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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.
before
Hallowell High:
You’re either someone or you’re not.
I was someone. I was Regina Afton. I was Anna Morrison’s best friend. These weren’t small things, and despite what you may think, at the time they were worth keeping my mouth shut for.
friday
Everyone is wasted.
Anna is wasted. Josh is wasted. Marta is wasted. Jeanette is wasted. Bruce is wasted. Donnie’s always wasted. I’m not wasted. I had my turn at the last party, called shotgun in Anna’s Benz after it was over. My head was out the window, the world was spinning. I puked my guts out. It wasn’t fun, but it’s not like there was anything else to do. To night, there’s even less to do than that. To night, I’m the designated driver.
Boring.
"Okay, okay, just—" Josh fumbles into his pocket and pulls out a little baggie of capsules. He tips one, two, three, four into his palm while Charlie Simmons, a fat, cranky sophomore, waits impatiently. "I have to restock." He drops the pills into Charlie’s piggy hands. "That’s all I can give you right now, man."
Charlie sniffs. Fitting: All that Adderall is going up his nose.
"How much?"
"Oh . . ." Josh’s eyes glaze over. "Forget about it. I like you, Chuck."
Charlie grins. "Cool. Thanks."
"Hey, Chuck, you’re paying," I say, grabbing his arm. Instant scowl. "Bring the money on Monday."
"Bitch," he mutters.
He stalks off. Payment secured. I only strong-arm Josh’s clientele when Josh gives his merchandise away, which is every time he gets this drunk.
"Jesus, Regina." He somehow manages to trip over his feet, even though he’s just standing there. He wraps an arm around me. "Show a little respect, huh?"
"Fuck Charlie Simmons."
He laughs, and the ability to remain upright completely abandons him, forcing all his weight on me. I struggle to keep us standing, casting my gaze around the property for help. The lights are on, the music’s loud, and I spot a few people puking in the topiary, but none of them are my friends.
Josh buries his head into my neck. "You look hot to night." His blond hair tickles my face, and I push him back. It’s too hot out to be this close. "I mentioned that, right?"
"Let’s go inside," I tell him.
He laughs again, like Let’s go inside is code for something it’s not, but I guess he’s right: I guess I look hot to night. Anna loaned me a shirt and skirt, and everything she owns is nice. I want you to look really good for once, Regina. I’ve spent the last seven hours afraid someone’s going to vomit all over me, because I can’t afford to replace the labels I’m wearing.
I help Josh up the path to his front door. He stops abruptly, opens his arms wide, and shouts, "Is everybody having a good time?"
He’s met with scattered applause and cheers that barely make it over the music. He shakes his head ruefully, listing sideways. I wonder what would happen if I just let him fall this time, but he manages to regain his balance without my help.
"We’re graduating in like, eight months," he tells me very seriously. "I’m going to Yale. Who will supply these poor kids while I’m gone?"
I roll my eyes and right him for the thousandth time, forcing him into the house, where it’s a different kind of party-chaos—quieter, but just as corrupt. Music filters in from outside, clashing with the music playing inside. Four seniors are toking up at the kitchen table. Drinking games. People making out in the living room. It’s boring—it always is—but it’s all there is. I just wish I was trashed enough to be able to pretend to enjoy it. I hate being designated driver. It was Kara’s turn this time, but she’s at home, sick.
"Are we going upstairs?" Josh asks when we reach the stairs. Before I can answer, he crumples onto the steps in a heap, too heavy for me to pick up. He rolls onto his back and blinks twice, struggling to focus. "Is this my bedroom?"
"Yes," I lie.
I bend down and kiss his cheek.
The smoke wafting in from the kitchen is giving me a headache, or maybe it’s the music—I don’t know. I lean against the wall and check my watch. It’s officially Too Late, but Anna says the designated driver doesn’t get to decide when the party is over; everyone else gets to decide when they’re over the party. And Anna—I lost her an hour ago. Her face was as red as her hair, and she was slobbering all over Donnie.
I sigh.
Jeanette lurches up from out of nowhere looking like a guarantied good time. Strung out. I can never tell when she’s over the party; the party’s usually all over her.
