Review: I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to this book after loving Sadie. This has that same ominous feeling as Sadie, but is not told in the same mixed media format. This book is pretty heavy and does have alot of triggers. I'm not sure how I feel about this book even after sitting with it for a bit. It is an uncomfortable read for sure, and it has several unlikable characters. This is going to be a difficult one to review without spoilers.

Georgia is 16, and she has big dreams. She dreams of working at the exclusive members only club in her town, Aspera. She wants to be an Aspera girl, but unfortunately she doesn't know what that entails. Her mother worked at Aspera, but she kept much of her work a secret from her daughter. This of course had the opposite effect and make it look glamourous instead of dangerous to Georgia. With her mother having lost her battle with cancer, she can't giver her the facts and tell her the truth of the club and the wonders and dangers that lie within.

At the heart of this story, Georgia is naïve, immature, and trusting of everyone around her. She takes everything everyone tells her at face value and believes them. So when she gets caught up in a murder investigation, she finds herself in situations that she really should never be in. While you think that the investigation might be the main focus, there is a much bigger much more sinister plot happening around her. Speaking of the plot, it was kind of all over the place. One moment we are with Georgia and Nora as they are "investigating" the murder, the next minute we are with Georgia as she is trying to better her position and "live her dreams" at Aspera. Georgia is being groomed and manipulated by the people she thinks are protecting her and she doesn't even know it. My biggest issue with this book is the flow of the varied storylines, they didn't feel cohesive and the ending was abrupt. The message and overall plot was good, but it didn't deliver in the end for me. Perhaps it was messy by design as was the message and content of the book. It doesn't deliver on atmosphere and the emotional aspects. It gives you that squirmy, icky feeling and I always had that feeling of waiting for the jump scare to happen. Georgia finds herself in several messy and ugly situations. You aren't sure if you want to hug her or shake her. As an outsider looking in you can't imagine why she can't see the danger right in front of her, but as a realist you know that kids/people get sucked into these kind of situations all the time in the real world. People, kids especially, get caught up in the promise of wealth and better things, especially when it comes from an adult they trust.

Overall, this was just ok for me. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it either. The message was haunting but the execution was not to my taste. I would caution readers to look up trigger warnings before diving in as this has many when it comes to grooming, SA, manipulation, etc.

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Top 5 Wednesday: Best Books You've Read So Far in 2018

I used to hand out 5 stars just because I really liked a book.  Since I started blogging and reviewing books I don't rate things 5 stars as frequently and I'm much more critical of books.  I give out lots of 3 and 4 star ratings, and I really enjoy those books.  In no particular order these are the best books I've read in 2018, and they really were fantastic and I highly recommend them.

I've linked reviews to all of the books I've mentioned below so you can see what I thought about them.

• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
• If you like Trevor Noah's brand of humor and you'd like a lesson in humility you should check this out.  Everyone should read this and I've heard the audio is wonderful as well.  Noah gives a lesson about how you survive in South Africa during a time when it was illegal for you to be born.  He didn't have a great childhood but he made the most of it.  The book is laced with humor, yet makes you think about what is really important.
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
• I thought this was wonderful.  I loved the mythology, the romance, and the characters.  I can't wait for book 2.  
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• This was such and education about how medicine has advanced through the years.  This was heartbreaking and really makes you feel for the Lacks family.  You want them to receive some sort of reparation for the advances made from Henrietta's cells, but unfortunately that just isn't how it works.
• As You Wish by Cary Elwes
• If you love the movie The Princess Bride like I do, you should give this book a go.  I listened to the audio and it is full of the cast speaking about their experience filming.  This is so funny and heartwarming. 
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• I just finished this and it was awesome!  It is told in mixed media and I loved it.  I couldn't put it down.  If you like YA thrillers go get this as soon as it comes out in September.  There are podcasts live that go with the book and episode 1 was excellent go check it out.

Go check out the Top 5 Wednesday group on Goodreads and see what other people recommended and to check out other topics.  

Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me a copy. I absolutely loved this book!

I picked it up and couldn't put it down. It is told in alternating chapters in podcast format and from Sadie's perspective and it really worked. The podcasts are about The Girls, but mostly Sadie after she disappears after the murder of her younger sister Mattie. West McCray who hosts the podcasts is trying to retrace Sadie's steps and find out what happened to her and who she spoke to after she left home. What he finds is unnerving and more than he expected. He interviews people that knew Sadie, people she talked to on her journey, and anyone who might know something about her whereabouts and what happened leading up to her disappearance.

Sadie's perspective is told from her present time, which is the past tense of the podcasts. We meet her as she is leaving to go on her quest to find the man who hurt her sister. Sadie has had a rough life, but she loved her little sister. Mattie was the light of her life, and when that light went out Sadie had nothing left. Her journey to find the man she is looking for is a hard one. She never gives up despite the challenges that she faces. She sacrificed for her sister and she is willing to sacrifice her life to make sure this man doesn't hurt anyone else. Fueled by the fact that she's got nothing left to lose, Sadie will find her man. I was left puzzled by the ending, but I feel like it couldn't have ended any other way.

