Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard is an honest, emotionally charged story about friendship, trust, and difficult choices. When Eden’s best friend runs away with a teacher, Eden grapples with loyalty and the weight of secrets. Barnard captures teenage emotions with realism and depth, making it a thought-provoking read for fans of contemporary YA that tackles complex issues.

I love coming of age young adult novels. This was such a good read, I’ll for sure be reading more by this author.

This book had some really good moments. I didn’t love it like I loved A Quiet Kind of Thunder but it was still pretty good. It was a heavy subject and just plain hard to read at times. And I think it suffered a little from trying to do to much with not enough pages, but I'm glad I read it. Sara Barnard is a fantastic author. This book just wasn't one for me.

Real Rating: 3.5 stars.

Eden’s choices made me cringe but it I enjoyed the book overall. A relevant storyline that was realistic throughout.

This story didn't grab me as much as the other ones. I found Eden frustrating as I couldn't understand why she agreed to keep Bonnie's secret. I understand that she was trying to be loyal but Bonnie could have been in danger.

I like that the author writes realistic characters. I liked that the author explored other side plots as well such as adoption and sibling relationships although I would have liked it if some of these had been developed a bit more.

Whilst I didn't love this book as much as the author's other books I did enjoy it and I will certainly pick up more from the author in the future.

Barnard has a way of telling a story that captivates readers. And while this isn’t my favorite, I still enjoyed it.

I am not usually into this trope as I hate it being romanticized. So at least that worked for me here.

I think some things could’ve been expanded upon-adoption, Connor, etc- but overall it’s a good read with a lot of truths and honesty.

First, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC I was given in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did end up buying a copy because I could never figure out how to open the file, but it was well worth paying for.

Goodbye, Perfect is the story of a teenage girl named Eden whose best friend is a bit perfect. At least, on the surface (isn't that always the way?). She gets great grades while Eden flounders; her parents are steady, if a bit overbearing, while Eden was adopted after years of foster care, and she never gets in trouble, while Eden had a rough couple of years. then one day, Bonnie, Eden's best friend, shocks everyone by running away with her music teacher.

On the surface, this book is about Eden's struggle to navigate the ethics of a tricky situation. Who deserves her loyalty? Bonnie, who disappeared after keeping a huge secret from her best friend? Her mother, Carolyn, who has loved her with unwavering patience and compassion?

It turns out, though, that Goodbye, Perfect is about so much more than that. It's about realizing no one is perfect and that the people we love might not always meet our expectations. It's about learning sometimes the people we write off are the ones most deserving of our love. Mostly, though, it's about learning what love really is: love isn't selfish and reckless and while you might be willing to give up everything for someone you love, someone who loves you wouldn't ask you to.

This is a really lovely book with many layers that would make it a good read for basically anyone. 4.5/5

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A difficult read at times. Bonnie is so convinced in her love for her teacher that she runs away with him, with no intention of returning. Her best friend Eden is left behind to deal with the fallout. It ends fairly realistically, without a clear resolution.

A tricky topic here. While most people agree that it's wrong for a teacher to have an intimate relationship with a student, Barnard takes pains to point out that it isn't that simple for the people involved. That as soon as you add emotions it seems much murkier. This book explores the justifications we give for doing things we know to be technically wrong. Eden knows keeping Bonnie's secret is wrong but feels compelled by loyalty. Barnard leads us through the uncomfortable murkiness of messy families and old friendships. Through the ways people are perceived and their secret inner lives. SO this isn't a fun, cozy read. It ends on a positive note but not with everything fixed. There's this idea that some things FEEL beyond repair and some things ARE beyond repair and it can be tricky to tell the difference.

Goodbye, Perfect

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed the newest book by Sara Barnard. This is my first book by her, and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more.

