Perfect
Published on 13. September 2011
640 pages
978-1-4424-2357-2 (ISBN)
Description
What would you give up to be perfect? Four teens find out in the New York Times bestselling companion to Impulse.
Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they'd rather be. For four high school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.
Cara's parents' unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body?no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run?on the field and off?Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he'll be living a life his ancestors would never understand.
A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.
Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they'd rather be. For four high school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.
Cara's parents' unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body?no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run?on the field and off?Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he'll be living a life his ancestors would never understand.
A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.
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Person
Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous young adult novels, as well as the adult novels such as Triangles, Collateral, and Love Lies Beneath. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada, where she has founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative. Follow her on Twitter at @EllenHopkinsLit.
Content
- Intro
- Publisher's Note
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- Cara Sierra Sykes: Perfect?
- Perfection
- Mom Stands There Watching
- I Guess In A Way
- That Fear Isn't Something
- I Won't Fly Today
- The Stain
- When People Ask
- Kendra Melody Mathieson: Pretty
- Pale Beauty
- What He Doesn't Get
- My Mom Has Groomed Me
- The Rhinoplasty
- Patrick Won't Pay For That
- What's Irritating
- I Didn't React Badly
- And Just Maybe
- Sean Terrence O'Connell: Buff
- Drive
- I Play Football, Too
- All Pumped Up
- My Face Flushes Hot
- If He Says So
- I Could Do That
- Anger Pricks
- Andre Marcus Kane III: Bomb
- Don't Get Me Wrong
- Gramps's Obese Bank Account
- Dad Might Be Sympathetic
- As For My Mom
- Cara: Don't Bother
- New Running Shoes
- But Today The Roads Are Icy
- You Might Even Say
- The Sean Who Stops
- February Doesn't Seem
- No Answer
- Bitterness
- Kendra: Ghosts
- Miss Teen Spirit Of The West
- Beautiful Bodies
- Still Two Hours West
- Elko Is A Mining Town
- Her Eyes Say The Words
- I've Only Known
- Sean: Everyone Else
- Plotting
- It Does Worry Me Some
- So Far, In Fact
- One of My Former High-Horsepower Rides
- I've Talked To Her Parents
- Because Cara's Mom
- We'll Have To Work On That
- Andre: A Problem
- Today's Game
- School Behind Me
- I Have To Make A Stop
- I Choose A Seat
- Her Skin
- Jenna, However
- She Is On My Mind
- Cara: At Last
- First Decent Day In Weeks
- Midmorning
- The Lift Starts Up Again
- My Rescuer
- This Part Of The Hill
- It Isn't Until
- Her Laugh Is So Freaking Sexy
- Kendra: Light
- Dreams
- I Don't Feel Light Anymore
- Jenna Goes To Shower
- Her Son?
- I Throw My Pillow
- One Tomato
- By The Time I Get There
- Sean: Arms
- Bulking Up
- Case In Point
- Showered And Dressed
- My Hand
- I Want To Make Her Happy
- It Is Past Ten
- I Wait For Her
- Andre: To Be Kissed
- Academically
- Still, I Don't Plan
- He Says Okay
- On My Way To Jenna's
- It's A Little Before Five
- Maybe Fate Does Exist
- After Dinner
- Cara: Not Uncertain
