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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it.
Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.
Holy. Moly. This book is intense. From the very first chapter, this book sucks you in with Alex’s dark and dangerous nature. She stays separate from other people because she knows how dark she really is. After her sister’s death, there’s nothing to rein her in; until she starts working at an animal shelter and becoming friends with Peekay. And when she starts developing a relationship with Jack. But her inner nature is hard to deny. The rage is there waiting to be unleashed.
After all, the female of the species is often more deadlier than the male.
Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.
Holy. Moly. This book is intense. From the very first chapter, this book sucks you in with Alex’s dark and dangerous nature. She stays separate from other people because she knows how dark she really is. After her sister’s death, there’s nothing to rein her in; until she starts working at an animal shelter and becoming friends with Peekay. And when she starts developing a relationship with Jack. But her inner nature is hard to deny. The rage is there waiting to be unleashed.
After all, the female of the species is often more deadlier than the male.
So this book is the one I needed, and deserved!
After the week we’ve had in America, and the years of people belittling sexual assault survivors, I know I at least needed a female character who didn’t stand for it! This book caused me to be really introspective, because I know it’s wrong to take justice into your own hands, I know that we have courts and systems in place for those things, BUT sometimes those systems fail, and I can not fault a badass chick for coming in and handling for them.
Alex is a heroine in the since that, she has no right to pick who deserves to be smashed, but she picks the right people and it just makes you feel good.
So what does it say about me that I liked that she took this justice into her own hands? Especially when I abhor it in real life. I think it’s because I’m this book she always got it right. And in real life, you just can’t count on people to get it right.
I think this book did reenforce my negative stereotypes of Ohio. I mean, this is a shitty little town (I know because it’s mentioned like 9 times) but it has an increased amount of crime I’d say. And really I spent a large chunk of the book, trying to figure out why people even lived there.
This book will trigger people with history of abuse, since it revolves around rape and how we as a society view it. Unfortunately, it took a woman standing up and murdering rapists for people to finally come together in this town and start trying to change the culture.
I think behind everything there is also an interesting stance on encouraging people to report sexual abuse. After PK is assaulted she declines to press charges because it will make people mad, or be embarrassing, and that’s amazingly true, but when someone is almost assaulted by the same person, she lives with the guilt that it couldn’t have happened if she had reported. Which isn’t that just a double edged sword for a victim if you ever heard of one? Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for victims, but having it subtly stated in a characters consciousness brings it to light in a way, that just people thinking about it. Which in itself is powerful.
I really enjoyed this book, and I encourage anyone full of anger at the toxic masculinity of today’s culture to check it out, but please not take on the role of the heroine in real life.
After the week we’ve had in America, and the years of people belittling sexual assault survivors, I know I at least needed a female character who didn’t stand for it! This book caused me to be really introspective, because I know it’s wrong to take justice into your own hands, I know that we have courts and systems in place for those things, BUT sometimes those systems fail, and I can not fault a badass chick for coming in and handling for them.
Alex is a heroine in the since that, she has no right to pick who deserves to be smashed, but she picks the right people and it just makes you feel good.
So what does it say about me that I liked that she took this justice into her own hands? Especially when I abhor it in real life. I think it’s because I’m this book she always got it right. And in real life, you just can’t count on people to get it right.
I think this book did reenforce my negative stereotypes of Ohio. I mean, this is a shitty little town (I know because it’s mentioned like 9 times) but it has an increased amount of crime I’d say. And really I spent a large chunk of the book, trying to figure out why people even lived there.
This book will trigger people with history of abuse, since it revolves around rape and how we as a society view it. Unfortunately, it took a woman standing up and murdering rapists for people to finally come together in this town and start trying to change the culture.
I think behind everything there is also an interesting stance on encouraging people to report sexual abuse. After PK is assaulted she declines to press charges because it will make people mad, or be embarrassing, and that’s amazingly true, but when someone is almost assaulted by the same person, she lives with the guilt that it couldn’t have happened if she had reported. Which isn’t that just a double edged sword for a victim if you ever heard of one? Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for victims, but having it subtly stated in a characters consciousness brings it to light in a way, that just people thinking about it. Which in itself is powerful.
I really enjoyed this book, and I encourage anyone full of anger at the toxic masculinity of today’s culture to check it out, but please not take on the role of the heroine in real life.
Told in the alternating voices of Alex, Jack, and Peekay, this is a story of friendship, loss, revenge, and guilt. Three amazing characters: Alex, a loner whose sister was murdered three years ago; Jack, the big man on campus type of boy who has looks, athletics, and intelligence; and Peekay (P.K., short for Preacher's Kid), who tries to escape the stereotype that comes with her dad's job.
