Name: Rachel Evans's review of You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman
Item: You Asked for Perfect
Rating: 3
Author: Rachel Evans

Laura Silverman

For fans of History is All You Left Me and Love, Hate and Other Filters comes a new and timely novel from Laura Silverman about a teen's struggle when academic success and happiness pull him in opposite directions. Senior Ariel Stone is the perfect college applicant: first chair violin, dedicated community volunteer, and expected valedictorian. He works hard--really hard--to make his life look effortless. A failed Calculus quiz is not part of that plan. Not when he's number one. Not when his peers can smell weakness like a freshman's body spray. Figuring a few all-nighters will preserve his class rank, Ariel throws himself into studying. His friends will understand if he skips a few plans, and he can sleep when he graduates. Except Ariel's grade continues to slide. Reluctantly, he gets a tutor. Amir and Ariel have never gotten along, but Amir excels in Calculus, and Ariel is out of options. Ariel may not like Calc, but he might like Amir. Except adding a new relationship to his long list of commitments may just push him past his limit.

You Asked for Perfect

Tiffany Brown

"Wise romantic and painfully relatable."—BECKY ALBERTALLI, award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda For fans of Adam Silvera and Nina LaCour comes a timely novel about a teen?s struggle when academic success and happiness pull him in opposite directions. Senior 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, 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. Full of empathy, honesty, and heart, You Asked for Perfect is a story for anyone who has ever questioned the price of perfection. Praise for You Asked for Perfect: "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

Rachel Evans

(3.5/5) Audiobook- 3 hours 6 minutes - This book was decent and I enjoyed reading it. It deserves a good rating. However, I cannot help but be disappointed, as it had the potential to be so much more. The issues were too easily resolved, and the character development seemed to occur unrealistically quickly. I also wasn't hugely enthralled by the main romance. However, it was well-written, and I am holding this book to higher standards than usual because of the hope I had for it.

Lukas Ellerbrook

This was cute. It was a light-hearted gay romance that explored the themes that a lot of teens face, like getting perfect grades or getting into an ivy league and it also touched on what stress can do to a teen. 

Was it my favorite? No but I would definitely recommend this.

I loved this book so very very much. Queer Jewish boy dealing with the bullshit academic pressure put on high school students is totally my jam. Even better, Ariel is a religious Jew who obviously finds great comfort in Judaism and the Jewish community. Do you know how rare that is in media of any kind?? In a lot of ways this was a love letter to Judaism and it was so beautiful. I especially liked that Ariel's queerness wasn't an issue at all. His family and community accepted it as part of him. I feel like every time I see religious queers in YA it has to be a struggle so seeing Ariel just be bisexual with no negative commentary whatsoever was great. Plus his love interest was a queer Muslim boy whose sexuality was, again, just not an issue. All in all, a lot of real good shit.

Archer

I don’t know when I’ll write a real review but this is honestly the most I’ve ever seen myself in a book. I love Ariel and I feel his stress. My high school is exactly like his. I needed this book so badly because it’s helping me learn that it’s okay to ask for help.

Sahi K

It’s mostly a 3.5.

I have been excited to read this book for a long time because it seemed so adorable and the kind of YA book I would enjoy. And this was definitely what I was hoping for.

The story is completely told through Ariel’s POV, so we see everything thats going on in his head and that’s not comfortable at all. He is constantly struggling with keeping up his grades and extracurriculars in preparation for his Harvard application and just doesn’t have enough time in the day for managing everything. But he also doesn’t want to admit his problems to anyone and that just exacerbates all his issues. I will not say I related to Ariel completely but I understood him very well. His character is a lived in experience for many young students these days and we get a very realistic picture of the stress and pressures and expectations that are put on young people and how it affects them physically and mentally. 