"I’m leaving," she declares. "With Henry."
"Is Henry sober?"
"Yes, he is," Henry says in my ear, startling me. He grins and points to Josh, sprawled out on the stairs. "You can’t just leave him there."
I ignore him and turn to her. "Where’s Marta?"
"Waiting in the car." She brushes her hair out of her eyes. "We’re dropping her off at her house, and then me and Henry are going back to his place."
"Is Henry sober?"
"I’m right here," Henry says, annoyed. "And you already asked that."
"Do you really want to go to his place?" I ask Jeanette. Another of my duties as designated driver. If I can’t prevent an undesirable drunken hookup, then why bother being here sober in the first place? Jeanette grins and nods.
"You know, I’m in the circle," Henry points out. "I get an automatic pass."
"But you’re kind of an asshole," I tell him.
He smirks and laces his fingers through Jeanette’s. They amble through the smoke. He glances back at me once. "Have fun babysitting, Afton."
Josh on the stairs. Marta in the car. Henry taking her home. Henry taking Jeanette back to his place. I don’t care about Bruce, so that just leaves Anna and Donnie. I know they’re in the den. They always end up in the den if Josh and I don’t get there first. The den is off-limits.
But we’re in the circle.
I bypass the living-room festivities, open the door to the den, step inside, and close it behind me. The party noises fade and the room is dim, moonlight slivering in through the curtain drawn over the glass doors that lead to the backyard. I close my eyes briefly, inhaling slowly, letting the semiquiet of it all kill my headache.
When I open my eyes, I spot Anna at one end of the room. She’s curled up on the couch, a picture of six shots of Jack chased with one Heineken too many. She drinks too much around Donnie, desperate to keep up with him, like the difference between him staying with her and leaving her is her blood-alcohol level.
"I need a girlfriend who can hold her liquor," he says.
Maybe it is. Donnie’s lounging in the chair at the opposite end of the room, looking as half awake as he always does. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to talk Anna out of him. He has a convertible.
She’d kill me if I left her here like this, so I lean over her ear and say her name, loud and sharp: "Anna." She doesn’t move. I pull on her arm, tap her face, shake her. Nothing. I make my way over to the pitcher of water sitting on the end table beside Donnie.
"Help me get her to the car," I say.
He stares at me. "Why? Where are you going?"
"Home."
"What about me? I’m in no condition to get myself back to my place."
"I don’t care what happens to you. I’m going home and I’m taking Anna with me." I grab the water and pour a glass, cross the room, and try to get her upright enough to take a sip, somehow. "Anna, come on . . ."
She flops back on the couch. I rub my forehead—my headache’s returning—and make my way back to Donnie with the glass.
"Would you give me a hand?" He stares at me and then grabs my arm. The water sloshes onto the table. "Christ, Donnie."
He keeps his hand on my arm, and I’m suddenly aware of how much skin Anna’s shirt isn’t covering, but I guess that’s the point.
"Why don’t you care what happens to me?"
He sounds as pathetic as he looks.
"God, you’re drunk." I step back, but he keeps his hand on my arm. "Just crash here," I say. "I’m not driving you home." He digs his nails into my skin. I yank his hand off me. "Don’t."
"Don’t," he repeats in a soft falsetto, and then he grabs my other arm before I can move, gripping them both so tightly, I know I’ll still feel his fingers tomorrow. He uses me to get to his feet, and then he’s on his feet and he’s close.
Too close.
I turned him down in the ninth grade. Anna likes to say we’ve been close to hate-fucking ever since, which is too gross for me to even contemplate. It’s a gunshot kind of thing for her to say—a warning. The way she says it, it’s like she can see it happening, and the way she says it lets me know I better not let it happen.
As if I’d ever let Donnie get that close to me, anyway.
Except now he’s that close to me, and I think he’s thinking the wrong things.
He is. He presses his mouth against mine, mashing my lips against my teeth. The inevitability of every party: Someone will kiss you and you won’t want it. Except this is worse than that. Way, way worse. This is my best friend’s boyfriend, and my best friend is passed out on a couch eight feet away, and she will kill me for this, and I really, really don’t want it. I press my hands against his chest and push him back, trying to force stop out of my mouth and past his. He detaches himself and fumbles backward. I wipe my mouth on the back of my hand, trying to get the taste of him out. I need water. I need to spit. He grabs my arm. I try to jerk away, but he holds fast.
