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Perfect
"I have the closest thing to a perfect life. And I’m falling apart."
Perfect- isn’t that something everyone wants to be? Gina has done everything she could to please her parents, gain her friends’ approval, and get that one guy’s attention, but it never seems to be enough. There’s no pleasing everybody. She’s struggling just to get through the year when a mysterious guy abruptly decides to become part of her life and disrupts everything she’s ever believed in. Could he actually be right? Is perfection really unattainable? Or by listening to him will everything she’s worked for fall apart?
Perfect- isn’t that something everyone wants to be? Gina has done everything she could to please her parents, gain her friends’ approval, and get that one guy’s attention, but it never seems to be enough. There’s no pleasing everybody. She’s struggling just to get through the year when a mysterious guy abruptly decides to become part of her life and disrupts everything she’s ever believed in. Could he actually be right? Is perfection really unattainable? Or by listening to him will everything she’s worked for fall apart?
214 pages, Paperback
Published June 22, 2016
36 people want to read
About the author
Nancy E. Wood
5 books79 followersNancy E Wood was born into a missionary family and lived in Hungary until she turned twenty. Her whole childhood, she loved reading and stories, writing some of her own, but never believing she actually had the talent to be an author. Speaking multiple languages, she never thought she would be good enough in any to become a wordsmith.
Her senior year of high school, she was encouraged to write short stories, one of which turned into Perfect, a novel that couldn't stay short. After sharing it with a few people, she decided to get it published a couple years later. She went to college in Florida, where she studied English and Music. After graduating, she married and moved to California. She published her standalone book, I’ll Take the Lie, in the summer of 2019 and is currently finishing the Perfect trilogy. She also runs a blog for young women, where she writes relatable and motivational posts that point to God. She has also done some speaking in different Christian schools and youth groups, encouraging teens to pursue Christ through some of the most difficult years of their lives.
Her senior year of high school, she was encouraged to write short stories, one of which turned into Perfect, a novel that couldn't stay short. After sharing it with a few people, she decided to get it published a couple years later. She went to college in Florida, where she studied English and Music. After graduating, she married and moved to California. She published her standalone book, I’ll Take the Lie, in the summer of 2019 and is currently finishing the Perfect trilogy. She also runs a blog for young women, where she writes relatable and motivational posts that point to God. She has also done some speaking in different Christian schools and youth groups, encouraging teens to pursue Christ through some of the most difficult years of their lives.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 29, 2021
PERFECT is a clean YA contemporary read with strong Christian themes.
First of all, I love the heart behind this story. Wood weaves a very realistic picture of a struggle I'm sure most people have faced—expectations, perfectionism, and the desire to display our "perfect" lives as an example. All things I've dealt with and could relate to, even though I'm not a PK like the main character.
PERFECT was short, but enough to pack a powerful punch. I immediately sympathized with the main character and was sucked into her world—of drama, of friends, of the expectations that came with being a pastor's daughter. There were multiple times in the story when I was astonished at how REAL the characters and dialogue felt.
And while I'm not a big fan of romance, I loved Joel + Gina's relationship. So sweet and heartfelt and clean.
While there were a couple discrepancies—a few spelling errors, unclear backstory about Gina's mom, and I was a bit confused by the sheer amount of characters—PERFECT was a gripping and beautiful story that I was compelled to read in one sitting, all while displaying a gorgeous and heartfelt message that I think more Christian girls need to hear.
Overall, a solid debut from Wood! And now I really want to get the next book in the series, DIFFERENT ... 🙂
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to the author for providing me with this opportunity to read her beautiful story! ✨
First of all, I love the heart behind this story. Wood weaves a very realistic picture of a struggle I'm sure most people have faced—expectations, perfectionism, and the desire to display our "perfect" lives as an example. All things I've dealt with and could relate to, even though I'm not a PK like the main character.
PERFECT was short, but enough to pack a powerful punch. I immediately sympathized with the main character and was sucked into her world—of drama, of friends, of the expectations that came with being a pastor's daughter. There were multiple times in the story when I was astonished at how REAL the characters and dialogue felt.
And while I'm not a big fan of romance, I loved Joel + Gina's relationship. So sweet and heartfelt and clean.
While there were a couple discrepancies—a few spelling errors, unclear backstory about Gina's mom, and I was a bit confused by the sheer amount of characters—PERFECT was a gripping and beautiful story that I was compelled to read in one sitting, all while displaying a gorgeous and heartfelt message that I think more Christian girls need to hear.
Overall, a solid debut from Wood! And now I really want to get the next book in the series, DIFFERENT ... 🙂
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to the author for providing me with this opportunity to read her beautiful story! ✨
September 19, 2020
For any young, Christian teenager, I would highly recommend this book. It teaches that you don’t always have to be an example, that you don’t have to do everything perfectly, that you don’t have to say “yes” all the time, that you don’t have to be a people-pleaser. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you have to be “perfect”. Because as humans, we are not perfect. We are sinful and weak and nothing we do, no matter how hard we try, can change that. That is why Jesus was perfect for us.
