Just Perfect

by Hanne Arts

Through her engaging and well-paced work, 18-year old Hanne Arts provides a helping hand to young adults with mental illnesses worldwide.

When sixteen-year-old Christina Jacobs comes to school one day and discovers that life will never be the same again, she soon finds herself sinking away into the bottomless pit of a depression and eating disorder, haunted by her troubled thoughts and experiences and striving for acceptance.

Fate was never easy on her, having given her an appearance far from desirable and a family situation far from the norm, but when she is forced to face it all on her own, forced to battle her inner demons, she knows she needs to give all she’s got to fight her way back to the surface and get her life back on track.

“Just Perfect” is a grippingly honest account of love and friendship, betrayal and trust, anorexia and the fight for a better tomorrow.

Genres: Mental Health

220 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

My name is Hanne and I'm an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, Psychology graduate, and mental health fanatic.
​
I am also a recovered anorexic. I fully recovered from my eating disorder in 2015 and I’m delighted to now be helping others to do the same! Combining my own experiences with my passion for writing, I published my debut novel, Just Perfect, in December 2014, followed by its sequel, Red Ribbons, in October 2017.

Before publishing my books, I participated three times in Short Story Competition Hungary, for which I received the Short List Award in 2011, Honorable Mention in 2012, and Second Place in 2013. I was shortlisted in the Nancy Thorp Poetry Competition in 2013 and Junior Author Short Story Competition in 2014. I co-authored and translated "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" and contributed to the compilation "The Recovery Letters."

To buy my novels, find them on Amazon. To find out more about my eating disorder support options, check out my website: https://www.hannearts.co.uk

Reviews

[Pascale Tongerloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Just Perfect" is the grippingly honest account of a girl that falls victim to bullying and, consequently, her own insecurities. It is the story of her struggles and path to recovery.

Hanne's debut novel is incredibly moving, filled with raw emotion. It begs for the reader to continue reading and is deeply touching and relatable (and therefore poignant) in many aspects. I would recommend this book to people recovering from mental illnesses and related problems, as well as their families and anyone else wanting to understand these issues or simply looking for an intriguing novel to read. It is compelling and high-quality, with the ability to enrich the lives of the readers and inspire them to live life to the fullest.

All in all, Hanne shows great promise in her depicting of difficult emotional issues and thorough dealing with intense events. Her vivid descriptions made me feel like I knew each of the characters personally. Hanne writes maturely, yet accurately captures the young adult experience.

I hope to read more of her work in the future!

[Hanne Arts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd recommend this novel to anyone that has ever felt like they were not worthy, as well as to their families and anyone else intrigued to dive into the shadowy reality of mental illness.

It would feel incredible for me to help others through the sharing of my work, so please check it out and be sure to share it with friends.

