DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

Somehow I hadn’t heard pretty much anything about this book, but I did end somehow end up with both an egalley and a review audiobook. Still, I had the feeling this would be good because Dahlia loved it, and she knows what’s up. We Are the Perfect Girl is a book that builds from a beginning where you think you know what’s going to happen, which turns out to be right and wrong in the best ways. It’s a book I haven’t stopped thinking about since I finished it a week ago, which, let me tell you, is notable.

It wasn’t instalove with We Are the Perfect Girl. I mean, I liked it from the start, but I just wasn’t totally sure if I would like where it was going. Aphra’s got a strong, judgmental, highly relatable personality, but her relationship with her best friend Bethany was a mess and a half. Adding in the often problematic Cyrano romance elements seemed like it could make this book take some unpleasant turns. Thankfully, that’s absolutely not what happens. Well, it is, but in the good way. It reminds me somewhat of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in the way that it unpacks all the problematic elements and investigates the mental health issues that underlie them.

We Are the Perfect Girl has romance, but it’s less of a romance than I was expecting. For once, that was totally a good thing. Cyrano de Bergerac is kinda fucked up, and I love the way that Ariel Kaplan focused in not on Aphra and Greg but on the friendship between Aphra and Bethany, because, to come up with a plan like this one, clearly all is not right in the state of Denmark.

Aphra and Bethany have been friends since childhood, because bombastic, outspoken Aphra defended the incredibly shy Bethany. Through the years, though, their relationship has shifted into something slightly unhealthy. Bethany leans on Aphra heavily, too scared to talk to others, and Bethany’s jealous of her friends beauty and unable to understand her shyness. The disconnect between the two is apparent when Aphra keeps asking why Bethany doesn’t just talk, exactly the wrong thing to say to a person who’s shy of talking. But outgoing Bethany can’t fathom why Bethany makes everything so difficult on herself when all she’d need to do is talk just a little to win everyone over with her gorgeousness.

Unlike the original story, Aphra and Bethany don’t team up to win Greg for Bethany. She just asks Aphra for help with him, and Aphra agrees, despite having a crush on him herself. Meanwhile, Aphra kinda accidentally starts talking to him online, in the guise of her mobile app that kinda totally failed, and then kinda accidentally lets him believe he’s talking to Bethany. This is another reason the start of the book made me nervous, because she made so many bad, unhealthy choices. They do feel true to Bethany, though, and Kaplan resolves things really well, which essentially means that most of those bad choices explode in her face and she has to learn about herself and deal with the fallout.

What We Are the Perfect Girl ends up unpacking is Aphra’s incredibly low self-esteem, something even she didn’t realize was a thing because of how confident she is socially. Because she’s loud and social, she appears confident, but she’s not at all. What you see on the surface isn’t all of a person. Aphra’s confident interacting with others, sure, but she believes down to her bones that no one will ever love her romantically because she’s not beautiful in a traditional way.

Up to this point, I’ve never read a book that focused so strongly on body dysmorphia, and that’s why this book hit me so hard. I knew that I had some dysmorphia issues, but it wasn’t until I was nodding along to everything she said to her therapist who then told her how severe her case was that I realized exactly how bad it was. Obviously it’s not great to realize that, but it’s always better to be armed. Anyway, let’s just say that it was all super relatable and the representation felt completely accurate to me. Also, I thought the subplot of Aphra’s relationship with her sister, who has had a nose job to “fix” her large nose that used to look just like Aphra’s, was done so, so well. And the fact that it all ties in to the way she reacted to her project going wrong because perfection is the only way to maybe fool people into liking you? *kisses fingers and also cries bc UGH I HAVE BEEN THERE*

Aphra’s in therapy throughout the entire novel. Her parents sent her because of her harsh reaction to her sister’s plastic surgery. What I like is that you get to see the breakthrough happen and also that you know how long it took for her to get there, because Aphra wasn’t ready or maybe able to open up until that point. Some people expect therapy to take immediate affect, and I think it’s really important that this book is showing that it truly is a process, one that’s often very slow.

