You Asked for Perfect

Books | Young Adult Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ

3.9

(408)

Laura Silverman

"Wise‚ romantic‚ and painfully relatable."—Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens AgendaFrom acclaimed author Laura Silverman comes a timely novel about a bisexual teen's struggle when academic success and romantic happiness pull him in opposite directions, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Tamara Ireland Stone.Ariel Stone has spent his life cultivating the perfect college résumé: first chair violinist, dedicated volunteer, active synagogue congregant, and expected valedictorian. He barely has time to think about a social life, let alone a relationship...until a failed calculus quiz puts his future on the line, forcing Ariel to enlist his classmate, Amir, as a tutor.As the two spend more time together, Ariel discovers he may not like calculus, but he does like Amir. When he's with Amir, the crushing academic pressure fades away on, and a fuller and brighter world comes into focus. But college deadlines are still looming. And adding a new relationship to his long list of commitments may just push Ariel past his limit.In a time where academic pressure on stressed teens couldn't be higher, You Asked for Perfect is a story full of empathy, honesty and heart for anyone who has ever questioned the price of perfection.The perfect present for readers who want:Books featuring anxiety for teensQueer romanceGay young adult fictionJewish representationPraise for You Asked for Perfect:An ALA Rainbow List Pick2019 Books All Georgians Should Read List2020 Georgia Author of the Year Awards NomineeChicago Public Library's Best Fiction for Older Readers List"Who can resist a heartfelt romance?"—Booklist"Silverman's novel hit me straight in the heart... It was powerful enough to make me want to be a better—yet still imperfect—person."—Bill Konigsberg, author of The Music of What Happens"A coming-of-age novel that will charm readers with its relatable and diverse characters, quirky storyline, and interweaving of faith, queerness, and the everyday lives of seniors navigating the pressures of college applications, grades, and relationships. Heartwarming and engaging."—Kirkus

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More Details:

Author

Laura Silverman

Pages

288

Publisher

Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published Date

2019-03-05

ISBN

1492658286 9781492658283

Community ReviewsSee all

"This book was so real in the way it represented senioritis and also generally struggling with work in school, especially with the expectation on high school students to know who they are and their futures and get great grades and be their own person years before they’ve fully matured. <br/><br/>On that note, as soon as the book started the emotional climax, it started to feel off. I can’t exactly tell what put me off, however it seemed like there was no real resolution and the bare resolution that did exist happened at the snap of a finger. Suddenly, everybody was the narrator’s friend again because they all realized he was struggling with school and playing the violin and being stressed. There was so much build up just for everything to become all good again just like that? I know the narrator mentioned he would have to take time to take the academic load off himself and stop being so arrogant but it seemed like it happened as soon as those words came out of his mouth.<br/><br/>I guess I can say I’m just not satisfied with the book’s emotional climax and ending. Other than that, the book was pretty good."

Reykjavik Randelle Salvador

"I’ve had this book on my tbr for so long and I have no idea why it took me so long to finally read it. I originally got it on audible because my favorite narrator was the one reading it and the story sounded really interesting. I really loved this book! I think the message that no matter how put together everyone else seems compared to you, you don’t actually know what’s going on with them and what they’re going through so you can’t compare yourself to people. And I think that’s especially important for teenagers that are struggling to figure out who they are when everyone is telling them they have to make all the decisions, for the rest of their lives, right now. The pressure to be perfect can be suffocating and can make you forget about the little things that make life so beautiful. Not everything is about the end goal because once you get there, you don’t want to look back and regret all of the fun you missed with the people you love."