Scan barcode
A review by opalmars
The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!
This book follows Ivy, a fangirl who literally wishes her favourite fictional character (Weston) into existence, and ends up having to deal with all of the problems that arise from that. The story is just so much fun! I really enjoyed seeing Ivy, her best friend Henry, and her ex-best-friend/crush Mack trying to figure out what happened, and how to keep Weston hidden. It was silly, but so charming and fun!
Additionally, this book is very meta and self-aware. Sophie Gonzales has clearly been in the fandom world for a long time, so this book is filled with nods to fan culture, little quips at cheesy fanfic scenarios, and jokes about ridiculous tropes. If you’ve been in a fandom or read fanfiction growing up you’ll definitely find the references amusing.
I really liked the characters! The MC, Ivy, is very anxious and stubborn, and deeply afraid of loneliness. But she is also very funny and caring and, deep down, she just wants to be loved. Ivy is such a realistic and well-balanced character, and her flaws never felt annoying; they felt real. The LI Mack was also very flawed, but very nice, too. It was so easy to see both Ivy and Mack’s sides, and the reason for their friendship to end was very understandable. I applaud Sophie Gonzales for writing a friendship-ending conflict that feels realistic, but also makes you sympathize with both sides!
I will say: unfortunately, I didn’t really care about their romance. 🫤 The basis for the whole romance was the fact that Ivy already liked Mack before the book started, but since WE never really got to see that crush develop, it was hard for me to fully care about the romance. That’s not to say it was bad! Not at all! I still enjoyed their tension and their moments together, but I just never fully fell in love with their love. However, the romance wasn’t really the main thing in this story, so it was all good! 🙂
Ivy’s bff Henry was just a delight (and also aroace!!!!!!! aroace rep LET’S GOOOOOOOO)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Weston was mostly a plot device (his personality literally changed depending on what Ivy had written in her fanfics lol) BUT I think he was really well implemented into the story! I liked seeing his dynamic with the other characters, and I enjoyed how he inadvertently helped Ivy grow. And I think the message of this book is really well implemented, and very positive for the target audience.
Regarding the writing: I was scared that the dual timeline wouldn’t be a good choice, but Sophie Gonzales did a great job weaving them together. The chapters were just the right length and I was never bored; this story just flows really well! I’m also very thankful that the author didn’t leave the reveal of Ivy and Mack’s fight until the very end. I mean, we only SEE it at the end, but we find out what happened early on in the book. I think if she’d only revealed it in the end it would’ve built up too much anticipation and it would’ve fallen flat. But since it was all revealed early on, the “Past” chapters let us see Ivy and Mack’s tension growing, without being annoyed that the reasoning for their friendship ending wasn’t clear. 10/10 for not making us wait, Sophie!
Long story short: this is a really enjoyable book with a very fun plot, and realistic and relatable characters. If you’re looking specifically for romance, I’d recommend Sophie’s other books, as they focus a bit more on the romantic relationships, when compared to this one. But this was still a super fun story that I’d definitely recommend!
This book follows Ivy, a fangirl who literally wishes her favourite fictional character (Weston) into existence, and ends up having to deal with all of the problems that arise from that. The story is just so much fun! I really enjoyed seeing Ivy, her best friend Henry, and her ex-best-friend/crush Mack trying to figure out what happened, and how to keep Weston hidden. It was silly, but so charming and fun!
Additionally, this book is very meta and self-aware. Sophie Gonzales has clearly been in the fandom world for a long time, so this book is filled with nods to fan culture, little quips at cheesy fanfic scenarios, and jokes about ridiculous tropes. If you’ve been in a fandom or read fanfiction growing up you’ll definitely find the references amusing.
I really liked the characters! The MC, Ivy, is very anxious and stubborn, and deeply afraid of loneliness. But she is also very funny and caring and, deep down, she just wants to be loved. Ivy is such a realistic and well-balanced character, and her flaws never felt annoying; they felt real. The LI Mack was also very flawed, but very nice, too. It was so easy to see both Ivy and Mack’s sides, and the reason for their friendship to end was very understandable. I applaud Sophie Gonzales for writing a friendship-ending conflict that feels realistic, but also makes you sympathize with both sides!
I will say: unfortunately, I didn’t really care about their romance. 🫤 The basis for the whole romance was the fact that Ivy already liked Mack before the book started, but since WE never really got to see that crush develop, it was hard for me to fully care about the romance. That’s not to say it was bad! Not at all! I still enjoyed their tension and their moments together, but I just never fully fell in love with their love. However, the romance wasn’t really the main thing in this story, so it was all good! 🙂
Ivy’s bff Henry was just a delight (and also aroace!!!!!!! aroace rep LET’S GOOOOOOOO)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Weston was mostly a plot device (his personality literally changed depending on what Ivy had written in her fanfics lol) BUT I think he was really well implemented into the story! I liked seeing his dynamic with the other characters, and I enjoyed how he inadvertently helped Ivy grow. And I think the message of this book is really well implemented, and very positive for the target audience.
Regarding the writing: I was scared that the dual timeline wouldn’t be a good choice, but Sophie Gonzales did a great job weaving them together. The chapters were just the right length and I was never bored; this story just flows really well! I’m also very thankful that the author didn’t leave the reveal of Ivy and Mack’s fight until the very end. I mean, we only SEE it at the end, but we find out what happened early on in the book. I think if she’d only revealed it in the end it would’ve built up too much anticipation and it would’ve fallen flat. But since it was all revealed early on, the “Past” chapters let us see Ivy and Mack’s tension growing, without being annoyed that the reasoning for their friendship ending wasn’t clear. 10/10 for not making us wait, Sophie!
Long story short: this is a really enjoyable book with a very fun plot, and realistic and relatable characters. If you’re looking specifically for romance, I’d recommend Sophie’s other books, as they focus a bit more on the romantic relationships, when compared to this one. But this was still a super fun story that I’d definitely recommend!