Perfected by Girls by Alfred C. Martino

Perfected by Girls Reviews

• 
  Denise

  4.0 out of 5 stars - YA novel - I totally wish I knew a girl who was interested in wrestling as I would like to have her read this book! There is so much detail here that would likely be appreciated by such a person.
  
  Fifteen-year-old Melinda Radford is Ashton High School's only female wrestler. Though she's on JV, she dreams of wrestling varsity with her brother, Cole. Because of her gender, she deals with issues of discrimination and is often misunderstood by schoolmates and adults. In addition, most people in general can't understand why she wants to be a wrestler. She is determined, however, to make a name for herself based on the slogan on her sweatshirt: "Wrestling. Invented by boys. Perfected by girls."
  
  This is the story of Mel's wrestling season. Her personal issues with friends and a possible new boyfriend, plus her workouts and practice sessions with the team are described in minute detail. Her parents are rich and supportive, if a bit clueless, and I am sure only female readers will appreciate the descriptions of her designer clothes and other accessories.
  
  Entertaining read about a subject I knew absolutely NOTHING about -- wrestling -- and told from the female wrestler's point of view.
  
  Addendum: I found a teen boy who is in the 200 plus weight class and wrestles for our high school team. He really liked the book! Said there were terms in there that he didn't even know. So -- recommended by a wrestler. He did say that he would NEVER want to lose to a girl.
• 
  Becky Prunty

  Lost me at the end when the friend thought the names she was as called were no big deal. Way too easily forgiven and forgotten. I don't think that was at all realistic. Interesting to read about a girl wrestling but she came across as not very believable to me.
• 
  Terry Marine

  A man writes a book in the first-person, present tense, about a teenage girl. But he isn't a teenage girl, and doesn't really know how they think. He does seem to know about wrestling. But in 310 pages, he only describes two wrestling matches. We do, however, get descriptions of how "Mel" feels when her boyfriend squeezed her nipples. So, this dude is writing for teenage girls. It's up to the reader to decide if this writer is tossing in cheap sex, to excite his female readers. Otherwise, it's a fair "coming-of-age" story; and probably does approximate how some teenage girls may think. That's not why I bought the book. But, I bought it used; so I won't complain. I got a little knowledge from this purchase; and the author got nothing.
• 
  Becky

  This book really surprised me. I'm not an athlete, yet Melinda, the protagonist, her best friend, and even her brother are all so believable and likable. I still can't believe a male wrote her to be so authentic. I loved how fierce and funny she was. I really enjoyed it, and I had no idea how it would play out in the end.
• 
  Vincent

  A well written book. It was very easy to listen to. My only complaint was that it was somewhat mellow and very predictable.
• 
  Lauren Herzog

  I listened to the audio book, read by Jen Taylor, and that version was very good.
• 
  Trev Hill

  Pretty good. Martino writes about wrestling and relationships from the POV of a 15 year old girl. A good read and lots of wrestling terminology and insights.
• 
  Lexi Seffrood

  I like this book because it has many interesting things in it. Usually I cant find books that i like but this book is perfect.
• 
  Michelle

  Initially, I was really enjoying this book. The main character is a female wrestler, and I found that to be a very interested topic. Why would a girl choose to wrestle in high school? In this case, her older brother is a wrestler, and she has just always loved the sport and practiced with him, and she is pretty good—for a girl. She starts the book wrestling exhibition for the JV team, but I think that if I had finished the book, she would have ended up competing at a higher level. The reason I did not keep reading is because she gets a boyfriend and continually goes further than she seems to feel comfortable with and too many details were given for me to feel comfortable. I was really hoping it was going to be a good a "role model" book about working hard for what is important to you even if that makes you a loner, but the plot line with the boyfriend ruined it for me, and I stopped reading. And the "making the weight" routines practiced by some of her teammates sounded pretty horrible.
  
  In my experience, the best coaches really don't ever have to yell. Disappointment in their voice is enough.
  "Then I hear Coach Hillman's gravelly voice. 'Hold on, Ashton,' he says, stepping onto the champions mat. 'This has been a doggone awful practice.'
  
  I look toward the front of the room. Coach Hillman never raises his voice, but he always makes it clear when he's annoyed. I guess when you've been one of Michigan's best coaches over the past twenty-four years and your teams have made it to the Division 2 finals eight times, capturing seven championships, you don't need to yell."
  
  
  "I step down the basement stairs and take a seat.
  
  'Need a spot?' I ask.
  
  Cole looks up from the bench. 'No,' he snaps, as if I should've known the answer. He sets his hands, then his feet on the floor, arches his back, and with a grunt lifts the barbell from the rack. His body stiffens—like a controlled spasm—as he begins his reps, his chest and arms and shoulders easing the weight down, then pressing it up. One . . .
  
  Two . . .
  
  Three . . .
  