Gina is a very relatable character. She wants to please her parents so bad, that she tries to do everything. She tries to get the good grades, do school activities, help her friends, be an active part of the youth group, etc. But in doing all of this, she loses herself and starts to break down.
Joel is such a sweet and encouraging character. He really, genuinely wants to help Gina through her issues. I hope he is an active character for the rest of the series.
I liked the addition of Gina’s friend, Alisa. She hurts Gina by spreading rumors and going behind her back. I liked her because it helps us as readers to see what the author was referring to when she says that you don’t have to be perfect all the time. She doesn’t mean that you can just go out and do whatever you want to get whatever you want. What the author is trying to get across here is that you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. You aren’t going to please everybody or do everything perfectly, and that’s okay.
I had received a copy of this book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.
Gina is a very relatable character. She wants to please her parents so bad, that she tries to do everything. She tries to get the good grades, do school activities, help her friends, be an active part of the youth group, etc. But in doing all of this, she loses herself and starts to break down.
Joel is such a sweet and encouraging character. He really, genuinely wants to help Gina through her issues. I hope he is an active character for the rest of the series.
I liked the addition of Gina’s friend, Alisa. She hurts Gina by spreading rumors and going behind her back. I liked her because it helps us as readers to see what the author was referring to when she says that you don’t have to be perfect all the time. She doesn’t mean that you can just go out and do whatever you want to get whatever you want. What the author is trying to get across here is that you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. You aren’t going to please everybody or do everything perfectly, and that’s okay.
I had received a copy of this book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.
October 1, 2020
I’ve always sought perfection.
Much of what I do off of online is the outcome of the unattainable desire to be perfect.
This is an odd book review for me. To be honest, most of the books I review, I do not have such a personal connection with.
I cannot even begin to describe how much I related to Gina in the book, Perfect. All the ways Gina pushed herself were very familiar. I felt like I was reading an alternate version of my life story. Gina is someone who I believe we all relate to to some extent.
Of course, we cannot forget Joel. He was the voice of reason who pushed Gina to realize that perfection is impossible. He knew the struggle and brought so much hope into the story. He helped Gina (and me) realize that living to be perfect is not living at all.
All that said, this was an incredibly relatable story about an almost taboo subject that brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you Nancy for gifting me a copy of Perfect.
Rating: 5/5
Language: n/a
Romance: some crushing, rumors spread
Spiritual: characters are strong Christians
Violence: n/a
*I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
Quotes:
"I know. But you can do this. You're braver than you think."
"So I returned to God. I asked Him to forgive me and show me how He wanted me to live. Since then, I've stopped caring about what people think of me. God's opinion is the only one who matters. He knows my heart."
Much of what I do off of online is the outcome of the unattainable desire to be perfect.
This is an odd book review for me. To be honest, most of the books I review, I do not have such a personal connection with.
I cannot even begin to describe how much I related to Gina in the book, Perfect. All the ways Gina pushed herself were very familiar. I felt like I was reading an alternate version of my life story. Gina is someone who I believe we all relate to to some extent.
Of course, we cannot forget Joel. He was the voice of reason who pushed Gina to realize that perfection is impossible. He knew the struggle and brought so much hope into the story. He helped Gina (and me) realize that living to be perfect is not living at all.
All that said, this was an incredibly relatable story about an almost taboo subject that brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you Nancy for gifting me a copy of Perfect.
Rating: 5/5
Language: n/a
Romance: some crushing, rumors spread
Spiritual: characters are strong Christians
Violence: n/a
*I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
Quotes:
"I know. But you can do this. You're braver than you think."
"So I returned to God. I asked Him to forgive me and show me how He wanted me to live. Since then, I've stopped caring about what people think of me. God's opinion is the only one who matters. He knows my heart."
December 22, 2020
Perfect is the "perfect" (please forgive my cringey pun) story for teen girls trying to weather the crazy storm called adolescence.
Gina is an authentic protagonist, and this book reminds readers to let go of the impossible standards we set for ourselves. A good reminder for anyone ... teen or not!
Gina is an authentic protagonist, and this book reminds readers to let go of the impossible standards we set for ourselves. A good reminder for anyone ... teen or not!
December 29, 2021
This was a cute book! About a young Christian "perfect" girl, this book details her struggle with people pleasing, perfectionism, and the expectations placed on people from the church. While it wasn't my favorite currently, I would have really enjoyed it when I was younger.
This was an indie-published book, which was fairly apparent: some of the writing style was stilted, there were a few plot holes, and some characters had traits that were not congruent with the rest of the book. However for an indie-published book, this was also better done than some others I've read.
The setting was really well done, as well as the internal struggle: overall, Gina was a very relatable character and her struggles were very understandable, which sometimes doesn't happen in books. The story centered around church drama, particularly youth group drama, which I personally have mild PTSD from, so it was a bit unpleasant to read, but that also meant that it was well done.
