"Wise‚ romantic‚ and painfully relatable."—Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
From 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:
Praise for You Asked for Perfect:
An ALA Rainbow List Pick
2019 Books All Georgians Should Read List
2020 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Nominee
Chicago 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
"Wise‚ romantic‚ and painfully relatable."—Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
From 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:
Praise for You Asked for Perfect:
An ALA Rainbow List Pick
2019 Books All Georgians Should Read List
2020 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Nominee
Chicago 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
Reviews-
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January 1, 2019
Ariel has always been a straight-A student, but now it's senior year.For this overachiever, that means taking a kajillion AP courses, practicing violin, and making everyone think he's a perfectionist to whom it all comes easy. But Ariel's dream of Harvard begins to waver when he fails a calculus quiz. Thankfully, Amir comes to the rescue by agreeing to tutor him. Gay Amir is Pakistani Muslim, and bisexual Ariel comes from an observant Jewish family; the boys have been in the same school for years and their families are friendly, but it is only now that they really notice--and quickly fall for--one another. With AP exams approaching, college applications due, a violin recital and numerous family events looming--not to mention Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur--Ariel begins to realize that effortless perfection requires quite a bit of effort after all. As their romance grows, Ariel finds himself unable to keep up with the various elements of his life: the stresses of school, romance, and family. Ultimately, he learns the importance of stepping back, seeking help, and admitting to weakness. Silverman (Girl Out of Water, 2017) writes 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. (Romance. 14-18)COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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February 1, 2019
Gr 9 Up-At the start of senior year, Ariel is valedictorian, first chair violin, and a perfect Harvard applicant. Despite all that work, his road to the perfect future is getting bumpy. Unexpected struggles in AP calculus, bloody fingers from a new violin solo, more work and less sleep send Ariel into a spiral of panic and exhaustion. He certainly doesn't need a crush on his (secret) calculus tutor, Amir, to further complicate things. As pressure mounts and Ariel grows terrified that someone will learn of his inadequacies, he has to decide how far he'll go-and what he'll sacrifice-to be perfect. Silverman's book is a critical look at the growing academic pressures teens face and the ease with which adults overlook the well-being of high-performing kids. Ariel's struggles with high expectations and a competitive school environment (high achieving kids often trade in their lunch period for extra AP credits) are heartbreakingly relatable. His fear and embarrassment over being less than the best drive him deeper into dangerous habits and isolation. Ariel's turmoil is the undoubted heart of the novel, but his friends and family are rich, interesting characters on their own. Inclusion is celebrated on every page. Ariel is openly bisexual, his family is devoutly Jewish, his best friend is Korean, his love interest is Muslim. These things are all simply facts of the world, neither watered-down nor over-explained. VERDICT Highly recommended for teen collections, especially in competitive school environments.-Amy Diegelman, Chicago Public Library
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
