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Beauty and the Bully
What wouldn’t a guy do to get the girl? How will garage band front man Duncan ever get the attention of his goddess like classmate Carly, who’s so busy trying to save the world that she won’t even look in his direction? An idea hits him, when Duncan accidentally bruises himself, Carly wants to know who punched him, and vows to take care of “poor widdle Dunky.” But as his black eye fades, so does Carly’s devotion. Duncan needs a plan. He needs impending danger. He needs a BULLY. The search is on. This hilarious novel plays with the certainty that teenage boys will do just about anything to get a girl’s attention.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2008
12 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Andy Behrens
5 books12 followersAndy Behrens is the author of two previous children’s books. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 16, 2008
Entertaining.
July 31, 2012
oh i loved it
December 23, 2008
Rachel Wi.
The book Beauty and the Bully, by Andy Behrens, is a realistic fiction novel that is trying to teach it's readers to be their self. It's about a boy named Duncan who has a huge crush on a save-the-world type of girl named Carly Garfield. He thinks she is the most perfect girl in the world; the only problem is she barely knows that he exists. That all changes when one day Duncan gets in an accident in his garage involving some of his band equipment; he is left with cuts and bruises all over his face. Carly stops promoting her T.A.R.T.S (Teens Against Rodent Test Studies) organization, just long enough to believe that he got beaten up and begins to take care of him. Any attention at all from Carly makes Duncan happy, but as his bruises fade, so does Carly's interest in him. Duncan's plan to keep Carly is to hire a bully to pretend to beast him up just enough so that Carly will stick around. His scheme works great and he even joins T.A.R.T.S. to spend as much time with her as possible. This means less time that he spends at band practice with his best friends, Stew and Jess. Duncan's life is being taken over by Carly, which is great, until it becomes such a problem to his friends. They are getting really angry with him. Will Duncan be able to choose between his best friends or the love of his life?
Over all, this book had an interesting plot, but it could be much better. The character development wasn't quite in depth enough to make them feel like real people. Especially Carly, she isn't created enough through the author’s descriptions of her. In addition to this, some of her actions were a bit out of character. The plot is easy to follow, but there are no details on the setting of the story. One thing I particularly liked about this novel was the voice that was used. The book is written from Duncan's perspective and the writing expresses modern language of a teenage boy's thoughts and speech. What I didn't like about this story is that it didn't give enough details to make me feel like I was in the story, watching the plot fold out in front of me. Over all, the main plot was excellent, but the writing itself has a lot of room for improvement.
The book Beauty and the Bully, by Andy Behrens, is a realistic fiction novel that is trying to teach it's readers to be their self. It's about a boy named Duncan who has a huge crush on a save-the-world type of girl named Carly Garfield. He thinks she is the most perfect girl in the world; the only problem is she barely knows that he exists. That all changes when one day Duncan gets in an accident in his garage involving some of his band equipment; he is left with cuts and bruises all over his face. Carly stops promoting her T.A.R.T.S (Teens Against Rodent Test Studies) organization, just long enough to believe that he got beaten up and begins to take care of him. Any attention at all from Carly makes Duncan happy, but as his bruises fade, so does Carly's interest in him. Duncan's plan to keep Carly is to hire a bully to pretend to beast him up just enough so that Carly will stick around. His scheme works great and he even joins T.A.R.T.S. to spend as much time with her as possible. This means less time that he spends at band practice with his best friends, Stew and Jess. Duncan's life is being taken over by Carly, which is great, until it becomes such a problem to his friends. They are getting really angry with him. Will Duncan be able to choose between his best friends or the love of his life?
Over all, this book had an interesting plot, but it could be much better. The character development wasn't quite in depth enough to make them feel like real people. Especially Carly, she isn't created enough through the author’s descriptions of her. In addition to this, some of her actions were a bit out of character. The plot is easy to follow, but there are no details on the setting of the story. One thing I particularly liked about this novel was the voice that was used. The book is written from Duncan's perspective and the writing expresses modern language of a teenage boy's thoughts and speech. What I didn't like about this story is that it didn't give enough details to make me feel like I was in the story, watching the plot fold out in front of me. Over all, the main plot was excellent, but the writing itself has a lot of room for improvement.
