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Good Girls
Audrey Porter is a "good girl": a good student, a great daughter, an amazing friend. She's also the last person anyone expects to be hanging out with Luke DeSalvio, the hottest guy at Audrey's school. But Luke is a liar, a player, a dream, and Audrey knows it. She dumps him at her friend's Halloween party with no intention of looking back, but not before giving him one last goodbye gift...
The next Monday, messages begin popping up on people's phones and email inboxes. Somebody has taken a picture of her and Luke together and soon everyone knows, including her teachers, her mum and her dad… Now she must discover strength she never knew he had, find friends where she didn't think she would, and learn that life goes on – no matter how different it is to how you think it's going to be.
The next Monday, messages begin popping up on people's phones and email inboxes. Somebody has taken a picture of her and Luke together and soon everyone knows, including her teachers, her mum and her dad… Now she must discover strength she never knew he had, find friends where she didn't think she would, and learn that life goes on – no matter how different it is to how you think it's going to be.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
33 people are currently reading
1896 people want to read
About the author
Laura Ruby
29 books805 followersRaised in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Laura Ruby now lives in Chicago with her family. Her short fiction for adults has appeared in various literary magazines, including Other Voices, The Florida Review, Sycamore Review and Nimrod. A collection of these stories, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS, was published by Warner Books in January 2007. Called "hilarious and heart-wrenching" by People and "a knowing look at the costs and rewards of remaking a family," by the Hartford-Courant, the book was also featured in Redbook, Working Mother , and USA Today among others.
Ruby is also the author of the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (8/03), the children's fantasy THE WALL AND THE WING (3/06) and a sequel, THE CHAOS KING (5/07) all from Harpercollins. She writes for older teens as well, and her debut young adult novel, GOOD GIRLS (9/06), also from Harpercollins, was a Book Sense Pick for fall 2006 and an ALA Quick Pick for 2007. A new young adult novel, PLAY ME, is slated for publication in fall of 2008. Her books have sold in England, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro. THE WALL AND THE WING is currently in development with Laika Studios for release as an animated feature.
Ms. Ruby has been a featured speaker at BookExpo, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention, the Miami Book Festival, the Florida Association of Media Educators (FAME) convention, the Midwest Literary Festival, the International Reading Association's annual convention, and Illinois Reading Council annual conference, among other venues, and she has presented programs and workshops for both adults and children at numerous schools and libraries.
Currently, she is working on several thousand projects, drinking way too much coffee, and searching for new tunes for her iPod.
Ruby is also the author of the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (8/03), the children's fantasy THE WALL AND THE WING (3/06) and a sequel, THE CHAOS KING (5/07) all from Harpercollins. She writes for older teens as well, and her debut young adult novel, GOOD GIRLS (9/06), also from Harpercollins, was a Book Sense Pick for fall 2006 and an ALA Quick Pick for 2007. A new young adult novel, PLAY ME, is slated for publication in fall of 2008. Her books have sold in England, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro. THE WALL AND THE WING is currently in development with Laika Studios for release as an animated feature.
Ms. Ruby has been a featured speaker at BookExpo, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention, the Miami Book Festival, the Florida Association of Media Educators (FAME) convention, the Midwest Literary Festival, the International Reading Association's annual convention, and Illinois Reading Council annual conference, among other venues, and she has presented programs and workshops for both adults and children at numerous schools and libraries.
Currently, she is working on several thousand projects, drinking way too much coffee, and searching for new tunes for her iPod.
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May 22, 2012Also appears on Lissa Writes
I really liked this book.
There are a few parallels with Forever, and in fact this book even references Forever, but unlike Forever I wasn't reminded of the awkwardness and quite frankly horrible memories of my ex-boyfriend, but instead I was actually reminded of my fiancée.
So, win for this book already.
When someone takes a photo of Audrey, the school's resident 'good girl' - otherwise known as a spock, swot, or general nerd - in a compromising position with a boy at a party and spreads it around her school, Audrey has to deal with the fallout of a tarnished reputation, a broken relationship with the boy in question, the friendships of other 'good' and 'bad' girls, and her parents.
And the biggest question is, who took the photo and destroyed her reputation? Was is a friend of the boy? Was it Audrey's ex-boyfriend, the guy who couldn't handle being dumped? Was it another girl jealous that Audrey was casually 'hooking up' with the hottest guy in the school?
It doesn't shy away from uncomfortable issues. The scene with the doctor had me cringing. The reactions of almost everyone in the novel is completely horrible - most of the boys decide Audrey's easy and will want to have sex with them, the teachers who found out disapprove and think they're 'warning' her the behaviour wasn't 'appropriate' for a girl of her intellect, and the girls of the school turn into complete bitches. This is slut shaming from the point of view of the slut. And we all know that slut shaming in YA books is wrong and quite often misjudged.
Which is why I think a few specific people will like this book, because Audrey's still a good girl. She still goes to church (and to all honesty, normally I'm against using religion in YA novels but in this instance it works), she still studies hard, and she still works on her relationship with her parents. She also has hobbies - notably the school plays where she's in charge of the stage design.
But of course nothing is ever black and white. This novels explores the shades of grey of sluts and slut shaming and good girls. And I use the term slut ironically. Why do girls get called sluts and boys get called players? Why is a girl having sex a slut and a boy having sex a god? Why is a bad boy really a good boy, and a good boy is a pansy or a mama's boy?
Audrey's a realistic portrayal of a teenager, even if she's a little too perfect. I knew a girl like her at my high school who changed schools when something like this happened over the summer holidays. And the teenage voice in this book is spot on.
I think it'd be an accessible read for adults who enjoy reading YA books as well as a great book for the YA crowd. My version of the book had a parental advisory warning on it for mature content, so if a mother is thinking of giving this to her daughter, maybe she should read it first. I'd be more than happy to give this to a fourteen year old.
I really liked this book.
There are a few parallels with Forever, and in fact this book even references Forever, but unlike Forever I wasn't reminded of the awkwardness and quite frankly horrible memories of my ex-boyfriend, but instead I was actually reminded of my fiancée.
So, win for this book already.
When someone takes a photo of Audrey, the school's resident 'good girl' - otherwise known as a spock, swot, or general nerd - in a compromising position with a boy at a party and spreads it around her school, Audrey has to deal with the fallout of a tarnished reputation, a broken relationship with the boy in question, the friendships of other 'good' and 'bad' girls, and her parents.
And the biggest question is, who took the photo and destroyed her reputation? Was is a friend of the boy? Was it Audrey's ex-boyfriend, the guy who couldn't handle being dumped? Was it another girl jealous that Audrey was casually 'hooking up' with the hottest guy in the school?
It doesn't shy away from uncomfortable issues. The scene with the doctor had me cringing. The reactions of almost everyone in the novel is completely horrible - most of the boys decide Audrey's easy and will want to have sex with them, the teachers who found out disapprove and think they're 'warning' her the behaviour wasn't 'appropriate' for a girl of her intellect, and the girls of the school turn into complete bitches. This is slut shaming from the point of view of the slut. And we all know that slut shaming in YA books is wrong and quite often misjudged.
