Almost Perfect

Almost Perfect

By: Brian Katcher

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school.

Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy.

Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.

Summary from goodreads.com

My Rating: 4.5/5

Almost Perfect happens to be one of the novels released in 2009 that I was most looking forward to reading. It's the kind of book I can tell I'm going to really enjoy long before I've read even a single word.

The premise for Almost Perfect is what caught my initial attention. I have yet to see another YA novel that illustrates the same situation that Sage has to deal with. There are other serious topics addressed in this novel as well that are all vocalized through the honest and sincere voice of Logan.

The main topic/plot of this novel is one that I commend Brian Katcher for writing about. I cannot even imagine what it must feel like to be Sage and I applaud the author for getting so deep into the mind of this character and what she is experiencing. Almost Perfect is handled very well and very realistically. Logan's reactions and responses are natural to what someone would be experiencing if placed in the same situation. I was angry with Logan at times, just because the things he thought and expressed when regarding Sage were so hurtful and unnecessary. I did however have to remind myself that they were to be expected. Had Logan's initial reaction been accepting, Almost Perfect would not have been considered such an authentic representation of the topic at hand.

I really do think people should read this novel. Not only is it an enjoyable read but it also exposes individuals to a topic that not many are necessarily familiar with. Almost Perfect is one of those stories that continue to resonate with you for quite some time after you've finished it. Sage's story does a great job of opening people up to what someone like her would be feeling and how they experience life on a regular basis. I think a lot of judgement and hate stem from the fact that people just don't understand or are unable to relate. I feel this book has the ability to make a real impact and I hope that people embrace it.