June 8, 2011
I thought this was an 'ok' kinda book. I found it in the bargin section of the 1/2 price bookstore so I wasn't expecting much. Sometimes you can find jems in those bargin sections but sometimes you find just 'ok' books. The plot is right out of an episode of 'Happy Days' or 'Three's Company'. These are 80's TV for those wondering. I liked that the perspective was from the boy instead of a girl's usual POV. I used this book as a way to pass the time reading in a waiting room and when I was doing laundry so it wasn't too mind boggling. I had to remove the book cover becuase it look too juvenile (I'm not a fan of the stock picture, model type of covers).
August 13, 2011
This book is the definition of: "if you're at a bookstore, and you keep going back to the same book even though you're unsure about it, buy it" - for me. For this book, I read the cover, set it back on the shelf and somehow would end up right back to that book countless amounts of times and i got it and ended up loving it :)
June 3, 2017
Duncan Boone is whipped. Completely and totally whipped. Well, not at the beginning of this story. You have to be under a woman’s bootheels to quality for that designation and, when our tale begins, he’s merely rocking out and mooning over his would-be girlfriend from afar. He’s been drooling, obsessing, stalking, yearning and panting for Carly Garfield since freshman year and now he’s a senior. His time to make time with this special and spectacular girl is running out.
If you’re older and have survived adolescence, right now you’re gagging, rolling your eyes or nodding in sympathy. Perhaps you’re recalling a high school crush and the ridiculous acts you committed to grab or escape attention. Either way, Duncan’s dilemma isn’t unique. His solution is.
The lengths Duncan goes to in order to snag his crush are hilarious, poignant and absurd. Standing by him and rooting (or laughing hysterically) from the wings or his bosom chums Jess and Stewart. They also happen to be members of his fledgling band. Jess and Stewart are captivating individuals in their own right. They are like a Greek chorus, commenting, criticizing, cheering or booing the action. When Duncan’s well-made plans blow up in his face, they’re there to help pick up the pieces…or maybe not.
Duncan’s obsession with his girlfriend-manqué has unforeseen consequences, too good (or horrible) to relate here. Suffice it to say, the well-laid plans of mice, men and dweebs can be horrendous.
Winding its way through the novel are Duncan’s journal entries which revolve around his crush (naturally) and his English teacher’s assignment of reading and reviewing “The Great Gatsby”. The latter is a surprise and the parallels between Fitzgerald’s titular anti-hero and Duncan’s life provide a solid thread that weaves itself convincingly throughout this YA novel.
Whether you’re a Fitzgerald fan or not, Mr. Behrens’s foray into the agony and the ecstasy of a long-time crush is solid reading.
If you’re older and have survived adolescence, right now you’re gagging, rolling your eyes or nodding in sympathy. Perhaps you’re recalling a high school crush and the ridiculous acts you committed to grab or escape attention. Either way, Duncan’s dilemma isn’t unique. His solution is.
The lengths Duncan goes to in order to snag his crush are hilarious, poignant and absurd. Standing by him and rooting (or laughing hysterically) from the wings or his bosom chums Jess and Stewart. They also happen to be members of his fledgling band. Jess and Stewart are captivating individuals in their own right. They are like a Greek chorus, commenting, criticizing, cheering or booing the action. When Duncan’s well-made plans blow up in his face, they’re there to help pick up the pieces…or maybe not.
Duncan’s obsession with his girlfriend-manqué has unforeseen consequences, too good (or horrible) to relate here. Suffice it to say, the well-laid plans of mice, men and dweebs can be horrendous.
Winding its way through the novel are Duncan’s journal entries which revolve around his crush (naturally) and his English teacher’s assignment of reading and reviewing “The Great Gatsby”. The latter is a surprise and the parallels between Fitzgerald’s titular anti-hero and Duncan’s life provide a solid thread that weaves itself convincingly throughout this YA novel.
Whether you’re a Fitzgerald fan or not, Mr. Behrens’s foray into the agony and the ecstasy of a long-time crush is solid reading.
January 4, 2018
It's not a bad read at all, is it one I'd buy? No. However, I might pick it up again at the library again. The character development isn't quite there to really connect with the characters. Specifically I mean Carly.
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Duncan Boone is non-existent as far as Carly Garfield is concerned. Duncan has been pining over Carly for years. He has even gone so far as to manage an intricate locker swap to wind up next to Carly. But it isn't until his friend, Jess, throws something at him in his garage that causes stuff on the shelving unit above him to come crashing down on him, does Carly notice Duncan.