I loved this book. It’s witty, incisive, painful, and makes something new and original out of Cyrano, a romantic set up which gets done a lot. I’d recommend particularly to fans of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or people who enjoyed Winner Take All. Basically, if you like strong, powerful, flawed women learning about their mental health, this is for you.

Oh boy was this book a hot mess. But in the best way. I didn't know how to feel about Aphra lying to Greg or to Bethany but I couldn't help falling in love with Aphra and Greg. It was so hard to watch them not be together and see Aphra put her feelings on the back burner time after time.

Is it too much to ask to get a sequel or another dimension where Aphra and Greg can be together? Because that is all I want.

I really enjoyed this book up to a point . It was interesting to see this girl dealing with her weight but then I wasn't feeling this book. so its a DNF . thanks for letting me read this book . I found that it was interesting that she was trying to be perfect .

We Are the Perfect Girl is a must-read of 2019. Featuring incredible character development, complex families and friendships, and a little bit of romance (if you squint at the end), it’s one of my new favorite novels. From the beginning, I was intrigued by the fact that this is a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. I love reading YA novelizations of plays. It’s interesting to see how authors interpret characters and translate the themes into a modern setting. Silverman completely succeeded in capturing my attention.

I had to reread this book twice before I could write any sort of review. I cried both times—I have little in common with Aphra, but I identified with her just the same, and couldn’t help but love her by the end. She’s incredibly complex, and though sometimes she makes questionable choices, you can’t help but root for her. I loved reading about how she viewed herself in relation to her loved ones. A big part of this novel is about self esteem, and Aphra learning to both stand up for herself and also think about other people, which is an easily relatable struggle for readers. She is simultaneously assertive and selfless, and it hurt so much every time Aphra chose to prioritize someone else over herself. Characters like Aphra, who who learn from their mistakes and self reflect over the course of a novel, are easily some of my favorites to read because they give the reader a chance to understand them in a way we often can’t with other real-world people.

As she’s written, Aphra is a really natural teenager. I noticed this especially in her crush on Greg—her observations, the things she remembers and references about him might seem inconsequential to anyone else, but those details matter so much to her. That’s very authentic, and Kaplan has truly captured a teen voice in Aphra. A high point of the book is its humor. Aphra's chat transcripts were genuinely funny, as was much of the narration. I laughed out loud at the “eat-the-pilot” scene, as well as many others. The clever writing and fresh dialogue hit the mark every time, which is especially important in this story and balanced out some of the heavy emotions and raw insecurities that Silverman explored.

I love the balance between Aphra, her friendships, and her family. Each relationship is so complex and given equal attention. I think my favorite dynamic is between Aphra and Bethany. They are the main characters, but I think a great choice of narration is the first person perspective solely for Aphra. It truly emphasizes some of the more unhealthy aspects of their relationship, as well as giving a window into all the good times they’ve had together. Aphra makes some questionable choices, but while I was reading I could tell the foundation of their friendship was solid. This gave me constant hope that Aphra and Bethany would be honest with each other and learn to properly communicate, which would make for an even better best-friendship.

Aphra’s family seems tough to live with, but I enjoyed seeing her relationship with them grow through the book. The sibling relationships especially got me. Kit is a super cute younger brother, and I liked that he and Aphra had a good relationship. She and Delia, however, is another story. They have a fraught relationship that turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the book, showing how family members’ choices can have a real effect on people. I was constantly rooting for Aphra and Delia to communicate and work towards understanding one another.

In terms of plot, the natural tension of whether Bethany and Greg will find out about Aphra’s deception is fantastic. Kaplan has such a great way of turning up the dial every time you think Aphra’s off the hook. I waffled between savoring every scene and wanting to find out what happened next, every time. Of course, some plot points are easy to predict because of the retelling aspect, but Aphra is a great character and narrator, and it was a joy to read her perspective on the events. That made the book feel new and original.

