Girls Like Us

by Gail Giles

A 2015 Schneider Family Book Award Winner

With gentle humor and unflinching realism, Gail Giles tells the gritty, ultimately hopeful story of two special ed teenagers entering the adult world.

We understand stuff. We just learn it slow. And most of what we understand is that people what ain’t Speddies think we too stupid to get out our own way. And that makes me mad.

Quincy and Biddy are both graduates of their high school’s special ed program, but they couldn’t be more different: suspicious Quincy faces the world with her fists up, while gentle Biddy is frightened to step outside her front door. When they’re thrown together as roommates in their first "real world" apartment, it initially seems to be an uneasy fit. But as Biddy’s past resurfaces and Quincy faces a harrowing experience that no one should have to go through alone, the two of them realize that they might have more in common than they thought — and more important, that they might be able to help each other move forward.

Hard-hitting and compassionate, Girls Like Us is a story about growing up in a world that can be cruel, and finding the strength — and the support — to carry on.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, Teen, Disability, Contemporary

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2014

About the author

Gail Giles is the author of six young adult novels. Her debut novel, Shattering Glass, was an ALA Best of the Best Book, a Book Sense 76 selection, and a Booklist Top 10 Mystery for Youth selection. The novel is about an high school boy named Simon Glass that is helped to become one of the most popular dogs in school by other students. Her second novel, Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters, was an ALA Top 10 Quick pick (2003) and a Book Sense 76 selection. Her third novel, Playing in Traffic, is an epic story about a boy trying to help a gothic girl.

She is a former high school teacher who grew up in Texas and now lives there happily with her husband, two dogs, and three cats. Gail has one son and two grandsons.

Reviews

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/



I can’t remember the last time a book really pissed me off. I often see reviews where it seems like readers have been almost searching for a way to be insulted by what they’ve read. As the well-intentioned social worker said in Girls Like Us: “not every word a person says is an insult. Try not to fight the world and everybody in it.”

I tried. I really and truly tried, but good grief I seriously was insulted by this book. I spent the weekend trying to talk myself off the ranty ledge, but at this point I’m saying screw it and just going with my initial reaction and I hope that the point of what I’m trying to say comes across in written form without being offensive to you as readers.

Let’s start with the synopsis:

Biddy and Quincy have been forced together throughout high school since they were both in the classes for “speddies.”

Biddy, blonde and white, was deprived oxygen at birth, has problems with “conventional” learning (i.e., reading/writing/arithmetic), and was handed off to her grandmother because her mother didn’t want her (sadly, her grandmother didn’t want her either, but felt an obligation to Biddy since she was her blood).

Quincy, a girl of mixed race, was hit in the head with a brick by her crackwhore mother’s abusive boyfriend. She was taken from her mother and has spent her life being bounced around the foster care system. Quincy knows how to read and do arithmetic (it’s always just been hard for her to connect her thoughts in the written form), but the physical deformity she was left with was substantial.

Once Biddy and Quincy graduate (or “time out,” basically) of the public school system, their assigned social worker tells the girls they will be sharing an apartment. Can two girls from such different environments overcome their pasts, deal with some awful circumstances in the present, find some common ground, and move forward in the world together?

Okay, the premise for this book had me hook, line and sinker. There were even some seriously hardcore emotional scenes that made me feel things. However, I couldn’t ever get past the two main characters – I have never been so put off by written narration in all of my reading.

In a book that is supposed to be a vehicle to make people realize that just because someone looks or learns differently, they shouldn’t be made to feel as though they are “girls like us,” the author has chosen to make two girls from two completely different backgrounds with two completely different handicaps have the EXACT. SAME. VOICE. And not only do they have the same voice, they have the most offensive accent in the history of writing (FYI - This is the part where I’m terrified I’m going to offend someone because I don’t know how to word this correctly, so I used Wiki to find the *hopefully* correct terminology I was looking for), the Southern American English accent. This is the accent which has traditionally been overused to indicate that someone is stupid or is “white trash” or is a servant, etc. and I just can’t let it go that it was used for these two young women. No matter how many emotions the book was able to evoke from me, the overwhelming one was anger.

