Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

     Some people are afraid of bugs. Some people are afraid of spiders. Some people are afraid of the dark, and some are afraid of not being perfect. In my independent reading book, Perfect, by Ellen Hopkins, perspectives alter from person to person, from Cara to Kendra to Sean to Andre. They have nothing in common- except the pursuit of perfection. As the book title would entail, all of them have an image of perfection stuck in their heads that they strive to embody. The standards of perfect that they tell people are the ones set by their parents. But the real image of perfect is what they have hardwired into their brains themselves.
     Andre has had issues with perfection because he is black, and the color of his skin makes some people automatically label him as bad, so his parents and society as a whole tell him to strive to be better than them. His girlfriend, Jenna(Kendra's sister)'s dad judged Andre as soon as he met him, telling Andre, ''I don't know who you are, and I don't want to, but if I were you, I would get … out of here right now." To the contrary, Andre's parents want him to be a doctor or a lawyer or something equally respected so that Andre won't become the stereotype some make him out to be, but Andre doesn't care. He wants to be a dancer. Andre wants to label himself perfect so that Jenna will fall in love with him. But Jenna doesn't want anyone who is perfect, she wants someone with flaws, like herself,  which Andre doesn't understand, because he has drilled into himself to never quit.
     Kendra thinks that on the inside, she is terrifying and sick and imperfect, and knows that if she covers it up with kind words and a clear exterior, nobody will see. Kendra's conflict is that she wants to be a star, but wants to look perfect. She is in a situation where any and every blemish is illuminated, as if she wants to scream to the world to look at her. Kendra is the most complex character in Perfect because she struggles with wanting to be seen and not wanting to be seen, which we all relate to.
    In Perfect, Ellen Hopkins is showing us that nobody has to give in to others, and that listening to yourself can be damaging. She shows us to never try to be perfect, because you cannot change who you are, even if appearance and status say you need to try harder. Perfection at its finest is happiness, which is all you need to strive to be.