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hannahnana73's review against another edition
I have NO clue what to rate this... I'll have to let it sink in and decide tomorrow maybe...
This book was... disturbing to say the least... and yeah I really doubt most high schools have kids that have done all these "stuff": run away, got pregnant, been raped, committed suicide, and the list goes on... and yeah let's just say that some of those factors weren't what I was comfortable reading about... acc nearly dnf-ed this but this stubborn person has a rule that she doesn't dnf any book - so had to stick with it:/
Other than that... I guess it was eye-opening? Idk? It certainly was gripping... but was also incredibly messed up and depressing... ig it did a good job making me a bit more grateful that my school isn't like that... also the relationships between people (whether friends or more than that) were really portrayed negatively - yeah true in high school you may have one or two of those mean girls and guys who just use people but not everyone's like that...! Not everyone bullies, drinks, does drugs, tries to commit suicide, has terrible relationships etc... srsly inaccurate... like there's the common inaccurate portrayal of highschool being all fun and laughter - but this is literally the other extreme...
Hence, I honestly have no clue what to rate this - in terms of style and writing it was good... and the story was very gripping (even five star worthy for the emotional connection we felt)... And I could relate a bit with her perfectionist nature since I have that similar craziness? where everything has to be perfect... but then there were all these other factors that made me srsly regret picking it up...
I wouldn't recommend it for anyone below 16... If I knew some of it's content I'd never have picked it up so yeah...
This book was... disturbing to say the least... and yeah I really doubt most high schools have kids that have done all these "stuff": run away, got pregnant, been raped, committed suicide, and the list goes on... and yeah let's just say that some of those factors weren't what I was comfortable reading about... acc nearly dnf-ed this but this stubborn person has a rule that she doesn't dnf any book - so had to stick with it:/
Other than that... I guess it was eye-opening? Idk? It certainly was gripping... but was also incredibly messed up and depressing... ig it did a good job making me a bit more grateful that my school isn't like that... also the relationships between people (whether friends or more than that) were really portrayed negatively - yeah true in high school you may have one or two of those mean girls and guys who just use people but not everyone's like that...! Not everyone bullies, drinks, does drugs, tries to commit suicide, has terrible relationships etc... srsly inaccurate... like there's the common inaccurate portrayal of highschool being all fun and laughter - but this is literally the other extreme...
Hence, I honestly have no clue what to rate this - in terms of style and writing it was good... and the story was very gripping (even five star worthy for the emotional connection we felt)... And I could relate a bit with her perfectionist nature since I have that similar craziness? where everything has to be perfect... but then there were all these other factors that made me srsly regret picking it up...
I wouldn't recommend it for anyone below 16... If I knew some of it's content I'd never have picked it up so yeah...
groovyjenni's review against another edition
2.0
I was really surprised by all the positive reviews of this. I've been reading tons of young adult this summer and this one really fell below my expectations. There were certain things the author was doing with her writing that just held me back. Parker was too unlikable as a protagonist. I would have liked to seen more character depth than a huge ball of angst. It drove me crazy how often Parker's name, along with many other characters' names, was used in dialogue. I don't use a person's name when talking to them a million times. The ending felt too resolute. The usage of present tense to tell a flashback also didn't work to help the novel. If there is a sequel, I would probably not be reading it.
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
I did enjoy this but I was so confused by how this girl could be so rude to everyone and they kept giving her chances. I know she was struggling but she’s so mean to everyone.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
5.0
Before reading:
I've been wanting to read a book by Courtney Summers for a long time. Her novels seem to appeal to the more mature YA audience and I'm curious to see how she'll tackle the heavy subjects like bullying, rape etc.
After reading:
This was just my kind of contemporary book. It's raw and real with complex characters. None of them are likable, but they grow a lot throughout the book (especially the main character), and it's one of the best books I've read this year.
Looking forward to reading more from Courtney Summers, though I'll have to wait a while to recover from Cracked up to be. It is a little hard to swallow, but so amazing if you don't require your characters to be likable, and are looking for a book that'll make you emotional and linger, you should pick this up.
I've been wanting to read a book by Courtney Summers for a long time. Her novels seem to appeal to the more mature YA audience and I'm curious to see how she'll tackle the heavy subjects like bullying, rape etc.
After reading:
This was just my kind of contemporary book. It's raw and real with complex characters. None of them are likable, but they grow a lot throughout the book (especially the main character), and it's one of the best books I've read this year.
Looking forward to reading more from Courtney Summers, though I'll have to wait a while to recover from Cracked up to be. It is a little hard to swallow, but so amazing if you don't require your characters to be likable, and are looking for a book that'll make you emotional and linger, you should pick this up.
abbyreads2's review against another edition
3.0
3.9
OMFG this book needs a continuous because I'm so curious. For one, did they ever find out who killed Jessica? For two, I want to know more about Parker's problem. And last but not least, I want to actually see a romance book about her and Jake because honestly I want to see more. Throughout this book, I was ready to scream cuz I wanted to know what was the big secret causing her all her problems. I feel like we got a glimpse of it but her problems seems to have started before her friend died? And I'm curious about that.
But like WHY????? WHY DID BAILEY HAVE TO DIE??????
I was like nooooo not Bailey. It was so fucking sad. I liked Bailey.
I was a little annoyed that she was stringing Jake along because I totally shipped her. She was basically doing her best to isolate herself and I can sort of relate to some of her behavior.
