When expectations become too much...
935227
Expectations are hard to live up to. Whether they come from our parents, our teachers, friends or worse yet, ourselves, the pressure can feel insurmountable. The expectation to live up to some ideal that has been built up over the years can break any person leading them to make some ill-fated decisions. In Pushing Perfect, "Perfect Kara" who has always been an overachiever, succumbs to the pressure to remain on top.

As the blurb explains, Kara takes a drug that's supposed to help her stay focused during her SATs. Attaining a perfect score is the only option she can see that ensures her future. It's at this point as the stress builds that she starts to question her motives, sifting through which ambitions truly belong to her and which of those belong to her parents. Things take an alarming turn when she is contacted by a stranger who knows her dirty little secret, and who threatens to expose her if she doesn't follow through with their instructions. This is definitely something she ever expected and now she's caught up in some intricate blackmailing scheme that is bigger than just her. Getting out if this is going to be tricky but Kara who is tired of being manipulated has had enough. Time to turn the tables and bring down the bad guy.

Falkoff has included several layers to Kara's narrative going years back to when she first developed insecurities about her looks. She also explores how the penchant for secrecy can influence behaviour, even drastically changing the nature of friendships. If anything, perfection becomes an ugly, almost suffocating entity for Kara and her friends.

I liked Pushing Perfect a lot. I sympathized with Kara and understood where her insecurities stemmed from. It's sadly apparent how isolated she had become until she starts befriending new people. It was also interesting to see how everyone else gets caught up in projecting that perfect image; even more interesting to see how they respond once their ruses are revealed.

Once again, Falkoff brings to the pages a glimpse of the teenage life from different angles. The premise at first seems simple but the more you let the storyline sink in, the more you understand the disturbing reality that exists. It has made me wonder about my own dynamics with my kids, especially my freshman, as they work studiously to excel at school. Falkoff amazed me with her debut, Playlist for the Dead and with Pushing Perfect, I feel more of a personal connection as she has given me plenty of food for thought.

*Received an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review
8195
This book started out very strongly. I was immediately captivated by the different characters and their stories, as depicted amidst the backdrop of their three-story home. Towards the end, however, once the "villain" was introduced and the author shifted the importance of character growth to that of creating suspense and furthering the plot, my interest plummeted. What could've been a beautiful story of different people coming together and finding common ground in the day-to-day, instead turned into a too-typical plot about one character trying to impress a girl, save the day, and come out as the underdog on top...flying cross-country to find a long-lost person in true Hollywood fashion, for crying out loud. Ultimately, the ending felt cheap and left a sour taste in my mouth.

I can't quite recommend this book, but on the other hand, I can't not recommend it either. I just want any future readers to be warned that the heartfelt, character-driven beginning does not quite carry through to the end. That being said, there are certainly redeemable, even poignant, parts toward the end that are well worth sticking through to the end, as long as one isn't too disappointed by the sell-out plot devices clumsily employed in the final stretch.
1943539
Nothing in life will fulfill a person expectation 100 percent, because once they receive knowledge or understanding in anything, there is more questions to be ask. My mine just don't stop thinking about what happens next. The booklet does bring clarification that I never knew. But satisfying my expectation I need more.
4899024
Hmnnnn... perhaps now that I have read the entire set and watched the first season of Outlander I have become jaded with too high expectations.
1037717
WHEN YOU KNO BETTER BUT CHOSE NOT TO DO BETTER YOOU HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE.  LIFE IS HARD SOME TIMES BUT THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE LEARN.
3570009
I am always excited when a new book from DB is coming, but lately, less so. This was my fear: a clever, complicated plot would be cleverly disguised as a travel brochure. My fears were realized.
2713335
We all make decisions we may later regret. That make us have to start over, in the process we have to have hope that the outcome will be better this time around.
4481901
You can't make something great again when its all ready great.
3161375
The live show is pretty entertaining. I wasn't blown away, but that may have been due to the fact that I had set the expectations way too high.
3367766
The book became too predicable sinse  Most of the book became more and more a defence manifesto for people with BPD. That is provocative for a person about to recover.
4622166
In the beginning I was hyped, and my husband made some popcorn. We was like  a good movie is about to come on and the previews on tv looked good, but as I started getting into it. things changed and my husband and I couldn't really keep focused.
1617755
My expectations were higher than the amount that I paid for.
I wouldn't have bought it, if I knew that was the case.
3729104
I may have been expecting too much too soon.  Trying now to adjust to feel.  It seems that larger would be uncomfortable, so hopefully
they will feel better after I have worn them for a time.
4092126
Fantastic writer and usage of wonderful prose - frequently made me stop, think and smile.  However (didn't you know that this was coming?), I was saddened by her personal inability/immaturity to deal with family life and her husband.  As her books have made clear (I have read them all), she knows that life isn't always wonderful and easy.  I was therefore disappointed that she couldn't connect the dots between her previous struggles/challenges and the imperfections of a married life with children.  I know that she's not alone in this experience, but I had hoped that her genuine internal strengths and wisdom could guide her to realize this.  Life IS tough, but if even her parents could make it.....I'm disappointed that she would throw away so much more.  Life is tough, I have faith that someone as gifted and talented as Ms Fuller will eventually understand that "imperfection" is the norm for everyone and once you accept this.....happier times are more likely to follow - as proven by her parents.
3397045
My takeaway is that choices we make determines our quality of life and our options and choices have exploded making our life unhappy and stressful. The reasons I did not like it in the beginning was the author talked a lot about studies after studies but eventually it started to make sense.

My other takeaway is that  I got that by  paying gratitude for what you have is important to increase the quality of life; concentrate on what good about the choices you make; be a satisfier -choices should be for good enough not only the best like maximizer; expects adaptation which means that all excitements get back to ordinary;.stop the regret and stop comparing, it could be better but it could be worse ; have rules- no more then 2 stores, 2 vacations-limit the choices.

I highly recommend this book which will  make you more aware of choices and that having more choices is not a good because of the opportunity cost-trade off and wondering if you made the right choice. You will learn to be a satisfier that makes choices that are good enough.
688796
You have to be prepared for this one. It will really affect you.
3200398
Starts out good but then when the author suggested that unconditional love could cure that was a bit over the top for me.