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theoceanrose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Violence, Child death, Death, and Rape
Minor: Suicide
thereadingraccoon's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
I’m The Girl is a young adult mystery about a sixteen year old who discovers the body of a local girl. It contains thriller elements but it is also is a coming of age story. Due to the graphic nature of this book I recommend it to readers sixteen and older.
Georgia is struck by a car while riding her bike to Aspera, a golf course and resort for the rich and famous where she’s dreamed of working as one of their elite “girls” since she was thirteen. When she wakes up injured by the side of the road her bike, cell phone and the explicit photographs of herself she was carrying are all missing. While stumbling to find help Georgia discovers the body of Ashley James, the thirteen year old sheriff’s daughter in the brush nearby. As she recovers from her accident she’s enlisted by Ashley’s older sister (Nora) to investigate exactly what happened that night. But due to all the attention from the murder and accident and her youthful beauty she attracts the notice of the Aspera owners (Matthew and Cleo) and she’s finally closer than ever to being an actual “Aspera girl”. Georgia juggles her skeptical older brother slash guardian, a blossoming romance with Nora, unexpected demands at Aspera, the investigation into the murder and the demands for answers from Ashley’s grieving father.
As a reader you are very aware that something isn’t right with Aspera and only the main character’s age, naïveté and ambition keeps her from seeing the reality. It is a “ripped from the headlines” type novel echoing the #metoo movement and Jeffrey Epstein allegations as Georgia is pulled into a world of sex, money and power where the bodies of young girls are commodities to be bought and traded.
I will state right off that this is not the feel good book of 2022. It is dark and gritty and has detailed scenes of the grooming and exploitation of a minor. The mystery and thriller elements keep the reader interested but there are also serious topics of discussion about abuse of power, consent and female sexuality. I thought Courtney Summers did an excellent job of showing the more complicated and human parts of a teenage girl and her desire to be special and beautiful.
Overall this is a dark and tragic story about two teenage girls that are abused and exploited for the gratification of powerful men and the wall of secrecy that protects abusers. I would recommend it to readers that enjoy reading about challenging contemporary topics.
3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Death, and Drug use
Minor: Suicide
enchantressreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“What makes you decide to kill a girl? What makes you decide not to?”
This was a hard one. After reading Sadie a few years back, I knew I needed more Courtney Summers in my life. Until I saw the ARC for I’m the Girl, I kind of forgot all about it. I’m so glad I went and requested it. It was such a great read for the mood I was in, and I finished it in one sitting. (I definitely felt it the next day.)
Georgia Avis is riding her bike when she’s suddenly hit by a car. As she stumbles away, she sees someone in a ditch. Unfortunately, the young girl is dead, and she’s only thirteen. This sends the town, and Georgia, on a terrifying journey to see what money can really buy.
“You’re going to learn very, very fast that money can make anything happen.”
This is a very timely book. Georgia’s town is a normal one, except it is home to Aspera, an exclusive, members only resort for the rich and famous. Georgia wants nothing more than to be an Aspera girl. They’re beautiful, they’re talented, and they’re special. Coming from poverty, she wants to be part of their world.
This is a very sad, very bleak novel. It deals with some heavy topics, so please check content warnings at the end of this review. I kind of knew from the description how the novel might go, but I was still not prepared for the emotions I felt reading this book. In a world where so many people are just struggling to survive, there’s a real group of people who are paying money to be horrible people. This book is not listed as based on a true story, but we can definitely guess.
“Maybe it’s not how much time passes—it’s what it takes from you when it does.”
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
CW for death of a child, murder, rape, drugging, pedophilia, sexual assault/violence, suicide, incest, grooming, abuse of authority, and corruption
This was a hard one. After reading Sadie a few years back, I knew I needed more Courtney Summers in my life. Until I saw the ARC for I’m the Girl, I kind of forgot all about it. I’m so glad I went and requested it. It was such a great read for the mood I was in, and I finished it in one sitting. (I definitely felt it the next day.)
Georgia Avis is riding her bike when she’s suddenly hit by a car. As she stumbles away, she sees someone in a ditch. Unfortunately, the young girl is dead, and she’s only thirteen. This sends the town, and Georgia, on a terrifying journey to see what money can really buy.