  The fourth is a real struggle. My instinct is to help him just enough so he can lock out his arms. But I don't. Cole wants to experience that moment when his muscles give up but his brain doesn't. That's when the battle begins, he always tells me. That's when you find out if your mind controls your body, or your body controls your mind. Whatever that means. Guys have a lot of ridiculous sayings and stupid philosophies they apply to workouts and competition, and winning and losing, that seem insightful until you think about what they actually mean, and then you're like, 'Huh?'"
  
  
  
• 
  Emma

  Characters:
  I have to say, I was a little skeptical that the author would be able to write a convincing female character. But I can happily say that I feel that Mel was a very believable, and for the most part realistic, female voice. She definitely wasn’t a cookie cutter. And I loved how passionate she was about wrestling. So much so that it got me excited as well, and I’ve never watched a minute of wrestling in my life. I think that’s one of the signs of a good writer, to be able to convey your feelings strongly through your writing and make the reader feel the same.
  
  Plot and Story:
  Too often in contemps, the message the writer is trying to get across is obvious in the plot and is so repetitive it makes the reader want to tear their hair out. I have to applaud Alfred Martino for writing a novel partly about girl power, without the story being over wrought with the same monotonous message. The only part of the story that irked me was something that happened at the end. **SPOILER ALERT** Melinda gets back together with her boyfriend. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but it really obvious and somewhat implied that he’s only with her to get into her pants. When they were together he was always pushing her to go further that she was comfortable. It seemed like the author was trying to make them getting back together a positive thing, a happy ending.*
  
  Point of View:
  Perfected by Girls is from the point of view of Melinda, nicknamed Mel, an amateur wrestler and the only girl on her high school JV team in Ashton, Michigan.
  
  Overall:
  I really enjoyed Perfected by Girls. I absolutely love it when an author is so passionate about something, in this case wrestling, that it shines through and can make the reader feel that passion. I think it’s one of the attributes that make a good writer. If you like contemporary fiction, I’d give this one a try. I’m giving Perfected by Girls 4 of 5 stars. Chick Power!
  
• 
  Teri

  This young adult novel is about a teenage girl named Mel. In this novel, Mel is the only female wrestler in her school and on her team. Throughout this book, she deals with relationships with her teammates, her brother, who is also a wrestler, her best friend, Jade, and much more.
  
  I received this book as Goodreads First Read book. At first, I wasn't sure how I would like this book because it included things about wrestling. I don't know much about this sport and some of the lingo was hard to understand, such as certain moves that a wrestler would do. However, despite this difficulty, I was able to understand this book through a teenager's eyes. I enjoyed how the author (who happens to be a man) was able to use the right words and actions on how a girl teenager is supposed to act. I love the relationship between Mel and her best friend Jade. Especially when one day they are mad at each other and the next day they are not- typical tribulations best friends go through. I also enjoyed Mel's relationship with her older brother, Cole. I love the way they fight, and how Cole is always picking on his little sister. This book was well-rounded in the relationships that were represented in it.
  
  Overall, I would recommend this book my friends. It was an easy read, and if you like young adult novels, this would be a great book to pick up.
• 
  Cherie

  Alfred C. Martino’s PERFECTED BY GIRLS is a fascinating young adult novel revolving around girls and sports.
  
  Melinda Radford just wants to wrestle for her high school team, but getting onto the team seems the beginning of her troubles. The boys either don’t want to wrestle her or feel her up when they do. The captain and her own brother don’t seem pleased to have her there. Then, a comment to a reporter put her at odds with the entire team. She has to find a way to bring her life into control while continue doing what she loves.
  
  PERFECTED BY GIRLS has a wonderful, fairly authentic female teen voice. The characters and conflict seemed realistic. I love how the simple act of being a female wrestler showed people’s character, whether they supported her or not. I found it interesting to learn about the Greco-Roman style wrestling, how there are women’s teams, and how a woman deals with being on a predominately male team. The novel is fast-paced, and I wanted to keep reading until the very last word.
  
  If you’re looking for a great contemporary young adult novel, then look no further than PERFECTED BY GIRLS by Alfred C. Martino. It’s a great read that’ll wrestle you to the page and keep you reading until the end.
• 
  Laryssa Wirstiuk

  Though I'm not usually a reader of YA, I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into the life of young wrestler Melinda Radford. I literally know nothing about wrestling, but I found myself swept away and intrigued by the descriptions of matches and the use of all the jargon. For the most part, I found the portrayal of this young narrator believable, and I was super impressed that a man wrote this character. The only thing I didn't find believable was Melinda's choice of clothing - super high-end clothing that a middle-aged women would probably wear. The book also made me feel like no one could pay me any amount of money to be a teenager again. How horrible! I felt like a few of the characters in the book, most notably Melinda's family, were especially hard on her, and I felt so sorry for her. I actually wish this has been explored in even more depth because if I were 15 with those strict rules, I surely would not have been as good of a girl as Melinda is. Also, I was really interested in Melinda's feelings about sex and wish these could have been explored more fully, but I guess the YA classification limits that. I'd definitely recommend or gift this book to any teenage girl who feels like who she is or what she likes goes against the norm.
• 
  Giselle