Which is why I think a few specific people will like this book, because Audrey's still a good girl. She still goes to church (and to all honesty, normally I'm against using religion in YA novels but in this instance it works), she still studies hard, and she still works on her relationship with her parents. She also has hobbies - notably the school plays where she's in charge of the stage design.
But of course nothing is ever black and white. This novels explores the shades of grey of sluts and slut shaming and good girls. And I use the term slut ironically. Why do girls get called sluts and boys get called players? Why is a girl having sex a slut and a boy having sex a god? Why is a bad boy really a good boy, and a good boy is a pansy or a mama's boy?
Audrey's a realistic portrayal of a teenager, even if she's a little too perfect. I knew a girl like her at my high school who changed schools when something like this happened over the summer holidays. And the teenage voice in this book is spot on.
I think it'd be an accessible read for adults who enjoy reading YA books as well as a great book for the YA crowd. My version of the book had a parental advisory warning on it for mature content, so if a mother is thinking of giving this to her daughter, maybe she should read it first. I'd be more than happy to give this to a fourteen year old.
February 22, 2009
an interview in the back of this book suggests this book be required reading for all teenagers, their parents, and teachers. That will make lots of readers squirm. Ruby is a unflinchingly honest about teen sexuality as any YA author I've read. She examines the double standard we all know exists between girlsand boys getting caught in compromising situations. She puts it all out there and makes her characters -- and us -- wrestle with it.
Audrey and Luke 'hook up' at parties all fall, until someone with a camera snaps and sends an incriminating picture of them 'in the act' to everyone...including the school principal and Audrey's parents. Audrey gets hate mail and Luke gets (but does not return) high fives. She's a slut and he's a player...or are they?
Someone they know, someone at the party, took the picture and sent it to everyone. But that's the least of Audrey's problems: her parents, her pastor, her friends and classmates, all treat her differently.
This book is graphic in a way most YA books aren't, and Ruby takes on heavy, heavy issues with courage.
There's a saying, "we read to know we're not alone." Audrey's story IS someone's story. I hope this book finds her and reassures her.
Audrey and Luke 'hook up' at parties all fall, until someone with a camera snaps and sends an incriminating picture of them 'in the act' to everyone...including the school principal and Audrey's parents. Audrey gets hate mail and Luke gets (but does not return) high fives. She's a slut and he's a player...or are they?
Someone they know, someone at the party, took the picture and sent it to everyone. But that's the least of Audrey's problems: her parents, her pastor, her friends and classmates, all treat her differently.
This book is graphic in a way most YA books aren't, and Ruby takes on heavy, heavy issues with courage.
There's a saying, "we read to know we're not alone." Audrey's story IS someone's story. I hope this book finds her and reassures her.
May 5, 2008
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Audrey Porter is a good girl. The kind that works hard to keep up her grades, spends weekends working in her dad's store, manning the cash register, and basically just being a good daughter and a good friend. Things change, though, when she falls for Luke DeSalvio, a guy known around Willow Park High School as a player.
Audrey's best friends, Ash and Joelle, had warned her from the beginning not to lose her heart to Luke. But unlike her dedication to schoolwork and good grades, there's something about being with Luke that turns her brain to mush and her normal level-headedness to idiotic levels. After Audrey hears that Luke has been with another girl (as if all of his constant flirting wasn't bad enough), she decides to call off their friends-with-benefits, not-really-boyfriend-and-girlfriend relationship. Unfortunately, she decides to do this after one last hurrah with Luke, one last make-out session at a party that puts her in a very compromising situation. A situation that someone captures on their cell phone camera and proceeds to distribute among the student body.
She could have ignored the millions of instant messages on her computer calling her a [...] and a ho, she even could have ignored the leers and jeers of the guys in the halls at Willow Park. What she can't ignore, though, is the fact that someone has sent the picture to her father's work email address. Or that Mr. Swieback, the principal, found copies on the library computers. Or that even Ms. Godwin, the drama teacher, seems to think Audrey is some type of sex maniac.
Humiliation complete, Audrey must come to terms with her new social status, which has nothing to do with being a good girl. Along with Ash and Joelle, who have stood beside her, she forms a new, tenuous friendship with Pam and Cindy, two girls who had previously held the title as school [...]. But as Audrey realizes that she may have been wrong about the girls, especially Pam, she also realizes that being a good girl doesn't mean always being perfect.
I really enjoyed GOOD GIRLS. This is a book with heart and emotion, with true-to-life characters who don't preach or moralize, but who work hard at being the best type of people they can be. There are girls like Audrey, Ash, Joelle, Pam, and Cindy in every high school--just as there are boys like Luke and the insufferable Chilly. This is definitely a book for your keeper shelf.
Audrey Porter is a good girl. The kind that works hard to keep up her grades, spends weekends working in her dad's store, manning the cash register, and basically just being a good daughter and a good friend. Things change, though, when she falls for Luke DeSalvio, a guy known around Willow Park High School as a player.
Audrey's best friends, Ash and Joelle, had warned her from the beginning not to lose her heart to Luke. But unlike her dedication to schoolwork and good grades, there's something about being with Luke that turns her brain to mush and her normal level-headedness to idiotic levels. After Audrey hears that Luke has been with another girl (as if all of his constant flirting wasn't bad enough), she decides to call off their friends-with-benefits, not-really-boyfriend-and-girlfriend relationship. Unfortunately, she decides to do this after one last hurrah with Luke, one last make-out session at a party that puts her in a very compromising situation. A situation that someone captures on their cell phone camera and proceeds to distribute among the student body.
She could have ignored the millions of instant messages on her computer calling her a [...] and a ho, she even could have ignored the leers and jeers of the guys in the halls at Willow Park. What she can't ignore, though, is the fact that someone has sent the picture to her father's work email address. Or that Mr. Swieback, the principal, found copies on the library computers. Or that even Ms. Godwin, the drama teacher, seems to think Audrey is some type of sex maniac.
Humiliation complete, Audrey must come to terms with her new social status, which has nothing to do with being a good girl. Along with Ash and Joelle, who have stood beside her, she forms a new, tenuous friendship with Pam and Cindy, two girls who had previously held the title as school [...]. But as Audrey realizes that she may have been wrong about the girls, especially Pam, she also realizes that being a good girl doesn't mean always being perfect.
I really enjoyed GOOD GIRLS. This is a book with heart and emotion, with true-to-life characters who don't preach or moralize, but who work hard at being the best type of people they can be. There are girls like Audrey, Ash, Joelle, Pam, and Cindy in every high school--just as there are boys like Luke and the insufferable Chilly. This is definitely a book for your keeper shelf.