It also accurately portrayed that uncomfortable romantic/sex drive that 14-16 year olds have, where every living moment was spent crushing on someone, which was very uncomfortable but also very real. I was a little surprised that Gina wasn't homeschooled--it would have really tied together the Christian girl narrative--but it worked for the plot line.
Note: the word pissed does occur in this book, as well as a lot of male/female hugs, thinking about getting in a relationship, rumors of people hooking up/making out, and hanging out with a boy unchaperoned, none of which bother me but if you are looking for content warnings, there they are.
Things liked-
-the main character, Gina was done well! her internal conflict and her thoughts all made sense, and I could see where her internal motivations lay
-the storyline was coherent and made sense, and I enjoyed following along
-the setting was very realistic, and it was very reminiscent of experiences that I've had in my life
Things disliked-
-the portrayal of the parents were really flat and didn't really make sense: they had a bunch of rules that they wanted followed, but then spent all their energy on grounding Gina, instead of . . . actually parenting? there was also some inconsistency/confusion with the backstory, and their motivation didn't really make sense (for being as "wanting what's best for you" they were really fast at grounding her without listening to her?)
-it was . . . very horny, for lack of a better term. Gina spent 60% of the book thinking about her crush and most of the drama was about this boy, and her youth group friends' drama, as youth group kids are wont to do. It was just . . . a lot and not a period of time in my life that I want to revisit.
Overall, this was a good book with a strong Christian message. In my mind it revealed a lot about the state of the church, and the weaknesses that it has, particularly in reaching youth nowadays, but I would recommend it to middle schoolers/early high schoolers looking for a clean read!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.
This was an indie-published book, which was fairly apparent: some of the writing style was stilted, there were a few plot holes, and some characters had traits that were not congruent with the rest of the book. However for an indie-published book, this was also better done than some others I've read.
The setting was really well done, as well as the internal struggle: overall, Gina was a very relatable character and her struggles were very understandable, which sometimes doesn't happen in books. The story centered around church drama, particularly youth group drama, which I personally have mild PTSD from, so it was a bit unpleasant to read, but that also meant that it was well done.
It also accurately portrayed that uncomfortable romantic/sex drive that 14-16 year olds have, where every living moment was spent crushing on someone, which was very uncomfortable but also very real. I was a little surprised that Gina wasn't homeschooled--it would have really tied together the Christian girl narrative--but it worked for the plot line.
Note: the word pissed does occur in this book, as well as a lot of male/female hugs, thinking about getting in a relationship, rumors of people hooking up/making out, and hanging out with a boy unchaperoned, none of which bother me but if you are looking for content warnings, there they are.
Things liked-
-the main character, Gina was done well! her internal conflict and her thoughts all made sense, and I could see where her internal motivations lay
-the storyline was coherent and made sense, and I enjoyed following along
-the setting was very realistic, and it was very reminiscent of experiences that I've had in my life
Things disliked-
-the portrayal of the parents were really flat and didn't really make sense: they had a bunch of rules that they wanted followed, but then spent all their energy on grounding Gina, instead of . . . actually parenting? there was also some inconsistency/confusion with the backstory, and their motivation didn't really make sense (for being as "wanting what's best for you" they were really fast at grounding her without listening to her?)
-it was . . . very horny, for lack of a better term. Gina spent 60% of the book thinking about her crush and most of the drama was about this boy, and her youth group friends' drama, as youth group kids are wont to do. It was just . . . a lot and not a period of time in my life that I want to revisit.
Overall, this was a good book with a strong Christian message. In my mind it revealed a lot about the state of the church, and the weaknesses that it has, particularly in reaching youth nowadays, but I would recommend it to middle schoolers/early high schoolers looking for a clean read!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.
December 12, 2021
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
3.5 Stars! =D
Ahem, I might be a little negative while talking about this book… Nothing is against the author. The author is really sweet, kind, and cool. I just had a few problems with her novel. And all my reviews are my honest opinions, and sometimes those opinions will be different than yours. I still encourage you to give this book series a try. It has a wonderful message and you might like it more than me. I’m always scared while writing negative reviews, as I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I try to do what this job entails, and that is, to be honest.
What I Liked
I really liked Gina’s journey. How she finds out that God loves her the way she is and that she can’t be perfect. That it is a heart thing. I think it is a very important message in today’s society. Nowadays, churches and Christians alike are either too strict or not strict enough. And the thing is that it is God’s opinion that matters. God understands that we can’t always be there for everyone at all times. We’re human. Does He want to be kind and to help others? Of course! But God also wants us to be ourselves. Changed because of him, but still ourselves. I mean, He did love us before we were Christians too. But that doesn’t mean that we should do wrong things either. God still wants us to do the right things for others. So we should put our focus on what God wants us to do.
I also liked the romance that Gina has with Joel. I thought it was kinda cute. I do wish that we got to see more of it though.
