The Bitch Posse

by Martha O'Connor

These are the confessions of the Bitch Posse. Cherry, Rennie, and Amy were outcasts, rebels, and dreamers. And their friendship was so all-encompassing that some would call it dangerous. This is the story of three women-as seniors in high school and as women in their mid-thirties---who formed a bond in order to survive the pitfalls and perils of their lives. In the present day, one of them is a wife and mother-to-be, trying to live a "normal" life. One of them is a writer who engages in a number of self-destructive relationships. And one of them is in a mental hospital---and has been ever since that one fateful night fifteen years ago, when a heart-wrenching betrayal and the unraveling of relationships led them to a point of no return, where their actions triggered unimaginable consequences. These secrets have torn them apart while inextricably binding them to one another. What happened to them? And can they survive their shared history, even today?

The Bitch Posse is an anthem for friendships that defy society's approval or disapproval. It's a novel of secrets, courage, sacrifice, and hope against the odds. It is both a journey back to being a girl on the verge of adulthood, and a journey forward, showing how the events of our past can unearth the best in us today.

Dare to jump in.

"The Bitch Posse is a riveting and emotionally charged read. No fluff here."

--Chicago Tribune

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Young Adult, Literature, Book Club, Dark

341 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chick Lit gone totally awesome. I can honestly say that about this book. See, the thing is, I'm not all that into chick lit, so I haven't read all that much of it. I think the pastel or the high heeled shoe or the purse on the cover usually deters me because it literally screams out "CHICK LIT!" Now, I don't know what the final cover is going to be on this book since I was reading one of the advanced reader copies of it... but I hope it's nothing that will classify it as chick lit.

This book gives Joyce Carol Oates Foxfire a run for it's money with it's wild girls, sex, violence, and accurate portrayal of the emotions of teenage girls. The fact that Martha O'Connor is not afraid to address issues that obviously take place in the lives of many teenage girls today, is just wonderful. It would be a wonderful book for parents of teenagers. If you're worried about your daughter, this book will allow you to see what she may be up to from another direction, and perhaps allow you to better understand her. It will also make you realize that some things you do that you think are for your daughter's best interest, sometimes isn't. You'll realize that you should talk to your daughter rather than act without knowledge of why she does what she does.

It's also a wonderful book to make you feel less alone in the world. And that friendships never die, even if you never see each other again, you'll always be friends. It's reassuring.

I loved the way O'Connor set up the style of the book... setting each chapter from a different girl's perspective, and having it take place in the past or present. The past being written in 1st person past tense, and the present being 3rd person present tense. It was organized in a messy and fun way, and easy to follow. She never let the ending surprise slip out. Which was awesome.

There's so much more I want to say this book. I just can't get over how great this book was, but I don't want to spoil or give anything away. I'm so excited for this book to come out allowing so many more people to read it. I highly advise you getting this book as soon as possible. It's definetly a worthwhile and exciting new read.

[Catalina · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh my god i hated this book so much. never have i read a book where the writing was so bad i had to put it down out of second hand embarrassment. like, fifty times. I wish I was joking when I say that literally the first sentence told me everything i needed to know about the book’s quality of writing.
the whole book is written in the cheesy Twilight-esque style (and weirdly, there is an a lot of blood in this book) but somehow it works for Twilight and it is terrible here.

When the story isn’t focusing on violence and extreme drug use, it’s just porn. This was, by far, the most uncomfortable and unreadable element of this novel. I will say, i was impressed by the creative and extensive display of metaphors in regards to what Penises are meant to look like.

The only reason I finished this book is because of the constant foreshadowing of a dramatic ending, but i will tell you right now, it’s not worth it.

The title is awesome, though. That’s the only good thing I can say about this book.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

wasn't a huge fan of this one. i can't tell you how many times i wanted to put it down (the story simply wouldn't hold my interest.) however, the book was a gift... so i felt obligated to finish it, especially incase the giver asked me any questions about it.

