I was super excited for this. I love queer stories, and especially queer retellings. And while I mostly enjoyed the story, sometimes I kind of just, fell out of it. It was a little hard to stay into it, and I was really disappointed in how it ended. I would’ve liked a much more concrete ending where we actually know what specifically happens to the girls after the fact.

Honestly, the concept of this book is brilliant. The aesthetic of this book was brilliant. Two girls on a road trip who murder a rapist and have to go on the run, and all with a vintage grunge aesthetic? PLEASE. I wish I were as badass as this book was. The stakes are high, the characters are messy, the aesthetic is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and the tension had me on the edge of my seat. This book is TENSE, engaging, and extremely easy to visualize. It’s also super fast paced! Oh man, what a read this was.

We need to take a moment to discuss the absolute best part of this book: the aesthetic. I’ve seen the vibe of this book compared to Riverdale (not a fan of that awful show at all, sorry) which is fairly accurate, but I actually find the aesthetic more comparable to Lana Del Rey’s vibe (before she went all yeehaw). Motorcycles, leather jackets, red lipstick, cigarettes, and run down motels. Basically, grunge femme fatale with a large dose of girl power. And I am HERE FOR THAT.

Also, I couldn’t help but think how amazing of an indie movie this would be. Because WOW, if this were adapted into a film, it would be the indie movie of the ages. Loved the aesthetic, loved the characters, loved the vibe. However, I have to be a little critical. I was absolutely racing through this book to get to the end, only to be disappointed after reading the last page. For me personally, there wasn’t enough closure for this to be a satisfying ending for me, and it was too open ended for my taste. The ending is the only thing keeping this book from a 5 star rating, but I still give this book a STRONG 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Very much a feminist and queer re-imagining of Thelma & Louise. I was super excited for this book, but alas it wasn't exactly what I expected. Ultimately I still enjoyed this one and I hope we get more books like this with queer characters.

Trouble Girls is about Trixie and Lux, two small town girls who are headed on a well deserved vacation. They stop in a college town bar and when Lux is almost sexually assaulted, Trixie stabs the guy. The two flee and later find out that he died.

This started out really great, but as soon as Trixie and Lux thought that $2000 and some change was going to last them an indefinite amount of time, I might have checked out a little bit. It didn't feel realistic for these two girls. While they are teenagers, both of them had extra responsibilities at home that forced them to grow up more than a normal teenager. Lux takes care of her young brother and Trixie is the primary caregiver for her mother who is sick with either Alzheimer's or dementia and is losing memories. These two definitely knew the value of money and I couldn't reconcile it with their seemingly frivolous attitude at first.

Eventually they did come back to the real world and were like shit we don't have much money now. Besides writing some blog posts, the connection to the #MeToo movement seemed a bit vague. Yes other stuff happens elsewhere in the world after Trixie & Lux's situation is broadcast, but it didn't really feel like the two girls had a direct say in it. I guess I had expected a more direct connection.

Then there's the ending which was quite a mess? Open-ended endings are hit or miss for me and this one was sadly a miss. I just did not understand this ending. (view spoiler)

I wanted to like this one more than I did, but the naivete of the girls and some of the unrealistic events kept me from connecting with this one as much as I wanted to.

tw/cw: alcohol, anxiety, panic attacks, blood, graphic injuries, death, depersonalization, dementia, drugs, guilt, homelessness, misogyny, teen pregnancy, racism, white supremacy, sexual assault/rape (on-page), suicidal thoughts, teenage pregnancy, threats, tobacco use, violence

I was sucked into this dark, emotional YA thriller. It’s the epitome of secondhand anxiety and there aren’t many light moments to balance out the dread, but since this book deals with the ugly aftermath of sexual assault, I think the vibe was spot-on. I had an anxious, sick feeling in my gut the whole time I was reading this, and while that doesn’t sound like a good thing, I think it speaks to how well Rubin conveys those emotions.

The story is told from the first-person POV of Trixie Denton, a high schooler who waitresses at a diner and cares for her single mother with dementia. Trixie has been sexually assaulted in the past and the “hog men” who frequent the diner bring up those terrible memories. Trixie’s two sources of light are Judy, the spunky grandmotherly figure who also waitresses at the diner, and Lux Leesburg, her longtime best friend and crush. When Trixie and Lux plan a weekend getaway, they’re looking forward to some time off, but a horrible event en route turns their lives upside down and prompts them to go on the run.

Rubin does a great job of weaving feelings of dread throughout the novel. Trixie appears to suffer from panic attacks/PTSD and depersonalization, and she often has intense feelings that things are “off” about a situation. Trixie and Lux meet lots of people during their journey, and Trixie’s waffling between feelings of trust and distrust left me on the edge of my seat. It was also heartbreaking to witness Trixie and Lux missing the kind people they leave behind: both in their hometown (Judy, Trixie’s mom, Lux’s family) and along their journey.