"You better not breathe a word about this to her—"
"Donnie, fuck off."
He keeps tightening his grip until I can’t keep the pain off my face—it hurts—so I bring my foot down on his foot and watch that happen on his face. It bursts red and I’m free. I rush to the door, but before I can open it, he’s on me, crushing me into place from behind and breathing so hard in my ear, I can’t even hear the vague sounds of the music outside or in. What turns a moment into this—me against the door, him against me. He puts his hand on my shoulder and turns me around roughly, and I’m afraid.
I’ve never been afraid of Donnie Henderson before.
He forces another kiss on me, lips working overtime, trying to get something out of mine. I grab a fistful of his hair and pull. He shoves me, but I stumble past him. The brief space I put between us makes me think it’ll be okay, that this is as out of hand as it gets, but it’s too close or it’s not close enough and he lunges for me and we both go down.
We’re on the floor.
He pushes me into the carpet. I glimpse Anna, tangled red hair, eyes closed. Anna, wake up. What turns a moment into this—he’s on top of me, panting, and my face is smashed against the rug. I focus on the strands of hair laid gently across Anna’s face.
This isn’t happening.
But he turns me over and slides his hand up my skirt, and this is really really really really happening.
"No—"
I reach out and grip one of the table legs. His hand up my skirt. One hand up my skirt. Touching me. And the other clumsily feeling every part of me it can. His mouth on my neck. I yank the leg. The table tips and the pitcher rolls off, vomiting water all over us. Wet. Hands all over me.
I grab the pitcher and bring it up and then down on him. It’s hardly a hit, but he feels it. I raise it up again and he dodges me and I’m crawling away. Last shot, Regina. Get out. I grab the chair and pull myself to my feet while he tries to stand, but the last of his coordination is gone on his hand up my skirt. Anna’s skirt.
"Anna!" I turn to her. "Anna, help!"
But she just lays there, and Donnie’s blocking my path to the door, swearing, trying to stand, and my heart is trying to race me out of this room before that happens. I stumble over to the sliding glass door and yank it open. I step outside, into the heat, into the party, the last of the party, but the music is as loud as it was at the start of the night.
I need to tell someone, but everyone is wasted.
I walk fast. I walk forever, blind, numb. I wrap my arms around myself. I need to tell someone. I lick my lips and taste salt: I’m crying. How long have I been—
Kara.
I’m standing in front of Kara’s house. My feet walked me here. Kara. Kara is someone. The walk to her door sets off the motion sensor, soaking me in artificial too-bright light. I knock and wait, fighting the urge to throw up. I wipe my eyes and pull at Anna’s skirt. It’s torn.
A minute later, the door opens. Kara’s there, a fevered doll with blond curls hanging in front of her flushed face. She crinkles her snotty nose.
"Jesus, Regina. What part of ‘designated driver’ don’t you understand?"
The contempt in her voice almost tricks me into feeling normal. For a second. And then she looks closer and I remember the skirt—Anna’s skirt—and his hand up Anna’s skirt. And I’m still crying.
"What happened to you?" she asks.
A million words fight their way up my throat, all lobbying to be first out of my mouth. They pile up, stuck. Only one manages its way out: "Help."
She lets me inside, and the rest of the words come, falling from my lips, a stupid, stuttering truth. By the time I collapse in a chair at the kitchen table, she knows what he did to me. And then it gets really quiet while I wait for her to tell me what to do.
I need someone to tell me what to do.
Anna always tells me what to do.
"God," Kara murmurs, pressing her fingers against the angry spots on my arm where he grabbed me. The skin is tender and marked, but by Monday it will be splotchy purples, browns, and yellows.
"The police?" I ask. My voice cracks. "Do you think? Do I go to the police?"
Kara stares at me, and then she stands and goes into the fridge and gets a bottle of water. I can’t read her expression.
"You really want to put yourself through that?"