There is a whole host of characters in the book who are all wonderful and supportive and diverse and I loved them all. The romantic dynamic that develops between Ariel and Amir may come across as sudden, but I kind of enjoyed how realistic it felt as a teenage romance. It has all the elements of sweetness and wonder and joy of young love and I think it was written very well. I’m also very glad that it’s just written as two young boys deciding to date and there are no declarations of eternal love. Despite this romance in the book, I think it is definitely more about family. YA books feature a lot of absent/problematic parents, so it was very refreshing to read about completely present and supportive parents and siblings. Ariel’s relationship with his mom dad and his sister Rachel is so healthy and amazing. Their dinner time conversations felt authentic, their religion/faith is depicted as an important part of their life but something that’s also personal and not something that they use to preach. I obviously can’t comment on the Jewish representation but it’s ownvoices for the author, so I think it’s really authentic for her own experiences. Amir’s family is Muslim and Pakistani and it was great to see both these families be very supportive of their kids’ sexualities. I also loved the whole friend group - Sook, Malka, Pari, Issac, Rasha - everyone has their own issues and is dealing with them in their own ways but no one really understands what the others are going through because they don’t feel comfortable sharing their problems. 

This is my first read by the author and I really enjoyed her writing. The book has a very diverse cast which feels very realistic and not tokenism at all. I also liked that it’s quite a positive representation and these kids have families and friends who are supportive and don’t discriminate at all because of their religion or sexuality or anything else. The author also does a great job of showing us the consequences of our very competitive education system and how it adversely affects the kids. There is obviously no easy solution for this but the book really stresses on the importance of being open about issues and having a support system to be able to cope. Religion is also depicted as something positive that brings peace of mind and maybe provides perspective for young kids when dealing with such life changing issues like college and future - I thought this was very refreshing and so rare in YA.

If you like YA with great diverse family and friend dynamics and an adorable couple, you should definitely check this out. It also has some great representation of the anxiety that young students face in these hyper competitive times, and I think everyone who has been in these shoes before or is going through high school or college right now will find something relatable in this story.

Grace O'Callaghan

CW: School induced stress, blood

An average book, but one that I read at the perfect time during my A level maths. It’s all about Ariel as he struggles through his senior year of high school getting overwhelmed from calculus, orchestra, a Harvard interview and possibly a new relationship.

What this book excels at is portraying an accurate experience of the pressure in high school. Silverman does a phenomenal job at not only showing Ariel struggling with schoolwork, but also juggling time between his job, family and friends. We really get to slowly see Ariel overworking himself a bit too much until the point where it’s dangerous.

I also learned a lot about the American education system. I had no idea that everyone’s schedules were so varied based on the different classes they took and that you could take as many as you liked and even skip a lunch period (not at all healthy). I also found out that not all of your grade is on a final test but is also participation, quizzes, essays, projects etc. However much I don’t agree with the education systems I’ve been a part of (UK & Ireland), I’m thankful that we only have specific times of day for our lessons. The American system sounds very competitive and all about your GPA but also looking like a well rounded student. I think both systems could take something from the other.

As much as I loved how much discussion this book brought up about school pressure and stress, the rest was very mediocre. I found most of the characters to be pretty forgettable and bland, including Ariel. I got a lot of them mixed up - not a good sign. I can’t really tell you much about Ariel other than that he’s generally good at school and gets very overwhelmed by it all.

Amir wasn’t any more remarkable. So much so the author seemed to forget about him in the middle and then made him pop up at the end because she remembered him all of a sudden,

If you read the blurb expecting a high school romance, don’t. It’s very much about Ariel’s struggles balancing everything. The relationship he has with Amir is more to add another thing for him to juggle than anything else.

I did appreciate the representation in this book. Ariel is Jewish which plays a large role in helping him connect with others and balance his life. The Jewish rep is also ownvoices, and it shows. He’s also bisexual, and I’m ashamed to say I don’t think I’ve ever read about a bisexual boy. Sook, Ariel’s best friend is a lesbian and Korean. Malka, another friend, is Jewish. Amir is Muslim and gay.

The writing was fine and did it’s job. But if I have to hear one more time about how Amir smells like spearmint and basil, I’m going to bash my head against the wall. Every time Ariel is with him he mentions his smell. Why’s it all these book characters that have distinct smells? I’ve never met someone that has such a strong scent that I think of it every time I see them.

If you’re looking for some wholesome family dynamics this book has so many. A lot of YA has broken families and I find it so refreshing every time I see parents that are together. Also I deeply appreciate the family dinners. Bonus points to Laura Silverman for including a recipe for the soup that was mentioned constantly, it was a nice touch.

I had a couple of issues with pacing and plot. I found myself quite bored during the middle as it was quite repetitive in that it just went through Ariel’s week and not much in terms of plot progressed therefore making the ending seem a bit sloppy. I also think it could’ve been slightly longer to make up for the things that felt rushed like character growth.

