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megancrusante's review against another edition
3.0
Not what I expected, though I did read it in one sitting so I clearly liked it anyhow.
misha_ali's review against another edition
4.0
An engaging story of the deep childhood friendships and how they fray into adulthood. I wish we had balanced this out with more of the POV character's inner world to give more of an insight into her life rather than her reactions to Cassie. Overall, an interesting and well-written account of childhood and watching the familiar become unfamiliar.
zellm's review against another edition
2.0
This book was aggressively mediocre. The writing style felt passive and did a lot of telling rather than showing. I feel like there wasn't much done with Cassie's character, and yet Julia's character's existence totally revolves around her. So there weren't any strong characters in a majorly character-driven story.
wiseyesgirl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I bought this book so many years ago. My mom told me I would never read it. (She was right) I didn’t pick it up till much later when I was a depressed freshman in high school. I saw myself in Julia and my best friend in Cassie. (yikes) I think every teenager girl should read this story about female adolescence, so they know they aren’t alone in their feelings of boredom of home or fear of the future.
h0llace's review against another edition
3.0
while essentially a book about nothing—a book about the passage of time in essence, but more so a book about those fleetingly deep friendships of our youth, the ones that change us forever—i could not put it down. messud's prose is beautiful and brought me back to my own childhood, playing make-believe with my friends and exploring the woods of my small town.
gilmoreguide's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 stars)
Julia and Cassie meet in nursery school and are best friends from that moment on. Cassie is the power and spirit in their duo and Julia is the steadfast and careful one. The dynamic works until the end of middle school when what was so strong starts to fray. Cassie makes a new friend, a girl she used to mock with Julia, for being so silly and interested in boys. Julia watches as the closest friend she’s ever known slips away and even when she knows things are not all right, her old friend doesn’t want her help. Claire Messud explores this most delicate of relationships in her new novel, The Burning Girl.
As is often the case it a boy who lies at the heart of the shift in Julia and Cassie’s friendship. In this case, it’s Peter who Julia has a crush on, but who does not feel the same way. He likes Cassie.
Whatever her reason for saying yes when he asked if he could kiss her, it stung. We didn’t fight outright—I couldn’t risk it—but we became stiff with each other. We stepped through the looking glass into a world all of fake friendliness…
Between this betrayal and Cassie’s propulsion into an older, cooler crowd, Julia finds herself left behind. Her interest in academics and playing it safe no longer fit with the new Cassie. Messud compounds the issues by layering in an external element—Cassie’s mother’s boyfriend, who moves in with them. His interest in Cassie and his determination to impose his strict religious beliefs on her only exacerbate her behavior and move her further away from Julia, who still knows her friend well enough to know that something is wrong.
I had other friends, but I’d lost the friend I loved best, and had loved without thinking for as long as I could remember, and it seemed absolutely essential not to appear to care.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: http://wp.me/p2B7gG-2pS
Julia and Cassie meet in nursery school and are best friends from that moment on. Cassie is the power and spirit in their duo and Julia is the steadfast and careful one. The dynamic works until the end of middle school when what was so strong starts to fray. Cassie makes a new friend, a girl she used to mock with Julia, for being so silly and interested in boys. Julia watches as the closest friend she’s ever known slips away and even when she knows things are not all right, her old friend doesn’t want her help. Claire Messud explores this most delicate of relationships in her new novel, The Burning Girl.
As is often the case it a boy who lies at the heart of the shift in Julia and Cassie’s friendship. In this case, it’s Peter who Julia has a crush on, but who does not feel the same way. He likes Cassie.
Whatever her reason for saying yes when he asked if he could kiss her, it stung. We didn’t fight outright—I couldn’t risk it—but we became stiff with each other. We stepped through the looking glass into a world all of fake friendliness…
Between this betrayal and Cassie’s propulsion into an older, cooler crowd, Julia finds herself left behind. Her interest in academics and playing it safe no longer fit with the new Cassie. Messud compounds the issues by layering in an external element—Cassie’s mother’s boyfriend, who moves in with them. His interest in Cassie and his determination to impose his strict religious beliefs on her only exacerbate her behavior and move her further away from Julia, who still knows her friend well enough to know that something is wrong.
I had other friends, but I’d lost the friend I loved best, and had loved without thinking for as long as I could remember, and it seemed absolutely essential not to appear to care.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: http://wp.me/p2B7gG-2pS
raven_morgan's review against another edition
3.0
A short and mostly easy read about the friendship (and waning of) between two girls as they grow through adolescence. I had high hopes for this one, but ultimately found it not to be as satisfying as I would have liked. At times, there was some stunningly beautiful prose, but I found that there always seemed to be an emotional distance between Julia (the narrator) and Cassie (her friend, whose life devolves over the years). I never got a sense of who Julia really was, apart from her interest in acting, which was also frustrating.
Possibly just not one for me.
Possibly just not one for me.
readermeginco's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best novel I have read in a long, long time... WOW!
The Story:
Julia and Cassie have been friends since nursery school. They have shared everything, they know each other's every look & gesture. But as the two girls enter adolescence, their paths diverge. Cassie sets out on a dangerous path, one that could ruin both her oldest friendship and her very life. Julia must decide whether to watch from the sidelines or insert herself back in Cassie's life... but at what cost?
The Burning Girl is beautifully told. It asks us to consider the impact of our best friends on our own identity as well as the costs of love and attachment. It's also one of the truest portraits of adolescence I have ever read. I found myself feeling that I was Julia. Her feelings were mine in childhood, her reactions were mine in adolescence. Wow.
The Story:
Julia and Cassie have been friends since nursery school. They have shared everything, they know each other's every look & gesture. But as the two girls enter adolescence, their paths diverge. Cassie sets out on a dangerous path, one that could ruin both her oldest friendship and her very life. Julia must decide whether to watch from the sidelines or insert herself back in Cassie's life... but at what cost?
The Burning Girl is beautifully told. It asks us to consider the impact of our best friends on our own identity as well as the costs of love and attachment. It's also one of the truest portraits of adolescence I have ever read. I found myself feeling that I was Julia. Her feelings were mine in childhood, her reactions were mine in adolescence. Wow.
peetan's review against another edition
4.0
A book about growing up and growing a part
Pros: quick read - read it in a day
Fun ya novel with dark undertones
Captivating story
Cons: some parts dragged on
Characters weren't always relatable
6.5/10
Pros: quick read - read it in a day
Fun ya novel with dark undertones
Captivating story
Cons: some parts dragged on
Characters weren't always relatable
6.5/10
debi_g's review against another edition
4.0
Read this on a flight: a beautifully written book with a minor blip for a climax and an inconclusive finale.
3.5
3.5