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Goodbye, Perfect
When I was wild, you were steady . . .
Now you are wild - what am I?
Eden McKinley knows she can’t count on much in this world, but she can depend on Bonnie, her solid, steady, straight-A best friend. So it’s a complete shock when, five days before the start of their GCSEs, Bonnie runs away with a guy Eden knows nothing about. And it's the last person she would ever have expected.
As the days pass, and her world begins to unravel, Eden is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her best friend and herself.
Now you are wild - what am I?
Eden McKinley knows she can’t count on much in this world, but she can depend on Bonnie, her solid, steady, straight-A best friend. So it’s a complete shock when, five days before the start of their GCSEs, Bonnie runs away with a guy Eden knows nothing about. And it's the last person she would ever have expected.
As the days pass, and her world begins to unravel, Eden is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her best friend and herself.
300 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2018
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September 3, 2018
“I don’t think you can ever really start over. Because if you’re trying to do that, you’re basically trying to run away from yourself. And you can’t. You’re stuck with you, forever. Wherever you go.”
Honestly… wow.
Goodbye Perfect is a slice-of-life style book about a girl whose best friend runs away with their music teacher. This is a story that so easily could have been simple conflict, point A to point B, but instead, Sara Barnard makes this into a clever, enthralling story about the horror of motivation. This is not a story about solving the problem; in fact, it’s more slice-of-life. But within that context is a story about the complexities of betraying a friend, and the way in which children are taught to shrink themselves into something small.
See, Bonnie is living under the watch of a mother with a very strong personality, and the academic pressure of being “the perfect one”. As a white, middle-class, abled teen, everyone is surprised by her disappearance, something Eden suspects would not be true of here. Yet she is not popular; in fact, she has very few friends. She is, despite all appearances, miserable. And as her friend, Eden struggles to know what to do about that.
I liked learning this story through Eden’s eyes. This story choice works because we are not the ones seeing the romanticized views of Mr. Cohn - instead, we are the ones seeing how much Eden cares about Bonnie. Eden’s narration also works because though she makes mistakes, many of them, she learns from her mistakes and improves how she’s functioning. Eden’s trauma from her relationship with her mom is also depicted well. She has grown into a combination of a wild child and a mature human being; she is to this day not much of a crier.
This is a deeply human story, and the characters just add to that factor. Connor, her amazing boyfriend. Valerie, her too-perfect adopted sister who just wants a relationship with her; her other sister, who has always been her closest confidante. Valerie’s friend Emma, who tells Eden about the tiny dick of someone she slept with.
Honestly, perhaps my least favorite element of the book is that Bonnie’s mother’s characterization makes her seem like a not-great mother, but the narrative really does not do much to acknowledge this; actually, several elements of the book feel less developed due to the lack of resolution.
I think what stayed with me the most about this book is this: It would be so hard not to be tempted, as a sixteen-year-old, to run off from a life that you never seemed good enough for. Bonnie is a girl who has been given an out and who takes it. And as someone who has had friends put in this situation, groomed by older men, I think the choice to focus so much on how easily that can be accepted is quite brilliant.
So despite the somewhat unsatisfactory ending, I absolutely adored most of this book. A lot of characters and themes hit really close to home for me and I mean, I read it in a day.
✨Arc received from the publisher via my local bookstore for an honest review.
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June 29, 2017
“I don’t think you can ever really start over. Because if you’re trying to do that, you’re basically trying to run away from yourself. And you can’t. You’re stuck with you, forever. Wherever you go.”
I can’t not read a book written by Sarah Barnard. She has this honest, realistic way of telling a story. It’s brilliant. Even when the topic of the story isn’t something I’d usually want to read, I know to give it a try anyway because her writing will floor me. Seriously… A Quiet Kind of Thunder is wonderful.
The people that you let into your life are a choice, and sometimes that choice changes.
This is the story about a girl (Bonnie) who runs away with her boyfriend, the school music teacher. Told from the perspective of the best friend, Eden, who had no clue her friend’s boyfriend was a teacher. Eden does, however, have contact with Bonnie, but is sworn to secrecy. When the police & Bonnie’s mother show up looking for answers, Eden is torn between her loyalty to her best friend and telling everyone where Bonnie is.
A promise is a promise, and a best friend is a best friend.
While it is usually a bit off-putting reading about a relationship between student and teacher because these things are usually romanticized. This is a unique take being that it's from the perspective of an outsider viewing the relationship for the first time, as opposed to getting Bonnie’s perspective which would have resulted in (at least) moments of romanticizing the situation. We are viewing the relationship for what it actually is. I also liked that newspaper articles were included throughout to reveal the public image/opinion of what is going on.
It may seem frustrating to have Eden not tell the police & Bonnie's mom where she is immediately, but then we wouldn't exactly have a book. Eden has to make the wrong decision for there to be a story here. Sometimes we just want to scream at the main character to wake up! But I think that’s where the rest of the story comes in. There is a lot more going on besides this, although Bonnie's story is at the forefront. There’s the commentary on friendship and loyalty as Eden struggles with what is actually right in this situation. Not to mention, Eden was adopted with her younger sister into a family and has interesting ideas on family. I especially enjoyed reading about her relationship with Valerie, her adopted sister, & how she would constantly compare herself to Valerie from their parents’ eyes.
It is worth mentioning that I think this story was written honestly regarding the subject matter. I was the best friend of the girl who got in a relationship with our high school teacher. It was odd. But things in these pages ring true. You aren’t exactly privy to the knowledge as it occurs. I did not realize who Daniel was for the longest time because I did not know my teacher by that name. Anyway..not my story to tell. I did see similarities in the situations and could understand the POV of the best friend to an extent.
There are a lot of things I wish had been explored more. Like Eden & Daisy’s adoption, their relationship with their birth mom. Connor & his role as caretaker. Etc. I still enjoyed the story overall. When compared to Barnard’s last book, I enjoyed that one more. But this is still a lovely YA contemporary novel with strong characters.
January 28, 2019
If there’s one thing in life Eden can count on, it’s her best friend, Bonnie—until Bonnie runs away with their music instructor, and everything gets thrown into a whirlwind of police interrogations, suspicion, and fear. The worst part is that Eden knows where Bonnie’s gone, but how can she betray her best friend?
If there’s anything I enjoy in the YA contemporary genre, it’s conflict—especially when the drama going down is something that real teens face, and especially when it’s a topic that authors aren’t often willing to tackle. A lot of authors could write a similar story and keep it black and white—girl’s best friend runs away, girl tells police, best friend is brought home, pedophilia is vilified, and that’s a wrap. That’s not Sara’s style at all.
→ L I K E S :
“Do you ever think about just… running away?”
The thing is, there are two huge obstacles to Bonnie’s coming home, and we’re reminded of them often: 1) Eden feels a duty to protect her best friend, because what 15-year-old doesn’t think they’ve got things figured out? and 2) Bonnie ran away with her teacher. She wasn’t taken kicking and screaming; she’s been groomed by this powerful, attractive, seemingly ‘caring’ figure in her life and he’s convinced her they have an entire life together. Bonnie doesn’t want to come home, so how can Eden force her to?
There’s blood, and then there’s family. They’re not always the same thing.
I really appreciated that Sara was willing to go there, without ever making it seem as though what was happening was anything less than awful. Her approach is incredibly refreshing and necessary in its honesty, which might be my favorite thing about her writing as a whole. On top of that, Eden is biracial (white/Brazilian), adopted, dyslexic, and struggles in school—all of this leading up to a phenomenal commentary regarding how different the media would be reacting to the entire situation if the girl in question weren’t a white, able-bodied, middle-class girl with perfect grades like Bonnie.
“I think that’s what love is. It’s caring about the person’s entire life, not just the bit with the two of you in it.”
Besides the genuine way she approached the topic at large, my other favorite thing about this whole story was Eden’s boyfriend, Connor. Sara writes the sweetest, softest boys as love interests and Connor is just so wholesome and precious and loving. I adored the fact that his steadiness contrasted so starkly against the ridiculousness of the situation Eden had been forced into; likewise, her adopted parents are flawed but mostly wonderful, and I loved the support system Eden had in place.
→ D I S L I K E S :
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed Goodbye, Perfect very much, it just wasn’t quite a home run for me! I’ve actually sat on this review for a few days in hopes of nailing down why it never hit 5-star status, and I’m still not sure, but I had the same issue with my other read of Sara’s, A Quiet Kind of Thunder. She writes lovely characters and plots, but something about the stories never fully “wows” me.
→ F I N A L THOUGHTS :
That aside, this is a quality contemporary read that I wholeheartedly recommend checking out for yourself. I know Sara Barnard is going to continue being an author I reach for time and time again because I trust her to craft really enjoyable stories that perfectly straddle the line between heavy and comforting, and I can’t wait for my next read of hers!
→ RECOMMENDING TO… :
I’d recommend this, and any of Sara’s other works, to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary releases and is looking for a healthy mix of conflict and fluff.
Content warnings for pedophilia, grooming, mentions of child pornography, abduction
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Simon Pulse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
February 18, 2019
book #10 done for the contemporary-a-thon under the challenge of: read a contemporary that you meant to read in 2018. ✔
i'm sooooo impressed with how sara barnard handled this book
- eden (our main character) finds out her best friend, bonnie, has run off with their music teacher.
- sara barnard approached the whole topic of student-teacher relationship in an incredibly tactical way. because we're seeing the story unfold from eden's perspective, the thoughts and ideas don't seem preachy in any way. the message reaches LOUD AND CLEAR and it doesnt feel invasive at all.
- the story is so well constructed that you cannot help but feel for the characters. bonnie, a fifteen-year old, is known to be the perfect, rule following child, and it's a shock to everyone that //she// was the one to run away instead of our impulsive, wild-child main character.
- but it builds the background of these characters. how stressed and pressured bonnie felt with tests and scores and exams and with the idea of being the perfect child/student for her strong-willed parents. how easy it was for her teacher to manipulate her into running away with him while thinking she was completely making the choice
- i also liked how it explored eden's life. in the foster care system, her relationship with her foster parents, her "perfect" older sister, her annoyingly adorable little sister, her super sweet boyfriend, & the state of her biological mother
- the writing is easy and engaging. i read it over the course of one day and didn't find myself tired or growing bored. it is a VERY slice-of-life kind of story, so there are many parts that just seemed like fillers to me or were meant to add more characterization to our main characters, but i was more interested in finding out about the conflict
- i really liked how it ended. i thought it was realistic without being too depressing or too perfect. and im so glad i decided to pick this one up bc it was brilliant
i'm sooooo impressed with how sara barnard handled this book
- eden (our main character) finds out her best friend, bonnie, has run off with their music teacher.
- sara barnard approached the whole topic of student-teacher relationship in an incredibly tactical way. because we're seeing the story unfold from eden's perspective, the thoughts and ideas don't seem preachy in any way. the message reaches LOUD AND CLEAR and it doesnt feel invasive at all.
- the story is so well constructed that you cannot help but feel for the characters. bonnie, a fifteen-year old, is known to be the perfect, rule following child, and it's a shock to everyone that //she// was the one to run away instead of our impulsive, wild-child main character.