Basically, if you’re looking for a YA contemporary which really nails the feelings of overwhelming anxiety that school can bring, this is it. I’d also recommend if you’re looking for a healthy family and ownvoices Jewish rep. But I wouldn’t recommend if you’re expecting an m/m romance, because it’s not really there. While I appreciate this book for a perfectly delivered message, I know that the plot and characters aren’t going to be ones that stick with me.

Sien Van de Wouwer

did i bawl my eyes out during the last parts of this book? ... absolutely

Tiffany Robinson

I made it through this book fairly fast but for me this book was just alright. Reading about all the stuff that Ariel had on his plate was a little stressful but at a point it was like okay I get it. The relationship between Ariel and Amir did not feel fully formed either.

Jessica Nottingham

Senior Ariel Stone is the perfect college applicant: first chair violin, dedicated community volunteer, and expected valedictorian. He works hard - really hard - to make his life look effortless. A failed Calculus quiz is not part of that plan. Not when he’s number one. Not when his peers can smell weakness like a freshman’s body spray. 

Figuring a few all-nighters will preserve his class rank, Ariel throws himself into studying. His friends will understand if he skips a few plans, and he can sleep when he graduates. Except Ariel’s grade continues to slide. Reluctantly, he gets a tutor. Amir and Ariel have never gotten along, but Amir excels in Calculus, and Ariel is out of options.

Ariel may not like Calc, but he might like Amir. Except adding a new relationship to his long list of commitments may just push him past his limit.

Where do I even start with this book? How do I even begin to accurately explain to you how much this story struck me right in the heart? As readers, we talk about representation in books all the time. I know that I'm always looking for little pieces of myself in the stories that I read. In this case, Laura Silverman hit the overachiever/stress level through the roof nail directly on the head, and this book didn't just speak to me, it yelled at me. I won't even lie, this will be a super biased review. It's only fair of me to tell you that right off the bat. I loved Ariel, because I understood Ariel. I used to be Ariel. So this book wasn't just another amazing story that I smiled, sighed and sobbed through. This was personal, and I loved every single minute of it.

It's always refreshing to see realistic characters in stories, especially stories about high school. From the moment I met Ariel, and started to really feel the pressure that he was under, I immediately formed a bond with him. Silverman doesn't just explain the type of stress that Ariel subjects himself to. Oh, no. Ariel's feelings, especially his immense need to succeed, are palpable in this book. The chapters where things started to get really heavy, and the supposedly perfect tower that our main character had built for himself began to wobble, I could literally feel the pressure pushing down on my shoulders. This book can, admittedly, be a stressful read at times. If you've ever been in Ariel's shoes, like I have, you might feel slightly uncomfortable in certain chapters. That's the beauty of this story though. It completely immerses you and, before you know it, you're so involved that the pages just fly by.

Now, lest you think that this book is all stressful doom and gloom, I can assure you that there is plenty of levity here too. It's been a long time since I read a sweeter romance than this one, and I have no complaints at all. In fact, you should know that I audibly sighed more than once while reading this. A good sigh, mind you. The contented kind, that happens because what is written on the page is just too perfect and pure for any words to describe. Tears happened during this story too, both sweet ones and sad ones. Much like real life, the events in this story are a nice mix of good and bad. A beautiful balancing act, that never really feels weighted one way or the other. When Amir and Ariel were together, life was good. Things were sweet, and I was a happy reader. When they were apart? Well, you get the picture. Just trust me when I say that you'll be just as invested in their relationship as I was. Oh, and I could gush for ages about all the other relationships that are present in this book. Somehow this book feels too short, and yet manages to fit discussions on familial relationships, and friendships. There's even a look at the way that religion can help a young person really connect to others and themselves.

If I tried to fairly explain to you everything that is wrapped up in You Asked For Perfect, this review would be so long that you wouldn't read it. So, I'll tidy things up and just tell you that it's essential that you read this book. I don't hand out five star reviews lightly. A book has to really strike a chord with me. Laura Silverman's gorgeously written story did exactly that. This should be required reading for students in high school, especially those who are like Ariel and forget about the balance that we all need in life. Read this. Put it in the hands of others. It's absolutely worth your time.

Tiffany Brown &
You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman

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