Eden and Bonnie are unlikely best friends-Eden is somewhat edgy and a bit of a wild child, while Bonnie is a super smart rule follower. The two have been studying nonstop for their upcoming final exams. All that changes when Eden receives text that Bonnie has run away with her boyfriend Jack, whom Eden has never even met. Eden is shocked that her normally grade obsessed best friend would even think about running away-especially so close to the exams. To make it even worse, everyone discovers that boyfriend Jack is Bonnie’s music teacher. Everyone keeps asking her where Bonnie has run to, including the police.

No one knows that Eden is the only person in contact with Bonnie, and her initial reaction is to cover for Bonnie, even after finding out who her boyfriend really is. Eden struggles with this secret she is keeping for her best friend, and is really trying to put faith in Bonnie that she knows what is best for her. The pressure that Eden starts to feel though from her parents, Bonnie's parents, and the police lead her to the conclusion that she should intervene on her own; but what if Bonnie doesn't want to come home?

Overall, I would recommend this book.

If there’s anything I enjoy in the YA contemporary genre, it’s conflict—especially when the drama going down is something that real teens face, and especially when it’s a topic that authors aren’t often willing to tackle. A lot of authors could write a similar story and keep it black and white—girl’s best friend runs away, girl tells police, best friend is brought home, pedophilia is vilified, and that’s a wrap. That’s not Sara’s style at all.

The thing is, there are two huge obstacles to Bonnie’s coming home, and we’re reminded of them often: 1) Eden feels a duty to protect her best friend, because what 15-year-old doesn’t think they’ve got things figured out? and 2) Bonnie ran away with her teacher. She wasn’t taken kicking and screaming; she’s been groomed by this powerful, attractive, seemingly ‘caring’ figure in her life and he’s convinced her they have an entire life together. Bonnie doesn’t want to come home, so how can Eden force her to?

I really appreciated that Sara was willing to go there, without ever making it seem as though what was happening was anything less than awful. Her approach is incredibly refreshing and necessary in its honesty, which might be my favorite thing about her writing as a whole. On top of that, Eden is biracial (white/Brazilian), adopted, dyslexic, and struggles in school—all of this leading up to a phenomenal commentary regarding how different the media would be reacting to the entire situation if the girl in question weren’t a white, able-bodied, middle-class girl with perfect grades like Bonnie.

Besides the genuine way she approached the topic at large, my other favorite thing about this whole story was Eden’s boyfriend, Connor. Sara writes the sweetest, softest boys as love interests and Connor is just so wholesome and precious and loving. I adored the fact that his steadiness contrasted so starkly against the ridiculousness of the situation Eden had been forced into; likewise, her adopted parents are flawed but mostly wonderful, and I loved the support system Eden had in place.

Unfortunately, while I enjoyed Goodbye, Perfect very much, it just wasn’t quite a home run for me! I’ve actually sat on this review for a few days in hopes of nailing down why it never hit 5-star status, and I’m still not sure, but I had the same issue with my other read of Sara’s, A Quiet Kind of Thunder. She writes lovely characters and plots, but something about the stories never fully “wows” me.

That aside, this is a quality contemporary read that I wholeheartedly recommend checking out for yourself. I know Sara Barnard is going to continue being an author I reach for time and time again because I trust her to craft really enjoyable stories that perfectly straddle the line between heavy and comforting, and I can’t wait for my next read of hers!

I’d recommend this, and any of Sara’s other works, to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary releases and is looking for a healthy mix of conflict and fluff.

Content warnings for pedophilia, grooming, mentions of child pornography, abduction

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Simon Pulse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eden is dreading the upcoming week. She is going to be having her final exams, and even with the help of her super smart best friend Bonnie, Eden knows it's going to be an uphill battle. Everything goes out the window though when Eden wakes up with a text message from Bonnie saying she has run away with her boyfriend Jack.

At first, Eden doesn't think much about this. Her best friend Bonnie is a straight A student, but Eden has only heard the name Jack, she's never met him in person. Things quickly turn more intense when not only is her mother asking if Eden knows anything, but the local police too. That's because Jack is not just a teenage boyfriend, he is Bonnie's music teacher!