- but it builds the background of these characters. how stressed and pressured bonnie felt with tests and scores and exams and with the idea of being the perfect child/student for her strong-willed parents. how easy it was for her teacher to manipulate her into running away with him while thinking she was completely making the choice
- i also liked how it explored eden's life. in the foster care system, her relationship with her foster parents, her "perfect" older sister, her annoyingly adorable little sister, her super sweet boyfriend, & the state of her biological mother
- the writing is easy and engaging. i read it over the course of one day and didn't find myself tired or growing bored. it is a VERY slice-of-life kind of story, so there are many parts that just seemed like fillers to me or were meant to add more characterization to our main characters, but i was more interested in finding out about the conflict
- i really liked how it ended. i thought it was realistic without being too depressing or too perfect. and im so glad i decided to pick this one up bc it was brilliant
February 18, 2018
Goodbye, Perfect is the story of what happens when Bonnie, a straight A highschool student and prefect, runs away with her music teacher. Except for one thing. This story is REALLY about Eden; Bonnie’s best friend and the one who gets left behind in the aftermath.
Sara Barnard’s writing is incredible and so easy to read! Once I finally found time to read, I whizzed through almost 200 pages in a single sitting and by 2am, thought “Okay, I suppose I really *should* get to bed”. Despite not having been a teenager myself for awhile now, the dialogue felt SO authentic and the way Eden spoke to other teenagers, adults and authority figures was so incredibly realistic and I could picture it perfectly!
Going into this, I admit I was a tiny bit worried due to the content matter, however I think it was explored in a really brilliant way and despite Eden keeping Bonnie’s secret and how absolutely loyal she was to her. Yes, I suppose this IS one of those stories where things could be solved with one conversation, however, seeing Eden’s turmoil between wanting to protect Bonnie and wanting to keep her secret was SO REALISTIC. Reading about how fiercely loyal Eden was to Bonnie reminded me so much of my friend group in high school and I understood her thought processes. It took me back to 15 year old me and despite now being an adult, I could still relate to the reasons behind Eden’s actions.
The relationships in Goodbye, Perfect were WONDERFUL. We see snippets of Eden and Bonnie’s friendship throughout the novel and Eden’s relationship with her boyfriend, Connor was such a comfort to see and was one of the healthiest I’ve seen in YA. Eden’s adopted family is a huge joy to read about too! I adored their dynamic and while I didn’t even think it would be touched upon, seeing her and Valerie’s relationship development was one of my favourite parts of the entire book!
Initially, I wasn’t too sure how the topic of a student-teacher relationship would be delved into (especially from an “outsider” perspective), but the way grooming, control and manipulation is explored was fantastic to see and I really loved the contrast between a healthy relationship (Eden and Connor) versus an unhealthy one (Bonnie and Mr. Cohn).
Goodbye, Perfect was the first of Sara Barnard’s books I’ve read, but I’ll definitely be reading her other works! The characters were compelling and well developed, the relationships were realistic and absolutely wonderful to read about, and despite largely being character driven, the little twists in the plot were so much fun and I honestly didn’t want to put this book down.
Sara Barnard’s writing is incredible and so easy to read! Once I finally found time to read, I whizzed through almost 200 pages in a single sitting and by 2am, thought “Okay, I suppose I really *should* get to bed”. Despite not having been a teenager myself for awhile now, the dialogue felt SO authentic and the way Eden spoke to other teenagers, adults and authority figures was so incredibly realistic and I could picture it perfectly!
Going into this, I admit I was a tiny bit worried due to the content matter, however I think it was explored in a really brilliant way and despite Eden keeping Bonnie’s secret and how absolutely loyal she was to her. Yes, I suppose this IS one of those stories where things could be solved with one conversation, however, seeing Eden’s turmoil between wanting to protect Bonnie and wanting to keep her secret was SO REALISTIC. Reading about how fiercely loyal Eden was to Bonnie reminded me so much of my friend group in high school and I understood her thought processes. It took me back to 15 year old me and despite now being an adult, I could still relate to the reasons behind Eden’s actions.
The relationships in Goodbye, Perfect were WONDERFUL. We see snippets of Eden and Bonnie’s friendship throughout the novel and Eden’s relationship with her boyfriend, Connor was such a comfort to see and was one of the healthiest I’ve seen in YA. Eden’s adopted family is a huge joy to read about too! I adored their dynamic and while I didn’t even think it would be touched upon, seeing her and Valerie’s relationship development was one of my favourite parts of the entire book!
Initially, I wasn’t too sure how the topic of a student-teacher relationship would be delved into (especially from an “outsider” perspective), but the way grooming, control and manipulation is explored was fantastic to see and I really loved the contrast between a healthy relationship (Eden and Connor) versus an unhealthy one (Bonnie and Mr. Cohn).
Goodbye, Perfect was the first of Sara Barnard’s books I’ve read, but I’ll definitely be reading her other works! The characters were compelling and well developed, the relationships were realistic and absolutely wonderful to read about, and despite largely being character driven, the little twists in the plot were so much fun and I honestly didn’t want to put this book down.
January 2, 2018
3.5* Sara Barnard's writing is incredibly easy to read and impossible not to fly through. It's full of emotion, fantastic messages and interesting characters. Although I definitely didn't enjoy this as much as 'A Quiet Kind of Thunder' (which was one of my favourite reads of 2017) 'Goodbye, Perfect' didn't lack any of these things. It was so refreshing to read a book with a student/teacher plot that didn't romanticise it in any way. I also loved and appreciated how Sara Barnard tackled the topic from the outside, looking in. Rather than from the view of those in the relationship. It gave a new and much needed perspective to this narrative and therefore didn't give such a problematic relationship (e.g a 15yr old & nearly 30yr old teacher) reasoning and excuses. I did find a few of the main character and their actions frustrating at times but in the context of the plot, although I'm not justifying them, I do somewhat understand their mindset (excluding the teacher because just, nah. There are no excuses.)
I thought the underlying exploration of the pressure and stress exams put on young people and how vulnerable it can make them, even to the point of being dangerous, was also absolutely fantastic and something I'd love to push into the government's faces. 😅
That being said, my favourite part of this whole book was without a doubt the established, unwavering relationship between Eden and Connor. It was so lovely to read and something I so rarely see in YA and Connor is an absolute sweetheart!
Although I didn't enjoy Goodbye, Perfect as much as I'd hoped to, it was nevertheless a thought provoking, enjoyable read and one I'm glad I got the chance to pick up.
I thought the underlying exploration of the pressure and stress exams put on young people and how vulnerable it can make them, even to the point of being dangerous, was also absolutely fantastic and something I'd love to push into the government's faces. 😅
That being said, my favourite part of this whole book was without a doubt the established, unwavering relationship between Eden and Connor. It was so lovely to read and something I so rarely see in YA and Connor is an absolute sweetheart!
Although I didn't enjoy Goodbye, Perfect as much as I'd hoped to, it was nevertheless a thought provoking, enjoyable read and one I'm glad I got the chance to pick up.
July 16, 2018
I really enjoy Sara’s writing and how she tackles some big and important subjects.
Also, I just love her characters so much, she has such a skill for writing real characters
Also, I just love her characters so much, she has such a skill for writing real characters
February 18, 2018
3.5/5
I don't read a lot of contemporary YA but this one was pretty good! It got a bit slow in the middle, but overall not too bad
I don't read a lot of contemporary YA but this one was pretty good! It got a bit slow in the middle, but overall not too bad
November 14, 2017
Several years ago, a 15-year-old girl and her 30-year-old teacher ran away together. I can remember seeing it show up in news stories, but other than to think “that’s gross!”, I didn’t really give it much thought. It wasn’t happening to anyone in my life, nor was it happening anywhere near me, so what could I do? I’m betting Sara Barnard didn’t stop thinking about that story and how it must have felt to be caught up in the realness of it all, as that’s almost exactly what happens in Goodbye, Perfect. But instead of writing in third person, or focusing on teenage runaway Bonnie, Sara gives a voice to Eden, Bonnie’s best friend. This allowed her to explore ideas of friendship, loyalty, family, and how the everyday doesn’t stop when things go awry.
No one writes characters quite like Sara Barnard. And what’s more, I can always find myself in each of her books. I could relate to the depression in Beautiful Broken Things, and the anxiety in A Quiet Kind of Thunder. Funnily enough, while I loved and could imagine the characters in Goodbye, Perfect, it was Valerie who I connected with the most, maybe because I, too, am a big sister who always tries to be perfect and take care of everyone. But that doesn’t detract from Sara’s achievements with her main characters; good books put you in the minds of other people and let you be them for a while, and I felt like I was Eden.
A highlight of Sara’s books for me is the beautiful normality of her characters. They’re ordinary teenagers, dealing with growing up, school, plus everything else that often gets glossed over. For example, Goodbye, Perfect features foster care and adoption, young carers looking after a parents, and – believe it or not!!! – not getting perfect exam scores and still being FINE. (There is way too much pressure on teens these days, honestly.)
A good book allows you to safely question your own beliefs and subconscious biases without lecturing or insulting you. Eden isn’t a high achiever at school like I was, and I had to face myself while reading this. I am ashamed to admit that I judged people on their academic performance, especially when I was younger. I guess it’s because I was always judged on mine. (Remember, I grew up in China and Japan, where academics are super important, plus I was always praised on being “clever,” so internalised this.) But Goodbye, Perfect featured a main character for whom science and maths didn’t click quite like it did for me, and yet she wasn’t worth less than Bonnie, the straight-A student. I loved that Barnard showed a character that didn’t have to get the best grades but could still be amazing in her own ways. I’ve learned something reading this, and I hope other people, especially teens, read this and see that grades aren’t everything as long as you find what matters to you. For Eden, that was her family and working with plants. (I mean, Garden of Eden…)
The world didn’t stop when Bonnie ran away, with exams still to study for and family still to deal with. In so many books, it’s like the real world drops away when something happens, but Sara shows that you have to keep swimming when a storm hits. You’ll get through it, but it’s not a fantasy world where everything gets taken care of along the way, or even in the end. This is it. This is life.
Sara Barnard’s books capture adolescence so well, in all of its confusion and messiness. Not only do I find them wonderful, I think they are an important contribution to the YA world.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
No one writes characters quite like Sara Barnard. And what’s more, I can always find myself in each of her books. I could relate to the depression in Beautiful Broken Things, and the anxiety in A Quiet Kind of Thunder. Funnily enough, while I loved and could imagine the characters in Goodbye, Perfect, it was Valerie who I connected with the most, maybe because I, too, am a big sister who always tries to be perfect and take care of everyone. But that doesn’t detract from Sara’s achievements with her main characters; good books put you in the minds of other people and let you be them for a while, and I felt like I was Eden.
A highlight of Sara’s books for me is the beautiful normality of her characters. They’re ordinary teenagers, dealing with growing up, school, plus everything else that often gets glossed over. For example, Goodbye, Perfect features foster care and adoption, young carers looking after a parents, and – believe it or not!!! – not getting perfect exam scores and still being FINE. (There is way too much pressure on teens these days, honestly.)