July 17, 2011
I guess it's kind of a theme in YA books that a super smart, high achieving girl who has an intense need for control might sometimes fall for a guy who is either out of her league, or moves in a different social circle (he's a player, The Duff, he's a jock, Not That Kind of Girl, he's too old and taking advantage of her, Story of a Girl also the Duff, or a stoner, At the Party). They have a "relationship" that mostly consists of secret hook-ups, in order to assuage her anxiety about various issues revolving around parents, school, or self-esteem. The reason this works for her is because when they are kissing (or whatev) she is so caught up that she escapes her overthinking, overanalyzing mind for a while, and just feels the moment. Far be it from me to question whether this works in real life (or happens), because there must be something elemental and powerful about this idea in order for it to be so prevalent and popular.
So, obvs, this book is in that genre, and it's a good one. The MC is more mixed up than troubled, and seems to just find it unbelievable that the boy could actually like her beyond wanting to hook up, so she breaks off the limited, secretive relationship they do have, without explanation, without thinking about him or his feelings (or that boys even have such things!). So when that sexy times photo someone surreptiously snapped of the two of them makes the rounds at school, it's maybe even more humiliating, more overwhelming than might otherwise be the case, although, it's hard to imagine how it could be moreso, honestly. I found Audrey likeable, believable, and possessed of a quirky, fresh and appealing voice and point of view. The whole issue with her Dad, and how the picture impacts their relationship was maybe the most affecting part of the book for me (cause I'm a Dad maybe?), and the resolution of that element is one of the more touching parts (again, maybe just me). This was the part that was the most like Story of Girl, another great book, btw, if you haven't read it. How Audrey deals with the aftermath of the overexposure, and becomes a more open, forgiving, understanding and less crazy person, makes for a good story, with good supporting characters and, for a change, fairly believable parents.
So, obvs, this book is in that genre, and it's a good one. The MC is more mixed up than troubled, and seems to just find it unbelievable that the boy could actually like her beyond wanting to hook up, so she breaks off the limited, secretive relationship they do have, without explanation, without thinking about him or his feelings (or that boys even have such things!). So when that sexy times photo someone surreptiously snapped of the two of them makes the rounds at school, it's maybe even more humiliating, more overwhelming than might otherwise be the case, although, it's hard to imagine how it could be moreso, honestly. I found Audrey likeable, believable, and possessed of a quirky, fresh and appealing voice and point of view. The whole issue with her Dad, and how the picture impacts their relationship was maybe the most affecting part of the book for me (cause I'm a Dad maybe?), and the resolution of that element is one of the more touching parts (again, maybe just me). This was the part that was the most like Story of Girl, another great book, btw, if you haven't read it. How Audrey deals with the aftermath of the overexposure, and becomes a more open, forgiving, understanding and less crazy person, makes for a good story, with good supporting characters and, for a change, fairly believable parents.
March 9, 2019
I've liked Ruby's middle-grade books so much,and I've been meaning to give this a read since a decade or so back when it came out, but my library didn't have a copy and somehow I just never got around to it. Pity. I quite liked the nuanced characters and story. Although all the stuff about the camera phone from when it was new is kind of awkwardly amusing now that they are ubiquitous and native to folks of a certain age who use them for all kinds of things I never think of, like as a mirror, and for shopping advice from friends who can't actually be present and in lieu of note-taking. (Not earth-shattering stuff, I know, just as an example of the difference between coming to a technology as an adult and growing up with it)
I ended up having to read it in one evening as someone else had requested it and I couldn't renew it again, but it's a quick read, so that wasn't a stay-up-all-night sort of challenge.
Library copy
I ended up having to read it in one evening as someone else had requested it and I couldn't renew it again, but it's a quick read, so that wasn't a stay-up-all-night sort of challenge.
Library copy
July 19, 2012
This deliberately incorrect title contains absolutely disgusting descriptions of hookups, and that's just a small part of its problems. Basically: unlikable girl makes stupid decisions, is completely unsympathetic as a result. For instance, here is a list of things that I feel like it is incredibly obvious are bad decisions:
1. Performing oral sex on a guy who isn't even your boyfriend (and who therefore has no obligation toward you or implied sense of trust)
2. Performing oral sex at a party with tons of other people on the other side of the door
3. Performing oral sex at a party without bothering to make sure the door is locked and/or barred
Are we actually surprised when this results in negative consequences? Because I feel like if you are okay with casual sex encounters and don't take any precautions whatsoever to keep it private, you should be okay with everyone knowing about it and not be all that bothered by whatever names they call you. This is not to say that the people spreading the photo and doing the name-calling are right (and the double standard still doesn't make sense), but it does mean that as a detached reader, I'm going to be completely unaffected by your main character being all sad and oppressed.
1. Performing oral sex on a guy who isn't even your boyfriend (and who therefore has no obligation toward you or implied sense of trust)
2. Performing oral sex at a party with tons of other people on the other side of the door
3. Performing oral sex at a party without bothering to make sure the door is locked and/or barred
Are we actually surprised when this results in negative consequences? Because I feel like if you are okay with casual sex encounters and don't take any precautions whatsoever to keep it private, you should be okay with everyone knowing about it and not be all that bothered by whatever names they call you. This is not to say that the people spreading the photo and doing the name-calling are right (and the double standard still doesn't make sense), but it does mean that as a detached reader, I'm going to be completely unaffected by your main character being all sad and oppressed.
February 10, 2009
GOOD GIRLS is a gem of a good read. Super-smart Audrey does something completely out of character for her before school starts: she hooks up with Luke, the well-liked, athletic playboy. Party after party, they hook up, yet hardly ever speak in school. Audrey feels more for Luke than she’s felt for any other boy, but as she watches Luke talk to other girls, she can’t help but draw back from a possible romance between the two of them.
Then someone takes a picture of Audrey hooking up with Luke, and the picture is passed around to everyone. Even Audrey’s teachers and parents see it. Audrey goes from having a fairly decent reputation to being labeled as a slut. The consequences of the photo are far-reaching: Luke isn’t talking to her and her parents don’t know how to act around her.
However, some of what happens in the picture’s aftermath surprises Audrey. She befriends several girls she had always considered as slutty before, and she learns that she does have the ability to be strong while people snicker behind her back.
GOOD GIRLS is snidely hilarious and a surprisingly feel-good read. It’s raw and explicit; I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone not in high school yet. However, Audrey is a great, strong protagonist with a wonderful voice. Not everyone has been in Audrey’s particular situation, but I’m sure that everyone knows how it feels to be hurt, and then to rise above it.
Then someone takes a picture of Audrey hooking up with Luke, and the picture is passed around to everyone. Even Audrey’s teachers and parents see it. Audrey goes from having a fairly decent reputation to being labeled as a slut. The consequences of the photo are far-reaching: Luke isn’t talking to her and her parents don’t know how to act around her.
However, some of what happens in the picture’s aftermath surprises Audrey. She befriends several girls she had always considered as slutty before, and she learns that she does have the ability to be strong while people snicker behind her back.
GOOD GIRLS is snidely hilarious and a surprisingly feel-good read. It’s raw and explicit; I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone not in high school yet. However, Audrey is a great, strong protagonist with a wonderful voice. Not everyone has been in Audrey’s particular situation, but I’m sure that everyone knows how it feels to be hurt, and then to rise above it.