[Cami Golub (Bookmilla) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1☆.
This book made me so mad.
I expected more from it, since I saw Hanne Arts videos on eating disorders on youtube, and she seems to know what she's talking about, since she went through severe stages of anorexia herself.
In this book we follow Christina, who's a teenager who after being bullied to the point of being beaten by what she thought was her friend, decides to never eat again.
Since this books is narrated from Christina's point of view, we can read what she's thinking, and she never seems to even be aware of her body, in any sort of way. She just mentions that her friend is really beautiful and confident, but never in a way that shows she feels less than her or anything. We see she's insecure, but the way I think the author meant it to be.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
There were several things that got on my nerves in this book:
1. One night, she eats and decides to throw up cause she's sad and heard that other people does it and "makes them feel better". She never mentions being uncomfortable with what she ate, or even being sad about what she ate. She just tries to throw up, and when she's not able, she decides to never eat again. The next morning she "wakes up anorexic", throws away her breakfast, and never eats again. She even mentions how to lie to her father so he won't suspect anything. And trust me, he won't suspect anything if one day you didn't eat your breakfast when your entire life you ate like a regular human being and enjoyed your food. All of the sudden, she stops eating and never eats again. That's unrealistic af. The subject of maybe even thinking about eating, or having this discussions inside her head between her brain telling her not to eat, but her really wanting to eat something. It's like the eating disorder not really there. The eating disorder is a mindset, not a conscious decision you make. It is as if she just stops eating cause she wants to, but not because she feels like she has to, like it happens in eating disorders like anorexia, which is the case in this book.
2. "my fear for this corner intensified greater than my OCD's demand to tidy up the chaos around it." She never mentioned having OCD, or even any kind of compulsion, being either thoughts, or the need to have everything clean, or arranged in a certain way, or anything. Nothing. I felt like OCD was mentioned as some passing thing. She doesn't have OCD, so why would you say this 75% into the book?! She just saw a room that was extremely messy and wanted to tidy it up. It happens to me as well, I don't like messes, but that doesn't mean I have OCD.
3. Numbers and doctors. When our protagonist goes into inpatient treatment, she weighs 28,5 kg (62lbs) and is 160cm tall (5ft 2in), which basically means she's either dead or about to die, with a bmi of 11.1 (normal bmi is between 18.5 and 25). The doctors tell her she's going outpatient cause they think she can handle it, but if she goes lower they will take her in again. WHICH PERSON WITH ANY KIND OF DEGREE IN MEDICINE WOULD SAY THIS?! If this was real, she would be put on restbed 24/7, constantly watched and with an ngtube stuck up her nose to feed her. Still, the doctors let her leave. Then, her therapist (who apparently is her nutritionist as well, but that's never mentioned) tells her a normal weight for someone her height is between 50 and 60kg (110-132lbs), but since she was always around 40kg (88lbs), expecting her to be that high would be unreasonable so they will start with a goal of 88lbs. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! SHE'S ABOUT TO DIE, EVEN IF SHE REACHES 88LBS SHE'S EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY AND WITH A REALLY LOW BMI! I mean, since when being underweight your entire life means you will be ok if you go back to your higher but still really underweight weight?
4. Her BMI, as I mentioned already, is 11.1, AND SHE STILL GETS OUTPATIENT TREATMENT!

Oh, this outrages me. Really, this was a waste of time. I really expected better from this author. This was a complete waste of time.

[Koen Maegherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The young author Hanne Arts has written a surprisingly nice piece of literature. The novel describes how the main character, partially because she is suffering from bullying, gets more and more dissatisfied with her body and sinks in an eating disorder. Hanne is also able the catch the almost incrompehensible dilemma many youngsters in a similar situation suffer from: "What was wrong with me? Why could I not just flip the switch and see all the brightness ahead if only I chose the correct path? Or rather, why could I see the correct path but not choose to tread upon is?"

The writing style also endorses the main message: with a broad variety of metaphors and similes she sharply and sensuously describes the physical characteristics of her and others' body. And as such she is able to go beyond the rather simple storyline and to craft a very nice novel that will for sure appreciated by many people (children, youngsters, parents, partners ...) who encounter a similar problem.

[John Yeoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming and intriguing story, written with a finesse and maturity of style that would flatter an author of far more seasoned years. Its ironic wit and acuteness of observation are a joy to read and its insights into the problems of mental depression are helpful and acute.

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST PERFECT by Hanne Arts

The author of this book is only 18 years old, yet she writes with an honesty and intelligence that is well beyond her years. Her ability to convey emotion and to draw the reader into her world is truly exceptional.

Her mother is dead and her father has fallen into the life of a barely functioning alcoholic. Christina has one good female friend and a boyfriend to whom she can turn for comfort, companionship and solace.

However, when her friend cheats off her test and her boyfriend dumps her, Christina's life starts a dismal downward spiral.

Bullied and taunted by those she once thought were her friends, having to take care of her alcoholic father, and not liking what she sees in the mirror, Christina starts to starve herself. This leads to cutting and finally to thoughts of suicide.

Can Christina find the strength of will to fight through her horrible situation? Or will she become just another statistic? Will she end up as a teenage suicide victim who gave up all hope of a better future?

The despair she feels is well written and the reader cannot help but empathize with her situation. The reader is drawn into Christina's downward spiral into despair and I couldn't help but wish I had known this girl and been able to help her somehow.

This book highlights just how desperate some teenagers can become. Why didn't her teachers notice her dramatic weight loss? Where were the safeguards that are supposed to be in place for our younger generation?

This book is an important one. It is important that other teenagers who are facing situations similar to the one in this book, know that they are not alone and that there is hope. It may be cliche, but they need to know that there is light at the end of their dark tunnel.

Though this book is targeted at a young adult audience, I think that all parents, especially those who have teenagers, should read this book as well. I realize it is fiction, but it is also too realistic to not have some basis in fact.