Carly likes causes. Her current cause is TARTS (Teens Against Rodent Test Studies) and she's heading up a rally, the afternoon of Homecoming. So when Duncan comes to school the next day, bloodied and battered, Carly drops everything to care for him. She walks him to all his classes and has him sit at her lunch table.
When his bruises start to fade, so too does Carly's interest in Duncan. Duncan, along with his friends Stew and Jess, devises a plan to renew Carly's interest. They need to find a bully who is willing to rough up Duncan enough to keep Carly interested in him. No one at their school is acceptable, and the meanest bully at Maple Grove, Sloth, isn't mean at all...just misunderstood. With hope waning, enter Freddie Wambaugh. Freddie is new at school, and just what they have been looking for.
At first Freddie says no to their proposal, but after thinking it over, Freddie agrees to bully Duncan, on the condition that Freddie's sister, Syd, can join Duncan's band. Without clearing it with Stew and Jess, Duncan readily agrees.
Over the next few weeks, the bully plan works brilliantly. At least it works on the Carly front. The rest of Duncan's life isn't going so well. Syd can't play the guitar. His friends are angry at him. His mom got Freddie suspended. And, oh yeah, he somehow agreed to streak at the rally for Carly.
Andy Behrens writes a quirky novel of how far a guy will go to get the girl. It was entertaining to read because usually these books are written from the perspective of the girl trying to get the guy. Duncan gets in over his head quickly and with surprising outcomes.
Does he get the girl in the end? You'll just have to read BEAUTY AND THE BULLY to find out!
Duncan Boone is non-existent as far as Carly Garfield is concerned. Duncan has been pining over Carly for years. He has even gone so far as to manage an intricate locker swap to wind up next to Carly. But it isn't until his friend, Jess, throws something at him in his garage that causes stuff on the shelving unit above him to come crashing down on him, does Carly notice Duncan.
Carly likes causes. Her current cause is TARTS (Teens Against Rodent Test Studies) and she's heading up a rally, the afternoon of Homecoming. So when Duncan comes to school the next day, bloodied and battered, Carly drops everything to care for him. She walks him to all his classes and has him sit at her lunch table.
When his bruises start to fade, so too does Carly's interest in Duncan. Duncan, along with his friends Stew and Jess, devises a plan to renew Carly's interest. They need to find a bully who is willing to rough up Duncan enough to keep Carly interested in him. No one at their school is acceptable, and the meanest bully at Maple Grove, Sloth, isn't mean at all...just misunderstood. With hope waning, enter Freddie Wambaugh. Freddie is new at school, and just what they have been looking for.
At first Freddie says no to their proposal, but after thinking it over, Freddie agrees to bully Duncan, on the condition that Freddie's sister, Syd, can join Duncan's band. Without clearing it with Stew and Jess, Duncan readily agrees.
Over the next few weeks, the bully plan works brilliantly. At least it works on the Carly front. The rest of Duncan's life isn't going so well. Syd can't play the guitar. His friends are angry at him. His mom got Freddie suspended. And, oh yeah, he somehow agreed to streak at the rally for Carly.
Andy Behrens writes a quirky novel of how far a guy will go to get the girl. It was entertaining to read because usually these books are written from the perspective of the girl trying to get the guy. Duncan gets in over his head quickly and with surprising outcomes.
Does he get the girl in the end? You'll just have to read BEAUTY AND THE BULLY to find out!
September 22, 2008
This book was about an ordinary boy who fell in love with the school beauty. The girl is not only beautiful but she's also inteligent and environmental activist. The problem is just that this girl never notice him exist(She never even remember his correct name). However, one day they found the girl's soft spot. She likes to play heroine helping the bullied and downtrodden. So the guy and his friends devised a plan to make sure he looked liked being bullied (an idiotic plan in my opinion). The reason why I like this books is because it's funny: the band members, the guy's family, the songs, and all the plans to get the girl. However toward the end, it felt rather out of focus. I mean when I reach the end, I was stupified .."Hah, that's it?? I thought the goal is to get the beauty?? " Most of the characters are actually well defined except the beauty. She was portrayed rather one dimensional and without depth which just not make any sense for me. Somehow she was forced by the author to become the villain in this story. I mean this girl is supposed to be beautiful, smart, and passionate about her environment organization. She should have more depth than what the story shows.