[Anna]

The Bitch Posse was one book that I read this semester. The name of the book itself sounds superficial and negative, but the book turned out to be a completly different story. It was about life lessons, and friendship, and love. It was probably one of the greatest books i've read and it made me laugh and cry. The main characters are so real that I feel like I could meet them walking down the street in real life. Their personalities are extremley in depth, and I can almost feel the pain they feel when they're upset. Its an amazing book and I'll most likely end up rereading it just in case I forget any of it!

[jb Byrkit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I really liked this book....Their lives were not the perfect everyday kinda ass kissing. They were all stained in some way.

[Ambie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this in 2007 and I remember hating it because all the POVs seemed to be written by someone that knew nothing about self harm or troubled teens. It was like the author wrote how she thought girls like that would act like with out really knowing.

[mh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 6 POVs was a lot did we really need them all? But otherwise I enjoyed it.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

We the Bitch Posse girls,
do solemnly swear
to be undyingly faithful to each other,
and to put no friends or lovers before one another,
as long as the star are fixed in the heavens
and the fish sparkle on the sea.
When I have first seen this title, I believed that they have written a book about my friends and I. Just call me Princess Bitch Face!!
I've read a lot of reviews on this and I wasn't sure if I should read it. These people were ruthless when it came to this title. I'm glad I stuck with my gut feeling and devoured this like a birthday cake. It was fantastic and lets the power of friendship overtake you... no matter the costs.
Three girls, one high school in a small town in Illinois. Amy, Reenie (Wren) and Cherry are best friends, they break the rules together, help each other get into trouble and created one of the best posses in the history of posses.
No matter what comes their way, these girls will stick together. Hell or high water.
Each chapter brings either the now or the past and a different girls perspective. 1988 or 2003. No matter the year, these girls are as ruthless as ever.
Drinking, drugs and all the unadulterated sex there is to offer while keeping every detail in a book for their posse.
One is a teacher, one is married and expecting and the other is in a mental hospital. But which one fits where?
Have you ever felt alone in this world? Down and out? That no one will ever understand you? Make you feel worthless and weak? Let someone take advantage of you at your worst point? Read this and then fill me in on what you're are feeling. You'll feel invigorated and loved.
You think friendships come and go, but they never die. It's one of the strongest bonds anyone could ever ask for. Those friends will even go to the length of killing for you. Loyalty! We all crave it.
I mean snorting coke is one thing, that's even glamorous in a sick, Less Than Zero sort of way. But shooting up? That's what junkies do.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not even sure why I read this book - a friend recommended it to me (now I'm starting to wonder about my friend!) It was definitely a different type of book and addressed some serious issues occurring today in teenagers but it addressed the issues almost as though they were "cool" and normal . . . and I don't believe they are.

[Kim Benouski · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend gave me this trash. It was crude and made me feel dirty just reading it. I never would have had I known the friend never read it herself. Yuck.

[Jackie Giel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

[Hazel Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mom pulled this book out of one of her old memory boxes from highschool, she said she enjoyed reading it as a teenager. As a 15 year old girl, I did enjoy. I liked the parallels that Amy and Rennie had in 2003, signaling that they'd connect again (the monarch butterfly, the sea glass). I also liked how real it felt, the girls struggling with problems similar to mine. It did scare me how the girls never really grew out of their traumas, their past haunting them through every corridor. Now for the flaws, even as a 15 year old girl I saw. Besides from Cherry, Amy, and Rennie, we dont bond with the characters that they care about. I didnt feel myself care about Josie or Michael like Cherry did. I didnt even know much about Brandon and Sam and the other guy despite them being mentioned so often. I did like the reality of Cherrys relationship with Marian and I really felt for her in her chapters. I liked the nature of Amy's relationship with Callie, as it too felt real. I didnt really feel hate towards Mr. Schafer (we see him through Rennies lovestruck eyes, and me as a teenager can only swoon with her), Rennies hate for him only coming out of nowhere- we dont see it build up inside of her enough for the girls to do what they did. In the end, however many years later, the Cherry and Amy dont have as much as a happy ending as Rennie did. Rennie got the letter from Paul, she got Caleb who made her life worth living. Cherry, sure, she got to go to outpatient but her last chapter is so vague I cant imagine what happens next. When she scatters her pills does her outpatient get taken back? I may be stupid, I just finished it last night, maybe I'll have to reread through it to see it clearer. Amy still lost her baby, her last chapter she cries over Scotty how she wishes the love they had still remained. I can't help but feel that there needed to be more after that, clearing it all up. I wished the Bitch Posse girls reunited after it all. Another thing, I really wish Amy and Cherrys relationship wasnt just teased, I really wouldve liked to see them pursue what they had. That chance of a relationship is what kept me reading in the later part but it never came. The pages where they kissed had some of my favourite passages, how the kiss felt real and good because it was shared with someone who actually cares.