January 27, 2009
I visited with Laura Ruby for about 20 minutes at the NCTE conference in New York (2007). I appreciate her writing style and candor when it comes to teen sexuality. I have recommended this book to many students and they agree that Ruby has the teen life nailed down. In the book, Audrey has her picture taken with a cell phone, during a certain sexual act. The picture goes around to everyone and she is labelled. My students say this is a common occurance and they are surprised it is taking YA literature so long to catch up. They herald Ruby's book as one of the best in the past two years.
February 13, 2016
This book was just horrible, boring and lame. :\
And I hate the fact a girl is a slut when she has sex, while a guy is a player/god. Seriously people?
The main character was ok, but that was everything.
Not my kind of book, and I am glad I am done with it.
And I hate the fact a girl is a slut when she has sex, while a guy is a player/god. Seriously people?
The main character was ok, but that was everything.
Not my kind of book, and I am glad I am done with it.
October 15, 2017
DNF.
Great concept, horrible writing.
Great concept, horrible writing.
January 7, 2013
May also be found at Living Is Reading
This is a really difficult book to review. I mean, I liked a lot of aspects about it, and there is no denying that the book has a very relevant and important theme, and I'm in no way denying that. My issue with this book is solely my opinion, and none of my friends who have read this book have had this issue (at least not to the extent that I have), so it could be just my own interpretation.
In fact, I just kind of want to get it out of the way, since I have a lot to say about it.
Female characters in this book: Misunderstood, misjudged, good once you get past their reputations
Male characters in this book: Dirt bags, douches, pervs, assholes, one-dimensional, selfish, controlling, manipulative, rude and just horrible people
Really? I can only think of three people in this book that are NOT the stereotypical male in this book, and one of them was considered to be like that stereotype for about 85% of the book. The other guy - I don't even remember if he even had a line of dialogue, but we're just meant to percieve him as good because the main character and her friends think he's alright. The other is the MC's dad . . . so it's a bit biased anyway.
How come all the female characters get all this hidden depth and the males never get any development past this stereotype that seems to run rampant in a lot of male characters in YA?
I really am bothered by this, since the entire time I was reading this, whenever a guy came into the book, I was just waiting for him to do something where he would fall into one of these traits - and they always did.
Thinking about it afterwards just made me even more frustrated, and I kind of wonder if I should drop this to 3.5, since all the good thoughts I had about this book just seem to be overshadowed by just how much it annoyed the crap out of me. ALL characters deserve sufficient depth and development.
Now, I get that the book was about gender double standards in regard to sexuality and how we express it regarding how a female is considered a slut for having sex, and a man is known as a player or whatever, but that doesn't mean you exclude male characters getting the same time to be as well-written as the female.
Yet this book . . . I really do connect with Audrey's troubles. I mean, nothing that happened to her in actuality happened to me, but the sense of judgement that stayed behind for something that nobody understood did happen to me.
Last year, in January, I punched a kid in the face because he was treating me like shit. I didn't plan it, I didn't hunt this kid down. I thought of him as a friend, even though he didn't treat me right, and he came up to me, said something that he knew offended me, and then instinct just sort of took over.
Only one kid actually saw what happened, and they reported me.
Everybody wanted to know why, but I refused to tell anybody everything since I tried telling somebody and they didn't believe me. Basically, I just had somebody on Friday say that I was a "bad person" because of what I did, and they were a "good person."
It was really bad over the next couple of weeks, since the kid told his sob story to anyone that would listen, especially whenever I was around, so I was made out to be a monster for something that nobody even understood.
So yeah . . . I get in a sense how Audrey feels about being judged for something that nobody has any real idea about.
The characters though . . . like I said, male characters are generalized without any sufficent depth, I barely remember a lot of the side characters, and even some main characters. I remember liking a lot of them, but they didn't have distinct personalities for me to separate them.
The romance with Audrey and Luke was alright. It isn't written to be this epic love story, so for what it is it makes sense.
Overall, this book is just alright.
Okay, screw it. I'm dropping this to 3 stars, since as the days go by, my memories of it grow bitter.
In conclusion, great themes and ideas presented . . . lackluster execution at best.
This is a really difficult book to review. I mean, I liked a lot of aspects about it, and there is no denying that the book has a very relevant and important theme, and I'm in no way denying that. My issue with this book is solely my opinion, and none of my friends who have read this book have had this issue (at least not to the extent that I have), so it could be just my own interpretation.
In fact, I just kind of want to get it out of the way, since I have a lot to say about it.
Female characters in this book: Misunderstood, misjudged, good once you get past their reputations
Male characters in this book: Dirt bags, douches, pervs, assholes, one-dimensional, selfish, controlling, manipulative, rude and just horrible people
Really? I can only think of three people in this book that are NOT the stereotypical male in this book, and one of them was considered to be like that stereotype for about 85% of the book. The other guy - I don't even remember if he even had a line of dialogue, but we're just meant to percieve him as good because the main character and her friends think he's alright. The other is the MC's dad . . . so it's a bit biased anyway.
How come all the female characters get all this hidden depth and the males never get any development past this stereotype that seems to run rampant in a lot of male characters in YA?
I really am bothered by this, since the entire time I was reading this, whenever a guy came into the book, I was just waiting for him to do something where he would fall into one of these traits - and they always did.
Thinking about it afterwards just made me even more frustrated, and I kind of wonder if I should drop this to 3.5, since all the good thoughts I had about this book just seem to be overshadowed by just how much it annoyed the crap out of me. ALL characters deserve sufficient depth and development.
Now, I get that the book was about gender double standards in regard to sexuality and how we express it regarding how a female is considered a slut for having sex, and a man is known as a player or whatever, but that doesn't mean you exclude male characters getting the same time to be as well-written as the female.
Yet this book . . . I really do connect with Audrey's troubles. I mean, nothing that happened to her in actuality happened to me, but the sense of judgement that stayed behind for something that nobody understood did happen to me.
Last year, in January, I punched a kid in the face because he was treating me like shit. I didn't plan it, I didn't hunt this kid down. I thought of him as a friend, even though he didn't treat me right, and he came up to me, said something that he knew offended me, and then instinct just sort of took over.
Only one kid actually saw what happened, and they reported me.
Everybody wanted to know why, but I refused to tell anybody everything since I tried telling somebody and they didn't believe me. Basically, I just had somebody on Friday say that I was a "bad person" because of what I did, and they were a "good person."
It was really bad over the next couple of weeks, since the kid told his sob story to anyone that would listen, especially whenever I was around, so I was made out to be a monster for something that nobody even understood.
So yeah . . . I get in a sense how Audrey feels about being judged for something that nobody has any real idea about.
The characters though . . . like I said, male characters are generalized without any sufficent depth, I barely remember a lot of the side characters, and even some main characters. I remember liking a lot of them, but they didn't have distinct personalities for me to separate them.
The romance with Audrey and Luke was alright. It isn't written to be this epic love story, so for what it is it makes sense.
Overall, this book is just alright.
Okay, screw it. I'm dropping this to 3 stars, since as the days go by, my memories of it grow bitter.
In conclusion, great themes and ideas presented . . . lackluster execution at best.
