Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Title: Some Girls Are
Author: Courtney Summers 
Format: Paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publish Date: January 5, 2010
Source: Library

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.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 were 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 whom 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."

My Two Cents:

Bullying seems to be a huge issue in middle school and high schools these days. I don't really remember it being such a big deal when I was in school (thank goodness)! "Some Girls Are" is a young adult book that has the theme of bullying and its effects at its center. I think it's so important for teens to have books that tackle real issues like this book does. This book is a gripping fictional look at Regina, a teen who was once on the top of her high school's food chain until gossip knocks her from her throne.

I felt for Regina! The thing about gossip is that once it happens, you can't really put it back in the bottle per sei. Regina tries hard to set the record straight and she just can't. It's impossible when everyone wants to listen to the popular kids. While bullying did not seem to be too big of an issue when I was in school, I can remember how rapidly rumors spread, even if they were completely ridiculous. I thought the author did a great job of capturing the reality of just how crazy high school can be.

I really liked the characters. Regina realizes that she was pretty nasty to people like Michael but he has a good enough heart to still sort of take her under his wing when she starts getting bullied. The characters in this book felt really real!

I initially picked this book because it is a book that was challenged a lot in 2015. I can't understand why! The beautiful thing about books is that they allow people of all ages to explore situations that they might find themselves in and how they could potentially handle the situation. I appreciate that the author chose to tackle an issue that faces a lot of teenagers these days. Hopefully this book will help someone cope with a similar situation or even better, stop a similar situation from happening in the first place.