[Brichimt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this and I'm honestly choking back the tears. I can't believe how skilled the author's handling of the main 3 characters' dignities with such poignancy. There's Biddy whose mother abandoned her to a grandmother that was filled with nothing but hate and resentment for a baby that survived an oxygen deprived birth and grew up to survive 2 separate rapes. There's Quincy who grew up in one foster home after another after surviving a traumatic head injury from a brick that was caused by her mother's boyfriend when she was six. There's Ms. Elizabeth, the senior citizen that took both girls under her wings and helped them to understand, at last, what family really means. That both girls have survived such a traumatic life of sexual,emotional, and mental cruelty and still look to a future is extraordinary for anyone, let alone someone with disabilities. Written in short chapters from each of the 2 main characters' points of view...some one page long...some two no more than 3...this is definitely from my perspective a book that latches onto the reader and cradles you to the very end. I could not stop reading and because of the short chapter format, it's a very very quick read. Another reviewer suggested this book for older readers due to a rape scene, but the rape scene is not explicit in any way...and yes, the main characters have graduated from high school and are 18 years old, but their expression and thought patterns are younger due to their disabilities. After all, middle schoolers are reading John Green (I luv J. Green, by the way). If they can handle a John Green book, I see no reason why a younger advance reader can not handle this coming of age realistic fiction!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sigh* Just give me a minute.

Nope, still can't put it all into words. I was really moved by this work and would recommend it to anyone who has a soft heart--or maybe needs a softer one.

It was powerful. And disturbing. And uplifting.

[Tez · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNINGS: Ableism (including the R slur), fatphobia, abandonment & neglect, domestic violence, stalking, gang-rape. Would NOT recommend it to marginalised people. I'd only suggest it for privileged people, as a stepping-stone before moving onto #OwnVoices books.

It's NOT #OwnVoices. (The author worked with special ed students for twenty years). Which makes me feel guilty for connecting with it as much as I did. If only everyone with a disability could have an Elizabeth in their lives...

[disco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail Giles gave a voice to those who often can't speak for themselves and did an incredible job.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biddy and Quincy are two girls that were in special education classes together as well as graduated high school. When their teacher gets them jobs to care for the widow of the mayor, they become roommates. Will they be able to fit in and get along? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good but sad story about two girls trying to fit in in the adult world. If you like stories like this, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forced myself to finish it and there were many aspects I ended up liking. Unfortunately, there were a few things I didn't appreciate at all. Very mixed feelings.

[Starlight gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best book ever
I was done in two days and read it again
this book is about two girls who finish high school at the same
Biddy and Quincy are totally different from each other but it took them a long time to notice that they needed each other
when Quincy went to work and did not come home Biddy went out to find her and helped her out
This book show being different can change world .

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its premise and styles, it feels like this book should either be 5 stars or 1. But that's not how I felt about it.

It had some real strengths - particularly its characters, who are unconventional but very sympathetic. The style worked for me. It's a fast read.

It also felt kind of rushed and a little simplistic - both the bad and the good happened in a very short timeframe, so it felt like it didn't really grapple with the long term implications of its subject matter. While everything that occurred was reasonably plausible, in such a short book, the bad incident was jarring and lacked some of the emotional impact I thought it could have had, given more time. Likewise I thought the resolution was too pat, and though it was good to see the women get a happy ending I thought they deserved, it simplified their situation so much it was like it belonged in a different book.

I'm glad the author aimed high on this, glad it got written, but I don't think it met all its own goals.

[Snotchocheez · Rating 2 out of 5]

No one can accuse Gail Giles of not having her heart in the right place. Her novel Girls Like Us explores the vulnerable world of two "speddies" (special ed students) who are forced out into the real world (an unidentified Texas town) after graduation. Your heart can't help but to go out to these poor girls, Biddy and Quincy, who've grown up without a loving family or any real support system. They have to somehow adapt in an environment which gives short shift to the disadvantaged.

This sounded like a great premise, but my problems with this novel were myriad and ever-present. I'l just describe the two worst offenders: 1. Wispy, one-note story: of the hundreds of issues I can think of that would stand in the way of Biddy and Quincy living a normal life in the real world, Ms. Giles inexplicably chooses one oppressor for the BOTH of these girls: both are subjected to sexual predators. While that assuredly is a problem for many female mentally challenged females trying to successfully adapt into society, it's certainly not the only one.

