"Be yourself but, you know, someone else . . .''
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Enthusiastic but not desperate; calm but not dull; funny but not try-hard; sparky but not crazy; feisty but not aggressive; beautiful but relatable; elegant but not icy; confident but not arrogant; feminine but not girly; nice but not boring.
Faith Valentine has it all – fame, money and extraordinary beauty. But what she wants more than anything is a quiet life away from the cameras. Except nobody ever asks Faith what she wants, and her family’s expectations are crushing her.
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BOOK REVIEW
To Note: Book 2 in a series
Genre: YA Contemporary/ comedy
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Personal Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall Rating: 16/20
This is the story of Faith Valentine, a reluctant actress in a famous family; ''a dynasty, 100 years in the making'' It was an interesting look into what it takes to be famous in the modern world, with the age of social media there is a constant need to be always performing.
We follow Faith struggling through a life that most would die for, we see her trying to please everyone, her family, her PR team, her boyfriend. It is shocking to realise she is only 16 when you take into account how much pressure she has on her young shoulders.
I really liked the character of Faith, and I felt so sad for her as she tries to meet everyone's expectations. The Persona of "Faith the Actress" is so different from what she is in real life. It was sad to see that people around her did not really understand or know her at all. All the expectations and pressures takes its toll on her, and finally see the true Faith emerge as she slowly takes back her life.
I thought all the characters were interesting, the interactions between her and her siblings were at times funny and sweet. It will be interesting to see all the other siblings getting their stories. ( Hope already has her own story in book 1, but Far From Perfect, can be read as a standalone)
The writing style was definitely easily digestible, and the pacing was really good. Overall this is a sweet, funny, often poignant take on what it's like to grow up in a famous family. It was a light entertaining read.
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Thank you to Holly Smale, Harpercollinschildrens and Kaleidoscopictours (Instagram:@holsmale, @harpercollinsch and @kaleidoscopictours) for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
Information about the Book
Title: Far From Perfect (The Valentines #2)
Author: Holly Smale
Genre: YA
Publication Date: 23 rd July 2020
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Harper Collins Childrens
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51236702-far-from-perfect
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Far-Perfect-hilarious-genre-defining-
Valentines/dp/0008254176/
Author Information
Holly Smale is the author of the number-one, global
bestselling, highly acclaimed GEEK GIRL series which has sold
over three million copies in thirty languages. A former model
and tenacious globe trotter Holly is no stranger to empowering
girls with her dynamic and relatable characters. She has a
degree in English Literature and an MA in Shakespeare and
Feminism from Bristol University.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/holsmale
Instagram: http://instagram.com/holsmale
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