Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Her advice, spot on. Her love life, way off.

Darcy Phillips:
• Can give you the solution to any of your relationship woes―for a fee.
• Uses her power for good. Most of the time.
• Really cannot stand Alexander Brougham.
• Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke…who is in love with someone else.
• Does not appreciate being blackmailed.

However, when Brougham catches her in the act of collecting letters from locker 89―out of which she’s been running her questionably legal, anonymous relationship advice service―that’s exactly what happens. In exchange for keeping her secret, Darcy begrudgingly agrees to become his personal dating coach―at a generous hourly rate, at least. The goal? To help him win his ex-girlfriend back.

Darcy has a good reason to keep her identity secret. If word gets out that she’s behind the locker, some things she's not proud of will come to light, and there’s a good chance Brooke will never speak to her again.

Okay, so all she has to do is help an entitled, bratty, (annoyingly hot) guy win over a girl who’s already fallen for him once? What could go wrong?

Review:

At first, Perfect on Paper, by  Sophie Gonzales, seems like a typical YA novel,  There is a meet-cute, a somewhat improbable premise, and a sweet resolution.  But this novel is much better than this description.  The characters are an array of LGBTQ+ and straight people, with the main character, Darcy, being Bi.  I loved that this book brings up topics of Biphobia among the LGBTQ+ community.  Does Darcy need to prove she's Queer enough to be accepted by her LGBTQ+ peers, her parents, and even herself?

What I Liked:

Premise:

Darcy, a scholarship student at an elite private school, has a side-business as an anonymous advice giver.  Teens leave letters (and ten dollars) in locker 89, which Darcy, as soon as the coast is clear, collects and answers each day.  But one day, Darcy is seen by Brougham, another student, who blackmails her into helping him win back his ex-girlfriend.  This was a fun way to introduce the reader to all the many characters at this high school, and show some of the tricky situations these teens face.

Characters:

Darcy is a bisexual girl, which she sometimes finds challenging.  At the beginning of the novel, there are microaggressions described that come to a head later in the book.  I loved how this issue is presented (not something I really thought about before, to be honest).  It made me think about some of the prejudices I have held, and will attempt to erase in the future.

Brougham, is the straight boy who Darcy is helping (albeit via blackmail) to win back his girlfriend.  He is definitely shaped by his parent's terrible marriage.  When his parents argue it's an all out screaming, objects being thrown, fight.  It's embarrassing for Brougham to invite people over due to all the drama.  And this has caused him to be very reserved with other teens.  Darcy hs real empathy for Brougham, as her parents acted similarly before they finally divorced.

LGBTQ Representation:

Besides Darcy, there are several other LGBTQ+ characters.  There is her sister, Ainsley, a transgender girl, and Darcy's lesbian friend, Brooke.  These were more than superficial characters.  I really liked that they were very well fleshed out people, with many good, and not so wonderful, qualities.

Story:

I enjoyed the story so much.  Each chapter begins with one of the letters Darcy answers from locker 89.  And her advice is actually pretty good!  Because Darcy's advice is anonymous (and people often do not say who they are), she is privy to many secrets in and around the school.  She also has given anonymous advice to a student she can identify, namely her best friend Brooke.  But is the advice she gives to help Brooke, or help Darcy?  

Another part of the story which I really loved was about crushes.  Darcy (as is often the case in YA books) has a crush on her best friend.  In most stories, Darcy would declare her love and Brooke would confess she also was secretly in love with her.  But Perfect on Paper is much more realistic.  

What I Was Mixed About:

Story:

While I liked the story very much, there was one aspect of the novel I didn't appreciate.  While one character really has to pay a steep price for their actions, others did not.  I was really glad that there was some accountability in this book, something many books lack.  But one of the most annoying characters in the book really gets away with some serious misconduct without any consequences.  I found this very frustrating.  I was surprised that the other character didn't call them out on it.  But I supposed that this is what happens in life. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  March 9th, 2021

Author:  Sophie Gonzales

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre:  YA Contemporary

Page Length:  304 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A fun YA book with solid representation of LBGTQ+ characters and situations.