Trixie and Lux are both very flawed and neither is always likable. While they are oftentimes frustrating, I found their portrayal realistic and important. They actually act like teenagers, from the way they speak to their mannerisms to the way they don’t make the wisest decisions. We get to see how horrible situations might affect teenagers, might make them scared and not know where to turn to, might make them think the only way out is to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole of destruction.

There is also a friends-to-lovers romance between the girls, but this isn’t one of those books that focuses on relationship buildup and falling in love. Trixie and Lux are implied to be already in love at the beginning of the novel, and the main focuses are their leaning on each other, supporting each other, and finally recognizing their feelings for each other.

There’s also discussion of how the girls’ disastrous night impacts the whole country, as people are divided on who to believe and support. There’s some focus on activism from the local university’s WOC-led Intersectional Feminist Union, and likewise there are people who hate their activism and want to bring assault survivors down (be forewarned that the misogynistic comments in this book are very disturbing and might be too much for some readers). Trixie and Lux also acknowledge that they have privilege as white girls, which was good to see.

I would have liked to have seen more from the ending, and I while I’m not mad that the girls made a bunch of reckless decisions, I thought that some of their narrow escapes were quite convenient. There is also the question of whether certain aspects of the book are playing into harmful narratives (ex: queer women hate men and/or were abused by men, cops can be saviors), but after some deliberation, I don't personally feel like this story is broadcasting those messages.

I received an ARC from Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin has created a tragic love story reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde but with a twist. I am going to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. Two young girls intend to have a fun-filled getaway that has a tragic turn. Due to their age and immaturity, they make some horrible choices then get in way over their heads, leading to a terrifying and heartbreaking story of love, loss in a coming to age story that is not like anything you have ever experienced before. Rubin did an exceptional job at showing how life can take one moment in time and change the rest of our lives, how it can mold and shape us for better or for worse. She was able to show how these two girls struggled with that one moment every day after it happened, and living with that tore them apart, taking small pieces of them little by little. It was so sad and, in some ways, tragically beautiful to see it happen. As a mom, I wanted to reach into the pages and hug these poor girls and tell them it would be okay, but the truth was it wouldn't be okay. It would never be okay, and they would never be those carefree girls again. That one moment in time had changed them forever, and they would never be who they were before. This story is not for the faint of heart, it is a shock to the system to read, and I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion, feeling everything they were feeling. I am glad I experienced this story and had the opportunity to read it. I can't say that I would have read it if it wasn't sent to me as an ARC for review, but I am delighted I did because it will stay with me for a while. Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin is a fast-paced thrill ride of young love and mayhem to the bitter end.

This book is well-written and I did like the social commentary-ness of TROUBLE GIRLS, but I don’t know... maybe THELMA & LOUISE just isn’t meant to be retold in YA in almost its entirety.

Trixie Denton (~17) and Lux Leesburg (~17) go on a weekend getaway but accidentally get entangled with a crime. Now, they are on the run and the road trip stretches into days and weeks.

I… am not sure what I just read.

I appreciate the points this book is making, including the main theme of sexual assault and some mentions of racism, homophobia, etc., but other than that, the somewhat unnecessary descriptions included to build the scenes made me very uncomfortable. Especially some insults other characters throw around. They felt somewhat gratuitous even though, at the same time, I understand why they were included.

The book is full of panic attacks and anxious energy, and yet, I never really felt enough connection to the main characters to care for them. I liked that the romance subplot is full of chemistry, but other than that, Trixie and Lux just move from town to town, meeting a lot of random people on their way. And I didn’t feel like I know them at all, even when it is told in Trixie’s first-person point of view.

Had the story been told from Lux’s POV, we might have been able to learn more about the both of them. Alas, I spent most of the time waiting for the ending of the story and when I reached it, I was disappointed. Like the movie, which I have not seen, it is somewhat open-ended. I love a good open ending, but in TROUBLE GIRLS, I finished the book wondering why I road-tripped with them for almost 300 pages.

I should reiterate that Rubin wrote the story well, but I personally couldn’t get into it. Perhaps, if you are a THELMA & LOUISE fan, you will love this YA retelling.