May 3, 2008
When a photograph of Audrey in a disturbing position gets sent around the school, the gossip mill starts churning. In one night, her good-girl, always-gets-top-grades, does-the-right-thing, image is ruined. Now, she’s in Slut City with Pam and Cindy, the other school-proclaimed sluts. Her life goes downhill from that: her parents are conflicted and disappointed; her teachers are turning into judgmental freaks, and her classmates are either hooting or whispering behind her back.
Ah, stereotypes just never go away, does it? In other novels, you have the protagonist facing off the male lead’s bitchy girlfriend, who also happens to be a slut. I’ve always found that situation really unrealistic and too overused. Just because Girl A likes Boy, who already has Girl B, the authors have to make Girl B either a dumb blonde not worthy of Boy’s attention, or into a slut with nothing to do but snatch up guys. Why can’t Girl B be nice, you know? Or, why not just make Boy not have a girlfriend?
Anyway, I’m just trying to say that this is kind of different. It’s not exactly about a character that’s a slut, because Audrey isn’t. Some people have been comparing this to Forever by Judy Blume, which is kind of accurate considering how much hook-ups Audrey and Luke have, and the fact that he’s her first love. Audrey is a more stable character, like someone you would never expect to do anything wrong, which makes her the best person to fall into these situations. For someone who’s always planning and knowing exactly what she wants, it’s easy to imagine how one mistake can change her views on herself and everyone else. Mistakes change people all the time, sharpens their perception of things, whether good or bad. Even for those who live spontaneously and say they never make plans, the fact is that whatever you decide to do is a plan. It makes me go crazy when people shrug and say, “I don’t know.” Why don’t you know? You might not have the whole picture yet, but at least you have some of the pieces. So I figure most people are just reluctant to admit that they’re not this “adventurous” person they make themselves out to be.
It’s also kind of nice that, despite everything, Audrey and Luke decide to start all over again at the end of the book. I believe in starting over, even if things seem downright impossible. People always say your first love never works out and that your first sex experience is a painful memory, but I disagree. I like to think that your first love is the one you’ve thought it hard and thoroughly with, the one who makes you so certain that whatever happens, will not be a mistake and something you’ll always remember. I would think that kind of certainty would take a while to come to, and once you do, how can you let go of something that you’ve spent long and hard obsessing over?
I don’t think another book has ever made me think this crazily about first loves and sluts. Not even Forever, which was supposed to. But. It really bugs me that just about every character in this book is so stereotypical: Good Girl Audrey. Valedictorian Ron. Slutty Pam. Chain-smoking, Goth, Cynical Ash. Sure, they have some distinctive qualities, but I would hate people to think that in every high school, you have these cardboard-ish people who can only be described with one or two adjectives. It kind of encourages other people to think of how shallow and superficial this world is, as if we already don’t know that.
Good Girls could have been better edited and, the subplots definitely could have been expanded. I thought the whole idea of turning Shakespeare’s Hamlet around so that it matches some antsy teenage drama production (where Hamlet is actually a disturbed chick and Ophelia is a boy called O) rather witty, and wanted to see how the play could be re-written. But sadly, that didn’t happen. The author fast-forwarded the storyline so that they could have opening night, and then move on to Drama Club’s production of Grease.
I’ll be on the lookout for Laura Ruby if she has an up and coming new book.
Ah, stereotypes just never go away, does it? In other novels, you have the protagonist facing off the male lead’s bitchy girlfriend, who also happens to be a slut. I’ve always found that situation really unrealistic and too overused. Just because Girl A likes Boy, who already has Girl B, the authors have to make Girl B either a dumb blonde not worthy of Boy’s attention, or into a slut with nothing to do but snatch up guys. Why can’t Girl B be nice, you know? Or, why not just make Boy not have a girlfriend?
Anyway, I’m just trying to say that this is kind of different. It’s not exactly about a character that’s a slut, because Audrey isn’t. Some people have been comparing this to Forever by Judy Blume, which is kind of accurate considering how much hook-ups Audrey and Luke have, and the fact that he’s her first love. Audrey is a more stable character, like someone you would never expect to do anything wrong, which makes her the best person to fall into these situations. For someone who’s always planning and knowing exactly what she wants, it’s easy to imagine how one mistake can change her views on herself and everyone else. Mistakes change people all the time, sharpens their perception of things, whether good or bad. Even for those who live spontaneously and say they never make plans, the fact is that whatever you decide to do is a plan. It makes me go crazy when people shrug and say, “I don’t know.” Why don’t you know? You might not have the whole picture yet, but at least you have some of the pieces. So I figure most people are just reluctant to admit that they’re not this “adventurous” person they make themselves out to be.
It’s also kind of nice that, despite everything, Audrey and Luke decide to start all over again at the end of the book. I believe in starting over, even if things seem downright impossible. People always say your first love never works out and that your first sex experience is a painful memory, but I disagree. I like to think that your first love is the one you’ve thought it hard and thoroughly with, the one who makes you so certain that whatever happens, will not be a mistake and something you’ll always remember. I would think that kind of certainty would take a while to come to, and once you do, how can you let go of something that you’ve spent long and hard obsessing over?
I don’t think another book has ever made me think this crazily about first loves and sluts. Not even Forever, which was supposed to. But. It really bugs me that just about every character in this book is so stereotypical: Good Girl Audrey. Valedictorian Ron. Slutty Pam. Chain-smoking, Goth, Cynical Ash. Sure, they have some distinctive qualities, but I would hate people to think that in every high school, you have these cardboard-ish people who can only be described with one or two adjectives. It kind of encourages other people to think of how shallow and superficial this world is, as if we already don’t know that.
Good Girls could have been better edited and, the subplots definitely could have been expanded. I thought the whole idea of turning Shakespeare’s Hamlet around so that it matches some antsy teenage drama production (where Hamlet is actually a disturbed chick and Ophelia is a boy called O) rather witty, and wanted to see how the play could be re-written. But sadly, that didn’t happen. The author fast-forwarded the storyline so that they could have opening night, and then move on to Drama Club’s production of Grease.
I’ll be on the lookout for Laura Ruby if she has an up and coming new book.
October 7, 2007
This extremely topical story addresses issues of sex, bullying, invasion of privacy, and the Internet. Ruby deals frankly with Audrey’s burgeoning sexuality and her approach is refreshing in a world full of gratuitous sex. The story begins with a photograph of the Audrey with her boyfriend that’s taken in secret, subsequently sent all over school, hosted on the Internet and even sent via e-mail to her father. This book is not really about the sex act but much more about the fall out and the way that it affects her relationships with others. As Audrey struggles to come to terms with who she wants to be, to rebuild her relationship with her father and to figure out who her real friends are and to answer the central question of the book- what does it mean to be a good girl? I really enjoyed the fact that her parents aren't uncaring monsters or bucolic sububran stereotypes. The relationship between Audrey and her Mother and Father is treated with care and respect as they struggle to come to terms with Audrey as a sexual being. What parent couldn't use a little help dealing with that particular transition from child to woman?