This book firmly deserves a 5 star rating. Hanne Arts may be a young author, but she is also a very talented one. I look forward to reading more books by her and I believe she has a long writing career ahead of her.

To read more of my reviews, visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com

I received a free eBook of JUST PERFECT from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book in just 1 week while sitting on the train. You have to know that for me it's my personal reccord to finish a book. Normally I only read studybooks from highschool, but this book was so good and inspiring that every time I arrived at the station I was really disapointed because I wanted to continue reading to know how Chrisitinas life and fight will evolve!

The book tells a story of a very delicate subject on a touching and at the same time accessible way.
The characters are described in so much detail that you can empathize with any of them and really can feel the emotions, thoughts,...they have and struggle with. While reading you are searching unconcious for solutions for and with the characters.

As I struggle myself with an eating disorder, it was a very recognizable and painful story of different issues of my life. It inspired me to keep fighting and don't lose hope for recovery.

I really think the book can not only touch and inspire people with an eating disorder, but also the families, friends and people who are close to the person with struggles on her/his life.

I hope there will be a new book soon so I can read again very interesting stories on the train from a PERFECT writer, Hanne Arts! You're amazing! Thanks for everything!!

Charlotte

[Lut van Mossevelde]

This book was captivating. Intriguing. Both touching in its plot as well as beautiful through its artistic and unique language usage. As soon as I picked up Just Perfect, I did not want to leave my chair until I had flipped the final page. I wanted to finish it in one sitting, and it read so naturally and smoothly that I almost succeeded. I wanted – needed – to know what would happen next to the protagonist, Christina, who was depicted with such authentic detail she came alive in my head. I cared for her as though I knew her personally, and her story was so poignant and inspiring that her story became ours.

Hanne Arts has the unique gift of allowing the reader to share her journey and join her along every step of the way. She has the gift of letting others feel her pain.

Just Perfect is no longer just a story, but a piece of her journey, of her personality. It wasn’t infrequently that the novel had me shaking my head in confusion. How cruel people can be sometimes, and what horrible things they are capable of doing.

Just Perfect was a book that truly resonated with me, as it was written with such a blunt honesty that left no stone unturned. Bravely depicting a chain of unfathomable events, the novel cast shocking insights into the everyday lives of those suffering from a depression or eating disorder. Therefore, I believe it is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the consequences of childhood trauma, the struggle of living with a mental illness, and the fight one must have with oneself in order to overcome one’s inner demons.

Bullying can scar a person in so many ways, and the ensuing consequences can be further-reaching than one can wrap his head around. Just Perfect depicts this struggle, sharing the important message that the scars that remain are real, and life-changing. And that nobody is ever alone in his or her fight to get back on track.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my blog Christy's Cozy Corners.

I received a copy of this book free for an honest review.

Just Perfect is a very moving story that follows a high school girl through a great struggle. It is a struggle that so many young people go through. It doesn't affect everyone in the way it affects Christina in the story, but the effects are lasting. Christina is bullied and that bullying leads her down a self-destructive path. Her father is very distant as he is dealing with grief through alcohol. Christina feels completely alone.

These feelings lead her to develop an eating disorder which eventually lead to hospitalization. Thanks to her father and a wonderful friend she makes while in the hospital, Christina is able to pull through and begin to overcome her eating disorder. This doesn't happen all the time. Some young people are never able to beat their eating disorder and end up dying from this.

This book is a must read for teens. I think a lot of times teens feel like they are alone in how they are feeling when really most teens share their feelings. Teens feel inadequate and imperfect. They feel that their parents don't care and that no one understands. I think if more of them realized that all teens go through these things, they'd feel better about themselves and less alone.

I definitely recommend this book. It is novella length of 34,000 words. That, combined with a fast moving plot, make this a quick and easy book to read.

[Beverly McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullying comes in many forms. Name calling: making fun of someone, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and others. Regardless of the type of bullying a child or teen or even an adult face, it affects their attitude about themselves and the consequences sometimes end in tragedy.

Author Hanne Arts’ novel JUST PERFECT is the story of Christina Jacobs, who just wants to be accepted. If only life were so simple. She lives with her alcoholic father. Her mother is dead. She has a friend that turns out not to be a friend. Her boyfriend lets her down. And she’s beat up and humiliated by her classmates. As her life grows worse and worse she follows the path of many young women and men, a path that often leads to self-destruction. Will Christina be able to overcome her fragile life and see the beauty in herself?

