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ksamaine95's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Child death, Violence, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Adult/minor relationship
jules6469's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Drug abuse
Minor: Suicide and Murder
evegerbrandt's review
4.75
I don’t even know how to process the ways this book made me feel. I kept hearing two songs in my mind as I read this, Hell is a Teenage Girl by Nessa Barrett and Labor by Paris Paloma. Also no f*cking way this is a YA book. Blurb is misleading and this book NEEDS trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Drug abuse and Grief
boomwormbrittany's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I'm the Girl follows Georgia Avis who finds the body of a thirteen year girl who was murdered. When she teams up with Ashley's older sister to try to solve the murder, she finds herself way over head with the rich people of the nearby private club.
I really wanted to love this book as I have enjoyed Courtney Summers other books but this one just didn't the way that her other ones do. I think part of the problem I had was this discussion that Courney Summers was trying to have about the situation of men exploring young girls (*cough* Epstein *cough*) for their own sexual satisfaction and what that does to a young girl. This book is written for a Young Adult audience so there is only so much that can really be discussed especially in this page count.
This book almost felt aimless to me when I was reading it. Georgia has this obsession with this club that her mother used to work and being one of the girls that works there in the executive suites. And while that is a focus of this book, it only really ties into whats in the cover synopsis at the end. It was trying to have the discussion I put above but also held back on discussing it. Which I completely understand as this issue is something that is hard to digest as an adult let alone a young person. I think this book was trying to show the manipulation tactics older predators will use to get girls to think this is okay but from the jump I could see what was going on.
I did like the fact that Georgia is a lesbian and identifies herself as such and I did think her relationship with Nora was interesting since they're trying to solve Ashley, Nora's younger sisters, murder.
I wish Georgia was a little more curious and not as hell bent as being one of these girls in this club. It becomes her whole personality and I couldn't see the girl she actually was beyond the "I hate my mother" rhetoric she kept spewing and her absolute obsession with the girls who worked at this club. I wish we had gotten more of her personality and who she was so we could feel some form of sympathy or connection to her even if she is supposed ot be an unlikable mian character.
I feel like the last scene in this book should have been impactful but I didn't feel satisfied.
Overall, I would say give this a try if you think the premise is interesting. I just thought this book felt aimless and didn't fully hit as hard as her others books did.
I really wanted to love this book as I have enjoyed Courtney Summers other books but this one just didn't the way that her other ones do. I think part of the problem I had was this discussion that Courney Summers was trying to have about the situation of men exploring young girls (*cough* Epstein *cough*) for their own sexual satisfaction and what that does to a young girl. This book is written for a Young Adult audience so there is only so much that can really be discussed especially in this page count.
This book almost felt aimless to me when I was reading it. Georgia has this obsession with this club that her mother used to work and being one of the girls that works there in the executive suites. And while that is a focus of this book, it only really ties into whats in the cover synopsis at the end. It was trying to have the discussion I put above but also held back on discussing it. Which I completely understand as this issue is something that is hard to digest as an adult let alone a young person. I think this book was trying to show the manipulation tactics older predators will use to get girls to think this is okay but from the jump I could see what was going on.
I did like the fact that Georgia is a lesbian and identifies herself as such and I did think her relationship with Nora was interesting since they're trying to solve Ashley, Nora's younger sisters, murder.
I wish Georgia was a little more curious and not as hell bent as being one of these girls in this club. It becomes her whole personality and I couldn't see the girl she actually was beyond the "I hate my mother" rhetoric she kept spewing and her absolute obsession with the girls who worked at this club. I wish we had gotten more of her personality and who she was so we could feel some form of sympathy or connection to her even if she is supposed ot be an unlikable mian character.
I feel like the last scene in this book should have been impactful but I didn't feel satisfied.
Overall, I would say give this a try if you think the premise is interesting. I just thought this book felt aimless and didn't fully hit as hard as her others books did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide
aquariusisms's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
oof. OOF. i never write actual reviews on here but i just finished this and i'm reeling so i need to write down some thoughts.
having read both sadie and now this from courtney summers, i can say with certainty she's a master at writing complex, flawed, sometimes unlikeable but always loveable teenage girls. georgia was often infuriating to read as our protagonist, but only because her naivete and desperation for external validation of her worth (mainly through others validating her beauty) were achingly true to life and will make adult readers want to save her from her poor decisions. she wanted so much, was desperate for so much more in her life, and i wanted so much more for her. her relationships with her brother, mother, and nora were raw and heartbreaking and i saw myself in the way she struggled to make sense of her place in a world not built for her.