[Content warnings: murder, panic attack, dementia, sexual assault (including rape), blood, homophobia, smoking (underage), brief suicidal thoughts, mention of overdose, homophobia, misogyny, mention of teen pregnancy, mention of trans rejection, mention of racism]

The first thing that comes to mind, when thinking about this book is: “I feel it ... the enchantment.”
This book was a whirlwind of events, but it flowed smoothly and carried you through the craziness. From the tone and voice of the protagonist, to the manic pixie dream girl love interest. It kept you addicted and needing more. The overall plot, with the interconnecting social movements and topics of massive importance, worked together in a way that was informative and entertaining.
As an own voices (queer and survivor) reviewer, I can confidently say the topics that were discussed were talked about with grace and kindness. All while keep true to the importance and lasting effects they may have.
My only wish, is that the author would have given Lux a bit more depth and story line with her experience as a victim. And her past trauma as a whole.
This very well may be one of my favourite reads of this year. It was beautifully written and expertly delivered.

"But know there are girls like us, waiting in the wings. Girls with knives on their fingers and razer blades for teeth."

Nobody is more disappointed than I am that I didn't like this book. I was expecting to love it so much and instead I had to drag myself through it, in hopes that an explosive ending would WOW me. It did not.

Some parts were interesting and held my attention, mostly where they are interacting with other people. But for the majority of the book, it just fell flat for me. Lux felt very one dimensional to me and I know part of that is because of how Trixie saw her for most of the book. But even in later parts I couldn't get a grasp on her except bubblegum and pictures. I think this book would have benefitted from a dual POV set up. We would have gotten the dichotomy of Lux's personality vs. how Trixie sees her much sooner AND it would have added some depth to their story to see her emotional journey alongside Trixie's.

That being said, they make the DUMBEST decisions. Teenagers, I know, they make stupid decisions. But seriously, I spent half this book yelling at them. Who goes on the run, finds a group of people who *knows* who they are, and then just trusts them enough to try and stay the night? And the ending was just a complete miss for me. I think if the ending of the book followed the ending of the movie, I probably would have given this another star, but they wouldn't let a YA book end like that.

And finally, while I appreciate the conversation this book was trying to have with the social movements in reaction to Trixie's actions, it also fell a bit flat for me. To be honest, some parts just felt a little bit performative.

Overall, not a good reading experience. I do think other people will probably love this book, but it wasn't for me.

3.25 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an arc of this book.

On a weekend trip, best friends Trixie and Lux run into trouble at a bar and the night ends in violence. The girls go on the run as wanted fugitives, and they have to deal with harsh truths and realities as they leave behind the only life they've ever known, and only have each other to hang onto.

I so badly wanted to love this book, but it just didn't grip me the way I had hoped it would. I felt like the pacing was quite slow, and I didn't feel like I knew the characters enough to really care about them. The important things that happened were kind of glanced over in the writing to make way for more reflection from Trixie, which is fine, but makes for a read where it feels like you're always waiting for the action to start.

The most interesting part of this book for me was the discussions of sexual assault, the forum posts, and where the girls went with that. I thought those parts made some really good points and was an important topic.

I was not a fan of the ending of this book, personally.

Pub Date: June 1, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Misogyny , and Sexism
Moderate: Murder, Rape, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and Dementia
Minor: Toxic relationship and Panic attacks/disorders

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a fan of multiple POVs. But this is a book that really would have benefited from two POVs. Lux is a bit of an enigma throughout the whole book because Trixie only sees what she wants to see and so we're almost constantly caught off guard when Lux does something Trixie doesn't expect (but is actually totally in character for Lux).

Plus, we spend the whole book running away from the "why" - we know the what and the who and the how, but Trixie and Lux never really sit down and talk about why anything happens. There's the brief EST conversation that happens right after the inciting incident, when Lux pretty much undermines the whole thing (big yikes) and then Trixie shuts it down and they just... Never talk about it again. Trixie thinks about it, but because we don't ever get inside of Lux's head to see her side of the story, to get her thoughts and feelings on it, we're just constantly overwhelmed by Trixie's guilt and anxiety and it falls on Lux to smooth it over but never dig deep.

It feels like we got a sampler of a much deeper book. We get flashes of Trixie's past, flashes of consequences outside of our two Trouble Girls and their road trip, briefly meeting people and getting hints of a different kind of life... But it's like looking through a murky window. We could have gone so much deeper. I would have loved for Trixie to think about what her queerness means in spite of or because of or hidden from her self-professed white trash upbringing. But instead they just... Run off and spend money and then freak out about spending money. There's no deep dive into anything, which makes the book feel unfortunately very superficial.

This book was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Luxe and Trixie (like so many have said) are the Thelma and Louise for the new generation. The writing is very fluid but also has an edge. Even after reading I have so many thoughts that I can't really articulate them.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC of this book!

Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin is a fast-paced, dark, and twisty story about two girls desperate to get away and find a place they can both breathe.