- I'm Not Sure Who I Am
- Maybe I'll Find Out Tonight
- Bundled Up
- I Have To Admit
- It Starts Out Great
- Danger Scent Is Somehow Attractive
- Kendra: It Wasn't Me
- An Ugly Rumor
- Distracted
- Too Icy
- Picking My Way
- That Seems More And More
- I Don't Know What It Is Exactly
- By the Time
- The Photog
- Sean: We Need To Talk
- Can't Stop Thinking
- Chad Is A Senior
- I Could Call
- But Today He's Company-Free
- Chad, Steroid Expert
- I Leave Chad's
- Personally, I Think
- A Little Fuzzy
- Andre: So Hot
- Wish I Could Say
- In The Minus Column
- It's A Small Price
- The Ultimate Rush
- Jenna Knows
- Her Smile Dissolves
- Post Burgers And Fries
- Cara: Am I More Afraid
- Sunday Mornings
- Down The Home Stretch
- I Run Home
- I Turn The Shower Hot
- The Afternoon Is Looking Long
- It's A Twenty-Minute Drive
- The River Is High
- Her Hand Trembles In Mine
- Kendra: How Far
- I Don't Know Why
- I Was Only Going To Take
- It Was An Implied Threat
- I Popped The Last Percocet
- Xavier
- Xavier Will Be Here Any Minute
- Not To Mention A Natural Flirt
- Sean: My Hand
- Used To Be
- I'm Tired Of Saving Up
- Great Day For Baseball
- First Inning
- Bottom Of The Eighth
- Being The Hero
- Andre: For Some Reason
- I Can't Believe
- Before She Can Enlighten Me
- We Are Halfway There
- The Carson High Parking Lot
- Her Admission
- More Than Anything
- The Grizzly Girls
- Cara: Turned Around
- I Have Become An Expert
- I Hope He Doesn't Ask More
- I Half Expect Them
- Fixed?
- The Exchange
- This Is The Opportunity
- Kendra: Skin
- Size Two Skin
- Beyond Runway
- My Heart Still Cries
- Not That I Have
- We Debate
- I Wouldn't Exactly
- He Excuses Himself
- Who the Hell
- Sean: It's Time
- I Have Never Insisted
- I Heard Her Wrong
- There's A Strange Buzzing
- DNA Evidence
- When I Let Go
- She Emerges
- Andre: What Good
- Fight For Love?
- I Really Have No Option
- That Theory Is Confirmed
- Part Of Me
- This Is Insane
- I Turn My Back
- I Reach My Car
- Cara: What Is Love All About?
- Three Days
- I Am Also Incredibly Angry
- If He Really Loves Me
- Maybe Even What?
- So Now Or Never
- I Think I Hear Him Sob
- Enough Already
- Kendra: Empty
- Thank God For Jenna
- Something Obvious
- One Thing I Have To Respect
- I'm Online
- Closing In
- The Hill Grows Steeper
- To The West
- Through The Fog
- Sean: I'm Okay
- Wounded
- I Thought She Was Over It
- At Least She Didn't
- On One Hand
- And I Know I'm Out
- I Hit The Locker Room
- I Know All That
- Andre: Not Exactly True
- I Don't Usually Think
- I Have Heard
- Just Like That
- I Especially Like
- So I Take The Direct Approach
- I'm Not Sure If That Means
- As I Say It
- Cara: Private Dreams
- Spring Break
- I Haven't Even Seen
- Going With Dani
- I Do My Best
- I Have No Clue
- I Expect Her to Let Go
- She Proves It
- I'm Not Much Of A Drinker
- Kendra: Fake
- Two Days
- The Mirror Always Wins
- In A Way
- Regardless
- He Is Not The Type
- I Say Fine
- Unbelievably
- Sean: Back Turned
- Fighting Depression
- Her Call Surprised Me
- I Get To The Theater
- Does That Mean She's Buying?
- And Why Do I Care?
- We Sit Watching
- Point Taken
- Andre: A Glimpse
- Breakfast This Morning
- It Wasn't That Funny
- She Isn't, Of Course
- The Girl Has No Shame
- She Does Not Respond
- Finally She Wiggles Free
- Cara: Did I Expect
- Transformation
- Easter
- I Sit With Mom And Dad
- It Is Yielding
- Afterward
- They Don't Have To Know
- Not Sure, In Fact
- Kendra: Disappointment
- Reaching For The Sky
- I Don't Have To Wait Long
- Unlike The Nurse
- Shame And Anger
- Save My Life?
