"The characters in Courtney Summers' new novel are individuals and real. The plot is intriguing and fast paced. I couldn't put this book down." — Miss Remmers
I won this book from GoodReads! Thank You!
From Amazon.com...
"Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.
Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be. "
"Some Girls Are" is such an honest read, much like "Cracked Up To Be. " At first, I had a hard time reading it because of it's honesty and how real it was. I felt for Regina, Liz, and Michael. At times, I had to shut the novel for a minute in order to remind myself that it is fiction. The characters are individuals and real. The plot is intriguing and fast paced. I couldn't put this book down. The themes of the novel are all directed towards young adults: friendship, bullies, sex, alcohol, drugs. These themes add to the realism of the novel.
If I had to pick something I didn't like I would have to say the ending. The climax was coming and then all of a sudden nothing happened, all was good, and the book ended. I mean really, the climax, resolution, and conclusion (plot line) happened in about seven pages.
I'd also mention that "Some Girls Are" is very similar to "Cracked Up to Be" in regards to characterization. Both protagonists were 'popular'; Regina was 'froze out' of the popular crowd and Parker tries to isolate herself from the crowd. Both books have an underlying theme of rape. While these coincidents didn't detract from either novel, I still loved both, and the plots were different, at times I found myself forgetting what book I was reading and what had or had not happened.
I highly recommend "Some Girls Are" to struggling recreational readers. I will definitely be keeping this copy for my own classroom.
"Some Girls Are" will be released tomorrow, January 5th, 2010. This is a book to own!