Some Girls Are
Available now: I'M THE GIRL, the new "brutally captivating" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) queer thriller from Courtney Summers, based loosely on The Epstein case and "not for the faint of heart" (The New York Times)
From Courtney Summers, the author of Cracked Up To Be, comes a dark new tale of high school rivalry in which vicious rumors and nasty tricks are the currency that buys you popularity or seals your fate at the bottom of the food chain.
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.
Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.
Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion.
“This story takes an unflinching look at the intricacies of high school relationships .... Fans of the film Mean Girlwill enjoy this tale of redemption and forgiveness.” —School Library Journal
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Community Reviews
On one hand, there are important messages here about rape culture, shaming, anxiety, and bullying.
On the other hand, it was inflated to the point where I couldn't believe that people could be that cruel, hold grudges for that long, or be that one dimensional. Some of these people were straight up demonic.
I did not have anything close to this experience in high school. I wasn't bullied at school unless you count the one time in sixth grade when Clint called me fat after we "broke up" from our one day relationship. I wasn't popular in the least either. I was the type of invisible where I had a small group of friends at the time - none of which kept in contact with me after high school - and at this time, I'd doubt most people in my small class would recall who I am or anything significant about me. And I'm cool with it. I'm not plotting revenge in my basement.
I'm not saying the things in this book don't happen.
The parties, the assaults, the horrible name calling, the intentional isolation, etc.
What I'm baffled about is that no one talked to anyone about anything and no one stood up for anyone. I understand that Regina was cruel to everyone previously (and honestly doesn't change very much throughout the book, which was disappointing) and therefore didn't warrant them wanting to help her (convenient explanation?), but I can't believe every single person in an entire student body would be so passive about it.
Unfortunately, I could be living in a fantasy land where I don't want to believe the extremes. I have two young daughters and want to believe these things will never happen to them, that they will never treat anyone else this way, and that if these things were happening to someone else, they would stand up for them.
3 Wishy Washy Stars
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