Little Imperfections: A Tall Tale of Growing Up Different

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One of the themes of your book and platform is taking your weaknesses and reforming them as positives. How do you guys take your weaknesses and reframe them as positives, and what impact has that had on your life? Family drama, friendships, helicopter parents, a bad boss, and a hot (yet unavailable) dad are all at play in Tiny Imperfections. This is a lighter story — I thought parts were funny and enjoyed the implied message that while their actions may be questionable, at the end of the day most parents just want (what they think is) the best for their kids. Tiny Imperfections is a well-balanced story of love, new chapters of life and moving forward. Readers can expect a great deal of heart, soul, emotions to the highest degree, and several laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled within this novel. Each of these traits tie into the center of the novel and make it all the more compulsively readable-- Tiny Imperfections reads so smoothly you can expect to lose yourself and your day without even realizing it. We caught up with Peet to learn more about his YouTube journey and what it was like becoming an author.

At its heart, this book is a story about the Bordelon family, which is comprised of three women from three different generations: Aunt Viv, the matriarch, who has been the Head Cook for over 50 years at Fairchild and who took in a four-year-old Josie when her mother abandoned her, raising her as her own; Josie, Aunt Viv's niece and Etta's mother, who works as the Dean of Admissions at Fairchild, the elite private school that she once attended herself; and Etta, Josie's 17-year-old daughter, who is a senior at Fairchild, one of the best dancers of her age, and currently going through the college admissions process (which causes great stress to her mother). Through Josie's eyes, we see the year unfold and all the drama--both in the family and in the Fairchild admissions process--that that entails.This year seems like it will be crazier than ever for Josie. Not only is Etta graduating—and her future plans differ vastly from what Josie wants for her—but her best friend is determined to help Josie break out of her sexual slump. Even though story’s direction and conclusion are predictable, I still enjoyed it. ( I always choose predictability over disappointment!)

Exactly, a lot of this is about self-worth. So what would you say to someone who is still discovering their self-worth and now going on that journey? Written mostly in a millennial banter (think Facebook posts and texts by people of a certain age), this story of a kindergarten admissions director during applications season is fun. Although I got a little tired of the cute persona voice, there were times when real emotions came out and I found myself relieved and tuning in.Peet: My mom was a part of the writing and filming process from beginning to end. We had four long filming days and she was up the earliest and working the longest. I just am so proud of her honestly. She sees some things in common with her mother. She was dropped off at Aunt Viv’s when she was four. She left her child with Aunt Viv’s while she chased her career goals. But Etta is growing up now and she just wants the best for her. There’s a problem, though. Etta is smart and she wants her to go to a well accredited college and get a good job. All Etta wants to do is dance. She wants to go to Juilliard. Josie is not happy with that but Aunt Viv is on Etta’s side. Peet: Yes, I definitely believe that The Cecil is haunted, only because of the things I've seen from living across the street. Now people actually live there, it's a homeless shelter, which is great, but before anyone was there, the things I would see like curtains moving and windows opening and closing by themselves and doors and figures and dark shadows. It came to the point that I started making videos about it, and people were like, "You're lying because where's the proof?" So I started trying to record the proof, and I started doing live streams, and people were like, "Oh my God, I see it too." I could go on like this forever. Yes, it's creepy, and I live alone, so I get as much garlic and salt and Bibles and whatever else as I can. Note: I received e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to PRHGlobal for free copy. ***