"I could put Donnie through that." I rub my forehead. But I don’t really want to go through that. I don’t want to talk to the police about his hand up my skirt. And then—my parents. It’s not like you can do that and not tell your parents, and I don’t want them to know. I don’t want them to think of me on the floor, with Donnie’s hands there. Kara sets the water in front of me. "Maybe Anna—"
"You’re going to tell Anna?"
"She has to know—" I swallow. "That’s her boyfriend. She won’t let him get away with it." She’ll take care of him. Me. She takes care of everything.
"If she believes you."
I open my mouth and nothing comes out. If she believes you. I should’ve known Kara would do this. There’s a reason we hate each other. If she believes you.
"Look, I believe you," Kara says, reading my mind. "I know you hate Donnie, and I can see him doing something like this, but . . . Anna’s always thought . . ."
You’re like, this close to hate-fucking.
I pick at the hem of Anna’s skirt. The jagged rip in it finally hits me. She’ll kill me. She will kill me for ruining her skirt. "Shit." I stand and try to force the ragged sides together, like that’s how you fix these things. "I need to—I told her I’d be careful—"
"Regina—"
"I told Anna I wouldn’t—"
"Regina." She snaps her fingers twice. I let the skirt go and sink back into the chair. I need to get it together. Kara stares at me, concerned. I never thought I’d live a moment that could exist outside our hate for each other. I could go my whole life without one. But this feels . . . safe.
"What do you—so what do I do, Kara? What . . . ?"
She sits across from me, quiet, for a long time. My stomach knots itself up while I wait for her to speak. If I have to live with this, I don’t want it to be hard.
"Donnie’s not going to tell Anna," she finally says. "And Anna’s not going to believe Donnie would do that to you. She’d think you were screwing around behind her back. It’s not fair, but that’s Anna."
My best friend.
"I mean . . ." She taps her fingers along the table. "He was really wasted, right? It’s not like he does that all the time. . . ." I don’t say anything. "And I feel really bad for you, Regina . . . but there are some things worth keeping your mouth shut for."
Excerpted from Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers.
Copyright © 2009 by Courtney Summers.
Published in January 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but this book was almost too vicious for me. I know that Courtney Summers is the 'Queen Of Mean', but this story just didn't have that spark that makes it special. Some things the girls did just didn't make sense; I didn't understand why they did it. However, there's a girl at my school who is exactly like the ones portrayed in Some Girl Are, so I understand why the characters were made the way they were; I just expected some explanation to why they did those things. There wasn't, but it didn't ruin the book for me. Some Girls Are told the classic, mean-popular-girl-turns-into-loser-girl story, but was written beautifully and had perfect descriptions.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, to most people, but not to everyone.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mkmtt
Posted Sun Dec 26 00:00:00 EST 2010
Like I said this book is just brutal, but it was really worth the read... the ending satisfied me, but I kind of wish there was a bit more.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Most of Regina Afton's high school existence has revolved around the Fearsome Fivesome, or at least catering to the capricious wishes of her so-called best friend and the groups' self-appointed leader Anna. At Anna's side and part of the It crowd, Regina is looked up to, adored, and universally feared. Which is why Regina is in serious shock and confusion mode when she walks into school on Monday to find that she has been 'frozen out' by Anna and her cronies. What begins with simple isolation extends to malicious pranks and vindictive rumors all carefully designed to turn Regina's existence into a veritable, walking nightmare. And it works. Really, really well actually. Unwilling to simply ride out the humiliation all alone, Regina finds herself turning to some of her previous victims, finding unexpected sources of comfort in those she had worked so hard to destroy herself. And as the pranks and even physical violence escalate, Regina discovers she's ready to fight back. Because she knows these girls and their torturous ways - after all, she's been doing the same things to other innocent, unwitting victims for years now.