A good book allows you to safely question your own beliefs and subconscious biases without lecturing or insulting you. Eden isn’t a high achiever at school like I was, and I had to face myself while reading this. I am ashamed to admit that I judged people on their academic performance, especially when I was younger. I guess it’s because I was always judged on mine. (Remember, I grew up in China and Japan, where academics are super important, plus I was always praised on being “clever,” so internalised this.) But Goodbye, Perfect featured a main character for whom science and maths didn’t click quite like it did for me, and yet she wasn’t worth less than Bonnie, the straight-A student. I loved that Barnard showed a character that didn’t have to get the best grades but could still be amazing in her own ways. I’ve learned something reading this, and I hope other people, especially teens, read this and see that grades aren’t everything as long as you find what matters to you. For Eden, that was her family and working with plants. (I mean, Garden of Eden…)
The world didn’t stop when Bonnie ran away, with exams still to study for and family still to deal with. In so many books, it’s like the real world drops away when something happens, but Sara shows that you have to keep swimming when a storm hits. You’ll get through it, but it’s not a fantasy world where everything gets taken care of along the way, or even in the end. This is it. This is life.
Sara Barnard’s books capture adolescence so well, in all of its confusion and messiness. Not only do I find them wonderful, I think they are an important contribution to the YA world.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
November 19, 2018
what the actual fuck?
whoever fucking said this book sheds light on an important topic, grooming and the power imbalance in a relationship with an age gap between a student and teacher, must have read a different fucking book.
i don’t even know how to put my rage into words here. i wish i never fucking read this steaming pile of garbage.
let’s start with the aforementioned important topic. there is literally one paragraph that gets to the truth about the topic.
“what i mean is, sometimes, when we’re young we can feel like we’re making a choice, when actually we’re not. we don’t have all the facts, or all the perspective. if there’s someone else who knows a bit more than we do, or has authority over us, sometimes they can take advantage of that knowledge, or that power.”
the rest of the book? blames bonnie, shames bonnie, gets mad at bonnie, dismisses bonnie. bonnie is treated, throughout the entire book, by nearly every character, as a good girl who is simply acting out and hurting the people who love her. characters act as if she just made a bad decision. grooming is brought up once or twice, but no one seems to really understand what that means. it is never truly discussed that bonnie is the victim in the situation, that her teacher saw that she was vulnerable and manipulated and groomed her, and then abducted her, while raping her. yes, rape. she is fifteen and he is twenty-nine. not only is there the legality of it, but also the power imbalance, and the fact that he targeted her. none of this is ever really driven home.
given the reviews i read that praised this book for how it tackled this topic, i was expecting to mark so many quotes while reading that delve into grooming, power imbalances, statutory rape, the glamorization of age gaps and student/teacher relationships. but...that one quote was all i got. there is no much needed hard hitting dialogue in this book. at all. if that’s why you want to read this book, like me, take a hard pass.
next up is the fact that eden is the worst fucking character ever. she is so naive and selfish and rude and just such a fucking brat. she literally has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. it was awful being in her head. not only did she know where bonnie was the entire time and lied to everyone about it, but she also had the nerve to blame others for bonnie’s situation and get mad when people were suspicious of her. she cares more about keeping bonnie’s secret because ~besties! and getting in trouble for keeping bonnie’s secret than the fact that her best friend is being taken advantage of by a grown ass man.
eden teases her boyfriend about not being “manly” because he wants to cuddle with her, refers to guys being gross misogynists as “guys being guys,” and calls the stories from other girls the teacher was inappropriate with “bullshit.” eden literally says “she wasn’t abusive or anything, but we were pretty much neglected for most of the time we lived with her” about her biological mother. if you need more proof of just how out of fucking touch with reality this chick is. neglect is abuse. you don’t have to lay a hand on someone to abuse them.
eden guilt trips bonnie in her thoughts by saying that everything she’s lost was taken from her while bonnie is choosing to throw everything away. because being groomed and taken advantage of and manipulated is totally a choice!!!! what a great friend!!!! eden thinks it isn’t fair for bonnie to be “rewarded” with a “great love story” for “messing up everyone’s lives” because hey, nothing says “great love story” better than abuse, amiright? and how nice of her to make bonnie’s abuse into a pesky inconvenience for her. eden talks about resenting bonnie for being “the darling on the front pages” because it isn’t fair that she did something “so stupid” and everyone is still on her side. because being groomed, manipulated, raped, and abducted is a fucked decision she chose to make that should have everyone hating her. what a classy gal this eden is.
eden treats valerie like absolute shit for no fucking reason and then uses her knowing that valerie would jump at the chance to bond with her. eden literally acknowledges that she’s emotionally manipulating valerie and she just does not fucking care. and the kicker? eden has the nerve to get mad at valerie for seeing her deception and taking the necessary precautions without telling her. she actually claims valerie betrayed her. i just fucking can’t.
eden chose not to ask bonnie anything about her secret boyfriend because she assumed she wouldn’t tell her and she didn’t want to give her the satisfaction, but then had the nerve to be mad that bonnie didn’t tell her. eden also chose not to ask connor about his mom’s condition or his role as her caretaker because she assumed he wouldn’t want to talk about it, but then had the nerve to be all “why is he getting defensive about me not knowing anything, it’s not like he ever talks about it so it’s not my fault.”
probably the most ridiculous thing related to eden is the fact that she points out how when people talk about bonnie being “good” they don’t mean she goes to church, they mean she’s white and middle class. like...y’all really expect me to believe a child this naive and out of fucking touch with reality understands the intricacies of racism and classism? please. that and the fact that eden describes herself as a wild spirit. eden is the most boring naive childish character ever. in no way whatsoever is she wild. she’s just a fucking brat.
eden says she’s a gryffindor, which explains so much about my hatred for her.
another thing is that everyone goes on about how healthy a relationship connor and eden have but i just don’t see it. he’s a fucking pushover. whenever he starts to question eden, she gets mad and he apologizes and drops it. he doesn’t even really push her on the fact that it’s so fucking horrible that she’s lying to everyone about not knowing where bonnie is. and there’s a moment when eden touches a nerve and upsets him and she notes that he looks like he wants an apology, but that she isn’t the type to apologize when she doesn’t mean it. so, what a great healthy relationship, she hurts him and doesn’t feel like apologizing is something she should do. despite the fact that connor is constantly apologizing to her if he so much as thinks he might have upset her.
and there’s also the weirdness about family. i mean, what’s with eden always adding “adoptive” before sister/mom/dad? she can just say sister/mom/dad. and she calls her parents by their first names, which isn’t that big of a deal, but given the emphasis on the fact that she was adopted, it kind of feels like there’s a disconnect, like her family isn’t really her family because they aren’t related by blood. she refers to her biological mom as her “real mom” more than once, which makes me think there really is an “adoptive family isn’t real family” disconnect. and that that’s why when she talked about her sister daisy, she didn’t preface it with “adoptive,” because daisy is related to her by blood and to her “sister” means “real blood sister” on its own. and furthering the disconnect is her father calling himself her “father figure.” since when do adoptive parents refer to themselves as parental figures as opposed to just parents? eden mentions later how blood doesn’t always mean family, yet she still refer to her abusive (yes, neglect is abuse) mother as her real mom and the man she never even met as her dad, and the people who actually take care of and love her and chose her by their first names and can’t even call them mom or dad without “adoptive” prefacing it.
my two positive notes are that valerie listens to christine and the queens and calls eden on never letting her in or bothering to get to know her, yet acting like she knows everything about her and judging and looking down on her for the shit she makes up in her head: “you can’t be so distant from me, and act like you don’t have any interest in who i am or what my life is, and instead judge me on whatever it is you’re making up in your own head. maybe you don’t see people as well as you think you do, maybe you should stop thinking your impression is the right one, just because it’s yours.”
there is a little rep; connor and eded are dyslexic, eden’s sister daisy has adhd and dyscalculia, and connor’s mom has rheumatoid arthritis and he is her caretaker. and i think i remember eden saying her biological father is brazilian?
anyways, super disappointed and angered by this book, which surprises me because i absolutely loved one of sara’s other books. but there’s just too many important aspects of this topic missing and too many problematic takes go unchallenged.
whoever fucking said this book sheds light on an important topic, grooming and the power imbalance in a relationship with an age gap between a student and teacher, must have read a different fucking book.
i don’t even know how to put my rage into words here. i wish i never fucking read this steaming pile of garbage.
let’s start with the aforementioned important topic. there is literally one paragraph that gets to the truth about the topic.
“what i mean is, sometimes, when we’re young we can feel like we’re making a choice, when actually we’re not. we don’t have all the facts, or all the perspective. if there’s someone else who knows a bit more than we do, or has authority over us, sometimes they can take advantage of that knowledge, or that power.”
the rest of the book? blames bonnie, shames bonnie, gets mad at bonnie, dismisses bonnie. bonnie is treated, throughout the entire book, by nearly every character, as a good girl who is simply acting out and hurting the people who love her. characters act as if she just made a bad decision. grooming is brought up once or twice, but no one seems to really understand what that means. it is never truly discussed that bonnie is the victim in the situation, that her teacher saw that she was vulnerable and manipulated and groomed her, and then abducted her, while raping her. yes, rape. she is fifteen and he is twenty-nine. not only is there the legality of it, but also the power imbalance, and the fact that he targeted her. none of this is ever really driven home.
given the reviews i read that praised this book for how it tackled this topic, i was expecting to mark so many quotes while reading that delve into grooming, power imbalances, statutory rape, the glamorization of age gaps and student/teacher relationships. but...that one quote was all i got. there is no much needed hard hitting dialogue in this book. at all. if that’s why you want to read this book, like me, take a hard pass.
next up is the fact that eden is the worst fucking character ever. she is so naive and selfish and rude and just such a fucking brat. she literally has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. it was awful being in her head. not only did she know where bonnie was the entire time and lied to everyone about it, but she also had the nerve to blame others for bonnie’s situation and get mad when people were suspicious of her. she cares more about keeping bonnie’s secret because ~besties! and getting in trouble for keeping bonnie’s secret than the fact that her best friend is being taken advantage of by a grown ass man.
eden teases her boyfriend about not being “manly” because he wants to cuddle with her, refers to guys being gross misogynists as “guys being guys,” and calls the stories from other girls the teacher was inappropriate with “bullshit.” eden literally says “she wasn’t abusive or anything, but we were pretty much neglected for most of the time we lived with her” about her biological mother. if you need more proof of just how out of fucking touch with reality this chick is. neglect is abuse. you don’t have to lay a hand on someone to abuse them.
eden guilt trips bonnie in her thoughts by saying that everything she’s lost was taken from her while bonnie is choosing to throw everything away. because being groomed and taken advantage of and manipulated is totally a choice!!!! what a great friend!!!! eden thinks it isn’t fair for bonnie to be “rewarded” with a “great love story” for “messing up everyone’s lives” because hey, nothing says “great love story” better than abuse, amiright? and how nice of her to make bonnie’s abuse into a pesky inconvenience for her. eden talks about resenting bonnie for being “the darling on the front pages” because it isn’t fair that she did something “so stupid” and everyone is still on her side. because being groomed, manipulated, raped, and abducted is a fucked decision she chose to make that should have everyone hating her. what a classy gal this eden is.
