No Such Thing as Perfect by Sarah Daltry - Ashley's Review

Title: No Such Thing as Perfect
Author: Sarah Daltry
Publication date: December 11th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | Paperback | Goodreads

Synopsis: College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.

For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she keeps making mistakes.

Away from home, the perfect facade is beginning to shatter. When Lily herself starts to break, it’s the support of an unlikely friend that teaches her how much of a lie perfect really is – and how to be whole on her own terms.

No Such Thing as Perfect was inspired by Sarah's Flowering series, but it stands completely alone as its own title. The same characters appear and some situations are similar, but this was written with a different goal in mind. There is NO on-camera sex in this novel and it is not a "romance" novel by most standards, but a story of growing up and being okay with who you are.

For more info, visit Sarah's website

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Review: I've been a huge fan of Sarah Daltry's books since I stumbled across Backward Compatible, and when I heard she was writing a new book inspired by her Flowering series, I knew I had to read it. And while I really liked the Flowering series, I'm so glad that No Such Thing as Perfect came out of it, because I think this is the story that was aching to get out and be heard. 

Although Lily's experiences were not entirely my own, there were parts of her life that I could completely understand. I was lucky in that I had friends and family supporting my decisions and not holding me to ridiculous standards, but I know what it's like to be afraid of failing. I've known people who are terrified of disappointing their parents or who refuse to let go of the past and can't see the present for what it is. I felt for Lily throughout this whole book, and most of the time I just wanted to give her a huge hug and be there for her.

I'm not huge on contemporary realistic YA. I mean, I know there's a place for it and I know a lot of people enjoy it, but I'd rather lose myself in a fantasy world than have to read about the problems that run rampant in this world. But Sarah's writing is captivating and drew me in from the first sentence, and I found that I couldn't put this book down. I stayed up well past my bed time, wanting to know what was going to happen next in Lily's life. I had to know if she could break through her chains and be her own person. 

This is a very character driven book, and it was nice to read something that wasn't so heavily focused on plot. I very much enjoyed getting to know Lily, Jack, and Alana, and I'm really hoping that we get to learn the rest of their stories soon. I did not enjoy getting to know Derrick, and I'm glad that things happened the way they did. I know he was important in Lily's story and her growing up, but I hope we never have to see him again. He's basically the worst. Ugh. Just thinking about him makes me angry. 

If you enjoy contemporary YA, I think you'll really enjoy this book. Sarah's writing is just so fluid and beautiful, and the words become reality as they draw you into the page. I am so glad that No Such Thing as Perfect is out there in the world, because I think it can help give voice to some of the problems that many young girls face and help them to know that they are not alone. Go grab your copy ASAP! You won't regret it. 5/5.

--Ashley

RELEASE BLITZ: No Such Thing as Perfect by Sarah Daltry + GIVEAWAY!

If you've been around for a little bit, you know how much Ashley loves Sarah Daltry. Backward Compatible is one her favorite books ever, and Dust is up there too. And now, Sarah has a new book out and we're so excited to read it! 

We also have an excerpt and a giveaway for you, so be sure to enter for your chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card via the Rafflecopter form below!

About the Book

Title: No Such Thing as Perfect
Author: Sarah Daltry
Publication date: December 11th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | Paperback

Synopsis: College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.

For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she keeps making mistakes.

Away from home, the perfect facade is beginning to shatter. When Lily herself starts to break, it’s the support of an unlikely friend that teaches her how much of a lie perfect really is – and how to be whole on her own terms.

No Such Thing as Perfect was inspired by Sarah's Flowering series, but it stands completely alone as its own title. The same characters appear and some situations are similar, but this was written with a different goal in mind. There is NO on-camera sex in this novel and it is not a "romance" novel by most standards, but a story of growing up and being okay with who you are.

For more info, visit Sarah's website

Read an Excerpt!

I make it through the week otherwise unscathed. All my work is done, I seem to be maybe becoming friends with Kristen, and Derek’s on his way up to campus. I’ve been pacing for the better part of an hour.

“You need to relax,” Kristen says. “What could go wrong?”

For people who don’t need things in their places, it’s easy to relax. If something goes awry, it can always be fixed later. For people like me, though, everything can always go wrong. When I can’t control it, I panic. It’s the only thing I know how to do.

“What if something’s happened?” I ask for the third time. He was supposed to be here an hour ago.

“Nothing happened. He hit traffic, I bet.”

“But why didn’t he call?”

“Because he’s an idiot. Now sit down and stop pacing. You’re making me nervous.”

There’s a scuff on the toe of my shoes, so I do sit down. I scrub at it, but it won’t come out; myattempts end up making it worse, so now the entire toe is dirty. “I look like hell,” I tell Kristen.

“You look fine – just like you have for the last few hours when you’ve asked. How long have you been dating again?”

“Ten months.”

“Ten months, and you think he’s going to show up having not seen you in a week and realize he must have been crazy?” she asks.

“It’s just… he’s the only boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

“So?”

How do I tell her about Rebecca Ellison, about Heather Yost, about Jill Pevarski, about Gina Frey, about all the girls Derek’s dated? How do I explain that nothing ever seemed to happen, that one day he was with them and then one day he wasn’t? How do I make her see that I’ve only wanted him and he fits into the puzzle and that I don’t have a backup plan?

“Never mind. Can I borrow your shoes? The black ones you wore yesterday?”

Kristen shakes her head and jumps down off her bed. “Lily, none of it matters. If Derek doesn’t want you, you’re good enough without him.”

Good enough is not good enough, I think. No one wants good enough. I don’t say anything, though, but I take the shoes and change them. There’s no sign of the scuff. Nothing is out of place, nothing out of order.

