Amanda’s confused feelings of jealousy and hurt are also authentic. Noah admits that he loves her, that he’ll break up with this other girl, but Amanda continues to push him away. The writing of these scenes are very effective. When Noah starts to date someone more seriously, Amanda interferes because of her jealousy. So Noah and Amanda begin a pattern of using people to make each other hurt. Amanda almost enjoys hurting herself and the ones she loves the most repeatedly. It was when Amanda hooked up with this other boy that her feelings of insecurity really shined through because only someone who was filled with self loathing would have picked this guy over Noah. She becomes jealous when she sees him with someone else and when he apologizes and offers the great explanation that he’s just using these other sluts because she won’t have him, Amanda turns to another guy in their school. Noah admits his feelings for Amanda and for his own good, Amanda repeatedly rejects him. Their friendship feelings turn romantic when they reach their early teens and there begins the drama. They were born just hours apart and they were virtually raised together. Noah and Amanda are best friends from birth. The one person whom Amanda admits has never once treated her as second class the one person who believes she is better than her sister the one person who loves her unconditionally is the only person Amanda treats like utter crap throughout 75% of the book.

It is this dichotomy that makes Amanda’s actions baffling and irritating through much of the story. This insecurity is the underlying motivating factor in Amanda’s interactions with only one person – her best friend Noah. I have always felt inadequate in all areas of my life. My life didn’t appear miserable from the outside, but inside was a different story.

The only bad thing Emily had done was cast a perfect shadow that I had to live under, making my accomplishments pale in comparison, thus making my life miserable. Amanda ‘Tweet’ Kelly has felt like she has come in second in her life to her utterly perfect sister. I completely understood what you were trying to sell in this book because you tell us what your narrator’s problem is in the blurb and in the opening passages of the story. Jane C Reviews Contemporary / friends-to-lovers / New Adult / Young-Adult 1 Comments SeptemREVIEW: Present Perfect by Alison G.

Present Perfect by Alison G. Bailey