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kkoerth613's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible. The sounds like a girls book, but its the complete opposite. The way the author set up the characters was amazing. Really interesting. Shows you what could really happen in the world. Gives you awareness about DID. Loved it.
My fav "character" would have to be Girl Scout. I am proud by how she handled things. An my respect for Tattletale is even greater.
Definitely recommend to anyone who lives a good mystery.
My fav "character" would have to be Girl Scout. I am proud by how she handled things. An my respect for Tattletale is even greater.
Definitely recommend to anyone who lives a good mystery.
emasvingerova's review against another edition
5.0
Tohle je, odvážím se napsat, jedna z nejlepších knížek co jsem kdy přečetla. Hodně se mi líbí jak autorka zakomponovala fakty do fikce...a ten příběh vás nutí přemýšlet nad tím, že život vážně umí nachystat spoustu (ne)příjemných překvapení.
Víc takových knížek!
Víc takových knížek!
mbfeeney's review against another edition
3.0
I finished this last night and after thinking about it, I dropped it from a 4* to a 3*. I'll get to that later.
It took me a few chapters to really get into this book, but I'm glad I persevered. I admit, for the first few chapters it bugged me that this book was written in 3rd because I wanted to know more about how Angie was feeling and how she coped internally with her amnesia, but once the Alters began speaking, it made sense.
I have to admit, things like multiple personalities fascinates me because I don't understand the science to it. The fact that the brain is able to do something like that to protect itself is amazing, however, here is why I dropped my rating.
While I know nothing (Call me Jon Snow), it felt that Coley had really over simplified the condition. Now, that is not a bad thing because this is a YA book. The way she explained it didn't feel like a ton of medical jargon was being thrown at me.
I ADORED all of the alters - they really felt separate from Angie which made them feel all the more real.
Once the story got going, the pace was excellent - however, the 'recovery' for me was a little too fast. I don't know how realistic this is, but for the sake of the book it worked.
Well worth a read, even if parts are a little predictable and you may have to suspend belief momentarily.
It took me a few chapters to really get into this book, but I'm glad I persevered. I admit, for the first few chapters it bugged me that this book was written in 3rd because I wanted to know more about how Angie was feeling and how she coped internally with her amnesia, but once the Alters began speaking, it made sense.
I have to admit, things like multiple personalities fascinates me because I don't understand the science to it. The fact that the brain is able to do something like that to protect itself is amazing, however, here is why I dropped my rating.
While I know nothing (Call me Jon Snow), it felt that Coley had really over simplified the condition. Now, that is not a bad thing because this is a YA book. The way she explained it didn't feel like a ton of medical jargon was being thrown at me.
I ADORED all of the alters - they really felt separate from Angie which made them feel all the more real.
Once the story got going, the pace was excellent - however, the 'recovery' for me was a little too fast. I don't know how realistic this is, but for the sake of the book it worked.
Well worth a read, even if parts are a little predictable and you may have to suspend belief momentarily.
celjla212's review against another edition
5.0
WHOA. Very different YA offering from the author, but I loved absolutely everything about it. This was probably the first book I have read that deals with the main character having multiple personalities. The truth of what happened to Angie is both chilling and sadly, rooted in reality.
Angie shows up at her parents' home with her last memory being camping with her girl scout troop when she was 13 years old. Her parents give her the shocking news that she has been missing for the last three years, and she was presumed dead. Angie remembers nothing of her ordeal, and begins therapy to help her cope with everything. It is discovered that Angie's mind has developed several different personalities to dissociate Angie herself from her trauma. She must decide if the others inside her head are really helping her, or doing more harm than good.
I read this book very quickly, and was enthralled throughout. Angie is such a complex character that it's really hard to say how I felt about her as a person...when she's really so many different people. As she slowly starts learning what her alters know that she doesn't, I began to feel more and more for her. I loved that ultimately she came out a survivor, even though she has years of therapy left to help with the unimaginable ordeal she went through. It's hard to believe a single person can have that much evil happen to them, but it's definitely the truth of this world.
Some might say that the story had too much going on besides the main plot of Angie trying to find out what happened to her during her missing three years--but I wholeheartedly disagree. Every single facet of the story is an important piece of the puzzle that is Angie's life, and helps explain why her fragile psyche may have split.
The end is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking, and I feel like this book has touched my life and made me look at victims of these kinds of acts in a different way.
