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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have tried another book by this author and was not a fan, but I had heard such good things about this book I thought I'd try it. I will just be nice and say I don't think I get along with this author's writing style at all, but plenty of other people seem to like her? It's difficult for me to take high school cheerleaders as seriously as the first few pages of this book does.
I think the author did a nice job of demonstrating the competitiveness and cruelty between teenage girls.
I will preface this review by mentioning I have watched the Netflix adaptation of this story. It's a ten episode TV show, and I thought it was really well done with great actors. I bought the book shortly after watching it, because I was captivated by the disturbance of it all. I figured the book HAD to be better, because of course, the book always is.
Unfortunately, the book was not as good. I probably should've read it first and then watched the TV series, but I didn't even realize this book existed without the Netflix adaptation.
Plotwise, this story is great. It has all the typical things you need with a psychological thriller. What I like even more is it's meant for young adult, so there are coming-of-age elements that I always enjoy. However, the writing style was a huge miss for me. The author chooses to write this in present tense, which is perfectly fine, but the main character (Addy) narrates like a person with a PhD in literature. It absolutely ruins a YA book for me when the narrator is using phrases such as "tensile thew" in her friend's shoulders. What sixteen year would describe this? It's just not authentic. Then, there's Beth who talks like a 45 year old cult leader rather than a captain of a cheerleading squad. I get it, we have to set apart some of these girls from what we perceive all cheerleaders to be like, but come on. Make it somewhat believable. Sprinkling in a touch of text message lingo and phrases like "beyotch" and "sistuh" was a little weak when you're juxtaposing it to narration that reads like thesis work for a doctorate. I digress.
Anyway, the storyline is interesting enough. It's also incredibly short and moves quickly for readers who like something engaging. Many people mentioned they gave this a lower rating because they hated all the characters. I actually don't relate. I liked Addy, even though she was a bit obsessive and spineless. I liked Beth even though she was incredibly manipulative and deeply insecure. But, they gave life to the story and allowed me to see into a sport I hardly hear much about in literature (aside from gross stereotypes).
Unfortunately, the book was not as good. I probably should've read it first and then watched the TV series, but I didn't even realize this book existed without the Netflix adaptation.
Plotwise, this story is great. It has all the typical things you need with a psychological thriller. What I like even more is it's meant for young adult, so there are coming-of-age elements that I always enjoy. However, the writing style was a huge miss for me. The author chooses to write this in present tense, which is perfectly fine, but the main character (Addy) narrates like a person with a PhD in literature. It absolutely ruins a YA book for me when the narrator is using phrases such as "tensile thew" in her friend's shoulders. What sixteen year would describe this? It's just not authentic. Then, there's Beth who talks like a 45 year old cult leader rather than a captain of a cheerleading squad. I get it, we have to set apart some of these girls from what we perceive all cheerleaders to be like, but come on. Make it somewhat believable. Sprinkling in a touch of text message lingo and phrases like "beyotch" and "sistuh" was a little weak when you're juxtaposing it to narration that reads like thesis work for a doctorate. I digress.
Anyway, the storyline is interesting enough. It's also incredibly short and moves quickly for readers who like something engaging. Many people mentioned they gave this a lower rating because they hated all the characters. I actually don't relate. I liked Addy, even though she was a bit obsessive and spineless. I liked Beth even though she was incredibly manipulative and deeply insecure. But, they gave life to the story and allowed me to see into a sport I hardly hear much about in literature (aside from gross stereotypes).
There was nothing very interesting or special about this book. The characters weren't very engaging and I didn't care about any of them.
This took me forever to get through because I never really got to a point where "I had to keep reading to see what happens" The pull just was never there for me. I enjoyed it once I really got into it but it took a while.
I speed-read this in a two-day haze a couple weeks ago, so this review is probably going to be vague and terrible! But appropriately, after reading this I also saw Heathers the musical and then Bring It On the film, so female spaces & toxic high school drama & cheerleaders are in the forefront of my mind atm.
Things wot I liked:
• The deep complication of the female best friendship at the centre (and heart) of the novel. Issues of jealousy and possessiveness and co-dependency and needing to become your own people strikes a really personal chord for me.
• The extremely weird and inappropriate relationship between Coach French & Addy. Like, not in the sense that I enjoyed it (because it was purposefully uncomfortable), but because it’s so complicated and tangled.
• Related to the above, this book is SO GAY. There are homoerotic vibes everywhere. Do you want to be her, or be with her?
• Megan Abbott's writing style, as always: there are touches of the visceral, body horror, flesh on flesh and hands on muscles, the monstrosity of teenaged girls socially (good lord!), but also particularly the monstrosity of their bodies & burgeoning sexuality.
Things wot I did not like, I guess:
• Abbott’s writing is getting somewhat repetitive for me? Her books are sort of formulaic, and starting to blur together for me a bit (to the extent that I can never even remember the title for [b:You Will Know Me|25251757|You Will Know Me|Megan Abbott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467210264s/25251757.jpg|44972782]), even when I enjoy them at the time and there are some twists that surprise me. So I kind of wonder if I should switch gears to her more noiry/period piece-y stuff for a bit, rather than contemporary, just for some variety. This is great for a really quick mystery-thriller binge, though.
Things wot I liked:
• The deep complication of the female best friendship at the centre (and heart) of the novel. Issues of jealousy and possessiveness and co-dependency and needing to become your own people strikes a really personal chord for me.
• The extremely weird and inappropriate relationship between Coach French & Addy. Like, not in the sense that I enjoyed it (because it was purposefully uncomfortable), but because it’s so complicated and tangled.
• Related to the above, this book is SO GAY. There are homoerotic vibes everywhere. Do you want to be her, or be with her?
• Megan Abbott's writing style, as always: there are touches of the visceral, body horror, flesh on flesh and hands on muscles, the monstrosity of teenaged girls socially (good lord!), but also particularly the monstrosity of their bodies & burgeoning sexuality.
Things wot I did not like, I guess:
• Abbott’s writing is getting somewhat repetitive for me? Her books are sort of formulaic, and starting to blur together for me a bit (to the extent that I can never even remember the title for [b:You Will Know Me|25251757|You Will Know Me|Megan Abbott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467210264s/25251757.jpg|44972782]), even when I enjoy them at the time and there are some twists that surprise me. So I kind of wonder if I should switch gears to her more noiry/period piece-y stuff for a bit, rather than contemporary, just for some variety. This is great for a really quick mystery-thriller binge, though.