No one knows that Eden is the only person in contact with Bonnie, and her initial reaction is to cover for Bonnie, even after finding out who her boyfriend really is. Eden struggles with this secret she is keeping for her best friend, and is really trying to put faith in Bonnie that she knows what is best for her. The pressure that Eden starts to feel though from her parents, Bonnie's parents, and the police lead her to the conclusion that she should intervene on her own; but what if Bonnie doesn't want to come home?

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was a little disorienting at first since I do live in the states and I'm not familiar with the school system in the U.K. I quickly got caught up in the story though, and I was hooked! I expected myself to feel completely annoyed by Eden's unending support for her friend, even when it was so obvious to me that she needed to step in and step in quickly and help her friend. Barnard balances Eden's struggle nicely; she is a complicated character and all of this plays in to how she handles this crazy situation she has found herself in. I have to say I was relieved at the end of the book, and happy with how it ended. Highly recommended for all libraries, especially where realistic fiction is popular.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. This was a quick read full of emotion, great characters, and real life. I absolutely loved Eden because she was so real. She was the perfect main character. Once I started reading I almost didn't want to finish because the topic was one I haven't read in a book yet and I needed to know what would happen next. I knew that it wouldn't end well for Bonnie, and the message would be a good one, but I still wasn't fully into the story when I first started. I am very glad that I finished it though. I became super close to the characters and very attached to the story.
We follow Eden McKinley, who is perceived as a wild child, because of her past. Her best friend Bonnie is the complete opposite. She is a straight A student and all the teachers love her. Bonnie is obsessed with getting good grades and stresses over them a lot.
We start out with Eden and Bonnie getting ready for their GCSEs and Bonnie is pretty much freaking out about them. Eden knows how important these tests are for Bonnie, but she still thinks that Bonnie should chill. Eden is always telling Bonnie that she needs to chill. So when Bonnie finally does chill, it's definitely not the way Eden meant.
Eden goes through a lot in this book. Not only with her friend, but with her sister and her family. I thought this book was so thought-provoking and one that everyone should read. I will definitely need to read the rest of Sara's books!

holy cow a lovely tale masterfully written with the teen audience in mind. it's not perfect, but it's just the type of books I want to be published in YA and would let kids around me read. I am so glad to see this being published in the US and can't wait to read more by Sara Barnard now.

In Goodbye, Perfect, Sara Barnard poignantly explores the intricacies of family, friendship, and what happens when one friend puts another in an impossible situation. When 15-year-old Bonnie and her music teacher suddenly decide to run away together, Bonnie tells no one, not even her best friend, Eden. This leaves Eden behind to deal with the fallout, because no one believes Bonnie would run away without confiding in her best friend. When Bonnie finally does fill Eden in via text message, she puts Eden in an even more impossible situation because she swears her to secrecy.

What I enjoyed most about Goodbye Perfect is that even though Bonnie and her teacher-boyfriend are the ones creating the drama with their very disturbing actions, the story actually focuses more on Eden and what is going through her head. She is so conflicted between wanting to be loyal to her best friend and wanting her to come home safely so that everyone stops worrying. I think Barnard does a beautiful job of realistically exploring all of the emotions that are running through Eden’s mind as she tries to maneuver through what feels like a mine field.

In addition to its focus on Eden and what she is going through rather than Bonnie, I was also a big fan of the support system that Barnard has created for Eden. Eden’s adoptive family was just wonderful, as was her super sweet longtime boyfriend, Connor. All of Eden’s scenes with Connor made me smile, as did a scene when Eden’s adoptive mom stuck up for her when Bonnie’s mom confronts her. The book is filled with lots of great moments like this.