  I received this book in one of Goodreads' giveaways back in December but had a hard time starting it or even getting through. And maybe that's because I know nothing about and have never been interested in wrestling, but my biggest problem, however, was trying to understand the character of Melinda. I got through the entire book and, by the end, I still wasn't sure how I felt about her. I never disliked her but I never particularly liked her. She seemed very feminine at times and masculine at other and I suppose that's the whole point of her story, but it made trying to relate to her very difficult for me as I never got a clear understanding of who she was and how she felt. Oftentimes she would narrate her feelings for her parents angrily and then, sentences later, was completely fine.

  
  
  

  Martino writes about a very important problem in the athletic world and you can tell this issue is very close to him. The story itself was heroic and inspiring, but the characters - their actions, thoughts, and dialogue - lacked full characterization. The only character close to being rounded out was Mel's best friend Jade and that was because she was the common, preppy best friend stereotype. Because of these reasons, I did not enjoy reading this book.
• 
  Lori Twichell

  I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book when I received it. I went to my fair share of wrestling tournaments when I was growing up, but it was never the sport that I really embraced. So Martino had a challenge in capturing my attention with this one. Thankfully the voice of the main character was enough to draw me in. From the beginning, Melinda makes it plain that she knows how odd her love of wrestling is and that she understands the problems people have with it. However, we also learn why and how she loves it so much. That makes it easier to get behind.
  I enjoyed learning more about the sport and about how an athlete lives and breathes their sport. I was never athletic in school, so this was good insight for me. It helped me get into Melinda’s character and understand her more.
  
  Though I got lost through some of the wrestling jargon, the main points of the story were clear. It was interesting to follow Melinda on this journey as she discovers more about who she is and who she wants to be. It would be nice to continue and see where she ends up later in life!
  Review copy provided by the author.
• 
  ☆Joycedale☆

  I like that this book really shows what its like to be a girl playing a male sport, but it doesn't really delve into the characters too much. All we really learn about Melinda is that she wears expensive clothes and likes wrestling. It doesn't really let on how her teammates feel about her being a girl.
  I didn't like her family too much with the exception of her dad. He brother is an ass and her mom comes off as controlling. She claims to have a great relationship with her grandma but I didn't really see proof of it.
  Then she gets a boyfriend who is never really seen or heard from and then her mom puts an end to that over the normal mom reasons.
  Its a good book if you want to see some of what its like to be a female wrestler in high school but there's really no depth.
  
  I received this book from goodreads first reads.
• 
  Karina Paul

  This book was okay. I didn't enjoyed it much, and picked it up in the library just because it was about wrestling. From time to time I was wondering, how this girl can be who she is. I dealt with it because we are all different. Me and the main character have so much in common, because I, myself was the only girl on the wrestling team. However, that was not because I wanted t be around guys, seeking for attention what others thought, but because I wanted to try something new in my life, and learn from stronger, and more experienced opponents, males. I don'regret reading it, but would not recommend it as much. 6/10!!!
• 
  Linda

  I liked this book a lot. The author obviously has a lot of inside info on high school wrestling. Some of that description didn't translate, but that doesn't matter. The characters were likable & unlikable. There's definitely room for this story to be told from another character's viewpoint. That would be cool!
• 
  Israa Ismail

  it was an inspiring story i hesitated when i chose it because i wasn't a fan of wrestling but it's not about it at all it's about the circumstances she has to deal with in order to achieve her dream of being a the first JV female wrestler at her high school.
• 
  Jenny

  I really liked the girl heroine like story. She seemed so real with all the boy and friend problems. I love the fact that she is a girl wrestler. POWER TO THE GIRL. I found it hard to put down a lot of the time. I will definitely be reading it again!!!
• 
  Carmen Kless-groom

  Lame duck. And she should have deferred the 2nd round.
  
  Immature writing, and a pathetic attempt by a male wrestling coach to relate and mimic the trials and experience of a female high school aged wrestler. Major waste of time. Do not recommend.
• 
  Kathy

  Not only a great book about wrestling but really explores the subtle ways in which girls face discrimination in athletics. Good YA read that encourages girls to pursue their aspirations.
• 
  Katelyn

  This is an amazing tale of a girl trying to find her place in an all-guys sport. It is a really motivating story and a great read.
• 
  Mickey Beerens

  
  http://beerensbaby.blogspot.com/
• 
  Wenjie

  Mmm a girl interested in wrestling ins't very common of YA books, so I'm very excited to see what this book will make of it!