The author has written a tender story of family, friends, and love and the sad things that can go wrong. I think more details about Christina’s treatment for Anorexia would have added to the story because it’s so destructive. That said, JUST PERFECT would make a good read for children and teens that have self-image issues or that are experiencing bullying at school or in their neighborhoods.

The author provided me with a copy of the eBook for my honest review.

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[Rudy Ceuppens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can one review objectively a book written by the daughter of someone you know ? YES !
Can one review objectively a book written by an 18-year old author when you use to devour books from 40-50-60 years old bestselling authors? YES !
Can one review objectively a book that you would like to have written yourself at the age of 18? NO !

This novel goes straight to my heart. It has the courage to analyze feelings and behavior which belongs to the rapidly (certainly in rich countries!) increasing mental illnesses connected to obsessive-compulsive disorders an all resulting disorders: eating, anxiety, perfectionism, you name it.
It is brilliantly written, with a sharp eye for the human condition in every dimension. Sincere congratulations to great talent Hanne! Please continue writing and analyzing!
The only one weakness of the amazing book is the faulty impression that you need at least a death mother and alcoholic father to fall down to this mental depth. 90 % of the described personal deficiencies are originated in "healthy" normal families. Another reason why rich countries are more vulnerable for these disorders.
Continue on this road, dear Hanne, and ... don't forget to eat :-))).

[Marina Gombkoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice story about a teenager girl, Christina, finding herself suddenly alone, betrayed by her closest friends. The mental and physical terror experienced from the schoolmates, the doubts and uncertainty she feels lead eventually to eating disorders, and, almost to a fatal outcome... but, finally, Christina draws strength and courage to fight for her recovery – and, to find her love.

Hanne’s writing style is full of emotions, yet authentic – it’s hard to believe that this is the debut novel of an eighteen-year-old author! Hanne is admittedly very talented (which is also evidenced by several literary awards) and I look forward to reading more works by her in the future.

The novel “Just Perfect” gives a reader a brilliant insight on thoughts, fears, concerns and actions of a person facing the problem of depressions and eating disorders, but most importantly, it brings a clear message: “Never give up! Live your life to the fullest!” Accordingly, I would recommend this book to the widest range of readers: from teens and their parents, teachers and people engaged in youth education, to people suffering from similar problems and searching for spiritual support, and to anyone simply looking for a good inspiring story to read.

[VERONIQUE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an opportunity to meet Hanne Arts and was very curious to read her debut.
As an avid reader of both youth and adult books I was pleasantly surprised by this debut. This young writer has talent. Talent to observe carefully, to empathize with the suffering of young people, to unravel the dynamics between adolescents.
In this novel, the interactions between young people aren’t always cheerful and sometimes unbearable hard. It affects me that besides an astute description of grief by the harassed Christina, this young author also succeeds in writing with a certain degree of compassion for the bullies.
Although the main character is trying to cope with a lot of difficult experiences such as: betrayal , bullying, eating problems, a drunken father, etc, this didn’t result in a sad reading. On the contrary, it gives illustrations of how resilience and support can look like in real life and offers hope for those who are dealing with emotional pain.
To sum up, an enthralling read, written with tenderness for growing ups and recommended for all those who want to understand how it is to be – temporarily – affected by mental health sufferings.

[Francis Arts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book so intriguing and captivating that I started reading Saturday lunch time and could not stop reading till I had finished it by Sunday evening. It is an impressive achievement that at her young age Hanne has managed to write a book about a complicated subject like anorexia with such depth and insight in her own struggle "to fight her way back to the surface". A very interesting scene in the book was when Dr Paula asked Christina to draw 2 different trees. Christina drew the trees Dr Paula had asked for, so far so good. But what happens next when Dr Paula shares her findings with Christina, is very interesting: Not only does Christina try to understand Dr. Paula's findings but she is also critical and questions them to come up with her own balanced judgement --some of Dr Paula's findings she accepts, some she rejects. At Hanne's young age such mature judgement is exceptional. So yes, "Just Perfect" is an impressive achievement making me very much look forward to Hanne's next book.

[Evelien Arts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Perfect is a captivating novel, portraying honest and raw emotions and allowing readers to better grasp the reality of depressions and eating disorders. However, most of all, it depicts what teenagers endure: uncertainty, self-doubt, emotion and, eventually, light at the end of the tunnel. The honesty expressed is what made it relatable for me, which is what I liked most about this novel.

