Perfection.Synopsis:Perfect follows the lives of four high school students in the incessant search for perfection. Every teenager defines the word differently, so they each take different paths to achieve their goal. Their connection may not seem obvious because they are not necessarily friends. Their connection, however, lies in their avoidance of failure: the efforts they make to satisfy unreasonable expectations. Cara is the most complete character, “perfect” in every sense of the word. She is expected to excel academically, athletically and in extracurricular activities with the goal of being accepted into Stanford. It's impossible to please her mother, her father is never home, and her twin brother, Connor, is hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for attempted suicide. She doesn't feel close to any of her friends and she isn't in love with her boyfriend, Sean; she is only with him because he suits her. Additionally, throughout the novel, Cara must come to terms with her sexuality once she realizes that she is not "straight." The pressure to admit it is immense - because the label doesn't fit into the "perfect" category. She feels like she can't confide in anyone. She is unable to discuss this issue with her boyfriend or parents. Sean finds out and Cara is cyberbullied. When she finally comes out to herself and her parents, Cara's brother succeeds in another suicide attempt. Just as Cara's life began to come together, the ending of the novel allows her to fall apart again. Sean, Cara's boyfriend, is an orphan and has to live with his uncle after the death of both his parents. Sean is a "buff", training hard to become a great baseball player so he can live up to his... middle of paper ...... optics, but it was beautifully written. Ellen Hopkins really allowed her characters to shine through their flaws. They were relevant and realistic. She created many controversial storylines – rape, drugs, cyber-bullying, sexual assault, teenage plastic surgeries, suicide – even though she was smart about it. She was never judgmental and she allowed readers to feel for the characters. Their pain was heartbreaking, but never too dramatic or boring. I love how the whole book was written in free verse and can be read two ways. This helped clarify the underlying ideas. Ellen Hopkins' novel was raw and powerful. It was on my mind for days after finishing it and it made me realize where the line is between self-improvement and self-harm. Works Cited Hopkins, Ellen. Perfect. New York: Margaret K. McElderry, 2011. 622 pages. Print.