eden treats valerie like absolute shit for no fucking reason and then uses her knowing that valerie would jump at the chance to bond with her. eden literally acknowledges that she’s emotionally manipulating valerie and she just does not fucking care. and the kicker? eden has the nerve to get mad at valerie for seeing her deception and taking the necessary precautions without telling her. she actually claims valerie betrayed her. i just fucking can’t.
eden chose not to ask bonnie anything about her secret boyfriend because she assumed she wouldn’t tell her and she didn’t want to give her the satisfaction, but then had the nerve to be mad that bonnie didn’t tell her. eden also chose not to ask connor about his mom’s condition or his role as her caretaker because she assumed he wouldn’t want to talk about it, but then had the nerve to be all “why is he getting defensive about me not knowing anything, it’s not like he ever talks about it so it’s not my fault.”
probably the most ridiculous thing related to eden is the fact that she points out how when people talk about bonnie being “good” they don’t mean she goes to church, they mean she’s white and middle class. like...y’all really expect me to believe a child this naive and out of fucking touch with reality understands the intricacies of racism and classism? please. that and the fact that eden describes herself as a wild spirit. eden is the most boring naive childish character ever. in no way whatsoever is she wild. she’s just a fucking brat.
eden says she’s a gryffindor, which explains so much about my hatred for her.
another thing is that everyone goes on about how healthy a relationship connor and eden have but i just don’t see it. he’s a fucking pushover. whenever he starts to question eden, she gets mad and he apologizes and drops it. he doesn’t even really push her on the fact that it’s so fucking horrible that she’s lying to everyone about not knowing where bonnie is. and there’s a moment when eden touches a nerve and upsets him and she notes that he looks like he wants an apology, but that she isn’t the type to apologize when she doesn’t mean it. so, what a great healthy relationship, she hurts him and doesn’t feel like apologizing is something she should do. despite the fact that connor is constantly apologizing to her if he so much as thinks he might have upset her.
and there’s also the weirdness about family. i mean, what’s with eden always adding “adoptive” before sister/mom/dad? she can just say sister/mom/dad. and she calls her parents by their first names, which isn’t that big of a deal, but given the emphasis on the fact that she was adopted, it kind of feels like there’s a disconnect, like her family isn’t really her family because they aren’t related by blood. she refers to her biological mom as her “real mom” more than once, which makes me think there really is an “adoptive family isn’t real family” disconnect. and that that’s why when she talked about her sister daisy, she didn’t preface it with “adoptive,” because daisy is related to her by blood and to her “sister” means “real blood sister” on its own. and furthering the disconnect is her father calling himself her “father figure.” since when do adoptive parents refer to themselves as parental figures as opposed to just parents? eden mentions later how blood doesn’t always mean family, yet she still refer to her abusive (yes, neglect is abuse) mother as her real mom and the man she never even met as her dad, and the people who actually take care of and love her and chose her by their first names and can’t even call them mom or dad without “adoptive” prefacing it.
my two positive notes are that valerie listens to christine and the queens and calls eden on never letting her in or bothering to get to know her, yet acting like she knows everything about her and judging and looking down on her for the shit she makes up in her head: “you can’t be so distant from me, and act like you don’t have any interest in who i am or what my life is, and instead judge me on whatever it is you’re making up in your own head. maybe you don’t see people as well as you think you do, maybe you should stop thinking your impression is the right one, just because it’s yours.”
there is a little rep; connor and eded are dyslexic, eden’s sister daisy has adhd and dyscalculia, and connor’s mom has rheumatoid arthritis and he is her caretaker. and i think i remember eden saying her biological father is brazilian?
anyways, super disappointed and angered by this book, which surprises me because i absolutely loved one of sara’s other books. but there’s just too many important aspects of this topic missing and too many problematic takes go unchallenged.
June 29, 2018
I was very kindly sent an ARC of this for review from the publishers Pan Macmillan!
Goodbye Perfect follows two young girls Eden and Bonnie, childhood friends who are just about to sit their final GCSE exams before heading off into the next chapter of their lives. Everything looks fine until Bonnie goes missing and everyone is thrown into an utter panic. Eden already knew about Bonnie's boyfriend but when the truth starts to emerge, that her boyfriend is actually their high school's music teacher, Eden is put into a difficult situation. She can either speak up and tell someone where Bonnie is or stay silent in the hope that the shocking news blows over.
Since this story does involve a student-teacher relationship, I did personally find that aspect a little uncomfortable. What saved the story for me were two things: References to places I have visited such as the city of York and town of Whitby. Also, the group Christine and the Queens were mentioned which was a lovely surprise. The novel is told in prose, text messages, letters and newspaper clippings which I found refreshing. The other part that saved the story was that the novel was told from Eden's perspective and not from Bonnie who runs off with the teacher. Although it was a good ending and visual UK settings, I just wasn't able to fully connect with the plotline.
Goodbye Perfect follows two young girls Eden and Bonnie, childhood friends who are just about to sit their final GCSE exams before heading off into the next chapter of their lives. Everything looks fine until Bonnie goes missing and everyone is thrown into an utter panic. Eden already knew about Bonnie's boyfriend but when the truth starts to emerge, that her boyfriend is actually their high school's music teacher, Eden is put into a difficult situation. She can either speak up and tell someone where Bonnie is or stay silent in the hope that the shocking news blows over.
Since this story does involve a student-teacher relationship, I did personally find that aspect a little uncomfortable. What saved the story for me were two things: References to places I have visited such as the city of York and town of Whitby. Also, the group Christine and the Queens were mentioned which was a lovely surprise. The novel is told in prose, text messages, letters and newspaper clippings which I found refreshing. The other part that saved the story was that the novel was told from Eden's perspective and not from Bonnie who runs off with the teacher. Although it was a good ending and visual UK settings, I just wasn't able to fully connect with the plotline.
January 22, 2023
I wish this book was more discussed as “My Dark Vanessa” when it came out. But it’s never too late to pick up a thought provoking realistic read.
I can understand the frustration if you do get frustrated reading this very young realistic young adult standalone .
It is the story about one fifteen year old running away with a secret that eventually gets out, told from the perspective from her “best friend” who in real never got to see who her best friend really was.
I really like the writing and I like it very much when the characters behave their ages as in real. The main narrative is from the perspective of a fifteen year old and I can totally see what she did and said in the entire story. Nothing is right or wrong, perfect or imperfect like how it is in the real world. And these things do happen in real life.
There are so many themes to discuss: the moral policing, young girls being manipulated by adults specifically adults who should be responsible for their well being, adults misbehaving taking advantage of their, adoption and the consequences, sibling relationships, first relationships, how society and authorities work and what we should expect. There’s so much to look into.
This book is quite the thought provoking one for me.
I can understand the frustration if you do get frustrated reading this very young realistic young adult standalone .
It is the story about one fifteen year old running away with a secret that eventually gets out, told from the perspective from her “best friend” who in real never got to see who her best friend really was.
I really like the writing and I like it very much when the characters behave their ages as in real. The main narrative is from the perspective of a fifteen year old and I can totally see what she did and said in the entire story. Nothing is right or wrong, perfect or imperfect like how it is in the real world. And these things do happen in real life.
There are so many themes to discuss: the moral policing, young girls being manipulated by adults specifically adults who should be responsible for their well being, adults misbehaving taking advantage of their, adoption and the consequences, sibling relationships, first relationships, how society and authorities work and what we should expect. There’s so much to look into.
This book is quite the thought provoking one for me.
December 10, 2018
Big thanks to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this wonderful book.
Review can also be found on my blog.
Listen sis, it has been a looooong time since I've read a book that I enjoyed so much that I needed to finish it all in one day. I'm a big fan of contemporary YA and this is one of the better ones of the many that I've read in my life on this watery planet. I've always heard great things about this author, but haven't had a chance to get my grubby little hands on any of her books until now.
This book has a distinctly British feel to it, but in the most natural of ways. Like you could hear the accent coming off the page. I liked that about this a lot. Since I can't actually travel myself, I like books to take me where I'd like to be.
The main character wasn't actually the main focus of this book. Actually, the main drama that drove the plot forward was due to the best friend's actions. The author decided to take a very unique path and instead focused on how that best friend's actions affected the main character. That's not something I think I've seen before. Usually, it's the exact opposite. Side characters are usually only there to react to the main character. I liked how different this was in those terms. It was a refreshing change.
The book also made me think. It's dealing with a heavy topic (teacher/student underage romance), but it looks at it from two opposing perspectives. I liked being able to look closely at the situation from two point of views. Obviously, the issue at hand is bad and wrong. No adult should take advantage of a child in that way. But on the other hand, the child doesn't see it that way. They think they are in love and that the abuser is really their lover. It was interesting seeing how different minds work. Not really sure where I'm going with this here.
It was also cool seeing how your actions can affect the lives of so many people directly and indirectly.
I also liked the main character, despite how selfish she was throughout the majority of the book. She was flawed, but she was so real. Also, she learned an important lesson near the end that I think we all can take note of: Don't let your limited impressions of someone sum up the whole person. People can and will surprise you, in good and bad ways. You shouldn't just write someone off the first time they do you wrong, and you shouldn't expect those you love to never screw up. This hit home with me because I am a judger, not gonna lie.
Another thing that I liked about this book was how realistic the main character's background and family dynamic seemed. It didn't sugar coat anything. It didn't try to make her a martyr. It simply offered a window into a life that most people don't know much about, thanks to how jaded the media makes us when it comes orphans and foster kids.
Having read this book, now all I really want to do is read all of Sara Barnard's other books. It was that good. I'm going to shut up and stop gushing now.
Review can also be found on my blog.
Listen sis, it has been a looooong time since I've read a book that I enjoyed so much that I needed to finish it all in one day. I'm a big fan of contemporary YA and this is one of the better ones of the many that I've read in my life on this watery planet. I've always heard great things about this author, but haven't had a chance to get my grubby little hands on any of her books until now.
This book has a distinctly British feel to it, but in the most natural of ways. Like you could hear the accent coming off the page. I liked that about this a lot. Since I can't actually travel myself, I like books to take me where I'd like to be.
The main character wasn't actually the main focus of this book. Actually, the main drama that drove the plot forward was due to the best friend's actions. The author decided to take a very unique path and instead focused on how that best friend's actions affected the main character. That's not something I think I've seen before. Usually, it's the exact opposite. Side characters are usually only there to react to the main character. I liked how different this was in those terms. It was a refreshing change.
The book also made me think. It's dealing with a heavy topic (teacher/student underage romance), but it looks at it from two opposing perspectives. I liked being able to look closely at the situation from two point of views. Obviously, the issue at hand is bad and wrong. No adult should take advantage of a child in that way. But on the other hand, the child doesn't see it that way. They think they are in love and that the abuser is really their lover. It was interesting seeing how different minds work. Not really sure where I'm going with this here.
It was also cool seeing how your actions can affect the lives of so many people directly and indirectly.
I also liked the main character, despite how selfish she was throughout the majority of the book. She was flawed, but she was so real. Also, she learned an important lesson near the end that I think we all can take note of: Don't let your limited impressions of someone sum up the whole person. People can and will surprise you, in good and bad ways. You shouldn't just write someone off the first time they do you wrong, and you shouldn't expect those you love to never screw up. This hit home with me because I am a judger, not gonna lie.
Another thing that I liked about this book was how realistic the main character's background and family dynamic seemed. It didn't sugar coat anything. It didn't try to make her a martyr. It simply offered a window into a life that most people don't know much about, thanks to how jaded the media makes us when it comes orphans and foster kids.
Having read this book, now all I really want to do is read all of Sara Barnard's other books. It was that good. I'm going to shut up and stop gushing now.
September 22, 2018
3.75
This is my second book I've read by Sara Barnard, and to be honest, my opinion is much the same as for the first book I read by her. I find her books super easy and addictive to read, but also slightly trashy? They are definitely not the best quality things I have ever read, but I fly through them and enjoy them whilst I'm reading them. I do recommend these books, and they do tackle some hard topics, but at the same time they are very light reads? I don't know how to describe it. They aren't "happy" contemporaries as such, but they still come across as a really easy read? But they still make the topic seem deep and real and true. I guess that is a strength within itself, but....argh. I'm terrible at explaining things.
T H O U G H T S
~ I waited way too long to write this review (seriously, think like over a MONTH) and I wonder why I can't remember anything.
~ I think the writing style is really addictive. Kind of simplistic? It is very easy to get through and unputdownable, so if you want something that you can just read and read and read, then I suggest this book! The plot is intriguing, if not that complex, and I found it enjoyable.
~ I think I found the main character slightly irritating? She just seemed to care about a lot of petty details which really annoyed me because she really needed to wake up and look at the big picture! She made some really dumb decisions about not telling people where Bonnie was, and I don't think the book really ever criticised her for that. But I liked that Eden was adopted and the positivity around that, and her relationship that developed between her and her older sister.
~ I felt like the ending wasn't really tied up properly, to be honest. I was left with quite a few questions about the plot that I don't think were satisfactorily answered. I wish it had just been a bit longer and there had been a bit more interaction between the characters.
This is a terrible review, but honestly, I don't have that many opinions. Sure, I can point out a lot of things I don't like about this book, but if you look at it head on, I really enjoyed my experience reading it. Goodbye, Perfect is not the most memorable book in the world, but it gets top marks for enjoyment and addictiveness. I do recommend it, especially if you have enjoyed this author's other books.
This is my second book I've read by Sara Barnard, and to be honest, my opinion is much the same as for the first book I read by her. I find her books super easy and addictive to read, but also slightly trashy? They are definitely not the best quality things I have ever read, but I fly through them and enjoy them whilst I'm reading them. I do recommend these books, and they do tackle some hard topics, but at the same time they are very light reads? I don't know how to describe it. They aren't "happy" contemporaries as such, but they still come across as a really easy read? But they still make the topic seem deep and real and true. I guess that is a strength within itself, but....argh. I'm terrible at explaining things.
T H O U G H T S
~ I waited way too long to write this review (seriously, think like over a MONTH) and I wonder why I can't remember anything.
~ I think the writing style is really addictive. Kind of simplistic? It is very easy to get through and unputdownable, so if you want something that you can just read and read and read, then I suggest this book! The plot is intriguing, if not that complex, and I found it enjoyable.
~ I think I found the main character slightly irritating? She just seemed to care about a lot of petty details which really annoyed me because she really needed to wake up and look at the big picture! She made some really dumb decisions about not telling people where Bonnie was, and I don't think the book really ever criticised her for that. But I liked that Eden was adopted and the positivity around that, and her relationship that developed between her and her older sister.
~ I felt like the ending wasn't really tied up properly, to be honest. I was left with quite a few questions about the plot that I don't think were satisfactorily answered. I wish it had just been a bit longer and there had been a bit more interaction between the characters.
This is a terrible review, but honestly, I don't have that many opinions. Sure, I can point out a lot of things I don't like about this book, but if you look at it head on, I really enjoyed my experience reading it. Goodbye, Perfect is not the most memorable book in the world, but it gets top marks for enjoyment and addictiveness. I do recommend it, especially if you have enjoyed this author's other books.
January 12, 2018
Sixteen year old Eden Rose McKinley had a precarious transition from childhood to adolescence, her narcotics dependent mother unable to provide for her children, placing Eden and Daisy into foster care, adopted by nurturing Carolyn and Bob McKinley. Although Eden has transitioned from difficult child to destructive adolescent and now discourteous young woman, Bonnie Wiston Stanley is an astute young woman. The authorities are demanding answers, where is Bonnie and why did she escape the confines of her life?
Bonnie is involved in an illicit sexual relationship with Jack Cohen, a member of the teaching facility, now absconding and evading authorities. The nonlinear narrative centers on Eden, the friend and confidant Bonnie has embroiled in her precarious circumstances. While the authorities continue to investigate Jack Cohen, Eden and Bonnie covertly communicate through messages, Bonnie insisting their four month relationship is consensual.
A friend coerced by a paedophile is confronting and distressing and Eden was determined to disregard the severity of the authoritative adult and adolescent sexual relationship. Contemplating her interactions with Bonnie during the illicit relationship, Eden concedes that Bonnie appeared despondent and burdened by ambition, unusual for the perceptive and accomplished student. Bonnie claimed she was in a relationship that Eden assumed was fabricated.
Jack Cohen is accountable for the manipulation and coercion of a minor, using his authority to segregate a vulnerable adolescent. Bonnie was abandoned by the faculty, previously informed of the inappropriate relationships with female students and Bonnie's parents, unable to recognise the behavioural changes in their daughter.
Eden continued to deliberate whether to disclose Bonnie's location, seemingly only concerned with her own consequences rather than Bonnie's safety. Her character was insufferable and abrasive. Despite her dishonesty, Eden continues to conceal information from the authorities.
Goodbye, Perfect is an important discussion surrounding boundaries by an adult in a position of authority, coercion and consent. Unfortunately the narrative is monotonous and frustrating, aggravated by indecision, inadequate character realisation and an unsatisfying conclusion.
Bonnie is involved in an illicit sexual relationship with Jack Cohen, a member of the teaching facility, now absconding and evading authorities. The nonlinear narrative centers on Eden, the friend and confidant Bonnie has embroiled in her precarious circumstances. While the authorities continue to investigate Jack Cohen, Eden and Bonnie covertly communicate through messages, Bonnie insisting their four month relationship is consensual.
A friend coerced by a paedophile is confronting and distressing and Eden was determined to disregard the severity of the authoritative adult and adolescent sexual relationship. Contemplating her interactions with Bonnie during the illicit relationship, Eden concedes that Bonnie appeared despondent and burdened by ambition, unusual for the perceptive and accomplished student. Bonnie claimed she was in a relationship that Eden assumed was fabricated.
Jack Cohen is accountable for the manipulation and coercion of a minor, using his authority to segregate a vulnerable adolescent. Bonnie was abandoned by the faculty, previously informed of the inappropriate relationships with female students and Bonnie's parents, unable to recognise the behavioural changes in their daughter.
Eden continued to deliberate whether to disclose Bonnie's location, seemingly only concerned with her own consequences rather than Bonnie's safety. Her character was insufferable and abrasive. Despite her dishonesty, Eden continues to conceal information from the authorities.
Goodbye, Perfect is an important discussion surrounding boundaries by an adult in a position of authority, coercion and consent. Unfortunately the narrative is monotonous and frustrating, aggravated by indecision, inadequate character realisation and an unsatisfying conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2017
This is a really impressive new book from Sara - it's extremely enjoyable, well-told, shocking without being mawkish and a very thought-provoking look at the pressures on teens today. I adored it and raced through it in a few days. 13+
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
December 11, 2017
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS REVIEW FEATURE ON MY BLOG
thank you macmillan for an ARC.
Trigger Warnings: abuse, neglect, parental abuse (off page but implied), dead parents
R E V I E W
This is the first time I was sent a book for a blog tour! Not my first review for a blog tour, but I am so excited to be writing it up. Thank you again to the publishers for including me.
Goodbye, Perfect is kind of a hard book to review. I couldn’t put it down but boy, did I hate this content. I think what appealed to me so much in the book were the side characters. Particularly the main character’s boyfriend, Connor. Other than that, the story really fell flat on me in many ways. It really was a complex story in many ways, however at the end, we never really get a look at who Eden (the main character) really is.
I also wasn’t a fan of the ‘Eden is a bad girl and her best friend is a good girl’ stereotypes that this book had to go. It made me uncomfortable because no one fits those stereotypes in perfect little boxes – which is slightly challenged in the text but barely. This book really was a compilation of stereotypes mixed with some heartwarming moments.
Connor was a character I related to, quite a lot. He was his mother’s carer, something I am for my own mother. He had been a carer for his mum a lot longer than I have, but it was so interesting to finally to see that dynamic in a book. Especially since he does love his mum, doesn’t see her as a burden as parents who are unwell are so commonly presented in YA fiction. I truly loved that element of the book and almost cried when it came up.
My largest problem was the main character, Eden. Since the book is told completely from her perspective it was a tad frustrating. She’s not a character who I would view as independent, despite her experiences in life. She is quite dependent on the people in her life. She is forever shifting to fit a personality of whoever she is friends with. Eden is also way too loyal to a best friend who does not deserve it. At all.
I want to make this clear now if your best friend has run off with her secret boyfriend who you learn is your music teacher you tell the police where she is and that she has been contacting you. You do you not believe her bullshit about how she’d do anything for love. About how this is right and you can’t tell. No. Her life is possibly in danger and you tell the police everything you know. You do not make their search any harder.
Really, Eden was pretty stupid. It was infuriating. Watching her tell no one what she knew about Bonnie (her best friend) and ultimately putting her life at risk? I have no way to justify that. At all. I couldn’t even get into the mentality of ‘she’s just young’. I wouldn’t have done what she did at 16, no matter her age.
Eden’s backstory was interesting though. Seeing her describe addiction as a sickness rather than a disgusting habit was also an interesting take. I understand many people see addiction in that way but I have seen too much addiction in my life to have a similar outlook, unfortunately.
I hated the ending of Goodbye, Perfect though. It felt rushed and unfinished. Particularly the last chapter. I wasn’t sure what the point of it was but it really did make me feel as if the whole story was wasted because of that chapter.
From all my critiques it probably sounds as if I didn’t enjoy Goodbye, Perfect. I did enjoy this book, but I think at the end of the day maybe I’m not the target audience for this particular story. I did enjoy this much more than I did the author’s other work, A Quiet Kind of Thunder. So, that’s something there.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quick read for whenever summer is in your hemisphere, this is a great poolside read that will keep you engaged, if not a bit frustrated, while reading.
Also, if you're looking to buy any books over at Book Depository, feel free to use my affiliate link! I gain a small 5% commission at no extra cost to you.
thank you macmillan for an ARC.
Trigger Warnings: abuse, neglect, parental abuse (off page but implied), dead parents
R E V I E W
This is the first time I was sent a book for a blog tour! Not my first review for a blog tour, but I am so excited to be writing it up. Thank you again to the publishers for including me.
Goodbye, Perfect is kind of a hard book to review. I couldn’t put it down but boy, did I hate this content. I think what appealed to me so much in the book were the side characters. Particularly the main character’s boyfriend, Connor. Other than that, the story really fell flat on me in many ways. It really was a complex story in many ways, however at the end, we never really get a look at who Eden (the main character) really is.
I also wasn’t a fan of the ‘Eden is a bad girl and her best friend is a good girl’ stereotypes that this book had to go. It made me uncomfortable because no one fits those stereotypes in perfect little boxes – which is slightly challenged in the text but barely. This book really was a compilation of stereotypes mixed with some heartwarming moments.
Connor was a character I related to, quite a lot. He was his mother’s carer, something I am for my own mother. He had been a carer for his mum a lot longer than I have, but it was so interesting to finally to see that dynamic in a book. Especially since he does love his mum, doesn’t see her as a burden as parents who are unwell are so commonly presented in YA fiction. I truly loved that element of the book and almost cried when it came up.
My largest problem was the main character, Eden. Since the book is told completely from her perspective it was a tad frustrating. She’s not a character who I would view as independent, despite her experiences in life. She is quite dependent on the people in her life. She is forever shifting to fit a personality of whoever she is friends with. Eden is also way too loyal to a best friend who does not deserve it. At all.
I want to make this clear now if your best friend has run off with her secret boyfriend who you learn is your music teacher you tell the police where she is and that she has been contacting you. You do you not believe her bullshit about how she’d do anything for love. About how this is right and you can’t tell. No. Her life is possibly in danger and you tell the police everything you know. You do not make their search any harder.
Really, Eden was pretty stupid. It was infuriating. Watching her tell no one what she knew about Bonnie (her best friend) and ultimately putting her life at risk? I have no way to justify that. At all. I couldn’t even get into the mentality of ‘she’s just young’. I wouldn’t have done what she did at 16, no matter her age.
Eden’s backstory was interesting though. Seeing her describe addiction as a sickness rather than a disgusting habit was also an interesting take. I understand many people see addiction in that way but I have seen too much addiction in my life to have a similar outlook, unfortunately.
I hated the ending of Goodbye, Perfect though. It felt rushed and unfinished. Particularly the last chapter. I wasn’t sure what the point of it was but it really did make me feel as if the whole story was wasted because of that chapter.
From all my critiques it probably sounds as if I didn’t enjoy Goodbye, Perfect. I did enjoy this book, but I think at the end of the day maybe I’m not the target audience for this particular story. I did enjoy this much more than I did the author’s other work, A Quiet Kind of Thunder. So, that’s something there.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quick read for whenever summer is in your hemisphere, this is a great poolside read that will keep you engaged, if not a bit frustrated, while reading.
Also, if you're looking to buy any books over at Book Depository, feel free to use my affiliate link! I gain a small 5% commission at no extra cost to you.
January 30, 2020
I'm tempted to just copy & paste the lyrics to "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police and be done, but a) that's a bit insensitive, considering the topic of the book, and b) while I'm lazy, I do have plenty of thoughts to share.
Wow. Just wow. A Quiet Kind of Thunder was not a bad book, but it did fall short of my expectations. This one sounded kind of interesting, so I decided to give it a go.
I'm glad I did. It's rare that for me with my busy schedule to finish a book so quickly, especially one as thick as this bad boy, and it was one that didn't immediately suck me in with a lush setting (it's just the UK) or a fast-paced fantasy-type intro. It's one of those books that have a loose plot, a plot that lies with the protagonist's (Eden) conflict in feelings. This book follows Eden on her journey through trying to understand why Bonnie would run away and what she, Bonnie's best friend, should do about it. Eden may not be the most lovable character out there--she's not exactly a good person--but I could feel her and her pain and I loved. Sometimes I downright hated Eden but I still stayed invested in her story.
I love how this book tackled so much at the same time. There was more than just Bonnie running away. There was Eden's relationship with her adoptive sister, Valerie. There was Eden's relationship with her adopted parents, and her relationship with her biological mother. So many things all going into one week-long book. A week-long book that felt like much longer, and it only took me three days to read.
The ending--let's get that out of the way--is not a happy one, but what could I have expected? It's not exactly sad, either, but it leaves you feeling hollow. This book is definitely something that I'll be thinking about for a while.
Wow. Just wow. A Quiet Kind of Thunder was not a bad book, but it did fall short of my expectations. This one sounded kind of interesting, so I decided to give it a go.
I'm glad I did. It's rare that for me with my busy schedule to finish a book so quickly, especially one as thick as this bad boy, and it was one that didn't immediately suck me in with a lush setting (it's just the UK) or a fast-paced fantasy-type intro. It's one of those books that have a loose plot, a plot that lies with the protagonist's (Eden) conflict in feelings. This book follows Eden on her journey through trying to understand why Bonnie would run away and what she, Bonnie's best friend, should do about it. Eden may not be the most lovable character out there--she's not exactly a good person--but I could feel her and her pain and I loved. Sometimes I downright hated Eden but I still stayed invested in her story.
I love how this book tackled so much at the same time. There was more than just Bonnie running away. There was Eden's relationship with her adoptive sister, Valerie. There was Eden's relationship with her adopted parents, and her relationship with her biological mother. So many things all going into one week-long book. A week-long book that felt like much longer, and it only took me three days to read.
The ending--let's get that out of the way--is not a happy one, but what could I have expected? It's not exactly sad, either, but it leaves you feeling hollow. This book is definitely something that I'll be thinking about for a while.
August 16, 2020
3 stars
TW: pedophilia (talked about—not shown in graphic detail), kidnapping
I loved this book; it manages to deal with a tough subject in a way that feels light but does not take away from the seriousness of it. I love our main character, Eden. Her voice was so unique and just different from a lot of YA protagonists in contemporary. The friendship between Eden and Bonnie was incredibly developed, and was, in many ways, the heart of the book. But the other relationships and side characters were developed too—I especially liked seeing Eden’s relationship with her older sister, Valerie, evolve and change. I thought the discussion of pedophilia was well-rounded, showing how Eden did not understand the problem fully and allowing her this but having others explain it. There were a couple of things about the ending and the way Bonnie is talked about that rubbed me the wrong way, and the jury’s out on the portrayal of adoption, but overall I really enjoyed this!
TW: pedophilia (talked about—not shown in graphic detail), kidnapping
I loved this book; it manages to deal with a tough subject in a way that feels light but does not take away from the seriousness of it. I love our main character, Eden. Her voice was so unique and just different from a lot of YA protagonists in contemporary. The friendship between Eden and Bonnie was incredibly developed, and was, in many ways, the heart of the book. But the other relationships and side characters were developed too—I especially liked seeing Eden’s relationship with her older sister, Valerie, evolve and change. I thought the discussion of pedophilia was well-rounded, showing how Eden did not understand the problem fully and allowing her this but having others explain it. There were a couple of things about the ending and the way Bonnie is talked about that rubbed me the wrong way, and the jury’s out on the portrayal of adoption, but overall I really enjoyed this!
December 17, 2017
Sara Barnard is one of my auto-read authors. I don't need to know what her next book will be about, I just know that I'll be reading it – I've really enjoyed
Beautiful Broken Things
and
A Quiet Kind of Thunder
so far.
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!
November 2, 2017
Huh. I was really expecting to fall in love with this book. Not so much. Honestly, the majority of it was even a 2.5 star read for me, but the last 10% or so (with the trip to Scotland, conflict with Valerie, revelations etc.) was actually pretty powerful stuff so that saved the entire story a little. Overall, though, this book just didn't have the character or depth or emotional impact (again, apart from the last little bit) for me that Sara Barnard's other books had. I felt like so much of it read as repetitive - I found myself getting distracted or even a little bored whilst reading. Really disappointed with this one.
September 16, 2017
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
It is possible my rating is a bit harsh but I want to be really specific with the books I give four and above stars. For a while there, about half way through the book I did think it was going to be a 5 star read for me but by the ending, and after I thought about it a little, it just wasn't that spectacular for me. But I may bump up my rating to 4 stars, I'll have to think about that.
I really liked this. I thought it was well written as usual because Sara Barnard's writing never disappoints and the message was very moving. I liked how different it was from her other stories but at the same time, it had a positive female friendship and a cute romance.
In saying that, I didn't like the main character that much, although I ADORED the side characters, especially the MC's family and her boyfriend. I think the plot was also well done, because it was hard to know what would happen.
I feel like compared to her other books, this wasn't as good sadly. But I don't think this was a failure on Barnard's part, it was more that the story didn't resonate with ME personally.
For more, check out my review: https://sprinkledpages.blogspot.com.a...
It is possible my rating is a bit harsh but I want to be really specific with the books I give four and above stars. For a while there, about half way through the book I did think it was going to be a 5 star read for me but by the ending, and after I thought about it a little, it just wasn't that spectacular for me. But I may bump up my rating to 4 stars, I'll have to think about that.
I really liked this. I thought it was well written as usual because Sara Barnard's writing never disappoints and the message was very moving. I liked how different it was from her other stories but at the same time, it had a positive female friendship and a cute romance.
In saying that, I didn't like the main character that much, although I ADORED the side characters, especially the MC's family and her boyfriend. I think the plot was also well done, because it was hard to know what would happen.
I feel like compared to her other books, this wasn't as good sadly. But I don't think this was a failure on Barnard's part, it was more that the story didn't resonate with ME personally.
For more, check out my review: https://sprinkledpages.blogspot.com.a...
May 2, 2018
When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued. I also haven’t read a lot of UK YA contemporary books, so I really wanted to see what it was like. After reading Goodbye, Perfect, I can say that it was worth it and that I will certainly read more books like this one.
The book starts when the main character, Eden, is talking with the police about her best friend’s disappearance. She is shocked when they tell her with whom her best friend left and when her best friend starts sending her messages, she is torn between being loyal to her best friend and telling the police.
The book discuses about topics such as friendship, family and loyalty. There aren’t many contemporary books that talk about foster families, healthy relationships and high school stress in a realistic and relatable way. I was really impressed that the author handled many issues that most books don’t even talk about.
The main character, Eden, is flawed. She is doing and saying selfish things but throughout the book we see her mature and being constantly a better person. Her boyfriend, Connor, is a sweetheart. He cares about Eden and he is constantly helping Eden do the right thing.
I liked Goodbye, Perfect a lot and I will make sure that I will read similar books in the future.
The book starts when the main character, Eden, is talking with the police about her best friend’s disappearance. She is shocked when they tell her with whom her best friend left and when her best friend starts sending her messages, she is torn between being loyal to her best friend and telling the police.
The book discuses about topics such as friendship, family and loyalty. There aren’t many contemporary books that talk about foster families, healthy relationships and high school stress in a realistic and relatable way. I was really impressed that the author handled many issues that most books don’t even talk about.
The main character, Eden, is flawed. She is doing and saying selfish things but throughout the book we see her mature and being constantly a better person. Her boyfriend, Connor, is a sweetheart. He cares about Eden and he is constantly helping Eden do the right thing.
