InterMat Wrestling
"By being the first book to bring together whizzers, takedowns, and other wrestling terminology with Juicy Couture, Calvin Klein and other fashion labels residing in the lead character's closet, Perfected by Girls will do its part to bring more young people -- male and female -- to the benefits of wrestling, and a greater appreciation of those of both sexes who compete in it."

School Library Journal
"Melinda Radford loves designer clothes, hanging out with her best friend, and participating in school sports. Trouble is, though, her sport is wrestling, and she’s the only girl on the championship team. She gets crude comments from classmates, and members of opposing teams refuse to wrestle with her. Off the mat, Melinda has other problems–her best friend and her older brother are making eyes at each other, her grandmother insists she take a boring summer internship at her company, and her mother forbids her to see her hot new boyfriend. Melinda’s situation turns even uglier at school when she makes a comment to a reporter for the local newspaper, and she’s seen as not being a team player or supportive of her coach. But by the end of the story, when Melinda starts to question her commitment to the sport, she gets a surprise chance to move from the JV to the varsity team and really compete instead of warming the bench. The protagonist has an authentic voice, and readers will empathize with her isolation throughout the school day. Some may gloss over the detailed wrestling descriptions, but the romance and other aspects of Melinda’s life will strike a chord with girls, even those who don’t participate in athletics."

Kirkus Reviews
"It’s a busy year for Melinda Drake Radford as she wrestles on the JV team—and with other challenges of her sophomore year, too. Sometimes, Mel wishes she were a guy, or more like a guy. She envies their muscles and confidence and power. But over the course of several busy months, she does just fine as a girl, even as a girl wrestler, where on the mat “the conditions are always the same. The mats are nearly all the same dimensions. Matches are indoors. Singlets and wrestling shoes are pretty much the same. It’s just you and your opponent. For three two-minute periods.” Off the mats, the world is less predictable. Her wealthy grandmother is pushing her into the business world, her boyfriend is pushing her into the bedroom and her varsity-wrestler brother pushes her to work harder, get better. The novel is a solid portrait of a teenage girl trying to be herself when everyone else seems to be deciding her life for her. Though wrestling is the heart of the tale, Martino wisely resists heavy-handed and inspirational sports metaphors, letting Mel’s actions speak for themselves. There’s always a need for more sports stories for girls, and this is a solid addition to the genre."

Teen Lit Rocks
"I am not an athlete, but I find myself inexplicably drawn to stories about athletes (huge Olympics junkie here), so I wasn’t surprised at how much I enjoyed the story of Melinda Radford, the only girl on her high school’s wrestling team. My older brother also wrestled (quite well) in high school, so I had a particular fondness for the way Mel described her brother, the team’s co-captain. Wrestling takes discipline, and although I find the “making weight” part a bit disturbing (I remember my brother running in the Miami heat with what looked like a rubber suit on), Martino immerses us in the world of competitive high-school wrestling with such an authentic voice, I couldn’t help but root for Mel (and her sweaty teammates) as she fought her way to the mat. She’s endearingly flawed and isn’t sure how to handle being thrust into the limelight as some sort of feminist sports icon, but Mel is a great role model for girls who take sports just as seriously as their male counterparts."

Chicklish, Luisa Plaja
"The wrestling scenes are infused with enough detail to allow even a not-very-sporty person (i.e. me) feel the drama, and cheer the underdog. Above all, this book is about coming to terms with who you are and reaching for what you want in life. An ??entertaining coming-of-age story with an original touch."

Ms. Yingling Reads, Karen Yingling, Blendon Middle School Librarian
"Martino does the most awesome wrestling books EVER. (Sorry, Rich Wallace!) My daughter, who has been a wrestling stat for six years and has thought about wrestling herself, still talks about Pinned. The middle school wrestlers, many of whom ran for me, are usually big readers, and I just don't have enough books for them."

Surrounded By Books Reviews, Cherie Reich
"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."