When there is not enough evidence to convict her sister's murderer, Alex takes matters into her own hands. When she and Peekay start working at the animal shelter for their senior year experience, she begrudgingly finds herself in a friendship for the first time. While Alex feels that she is a danger to society, bits of normalcy start creeping in. When she attracts the attention of Jack, they quickly become a couple. But even in the midst of normal teenage parties, Alex can unleash her violence without warning.
This somewhat dark story has commentary on several important issues, such as sexual assault against women and how society treats the subject. While it veers into the didactic a bit, these are themes that many teens need to hear, and that many teens can relate to. A lesser theme involves Alex's and Peekay's work at the animal shelter, and delves into the question of how our society treats animals.
I found a bit of a disconnect between parts of the story and the title. The title and the front inside dust jacket intimate at the violence Alex feels being related to being female. However, throughout the story Alex flashes back to her father and how she has inherited her anger and violent tendencies from him.
Despite these minor flaws, this is a solid collection book that will appeal to many teens.
When there is not enough evidence to convict her sister's murderer, Alex takes matters into her own hands. When she and Peekay start working at the animal shelter for their senior year experience, she begrudgingly finds herself in a friendship for the first time. While Alex feels that she is a danger to society, bits of normalcy start creeping in. When she attracts the attention of Jack, they quickly become a couple. But even in the midst of normal teenage parties, Alex can unleash her violence without warning.
This somewhat dark story has commentary on several important issues, such as sexual assault against women and how society treats the subject. While it veers into the didactic a bit, these are themes that many teens need to hear, and that many teens can relate to. A lesser theme involves Alex's and Peekay's work at the animal shelter, and delves into the question of how our society treats animals.
I found a bit of a disconnect between parts of the story and the title. The title and the front inside dust jacket intimate at the violence Alex feels being related to being female. However, throughout the story Alex flashes back to her father and how she has inherited her anger and violent tendencies from him.
Despite these minor flaws, this is a solid collection book that will appeal to many teens.
This book is amazing. Alex Craft is my hero. So many powerful messages in here and such a unique story.
“The female of the species is more deadly than the male”
“But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is “women” , said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.”
“The female of the species is more deadly than the male”
“But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is “women” , said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.”
Bruh. Started out so good…got a bit tiresome, and then ended so infuriatingly lame. Writing was really good!
Trigger Warning: Rape. Violence.
Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.
This book was a lot to process. Told by Alex, Peekay and Jack, the book examines rape culture through each of their perspectives.
Alex was sort of like a young, female Dexter, if you are familiar with that series. She has a violent streak, but saves it for those she feels deserve it. For a YA novel, I was not expecting this book to be as graphic and detailed as it was.
Peekay represented the stereotypical teenage girl, toeing the lines of rebellion. And Jack represented the stereotypical teenage boy, popular but dealing with his own insecurities.
This is a great book to make you think about how the way some men treat women affect us so deeply.
Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.
This book was a lot to process. Told by Alex, Peekay and Jack, the book examines rape culture through each of their perspectives.
Alex was sort of like a young, female Dexter, if you are familiar with that series. She has a violent streak, but saves it for those she feels deserve it. For a YA novel, I was not expecting this book to be as graphic and detailed as it was.
Peekay represented the stereotypical teenage girl, toeing the lines of rebellion. And Jack represented the stereotypical teenage boy, popular but dealing with his own insecurities.
This is a great book to make you think about how the way some men treat women affect us so deeply.
How do you even describe or deign to review a book like The Female of the Species? It's an intense, riveting book of rawness. The main character, Alex Craft, describes herself at one point in the story as transitioning from a scab to an open wound. That's exactly what The Female of the Species feels like — it's a gaping wound, bleeding pain in its wake. McGinnis writes her characters with so much truthfulness, it hurts. I could not put this book down — it is simply filled with too much anguish, too powerful to ignore and yet so absolutely necessary.
This was an fantastic read. I actually finished the book like 30 minutes ago and I am still wrapping my head around this book. The ending was crazy, heartbreaking, and perfect. I really thought Alex was an interesting character. Jack Fisher is the star-athlete and 4.0 GPA student. I thought he was more than just the jock at moments. Peekay was a really interesting character. She is more of the rebellious teenage daughter of a preacher. She seems like people misunderstood her because she was the preacher's kid. I found her character unique and different. Also, I thought the book was just powerful as it dealt with issues of rape, drugs, and alcohol. The story was intriguing as we got the story from three distinctive perspectives. I am really glad that I got to read this powerful piece of work. Overall, a thought-provoking read.
Nothing I write here will ever do this book justice. Just read it.