Despite having come across countless favorable reviews of Courtney Summers' Some Girls Are in the past several months, I purposefully stayed away. Why? Well, I knew her honest and brutal narrative about the lengths girls go to make each others lives a living nightmare in high school would be just that: honest and brutal. But then a friend told me I had to read it and one incredibly tense afternoon later, here we are. And like she said it's an important read and one I'm glad I took a chance on. Though I don't know what aspect appalled me more: the fact that these girls could be so coolly diabolical in their revenge or the complete and utter obliviousness of every single parent, teacher or adult in the novel! I swear, every other chapter I about gave myself a heart-attack with each new humiliation or heartache Regina suffered thinking "okay, this is going to be the time SOMEONE steps in and gets this horrific situation under control." But no, each new 'prank' would inevitably come without rescue, described in Regina's unflinchingly honest voice without any softening of the blow.
Courntey Summers also must be acknowledged for her supreme crafting of Regina's unique teenage voice in particular. Boiled down, Regina has been a bully, although a popular and well-dressed one, and yet I found myself caring - deeply - about her. And that's not because she shied away from her misdeeds past and current. Oh no, it's all out there, plain as day for your viewing pleasure. Mostly I found myself drawn to Some Girls Are because of the slow unraveling and gradual exposure of Regina's fears and insecurities, revealing at heart a pretty messed-up ball of teenage insecurities that was far from stereotypical and deeply layered. And infinitely readable.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Nicole_Grace
Posted Sun Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2010
Some girls are...vicious! This book was fabulous in it's depiction of how awful girls can be to one another. It was a little hard for me to read at times because I found some scenes cringe worthy. I had to take little breaks and let my mind settle because I would become just as upset and emotional as the characters.
The story follows Regina and her fall from the in crowd. Instead of being someone feared, she becomes hated by her schoolmates. Sabotage abounds as Regina and her former best friend, Anna, extract revenge on one another. Unfortunately for Regina, her growing feelings for Michael (another school loser) gives Anna more ammunition to hurt her. This was a brutal betrayal of bullies and when hatred goes a little too far. I admired Regina's journey as I got to see her gain redemption from all her previous transgressions and grow a backbone in standing up for herself (although at times I wanted to slap Regina myself).
Reading this story is like watching a car crash--not because it's horrible but because it's so troubling and shocking and you feel compelled to do something. For a moment, I would forget I was just reading fiction; the characters seemed so real. I have to say I'm glad my high school days were nothing like this and reading this book was like glimpsing into a foreign country. I honestly don't know any girls this vicious and I hope I never do.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This book is great. At times it actually made me sick to the point where i had to take a break from reading but it was so good i had to continue. It take the mean girl look into a new a more real state. This book made me cry so many times but it is so worth it in the end. If you are thinking to read this book i would if i were you. For me for age of reading this at least 13 and up.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anastasia17
Posted Mon Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2010
I Also Recommend:
This books starts out where Regina, the protagonist, is popular and is apart of the Fearsome Five. Anna is the leader of the group and she calls all the shots, and if you mess with her, you won't get away with it unharmed. Well, Regina goes to a party and Anna's boyfriend's there, he almost rapes her. Regina who is freaking out goes to the house of a girl who is a part of the Fearsome Five and tells her, thinking she'll help her. But what Regina didn't know was that the girl told Anna that Regina hooked up with he boyfriend.
So now Regina's froze out, the Fearsome Five hate her, and their out for revenge. Some of the things they do to her where really horrendous, some parts were even hard to read, I couldn't believe it. Regina's boyfriend dumped her and starts going with Anna. They make a group on the internet, a hate group and most of the schools joins writing nasty lies about her. Her parents don't find anything wrong with her, they think everything's peachy. The teachers at school don't seem to think to much of the bullying that Regina's suffering.
And then. . .there Michael. He also A Fearsome Five victim, from the exact moment he walked into that school the five girls, including Regina started rumors about him that he was weird and crazy, and that he wrote horrible murder plots in his journal that he carries around. Michael hates the Fearsome Five, Regina knows this, but it doesn't stop her from sitting at lunch with him because there is no where else to sit. They both learn some things about each other, like that Regina went to his mother- who is dead now- for therapy. And Regina learns that Michael is just a normal boy who's lost and alone looking for a friend- or even something more.
This story isn't a love story, or a gooey romance. It's brutally honest in the way the words are said and written, and the ending may not satisfy you, there may not be enough justice at the end of this, but for me it was perfect. All that needed to be done and said was enough to have me said- "That was a really good memorable book, and I think I'll go write a review for it."