The novel is written in two parts: the first part in which Christina is driven into a depression, and the second part in which she embarks on the slow journey to recovery. One can see the characters develop as the story progresses, which allows an emotional connection to be made.

I would recommend this novel to teenagers and their parents, to people suffering from mental illness and the people surrounding them, and to people wanting to be informed on it.

[Mara Wynant · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books you like to pick up once in a while and books you just can't put away. 'Just Perfect' is the latter. In the first two pages, the novel hits you with a strike of curiosity and wonder and it won't leave you until the very last page. The main character takes you on a journey so recognizable for troubled teens that she might make you rethink your views on certain things. This fact is exactly the reason why this novel is so important to teens struggling with depression or an ED. Remarkable is that the most endearing, tender and happy moments are surrounded by grief so real that you will laugh through your tears and sob with a smile.
'Just Perfect' is an extraordinary debut novel, and I'm looking forward to hear more from Hanne Arts.

[Joannes Rhino · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading Just Perfect, I felt like I was swept away completely. I mean I have tasks that I needed to do, but I decided to put it on hold until I finished reading this book. Yeah, that's how powerful this book to me. It's like there's a magnet between one page to another so I couldn't drop and stop reading it for awhile. Anyway, this is the kinda genre that I love to read. The author did a wonderful job in describing the battle inside one's mind. I found this quite enjoyable as I myself writing psychology/thriller book. There were so many emotions involved inside me when reading this. Thanks for a good read!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Perfect is a must read for parents, teachers, counselors and recovering teens. Hanne Art, the author, uses her excellent writing skills to create a book nobody will want to put down. The story traces a young girl’s trials with betrayal, bullies, anorexia and an alcoholic father. Although motherless, the main character triumphs through the help of others and ends up stronger than ever. An ace of a writer at eighteen years old, Hanne wrote Just Perfect for those who are depressed or have eating disorders. Those who read Just Perfect will definitely want to share it with others.
Mary L.

[Megan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FANTASTIC. It's a riveting read that really grips at your heart when the main protagonist, Christina, is an innocent, hard working teen, is thrown into a sea of internal demons after everyone she knows suddenly turns on her. Christina is forced into a battle with her self as she indulges in self harm and anorexia. It really is a tale all teenagers should read and provides a unique perspective to adults as well, especially parents. I, for one, will be throwing this book in the face of everyone I know until they read it. Fantastic writing, fantastic story, just over all fantastic.

[Lily Bible · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Hanne, this is a truly great book. It was a fast read and i loved all the detail you put in. It really made me feel like i was reliving the darker parts of my life. I had such a great and deep connection to this book. i'm so glad my friend had me read it. You are an amazing writer and i can't wait to read more of your books, that is if you keep writing, which i hope you will because you have a great voice. Thank you so much for a fantastic read please keep writing. I can't wait for more!!!!!
Love Lily :)

[Viktória Hován · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all i loved the whole book, its style, its topic, its atmosphere, its honesty. It brought me through a tough journey of human soul and showed how eating disorders can appear in our and our children's lives without recognising it. Hanne could describe all the struggles and emotions very precisely using always the perfect expressions. I liked that she didn't want to hide anything, but trusting the reader to tell every single happening, thought and feeling. I can only recommend it if you want to read a valuable piece of work. Thank you Hanne for sharing it with me.

[toniasgarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best and most helpful book for anyone struggling with low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, etc. It went straight to my heart and managed to managed to touch every little bit of my emotions.
I was utterly impressed by the fact that it is amazingly well written, too, captivating the reader from the very beginning till the last page.
Well done for this incredible work and wishing you, from the bottom of my heart, all the best! Thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts with the world :)
Remember: You are just perfect <3

[Agnes Oers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am impressed that a young girl like Hanne can write so openly and honestly about her struggle with anorexia. This is far from evident at Hanne's young age. "Just Perfect" is written in a clear manner with Christina's story surely being recognisable for teenagers and young adults. So I hope they get the chance to read Hanne's book and that it can help them to battle their own inner eating disorder demons. I very much look forward to the sequel of "Just Perfect".