Joel was awesome. I liked how he was there for his mom. How he tried to get Gina to slow down and be herself. How he lived for God’s opinion rather than everyone else’s. How he was carefree. He was the best character in the book. He still made mistakes, but he also wasn’t a jerk. I liked him a lot.
I liked that this book has Joel talk about how it is okay to learn about things like Greek mythology as long as you don’t treat it as anything more than just stories and history.
I liked that Gina went to talk to her parents about what was going on. It took her awhile to do so, but I thought it was a important thing to show in this novel.
The beginning of the novel has kind of a rough start. But it does start to get going a little better around the middle. I just wish it had more descriptions though.
What I Didn’t Like
Also known as my rant.
I knew what the author was trying to do. Trying to write about a character who was trying to do everything and feeling overwhelmed. A character trying to be perfect. The huge problem with writing a character like this though is if you’re not careful you fall into the trap of writing an over-the-top complaining character who is unlikable and makes most of the other characters unlikeable as well. And the author fell into this trap. And unfortunately, it makes this novel fall flat instead of making it the masterpiece that it could have been.
I think that the main reason why the main character makes me feel this way is that this book does a lot of telling rather than showing. The book skips around a lot, especially in the beginning, and doesn’t give us very good descriptions. If the book spent more time showing us Gina’s situation by spending more time in each area and giving us more descriptions, I think it would’ve done this plot wonders.
Plus, Gina is supposed to have a best friend. I really wanted to have seen her more. Maybe by having the friend realize how overwhelmed Gina was and offer her a girls night out or something like that. What I’m trying to get at is that this book needed more likable characters. By only making Joel a saint made this book a disaster. I think that other teenage girls will think that they will need a man to help them make their lives better rather than the message that this book was trying to bring. I did like how this book had Gina talk to her parents about what was going on. But throughout most of the novel they didn’t seem too supportive which kind of bothered me. And none of her friends were really there either which bothered me a lot.
But back to showing. I was really confused by Gina’s past. At first, I thought that she was raised by her mother before she came to live with her adopted family, but then it comes out that Gina just doesn’t like her mother because she gave her up. I get that, I really do. But I wish that the novel was clear about that in the very beginning. This wasn’t a huge reveal or plot twist. The character already knew the past and the book was written in her POV. The novel literally misled me to believe something way different. I don’t like being misled like that. It kind of feels like the author didn’t really know the back story while writing this novel and added it in as a second thought.
Drama Queen
You heard of the term drama queen? Right? Basically an over-the-top performance. Another term is teen drama, but I don’t like to use that term as much as it puts teens in a bad light. But anyway, there is a scene where they are going to this retreat or something out in the middle of nowhere. And they get lost. And the guy driving loses it and slams his head against the steering wheel and almost hits the car into something. The scene just really makes me mad, alright?
Plus, Gina always calls her real mother by “her”. And the word is always in bold and in italics. I just laugh whenever I see that. It doesn’t help with the plot. It doesn’t show us why her mother is so disliked. It is another drama queen performance. I would have liked it better if you were shown at the very start why Gina doesn’t like her mother.
Tropes
The love triangle, brought to you by your crush.
The mean popular girl, brought to you by my pet peeve.
Enemies to lovers, brought to you by “what did that kid even do?” No seriously. What did Joel do to get the cold shoulder? He literally just existed, just walked down the hall. And Gina is like: “So you have chosen death?” The poor kid didn’t deserve that and I really disliked Gina making him her enemy. I did like the romance, but not what they were before that.
Content in the Book
1. Almost crashing a car because of over-the-top drama.
2. Talk about homeless people and how their kids are sometimes abused. Not detailed.
3. Drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Homeless people. Not detailed.
4. Someone who is bipolar.
Review first seen on my blog here: https://gracemmorris.wordpress.com/20...
3.5 Stars! =D
Ahem, I might be a little negative while talking about this book… Nothing is against the author. The author is really sweet, kind, and cool. I just had a few problems with her novel. And all my reviews are my honest opinions, and sometimes those opinions will be different than yours. I still encourage you to give this book series a try. It has a wonderful message and you might like it more than me. I’m always scared while writing negative reviews, as I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I try to do what this job entails, and that is, to be honest.
What I Liked
I really liked Gina’s journey. How she finds out that God loves her the way she is and that she can’t be perfect. That it is a heart thing. I think it is a very important message in today’s society. Nowadays, churches and Christians alike are either too strict or not strict enough. And the thing is that it is God’s opinion that matters. God understands that we can’t always be there for everyone at all times. We’re human. Does He want to be kind and to help others? Of course! But God also wants us to be ourselves. Changed because of him, but still ourselves. I mean, He did love us before we were Christians too. But that doesn’t mean that we should do wrong things either. God still wants us to do the right things for others. So we should put our focus on what God wants us to do.
I also liked the romance that Gina has with Joel. I thought it was kinda cute. I do wish that we got to see more of it though.
Joel was awesome. I liked how he was there for his mom. How he tried to get Gina to slow down and be herself. How he lived for God’s opinion rather than everyone else’s. How he was carefree. He was the best character in the book. He still made mistakes, but he also wasn’t a jerk. I liked him a lot.