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2013
This book is great. In the sense that it's emotionally wrenching. If you like books that deal with seeing the hurt and struggle that people go through and are strong enough to overcome it, you'll love this book. I was in tears a couple of times
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Naj
Posted Sat Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2013
Extremely mean popular girls and high school do NOT mix. It gets even worse when one of these popular girls are frozen-out of the group and is the new subject of the cliche's torture. The reasons for this, you'll have to find out on your own.
Regina A. was the best friend of the Queen Bee, Anna. And together they would victimize various people and make their high school lives a living hell. Doesn't this plot sound familiar? It's nothing new and it is reality. The story began and continued on being very angsty and well good. But when Regina started stupidly making things worse for herself - I just couldn't help but seriously get frustrated with the book.
One thing I really enjoyed was the presence of Regina's "Someone to hold onto" otherwise known as Michael. Being bullied everyday brings out the kind of stress, pain and hurt that no one desires. And the presence of Michael in Regina's high school life, made it bearable for her. It even turned her into a fighter.
6 - 10 pages towards the end, the book really heated up and when 6 - 10 pages later... the book ended in such an abrupt way. I feel like it they should have done that in the beginning.
The book was great either way. It was page-turning, deep, literally heart wrenching and perhaps a little painful to go through. A story about bullying and what would happen if the popular bullies get a taste of their own medicine.
Anonymous
Posted Fri Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This was a fresh take on mean girls and cliques. Now the mean girl who is best friends with anna, the cruelest and apart of the fearsome fivesome is froze out. All due to the night where she was designated driver at a party and annas boyfriend attempts to rape her. Shes afraid and needs someone to talk to so she telles kara, the insecure member of the fivesome who has a grudge against her. Kara says not to tell anna for she will acuse her of wanting it. That is not the case because kara tells anna that they have sex. And the torment begins, now their the fearaome foursome and regina is their lunch. How will she deal now that she is the one being picked on? Two more words, READ IT!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Fri May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012
One of my favorite books!!!
I also liked:
Shock point
Stolen
Uglies
The disreputable history of frankie landau- banks
Anonymous
Posted Tue Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Very good read it was real and i enjoed it. It made me cry towards the end thougu. Highly reccommend
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BooksaremypieceofHeaven
Posted Mon Mar 26 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Another great book by Courtney Summers!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Jan 21 00:00:00 EST 2012
I LOVED IT!!! it was fantastic i got it at today at 2 this afternoon and i finished it at 7 at night i absolutely love it i recommend it to everyone swears hear and there diffidently for ppl 13 or older but very enjoyable
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Once I got about a fourth of the way in, I could not put this book down. I worked an 8 hour shift today and I stayed up until 3am reading this last night. It's terrifying, beautiful, and real.
We start off with Regina Afton, miss popular, who is apart of the Fearsome Fivesome. Until she is accused by her supposed best friend, Anna, that she cheated with her boyfriend. Regina is "frozen out" of the group, and starts taking serious hits of embarrassment and harassment from the "popular" group. Having no one to turn to, she finds herself starting to befriend a boy who, she herself, tortured. Michael Hayden. Realizing, that she herself was a monster... but once a monster always a monster? Or can things change?
I really, really enjoyed this one! I flew through the pages. This book is crazy true. Things like this really happen in school; All the time. People get bullied, they get abused, and no one does anything about it. They just let it happen, and it's horrible! It truly breaks your heart.
Honestly, I don't know how Regina kept going after everything that was done to her. She was one extremely strong character, that I kind of felt myself admiring. I would have most likely just given up in her shoes. Of course I would have tried something at first, but after continuous bullying, I would have failed. My favorite character was Michael of course. Gorgeous, tragic past, sentimental, emo boy. <3 He did so much for Regina that she honestly didn't deserve. He was a straight up good guy. And though she used to be horrible to him, I think as they get to know each, Regina, does a lot for him too. I really loved the match-up between these two! A lot a lot a lot! :)
Through-out the book, I found myself wanting to kick Kara several times. What a complete jerk. Why would you ever want to be friends with someone like that? And you know what is terrible, some girls are actually like that in real life. Another character that caught my attention was Josh. Though he was apart of the "evil" crew... I really liked him. I think deep down he was actually good and just got in with the wrong people. And Liz, my heart broke for her but I also was proud of her for overcoming everything she did.