About the Author

Sarah Daltry is a varied author, known best for the contemporary New Adult series, 'Flowering', a six-title series that explores the complexities of relationships, including how we survive the damage from our pasts with the support of those who love us. Although the books are no longer in print, they are being rewritten and redeveloped for future publication. Please visit Sarah's website for more details.

As a former English teacher and YA library coordinator, Sarah has always loved Young Adult literature and 'Dust', an epic fantasy novel where romance blends with the blood and grit of war, is her second official foray into YA, following the gamer geek romantic comedy, 'Backward Compatible'. Most of Sarah's work is about teens and college students, as it's what she knows well.

Sarah's passion in life is writing - weaving tales of magic and beauty. The modern and vast social networking world is an alternative universe that she makes infrequent trips to, but when she does, readers will find her attentive, friendly and happy to discuss the magic of stories and reading. Please stop by and say hello anywhere Sarah is online! You can find these places at http://sarahdaltry.com

Sarah has moved back and forth between independent and traditional publishing. Her first novel, 'Bitter Fruits', is with Escape, an imprint of Harlequin Australia, and she signed with Little Bird Publishing in the spring of 2014.

Sarah has also written 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,' a reimagining of one of her favorite poems in a contemporary setting.

She is an obsessive Anglophile who spends more time watching BBC TV than any human being should, as well as a hardcore gamer and sarcastic nerd.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

The Giveaway!

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ALL-IN-ONE REVEAL: No Such Thing as Perfect by Sarah Daltry + GIVEAWAY!

 

No Such Thing as Perfect

CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC YA

Author: Sarah Daltry

College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.

For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she keeps making mistakes.

Away from home, the perfect facade is beginning to shatter. When Lily herself starts to break, it’s the support of an unlikely friend that teaches her how much of a lie perfect really is – and how to be whole on her own terms.

Release Date: December 12, 2014 (tentative)

Preorders to be available in November unless something changes.

 “My name’s Lily and James Naismith ruined high school for me,” I offer.

It’s too hot in this room. The window fan is blowing nothing but heat over us, along with some old dust or dirt from the window. It makes the noise of plastic that is being asked to do more than plastic can do; the fan’s cheapness makes it too weak to be a fan and it groans with its own failure.

I’m not good with social events. This is some kind of mandated floor meeting for all new students and I’m sitting in the middle of my RA’s room with ten other girls, all of us in pajama pants, and trying to sound interesting.

“I mean, he didn’t personally. I think he died almost a hundred years ago,” I stutter.

“So why don’t you explain how the inventor of basketball did ruin high school then?” one girl asks.

She’s angry, but I don’t know her. I don’t know anyone, except my roommate Kristen and so far all I know about her is that she’s majoring in education, she brought the fridge, and she’s decorated her side of our dorm room to look like the inside of a Pepto-Bismol bottle. This girl doesn’t want to hear my story. She doesn’t want to be here, but I don’t, either, and now that I’m here, I was the one dumb enough to open my mouth.

“It was gym class,” I try to explain. “I don’t know. Something about ed reform. We had homework and tests and all that in gym now and I’d been up all night writing an essay about James Naismith. I hadn’t slept and I was in a rush trying to make the bus that morning.”

It had been cold, the rushing towards winter that mirrors the years that aren’t like this one. This is one where summer lingers and it resists every attempt to make it yield to fall. I remember the leaves were already falling that year, even though it was only early September. Some years it seemed like they were in a greater rush to die. In the moments between life, each leaf took its suicidal leap and fell slowly while no one noticed. We always only notice when they’re all dead and suddenly the sky hangs on us and we crave shade.

The bus was about to pull away from the curb near my house and I cried out for it, running faster and slipping on a clump of leaves. The entire patch was squishy. I wondered as I fell if I had taken out a small family of worms in my descent. My outfit was ruined, but it wasn’t the clothes that scared me...

“I tripped on leaves and fell on the driveway hard. The gravel left a slash along my cheek and it looked like someone had punched me. That was the day of school pictures, which we used for the yearbook and our IDs. Not to mention the fact that my mom...” I can’t finish. I don’t want to take about my mother.

I certainly don’t feel like confiding in these girls about how disappointed she was that I had ruined everything. It wasn’t my fault that fall had come early, but I ruined the pictures and in her album of school photos, my freshman year still remains a giant, empty black page. A constant reminder that I will never be whole, never be perfect, never be what she wanted.

“What about your mom?” someone else asks.

“Nothing.” I don’t want to tell my story anymore. I want the fan to stop trying. I want it to be tomorrow and the day after and any day when I can start in the morning and get through to night without making a mistake.

It’s dropped, though, anyway, because Ellie, the RA, turns to someone else who is pocketing a handful of condoms. “You don’t need to take them all,” she barks. “I have plenty, but other people practice safe sex, too. Unless you’re planning on having a massive orgy tonight, you can probably come back and get some later.”

The condom hoarder blushes and returns half her pile and the floor meeting turns back to pointless small talk and ice breakers that no one wants to be a part of. The fan clicks another meaningless rotation. I’ve been a college student for six hours now and I’ve never been so lonely in my entire life.

Sarah Daltry is a YA author, hardcore gamer, sarcastic nerd, and obsessive Anglophile who watches too much BBC TV. She is the author of Backward Compatible: A Gamer Geek Love Story, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: A Modern Reimagining, Bitter Fruits, and the upcoming YA fantasy, Dust. No Such Thing as Perfect was inspired by Sarah's original Flowering series, but is a completely different take on similar concepts.

When she's not writing, Sarah spends a lot of time with her Xbox and her cats.

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