- Cheryl Escorts Me
- Sean: Sick
- Been Asking Around
- I Guess I Don't
- I Don't Want To Ski Alone
- Rose Has Been Invaded
- From Here
- Even The Singles Line
- I'm Sure It Isn't Pretty
- Andre: People Who Are In Love
- When It Comes To Sex
- This Afternoon, Though
- Awesome Day
- But She's Not Quite Finished
- Every Time
- Me? On TV?
- Is Dance My Heart?
- Believing I Am
- Cara: Fire
- Falling In Love
- But It Isn't Dani
- His Laugh Is Cruel
- Her Cell Goes Straight
- What Am I Afraid Of?
- Dani Comes, Smiling
- Kendra: Borderline
- Food Is Not My Friend
- I Really Don't Get
- Can't Do That Right Now
- Guess I Don't Look
- Apparently, This Audition
- I'm Thinking About It Now
- Sean: A Thin Strip
- Caught In A Maelstrom
- Cara Weaves
- What Will The Girls Be Up To?
- Windows Are Made To Look Through
- I Love You
- I Don't Bother With Stealth
- Andre: Even Now
- Some Things You Can't Fix
- She's Disintegrating
- Biggest Mistake of All
- I'm Also Wondering
- So Today, I Will Tell Jenna
- At Least She Remembered The Jazz
- Cara: Dreams
- My Big Book of Fairy Tales
- Saturday Morning, Late April
- Mom Goes To Get Her Coat
- Not Much More To Say
- The Loud Exchange
- Kendra Got the Pic
- Kendra: Out
- Blown Away
- Cara's Reputation
- Then Again, Neither Will I
- Jenna, On The Other Hand
- Mom Draws Farther
- I Have No Clue What To Say
- Fall To Pieces
- Sean: Pieces
- Growing Things
- That Guy
- I Hope The Guy Behind My Eyes
- Think I'd Better Lift
- Before I Can Answer
- Being Eighteen
- The Booking Process
- Andre: If You Will
- Birthdays
- A Few Months
- The Party
- Obviously
- Suddenly It Occurs To Me
- Cara: One Gigantic Heave
- Other People
- Not Much Chance
- The Day The Stars Aligned
- It Was The "Normal"
- He Made A Call
- No Pressure There, Mom
- Who Knows Who I'd Be
- Kendra: I Didn't Want To See
- Are All Relationships
- The Only Person
- Ambushed
- Her Hands Fall Away
- Ha! Said It
- The Skinny Girl Crumbles
- People Are Starting To Gawk
- The Hospital Is Five Minutes Away
- Sean: Broken Bones
- You Could Power The World
- Especially If I Want
- The Main Thing
- As For The Big Mouth
- Cara Knows
- The Rumor Hits Full Force
- Andre: Crazy
- What Have You Done?
- As If Hearing My Thoughts
- I Sit Back Down
- What I Didn't Tell Her
- She's Sleeping Now
- Cara: Paradise
- Love Is Chocolate
- The Phone Rings
- But Conner Is Dead
- Kendra: The Details
- Irredeemable
- I Got The News
- The Wake Is This Evening
- Sean: Never
- Word Travels Fast
- Not Going To Argue
- I Watch Who Goes Up Front
- Andre: Strangers
- I Never Knew
- One Of Those People
- The Service Starts
- Cara: Death
- At The Red-Haired Girl's Words
- He Turns Back, Crying
- Kendra: Chance
- People Move Forward
- Sean: Good-bye
- I Didn't Hang Out
- Andre: Enough
- Play It Safe?
- The Wake
- Cara: Love
- The Funeral Mass
- Author's Note
- Some Statistics
- 'Rumble' Excerpt
- In the Narrow Pewter Space
- Have Faith
- Case in Point
- Why, Then
- As I Wind Up
- A Tribute
- I'm Not Quite
- As Is Usual
- The Defiance
- Hi-Ho-the-Merry-O
- The Weight of His Sigh
- Which Would Be
- Fucking Great
- He Tries Another Tack
- For a Counselor
- It's a Total Lie
- Doesn't Matter
- Copyright