This book will teach you a lesson. I'm sure of it. It was a great read and I enjoyed every moment of it! I can't wait to read her next book "Fall for Anything", especially since the boy is a photographer... I LOVE photography. :) 5 out of 5 stars for "Some Girls Are". :)
795171
Posted Sat Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2011
This book is so real and so well-written. Its oneof my all time favorites becaus
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Posted Wed Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I loved this book it literally took me only 2 days to finish it i was so focused on the book it felt like i was in it i loved it!! :D
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Posted Mon Jul 04 00:00:00 EDT 2011
This is a great book. Its like a look on who all of us could be or are, how something can happen to anyone and it was ten times better because it happened to the mean girl who got a big life change, something a lot of us could use. It sucks when its you but its nice when the mean girl gets it, i know most of us were thinking the samething! We all have someone in mind we can see in this same spot. Its got a great voice and really makes you laugh, feel bad, and smile at what happenes.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I found some girls are much more captivating than cracked up to be - which should be the way it goes for a sophomore release. Courtney Summers has sharpened her talent and delivered an unforgettable novel that will make everyone wonder how high school could have gotten this bad.
The stunts that the Fearsome now-Foursome pull really shocked me. Especially given the knowledge that they had and STILL chose to "punish" Regina for allegedly hooking up with her best friend's boyfriend. It made me sick to my stomach that someone could be that deliberately cruel - what are we FEEDING these girls to think that this is acceptable? I seriously hope that Courtney Summers was only going to the extreme case scenario to illustrate how WRONG this would be - and not basing it off a real situation. I hope that women of all ages realize that one should never, ever belittle sexual assault and use it as a weapon against the victim.
What I loved about this book is that there are both forgiving and unforgiving characters - and that Regina's past wrongs are not always wiped clean from her slate. Her wronged peers never promise friendship - they may be nice to her, but their hurt far exceeds their good nature. Regina may deserve the reaping that she sowed as far as friends go, but she definitely does not deserve all the bullying. No one does. I loved how each character had their vulnerability, their strengths, their bottled-up secrets and troubles. These teenagers felt very real, and you watched how their hurts and triumphs are received by their peers.
some girls are is a powerful punch to the stomach that will leave your heart troubled for today's teenaged generation. As timeless as speak but even more disturbing, this book needs to taken to heart - if this is as real as it gets, I think we need to work even harder on changing reality then.
i loved it, it brought out more emotion than i thought it would bring out in me. i wanted to scratch kara's eyes out and strangle anna. i wanted more than anything for regina to win. i wish the story went on.
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Posted Thu Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 2011
This review of Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers, is written by five high school seniors as an independent reading assignment for our 12th grade English class. This book was a very easy read but yet very entertaining. It was easy to understand and follow. It contained some very foul language and some graphic scenes, so be conscious before you read if you are easily offended. The author Courtney Summers lives and writes in Canada. She is a new author and has three books out currently including Cracked Up to Be and Fall For Anything. She divides most of her time between a camera, a piano and a word-processing program. She received the 2009 Cybil Award for YA Fiction for her book Cracked Up to Be. Regina Afton was a part of the Fearsome Five, the popular group of their senior class, until rumors started spreading about her and her best friends boyfriend. Regina was kicked out and now her so called friends are coming for revenge. Tensions rise and abuse worsens until a final threat is made at the end of senior year. The novel is written in Regina's first person point of view. It is a teen fiction written in 2009. Although this novel has some graphic points it portrays the realistic events that happen in the life of a teenager. The novel would appeal to high school juniors or seniors. Some of the material may be too inappropriate for younger students, but do not let the foul language deter you. Some Girls Are is still a very entertaining book and a very good read. We really enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to follow, very entertaining and hard to put down. It gave an accurate account to how high school drama really is. We recommend this book to older teenage girls who enjoy some chick drama.
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Overview
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 ...