This story is ugly and gritty. While it isn't graphic, you have enough details to infer what happened to Sadie and Mattie in the past. If you are triggered by mentions of sexual assault, sexual violence, sexual predators, drug use, drug abuse, and the list goes...I'd sit this one out.

The book is well written, and while this is my first Courtney Summers book, it will not be my last. This book was gripping. The story just wanted to be told. I loved the plot and Sadie as a character, while reckless felt so real to me. All of the characters were very realistic and well developed as the story unfolded.

In conjunction with the book's release, there are also real podcasts to go with the book. The first episode is out and I can say it is spot on. I listened to it today and loved it just as much as reading it. Go check out the podcast here .



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July Wrap Up

I did pretty good with my reading this month.  I didn't do so well with my reviews, but I got the ones done I needed to.  I'll add and update links to reviews if and when I get additional ones posted.  I read some really great ARCs, I checked off a few reading challenge prompts, and listened to several good audio books.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• I was going to use this for a book about mental health for my reading challenge but I ended up using it for my book about a real person prompt.  This was a pretty interesting read.  Sylvia Plath wrote much of this about her own mental health and her recovery.  I understand she didn't want this published in the US as she didn't want to offend the people in the novel that were part of this time in her life.  I can see why so many people recommend this and why it is an important mental health read.
• The Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
• Review
• This was a fairly original retelling.  It isn't at all what I expected, but in a good way.  I loved the writing.  Its a bit slow paced, but stick with it, the ending is worth it.  I loved the mythology and history that is woven into this beloved tale.  This is out July 31st.
• Nyxia Unleased by Scott Reintgen
• Review
• This was awesome!  The story continues on the planet of Eden, with the teenagers who fought in a Hunger Games like tournament of sorts to make it to the planet.  The winners get to mine nyxia for the corporation they are working for and build ties with the planet's inhabitants.  This story is full of politics, action, adventure, friendship and so much more.  
• Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
• Review
• This  is another ARC releasing at the end of July.  This follows 2 sisters on a brutal planet suffering from female oppression.  One sister is being groomed to be the heir's subjugate while the other one is rebellious.  The Heir picks the handmaiden not lady in waiting, and the story kind of takes off from their.  Both sisters end up in the opposite place of where they intended and they both have to fight for what they believe is right.  I couldn't put this down.
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Review
• I received a paperback ARC of this from Wednesday Books.  It is so captivating.  It is told in mixed media format in the form of traditional novel style and in podcast format.  I picked it up and couldn't put it down.  There are going to be actual podcasts to go with it and I highly recommend it.  This is another one I was drawn in and couldn't put it down.  I really loved this.  This comes out September 4th and you should definitely pick it up.
• Beard in Mind and Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid
• DSB Review
• BIM Review
• It is no secret that I love Penny's books and the Winston Brother's series is no exception.  Beard in Mind follows Beau, one of the twins, while Dr. Strange Beard follows the youngest Winston Roscoe.  I've had Beard in Mind on my TBR forever so it was fitting I read it prior to Dr. Strange Beard.  I used BIM as my mental health prompt book for my reading challenge as the female main character suffers from OCD and it is discussed at length in the book.  Highly recommend Beau and Shelly's story.  I received an ARC of Dr. Strange Beard for review and I love Roscoe and Simone.  This is out as of today and so many unexpected things happened in this installment.  We learn some things about some of the side characters, and as always the Winston family is there to provide comic relief and lots of love and support. 

Audiobooks

• A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
• Review
• I think this is the best book in the series by far.  I loved where this one ended and how the story progressed.  I can't wait for the next book.  This picks up where the last book left off and we follow 3 perspectives, Laia, Helene, and Elias.  We also get a cameo of the Nightbringer.  I loved how the story moved along.  Helene is one of my favorite characters.
• The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
• This was a little slow for me.  It was a good detective story, but I found the pacing slow and found myself losing interest frequently.  I just wasn't interested in the story or the characters.  I figured out who did it early on, and the build up to the reveal just wasn't exciting enough to keep my attention.  This completes a reading challenge for a book written by a woman using a male pseudonym.
• Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
• This took me forever to get through.  It was pretty long.  I think I need to go back to reading Clare's books vs listening to them.  I read them much faster than I listen to them.  The narrator was great, but there is so much going on in this with the different plot lines it was hard for me to follow on audio and the timing I had for listening to this wasn't good.  I just didn't have the time to give this good attention.  It is a good followup to Lady Midnight and the plot is progressing nicely.  
• 39 Clues by Rick Riordan
• I was going on a long drive with my kids in the car so I needed something elementary/middle grade appropriate to listen to on our trip.  It isn't very long, but I enjoyed it.  It has good humor, and is perfect for young readers.  While I don't think I'll carry on with the series, my 8 year old has picked it up and I'll hopefully get updates from him.