Ms. Giles is constrained to keeping the plot wafer-thin, thanks to: 2. Truly annoying first-person narration. The choice of allowing Bitty and Quincy to tell their own story was a bad one. Not only were their "speddie" southern accents lame and gimmicky (and as a GR friend correctly opined, impossible to tell the difference between the two characters), it kept the plot from advancing toward anything deeper or more meaningful.

Absent a thicker plot, Girls Like Us seems like a wasted effort to bring to light the plight of the mentally challenged as they reach adulthood. Short shrift, indeed.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peach Award (3.5 stars)

Biddy and Quincy, two recent graduates, don't like to be known as simply "Speddie" (special education.) They come from different backgrounds, like different things, and have different disabilities to contend with. At first they aren't sure why they've been placed together in the home of an elderly woman from whom they will cook and clean to earn money, but as they get to know each other, they discover the things they have in common and the ways they can help each other.

The story is well constructed and believable, but it touches down lightly in a lot of places rather than concentrating on a few. This keeps the book from being overwhelmingly sad since the girls have a lot of mistreatment to deal with, but it's also a bit frustrating in its lack of resolution. The chapters alternate between the two main characters, and I enjoyed getting differing perspective on the same events. For me, a 3.5, but I suspect it would need to be hand-sold to teens who would appreciate the story.

[Megalion · Rating 5 out of 5]

The description is spot on for what this book is and delivers. Extremely good read for all ages.

Tremendously #diversebook

7/9/16 ETA: Wanted to note, I have a severe disability but my deafness isn't on the same spectrum as these girls. I live in the hearing world as an oral deaf person who does not sign. My empathy is therefore more akin to an able bodied reader.

Was looking at the other reviews today and noted that people were saying that it is not very representative at all. Able bodied bias etc.

[Sandy Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving and thoughtful book. The perspectives of Quincy and Biddy - two former special education students now living on their own - are unique in literature. Their stories are authentic - I found myself wanting to fight for them, and discovered that they are capable of fighting for themselves.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my favorite (new favorite) school-read books of all time (second only to The Book Thief). It takes absolutely no time at all to read and keeps your emotions in constant chaos, clutching at your heartstrings and plucking them try. You will feel everything from happiness to heartache, and so much more in between. This was worth every second of my time reading it.

Two Speddie (Special Education) girls have just graduated from school and are looking to get a fresh start in the world as working adults. Biddy and Quincy are put up by Elizabeth, an older woman in need of a full-time homeworker. Biddy will make her living cleaning Miss Lizzy's home from top to bottom and assisting her whenever needed. Quincy will make her living as a chef-of-sorts, working at the local grocery store 'Brown Cow.' Both girls work to their strengths as they become acclimated to this new and hopefully better life of theirs. Never having truly belonged anywhere before, both girls are hopeful that they have finally found somewhere to call 'Home.'

Biddy is a sweet and bubbly 18-year-old woman who looks at the world as a magical place with greatness around every corner. She sees people for how they act, and for the goodness that they harbor in their deepest hearts. She acknowledges the sometimes bad in people, though despite her past seems to largely overlook in it favor of the lightness that every beautiful creature in the world holds. As we delve into her time spent in her new life, she becomes a bolder and more outspoken girl. She completely come out of her shell and transforms into a fiercely protective person, more concerned with other than with her own issues. She is always open about how she feels, though in a way that is respectful of all company she's with. The changes made in her life are without a doubt for the better.

Quincy is a conservative and highly independent 18-year-old woman who looks at the world as a dark force with heartache hiding behind every corner, and at people as always having a secret motive to their every act. She sees people as superficial and incapable of caring for her in any way that counts. Because of her past, she has always lived her life lashing at others before they have a chance to lash out at her. And though this is how her story goes for much of the book, she will find a change in herself that she never expected. Despite her past, she may yet learn what it means to be a part of a family, and to fight for and protect them at all costs.

It is true that in the beginning Quincy was harsh, as all other had been for so many years, to Biddy and saw no more than what everyone else told her about the 'Ho girl,' but after becoming roommates and learning to see the real Biddy, she can no longer torment the fragile girl who has known little else since she was barely a teen girl. Likewise, once Biddy gets to know the real Quincy behind the tough exterior, she can no longer see her as indestructible and incapable of knowing pain. Once they put their difference aside and to good use, the two young women become close as any sisters could be. They bring each other up when the other is down and support their strengths as well as their weaknesses.

