Nobody's Perfect. Seriously.

So you're trying to survive your day at school, grabbing a sandwich in the lunchroom or dashing down the hall to English class, and then you spot her: that perfect girl. She's probably dressed in an expertly coordinated outfit, surrounded by a group of fawning friends, and much involved in everything at school, though she never shows a flicker of stress in her eyes. She's the kind of girl that makes you wonder what's wrong with you.

Been there? I wonder if all girls have. There's always a girl who seems like she has it all -- but, as Natasha Friend's novel Perfect demonstrates, maybe she isn't who everyone thinks she is. The book's main character Isabelle is caught throwing up her lunch, and is sent to group therapy, where she's shocked to see that Perfect Girl, Ashley, from school sitting right next to her. The two of them become friends, and Isabelle quickly sees that Ashley's life is far from ideal. And Isabelle realizes that her own life maybe isn't as terrible as she thought.

Though this is a story about bulimia, it is also a story about the pain of losing a family member, the tricky game of navigating friendships and learning how to look inside and speak your heart. It plays on themes that any girl can relate to. Because, the big secret is that no one has their life together all the time. Even the girls that look like they do -- well, they could have problems at home, or a boyfriend who doesn't call, or problems with their weight.

A lot of us girls put on masks at school to make others think we're doing fine, and use certain behaviors to cope with what's going on -- and some coping strategies are way healthier than others. In the book, both Isabelle and Ashley use bingeing and purging as a way to make themselves feel better, and though the book doesn't address this, purging is incredibly dangerous to a person's health. The girls in group therapy had different problems and backgrounds, but all used food as a way to feel comfort. It just goes to show that appearances can be deceiving, and that it can be easy to dismiss someone before getting to know what really makes them tick.

My questions for you, my Mainely Girls out there, are:

• Do you know any "perfect" girls like Ashley? Did this book change your thoughts on the word "perfect?"
• Could you relate to the feelings any of the girls expressed in the book? 
• What ways, do you think, girls use to cope with the stresses of school and life? What do you think works the best? 
• What do you think will happen to Isabelle, Ashley and the other characters in the book?

Any other thoughts? I'm always interested to hear 'em! And remember: there's no right answer here. And definitely no perfect answer.