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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I can’t tell if this book is for younger YA readers or older YA readers? Or both? It’s moving slowly and the drawn-out tension doesn’t align with the stakes of the story. Not my favorite narration experience.
Real Twin Peaks Laura Palmer vibes - the wealthy in bed with local law enforcement and an exclusive club with sketchy cover ups around murder, SA, etc. - liked the book itself a lot more than the ending
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
I wish there was more too it, kinda left a lot to be desired. I always love her books though.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book, while not quite as gripping as Sadie was, kept me intrigued and guessing for the majority of the story. This story is well-written and keeps you thinking even after you finish it.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book!
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have very mixed feelings about this book and it took me a little while to stop and process what I read before coming to a decision as to how I was going to rate it. I have a lot of thoughts here, so humor me here for a bit as I try to get them out in some coherent fashion.
The Good: Courtney Summers is a fantastic writer. She could make a rewrite of the phone book worth reading. The way she manipulates language is stunning. It’s clear that her craft improves with each novel she releases. I will continue to read whatever she writes because I believe she still has a lot of great stories in her. This one was not one of them.
The Not-So-Good: There is a lot of not-so-good in this novel. Let me start by saying that Sadie is an absolute masterpiece and calling this one a “sister novel” isn’t a fair assessment. I understand the sentiment, but it’s off-base. This book is explicit in ways that even Sadie was not. I’m the Girl was trying to be poignant and provocative at the same time and completely missed the mark. For one, the plot holes were gaping. I read the ending several times over and still am not 100% sure what even happened. The main character, Georgia, was completely unlikable and there is no way you can root for a protagonist with absolutely no redeeming qualities even when they are put in hopeless situations. I found myself wanting to physically gag more than once (ugh, Matthew and Cleo, seriously?) and never once did I understand why the plot unfolded the way it did. The meaning was completely lost behind the umpteen explicit scenes that had no bearing on the story itself.
I think people will rate this highly because of the intrigue, but If you’re going to write a novel based on such explicit content, I think your theme needs to be crystal clear. The theme in this was about as clear as mud. I only understood where she was trying to go with it because I watched interviews with her, not because the book made it clear that the events that took place were inherently wrong. I know I’m just one reader in a sea of people who will love this offering because it’s risqué, but as a fan of Summers and her work, this one just feels like a complete let down.
If you’re going to position yourself as an author who champions girls who are broken and lost, you should make sure their lives and stories are told in a way that is meaningful. Sadie did that beautifully and it’s why it has such staying power. All of the brokenness led to something significant. This one felt cold and devoid of any real consequence. I don’t think it did any of the victims who have led similar lives any justice. (Because, let’s be honest, we all know where the inspiration for this story came from.) I just know that if I were one of those girls, this isn’t how I’d want my story to unfold. Even if a story doesn’t have a happy ending, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lesson that can be learned from it, and if Summers meant to infuse a deeper meaning here, she missed the mark.
The Good: Courtney Summers is a fantastic writer. She could make a rewrite of the phone book worth reading. The way she manipulates language is stunning. It’s clear that her craft improves with each novel she releases. I will continue to read whatever she writes because I believe she still has a lot of great stories in her. This one was not one of them.
The Not-So-Good: There is a lot of not-so-good in this novel. Let me start by saying that Sadie is an absolute masterpiece and calling this one a “sister novel” isn’t a fair assessment. I understand the sentiment, but it’s off-base. This book is explicit in ways that even Sadie was not. I’m the Girl was trying to be poignant and provocative at the same time and completely missed the mark. For one, the plot holes were gaping. I read the ending several times over and still am not 100% sure what even happened. The main character, Georgia, was completely unlikable and there is no way you can root for a protagonist with absolutely no redeeming qualities even when they are put in hopeless situations. I found myself wanting to physically gag more than once (ugh, Matthew and Cleo, seriously?) and never once did I understand why the plot unfolded the way it did. The meaning was completely lost behind the umpteen explicit scenes that had no bearing on the story itself.
I think people will rate this highly because of the intrigue, but If you’re going to write a novel based on such explicit content, I think your theme needs to be crystal clear. The theme in this was about as clear as mud. I only understood where she was trying to go with it because I watched interviews with her, not because the book made it clear that the events that took place were inherently wrong. I know I’m just one reader in a sea of people who will love this offering because it’s risqué, but as a fan of Summers and her work, this one just feels like a complete let down.
If you’re going to position yourself as an author who champions girls who are broken and lost, you should make sure their lives and stories are told in a way that is meaningful. Sadie did that beautifully and it’s why it has such staying power. All of the brokenness led to something significant. This one felt cold and devoid of any real consequence. I don’t think it did any of the victims who have led similar lives any justice. (Because, let’s be honest, we all know where the inspiration for this story came from.) I just know that if I were one of those girls, this isn’t how I’d want my story to unfold. Even if a story doesn’t have a happy ending, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lesson that can be learned from it, and if Summers meant to infuse a deeper meaning here, she missed the mark.
May come back but not in a place to read about a girl being hurt by gross men right now
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
Georgia, a 16-year-old girl who bases the bulk of her worth on her good looks gets drawn into the beautiful and superficial world of a resort for the ultra-wealthy. Of course, since Courtney Summers wrote it, it doesn't end so well for Georgia, but it does make for a gripping, haunting story that will stick with you for days after you're done reading.
I liked the LGBT+ representation in this book and that Georgia was an obviously flawed main character. Her narcissisms and singular focus on being an "Aspera girl" got a bit old after a while but over all I would call this another hit for Summers. Not as good as Sadie, but as she says in this book, that one was hard to follow.
Georgia, a 16-year-old girl who bases the bulk of her worth on her good looks gets drawn into the beautiful and superficial world of a resort for the ultra-wealthy. Of course, since Courtney Summers wrote it, it doesn't end so well for Georgia, but it does make for a gripping, haunting story that will stick with you for days after you're done reading.
I liked the LGBT+ representation in this book and that Georgia was an obviously flawed main character. Her narcissisms and singular focus on being an "Aspera girl" got a bit old after a while but over all I would call this another hit for Summers. Not as good as Sadie, but as she says in this book, that one was hard to follow.