Some Girls Are by Courtney SummersPaperback: 256 pages
Summary: from {goodreads}
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.
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.
Rating:
View my rating system.
My Thoughts: Let me begin by finishing the title: Some Girls Are... absolute cold-hearted, backstabbing bitches. And, man, I like it that way. ;)
Regina is a former member of The Fearsome Fivesome, a group both revered and feared at her high school. But when she gets accused of sleeping with her best friend Anna, their group leader's boyfriend, Regina quickly gets booted out and publicly humiliated. But is Regina the type of girl to back down and admit defeat? N-o. That rumor just marks the beginning of a vicious cycle of spite and revenge, and I was surprised at how deep their hatred ran. These girls aren't just cunning, they're mean in every sense of the word. In their world, a prank isn't a victory unless it involves pain and fear. And Courtney Summers doesn't spare Regina from stopping to such lows; Regina would pull a horrible stunt and laugh in a second - ouch.
I know I'm probably sounding like a complete hypocrite with my review, but it's hard to put exactly how I felt about this book into words. I constantly questioned Regina throughout the book; there are times where I want to strangle her and times I want to cheer for her - all that makes this book good. And I didn't even hate her or any of her supposed "friends" for all the crap they pulled. In a way, I could understand it. How? I don't know, but Courtney Summers manages to pull it off. Yes, though Some Girls Are is a stretch of the high school heirarchy, there is teasing and bullying but (at least in my experience) not to the level in the book, it was still completely riveting.
Parting with a nugget of not-so-awesome wisdom to remember: "bitch" should not be only considered as a noun; it can't fully describe a person. It's simply an adjective to describe what some. girls. are.
Romance: A rocky road, but sweet. There's some kissing, and it plays a major part in Regina's development. The guy is sensitive and adorable, and I'm going to leave it at it's hard being a boyfriend for someone like Regina...
Cover: 3.5 - While it's bold and actually quite reflective of the book (you'll get the red locker when you read), it didn't automatically catch my eye and make me yearn to read it; some other bloggers' awesome reviews did.
Writing: 4.5
Characters: 5.0
Plot: 4.0 (I felt that it reached a bit of a standstill at times.)
Bottom Line: I thought Cracked Up to Be was good, but Some Girls Are was awesome; it left me with a larger feeling of "wow" when I was finished reading. Looking for read that explores the down-and-dirty side of high school and the complexity of teenage emotions? Read Some Girls Are, and I'm pretty sure you won't be dissapointed. I'll never look at the "popular group" the same again, that's for sure.