October 24, 2008
I'm going against the grain of most of the reviews to say that I really enjoyed this novel. It had a lot of great things to speak for it. Intelligent teenaged characters. Witty dialogue. Wierdly funny situations.
Just think about the plot of the book. Duncan hires Freddie to do him physical damage in order to win the affections of a girl.
At one point, Freddie, threatens not to beat him up in order to force Duncan to let his little sister into Duncan's rock band.
Here's a little snippet of the edited conversation.
"Wait...Are you threatening to beat me up if I don't agree to let you beat me up? Honestly, I don't see how I can lose this one."
Freddie was clearly irritated.
"Just put my sister in your band, turd! Or I'll not beat you up. At all. It'll be the worst nonbeating of your life. And it'll s--k. In fact, I'll protect you. Then no one will beat you up."
Just think about the plot of the book. Duncan hires Freddie to do him physical damage in order to win the affections of a girl.
At one point, Freddie, threatens not to beat him up in order to force Duncan to let his little sister into Duncan's rock band.
Here's a little snippet of the edited conversation.
"Wait...Are you threatening to beat me up if I don't agree to let you beat me up? Honestly, I don't see how I can lose this one."
Freddie was clearly irritated.
"Just put my sister in your band, turd! Or I'll not beat you up. At all. It'll be the worst nonbeating of your life. And it'll s--k. In fact, I'll protect you. Then no one will beat you up."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2014
Okay, firstly.
I read this book a long time ago so this review is actually a collection of thoughts and feelings that still linger from the mind of sixteen year-old me. Having said that; I really enjoyed it.
It was funny with comical punchlines and I loved how the love triangle ending wasn't totally as expected. The main characters were pretty well-written but, at times, fell a little flat and the story was very high-school, cheery, YOLO sort but, then again, it's a high school novel written for people in high school so I guess we can let that go.
So, yes, a witty funny novel for when you just need something quick and light.
I read this book a long time ago so this review is actually a collection of thoughts and feelings that still linger from the mind of sixteen year-old me. Having said that; I really enjoyed it.
It was funny with comical punchlines and I loved how the love triangle ending wasn't totally as expected. The main characters were pretty well-written but, at times, fell a little flat and the story was very high-school, cheery, YOLO sort but, then again, it's a high school novel written for people in high school so I guess we can let that go.
So, yes, a witty funny novel for when you just need something quick and light.
July 13, 2012
well actually I read about half of it and couldn't finish it. I didn't really like most of the characters. They were supposed to be in their junior year but most of the time I felt like I was reading about a middle school/high school freshmen student.
May 9, 2009
Some of the plot was silly, I mean ridiculously silly and detached. But to be fair, the dialog was funny and the characters interacted well...mostly. 3 Stars.
May 3, 2010
one of my summer random reads
August 2, 2011
Loved it, hillarious!
November 20, 2010
Funny reading. I hate Carly character, it made me want to hit that girl pretty bad. But the end was hilarious and also kinda cute <3
June 21, 2011
LOL saw this in the library and so far, it's funny.
A little too much "goodie-two-shoes" swearing.
Nobody says "dookie" anymore.
A little too much "goodie-two-shoes" swearing.
Nobody says "dookie" anymore.
June 30, 2013
Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/5...
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/5...
August 19, 2011
Light read and really funny!
January 15, 2012
I didn't really read this. Pretty much skimmed, started it and then just lost interest. Was expecting something different.
June 28, 2012
I thought this book was delightful. I found myself chuckling throughout. I always love those endings where things turn horribly wrong and somehow life rights itself and works out.
Read
May 27, 2012Sooooooooooo cool. :D
July 9, 2012
Cute book. Great for younger music related audience.
dnf
April 17, 2016Too childish to even get far.
December 17, 2012
I loved it,untill it got to the end,the ending was to rushed for my taste.But it's a very funny book.
January 8, 2013
Easy read with a good meaning behind it.
February 3, 2016
proceed with caution
This book is just so pathetic !! Whiny immature characters .. seriosly this writer should stop writing !!
This book is just so pathetic !! Whiny immature characters .. seriosly this writer should stop writing !!
March 13, 2014
Such an enjoyable book. It went really fast when I got to just sit down and read it. I'm glad about how it ended, but I feel bad for Duncan's band.
April 2, 2020
It has some laugh but nothing much else.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews