The Flipside of Perfect

by Liz Reinhardt

What happens when her two worlds collide?

AJ is a buttoned-up, responsible student attending a high-achieving high school in Michigan. She lives with her mother, stepfather, and two younger half sisters.

Della spends every summer with her father in Florida. A free-spirited wild child, she spends as much time as possible on the beach with her friends and older siblings.

But there’s a catch: AJ and Della are the same person. Adelaide Beloise Jepsen to be exact, and she does everything she can to keep her school and summer lives separate.

When her middle sister crashes her carefree summer getaway, Adelaide’s plans fall apart. In order to help her sister, save her unexpected friendship with a guy who might just be perfect for her, and discover the truth about her own past, Adelaide will have to reconcile the two sides of herself…and face the fact that it’s perfectly okay not to be perfect all the time.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Ebooks, Rom Com

432 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2021

About the author

Liz Reinhardt is a perpetually homesick NJ native who migrated to the deep South a decade ago with her funny kid, motor-head husband, and growing pack of mutts. She's a fanatical book lover with no reading prejudices and a wide range of genre loves, but her heart will always skip a beat for YA. In her spare time she likes to listen to corny jokes her kid reads to her from ice-pop sticks, watch her husband get dirty working on cars, travel whenever she can scrape together a few bucks, and gab on the phone incessantly with her bestie, writer Steph Campbell. She likes Raisinets even if they aren't real candy, the Oxford comma even though it's nerdy, and airports even when her plane is delayed. When she isn't writing, Liz Reinhardt teaches a fantastic group of diverse 8th graders in Savannah, GA. Rebels Like Us, her latest YA novel, is full of hot kisses, angst, homesickness, and laughs that are almost as good as the ones that come from the stick of a melty ice-pop.​

Reviews

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super easy, Summery read.
There is some faith based moments for anyone that's bugged by that.
Overall it was just a relaxing book to get lost in and maybe have some emotional moments.

[Adi Rocks Socks]

AJ and Della. AJ is a straitlaced student, attending a prestigious highschool in Michigan. Della is a wild child, always having fun in Florida. Two different people? Not really -- AJ and Della are the same person. Adelaide Johnson keeps her two lives with her two divorced parents as separate as possible, until one day, her lives clash and she has to face both her lives at once.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I'm excited and can't wait to read this YA, coming-of-age book!

[Brinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this! When I picked it up, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It felt fresh and summery, and was a super cute read.

I loved how almost every character was fleshed out. Even though I spent almost the entire book disliking Marnie, I could sympathize with her, and did want her to find her way. Lilli was the character we got to know the least about, but really enjoyed any scenes she was in! Della was a super interesting character, and I was rooting for her the entire time. It was super touching to watch her come into her own, and to do what she wanted to.

I also really enjoyed the romance were given in this book! By no means is this a romance, but the romance was a great addition. Della and Jude were adorable together, and I loved how healthy their relationship was. It was an understated enemies-to-lovers, which is something I always love.

I do have to say that the first half of this was a bit hard to get through. This may only be for me, but I really couldn't handle Della's Michigan family. They were manipulative, and were keeping so many secrets. I loved watching them navigate their way back to each other, but it was hard to read at the beginning.

This was a super enjoyable book! I felt like it dealt with split families super well, and I loved how realistic our characters felt. I'd definitely recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley and Liz Reinhardt for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I’ll post that review upon publication. In the meantime, this is a decent but not particularly noteworthy read (in a sea of forthcoming YA that is excellent).

Updated 4/6/21

3 stars

The main character of this book is living two separate lives, which appear when she is living with her mother or visiting her father. Her name, her appearance, and even her sibling makeup and placement change in each location. As expected, this is confusing for her, and it's a little creepy for the reader to see how dramatically she changes to match her environment.

While I enjoyed the first quarter of this book, I started to get a bit frustrated with the character and plot. For me, too little was happening. The identity switching began to feel too one-note, even when it expanded to other characters and their various life situations. I did not dislike this book, but - in an unexpected twist - I do find myself feeling apathetic toward it (a highly uncommon situation for me in all genres). Around that one quarter mark, I sped up looking for more action...which I did not find.

I will absolutely read more from this author. The style works for me and the writing is enjoyable. However, I hope to see a bit more action and depth in future works.

[Laura ( Latteandbookz ) · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me this was a DNF at 30%, i just couldn't get into it. it felt like something was lacking.

[Pine Reads Review]

“Now that I’ve seen the flip side of perfect, I don’t think I could ever go back.”

AJ Jepsen is the picture of perfection at her elite school in Michigan. An overachiever, she strives to solve any problems her two younger sisters bring her way. Della Beloise is the complete opposite. Carefree and radiant, she spends as much time as she can on the beach in Florida when she visits her dad and older siblings during the summer. The catch? AJ and Della are the same person, specifically Adelaide Beloise Jepsen. Adelaide has the art of splitting herself into two people down to a science. She’s kept her Florida family a secret from her friends in Michigan for many long years. But during the summer between junior and senior year, her middle sister messes up. Big-time. When she’s sent to join Adelaide in Florida, Adelaide’s plans for a carefree summer evaporate. With a blossoming romance, family financial problems, and long-buried secrets of her past emerging, Adelaide will have to figure out a way to combine her two halves if she wants to save her summer…and stay true to herself.

As soon as I began reading, The Flipside of Perfect erased any expectations I’d previously had. What seems to begin as a light and fluffy beach read soon ventures into deeper and darker territory as Adelaide is forced to confront her life’s imperfections. I really enjoyed the romantic elements, but after Adelaide made some questionable choices in her reactions to difficult situations, I found myself not really connecting to her. Additionally, some of the characters feel a bit one-dimensional, even though Adelaide, her romantic interest Jude, and her middle sister Marnie shine with wonderful depth. And speaking of Marnie, her character growth arc is fantastic. By the end of the novel, I found myself cheering for her as she faced her problems head-on. Still, the story lacks some emotional connection, and it all wrapped up a bit too, well, perfectly. Yet, the story may satisfy fans of sweet romances, complicated family relationships, and fighting to find the truest part of oneself.

Content Warnings: Strong language, unplanned pregnancy, intimate scenes, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, mentions of the death of a loved one, divorce, emotional manipulation, sexual harassment, underage drinking

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.*

The Flipside of Perfect tells the story of Della and AJ. Della is a wild, carefree, beach bum of a girl who is the baby of the family and does whatever she wants. AJ is a Type A, straight edge, perfect big sister. The problem is that AJ and Della are the same person, who splits time between two families and essentially two lives. "Flipside" is what happens when those two worlds collide.

Not gonna lie, I absolutely loved Della's world, but hated everything about her life as AJ. I wanted to go through the book and just shake her into talking to the adults around her. I realize that as an adult now I see things differently than a teenaged character might, but a lot of her problems could have been fixed a little sooner if she had just had the courage to tell any of the adults in her life how she felt about the things she was going through. Even still the story was a good one. Life on the Florida Keys sounds great, and I really want to be on the beach myself. I enjoyed Della's story and I wouldn't be upset if we got to reenter her life again, through a sequel.

"The Flipside of Perfect" was published on 4/6/2021 and is available for purchase.

[Tara Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Commentary on IRL versus digital life using the dual lives of AJ/Della. AJ attempts to be a perfectionist under the influence of her blogger/influencer mom who heads up a family of girls. She goes to private school, has a carefully curated wardrobe, friends, and far too many activities at which she'd like to excel. Della is AJ during the summer when she stays with her biological dad in the Florida Keys. This all needs to be said because it is murky to navigate why we have this weird say nothing about who you are during the summer alter ego type situation . . . because it isn't really all that believable. Seriously, your little sisters aren't saying anything about that, AJ? Not buying it after the Marnie drama. But Flipside of Perfect is a fun read, just a bit too melodramatic with some unacceptable digs at Catholicism. A lot happens in the story . . . no one's life is perfect is the subtext and the moral is be yourself. You just need to Marie Kondo the details to get to the message.

[TheGeekishBrunette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an earc to review!

I absolutely love this cover and premise for this book. Living two different lives and having them come together is just asking for trouble, haha.

There are good moments in this book but I just couldn’t get behind the main character. Aj/Della was a bit confusing at first because you can easily forget that they are the same person. She has divorced parents and decides to live two different lives because of it. I’m not really sure that’s the best way but we all cope in different ways.

I didn’t care for the other characters, Lex being the worst. What a dillweed!

One of the bigger issues I struggled with was the writing. It was hard to get into and sometimes the characters kind of just meshed together.

Overall, it just wasn’t a book for me but I can see others liking this story especially if they can relate to the family dynamic.

[Sasha Amani · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5
It's possible that I could've rated this a solid 3.5 within the first half or so, but it just went downhill from there.
I tried so hard to like this book but I just couldn't. 60% of the characters were incredibly unlikeable the entire time, especially the main character AJ/Della. It doesn't even make that much sense that AJ could be whip-smart and deal with tons of extracurriculars while at the same time maintaining one of the top statuses' at her school? Not to mention the obnoxious, self-centered girls that she is friends with.
Even the classic trope of falling in love with the childhood nemesis got me annoyed, and I typically enjoy those.
One of my biggest peeves was the fact that this book was long as hell. Soo many unnecessary details and things were just all over the place. For example, Dani being pregnant?? I saw that coming, but Della was so incredibly clueless of it.

This book definitely disappointed me and I did not have enough interest to finish it.

[Kaitlyn Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was a coming of age story of a young woman pulled in two different direction.s. Wanting so badly to be her authentic self, but struggling in the face of immense pressure. I adored Jude in this story, and felt that is was honest, raw, but all’s round sweet. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

She has always led two lives. For nine months of the year she lived in Michigan, where she was AJ, the responsible, overachieving big sister. During her Florida summers, she was Della, the go-with-the-flow little sister. She was looking forward to escaping her Michigan life after an especially stressful year, but when her younger sister got into some trouble, Della and AJ's lives collided forcing her to reevaluate the person she really wanted to be.

[NOTE: For the sake of this review, I will refer to the main character as AJ.]

I suppose, at times, we sort of hide pieces of ourselves depending on where we are, but AJ's life was always divided between her Florida self and her Michigan self. She occupied vastly different spots in each family, and the family dynamics were night and day. It was easy to see keeping up this rouse was becoming more and more difficult for her, and her sister's crisis was the tipping point.

It might have seemed like an invasion at first, but ended up being a blessing in disguise. When Marnie arrived in Florida, AJ was forced to do some introspection. Who was she? What were her goals? Was she AJ or was she Della? She discovered that her true self fell somewhere in-between the two. I thought it was great seeing AJ blend her two worlds, and I was proud of her when she continued working towards the life she wanted even after she left Florida.

There was actually a lot of warm and fuzzy family feels in this book. Though AJ hit some bumps in the road with her sisters, their bond was undeniable. They weren't called Triple Threat for no reason. The trio radiated love and affection, and there was no doubt in my mind they would come to each other's aid in a heartbeat. AJ was lucky to have three great parents too. Her mom had some boundary issues and was a bit demanding, but she cared for her children. I rather liked her step-father a lot too. He sort of balanced out her over-the-top mom and super laid back dad.

But, if I'm being honest, it was the boy of summer who stole my heart. There was a little romantic sub-plot that I simply loved. Jude was a boy carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet, he pushed on. He was a great person to be there for AJ as she tried to work out her dual lives issue, and the support he lent to AJ was one of the many things that endeared him to me.

I really felt for AJ as she struggled between her two worlds - her life in Michigan with her mom and her life in Florida with her dad. Her worlds meeting head-on was actually a gift, which freed her from having to maintain these two personas, allowing the real AJ to emerge. Overall, I enjoyed this sweet coming of age tale which focused on the importance of family, sibling relationships, and being true to yourself.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Lisa Pineo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Review coming soon.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the idea behind this book and the cover is so cute. It was ok, but I found it dragged in places and felt too long overall.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good!! All the characters were so well developed and 3 dimensional - they all had amazing character arcs. I liked the way that it went back and forth from the past to the present, keeping it interesting. Jude, Dani, and Duke were my favorite, but everyone was fun to read about - from Lex and Marnie's banter, to Lilli's music, to Della's mom's craziness.
This book is a perfect summer read!

[grier t · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so so good. a perfect summer book. and a perfect book over all. this would be an amazing movie. jude and della forever!

[Sophie Breslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was my favorite of this my winter break so far!!!!! It was even better than I expected!!!!! I really liked the different dynamic between AJ/Della and her two families and how she had a different name and personality in each place and was the oldest sister in one life and the youngest sister in the other. I also liked how it wasn’t really just her struggling. Marnie was very rebellious and seemed to get herself in trouble often, dealing with her own problems, particularly what happened with McKenzie, which was sort of a cliche situation but also not. Her dad was struggling financially with trying to keep Belo’s open. Jude’s parents were both alcoholics, and he constantly had to take care of them and didn’t want to be around them, and then, they managed to crash his car and get in jail and steal the money that he was saving up for Vermont. Based on the synopsis, I wasn’t expecting Marnie to have come to the Keys in the way that she did. After AJ/Della ignored her, I was expecting her to just show up at her house there the next day and explain what happened, as opposed to Della’s dad and Dani getting mad at Della for finding out that she ignored Marnie, explaining what happened to Marnie, and then her mom arranging for Marnie to have to stay with them for the rest of the summer. I didn’t seem like she technically crashing her summer as much as I had first thought. I was also expecting her to come in a little bit earlier. However, I liked that it was done this way, not that I don’t think I would’ve liked it that way, but although it was less of a surprise than I was expecting, it added more drama, especially because of exactly what happened with Marnie running away and getting alcohol poisoning to the point where she needed to have her stomach pumped, and it didn’t just affect the two of them. It affected her dad and Dani, too, because they were clearly not happy about what happened. I was also surprised that Marnie wasn’t phased by everyone calling her sister Della, while Dani clearly noticed her being called AJ at one point and asked about it. Maybe part of that was because when Marnie got off the plane, she clearly noticed that AJ/Della was different in the Keys than she was in Michigan and maybe could tell that the name change came with that. I always love a good romance in a YA book, and with that, I definitely loved Della’s relationship with Jude. It felt like more than you’re average hate-turned-to-love relationship, too. They were vulnerable with each other from the start, Della telling him about her double life and Jude telling her about his parents, and it clearly seemed to help that they’d known each other for years and hadn’t just met, and he truly helped her start to change and become the new person that she really wanted to be. He was definitely very different from Lex, and since the beginning, I didn’t think Lex was a good boyfriend to her at all. He always seemed to be mean to her, and she put up with it, but she shouldn’t have felt the need to, but I guess that was a big part of her being AJ and having to feel the need to do these things that she assumed were expected of her in that life, in addition to doing what her parents expected of her and having too much pressure put on to the point where she never seemed to like anything she was involved in and barely got any sleep just to do well in school and get into a good college. It wasn’t right of her parents to ever do that to her, and I’m glad that she was able to find a way to change and that they compromised and worked things out in the end. I also didn’t like that they sort of made her, Marnie, and Lillie hide their true feelings. It clearly wasn’t good for any of them, but I’m glad she was able to be that way in Florida, especially with Jude. Jude cared about her and always did and always trusted her, too, even when she hated him, and Lex never seemed to. I’m glad that she realized that she needed to break up with him, not just to stay with Jude, but because she just didn’t love him, although it was obviously more than that it seemed but she said goodbye to him gracefully and I guess honestly, just like the new person that she wanted to come back as. I like that she was able to give him a proper goodbye because they were moving obviously but also that they were officially breaking up, and she wasn’t just going to stop seeing him without explaining about Jude and that it wasn’t just a summer fling and that she didn’t really like him but liked Jude, and she had the courage to tell him the truth about her double life. However, I think she should’ve also said goodbye to Harper and Tessa and told them about her double life once and for all, even if they weren’t the greatest friends to her, which I didn’t necessarily notice, but I guess there was clearly something, and it just wasn’t that obvious to me. Even had she not said anything, it was clear that the two of them didn’t get along with Lex, and I can easily see why, as I didn’t really like him either, and I didn’t really like their whole dynamic in the beginning with the three of them. I thought that the whole move in general was crazy. I mean, I was expecting Lillie to get a record deal in Nashville, even though, obviously, that doesn’t seem too realistic in real life that someone her age would be such a well-known singer and become that famous, although I’m sure that’s how most of our favorite artists started out, and with that, I was expecting some things to change with the rest of the family, too, but I thought it was very ironic how AJ/Della and Marnie were miraculously able to get the fresh start that they had wanted to when they came back from Florida. It was upsetting that Peter had been so quick to sell their house, though, especially since they’d just lost Belo’s, although I’m sure he didn’t know that. I liked that Della wasn’t just lounging around all summer like I was expecting, and although she wasn’t at the internship or doing other great AJ-type things, she was working, though not the most overachieving job. But, she was with her family, and it was just another part of her beautiful life there. It’s sad that a big part of the book was it being in danger of shutting down and that it actually got sold in the end, especially with Marnie having been introduced to it for the first time that summer and having fallen in love with it, to my surprise. It was where her and Jude had first met, too, even though it wasn’t love at first sight on her end, and her and her family had all been working there for so many years. It had been passed down through her family for generations until her dad owned it. But, I think it was just another goodbye in the book and the opening of a new chapter, too, in her dad’s life, particularly, as he discovered how his love of boats and fishing could become his career. It was also a change for Jude. He loved Belo’s, but he knew from what Della had said that I couldn’t be his whole life, and I think it made sense. I mean, that is where some people make a living, but for someone like him, I definitely think he could’ve gone on to so much more after that. Although he didn’t have a new job just yet at the end of the book, he’d been able to move to Vermont with his brother a little earlier than expected to get away from his parents, and he started the next phase of his own life. He hadn’t just bought his own apartment like before, which was still a big step, especially for someone his age and after what had just happened to his parents, but he had been taking care of them for his whole life, so of course he could’ve successfully lived on his own and taken care of himself with a job and enough money to pay the rent and keep food on his table, so yeah, he was living with his older brother, but he was still on his own, in a completely different state, hopefully starting to discover himself more and start a real life for himself, his own life, not just that of taking care of others, including Della, although she loved him and took care of him, too, of course, but I mostly mean his parents. Speaking of, I couldn’t believe everything with Jude’s parents. I mean, he was buying alcohol for them since he’d been thirteen. The fact that Jude was able to realize the situation that he was in at such a young age and knew that he needed to eventually escape it is great and really added to showing his bravery and courage throughout the book. I also can’t believe that Dani accidentally got pregnant a few years ago and gave her child up to a nice, loving couple. When AJ/Della found out that she’d been the product of a one night stand, I was very intrigued, but I’m glad that her parents loved her just the same no matter what, even if they weren’t really right for each other in the end, although I’m glad that just like she changed in the end and sort of combined her two selves, both of her families were there celebrating her graduation with her together. And, when Dani was upset and then announced her engagement to Bennie, I thought that she was going to say that she was pregnant with their child right then and there, but the fact that she’d been pregnant before with a stranger and had gone into labor and given her child up, yet still knew him was even more interesting to me, and I’m glad that she had the courage to take such a big step at such a young age, even if she hadn’t meant for anything to happen. I also liked that Marnie was lesbian/bi (it wasn’t 100% clear to me whether she still liked guys or not) because it added something unexpected to the book but definitely a very current topic and one that should be accepted, and the same goes for the alcoholic poisoning, but that that should be done but that efforts should truly be made and put into effect to prevent it and irresponsible alcoholism and drunkness in general. I was even surprised that AJ/Della’s dad has admitted to being an alcoholic, but I thought that was very brave of him, and he was even afraid that Duke was becoming him, which I didn’t catch onto until he said that. I had originally just thought that Duke had gotten drunk that one night but clearly not. I also didn’t realize that Marnie had ADHD until the end of the book, but I’m glad she was able to eventually get in more control of her behaviors, especially since part of the girls’ compromise with their parents had been family therapy, which definitely seemed to help them all and obviously changing the Jensen House Rules to be less strict and harsh and more fair and accommodating. I get that their parents had only wanted what was best for them, but it doesn’t seem good to ever put that much pressure on your kids. They were always supportive of them, but they need to let them really make their own decisions and find enjoyment in their lives, and I’m especially glad that in the end, AJ/Della was able to find other things that she truly enjoyed and that along with her, she was able to help Marnie change over the summer, too, like she’d wanted for both of them. With that, I was surprised that she was still sort of being called both names in the end as opposed to going by her full name, but I’m glad that in a way, she was still able to keep both parts of herself, also with the fact that her new self was technically a combination of the two for the most part. I was a little bit confused in the beginning when she had said that she needed to clearly define and separate her two lives, as I thought that they’d already been clearly defined and separated since they both started, especially with the name changes, but I guess the outfit changes at the airport hadn’t really started until her junior year two years later, at least from what it seemed, though it still confused me, but I’m glad that she was able to fuse them together in the end and start to find out who she truly was. She was a little bit of each. I was also afraid that I wouldn’t get to see enough of her Michigan life because the synopsis made it seem like the book was mostly going to be about her summer, but the flashbacks really helped with that, and I surprisingly enjoyed them. Not only did I get a real sense of who she was in each life in the beginning before the real story started, and it flashed forward to two years later, but I also was able to understand the background of many other things that were described throughout the book that weren’t part of that one summer but that shaped a lot of what happened in the book and also gave an even larger overall sense of her and her Michigan family, like Marnie’s whole thing with McKenzie, the family dynamic when the girls all played MASH together with their mom on vacation, and the start of Lille’s potential (and eventual) record deal. Overall, this was an amazing book, and I’m so excited to read my last one of my break!!!!!

[Inkyard Press]

Categories
Young Adult Romance, Young Adult Social Themes, Young Adult Family

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story! I wish that there was a bit more emotion from the main character- that we could see more of what she wanted, not of what she felt she had to do.

[The LitBuzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liz Reinhardt’s The Flipside of Perfect is a warm and authentic coming of age story
Here’s the quick and dirty
In The Flipside of Perfect, Adelaide Josephine Jepsen Beloise has two lives. In Michigan, she is the big sister, the perfectionist, the fixer, and the pleaser. Her family and friends know her as AJ, in that life. But since her parents’ divorce, she’s been spending summers with her dad and two older siblings in Florida, where she is laidback, careless, and messy Della.

Even though she has a good life in Michigan, AJ cherishes the few months every year she gets to be Della. In Florida, she is the baby sister, gets taken care of, and lives worry-free. But the last summer before she graduates high school, her perfectly distinct worlds start to crumble, and she is forced to confront the reality that her split life is no way to live.

Let’s talk about this a bit more
I disliked almost everything about AJ in Michigan. She had questionable friends, a crappy boyfriend, and an overplanned, stressful life. But, that part of her story is not hopeless. Her rebellious younger sister Marnie (one of my two favorite characters) and her talented and sweet baby sister Lilli really balance out AJ’s otherwise insipid Michigan life.

Della in Florida, with Dani, Duke, and her dad, is much more enjoyable and full of life. I love her commitment to the small town beach life. Most of all, I LOVE Jude (favorite character alert!), the only slightly older, witty, sweet, and gentle manager at her dad’s bait shop where she works. Jude has been harboring a massive crush on her for years, but Della so far has shown no interest. When Dani starts encouraging Della to give Jude a chance, she starts to understand that maybe she’s been missing out. But Jude’s insistence on being more than a summer fling puts Della in a tough spot. How would Jude fit into AJ’s life? Would Jude even like AJ?

Before she can find the answers to those questions, a family event forces her two lives to overlap. Soon, Della realizes she can no longer afford to keep being two distinct people. As you would expect from a young adult novel, in the end, AJ/Della/Adelaide finds her voice and a path to her authentic self. Although her multiple lives helped her cope with the trauma of her parent’s divorce, they no longer served her.

Final thoughts
The first half of this story is slow, but it wasn’t hard to push through it. Once I finished the book, I started seeing AJ/Della as the heroine that I would’ve loved to read about in high school when I was also struggling through the aftershocks of my parents’ divorce.

The only beef I had with this book is that at times, AJ/Della was almost too wise for her age. She was a bit too insightful, and a little too quick to understand the greater picture. This pulled me out of the story a few times. It was hard to reconcile that this character that began as childish and self-centered could mature from one paragraph to the next.

Although at first it seemed unrelatable, in the end, AJ/Della’s journey felt authentic and warm. It was refreshing to read a story about divorce where both parents are equally invested in their kid’s success for a change. Perhaps, the best part of this book is the message that children of divorced parents are not doomed.

Liz Reinhardt’s The Flipside of Perfect will be released on April 6, 2021.
Solid 3.5

[The Picky Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this story has some sad parts, I would still describe it as a very sweet story. I mean, we can all at least empathize with the "product of two families" thing, right? Almost everyone I know has at least one parent who has been divorced at least once. My own parents divorced when I was 16, so I know how tough it can be sometimes. Adelaide thought she had figured everything out. She bisected her life, giving each half what she could.

I felt so bad for her in so many ways.

I connected with her in ways I wouldn't have expected.

The author did such a good job of making all the characters relatable or hateable in equal measure. It was pretty clear who the reader was supposed to dislike, and who the reader was supposed to love. It was clear cut in this way, but none of the characters were outright bad or evil. They were flawed, in all the human ways.

This book is human. That's really the best way to describe it. Adelaide struggles with a lot of things we all struggle with: family commitments, wanting to fit in, wanting one life but getting assigned another. While Adelaide struggles with all of these things, the way she coincides them together is truly heartwarming.

From the beginning to the end, I was emotionally connected with this entire family. Each member has his and her own struggles, which all come out in different point of the book, and add to the complexity of the entire story.

This book is not a romance, or a rom-com, or a coming-of-age story. It has all those elements, but it stands on its own as unique.

One thing I particularly liked about this book is the mention of religion. Adelaide and both of her families attend church. While their beliefs aren't a huge part of the story, you'll be able to tell how growing up with that foundation has affected Adelaide's decisions. 

I absolutely loved this book, and if you like sweet, heartwarming stories, you probably will too. I have quit giving star ratings on books, because I don't think they do much good on my blog, but I will be giving this book 5 stars on Goodreads. It was THAT good.

[Jennica Bridgman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adelaide spends her school years in Minnesota with her mom, stepdad, and two younger sisters and goes by AJ. She spends her summers being wild and free in Florida with her dad and two older siblings, going by Della. This story is totally bizarre. Her two lives never cross. Her friends don’t even know her Florida life exists. Her level of separation of her two lives is uncomfortable and unhealthy. It felt unbelievable that she could be two completely separate and unique people, including different names, for the majority of her life without anyone realizing. She seems detached and ingenuine with her Minnesota friends (The story fleshes this out a bit but that doesn’t negate how uncomfortable and unpleasant it was for the first 50% of the book). The author tried to convince me that both sides of AJ/Della’s life were equally precious and important but I wasn’t convinced. She is clearly miserable in Minnesota, but that’s where 80% of her life is lived. That broke my heart. Her mother is the most narcissistic, selfish, and controlling character I’ve read in a long while. She’s callous about encouraging AJ to forfeit her time with her dad and Florida family to pursue resume worthy extra curriculars. I was ABSOLUTELY planning to DNF this book until around 20%…and then I met Jude. 😍 This story is SO MUCH BETTER in Florida and I firmly believe AJ should have grown up in Florida. Every time the story flashed back to Minnesota I wanted to DNF, but then it would flip to Florida and I was invested again. If this was just the story of a girl who visits her dad each summer and gets to let loose and the sweet boy she meets there every summer, I think I would have LOVED that story! The last half of the story takes place almost exclusively in Florida so it was much much better. I’m giving this book a 2.5. The first 20-50% is a one-star but the last 50% is at least a 3.5-star so I’m splitting the difference. Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC.

[Zoey P · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

The Flipside of Perfect follows AJ and Della who are actually the same person. However, AJ is the Michigan perfectionist who follows the life plan that was set out for her. She is the oldest of three girls and always has it together. Della is the Florida carefree, baby sister that spends her summer on the beach, working for her dad, and spending time with her older twin siblings. However, her two worlds collide the summer before her senior year.

What I enjoyed about this book was the relationship between siblings. That was easily my favorite part. I think there's something about being in a split family that makes you become two versions of yourself in order to be the oldest caring sibling but also the baby of the family. The relationships between AJ and Marnie were my favorite. It's hard to be the oldest and be helpful without being bossy and I think AJ had to learn that balance. Della and Dani were also amazing because they had a similar relationship but it was a flipped show from AJ and Marnie.

There were parts of the book that I struggled with. Primarily the way that the families were connected. I spent most of the book confused how Belo and Della were father and daughter. I think it was never fully fleshed out and much of the book was explained by saying that her mother was married to Belo, but not that Della was biologically theirs. I also did not enjoy AJ's mother and the relationship that they had. It constantly felt helicopter parentlike and totally unbelievable. However, I could see some growth at the end. I wish there was more closure there.

All in all, definitely a good coming of age novel about finding who you are when you are part of a blended family. I would recommend this to my students.

[Shea Bivens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flipside of Perfect by Liz Reinhardt was a pretty good book. It was one of my favorites compared to some books because I could kind of relate to a lot of what A.J. had going for her. I feel like the theme of the book was to take a step back from reality once in a while. The book has a kind of set on a beach, warm summer night feel to it with drama and kind of like teenagers in shows, but also in real life, so if you like that you should try reading it.

The Flipside of Perfect is about a girl named A.J who is a senior in high school and she goes to visit her dad and his two kids inside of Florida for part of the Summer. In the beginning of the story A.J. 's mom is trying to convince her to stay in Michigan, since she is going to be a senior in high school. A.J decides to go to Florida and hang out there for the Summer. Her family throws a party for the start of Summer since she is back inFlorida. Mainly at the end of the story she is back in Michigan leading up to school.

If I was someone else picking out this book I feel like the audience would be for teenagers who like to read dramas/ realistic fiction. Where if you wanted a good book that you could read for a while. When I was reading The Flipside of Perfect some days to me it would feel like I couldn’t stop reading and others not so much. Then I would get to a good part where it would kind of play in my head like a tv show. I wish it wasn’t really like a rollercoaster ride, where there were boring parts after a very interesting part that hooked me into the book.

If I had to give The Flipside of Perfect a star rating, it would be around a 3- 4 out of 5.
I like how parts of the book were relatable and realistic to some teens these days. It was a good book, but although it wasn't the best one I have ever read, the book was still great to read.

[Madhu MaBookYard - · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two worlds collide and drama definitely happens. Flipside of Perfect is a story about AJ aka Della when spends her summer with her dad's family and has a carefree persona and enjoys being the baby of the family. When her half sister comes to live with her and her dad because of a drama and lie gone wrong, her both worlds collide and she has to manage being the big sister and the baby of the family at the same time. This book deals with a lot of personal conflicts, juggling the life of a certain role you play with yourself.
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My Rating : 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟✨
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Now, AJ is a character I relate to very much. The big sister of the family taking care of everyone else, and being an example, and setting goals for them to achieve. I felt like Della's character took everything for granted and refused to see what others felt. But the contrast between the two made for a really good character development.
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The pacing was a bit slow, and it took some time for me to get into the story. All the relationship in the book was done good, but they lacked the strength and definition to add something to the story. I liked Della being knocked down her ego ladder a bit too much by Jude to be honest. One thing I really didn't like was the 'transformation' she undergoes everytime she travels. Like I get your point, but it felt too much. I wanted more from the siblings relationship, but it wasn't to my satisfaction. It wasn't a romance, but Jude was a sweetheart and I really liked hia character!
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Overall, I think this is a cute coming of age story with a lot of issues discussed, but it also has some cliche topics and some over the top narrative for certain scenes. Not my favorite, but I would recommend if you want to read a cute story!
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Thank you @netgalley @inkyardpress for the gifted review copy!
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Kindle/ Arc/ May 2021/ Book 140

[Tiffany White · Rating 5 out of 5]

What person has never felt that maybe, sometimes, you have to be someone different because of who you are with or where you are? AJ/Della determines at the end of elementary school that her two worlds, her dad's family in Florida and her mom's family in Michigan, can never mix. She becomes two, completely different people based on who she is with and where she is located. At first, I really struggled with AJ. She is SUPER high-achieving and somehow had "best" friends and a boyfriend (that she had been on-and-off with for years) who did not know about her father's family in Florida that she spent every summer with. This threw me for a loop. How does one keep that kind of a secret? Especially with two younger siblings in the home? Della's people in Florida knew about her Michigan family (somewhat) but had no idea that their laid-back, super-tan, care-free Della was actually over-scheduled, organized, high-achieving AJ.

The story goes between the summer before AJ/Della's senior year and major events that happened the previous year involving her middle sister, Marnie. After a series of bad decisions, Marnie, ends up in Florida with AJ. This forces AJ/Della's two worlds to collide for the first time and she has to navigate that. It was at that point that this story felt the realest to me. I loved summer-in-Florida Marnie and post-summer Marnie. I really enjoyed coming along as AJ/Della continued to learn more about herself, her families, and who she wants to be as she goes into her senior year.

I think teens will love this cast of characters. I definitely already requested that my library add it to our teen collection when it's published in April 2021. I appreciate Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!

[K.T. Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unexpected coming of age story.

Rating : 3.5/5

The Flipside of Perfect by Liz Reinhardt is a book of self-discovery, and is full of robust, albeit weird, characters and enough improbables that it is an adventure through and through.