My favorite part of the book that isn’t about character or plot is probably the positive representation of mental health professionals. I liked that Aphra went to therapy and respected her need to be there. She also showed real improvement, which is positive messaging in and of itself. I like the notion in novels that young adults can’t solve every mental health problem themselves. One thing that always angers me is when characters try to love each other out of their issues. No! Therapy! Talk to adults! Silverman totally gets this, and Aphra is all the better for it. I think mental health professionals are extremely underrepresented in YA books, but I hope that trend is coming to a close.

I cried throughout the last two chapters of this novel. The ending is so emotionally resonant, and I think readers leave Aphra in a fantastic place. I grew to love her so much over the course of the story, and it was so rewarding to watch her grow and display vulnerability in the way she ends with. Finishing the novel, reading those last few pages… I felt like I was in a world of my own. By the end, loving Aphra felt like self-love, in a way. I couldn’t help but adore how Silverman closed out the story, but I also wished I could have more! I will definitely be rereading We Are the Perfect Girl for years to come. It earns 5/5 stars for me. My only regret is that I can’t rate it higher.

I wanted to like this book. Truly I did. But it didn’t work out for me. I expected more and it just fell flat.

I loved this book. Banter was on point and it's always nice to see so much growth for the main character.

This was such a fun and cute contemporary read! perfect for enjoying by the pool this summer. loved it a lot.

This book is so cute! I laughed out loud.
From the blurb, I was expecting the whole story to focus on the romantic triangle, but I was pleasantly surprised that Aphra had a full life and multiple relationships that all took front and center at different times.
It was refreshingly realistic that there were no easy answers at the end of the story.
I can't wait to read more from this author.

I would give this book 3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed Ariel Kaplan’s writing style and I found myself hooked and engaged through the entire book.
Some plusses of the novel were that it had good character development and we were able to see how the characters developed and grew into each other which I enjoyed. Though I did feel like some supporting characters were a bit hollow and not fully fleshed out, I think that overall the author did a good job.
What I did not like was the insta-love, it was just so cringe. These are highschoolers who have been dating for two weeks but all of a sudden they are deeply in love with each other? That is highly suspect.
Another problem with the book was the timing as I felt like the book was a bit too short so it ended up with the overall story being rushed and the characters weren’t well explored. and I felt that the resolution was reached too quickly without much of a problem.

Thoughtful and funny! An insightful and articulate take on love, family, friendship, and self. Highly recommended.

This book was so much more than I expected when I started to read it. Full of humor and heart, this modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is just perfect. It is a story of mistakes that lead to heartbreak and pain, though intentions are honest and pure. Aphra is a junior who is working on a project for her coding class. She has created an app that will respond to human questions. When she realizes her long time crush Greg is messaging her, she begins to bond with him. Through some little hiccups, Greg draws the conclusion that he has been talking to Aphra's bestie, Bethany (who has a crush on Greg). As the story moves forward, Aphra has to deal with her feelings about Greg and the role she plays in her personal relationships. Meanwhile Aphra is also dealing with her family and changes that have taken place and are currently taking place. This is a story about acceptance of ones self and I love the way the author used counseling in a positive way for Aphra to move through some of her issues. This story deals with love and friendship in a heavy and heartfelt way. This story is funny and full of witty, loveable characters. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Aphra had experienced many kinds of love. She had been showered with lots of "storge" (familial love) from her family, and was lucky enough to share scads of "philia" (brotherly love) with her best friend, Bethany, but Aphra was longing to experience that elusive "eros" - romantic love. She wanted a boy to look at her and really see her, but all they seemed to notice was her not-so-attractive nose. Therefore, she was left watching as her best friend embarked on a relationship with her years long crush, and Aphra may have had a hand in making it happen.