Angie shows up at her parents' home with her last memory being camping with her girl scout troop when she was 13 years old. Her parents give her the shocking news that she has been missing for the last three years, and she was presumed dead. Angie remembers nothing of her ordeal, and begins therapy to help her cope with everything. It is discovered that Angie's mind has developed several different personalities to dissociate Angie herself from her trauma. She must decide if the others inside her head are really helping her, or doing more harm than good.
I read this book very quickly, and was enthralled throughout. Angie is such a complex character that it's really hard to say how I felt about her as a person...when she's really so many different people. As she slowly starts learning what her alters know that she doesn't, I began to feel more and more for her. I loved that ultimately she came out a survivor, even though she has years of therapy left to help with the unimaginable ordeal she went through. It's hard to believe a single person can have that much evil happen to them, but it's definitely the truth of this world.
Some might say that the story had too much going on besides the main plot of Angie trying to find out what happened to her during her missing three years--but I wholeheartedly disagree. Every single facet of the story is an important piece of the puzzle that is Angie's life, and helps explain why her fragile psyche may have split.
The end is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking, and I feel like this book has touched my life and made me look at victims of these kinds of acts in a different way.
smrj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
cindynapkins's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
the_horror_maven's review against another edition
5.0
It has been an extremely long time since I have given a book a 5-star review, and Pretty Girl - 13 more than deserved that rating. Liz Coley is an author like myself - we don't shy away from serious subjects, and we both like to force the reader to confront things that they otherwise wouldn't have. Pretty Girl - 13 is not a pleasant novel, and that is why it excelled. Coley clearly did her research on mental illness in terms of dissociative identity disorder, and the book kept unfolding like an onion. As soon as I thought I had everything figured out, Coley would pop out another surprise, and none of them were tacky or ill-conceived. Each event that was placed in this novel was meaningful and important to the story.
Now, with stories that involve mental illness and abuse, the book is bound to have a mixed audience. There are those who say that this book isn't realistic, and others who think that it is perfect for defining the events that occur in the book. However, think of it this way. Do you think that every YA novel about a kid in high school defines every possible high school experience?
Of course not.
Each book is a different take on specific situations, and this book is a well-researched take on dissociative identity disorder. Coley even states in the back of the book that the situation presented in her writing is extreme, but it does reflect the struggles that sufferers of this disorder go through. Many of the events that happen to Angie are also consistent with certain kidnapping cases and those who have suffered from incestuous abuse. It is not impossible that those in those positions could develop this form of disorder, and Coley did a brilliant job at putting the reader in Angie's shoes. This book is perfect to allow readers to understand a different perspective and extend their empathy to those who may be suffering from mental disorders.
I would not recommend this book to children under sixteen years old due to the intense scenes and triggering events, but it is perfect for older young adults - through adults looking for a realistic, psychological thriller.
Now, with stories that involve mental illness and abuse, the book is bound to have a mixed audience. There are those who say that this book isn't realistic, and others who think that it is perfect for defining the events that occur in the book. However, think of it this way. Do you think that every YA novel about a kid in high school defines every possible high school experience?
Of course not.
Each book is a different take on specific situations, and this book is a well-researched take on dissociative identity disorder. Coley even states in the back of the book that the situation presented in her writing is extreme, but it does reflect the struggles that sufferers of this disorder go through. Many of the events that happen to Angie are also consistent with certain kidnapping cases and those who have suffered from incestuous abuse. It is not impossible that those in those positions could develop this form of disorder, and Coley did a brilliant job at putting the reader in Angie's shoes. This book is perfect to allow readers to understand a different perspective and extend their empathy to those who may be suffering from mental disorders.
I would not recommend this book to children under sixteen years old due to the intense scenes and triggering events, but it is perfect for older young adults - through adults looking for a realistic, psychological thriller.
onceuponthesewords's review against another edition
4.0
I love going into books blindly because I’m always so pleasantly surprised by the plot and characters. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone because I enjoyed the storyline so much, but I will say I’ve never read a book about this topic, but i used to binge watch YouTube videos about it in high school… so it was super cool to read a book with a character who had this.
There were times when I questioned how believable the story was, and I thought some issues were introduced that didn’t really contribute to the storyline in any way… but nonetheless, I devoured this book in less than a day. Overall, it was a thrilling read that kept me intrigued the entire time!
There were times when I questioned how believable the story was, and I thought some issues were introduced that didn’t really contribute to the storyline in any way… but nonetheless, I devoured this book in less than a day. Overall, it was a thrilling read that kept me intrigued the entire time!
jazzinbuns's review against another edition
5.0
This was an AMAZING book. I've always been quite interested in Dissociative Personality Disorder, and the way the entire plot was set drew me in from page 1!