Watching Adelaide struggle with the boundaries of AJ and Della brought me right back to high school, where balancing good grades, a social life, and plans for the future. It was entertaining enough, and was at times surprising, but I had a hard time connecting to Adelaide as a main character. It might have been all of the internal conflict, and the fact that as a high school junior she is trying to balance the world on her shoulders, but Adelaide spends the majority of the book coming off as way too grown up (which is a central theme of the book) while also extremely young at the same time. Her relationships with Lex and Jude are both really confusing, and I don't think there's enough build up to the big-romance that is an underlying theme for the story.

I love how Reinhardt kept AJ and Della separate. Being able to clearly bounce back and forth, from Michigan to Florida, was intriguing. And I did really enjoy AJ's young sisters. AJ's friends felt extremely unsincere, which I'm still not convinced was on purpose, and her two older siblings weren't given nearly as much attention as the younger two were - which made it really hard to connect to Della's life in Florida.

All in all, a solid story about a kid trying to come in to her own. I would recommend to my younger (HS age) sister for sure.

I received this book compliments of NetGalley and Liz Reinhardt. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts out with out main character AJ. She is a straight-A student at a high end school in Michigan, then we are introduced to Della. Della is a on the wild side and does whatever she wants which is usually just having fun in Florida. Where things get really interesting though is Della and AJ are the same person. She reimagines herself to try to fit in and get a new outlook on her life. It isn't until her sister joins her in Florida that things take a turn for the worst and AJ must figure out who she is really in order not to lose her sister, the guy she has her eye on or worst of all herself. I found this book to be really interesting I haven't read many things like this one before however it did really remind me of a made for TV, Disney movie from the nineties. Even though this book was over four hundred pages long I found the content to be very compelling and I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I just flew through this one and the writing was very easy to read and understand.
I connected with the characters very easily and I could get where Della was coming from in the beginning. Very good read for not just young adults but for everyone who likes YA novels. This has everything that a good YA book needs, interesting characters, a plot that you haven't seen before, and it was also nice to read a YA book that wasn't all about the main girl falling in love and her life was perfect. This gives a more realistic feel to the story. Great read and I can't wait to read this book again and again once it is released. The only thing I didn't like about this book was it was a little predictable and I was able to call how it ended almost from the very beginning.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a new book boyfriend! (And yes, he is, yet again, too young for me unfortunately.) Thank you to Netgalley for this e-ARC of The Flipside of Perfect by Liz Reinhardt.

Synopsis: Adelaide Jepsen lives a double life. One with her family in Michigan as AJ and one with her family in Florida as Della. No one ever said having divorced parents was easy. But as she approaches college, AJ is tired — of lying, of pretending to keep up appearances and of herself. Florida is where she can get her world right again before her senior year of high school — so why is everything falling apart the second she shows up? (TW: divorce, teen pregnancy, alcoholism)

This is a great, joyful YA novel about finding the real you as a teenager and learning to make yourself happy instead of making others happy while you’re miserable. Also, the sister trios/quads that pop-up throughout had Covey sister vibes. On top of that, there’s a super sweet pseudo-enemies-to-lovers relationship with a soon-to-be-crowned all time book boyfriend, Jude, who I swear had me in butterflies and giggles.

The downsides are that it’s a bit over dramatic, as high schoolers are widely known to be, and a little too faith-based for me. There’s a lot of prayer circles, preaching moments and there are some scenes that felt a bit pro-life to me, which I’m not really about. However, it’s not a cruel faith in any context, so it’s manageable.

If you’re a fan of YA novels in general, I think is a very readable one and pretty cute overall! It’s out in early April!

[Nikki H. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Change is not easy – for anyone. But most of the time, it’s entirely necessary in order to continue living.

This book was slightly confusing to begin with, but was quickly made clear. The narrator goes by two names, because she’s essentially two different people: AJ and Della. AJ is responsible, scheduled, and on top of EVERYTHING. But Della is relaxed and permanently on vacation.

Della/AJ has grown up with two separate lives. Her dad and older twin siblings live in Florida, while her mom, (step)dad, and (half)sisters live in Michigan. And Della/AJ is split between the two. While this is common for many families, what struck me as odd, and SO challenging, was that no one in Della’s/AJ’s life knew about the other half of who she was (beyond her parents and siblings). No one talked about it. No one knew. Her lives are completely separate.

Until they’re not. Everything gets messed up and one of AJ’s little sisters from Michigan has to join Della on her summer in Florida. Her two world’s collide and she even learns a little something regarding her childhood nemesis (yes, an enemies to lovers subplot!).

While there was a lot of beautiful YA drama woven together in this book, what I truly loved about it were the messages: that change is scary. That change is important. That in order to become comfortable with who you are and the life you live, you have to be willing to welcome change into your life. And also? You can’t expect to be happy with who you are, if you’re not willing to show the world the person you have become.