Flawless
By Lara Chapman
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes,
gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all
right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got
the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.
the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism
class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen,
falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like
Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab
Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For
someone so smart, what was she thinking?
This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws.
Lara Chapman
Lara Chapman lives in the US and teaches fifth-grade language arts. She has also served as editor of numerous professional journals and organization newsletters. She reads and writes daily and is rarely found without her laptop and iPhone.
Read more from Lara Chapman
Accidentally Evil Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The XYZs of Being Wicked Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Flawless
Related ebooks
Catch Somewhere Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spell Book & Scandal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Shifter Vampire Alliance Boxset Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Drama High: Second Chance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Song for Sweater-boy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whispers & Broken Promises: Granite Cove, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSingle Dad Burning Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the Other Side Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gospel According to Gabby Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDear Pen Pal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Houston, We Have a Klutz! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn Thin Ice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Feeling Like Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden: The Night Flyer's Handbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Manifest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Family Tree Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Snoop Out and Craft Great Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Girl Chameleon Episode One: The Shifter Vampire Alliance Serial, #1 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lost in the Woods of School Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReading Buddies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCatacombs: Academy of Ancients, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boy in the Black Suit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Loves Me/Loves Me Not 4 - Me and Christian Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJelly Roll Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGolden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You're Amazing: Surrendering Stinkin' Thinkin', #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Girl Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Absolution Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Children's Social Themes For You
The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape!: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Frog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty: Ready, Set, Go-Cart! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Can Be Anything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Winnie the Pooh: The Classic Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legacy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dork Diaries 1: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exile Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tacky the Penguin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlocked Book 8.5 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crossover: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Heart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ban This Book: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neverseen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everblaze Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Battle: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lodestar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Witch of Blackbird Pond: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amari and the Night Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nightfall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Silver Chair: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shiloh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Flawless
17 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When I first read the summary for Flawless, I immediately thought of a classic that I thoroughly enjoyed: Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. How could I not make such a comparison when the narrator's main "flaw" is a large nose? When I started reading, it confirmed right away that's just what Chapman had intended only using a modernized and feminized formula.First off, the book was written entirely in present tense, which you don't see very often in books. Or perhaps I've just not noticed it in many of the books I've read. Reading in this tense didn't really disrupt the flow of the story and perhaps it helped in speeding me through the pages. Chapman really does have a way of reaching out to her readers and completely immersing them into the book. I felt as though I was there with Sarah right when Rock first came into her Journalism class, to all the times when she was writing for Kristen, to the very end where I'm almost certain I felt a lump of anxiety in my stomach. Truth be told, I almost felt that Rock was unbelievable as a character, that he was too good to be true, but the romantic part of me squealed like a fangirl about his interests which included literature and poetry. But he also became a bit more real to me when he behaved in typical teenage boy fashion after Kristen gave him so much attention. The main plot was slightly predictable, especially if you've read Cyrano de Bergerac, but there was also the side plot involving Sarah's mom and a new coworker that was a refreshing break from the main story. The end result of this plot helped show the closeness that Sarah had with her mother and the complete loyalty she felt for her. Despite it's predictability and semi-after-school-special feel, I really did enjoy reading Flawless. I whipped through the story because even though I thought I knew what would happen, I really wanted to see when and how it would happen and the resulting consequences. There was no serious 'bang' when everything came tumbling down, but I think in this kind of story, you don't need a massive climax. Sometimes, it is the more subtle climax that has readers on the edge of their seats, anxiously eager to turn the page. I believe Chapman pulled that off quite nicely here for the overall warm and light feel of her story, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books from Lara Chapman.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One of my all time favorite stories is Cyrano de Bergerac. So, when I found out that this story is a modern day retelling of that classic tale, I jumped for joy. I enjoyed this version immensely. In Lara Chapman's Flawless, a young teenage girl has the misfortune of being born with an enormously large honker. But don't feel bad for Sarah; she is a strong and determined girl. With the help of her best friend Kristen--aka Barbie-- they put the taunters in their place and manage to implement an inpenetrable aura of self-confidence. But that's only on the outside. Inwardly, both Sarah and Kristen have major insecurities. Like the classic version, Sarah has a way with words. A gift, actually. She can spin out prose that would make both Cyrano and Shakespeare turn green with envy. Kristen, however, is a bumbling (albeit extremely sexy) idiot. At least in the area of the fine arts. When Rock enters their world, it becomes very clear that this walking Adonis has a functioning brain. Kristen instantly snags Rock with her flirty ways, but it seems like Rock is interested in Sarah's intellect. That's a major problem for Kristen. She needs Sarah's brain to impress Rock. (I mean, Kristen offered to arrange a meeting with his favorite poet-- Walt Whitman! Hysterical.) Sarah, being the great best friend that she is, allows herself to be roped in to one of the most insane schemes of all time. She becomes Kristen's voice (via e-mail and Facebook), and Rock's muse. You can imagine the misadventures that ensue from this horrible decision. Classic stuff. It kind of reminded me of Steve Martin's movie Roxeanne. Through all of this, however, there is a lessoned to be learned, and Sarah learns it the hard way. Just like my buddy Will says, "To thine own self be true." If you're familiar with the original story, this one is pretty easy to predict. It really is a retelling. One thing that I do love about this story, however, is the incorporation of Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter. How powerful. In case you're wondering, Sarah and Rock have the same literature class together. They have to disect quotes from The Scarlett Letter and apply it to real life. Chapman picked wonderful quotes to illustrate the conflicting nature of her characters. It also helped that the literature class's annual theme was "love." I couldn't decide if I wanted to give the story 3 or 4 starts. I love Cyrano so much that it's hard to compare a contemporary version to such a piece of perfect literary fiction. But on its own, Flawless, was a good story. The plot was consistent, the characters believable, and the overall story was true to Cyrano. There was even a little lesson about loyalty (to yourself and others) in there. So, I ended up marking it as both 3 and 4 (which I guess is really 3.5). Make of it what you will. Oh, and if you haven't seen the movie Roxeanne or read Cyrano de Bergerac, you really need to get with the program. You might enjoy this book even more if you had something to compare it to. It is a retelling, afterall.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Flawless is a contemporary retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. Thankfully it doesn’t end as grim.Sarah Burke senior in high school has learned to deal with her nose, as it's been the source of all her insecurities and unhappiness. To put it bluntly, it’s just really huge. She thought she was fine with it, until she develops a crush on Rock the new boy from Atlanta. Unfortunately she’s not the only one smitten, Kristen her best friend is as well. Because Kristen isn’t into literature or poetry she enlists Sarah to help woo him on Facebook, but how long can this go on with Sarah’s own feelings getting in the way... not to mention she’s deceiving pretty much everyone, including herself.I like this book for its exploration of loyalty, friendship and embracing self. I think in this sort of situation it would be easy to become catty with your friend, but that isn’t the case for Sarah and Kristen. They remain close friends throughout the book. Though Sarah sort of learns a lesson the hard way because of it, and lets opportunities pass her by because of her insecurities.Towards the end there were some random plot bunnies that were kind of just thrown in there. I still don’t know what the point was. I suppose to change-up the plot a bit. Also I found myself with the second male lead syndrome. He wasn’t even mentioned that often but from what I heard of him I liked him better.This came off like a Disney Channel movie. That’s not necessarily bad, I TiVo those things... It's just the kind of book you give your niece in high school to read. Well it's meant for that age demographic anyway. It wasn’t perfect, but I think the overall message was important. I rather liked this happier approach to the tale then being overly dramatic and sad. If you know a younger kid with self-image problems then this is one book to recommend.