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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
I read this book in high school & I 100% believe this is responsible for the books I love now, at age 22. I recommend this to everyone I can…super underrated
The whole time reading this I was surprised it’s classified as YA (perhaps that’s my own naiveté). It starts and ends with some pretty jaw-dropping events and in between navigates ‘normal’ teenage life in this small town. The most harrowing part of this book is it’s frequent commentary and portrayals of rape culture.
Well written and an enjoyable read even with the heavy subject matter. 4.5 stars.
Well written and an enjoyable read even with the heavy subject matter. 4.5 stars.
What a dark book! Wonderful, but dark. Definitely for older teens as there is plenty of cursing and teens having sex, but I think it is a very interesting take on feminism (I guess? Is that the label I want to give it?).
Take Alex, the main character of 3 POV we get in this book. She leads a dark life with dark intentions (think Dexter, really). How did she get to be this way? She's always had the darkness and anger in her blood (as her father called her his "firecracker"), but it takes the rape and brutal murder of her sister for this darkness to find a form and a victim. View of womanhood through Alex: brutal, efficient, capable of anything a man can do, and unfortunately has prepared herself for the inevitable brutality all men treat her gender with.
Then there's Peekay, your run-of-the-mill high schooler with none of these terrible experiences in her life to harden or prepare her. In her life there's the grade slut who has just taken away her only boyfriend she's ever had. Her parents are great and understanding, has recently become friends with her coworker at the animal shelter, Alex, who is smart and protective.View of womanhood through Peekay: sweet, naive, unaware, a good friend, a good target.
The third POV is a male, Jack, and I hope (wish) his POV towards females is exaggerated, as I viewed him to be a fucking douche. Do men truly think with their dicks as much as this guy? Sure it's high school, but he falls in love with cold, abnormal Alex, spends paragraphs longing for her, oh, how he hopes she will date him! And (small spoiler), they do date, but it made me so angry how he would mention sleeping with the school slut (a childhood friend and now friend with benefits) even while still dating Alex. UGH. I had no sympathy for him whatsoever because his attitude made me SICK. View of womanhood through Jack: a friend, a lover, someone to temporarily fill the loneliness in his bed or his heart, innocent and incapable of doing horrible things.
Anyway, three different POV and one dark book about the female of the human species.
Take Alex, the main character of 3 POV we get in this book. She leads a dark life with dark intentions (think Dexter, really). How did she get to be this way? She's always had the darkness and anger in her blood (as her father called her his "firecracker"), but it takes the rape and brutal murder of her sister for this darkness to find a form and a victim. View of womanhood through Alex: brutal, efficient, capable of anything a man can do, and unfortunately has prepared herself for the inevitable brutality all men treat her gender with.
Then there's Peekay, your run-of-the-mill high schooler with none of these terrible experiences in her life to harden or prepare her. In her life there's the grade slut who has just taken away her only boyfriend she's ever had. Her parents are great and understanding, has recently become friends with her coworker at the animal shelter, Alex, who is smart and protective.View of womanhood through Peekay: sweet, naive, unaware, a good friend, a good target.
The third POV is a male, Jack, and I hope (wish) his POV towards females is exaggerated, as I viewed him to be a fucking douche. Do men truly think with their dicks as much as this guy? Sure it's high school, but he falls in love with cold, abnormal Alex, spends paragraphs longing for her, oh, how he hopes she will date him! And (small spoiler), they do date, but it made me so angry how he would mention sleeping with the school slut (a childhood friend and now friend with benefits) even while still dating Alex. UGH. I had no sympathy for him whatsoever because his attitude made me SICK. View of womanhood through Jack: a friend, a lover, someone to temporarily fill the loneliness in his bed or his heart, innocent and incapable of doing horrible things.
Anyway, three different POV and one dark book about the female of the human species.
This book was sitting at a 4 star. But the ending and the way Branley, Sara, Jack, Alex and Peekay were developed I just love how Mindy McGinnis addresses that there is more to a woman than some may assume. I cant really put into words how beautiful this book is and how surprised I am at how good it was. There were a few problems, but they ended up being developed later on so that is why I've changes my rating to a five star. All the characters, especially Branley, were so cliche, but I feel like that is only because the teens felt like they had roles to fill. Roles they were told by themselves and society that they needed to live up to. Alex got on my nerves a bit, but I think she was still a great character who I gre to understand on a very intimate and personal level.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
WOW. This was so powerful and striking. I would absolutely own this and read it again. Mindy McGinnis does such a graceful job transitioning between character's voices. I could stop in the middle of a chapter and come back to it later and know who was narrating because she truly develops a voice for Alex, Peekay, and Jack.
I highly, highly recommend this book and feel like it's going to linger with me for a while!
I highly, highly recommend this book and feel like it's going to linger with me for a while!
I liked this a LOT more than I thought I would.
But, be forewarned there's some decently graphic scenes in this book other than the obvious from the book description (i.e. animal death/cruelty).
I'd definitely say it's not an easy read and the ending wasn't what I expected (and it kind of... disappointed me? But not enough to ruin the book as a whole.
Just, an aside, but like... the main pairing between Jack and Alex was okay, I guess, but I got more vibes from Alex and Peekay.
Spoiler
But, be forewarned there's some decently graphic scenes in this book other than the obvious from the book description (i.e. animal death/cruelty).
I'd definitely say it's not an easy read and the ending wasn't what I expected (and it kind of... disappointed me? But not enough to ruin the book as a whole.
Just, an aside, but like... the main pairing between Jack and Alex was okay, I guess, but I got more vibes from Alex and Peekay.
3.5
great themes of female friendship & rape culture.
a lot of teenage sexual content.
great themes of female friendship & rape culture.
a lot of teenage sexual content.