May 10, 2012
I heard this book was wonderful, but I thought it was pretty ordinary. The book certainly made you wonder what you would do if everyone in the school (even teachers… and even your parents) saw a picture of you going down on some guy. I did like that it went through exactly what it was like going to the gynecologist for the first time… and it did a good job describing how nervous you are the first time you have sex. Otherwise I just feel like I didn't get too much out of it. Why did they go to the prom in wedding dresses? I couldn't tell you. One strange thing is that usually books like this are about girls who aren't TOO popular… maybe even kind of weird or outcasts, but this book's characters seemed to be the most popular girls in school although they never specifically said anything or acknowledged it. It was kind of strange. Oh, and the main girl had sex with this guy and they had never really even had a conversation before… but of course it was LOVE.
July 21, 2009
I have to admit, I was really excited to read this book after hearing Laura Ruby speak at ALA, and I was not disappointed in the least. What Ruby sets out to do---show how one teen can make a mistake one time and have it blown all out of proportion by spreading rumors---was accomplished *perfectly*. I also appreciated how Ruby explored not only the more conventional idea that women who exhibit sexually forward behavior are more chastised than men, but the more exciting (while still) conventional idea that perceptions are always a little skewed--even the main heroine is guilty of believing a rumor spread about someone else at one point. I loved the resilience of Audrey's character and wanted to hold her hand even through the scenes that made me cringe.
August 10, 2011
Good Girls Is a story about Audrey who after breaking up with her "hookup" in a very interesting way, is faced with the age old question of why a girl who has sex is considered a slut and a boy is a stud. Laura Ruby tackles this question with a main character who is so easy to like and relate to. Early on you can tell Audrey really has a crush on Luke and when the photo gets passed around I felt so bad for her. I admit was worried it was going to change her for the worse but was so happy to see it making her stronger as a person. I loved her friends who stuck by her and even the new friends she made along the way. Great secondary characters. The twist at the end threw me for a little loop but Ruby handled it in a way that left me satisfied and she stayed true to Audrey's character.
June 14, 2015
Slut shaming...
A lot of us do it. We hear about a girl giving head and we say, omg she's such a slut. We forget for a moment that we have done these same acts or that these acts are part of our sexual nature and we label these girls a slut... But the guys? They escape this brutality. It's crazy but it happens every single day.
I love the cover of this book and honestly I love the book as a whole. I would encourage my teen to read it because it's a glimpse into our culture. Cell phones and the Internet have pretty much ruined any chance of having sex discreetly... You have to be careful and you have to be prepared.
Overall, a great read and a great message without coming off preachy or agenda filled. Just a girl trying to make it in high school.
A lot of us do it. We hear about a girl giving head and we say, omg she's such a slut. We forget for a moment that we have done these same acts or that these acts are part of our sexual nature and we label these girls a slut... But the guys? They escape this brutality. It's crazy but it happens every single day.
I love the cover of this book and honestly I love the book as a whole. I would encourage my teen to read it because it's a glimpse into our culture. Cell phones and the Internet have pretty much ruined any chance of having sex discreetly... You have to be careful and you have to be prepared.
Overall, a great read and a great message without coming off preachy or agenda filled. Just a girl trying to make it in high school.
September 27, 2014
Forget the flip phone on the cover -- this book is still incredibly relevant, though it was written almost ten years ago. Great discussions of teen sexuality, desire, and slut-shaming without ever verging on preachiness. Would be a great read-along with Siobhan Vivian's NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL. I was in high school when this book came out, and I desperately wish I'd read it then. I honestly think it might have changed my life.
July 20, 2009
Audrey is a good girl; she’s smart, she gets brilliant grades, she’s a good daughter and a great friend. But then someone takes a photo of her with Luke DeSalvio, the hottest guy at school, doing something the complete opposite of good, and it gets sent to everyone at school. Who took the photo? Why is she the only one who’s getting grief? And what will happen when her Mum and Dad find out?
This book is just so awesome! It takes a look at what could happen when something private becomes public and humiliating, but it’s also about friendship and misunderstandings. It’s a fantastic novel, with things kicking off right from the beginning. Audrey has been “hooking up” with Luke for around two months, but she decides to end it. He’s a player, and he’s only after one thing, and Audrey’s not so sure she wants just a casual thing, so she ends it. But not until after she performs oral sex on him at a party, and someone sneaks in and takes a photo. Everything goes downhill from there. Because everything happens at the beginning, I can’t really go into the plot any more without spoiling it.
This book deals so well with its sex scenes. There are flashbacks throughout the novel to Audrey’s sexual encounters with Luke, and they are fairly graphic, but are maturely dealt with, and as it’s first person, all from Audrey’s perspective. There is a really believable scene which describes Audrey’s first encounter with Luke’s penis where she is completely curious. We also get to read about Audrey’s first time, another believable scene, which shows Luke behaving quite maturely, in my opinion.
There is also a fantastic chapter called Duck Billed Salad Server where Audrey visits a gynaecologist, which sounds like it could be a verbatim transcription of an actual gynaecologist’s consultation, which would be brilliant for any teenagers who don’t know what happens. Nothing is left out, we have the whole visit; I think it’s fantastic.
“I realise something. If every teenager had to have this exam, if guys had to have some giant duck-billed salad server shoved up their butts on a regular basis, if every high schooler had to hear the words WARTS and GENITALS and CANCER in the same freaking conversation while wearing nothing but a couple of napkins, no one would ever have sex again, and that could be the whole point.”
P 167 – 168
There’s another brilliant part where Audrey discusses how you’re told to wait until you’re married, or you’re told to do everything, sexually, for guys, because that’s what they want, but:
“No one ever talks about what girls want, because we’re not supposed to want anything, not really. No one talks about how hard you have to fight yourself sometimes. No one tells you about how the want gets in your blood, eating everything in its path, how every time you here a certain name, or see a certain face, the cells divide and multiply and you are just. so. hungry.”
P 253
This book does. It’s an awesome book, really brilliant, and such a emotional book. There were times when I almost cried because I just felt for Audrey so much. A brilliant book, everyone should read it! Another favourite!
This book is just so awesome! It takes a look at what could happen when something private becomes public and humiliating, but it’s also about friendship and misunderstandings. It’s a fantastic novel, with things kicking off right from the beginning. Audrey has been “hooking up” with Luke for around two months, but she decides to end it. He’s a player, and he’s only after one thing, and Audrey’s not so sure she wants just a casual thing, so she ends it. But not until after she performs oral sex on him at a party, and someone sneaks in and takes a photo. Everything goes downhill from there. Because everything happens at the beginning, I can’t really go into the plot any more without spoiling it.
This book deals so well with its sex scenes. There are flashbacks throughout the novel to Audrey’s sexual encounters with Luke, and they are fairly graphic, but are maturely dealt with, and as it’s first person, all from Audrey’s perspective. There is a really believable scene which describes Audrey’s first encounter with Luke’s penis where she is completely curious. We also get to read about Audrey’s first time, another believable scene, which shows Luke behaving quite maturely, in my opinion.