Anyway, that about wraps up my thoughts on this book. I guess il read it 15 years later, give it to my daughter like my mother did.

[MK · Rating 2 out of 5]

One positive thing I will say is that this book definitely kept me hooked, and I was never bored. I'll take chicklit Lifetime juicy tea stuff over a boring book any day. That being said, it seemed to me that it was just about people having crappy lives for the sole sake of people having crappy lives. With no deeper meaning. And it doesn't help that the characters are hardly likeable at all (what do you expect when they call themselves, 'The Bitch Posse', which is juvenile even for high school students?). And that includes all of the characters--their parents, boyfriends, teachers, people they meet in their adult lives, etc. And no doubt, some of the things that happen to them are not their fault, but some of the bad things that happen are. So again, it's hard to feel sympathy when people bring a lot of things on themselves. It's a lot like watching a car crash--you're like, "Wow, that's awful", but you don't really have any attachment to it if it's not anyone you know or care about. I had no emotional investment in any of these characters. That might sound harsh, but it's true. I've read many other depressing books where I absolutely felt for the characters. Not with this one. These girls are crazy--it's not just that they're unlikeable or bitchy--they're a straight-up CULT.

One last thing is that the ending felt very rushed. We don't really get to SEE what happened right after the reveal of the big event that changed their lives forever. We see the consequences of it years and years later, but not directly after. And I think I would have liked to see that.

[Mary Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three high school girls forge an unbreakable bond, cemented by trauma, longing, risky behavior, poor choices and the consequences of those choices. The story, ping-ponging back and forth between the past and the present, takes the reader on an incredible roller coaster ride of events that culminate in a night of extreme action.
As I was reading this, I wondered how true to life these events were, and also was thankful for my own relatively sheltered teen life. With most books I have read lately, the absence of a stable mother figure features prominently in this novel, resulting in the belief that one is worthless and therefore, the risky, devil-may-care behavior ensues.
If you are someone easily offended by profanity, violence or promiscuity, this is NOT the book for you!

[Teresa Werpy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can honestly say I have never read a book like this before. I had no idea where this was going.
These girls ran wild without parental supervision because they were an afterthought to their parents.
The sex, drugs and violence and emotional rollercoaster with these characters made this a fast read.
This is not my usual genre of book but I have to admit I kinda liked it. The direction this went and the girl who protected the others didn’t come as a big shock, that was her self imposed role the whole way through. I’m glad it took the direction it did in the last few chapters. Kinda wrapped it up nicely.

[Tracy Christianson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5⭐️
This book was definitely interesting. I was intrigued until about half way through. There’s multiple POVs in dual timelines, which wasn’t bad at first but then I genuinely stopped caring what was happening in the current timeline. The premise of the story is three teenage girls who become best friends and self claim themselves as “The Bitch Posse”. You find out that some big event happened when they were young to cause them to never talk to each other again. So you go through this whole big wanting to know what the big event was. The present day timeline quite honestly had no impact on the story whatsoever. It could have been completely left out and the story would have been just the same.
The book was published in 2005, long before trigger warnings were a thing. This book has plenty of them. Do not read if you’re sensitive to substance abuse (of multiple kinds), self harm, physical and mental abuse, (consensual) pedophilia. I wouldn’t call this chicklit per se, but it’s definitely got some dark elements to so read at your own risk.

