Review: Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard

Goodbye, Perfect is Sara Barnard’s third novel, and the third novel of her’s that I have read. I am a huge fan of Sara’s previous novels, and this book was no exception.

Goodbye, Perfect is centred around the disappearance of our Eden’s best friend Bonnie with the school music teacher, Mr Cohn, set during Eden and Bonnie’s GCSEs. Eden battles between loyalty to her best friend and her said best friend betraying her by not telling her about being in a relationship with (and running away with) their teacher.

I loved how this book delved into topics such as adoption and fostering (Eden and her younger sister Daisy were adopted) and family bonds (particularly between Eden and her adoptive sister Valerie), as well as student-teacher relationships (way too often glamourised in teen media – think Ezra on Pretty Little Liars or Ms Grundy in Riverdale) and academic expectations. Bonnie was a particularly interesting character who was academically bright but wanted to carve a different path for herself.

This book is out in early February, so I would heartily recommend getting this one on your TBRs for 2018.