FlumeAward – Some Girls Are Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Regina, a high school senior, is one the popular girls at school, part of the Fearsome Five. Then she isn’t. One night, at a party that gets a little out of control, her best friend’s boyfriend tries to rape her. Regina doesn’t know what to do. She confides in a “friend” who sees this as an opportunity to take her place. Rumors fly and her cry for help is met with extreme bullying. The only person who seems to care is the son of her dead psychiatrist; and the group soon targets him as well. The relationship with this boy, who Regina herself bullied, is complex and interesting. The book is plot driven and some of the characters lack depth. Some may argue it is a little over-the-top, but they might be surprised (and horrified) to know these are the kinds of conflicts that happen in high school. It touches on some tough subjects– suicide, bullying, hate crimes, rape. I could not put it down. –Allison, Wilton
This book is intense. Ten times more vicious than Mean Girls, this book gets you in the faces of small town bitches. Honestly these girls have so much power because everyone has known everyone else for too long. I really loved how realistic and gritty this book was. Courtney Summers made my skin crawl as I read about the awfulness that Regina was going through. I loved the dynamic of the relationships, how high school and true they felt. All the emotions were penned precisely so you could feel how dire some of the situations were and how elated Regina felt when she fought back. I definitely recommend that you read this book, if not today, tomorrow for sure. There are not any real faults with this book although she did have the tendency to have really long sentences. It was fast paced, kept you on the edge of your seat, you really got to know and feel for the characters, and it was INTENSE! I think this is a great contemporary read for teen girls.
Brittany Moore – Hall Memorial
Northfield