darbymalvey 's review for:

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

3.0

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Girls Like Us is an eye-opening, heart-wrenching story about two self-proclaimed "speddie" (special education) young women who graduate from high school and start their lives in the world. The book tackles tough topics and addresses some very serious issued faced by this often-invisible population. Girls Like Us has the potential to be a truly excellent and important book, but the narration and dialogue are overdone and distracting, while the all-too-simple wrap up to the girls' not-at-all-simple problems leaves Giles' effort makes for a disappointing ending. An important issues book for anyone looking to gain a peek into the struggles of special education students as they move into adulthood - and a valuable addition to a growing body of YA literature that tackles the issues of rape and sexual assault head-on - Girls Like Us has a definite place on the shelf, but is unlikely to find a place in your heart.