[Richard Janzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to know how to rate this one. Unlike the usual fare that I read.
Story and writing seem strong to me. It was a bit hard to get into the flow of the story due to the structure...3 friends at 2 different times in their lives...so each chapter is from a different point of view, and also the times jump back and forth....so it takes a while to get in to the stories. This book throws in soooo many dangerous behaviours....cutting, drugs, dangerous sex, abortion, abuse, and murder. A bit overwhelming. But it did give me a glimpse into another world....

[Shereen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is not reflective of the story. Although shocking and raw in some parts it was not gratuitous. The scenes reflect how impulsive and reckless teens can be. I was a teen during the 80’s and I could see my peers ending up in many of the situations. Desperate for love they look to sex and drugs to fulfill what lacks in their family life. It sounds like a cliche however the writing in anything but cliched. I could not put the book down it was like a car wreck that I couldn’t take my eyes off. And I did I find myself caring for the girls.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is this same book as "the Bitch Goddesses Notebook"? They have the exact same description. Anyways I picked up and started reading"The Bitch Posse" mostly because the name intrigued me. I guess I kept reading because of all the sex and drug use throughout, but this book has no substance, no value, and the reader will be worse off for having wasted the time it takes to plow through it. Very predictable, the author was clearly trying to sell books, and not trying very hard to tell an original story.

[dollcita · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5] This was a revisit, after first finding this novel in a shared apartment in NYC almost 15 years ago. I considered it the book that got me back into reading as an adult.

So did it live up to its exalted reputation? Not quite. The opening chapter was strong - dark and unflinching - but it later began to feel overwrought and melodramatic.

It should be noted, self-harm was the running thread among all three protagonists (and pretty romanticised, in my view.)

[Cara Lynn Kasonovitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. The genre and basic themes were right up my alley - think Prep, The Chocolate Money, Dismantled - but it was poorly delivered. I felt nothing for the characters and it was so boring that it took me a month to finish. I couldn’t read it for more than 20 minutes at a time.

[Pam Herrmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is nothing good I can say about this book. Three high school girls form "The Botch Posse". The book glorifies their daily drinking and drug use which leads to a murder that only one of them takes the rap for. If you want to read about drinking, drugs, suicidal thoughts, among other things, this would be your book. To me it was disturbing and dumb.

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't terrible, it just felt uncompleted. I felt like everything was set up to have a second book to finish up the story and to tie up loose ends, and the ending was ripe for a continuation. I don't really need answers to everything, but this kind of felt like McDonald's forgot to put napkins and ketchup in the bag.

[Tanakia Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a different read, The story draws you in because you know something happens but your not quite sure. It goes back and forth between past and present and is very easy to follow. I didnt like that it took so long to climax and when it did I wasnt excited as I thought I would be. It was just like Okay.

[casey erlebach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, dark, heartfelt

I have read this book dozens of times in my life, at all kinds of life stages and it never disappoints.
It contains dark and triggering elements (domestic abuse, alcoholism, drug use etc) but all of it comes together to lead you out of the darkness and teaches something truly valuable about love and female friendship

[Michelle Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. The author takes you into the psyche of three girls who do not have the easiest lives. It's raw, dark, and real. I read it in about two days because I couldn't put it down. It honestly isn't far from the reality that some people have lived.

[Sarah Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand this book might not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but I could relate to so much of the content and struggles and heartache. I enjoyed the time traveling aspect throughout the chapters. I love a coming-of-age story!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book I've ever read, but I enjoyed getting to know the three members and learning where there journey took them.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed.

[Juamild Fermin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and quite fun enough to get me out of a reading slump. Really easy to read but depressing.