There is also a fantastic chapter called Duck Billed Salad Server where Audrey visits a gynaecologist, which sounds like it could be a verbatim transcription of an actual gynaecologist’s consultation, which would be brilliant for any teenagers who don’t know what happens. Nothing is left out, we have the whole visit; I think it’s fantastic.
“I realise something. If every teenager had to have this exam, if guys had to have some giant duck-billed salad server shoved up their butts on a regular basis, if every high schooler had to hear the words WARTS and GENITALS and CANCER in the same freaking conversation while wearing nothing but a couple of napkins, no one would ever have sex again, and that could be the whole point.”
P 167 – 168
There’s another brilliant part where Audrey discusses how you’re told to wait until you’re married, or you’re told to do everything, sexually, for guys, because that’s what they want, but:
“No one ever talks about what girls want, because we’re not supposed to want anything, not really. No one talks about how hard you have to fight yourself sometimes. No one tells you about how the want gets in your blood, eating everything in its path, how every time you here a certain name, or see a certain face, the cells divide and multiply and you are just. so. hungry.”
P 253
This book does. It’s an awesome book, really brilliant, and such a emotional book. There were times when I almost cried because I just felt for Audrey so much. A brilliant book, everyone should read it! Another favourite!
September 5, 2015
So, I finished this book yesterday evening and I'm still unable to express what I think about it...
I found this book by accident and after I read the summary I knew immediately that I have to read this book!
"Good Girls" is about Audrey. She has oral sex at a party with her "on/off boyfriend" Luke and someone takes secretly a picture of them. This "blowjob" picture is sent from one phone to another untill everyone in school saw it and it even reaches the principal and Audrey's parents.
I liked the idea because I was once in the same situation...
Phones, Facebook, Mails, thats a current topic and even though every one uses it, many people don't know how to use it right. Social media and technology gets often misused. In this case, it wasn't even the victims fault. Audrey and Luke went to a room without cameras to be alone and have some privancy. The person who took this picture with his phone, planed to catch those two at their "private moment". But instead of being disgusted by the one who took this picture, everyone talks bad about Audrey. She's the bitch, not the offender. That's how teenagers are. And thats the main subject in this story. What happens when your image is about to be ruined?
How important is it to have friends who stand behind you when something like that happens? Because it comes to some disputes with Audreys friends because of this situation. And another important subject: What happens when parents have to realize their little girl isn't that little any more?
And of course the reader wants to know how are things going to be between Audrey and Luke now. Because actually Audrey wanted to dump him...
But(and this is maybe important to know)this book is not about cyberbullying. It's more about mobbing and stupid jokes in school, the fights within the involved ones and about Audrey's feels and thoughts about the situation. I really liked how she dealed with the situation, btw. She enters the drama class at school and finds a new hobby and work in it, for example.
I totally enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. I'm not THAT happy with the end, to be honest. It's a quite open end but I didn't like how Luke behaved in the last chapters but well,...ok, let's just leave it like that.
I loved the book and I'm sure I won't forget it so quickly.
(School)Grade: 1
I found this book by accident and after I read the summary I knew immediately that I have to read this book!
"Good Girls" is about Audrey. She has oral sex at a party with her "on/off boyfriend" Luke and someone takes secretly a picture of them. This "blowjob" picture is sent from one phone to another untill everyone in school saw it and it even reaches the principal and Audrey's parents.
I liked the idea because I was once in the same situation...
Phones, Facebook, Mails, thats a current topic and even though every one uses it, many people don't know how to use it right. Social media and technology gets often misused. In this case, it wasn't even the victims fault. Audrey and Luke went to a room without cameras to be alone and have some privancy. The person who took this picture with his phone, planed to catch those two at their "private moment". But instead of being disgusted by the one who took this picture, everyone talks bad about Audrey. She's the bitch, not the offender. That's how teenagers are. And thats the main subject in this story. What happens when your image is about to be ruined?
How important is it to have friends who stand behind you when something like that happens? Because it comes to some disputes with Audreys friends because of this situation. And another important subject: What happens when parents have to realize their little girl isn't that little any more?
And of course the reader wants to know how are things going to be between Audrey and Luke now. Because actually Audrey wanted to dump him...
But(and this is maybe important to know)this book is not about cyberbullying. It's more about mobbing and stupid jokes in school, the fights within the involved ones and about Audrey's feels and thoughts about the situation. I really liked how she dealed with the situation, btw. She enters the drama class at school and finds a new hobby and work in it, for example.
I totally enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. I'm not THAT happy with the end, to be honest. It's a quite open end but I didn't like how Luke behaved in the last chapters but well,...ok, let's just leave it like that.
I loved the book and I'm sure I won't forget it so quickly.
(School)Grade: 1
July 8, 2011
When I first was sent this book, I had doubts that it'd be clique and very predictable, but it turned out great. Its not what i expected it to be.
When good girl, star achiever Audrey Porter is caught in a "promiscuous" position, her life turns upside down. It's not just the fact she was caught, its the fact someone took a picture of her and sent it around. She's now gone from good-girl-who-does-everything-right to a ho living in "Slut City" with two other characters, Pam and Cindy. Pam is the real 'slut' of the story, and yet so it Cindy, but she's a virgin. I found that funny. The author writes in an amazing style, that i enjoyed and makes not only the characters fight, but us, as readers fight along with them.
Her parents are scared and disappointed in her, the teachers are judging her and everyone else is just talking behind her back. The boy in the picture, Luke, gets the praise and is called a player. Before school started, Luke and Audrey were hooking up at parties and Audrey thought of it as a friends-with-benefits situation, while Luke saw it as something more and never said anything. The ending was fantastic and shocking at the same time. At one point in the book i'm thinking one thing, then the next the ending changes my thinking.
One thing that upset me is that I wanted to see the production of the plays, Hamlet, where the main character is a delusional chick and Ophelia, where it's about a man named O, then they went on to Grease. I loved the growth in the characters, like when Aubrey dyed her hair and then her friends and her went on to Prom strongly.
Frankly, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who would want to read it. I'll be on the lookout for Laura Ruby's next book soon.
When good girl, star achiever Audrey Porter is caught in a "promiscuous" position, her life turns upside down. It's not just the fact she was caught, its the fact someone took a picture of her and sent it around. She's now gone from good-girl-who-does-everything-right to a ho living in "Slut City" with two other characters, Pam and Cindy. Pam is the real 'slut' of the story, and yet so it Cindy, but she's a virgin. I found that funny. The author writes in an amazing style, that i enjoyed and makes not only the characters fight, but us, as readers fight along with them.
Her parents are scared and disappointed in her, the teachers are judging her and everyone else is just talking behind her back. The boy in the picture, Luke, gets the praise and is called a player. Before school started, Luke and Audrey were hooking up at parties and Audrey thought of it as a friends-with-benefits situation, while Luke saw it as something more and never said anything. The ending was fantastic and shocking at the same time. At one point in the book i'm thinking one thing, then the next the ending changes my thinking.
