Review: Primperfect – Deirdre Sullivan

Primperfect

Deirdre Sullivan

Little Island (2014) YA Contemporary

Primperfect is the third and final instalment of the diaries of the wonderfully witty Primrose Leary (Prim Improper and Improper Order are the previous two titles). Now 16, Prim has grown up a lot since the first book. And much has changed in her life – she is no longer on speaking terms with best friend Joel, and her beloved rat Roderic has died. Prim is also facing new challenges – including boyfriends and coping with counselling.

I love this series so much, Prim is definitely one of my favourite YA protagonists. She is a very real character, who has struggles to cope with and who makes mistakes. As she says herself, ‘I’m just a girl trying to survive in this crazy mixed-up world.’ Not only is Prim a very likeable and relatable protagonist, but there are a number of wonderful characters in the series. Prim’s former friend Joel is a brilliant sidekick to the quirky protagonist (and his ‘eyebrows have a wide vocabulary’). Prim’s friend Ella is a very strong character too, who is dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome but is in no way defined by it just as Prim is not defined by her problems.

I didn’t want Primperfect to end, it’s hard to believe it’s the last book in the series! As always, Prim’s voice was strong and the books have a quirky charm. As in Improper Order, there is a brilliant balance between humour and very sensitive topics; I laughed out loud and I cried. I liked the fact that some things were left open at the end of the book, it felt genuine and like Prim’s life is continuing on beyond the pages. As with the previous books, the design is wonderful with the illustrations and typography giving the book the appearance of a diary.

Here are some of the many quotes I loved in Primperfect:

Is this what growing older means, not being bothered to do things that you kind of want to do but not as much.

I bottle and explode in carefully managed situations by myself.

it could stew like a tea bag and result in ARDOUR at some point.

I will tell you dreadful things about otters if you don’t stop x