• Pro: Kaplan writes books I enjoy reading, and this one was a clear hit for me. The characters, the story, the banter, the feels -- it was all there. Not only was the story entertaining, it was thoughtful and thought provoking.

• Pro: Aphra, how I adored thee! I loved her bravado and her can do attitude so much. She was so witty and funny, and often left me in stitches. But, Aphra was also a young woman trying to not let the beauty standard get her down, and there were times it did. Those times, when she showed her vulnerability were heartbreaking, and I may have gotten a little emotional and wanted to hug her.

• Pro: Though they experienced a few bumps during the course of this story, Aphra and Bethany enjoyed a beautiful friendship, and in the end, philia conquered all.

• Pro: I thought Kaplan did an incredible job with this retelling. It was very true to the original, but also fresh and new. I liked that she focused more on the friendship, and how it evolved as Aphra and Bethany worked through this covert-love-triangle situation.

• Pro: The exploration of the beauty standard and how it affected Aphra was accomplished quite well. I especially liked, that much of that happened with the guidance of Aphra's therapist, who was yet another fantastic character.

• Pro: There was something really beautiful about the ending, and the choices Kaplan made. When I was telling my co-blogger about it, she agreed, it was a nice choice. There was this one loose end, I would have liked tied up, but it only left me a tiny bit wanting, and didn't diminish the value of the ending.

Overall: A wonderful, and often humorous tale of one young woman's journey to realizing her self worth isn't tied to her physical beauty.

I loved this book! I will be recommending it to all my young adult readers! Thank you for this opportunity to connect books to their readers.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book so much! There's so many things about it that are just perfect.

The writing is so clever and heartfelt. It addresses serious topics like therapy but it also has humorous moments that will make you laugh out loud. I liked how lighthearted it was while giving readers a smart and honest look at female friendships and self-love.

The book is mainly about friendship and I really liked how it showed that friendship and romantic love are both just as important.

Most importantly, it gives teens who are struggling to accept and love themselves the story of a girl who makes mistakes and continues to fight through it for a chance to begin again.

The book was humorous and lighthearted while also being authentic and powerful. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The reason behind grabbing myself an ARC of this book is actually quite funny. I knew I was going to need a pick-me-up after watching Avengers: End Game, so I turned to this book, in hopes it would lift my spirits. [Which, hey, I totally did need after curling up into a ball and crying!]

For the youngins who never experienced Gerard Depardieu's Cyrano de Bergerac—you missed out—also you need to watch it. I loved this movie when I was little. I fell head over heels for Gerard in this version and therefore when I saw this retelling of the story I jumped at the opportunity to read it!

This is a modern day/gender bent twist to the story. It's quirky, it's funny, and most importantly it is relatable. It touches on some heavy things in sometimes lighter ways, without overly shifting the light-hearted mood.

I absolutely adored Aphra. I felt for her and could understand her. And while this is a 'romantic' retelling, and romance is in it, it really focuses on the friendship between Aphra and Bethany. How much they mean to one another, how their friendship has and does evolve. The most fascinating thing was watching if their relationship makes it through the trials and tribulations of the events that take place.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I didn't want to put it down. 4 savvy crowns! :)

I adore Aphra and everyone else sucks. Okay, maybe that's a little harsh. But not too far off how I was left feeling at the end of this.

I haven't read anything else by this author, but I am interested in checking out her other work after reading this. This book was funny, fast paced, and very relatable. It tackled some more serious issues as well, but managed to remain interesting and engaging throughout. I had trouble putting this book down, and was sad when it was over. This is a satisfying stand alone, but I would totally read more about these characters. *Or at least Aphra. :P