The changes that these two girls have made in their lives could not be summed up any better than this final quote from Quincy's own thoughts:

"Every once in a while, I hug that fool girl. Just for nothing."

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dual-voiced novel is about two special ed students -- Quincy and Biddy -- and what happens when they're assigned to live together following high school graduation. This is a gritty novel, tackling abuse and rape, and both of the girls' voices ring authentic. It's a fast read, but it's a tougher one. Giles does a good job of making these round, full characters. Quincy is rough around the edges and wants to pick fights, where Biddy is sweet, kind, and gentle. Their being paid together and what it forces them to learn about each other and themselves works.

My one hesitation from loving this book came during one plot point where the old woman who lived in the home where the girls had an apartment invited a friend over because she thought the baby her friend had adopted had been Biddy's child. It seemed out of place, it wasn't smooth in the writing, and it pulled me out of the story. It seemed reckless on the part of Lizabeth, which she admits to, but it also felt a little reckless in the story as a whole. It needed to be more fleshed out to have had the impact it intended to have. .

Biddy is a fat girl in this book, and it makes sense why she is -- and I thought that Giles did a great job of opening Quincy's eyes to this and why it came to be after Quincy used it as a means of hating, judging, and belittling Biddy initially.

This should appeal to reluctant readers, as it's got quick pacing, and the chapters are short.

Another thing that I REALLY appreciated about this book: it is about girls. Girls helping girls. Girls getting along with other girls. Girls misunderstanding but respecting other girls. There's not girl-on-girl hate. There's not "not like other girls" non-sense. The fact that it's two girls who help one another through some really tough stuff is (sadly) noteworthy, but Giles does it here and does it well.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giles has always done good writing but never really made her way out of the midlist group of writers. Now I think she has finally done it and broken out. This won the Schneider Award for teens and deserved to. It is about two "Speddies", Special Education girls who have just graduated high school and therefore are out of the foster system or out from Granny. If ever there is a youth book that shows the distinction between smart and wise, it is this book. One girl, the higher functioning one, has a monumental chip on her shoulder. The other one has a real delight in being in a safe place. Safe defined as boy-free. We don't know why for much of the book. She tells you upfront that her baby was taken away from her and clearly regrets that. However, she never explains why she is so terrified of boys. Any boy, apparently. Or rather, she never explains till her roommate has a crisis and then she explains because it is relevant to the crisis the roommate has. Giles knows her subjects. She has taught special ed for 20 years and has been wanting to tell some of their stories. If you have read anything by Giles before, you know not to expect a book filled with sweetness and light, and boy, does this ever not brim with sweetness and light! Many of you have probably already read between the lines and figured out what happened to the girl who had a baby (Biddie). I'll just say you're likely right, but trust me, you'll still be surprised by it and appalled. As Giles clearly knows, this is far too easily done if a person is a "Speddie". I had a friend who was brain damaged and similar things happened to her. This is ultimately a hopeful book but it is definitely a very realistic fiction book. I'm really pleased Giles has finally gotten more attention because her writing has always been good.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a hard book to get through because I kept wanting to stop and sob my heart out. I love that it's from first person POV, and I don't always like alternating chapters, but their voices were so distinct that I thought it worked very well (after all, there are two main characters in this book).

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schneider winner. Such an important book. Hard, emotional, can't put it down kind of book.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a teen librarian, I try valiantly to have a diverse collection for my library. When I was weeding the collection and saw this book was about two special ed young women struggling with life after high school, I was impressed with the subject matter and thought it added a welcome perspective. While not an #ownvoices, the author worked in special education for twenty years, and drew from her experience to create the two main characters.

*Spoilers* Biddy and Quincy both live in untenable home environments, and luckily have teachers and social workers who find a home and work arrangements for them after graduation. We find out that one of the girls was gang raped and had a child that was given up for adoption, while the other young woman is raped by two men. That sexual abuse is part of the narrative is an undeniably true fact for many women who have special needs, but it seemed like over kill that it happened to both women in this story. While some parts of the story are unflinching in the unkind realities that some face, it also had parts that were naive and seemed dated. Written in 2014, there was no mention of social media or technology, so I wondered if it was set in an earlier decade.