I liked that this book has Joel talk about how it is okay to learn about things like Greek mythology as long as you don’t treat it as anything more than just stories and history.
I liked that Gina went to talk to her parents about what was going on. It took her awhile to do so, but I thought it was a important thing to show in this novel.
The beginning of the novel has kind of a rough start. But it does start to get going a little better around the middle. I just wish it had more descriptions though.
What I Didn’t Like
Also known as my rant.
I knew what the author was trying to do. Trying to write about a character who was trying to do everything and feeling overwhelmed. A character trying to be perfect. The huge problem with writing a character like this though is if you’re not careful you fall into the trap of writing an over-the-top complaining character who is unlikable and makes most of the other characters unlikeable as well. And the author fell into this trap. And unfortunately, it makes this novel fall flat instead of making it the masterpiece that it could have been.
I think that the main reason why the main character makes me feel this way is that this book does a lot of telling rather than showing. The book skips around a lot, especially in the beginning, and doesn’t give us very good descriptions. If the book spent more time showing us Gina’s situation by spending more time in each area and giving us more descriptions, I think it would’ve done this plot wonders.
Plus, Gina is supposed to have a best friend. I really wanted to have seen her more. Maybe by having the friend realize how overwhelmed Gina was and offer her a girls night out or something like that. What I’m trying to get at is that this book needed more likable characters. By only making Joel a saint made this book a disaster. I think that other teenage girls will think that they will need a man to help them make their lives better rather than the message that this book was trying to bring. I did like how this book had Gina talk to her parents about what was going on. But throughout most of the novel they didn’t seem too supportive which kind of bothered me. And none of her friends were really there either which bothered me a lot.
But back to showing. I was really confused by Gina’s past. At first, I thought that she was raised by her mother before she came to live with her adopted family, but then it comes out that Gina just doesn’t like her mother because she gave her up. I get that, I really do. But I wish that the novel was clear about that in the very beginning. This wasn’t a huge reveal or plot twist. The character already knew the past and the book was written in her POV. The novel literally misled me to believe something way different. I don’t like being misled like that. It kind of feels like the author didn’t really know the back story while writing this novel and added it in as a second thought.
Drama Queen
You heard of the term drama queen? Right? Basically an over-the-top performance. Another term is teen drama, but I don’t like to use that term as much as it puts teens in a bad light. But anyway, there is a scene where they are going to this retreat or something out in the middle of nowhere. And they get lost. And the guy driving loses it and slams his head against the steering wheel and almost hits the car into something. The scene just really makes me mad, alright?
Plus, Gina always calls her real mother by “her”. And the word is always in bold and in italics. I just laugh whenever I see that. It doesn’t help with the plot. It doesn’t show us why her mother is so disliked. It is another drama queen performance. I would have liked it better if you were shown at the very start why Gina doesn’t like her mother.
Tropes
The love triangle, brought to you by your crush.
The mean popular girl, brought to you by my pet peeve.
Enemies to lovers, brought to you by “what did that kid even do?” No seriously. What did Joel do to get the cold shoulder? He literally just existed, just walked down the hall. And Gina is like: “So you have chosen death?” The poor kid didn’t deserve that and I really disliked Gina making him her enemy. I did like the romance, but not what they were before that.
Content in the Book
1. Almost crashing a car because of over-the-top drama.
2. Talk about homeless people and how their kids are sometimes abused. Not detailed.
3. Drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Homeless people. Not detailed.
4. Someone who is bipolar.
Review first seen on my blog here: https://gracemmorris.wordpress.com/20...
September 26, 2020
Perfect was on my TBR list for a while. When scrolling through tons and tons of books that I had been wanting to read, I stopped on this book. Now at first, I thought about skipping over this book and coming back to it at a later date but I couldn't help myself. I was afraid this book would be a cheesy book that I would end up not finishing. Here is the thing though, I was drawn to the beautiful cover and the summary which captured my thoughts so I had to read this book. Boy was I glad that I did.
Perfect is the first book in the Perfect series. This series is a series that I feel as though every teenage girl can connect with. We might not be the pastor's daughter who is always going out of her way to help others but in many ways, I strive to be perfect. I strive to have the perfect grades, to be able to perfectly help my friends and family when they ask and when I fail to do so I feel like I have done something wrong. That I should have been able to do everything perfectly. I have already told a few of my friends about this book because I feel like at the age we are right now this book is something we can connect with perfectly.
The thing that I love the most about this book is that even though it is fiction it is based on Woods's life. It makes it a based on a true story Christian read. I feel as though this helped the book to not turn out cheesy and boring. The depth that Woods was able to give Gina was because she was in Gina's shoes at one point. Now Woods did not write Gina's story to be exactly like hers. Wood's used key things that happened or that was said in her life to helping in developing Gina.