One thing that upset me is that I wanted to see the production of the plays, Hamlet, where the main character is a delusional chick and Ophelia, where it's about a man named O, then they went on to Grease. I loved the growth in the characters, like when Aubrey dyed her hair and then her friends and her went on to Prom strongly.
Frankly, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who would want to read it. I'll be on the lookout for Laura Ruby's next book soon.
January 25, 2009
Another totally awesome, totally random find at the library! This book covers the fall-out after a compromising photo of Audrey, a high school senior, is sent by text and email to practically everyone in her school; it's not so much about the photo itself and what it represents but about the way it affects her life and how she finds strength and friendships that she never knew existed. I would compare this to Sara Zarr's Story of a Girl, as both focus on the aftermath of an embarrassing event, but this book is so much better; I don't quite know why that one won awards and this one didn't (that I know of, anyway).
What I loved about this book, besides the great writing, descriptions, and characters, is how thought-provoking it all was. Audrey reflects on things a lot, and she (and I) saw how people turn out to be different than expected. The characters were all so wonderful and supportive, and I loved the friendships in the book instead of it being filled simply with catty fights (though there were those too - it takes place in high school, after all). And I loved the (subtle) message of empowerment!
This was phenomenal. It didn't sugarcoat issues, nor did it deal with things unrealistically. It seemed to me like the author understood teens very well, and I loved how balanced and frank everything was. Loved the friendships, loved the book.... but makes me glad, as usual, that I'm not in high school anymore!
What I loved about this book, besides the great writing, descriptions, and characters, is how thought-provoking it all was. Audrey reflects on things a lot, and she (and I) saw how people turn out to be different than expected. The characters were all so wonderful and supportive, and I loved the friendships in the book instead of it being filled simply with catty fights (though there were those too - it takes place in high school, after all). And I loved the (subtle) message of empowerment!
This was phenomenal. It didn't sugarcoat issues, nor did it deal with things unrealistically. It seemed to me like the author understood teens very well, and I loved how balanced and frank everything was. Loved the friendships, loved the book.... but makes me glad, as usual, that I'm not in high school anymore!
July 24, 2008
The thing is sometimes we do things, we may regret, that may embarrass us, that may have been right at the time, or wrong but we didn’t know until so much later. But usually if people find out it is rumor (bad enough) - it is not broadcast to the school. Or maybe it is. And no matter if it is or isn’t we don’t really have the words to explain. And explain how we feel about someone can become trite, or cliche, and be not-quite-true.
Of course there is the inevitable conversation regarding sluts and players - the double standard, that will never, ever go away. Or at least it seems like. Obviously no one blamed the boy, in fact it upped his cool factor. Not so for Audrey. That being said and this is a little spoilerish - this is a good guy. Of course it takes a while to figure that out, but if you are paying attention you know that - long before Audrey does.
I liked this story - it had surprises, and truth, and eye rolling don’t preach at me, and funny moments. It was like reading a conversation I once had with friends.
More at http://librarygrl.wordpress.com/2006/...
Of course there is the inevitable conversation regarding sluts and players - the double standard, that will never, ever go away. Or at least it seems like. Obviously no one blamed the boy, in fact it upped his cool factor. Not so for Audrey. That being said and this is a little spoilerish - this is a good guy. Of course it takes a while to figure that out, but if you are paying attention you know that - long before Audrey does.
I liked this story - it had surprises, and truth, and eye rolling don’t preach at me, and funny moments. It was like reading a conversation I once had with friends.
More at http://librarygrl.wordpress.com/2006/...
February 4, 2021
Spoiler filled
Okay so i just finished the book just then so my thoughts are all over the place but i'll try to write them down.
1. Luke-I thought he was going to be a jerk but i was soooo wrong, he explained himself towards the end of the book and i was really glad him and Audrey ended up together. I adore the two of them even if i skipped over the sex scenes.
2. Ash, Pam, Cindy and Joelle-When Ash and Audrey fought, i thought the author was going to pit the two of them against each other but. . .she didn't and the 5 of them ended up great friends and i love that twist. I love that it ended that way.
3. The whole book was just fun to read, it was a personal quick read since i read it in a day but i loved every minute of it. It was a tale of friendship, of fucking up, fixing the mistakes you can and forgiving people. Well and punching a guy who needed a hitting.
10/10 would recommend
Okay so i just finished the book just then so my thoughts are all over the place but i'll try to write them down.
1. Luke-I thought he was going to be a jerk but i was soooo wrong, he explained himself towards the end of the book and i was really glad him and Audrey ended up together. I adore the two of them even if i skipped over the sex scenes.
2. Ash, Pam, Cindy and Joelle-When Ash and Audrey fought, i thought the author was going to pit the two of them against each other but. . .she didn't and the 5 of them ended up great friends and i love that twist. I love that it ended that way.
3. The whole book was just fun to read, it was a personal quick read since i read it in a day but i loved every minute of it. It was a tale of friendship, of fucking up, fixing the mistakes you can and forgiving people. Well and punching a guy who needed a hitting.
10/10 would recommend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2011
This book is about a girl named Audrey who is a "good girl", she never gets into any trouble and gets good grades until one night, something changes her reputation. A picture of her doing something considered not good gets showed around the school and now Audrey faces a turning point in her life. Will she be able to survive without her reputation or not?
I think the meaning of this story is that you should always follow what you want to be and not live up to other people's expectations. If you want to dye your hair, dye it! You shouldn't always do things to please other people, but also think about yourself.
I like this book because it shows that not everyone is perfect and people have their own battles inside. It also has a lot of suspense and a twist at the end to see who took the picture. You also can see how Audrey and her friend's relationship builds.
I think the meaning of this story is that you should always follow what you want to be and not live up to other people's expectations. If you want to dye your hair, dye it! You shouldn't always do things to please other people, but also think about yourself.
I like this book because it shows that not everyone is perfect and people have their own battles inside. It also has a lot of suspense and a twist at the end to see who took the picture. You also can see how Audrey and her friend's relationship builds.
April 19, 2010
Well here's the deal with this book...lots of smutty detail which wasn't so pleasant. However, I found it to be pretty honest and to straightforward in regard to the pressures that teenagers feel. There was a lot of honest discussion between the teens about sex and the drama that results from having sex at a young age. I probably won't recommend this book around. I think that, while it addresses the negative aspects of teenage sex, it also glamorizes it at the same time. This is something that my students don't need any more encouragement in.
January 11, 2015
There was a message here trying to get out, but it didn't quite succeed. I kept thinking about how maybe if someone else wrote this, I would have enjoyed it more. The characters were boring and the writing was just meh. And the ending wasn't all that satisfying. Definitely not a book I would have picked up had it not been required for a class.
May 30, 2011
This book promotes the misuse of intimacy. It would not be an enjoyable read for a teen with Christian values. It's disappointing that a book such as this gives the impression that most teens have friends with benefits.
March 30, 2007
I learned that I can still learn a thing or two from reading YA literature...
May 23, 2007
Another YA novel. Trashy and perfect for being laid up in bed with the flu. So glad I'm not in high school any more...things just seem way tougher.
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