So I ended up being torn- I am keeping it my library's collection for it's diversity and message of friendship, yet I'm not quite sure who I would recommend it to. This book was a 3.5/5 and normally I round up, but in this case I just couldn't.

[J L's Bibliomania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girls Like Us won the Schneider Family Book Award* for teen readers in 2015. The book was good, though I was a bit disappointed about how easily all the characters meshed and the pieces fell into place in the middle of the book.

The language used in Girls Like Us is not complicated, since it is told from the perspective of two young women with intellectual disabilities. As the sensational statistics splashed across the news report, approximately 1 out of every 6 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault, and as many as 83% of women who are developmentally disabled are the victims of sexual assault. I applaud Gail Giles for tackling the subject in Girls Like Us. So, while a middle grade reader would easily be able to follow the story line, the subject matter, makes Girls Like Us unsuited to middle grade and younger teen readers.

Additional thoughts available at JL's Bibliomania

* The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Awards are typically given in three categories: birth through grade school (age 0–8), middle grade (age 9–13) and teens (age 14–18).

[Kay Dee (what is your storygraph name? mine is in my bio. join me!) Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a YA book that i read for work. It had great reviews and won an award(s?). It was a short read.

There are 2 narrators and we hear the story as they journal by recording their thoughts into a tape player.
I am not a huge fan of diary style books. i either love it or hate it.
this i loved. some of the journal entries (aka chapters) were just 3 sentences!

I am also not a huge fan of bad English or dialect in writing. Mr. Twain and Ms. Beecher Stowe gave me a headache in middle school that i have never forgotten.
But in this book i could understand them without having to read it out loud twice. the way they talked really helped me to start thinking a lil like how they might.

i didn't read any synopsis, summary, review, or anything about this book. i didn't ask coworkers about it until after i was almost finished with it.

so i shall not say anymore except it really helps you to see life through a very different perspective. I like books that let me"walk a mile" in someone else shoes. Helps me to be more sympathetic and patient.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just didn't do anything for me. I liked the premise--two former special needs students being paired with one another as roommates as young adults--but I just found myself completely unable to relate to the characters at all. That was mainly due to what I considered an excessive use of Southern American English language characteristics. Both girls' accents were so pronounced that I found it really hard to actually put myself in their shoes. I think that throwing a few language characteristics in for local color would have been a great idea, but some of the sentences were almost incomprehensible to me. I think that the kids and teens I work with may also be put-off by the way the story is written, but who knows? Maybe they'll love it.

[elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and hard-hitting story of two recent high school grads who are self-proclaimed Speddies (people in Special Ed), and the older woman whose house they're placed in after graduation. Extremely emotional, with both Quincy and Biddy having to go through awful trauma at the hands of cruel men and boys. It took me awhile to sink in to their voices, but I'm glad that I persisted. For a month and a half I had only been able to read about 10 pages, but as soon as I really became engaged with the story, I read the rest in less than a day. Luckily, I was able to finish it before it's due back at the library (I already had the max # of renewals) tomorrow. Was on the 2014 National Book Award's longlist for Young People's Literature. 4 1/2 stars, rounded up.

[Misti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biddy and Quincy are both in the Special Ed program at school, but that doesn't mean that they have anything in common. When their social worker arranges for the two of them to live together after graduation, both girls have their doubts, but they will soon learn that they can be stronger together than they were on their own. This is a skillfully written book with a lot of heart. Biddy and Quincy's struggles are touching and relatable, and there are surprising flashes of humor as well. Highly recommended.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was another quick read! I thought that both of the characters were well thought out and the story's plot moved at an easy pace. Both the characters went through realistic story arcs that lead to believable character development. I am looking forward to teaching and sharing this with my students!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow...this book...I started it today and sped through it, finishing it just moments ago. Girls Like Us is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure I can do this one justice. Giles tells Biddy and Quincy's stories in an unflinching manner. It's hard and messy but so important. And I love the hope in this story.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 word summary: Devastating story of two girls and their recovery from rape.

#painfultoread #thisonewillhauntme

🦔🦔🦔🦔 I've decided this one is well worth my time and yours too.

[Correna Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and the accents were jarring at first. Eventually though, I did get into it and ended up loving this story. Its hard to listen to because of how difficult the content of the story is. I feel like it was done very well and I grew to love the characters.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should have contained hella trigger warnings, but it was beautiful and I loved it.