I liked Goodbye, Perfect a lot and I will make sure that I will read similar books in the future.
March 19, 2019
This book frustrated me. I kept reading, hoping it would get better, but it didn’t. It dragged on with seemingly nothing happening but the same thing over and over. Then the ending was so rushed that I felt a lot of things were unresolved.
Part of the problem was that I had trouble figuring out who the main character, Eden, was as a person. I don’t think she knew either. She seemed to be different people all the time. We’re told she’s the more wild and reckless one in her friendship with Bonnie, but I didn’t really see that until she ran off to Scotland with not even half a plan.
I could understand Eden’s resentment of her sister Valerie seemingly being perfect and always doing well in school, but I have no idea why she was distant and hateful towards her. Eden’s only justification seemed to be that they had nothing in common. Except the fact they both love their younger sister, and their parents... Eden makes it a point to talk about how she doesn’t feel like her adoptive parents are lesser than her birth mom... but then she acts like it whenever they do parental things? I get not always wanting to share or talk about your feelings with your parents as a teenager, but you’d think her mom offered her poison instead of tea.
Bonnie... I understand why Eden came to be angry at Bonnie. Bonnie was asking a lot of her, and was completely naive about what was going to happen, how her family reacted to her disappearance...but I’m not sure that’s Bonnie’s fault. The book mentions grooming, but I don’t get the sense that Eden totally understood it. And readers might not either, just from this context. I do feel like if an author is going to write a book that’s seemingly a more realistic portrayal of a student-teacher relationship like this, they really ought to make sure readers get the message about what grooming is and why it’s... awful and creepy to say the least. With all the news articles included (which was a device I actually really liked) it would have been easy to show Eden reading one on grooming, or seeing the term, being confused by it, and looking it up.
Bonnie though she was in love with her music teacher. Because Eden wasn’t privy to this relationship as it developed, and we only see Bonnie and Creepy Mr. Cohen together briefly, you pretty much have to read between the lines a lot. I imagine it went something like this: Bonnie was feeling a lot of pressure, much of it self imposed, to do well on her final year exams. She was also wondering if she’d put too much effort into studying and missed out on other things. Her teacher saw this and took shameless advantage of it. He was maybe sympathetic, manipulating her until she believed they were in love and that this disgusting creep was the answer to her problems. I don’t know.
Eden promises not to tell anyone where Bonnie and Mr. Creepy are, and she keeps that promise way past the point I expected her to. I understand loyalty to a friend, I understand believing a friend when they say they love someone, but... a teacher? At a certain point I expected either pressure from the police, her mom, or Bonnie’s, to be enough to make Eden crack. She was worried about Bonnie, had doubts about her relationship with Mr. Creepy, and wanted her to come home, but she never told anyone until nearly the end of the book. And then, despite a ton of examples of Bonnie’s naivety, Eden thought that she could talk Bonnie into coming home. Of course, she also thought Bonnie would come back for her biology exam, so...
Even though she was lying, it bugged me that no one believed Eden when she said she wasn’t. I understand the police being suspicious, but I was really irritated that her mother didn’t believe her. A parent should either know their kid is lying in a situation like this and dig deeper, or trust their kid enough to believe them. Her mom’s middle of the road attitude was irritating. My mom always knew when I was lying as a teenager, and she could probably still tell.
Bonnie’s mom, I really just wanted to slap. I understand expecting your daughter’s best friend to know something, but Eden was obviously shocked to learn Bonnie’s mysterious boyfriend was a teacher, and I don’t think at that point she did know where they were. I could be wrong though. Either way... you want to blame somebody for your daughter being missing, Bonnie’s mom? How about the teacher? She never seemed angry at him at all. It was weird. And when she comes back to Eden’s house, calling her a bad influence, basically saying she’s trash because her birth mother was an addict, and possibly because Eden is of mixed race? Jesus, lady. Again, this is not the target for your rage you’re looking for.
Though to be honest, Eden’s mom pissed me off almost as much. Yeah, the biggest problem here is that Eden swore at and was rude to an adult who’s “going through a lot.” I realize this scene is probably meant to make us sympathize more with Eden, but it seemed out of character for the way her mom had been portrayed up to that point. What I expected was “Eden,language. [Bonnie’s Mom], get the hell out of my house.” Instead it was “you have to understand her pain” or whatever. WTF, Carolyn?
After that nothing really happens for a few days. Eden bombs some exams, including the previously mentioned biology one that she somehow really thought Bonnie would show up for. Except later we learn that she didn’t fail anything, which seems a little far fetched.
Somewhere in there she manipulates Valerie to drive her to York, convinces her to let her boyfriend Connor tag along (and her parents are okay with this? Riiiight.) has sex with Connor, then twists Valerie’s arm into taking them to Scotland to try and talk Bonnie into coming home. I wasn’t sure why someone as smart as Valerie was falling for this, but it’s revealed (really quickly, in a kind of halfassed explanation) that Valerie is working with the police, who somehow knew Eden knew all along where Bonnie and Mr. Creepy were.
Hey, you know how they could have accomplished the same thing without involving minors in an investigation without their parents’ knowledge? They could have gotten a warrant for Eden’s phone. But I digress.
Finally Eden and the others get to where Bonnie and Mr. Cohen are hiding out. Bonnie is really irritating to me here. She doesn’t see how Cohen is controlling and manipulative, even though she says outright that if she’d known Eden was coming, she’d have had to tell Cohen, who wouldn’t have liked it (he definitely isn’t happy) and basically that they’d have had to leave. It’s clear that Cohen is making all the decisions. I sympathize with Bonnie, because this guy has her snowed, but I kept wanting Eden to try slapping some sense into her.
Eden and the others go to leave, the cops are waiting. Cohen is arrested and never seen again in the book. Everybody else flies home from Scotland, and the ending rushes towards us. Except there are unanswered questions. We see Bonnie sort of wave at Eden when they’re picking up their exam results (because somehow she just went back to school to take the rest of the exams. How this went for Bonnie, or Eden, isn’t shown.) and that’s the last interaction they have. Is Bonnie pissed at Eden? Is she (hopefully) in counseling? Nobody knows.
The last we see of Eden, she’s working in a cafe off of a garden store (I don’t even know) and planning to get a nose ring like her coworker. You do you, Eden.
Part of the problem was that I had trouble figuring out who the main character, Eden, was as a person. I don’t think she knew either. She seemed to be different people all the time. We’re told she’s the more wild and reckless one in her friendship with Bonnie, but I didn’t really see that until she ran off to Scotland with not even half a plan.
I could understand Eden’s resentment of her sister Valerie seemingly being perfect and always doing well in school, but I have no idea why she was distant and hateful towards her. Eden’s only justification seemed to be that they had nothing in common. Except the fact they both love their younger sister, and their parents... Eden makes it a point to talk about how she doesn’t feel like her adoptive parents are lesser than her birth mom... but then she acts like it whenever they do parental things? I get not always wanting to share or talk about your feelings with your parents as a teenager, but you’d think her mom offered her poison instead of tea.
Bonnie... I understand why Eden came to be angry at Bonnie. Bonnie was asking a lot of her, and was completely naive about what was going to happen, how her family reacted to her disappearance...but I’m not sure that’s Bonnie’s fault. The book mentions grooming, but I don’t get the sense that Eden totally understood it. And readers might not either, just from this context. I do feel like if an author is going to write a book that’s seemingly a more realistic portrayal of a student-teacher relationship like this, they really ought to make sure readers get the message about what grooming is and why it’s... awful and creepy to say the least. With all the news articles included (which was a device I actually really liked) it would have been easy to show Eden reading one on grooming, or seeing the term, being confused by it, and looking it up.
Bonnie though she was in love with her music teacher. Because Eden wasn’t privy to this relationship as it developed, and we only see Bonnie and Creepy Mr. Cohen together briefly, you pretty much have to read between the lines a lot. I imagine it went something like this: Bonnie was feeling a lot of pressure, much of it self imposed, to do well on her final year exams. She was also wondering if she’d put too much effort into studying and missed out on other things. Her teacher saw this and took shameless advantage of it. He was maybe sympathetic, manipulating her until she believed they were in love and that this disgusting creep was the answer to her problems. I don’t know.
Eden promises not to tell anyone where Bonnie and Mr. Creepy are, and she keeps that promise way past the point I expected her to. I understand loyalty to a friend, I understand believing a friend when they say they love someone, but... a teacher? At a certain point I expected either pressure from the police, her mom, or Bonnie’s, to be enough to make Eden crack. She was worried about Bonnie, had doubts about her relationship with Mr. Creepy, and wanted her to come home, but she never told anyone until nearly the end of the book. And then, despite a ton of examples of Bonnie’s naivety, Eden thought that she could talk Bonnie into coming home. Of course, she also thought Bonnie would come back for her biology exam, so...
Even though she was lying, it bugged me that no one believed Eden when she said she wasn’t. I understand the police being suspicious, but I was really irritated that her mother didn’t believe her. A parent should either know their kid is lying in a situation like this and dig deeper, or trust their kid enough to believe them. Her mom’s middle of the road attitude was irritating. My mom always knew when I was lying as a teenager, and she could probably still tell.
Bonnie’s mom, I really just wanted to slap. I understand expecting your daughter’s best friend to know something, but Eden was obviously shocked to learn Bonnie’s mysterious boyfriend was a teacher, and I don’t think at that point she did know where they were. I could be wrong though. Either way... you want to blame somebody for your daughter being missing, Bonnie’s mom? How about the teacher? She never seemed angry at him at all. It was weird. And when she comes back to Eden’s house, calling her a bad influence, basically saying she’s trash because her birth mother was an addict, and possibly because Eden is of mixed race? Jesus, lady. Again, this is not the target for your rage you’re looking for.
Though to be honest, Eden’s mom pissed me off almost as much. Yeah, the biggest problem here is that Eden swore at and was rude to an adult who’s “going through a lot.” I realize this scene is probably meant to make us sympathize more with Eden, but it seemed out of character for the way her mom had been portrayed up to that point. What I expected was “Eden,language. [Bonnie’s Mom], get the hell out of my house.” Instead it was “you have to understand her pain” or whatever. WTF, Carolyn?
After that nothing really happens for a few days. Eden bombs some exams, including the previously mentioned biology one that she somehow really thought Bonnie would show up for. Except later we learn that she didn’t fail anything, which seems a little far fetched.
Somewhere in there she manipulates Valerie to drive her to York, convinces her to let her boyfriend Connor tag along (and her parents are okay with this? Riiiight.) has sex with Connor, then twists Valerie’s arm into taking them to Scotland to try and talk Bonnie into coming home. I wasn’t sure why someone as smart as Valerie was falling for this, but it’s revealed (really quickly, in a kind of halfassed explanation) that Valerie is working with the police, who somehow knew Eden knew all along where Bonnie and Mr. Creepy were.
Hey, you know how they could have accomplished the same thing without involving minors in an investigation without their parents’ knowledge? They could have gotten a warrant for Eden’s phone. But I digress.