“You’re going to learn very, very fast that money can make anything happen.”
This is a very timely book. Georgia’s town is a normal one, except it is home to Aspera, an exclusive, members only resort for the rich and famous. Georgia wants nothing more than to be an Aspera girl. They’re beautiful, they’re talented, and they’re special. Coming from poverty, she wants to be part of their world.
This is a very sad, very bleak novel. It deals with some heavy topics, so please check content warnings at the end of this review. I kind of knew from the description how the novel might go, but I was still not prepared for the emotions I felt reading this book. In a world where so many people are just struggling to survive, there’s a real group of people who are paying money to be horrible people. This book is not listed as based on a true story, but we can definitely guess.
“Maybe it’s not how much time passes—it’s what it takes from you when it does.”
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
CW for death of a child, murder, rape, drugging, pedophilia, sexual assault/violence, suicide, incest, grooming, abuse of authority, and corruption
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Police brutality, Cancer, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Medical content
corrupt police system, drugginglrcartee's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Georgia Avis wants more from life. She feels she deserves more and is determined to have more no matter the stakes. To Georgia, the epitome of making it is to become an “Aspera girl”. Aspera is an elite resort for the rich and famous surrounding by mystery and secrets. When Georgia is offered a job there, the secrets begin to unravel.
I love Courtney Summers books. I love how she tackles difficult subjects and brings them to light. I wanted to love this book. I did not. There were so many plot points that it was very hard to decide how to write a synopsis. Was it about Georgia’s obsession with the resort and the people who run it? Was it the fact Georgia found the dead body of a 13 year old girl and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her? Was it about trying to spotlight a young girl’s naïveté and thereby unable to see the dangers that lurked around her? I don’t know! It was all those things and didn’t do any of them particularly well. It was too disjointed and because of that nothing really resolved. As for character development, there was none. Georgia wandered in and out of so many traumatic experiences seemingly learning nothing from any of them. She became very trying.
The blurb for this book says it’s about Georgia and her friend trying to find out what happened to her friend’s sister. To me this was secondary. In my opinion, it was more about Georgia fulfilling her dreams no matter the cost and sometimes stumbling upon something about the murder case, usually by being in situations from very poor decision making.
Another reviewer wrote that the entire book was a giant trigger warning and I agree. They were all represented, rape, child molestation, grooming, human trafficking, murder, suicide, drug use, classism and more. For me, the book needed more cohesion. As I said I have loved Summers other books but this one, for me, was just too all over the place.
I love Courtney Summers books. I love how she tackles difficult subjects and brings them to light. I wanted to love this book. I did not. There were so many plot points that it was very hard to decide how to write a synopsis. Was it about Georgia’s obsession with the resort and the people who run it? Was it the fact Georgia found the dead body of a 13 year old girl and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her? Was it about trying to spotlight a young girl’s naïveté and thereby unable to see the dangers that lurked around her? I don’t know! It was all those things and didn’t do any of them particularly well. It was too disjointed and because of that nothing really resolved. As for character development, there was none. Georgia wandered in and out of so many traumatic experiences seemingly learning nothing from any of them. She became very trying.
The blurb for this book says it’s about Georgia and her friend trying to find out what happened to her friend’s sister. To me this was secondary. In my opinion, it was more about Georgia fulfilling her dreams no matter the cost and sometimes stumbling upon something about the murder case, usually by being in situations from very poor decision making.
Another reviewer wrote that the entire book was a giant trigger warning and I agree. They were all represented, rape, child molestation, grooming, human trafficking, murder, suicide, drug use, classism and more. For me, the book needed more cohesion. As I said I have loved Summers other books but this one, for me, was just too all over the place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Car accident, Classism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
bookcrushin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book fucked me up. Not sure that’s a good or bad thing? All the content warnings. Be informed. Wonderfully crafted and written but this dark, suspenseful story isn’t for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Classism, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Car accident, and Death
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Blood, Suicide, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, and Terminal illness
reading_rosie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Grief
Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Adult/minor relationship
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