Overall this has been one of the best books I have read. I could not put this book down and for the hour that I read this book, I felt as though I was Gina. The only thing I struggled with was how short this read was. I felt as though I had just started to see Gina's heart. I felt as though when we finally got to understand why Gina strived to be perfect and then the book was put to an end. This saddened me, I sat staring at my phone and all I could think was this is not the end. This cannot be the end. Well, it was, but I found out that the next book comes out on October 18! I cannot wait for the next book! I truly fell in love with the story Woods wrote and I cannot wait to read Alone.
Perfect is the first book in the Perfect series. This series is a series that I feel as though every teenage girl can connect with. We might not be the pastor's daughter who is always going out of her way to help others but in many ways, I strive to be perfect. I strive to have the perfect grades, to be able to perfectly help my friends and family when they ask and when I fail to do so I feel like I have done something wrong. That I should have been able to do everything perfectly. I have already told a few of my friends about this book because I feel like at the age we are right now this book is something we can connect with perfectly.
The thing that I love the most about this book is that even though it is fiction it is based on Woods's life. It makes it a based on a true story Christian read. I feel as though this helped the book to not turn out cheesy and boring. The depth that Woods was able to give Gina was because she was in Gina's shoes at one point. Now Woods did not write Gina's story to be exactly like hers. Wood's used key things that happened or that was said in her life to helping in developing Gina.
Overall this has been one of the best books I have read. I could not put this book down and for the hour that I read this book, I felt as though I was Gina. The only thing I struggled with was how short this read was. I felt as though I had just started to see Gina's heart. I felt as though when we finally got to understand why Gina strived to be perfect and then the book was put to an end. This saddened me, I sat staring at my phone and all I could think was this is not the end. This cannot be the end. Well, it was, but I found out that the next book comes out on October 18! I cannot wait for the next book! I truly fell in love with the story Woods wrote and I cannot wait to read Alone.
September 21, 2020
The book is one I think every teen should read. It deals with a teenage girl who struggles with self esteem. Gina tries to please everyone and has a hard time saying no. Her dad is a pastor and that makes it harder on Gina. My dad also was a pastor and we were expected to be seen and not heard. The pressure was on us daily as our lives were scrutinized by the congregation. I felt bad for Gina as she tries to juggle school, church and a social life.
The story is a realistic look at how much pressure it is to think you have to be perfect. In the story it deals with bullying and jealousy which I’m sure everyone has dealt with in their lives. It is hard to please everyone and Gina’s friend Joel tells her, “Be the person God created you to be.” There is a part in the book that talks about adoption which helped me understand how hard Gina has been on herself.
I really liked Joel and thought he helped Gina see herself as Jesus does. He is very encouraging to Gina and I enjoyed reading how their friendship blossomed. Joel has his own struggles at home which I was hoping the author would expand on a little more. We do get a glimpse of what Joel’s home life is and how much he cares about his family.
The story has a good theme of trying to be perfect. It is a vicious cycle that some of us go through. The enemy wants us to think we aren’t good enough so he can keep us from Gods plan for our lives. It doesn’t matter what people think of us because “God’s opinion is the only one that matters.”
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
The story is a realistic look at how much pressure it is to think you have to be perfect. In the story it deals with bullying and jealousy which I’m sure everyone has dealt with in their lives. It is hard to please everyone and Gina’s friend Joel tells her, “Be the person God created you to be.” There is a part in the book that talks about adoption which helped me understand how hard Gina has been on herself.
I really liked Joel and thought he helped Gina see herself as Jesus does. He is very encouraging to Gina and I enjoyed reading how their friendship blossomed. Joel has his own struggles at home which I was hoping the author would expand on a little more. We do get a glimpse of what Joel’s home life is and how much he cares about his family.
The story has a good theme of trying to be perfect. It is a vicious cycle that some of us go through. The enemy wants us to think we aren’t good enough so he can keep us from Gods plan for our lives. It doesn’t matter what people think of us because “God’s opinion is the only one that matters.”
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
September 24, 2020
Wow. There is a powerful premise in this book. I’m a people-pleaser myself. I know this about me. Often, I lose myself as well. But I know this and will take time to find where my own compass lies.
I really loved this book. It reads quickly and is relatable. The author does a great job making it seem real and that is probably because she infuses part of her own life and experiences into the story in a subtle way.
This is a wonderful read for teenagers. It shares how you don’t have to be perfect even if you’re a Christian. We all make mistakes and mess up sometimes but that doesn’t make us any less in God’s eyes. No one is perfect. While I disagree and think we are an example, we are an example of how to fail and rise and try again. We are an example of how man became imperfect with the fall.
Great read. Definitely, one I recommend on the shelves of every church, library, and home. While this is written for girls if you have a boy who enjoys these books it pertains too. This is an issue across the board of gender. People-pleasing is something that a lot of people do and maybe don’t even realize it.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
I really loved this book. It reads quickly and is relatable. The author does a great job making it seem real and that is probably because she infuses part of her own life and experiences into the story in a subtle way.