Finally Eden and the others get to where Bonnie and Mr. Cohen are hiding out. Bonnie is really irritating to me here. She doesn’t see how Cohen is controlling and manipulative, even though she says outright that if she’d known Eden was coming, she’d have had to tell Cohen, who wouldn’t have liked it (he definitely isn’t happy) and basically that they’d have had to leave. It’s clear that Cohen is making all the decisions. I sympathize with Bonnie, because this guy has her snowed, but I kept wanting Eden to try slapping some sense into her.
Eden and the others go to leave, the cops are waiting. Cohen is arrested and never seen again in the book. Everybody else flies home from Scotland, and the ending rushes towards us. Except there are unanswered questions. We see Bonnie sort of wave at Eden when they’re picking up their exam results (because somehow she just went back to school to take the rest of the exams. How this went for Bonnie, or Eden, isn’t shown.) and that’s the last interaction they have. Is Bonnie pissed at Eden? Is she (hopefully) in counseling? Nobody knows.
The last we see of Eden, she’s working in a cafe off of a garden store (I don’t even know) and planning to get a nose ring like her coworker. You do you, Eden.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2018
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
I received this book for free from Pan MacMillan in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Goodbye, Perfect is the story of what happens to those left behind when an A grade ‘good’ schoolgirl runs off with her music teacher.
I completely adore Sara Barnard’s writing. I asked to be a part of the blog tour because I adored Beautiful Broken Things so much I sobbed into my pillow when I finished it. My copy of Goodbye, Perfect was sitting next to my computer as I was waiting for something to load, and I picked it up just to have a quick flick through, read the first page, and was instantly hooked. I devoured it over the next 24 hours. I haven’t been reading much lately, and I had honestly forgotten the joy that a damn good book can give.
It’s not just that Barnard has a wonderful grasp on how teenagers talk - to each other, to adults, to themselves - but her characters are so three dimensional and I recognise so much of my own life in them. I think that’s why they touch me so much. I could totally identify people from my teen years in the book, and I think Eden’s relationship with her boyfriend Connor was not exactly sweet, but certainly comforting and incredibly real, although Connor does seem particularly mature in response to his on personal circumstances, in comparison to teen boys I knew.
I really liked that the question in the book wasn’t really about Bonnie, the ‘good girl’, and whether or not she really was in love with a man almost twice her age, and whether or not he really was in love with her. The real point of the book was the impact Bonnie’s departure made on those left behind and the position it left Eden in. Eden had a very undeserved bad reputation courtesy of being adopted when she was nine years old, and Bonnie had a good one. Eden was the brash, nonacademic, reckless one and Bonnie was the polite, straight A, measured one. Their friendship cemented on the fact that Bonnie grounded Eden and Eden helped Bonnie loosen up. Bonnie's actions shook her world and Eden was there to witness it.
What really helped me fall even more deeply in love with this book is the layout. There’s not exactly chapters, but it’s divided into the days Bonnie is missing. At the end of these, Eden recaps conversations that took on another meaning after Bonnie left. Text messages and Whatsapp messages are formatted differently. Everything looked so great and I thought it was a really smart and charming way to lay out the contents of the book.
I can’t pinpoint a favourite part of the book because there were just too many, but I’ll mention some things I really loved: Eden’s exploration into what family means when you’re adopted; her relationship with Valerie, her adoptive big sister; the way she looked after both her own and Bonnie’s little sisters; the relationship with Connor; Eden’s mouthiness and how everyone was kind of exasperated with her swearing but she kept doing it; stereotypes of teen girls and reputations and broken homes and perfect lives. In fact, it was Eden who so rightfully pointed out that if Eden’s such a bad girl and if Bonnie’s so good, why was Bonnie the one that ran away, right before final exams?
When I read Beautiful Broken Girls I wondered if it was just going to be it for me, if Barnard was capable of writing another book so perfect and that touches me unlike any other I’ve read before. I did skip over A Quiet Kind of Thunder because I thought it was more about a hetero romance than strong (British) teenage female friendship, which I think Barnard tackles and showcases unlike anyone else. But since Barnard has now managed to hit the ball out of the park twice for me, I am going to read A Quiet Kind of Thunder, and I hope I adore it as much as I have fallen deeply in love with both Beautiful Broken Things and Goodbye, Perfect.
I received this book for free from Pan MacMillan in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Goodbye, Perfect is the story of what happens to those left behind when an A grade ‘good’ schoolgirl runs off with her music teacher.
I completely adore Sara Barnard’s writing. I asked to be a part of the blog tour because I adored Beautiful Broken Things so much I sobbed into my pillow when I finished it. My copy of Goodbye, Perfect was sitting next to my computer as I was waiting for something to load, and I picked it up just to have a quick flick through, read the first page, and was instantly hooked. I devoured it over the next 24 hours. I haven’t been reading much lately, and I had honestly forgotten the joy that a damn good book can give.
It’s not just that Barnard has a wonderful grasp on how teenagers talk - to each other, to adults, to themselves - but her characters are so three dimensional and I recognise so much of my own life in them. I think that’s why they touch me so much. I could totally identify people from my teen years in the book, and I think Eden’s relationship with her boyfriend Connor was not exactly sweet, but certainly comforting and incredibly real, although Connor does seem particularly mature in response to his on personal circumstances, in comparison to teen boys I knew.
I really liked that the question in the book wasn’t really about Bonnie, the ‘good girl’, and whether or not she really was in love with a man almost twice her age, and whether or not he really was in love with her. The real point of the book was the impact Bonnie’s departure made on those left behind and the position it left Eden in. Eden had a very undeserved bad reputation courtesy of being adopted when she was nine years old, and Bonnie had a good one. Eden was the brash, nonacademic, reckless one and Bonnie was the polite, straight A, measured one. Their friendship cemented on the fact that Bonnie grounded Eden and Eden helped Bonnie loosen up. Bonnie's actions shook her world and Eden was there to witness it.
What really helped me fall even more deeply in love with this book is the layout. There’s not exactly chapters, but it’s divided into the days Bonnie is missing. At the end of these, Eden recaps conversations that took on another meaning after Bonnie left. Text messages and Whatsapp messages are formatted differently. Everything looked so great and I thought it was a really smart and charming way to lay out the contents of the book.
I can’t pinpoint a favourite part of the book because there were just too many, but I’ll mention some things I really loved: Eden’s exploration into what family means when you’re adopted; her relationship with Valerie, her adoptive big sister; the way she looked after both her own and Bonnie’s little sisters; the relationship with Connor; Eden’s mouthiness and how everyone was kind of exasperated with her swearing but she kept doing it; stereotypes of teen girls and reputations and broken homes and perfect lives. In fact, it was Eden who so rightfully pointed out that if Eden’s such a bad girl and if Bonnie’s so good, why was Bonnie the one that ran away, right before final exams?
When I read Beautiful Broken Girls I wondered if it was just going to be it for me, if Barnard was capable of writing another book so perfect and that touches me unlike any other I’ve read before. I did skip over A Quiet Kind of Thunder because I thought it was more about a hetero romance than strong (British) teenage female friendship, which I think Barnard tackles and showcases unlike anyone else. But since Barnard has now managed to hit the ball out of the park twice for me, I am going to read A Quiet Kind of Thunder, and I hope I adore it as much as I have fallen deeply in love with both Beautiful Broken Things and Goodbye, Perfect.
December 26, 2023
4 Stars
I have yet to read a Sara Barnard book that I don't enjoy. Her YA storylines are different from other YA books but not less enjoyable. Her books are original, slightly on the heavier side, but also quite fun. Especially the thought-provoking topics are what makes her books so special.
Just as most Sara Barnard books, the subject matter of Goodbye, Perfect was not something I expected. I never read a book that approached this certain topic, so I was quite excited and curious what Barnard would make of it.
Eden, the 16-year-old main character, not only has to deal with her best friend's sudden disappearance but also with her conscience and the question if she should tell on her best friend or keep her promise to her. For the reader, the question is crystal clear: tell on her best friend as it's the right way to do. But as a 16-year-old teenager it's not. And I can completely understand her mind-set. The struggle and the decisions Eden had to make following her best friend's disappearance but especially the ending was well-written and rather realistic in my eyes.
If you want to read a different kind of YA book, then Goodbye, Perfect is for you.
I have yet to read a Sara Barnard book that I don't enjoy. Her YA storylines are different from other YA books but not less enjoyable. Her books are original, slightly on the heavier side, but also quite fun. Especially the thought-provoking topics are what makes her books so special.
Just as most Sara Barnard books, the subject matter of Goodbye, Perfect was not something I expected. I never read a book that approached this certain topic, so I was quite excited and curious what Barnard would make of it.
Eden, the 16-year-old main character, not only has to deal with her best friend's sudden disappearance but also with her conscience and the question if she should tell on her best friend or keep her promise to her. For the reader, the question is crystal clear: tell on her best friend as it's the right way to do. But as a 16-year-old teenager it's not. And I can completely understand her mind-set. The struggle and the decisions Eden had to make following her best friend's disappearance but especially the ending was well-written and rather realistic in my eyes.
If you want to read a different kind of YA book, then Goodbye, Perfect is for you.
March 11, 2018
This book is not just an ordinary YA contemporary.
April 18, 2025
tw
grooming
this book was amazing. The friendship of Eden and bonnie was perfect, but this book tells your best friends not to tell each other everything
grooming
this book was amazing. The friendship of Eden and bonnie was perfect, but this book tells your best friends not to tell each other everything
August 15, 2017
Отзыв в моём блоге: https://momentarythingsbymarochka.tum...
February 5, 2018
3/5 Stars
Goodbye Perfect is a great YA for younger teens in my opinion and I would recommend it even if I wouldn't re-read it myself. Sara is a fantastic author and it was a quick and easy contemporary read with great family relationships.
Eden and her family stood out the most for me, I was just as conflicted as Eden was about snitching on her friend or doing what was right. Eden's Mum and Dad were great supportive characters and I loved their relationship.
It may seem strange but I liked the side plots more than the main plot. Seeing how being a foster child can impact relationships, how it can impact the children in the family and how a support system can make all the difference. I especially loved the Sister relationships, they saved the entire book for me and really made it end well.
Overall some of the scenes were a little cheesy but the characters felt real and the story of grooming and student teacher relationships wasn't one I had read before. The comparison of Edens romance was stark and realistic adding to how unhealthy the age gap is in a student teacher affair.
Goodbye Perfect is a great YA for younger teens in my opinion and I would recommend it even if I wouldn't re-read it myself. Sara is a fantastic author and it was a quick and easy contemporary read with great family relationships.
Eden and her family stood out the most for me, I was just as conflicted as Eden was about snitching on her friend or doing what was right. Eden's Mum and Dad were great supportive characters and I loved their relationship.
It may seem strange but I liked the side plots more than the main plot. Seeing how being a foster child can impact relationships, how it can impact the children in the family and how a support system can make all the difference. I especially loved the Sister relationships, they saved the entire book for me and really made it end well.
Overall some of the scenes were a little cheesy but the characters felt real and the story of grooming and student teacher relationships wasn't one I had read before. The comparison of Edens romance was stark and realistic adding to how unhealthy the age gap is in a student teacher affair.
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