To be honest, I love love loved Aphra. I loved her narrative voice. I enjoyed seeing her confidence in her abilities and how she encouraged others. Yes, she had her issues. But she was genuinely working on those. And honestly, I still think she got ripped off in the end. She was there for and supporting basically the entire cast of characters, cheerfully and willingly, the whole time. Sure maybe they didn't explicitly ask her to every single time, although sometimes they did. But these people were obviously failing and she was just helping pick up the slack. And for some reason at the end everyone seemed to think she was in the wrong for doing that? It infuriated me when her mom was saying that she was too involved in Kit's life? Like WHAT did you just say to me woman? Dude, maybe if you were taking care of your own child, his sister wouldn't have felt the need to step in. She's 17. Is she just supposed to be like oh, mom and dad didn't come home and feed you dinner? Oh well, not my problem. Her parents would have seemed like the absolute worst if it weren't for her horrible sister and terrible best friend. I don't even want to talk about her sister. With sisters like that, who needs enemies? And Bethany? Bethany has serious issues. I'm not sure Aphra still needed to be in therapy, but Bethany certainly did. There's "shy" and then there's literally not being able to speak to anyone ever. That's not normal, even for a shy kid. (I was a shy kid. Still feel that way sometimes.) Bethany was portrayed as not being able to function in regular society. And Aphra is in the wrong for trying to help her when Bethany specifically asked her to? (I mean obviously Aphra screwed up with the app thing, but aside from that...) I even had trouble liking Greg because I really felt like he should have known better than to go after Bethany. And what kind of guy is just fine with dating someone and making out with someone who never speaks to them? What a classy guy.

Anyway, it sounds like I hated everything about this book. I really didn't. I wanted to slap some of the characters at times, but that just means I was really into it. I definitely had strong feelings about this one, and overall enjoyed the time I spent reading it. I also realize some of the issues stem from the source material limitations, and I'm okay with that.

I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun YA contemporary with a lot of heart. This one also had an added bonus for me of being set in my hometown, (I took a class at the NOVA Annandale campus! I went to GMU parties!) so that was a fun, nostalgic surprise for me.

I already knew I was going to fall for this one, since I'm a sucker for any kind of retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, but We Are the Perfect Girl is an EXCEPTIONAL retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. Aphra, Bethany, and Greg are all wonderful, fully fleshed-out characters, and I enjoyed all of them. Plus, it passes the Bechdel test.

“My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind. I set out to bring down stars from the sky; then for fear of ridicule, I stop and pick little flowers of eloquence.” - Edmond Rastand, Cyrano de Bergerac

I had so much fun reading this book. I physically laughed out loud like 3 times in the first chapter. We are the Perfect Girl is a retelling of 19th century play, Cyrano de Bergerac, all about body dysmorphia and personal acceptance. We Are the Perfect Girl is a hilarious and impactful story about self acceptance and friendship.

Things I Liked
Bethany and Aphra’s friendship is the greatest thing in the world to me. They felt like genuine friends. I got their history and special quirks that make their relationship unique. And while they do go through some trials, I just loved seeing them together. Aphra’s vibrant personality perfectly complemented Bethany’s more reserved nature.

Aphra’s journey is so well done. She really has trouble recognizing all the wonderful parts of herself, and loves to diminish her worth and accomplishments to let others shine brighter. But I loved her therapy sessions and seeing her work though these issues to try and grow.

I did really love most of the family relationships in the story. Aphra’s parents are wonderful, even if they struggle to find a work-life balance sometimes. Aphra’s little brother is an angel and I love him dearly - as does Aphra. I did have some mixed thoughts about Delia, APhra’s older sister, but I warmed up to her as the story progressed.

Things I Didn’t Like
I’m torn on my thoughts about the ending of the story - I simultaneously liked it and thought it felt a little rushed. But I didn’t need more to make the story feel complete, but more would have added to the story.

Overall this was just suck a wildly enjoyable book that I can’t help but think happy little thoughts about it. The platonic relationships were there, the romantic relationships were there (and they brought the drama). We Are the Perfect Girl manages to impart a powerful and important message without feeling preachy or stifled. It’s truly a well balanced story that will keep you engaged from page one.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.