This is a wonderful read for teenagers. It shares how you don’t have to be perfect even if you’re a Christian. We all make mistakes and mess up sometimes but that doesn’t make us any less in God’s eyes. No one is perfect. While I disagree and think we are an example, we are an example of how to fail and rise and try again. We are an example of how man became imperfect with the fall.
Great read. Definitely, one I recommend on the shelves of every church, library, and home. While this is written for girls if you have a boy who enjoys these books it pertains too. This is an issue across the board of gender. People-pleasing is something that a lot of people do and maybe don’t even realize it.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
September 26, 2020
Perfect" by Nancy E. Wood is a really good book and I really can't wait till the other books in this series come out.
This book is a YA book , but I really liked it. This novel was about Gina learning that God loved her even when she wasn't perfect. This book should be read by everyone that pretends to be other than they are so that other people like us and not see our faults. and doesn't that include most of us.
This books deals with family problems and some bullying.
I recommend this book and I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.
I am debating on whether to include the truths that really enforced the truths I learning about God's love. I am sixty years old and am just now understanding the real love God has for us. I want everyone to understand that God loves us as we are before they reach my age. I will leave this review for now, but might be back later to add the truths, but I am thinking maybe not because I want you to read this book and discover the truths that Gina learns .
This book is a YA book , but I really liked it. This novel was about Gina learning that God loved her even when she wasn't perfect. This book should be read by everyone that pretends to be other than they are so that other people like us and not see our faults. and doesn't that include most of us.
This books deals with family problems and some bullying.
I recommend this book and I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.
I am debating on whether to include the truths that really enforced the truths I learning about God's love. I am sixty years old and am just now understanding the real love God has for us. I want everyone to understand that God loves us as we are before they reach my age. I will leave this review for now, but might be back later to add the truths, but I am thinking maybe not because I want you to read this book and discover the truths that Gina learns .
September 28, 2020
What an amazing book to read. This is the first book that I have read by this author - and I will be looking for the other books in the series. While this is geared toward teenage girls - the message that comes across is meant for anyone. Most women (and a lot of teenage girls) struggle with self esteem. Am I thin enough? Am I pretty enough? Are my teeth straight enough? The main character in this story, Gina is also a PK (Pastor's kid) so there is a lot of pressure with that. She is also a people pleaser and juggled a whole lot of different hats. There is immense stress in all of that. One of the best things of this book is the message. The overall message in this book is that God loves you even though you are not perfect. There is only one perfect human, Jesus. I know that I beat myself up sometimes because I feel like I fall short - this was a great God 2x4.
This book is well written, God spoken, has real feeling characters and gives an amazing message.
I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program --- all thoughts are my own.
This book is well written, God spoken, has real feeling characters and gives an amazing message.
I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program --- all thoughts are my own.
September 8, 2020
The main character, Gina has a habit of journaling her thoughts. Each chapter begins with her thoughts on her journal.
Everybody expects Gina to be the perfect pastor’s kid but they dont understand the turmoil and unspoken words in her heart.
I was overwhelmed by the activities Gina had to juggle because she hates disappointing others. I wanted to shout into the book “Girl,slow down before you crash your body system with too much works”.
I recommend this book to teenage girls battling with self esteem issues and the need to be accepted by the society. It is okay to be yourself. You don’t have to be hundred percent perfect.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to read the next book “Different” coming out next year, 2021.
My favourite characters are Gina and Joel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.
Everybody expects Gina to be the perfect pastor’s kid but they dont understand the turmoil and unspoken words in her heart.
I was overwhelmed by the activities Gina had to juggle because she hates disappointing others. I wanted to shout into the book “Girl,slow down before you crash your body system with too much works”.
I recommend this book to teenage girls battling with self esteem issues and the need to be accepted by the society. It is okay to be yourself. You don’t have to be hundred percent perfect.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to read the next book “Different” coming out next year, 2021.
My favourite characters are Gina and Joel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.
October 5, 2020
This book is meant for YA and fits perfectly for that, but it has a message that resonated with me as well. Making everyone happy and focusing on others happiness can be draining and more harmful than good. The author did a good job of making the story and the characters realistic and relatable.
Perfection is an impossibility and would be impossible to maintain. Joel was good for Gina. I think everyone needs someone like him in their life and less backstabbing 'friends'. There can always be forgiveness and healing, but things really would never be the same. Overall it was a good book that I plan to share with my teenage niece and my daughter when she gets a bit older.
Its a 4/5 for me.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review coy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
Perfection is an impossibility and would be impossible to maintain. Joel was good for Gina. I think everyone needs someone like him in their life and less backstabbing 'friends'. There can always be forgiveness and healing, but things really would never be the same. Overall it was a good book that I plan to share with my teenage niece and my daughter when she gets a bit older.
Its a 4/5 for me.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review coy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
August 5, 2020
Gina caught my heart from page one!
