise yet unable to follow any of her own advice) and Brougham of course but also Darcy's sister Ainsley and Brougham's hilarious best friend Finn (justice for HSM Ryan and Chad!). There are some obvious romance tropes throughout the story (Caught in the rain, check. The big rescue when drunk, check) but they did not feel cliched in Gonzales' hands. All time they spent together, even working on Brougham's relationship with his ex, got me more and more invested in Darcy and Brougham's blossoming relationship. Gonzales also slips in exploration of being a scholarship student at a private school and parent-child relationships, giving the characters the development which makes them more fully realised on the page.

All in all, Darcy's story is wonderfully absorbing and a joy to read. I feel is going to be an absolute hit.

Don't mind me - I'm off to purchase Gonzales' 'Only Mostly Devastated' stat!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who were kind enough to grant my wish (!) and provide an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Eine schöne, diverse Liebesgeschichte, die sich nicht an Stereotypen und Schubladendenken aufhält, sondern starke und individuelle queere Charaktere enthält.
Die Geschichte spielt in der Highschool und handelt von Darcy, die heimlich Beziehungsratschläge für die ganze Schule gibt. Als sie eines Tages erwischt wird, wird ihr ganzes Leben auf den Kopf gestellt und eine schöne Liebesgeschichte nimmt ihren Lauf.