But overall, the writing was a bit confusing at times. The characters were sort of annoying. It was funny, drastic, and crazy. The romance was barely there. She seemed a bit self absorbed. Everyone was basically enabling her. I'm really glad she finally decided to get help in the end. It will not be easy but I'd love to read a book about her journey after getting help and with Jake of course.
OMFG this book needs a continuous because I'm so curious. For one, did they ever find out who killed Jessica? For two, I want to know more about Parker's problem. And last but not least, I want to actually see a romance book about her and Jake because honestly I want to see more. Throughout this book, I was ready to scream cuz I wanted to know what was the big secret causing her all her problems. I feel like we got a glimpse of it but her problems seems to have started before her friend died? And I'm curious about that.
But like WHY????? WHY DID BAILEY HAVE TO DIE??????
I was like nooooo not Bailey. It was so fucking sad. I liked Bailey.
I was a little annoyed that she was stringing Jake along because I totally shipped her. She was basically doing her best to isolate herself and I can sort of relate to some of her behavior.
But overall, the writing was a bit confusing at times. The characters were sort of annoying. It was funny, drastic, and crazy. The romance was barely there. She seemed a bit self absorbed. Everyone was basically enabling her. I'm really glad she finally decided to get help in the end. It will not be easy but I'd love to read a book about her journey after getting help and with Jake of course.
emkreads's review against another edition
4.0
4.25/5 stars
I wasn't convinced at first but the writing was keeping me going and my god. I loved this a lot and it deals about mental health which is AMAZING.
I wasn't convinced at first but the writing was keeping me going and my god. I loved this a lot and it deals about mental health which is AMAZING.
iceangel32's review against another edition
5.0
I could not put this book down and finished it in a day.
I like that it is a book about the popular girl that is acting out so that she can disappear. It was nice to have a book where you can hate the main character, but I don't know if i do hate her. She was't what you expected and I found her complex and interesting. I do sometimes feel bad for the popular girls, because their lives are always on display and everyone is watching them. I think a lot if youth that seem happy are really dealing with stuff on the inside and have different ways to deal with it. In Parker's case acting out and punishing herself. I have seen popularity do horrible things to nice people and worse things when you want out of the spotlight. So I think I can kind of empathize with her more than hate her.
I also liked that the book threw me back into high school. I can see something like this occurring...maybe not the exact situation, but something like it in the halls of our high schools right now.
This book will stay with me for a long time. And I will be looking forward to reading more of Courtney's books.
I like that it is a book about the popular girl that is acting out so that she can disappear. It was nice to have a book where you can hate the main character, but I don't know if i do hate her. She was't what you expected and I found her complex and interesting. I do sometimes feel bad for the popular girls, because their lives are always on display and everyone is watching them. I think a lot if youth that seem happy are really dealing with stuff on the inside and have different ways to deal with it. In Parker's case acting out and punishing herself. I have seen popularity do horrible things to nice people and worse things when you want out of the spotlight. So I think I can kind of empathize with her more than hate her.
I also liked that the book threw me back into high school. I can see something like this occurring...maybe not the exact situation, but something like it in the halls of our high schools right now.
This book will stay with me for a long time. And I will be looking forward to reading more of Courtney's books.
stephxsu's review against another edition
5.0
CRACKED UP TO BE is pretty much perfect. It’s a short but dense read that will keep you impatiently engrossed in Parker’s convoluted world, unable to tear yourself away until you find out what happened to make Parker deteriorate so much.
Of course, it is Parker who carries the novel, Parker who makes me love this book. One of the most difficult things for a writer to do is to create characters who are not necessarily likable but still make readers empathize with them. Parker and all her friends are such characters. They are the most popular people at their high school—something I, along with most of us, have never experienced—but even so they are bitchy, emotional, hurt, in love, in lust, manipulative—in short, relatable, complex, and one hundred percent real.
The novel is set up in a way that we don’t find out about what’s been eating at Parker until the very end, and the setup is wonderfully appropriate, for it allows us to focus on the character development while being intrigued by the backstory. I said that this book is pretty much perfect, and not just in the foundations, like the characters and the plot. Courtney Summers is also a writing master: she writes in an unassuming, straightforward prose that doesn’t beat around the bush. That’s the way Parker talks also; she gets straight to the point in wonderfully sarcastic lines.
All in all…does this review even need a conclusion? Are you confused about how I feel about this novel? Run out and buy it right now!
Of course, it is Parker who carries the novel, Parker who makes me love this book. One of the most difficult things for a writer to do is to create characters who are not necessarily likable but still make readers empathize with them. Parker and all her friends are such characters. They are the most popular people at their high school—something I, along with most of us, have never experienced—but even so they are bitchy, emotional, hurt, in love, in lust, manipulative—in short, relatable, complex, and one hundred percent real.
The novel is set up in a way that we don’t find out about what’s been eating at Parker until the very end, and the setup is wonderfully appropriate, for it allows us to focus on the character development while being intrigued by the backstory. I said that this book is pretty much perfect, and not just in the foundations, like the characters and the plot. Courtney Summers is also a writing master: she writes in an unassuming, straightforward prose that doesn’t beat around the bush. That’s the way Parker talks also; she gets straight to the point in wonderfully sarcastic lines.
All in all…does this review even need a conclusion? Are you confused about how I feel about this novel? Run out and buy it right now!
kalliste's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, can't believe how fast I read this! I really loved Parker in all her anxiety ridden craziness.
The best thing about this was the end. I won't say why for fear of spoilers but sometimes a book needs to end this way.
The best thing about this was the end. I won't say why for fear of spoilers but sometimes a book needs to end this way.