She tries so hard to please everyone, a problem many of us know all too well. She follows her parents' rules, helps her peers with homework, and works at church because she knows they need her help. But the problem is her determination to remain perfect is challenged by the new guy, Joel, at church. He seems to find her issues amusing, and it makes Gina mad. Add to that an unrequited crush on the worship pastor's son Brandon and more family issues, and Gina is in misery. Her adventures take her beyond her comfort zone and challenge her beliefs that she must set an unrealistic example as the pastor's daughter. This young adult book is playful and romantic.
I highly recommend it for girls who find themselves caught in a people-pleasing lifestyle.
She tries so hard to please everyone, a problem many of us know all too well. She follows her parents' rules, helps her peers with homework, and works at church because she knows they need her help. But the problem is her determination to remain perfect is challenged by the new guy, Joel, at church. He seems to find her issues amusing, and it makes Gina mad. Add to that an unrequited crush on the worship pastor's son Brandon and more family issues, and Gina is in misery. Her adventures take her beyond her comfort zone and challenge her beliefs that she must set an unrealistic example as the pastor's daughter. This young adult book is playful and romantic.
I highly recommend it for girls who find themselves caught in a people-pleasing lifestyle.
September 9, 2020
I have read and enjoyed Nancy E Wood’s previous work in the past and was excited to have the opportunity to read her newest release, Perfect. I liked this book. Gina is a character that is so relatable that I was felt connected to her and I am sure many other readers will feel the same. Her struggles are real and true to life. I wanted to find out how it would all end for her. I had the whole book read in one sitting, which was time well spent.
I am giving Perfect four and a half stars. I was happy to find out it will part of a series and look forward to the next book titled, Different. I recommend this one for teens and young adults who are needing some faith and inspiration.
I received Perfect from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Perfect four and a half stars. I was happy to find out it will part of a series and look forward to the next book titled, Different. I recommend this one for teens and young adults who are needing some faith and inspiration.
I received Perfect from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
August 14, 2020
This book is packed full of wonderful truths in a wonderful fiction story. It’s a story that young girls NEED, a story that young girls will benefit from, as well their mothers and women of all ages. This was a wonderful book and one I will not only share with my daughter, my friends and their daughters – it’s a story that speaks to the heart of women’s souls. This author is new to me, but I’m so glad I chose to read this. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit but was not under any obligation to write a review. All opinions are strictly mine.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit but was not under any obligation to write a review. All opinions are strictly mine.
September 26, 2020
A preacher’s child lives under a microscope. This book examines the life of a PK from her viewpoint. The expectations both external and internal are tremendous. Relying on family and friends may not be enough. We all need the Lord to help us figure out our life, as this book so clearly explains from a teen’s perspective.
This book was provided through Celebrate Lit and the author for me to read. The opinions expressed are my own.
This book was provided through Celebrate Lit and the author for me to read. The opinions expressed are my own.
September 29, 2020
This book is a beautiful example of how you don't have to be perfect to be loved.
Gina as the preacher's daughter had appearances to keep that were so daunting. My heart broke for Gina and the struggles she went through. I enjoyed reading how God placed people in her life to show her what true love really is.
This is a beautiful story for young girls struggling with being loved and low self-esteem.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
Gina as the preacher's daughter had appearances to keep that were so daunting. My heart broke for Gina and the struggles she went through. I enjoyed reading how God placed people in her life to show her what true love really is.
This is a beautiful story for young girls struggling with being loved and low self-esteem.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
September 25, 2021
3.5 stars
My goodness. I see so much of myself in the protagonist... but also we're really different.
I enjoyed this on a quiet evening after a long day. It was perfect - a nice, light read.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend this... but I'd only recommend it to girls 12-16 anyways.
My goodness. I see so much of myself in the protagonist... but also we're really different.
I enjoyed this on a quiet evening after a long day. It was perfect - a nice, light read.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend this... but I'd only recommend it to girls 12-16 anyways.
April 14, 2022
Had a lot of potential. Nice, clean, cute read but it coulda been more imo.
June 5, 2024
4.4, Finally Finally 😃😃😃 This book was so Good, I loved and needed this reminder so much. I related to Geni so much, my family was also very included into the church ( they were the youth pastors) but then due to god calling them we had to leave and now we are moving so I found her reaction very much like my own, and everything about us wanting to be perfect so much that we create two versions of ourselves was amazing.
The auther did great 😊
Also the faith content was amazing, I read this in like a few hours.
P.S I cried for like half of it
P.P.S I am writing this after teading the rest of the series:
This series gets heavier each book and content becomes more frequent.
I suggest books 2-3 for older readers. But that is only if you need to read them, the last book in my opinion so highly suggest you read my review to see content on that book before reading it.
16/17+
The auther did great 😊
Also the faith content was amazing, I read this in like a few hours.
P.S I cried for like half of it
P.P.S I am writing this after teading the rest of the series:
This series gets heavier each book and content becomes more frequent.
I suggest books 2-3 for older readers. But that is only if you need to read them, the last book in my opinion so highly suggest you read my review to see content on that book before reading it.
16/17+
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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