The Other Side of Perfect

By Melanie Florence, Richard Scrimger

Two worlds collide when a wealthy girl shelters a boy fleeing his troubled home.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 294 ratings

256 pages· 48,595 words· Est. 7 hour read

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Cody, escaping a life of neglect, finds refuge in Autumn's world of privilege. As she hides him in her father's art studio, their unexpected friendship reveals hidden truths. Can they bridge their differences and find belonging? Discover how two lives intertwine in a tale of empathy and identity, where secrets unfold and connections deepen.

From the publisher

Two kids from two different worlds form an unexpected friendship in this lens into the interworking of empathy. Told in alternating narratives, The Other Side of Perfect is infused with themes of identity, belonging, and compassion, reminding us that we are all more than our circumstances, and we are all more connected than we think.Cody’s home life is a messy, too-often terrifying story of neglect and abuse. Cody himself is a smart kid, a survivor with a great sense of humor that helps him see past his circumstances and begin to try to get himself out. Autumn is a wealthy girl from an indigenous family, who has found herself in with the popular crowd even though it’s hard for her to want to keep up.But one night, while returning home from a movie, Autumn comes across Cody, face down in the laneway behind her house. All Cody knows is that he can’t take another encounter with his father like the one he just narrowly escaped. He can’t go home. But he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. When Autumn agrees to let him hide out in her dad’s art studio, Cody’s story begins to come out, and so does hers.

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