[Carine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from Belgium : "De eerste 10 pagina's even moeite gehad om na veel jaren weer in het Engels te lezen. Maar daarna : ACHTER elkaar uitgelezen!!! "Ik zag wat ik las." Hoe verder ik in het verhaal terecht kwam, hoe meer het intrigeerde ! Voor mij een "relatief" onbekend onderwerp , maar wel gelijk gegrepen door het verhaal. Ben benieuwd wat deze schrijfster ons als lezer nog gaat brengen. "

[Romy van Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. this girl has such a great talent for writing. I can't wait until her next book will appear.

[Eden Leeuwen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has pacing issues, it speeds through the anorexia and with character development. All of the adults are aresholes. Don't read it, for pleasure, this book is a waste of time. I would only read this again to make myself feel better about my own writing.

[Bella Venturini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-captured example of a struggling modern-society adolecent 💔 Beautifully motivating as well, providing hope to overcome what seems impossible 💪

[Amphitrite · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I have to do this review in a different way than usual simply because of the book itself and what it contains. Because, with the normal review style I can’t mention some things since they were neither good, nor bad. In the normal style, there would be an overwhelming amount of negative things because this book just did not sit right with me and the way it was done.

Mostly, I found the book to be bland and unoriginal. The main character, Christina, first deals with a “friend” who puts her down and turns everyone against her when she thinks Christina has “betrayed” her over a test. One, that is extremely drastic measures for someone to take over a test. Two, if someone is that nasty to you on a regular basis how could you remain friends with them? It made very little sense to me, and left a bad taste in my mouth because it seemed very extreme. Not to mention I felt like the beginning was construed in a way just to make Christina do what she does without any other purpose. The characters didn’t really stand out and I felt the book was too short to convey the story that it had so it proceeded in a clunky manner for me.

Then, we have adults that were missing when they should have been nearby at school. Teachers and administrators are never very far away from students no matter where you look during school hours and while everyone is leaving. So what happened to Christina, would never have actually been allowed to happen because the moment teachers and administrators sensed the potential for a fight by the gathering group of students they would have broken it us. I also didn’t really get the feeling of Christina’s descent in how she thought or her recovery. She didn’t really seem to act too differently and there was so much time skipping in the book that everything pretty much felt glossed over for the most part.

There were a few points that made me feel uncomfortable in a way that almost made me put the book down and not pick it back up, and that was the point where it talks about Christina and her self-harm. I know that it’s a good thing that it got a reaction out of me but it was such a negative feeling that if I had found another point that it talked about her self-harm like that again I wouldn’t have been able to stomach it and would have dropped it. Also, needles since I have a big fear of them but that’s not really a thing that had any impact since needles make me uncomfortable on a daily basis when they’re mentioned. Needles freak me out, plain and simple.

Anorexia is something that is a big deal, but I didn’t really feel that since it’s really not talked about in a way that makes me worry about it. It wasn’t something that seemed very terrible and her recovery process was something I wanted to endure with her but I felt deprived of that since there is no real focus around it. It’s just a lot of time skipping, and stuff. Plus, what kind of ending is the one we are given? I didn’t believe the chemistry because I didn’t hardly see the two characters interact, and seeing them interact with one another would have helped make it be more believable.

Basically, this book was a huge letdown for me and I really, really did not like it. I didn’t hate, it has potential if it’s revised more and lengthened so we can connect more with Christina and her plight. But with the way it is now I’m glad I did a review opp for it and not paid for it because it’s not something I would pay for now that I see how it is. It just isn’t ready for being out in the eye of the public in my opinion and needs more revision so it works better.

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A valiant effort but the work of a relatively new writer. Just Perfect is trying to cover a lot of topics—bullying; family dysfunction and alcoholism; teenage relationships; anorexia. Unfortunately it struggles to hold on to more than one of these threads at a time, leaving the work feeling full of loose ends. Christina's eating disorder (which appears more or less out of nowhere, with her feeling no effects and attracting no attention until she is at a heart-could-stop-any-minute low weight) is a mix of On Death's Door and wildly incompetent care à la 'Well, you're perilously unwell but you can probably handle this at home on your own, hmm?' Consistent with a lot of teenage writing (consistent with my writing when I was a teenager), Christina's voice leans heavily into angst.

I see that there's a sequel—I will not be seeking it out, but hopefully it has a bit more balance.

[Angela Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel definitely griped at my heart, especially as the protagonist Christina is a hard working and ambitious teenager, who is challenging the severe psychological effects of her anorexia.