the themes here were so strong too- summers asks big questions such as: can girls and women truly manipulate the power dynamics between them and men, or is men's historical and empirical power over them inescapable? and: if dismantling patriarchy is a long and achingly slow process, and we as individuals can't do much about that, how do we build worlds for ourselves in the meantime, full of care and love? how do we dream of better futures outside of the structures of beauty we've been taught?
ultimately, this book is a treatise on grieving the girls and women who have been victims of systemic male violence in a world that makes that grief feel utterly isolating, and justice futile and powerless. this story calls it like it is and courtney summers does not pull punches when it comes to discussing how bleak and horrible the world can be to girls and women, especially those who are multiply marginalized. but the final message is ultimately about resilience, grasping at hope in the wake of trauma, and carving out space for yourself in a world that would rather see you disappear. it's about discovering the truth, defining beauty as you see it, and refusing to erase yourself and your values for the sake of assimilation and patriarchal power.
i'm only knocking it down 0.5 stars because i felt the pacing was a little off at times, and i think the protagonist's views of beauty = self-worth could have been interrogated more- but that said, it was still a completely engrossing and vitally important thriller, and i recommend picking it up if you can stomach the different triggers within.
having read both sadie and now this from courtney summers, i can say with certainty she's a master at writing complex, flawed, sometimes unlikeable but always loveable teenage girls. georgia was often infuriating to read as our protagonist, but only because her naivete and desperation for external validation of her worth (mainly through others validating her beauty) were achingly true to life and will make adult readers want to save her from her poor decisions. she wanted so much, was desperate for so much more in her life, and i wanted so much more for her. her relationships with her brother, mother, and nora were raw and heartbreaking and i saw myself in the way she struggled to make sense of her place in a world not built for her.
the themes here were so strong too- summers asks big questions such as: can girls and women truly manipulate the power dynamics between them and men, or is men's historical and empirical power over them inescapable? and: if dismantling patriarchy is a long and achingly slow process, and we as individuals can't do much about that, how do we build worlds for ourselves in the meantime, full of care and love? how do we dream of better futures outside of the structures of beauty we've been taught?
ultimately, this book is a treatise on grieving the girls and women who have been victims of systemic male violence in a world that makes that grief feel utterly isolating, and justice futile and powerless. this story calls it like it is and courtney summers does not pull punches when it comes to discussing how bleak and horrible the world can be to girls and women, especially those who are multiply marginalized. but the final message is ultimately about resilience, grasping at hope in the wake of trauma, and carving out space for yourself in a world that would rather see you disappear. it's about discovering the truth, defining beauty as you see it, and refusing to erase yourself and your values for the sake of assimilation and patriarchal power.
i'm only knocking it down 0.5 stars because i felt the pacing was a little off at times, and i think the protagonist's views of beauty = self-worth could have been interrogated more- but that said, it was still a completely engrossing and vitally important thriller, and i recommend picking it up if you can stomach the different triggers within.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcohol and Drug abuse
directorpurry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Rape
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Police brutality
kteq's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
2.25
Although a book of heavy subjects, this was an incredibly quick read, that admittedly felt at times easy to predict - I would have loved to see more closure for the protagonist at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
hollyk's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I think this book's description is misleading. The mystery is a subplot and if I knew what this book was really about I likely wouldn't have read it--it's very heavy in terms of subject matter. I felt lost the whole time and honestly didn't really get the end?
TW:SA, statutory r*pe, CP, grooming, murder, CSA. All of these are featured HEAVILY
TW:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Grief, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cancer, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
nicolehedley's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape and Drug abuse
breysreviews's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers follows Georgia, an aspiring model and girl desperate to become an Aspera girl. When she stumbles across the body of a girl her age, her and the girls sister must unravel her death, and stop it from happening again.
This is one of those books that tries to misdirect you the entire time, but is exactly what you suspect. I actually was excited for a big twist, and I just feel letdown.
Georgia was meant to be a likeable main character I’m sure, but I just found myself annoyed by her. There’s a murderer running around and she just ignores all warning sides. She’s a teenager, so that’s definitely fair.
I thought this was YA, but there is a steamy scene in it.
I liked Courtney’s writing style, I just feel like the plot wasn’t the strongest or most unique.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Suicide, and Drug abuse
Adult with underaged female sex scene, child pornography