Goodbye, Perfect is the second novel I’ve read by Sara Barnard and I have to say that she is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. Her writing is gorgeous and the stories she crafts always tug at my heartstrings because of the emotional journeys of characters like Eden. If you’re looking for a read that will resonate long after you’ve finished the last page, I highly recommend Goodbye, Perfect. 4.5 STARS

Eden and her best friend Bonnie are preparing for their final exams that they must pass in order to finish school. Then Eden receives a text from Bonnie saying that she has run away with her boyfriend Jack. Eden is only a little concerned at first because she is certain they will return soon, but when Bonnie doesn't come back and the police come to Eden's house to question her about Bonnie's disappearance, Eden learns that Bonnie has run away with the music teacher, Jack Cohn. Eden receives texts from Bonnie telling her their whereabouts, but Eden feels like she can't reveal them to anyone because she doesn't want to betray her best friend. With help from her family and her boyfriend Connor, Eden must make difficult decisions in order to save her friend.
This is such an important book. I'm happy to see books being written about important and difficult topics facing people today. The problem of teachers grooming students to run away with them is only becoming more prevalent, and I believe everyone needs to be aware of this problem, especially young people. This book is well written, realistic, and heartbreaking in its accuracy and timely nature. I thought the reactions of the people involved were portrayed well, and I became so wrapped up in the story and it's outcome that I was angry at the ignorance and naivete of some of the characters and sad for Eden and a few others. I don't agree with some of the views presented and I don't like the profanity used, but I can understand why those things were included. I recommend this book to teens, their parents, and those who are responsible for young people. I hope that these despicable and perverted acts will stop.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this book! First of all I really relate to Eden. She's sassy and sarcastic and she isn't going to deal with anyone's nonsense. I'm so glad the author decided to tell the story from her point of view because she really made the story believable. She was the jaded and hurt best friend who didn't know what to think of the secrecy and the lies from who she thought was her best friend- she was loyal, but she questioned Bonnie and Bonnie's choices. I quite enjoyed the entire story.

I read A Quiet Kind of Thunder last year and I loved it. I was incredibly excited for more from Barnard. I feel that Quiet was stronger than this novel. It follows the story of an adopted girl named Eden whose best friend, Bonnie, runs away with their teacher, Mr Cohn.. I felt like there was a lot of buildup to different aspects and not enough following through. There was so much about Eden being adopted that I expected an appearance from her biological mother. I felt like it was so ingrained into the story but nothing really ever came of it. I think the open-ended ending bothered me more than anything with this story because there was so much left unresolved. I did appreciate the relationship between Eden and her younger sister, Daisy, as well as her adopted mother, Carolyn, and her boyfriend, Connor. I also really liked the progression of Eden's relationship with her adopted sister, Valerie. I find it hard to connect with characters that are super angsty and I felt that Eden definitely portrayed that quite a bit in the story. It was hard to root for her. Bonnie was a whole other story. I really didn't like her character, but I think that was the point. There were a great many good things about this story that I loved and adored. I think Barnard creates a rich story and authentic characters and her writing is so easy to read. The taboo topic was handled in the right way, in my opinion. This novel just felt incomplete at times.

Goodbye Perfect is one of those books that has all these hidden layers. On a story level, Eden finds out that Bonnie is engaged in an underage relationship with their music teacher. But then there's all these other layers. Like the fact that Eden is adopted and so family is a huge theme in this book. Along those lines, her relationship with her sister functions as a mirror to Bonnie. Her sister has felt the same pressure as Bonnie and that's part of the root of her and Eden's issues. And at the heart of this book is a discussion of loyalty, protection, and when you have to betray someone to protect them.

The biggest theme that hit close to home for me was family and Eden's relationship to her adoptive mother and sister, not to mention her biological sister as well. There are so many added nuances in their relationships. The fact that people look down on Eden because of her status as an adoptee (which was so hard for me to read about). But also her biological sister, Daisy, and how she feels separated from her adoptive family. Eden has all these memories associated with her biological mother, but she also feels like she has to measure up to her older sister, who she thinks is 'perfect'.

I liked this book a lot. I didn’t want to put it down. I really wanted to see what happened in the end. But also Eden made some POOR CHOICES.