Trixie is looking forward to the camping trip she has planned with her best friend Lux. It's exactly what she needs to escape their tiny town and her sick mother and her horrible job at the diner. They head out for their trip, but before it can even get started, a horrible and violent incident leaves them panicked and on the run. What follows is a tale of two girls trying to survive with minimal cash, minimal supplies, and a whole lot of close calls.

I really love the prose of this book. It definitely has an aesthetic quality to it, and it lends itself well to the story. I really loved the relationship between Trixie and Lux. We get to see just how deep it goes, and it's much more than a crush. It's a friendship spanning an entire childhood of playing and laughing and taking care of each other. It felt natural.

The story is very much a commentary on how women are treated in society in general. Trixie calls them 'hog men', and the way they leer and stare and grab is the heat to her already boiling trauma. The incident in question sparks a movement about how sexual assault is handled on college campuses and how sometimes when you corner someone with your body and your privilege, they just might bite back and they just might be justified in doing so. Sometimes victims are made to feel like they can't trust anyone to help them, to believe them. When you can't trust anyone, what do you do?

Overall, a very entertaining thriller that'll have you wondering how much further these girls can possibly go.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars
This book falls into the category of "this is the story for someone, but I am not that someone." I did not connect to Trixie or Lux and felt that their relationship was developed more out of trauma bonding then genuine connection. The dynamic was unhealthy, in my opinion, and depended on escapism to thrive. I understand some of these thought processes (#metoo), but I failed to see where the message for this story was going. This was heart wrenchingly, frustrating to read. So though it was fast paced and definitely pulls out emotion, it's not a story I would visit to feel comraderie in the #metoo movement. I wanted to root for these girls and this story, but it missed the mark for me. Wishing luck to Rubin in future works!

Wow! I could not read TROUBLE GIRLS fast enough because I needed to know what would happen next--but I also wanted to savor it because Trixie and Lux are such great characters. Initially, I thought this might be predictable, perhaps following the "Thelma and Louise" plot point-by-point. That is not the case! The story is inventive and takes some great twists with the movie's narrative as well as characters, which makes for a fun, fast-paced read. The mistakes Trixie and Lux make are believable and their consequences logical (and sometimes very surprising). I absolutely love how author Julia Lynn Rubin has brought in #MeToo, It creates such a perfect, timely backdrop for this story and the characters (main and secondary) and elicits some surprises along the way.

It's hard to say too much about this book because I don't want to spoil anything. As a queer educator, I am thrilled to recommend this to my LGBTQIAP+ students so they can see themselves on the page. I'll be recommending it to all of my students as well because it's a well-written story with fully realized characters. I can't wait to use this as an example of a non-fairytale retelling in my creative writing classes.

Trouble Girls is a book with an intense and ultimately very relevant plot that had the potential to be a standout hit for me but it ultimately fell flat on too many aspects. The story follows best friends Trixie and Lux as a fun filled weekend road trip turns into something much darker after an incident at a college bar sends the pair fleeing the scene of a crime.

I was excited to read this after receiving an email inviting me to read an advanced copy. The synopsis was intriguing and the comparison to Sadie by Courtney Summers really sold it to me. I do think that if you enjoyed Sadie, Trouble Girls could be worth picking up.

So Trixie was the narrator of the story and it was interesting to see the events unfold through her eyes. She was a bit of an unreliable narrator and I actually really enjoyed this because I could see how her love for Lux and her need to protect Lux from everything caused Trixie to ignore her own needs. As the story moved on, there were moments of clarity when Trixie seemed to be figuring out how her bias affected her choices but then she’d get caught in her own anxiety spirals and would take another drastic step towards what she thought was the correct choice. I thought that the anxiety and PTSD was realistically written and while the scenes were almost overwhelming to read they were one of the best written parts of the book. Due to the way that Trixie spent most of the book inside her own head and coping with her own stress I will say that most of the rest of the characters, including Lux, didn’t feel fleshed out.

Now with the plot I admit that it was hard to stay completely engaged. The beginning of the book was really slow and even after the scene in the bar that causes Trixie and Lux to run away there were so many moments where the plot dragged. Realizing now where the author chose to end the book I see why the middle portion of the book was slow and this was disappointing. I was invested in these girls and it hurt to read their pain. The larger plot involving the aftermath and what was going on back in their hometown began to make points towards a larger real world problem involving sexual assault but it never went anywhere because it all got cut short in the end.

When I reached the ending of the book I was balancing on 3.5 stars as a rating and could have seen myself rounding up if the ending had been different. I was so disappointed in the ending. As I mentioned previously about who Trixie was as a character I understood why she made the last minute choices that she did but the choice that the author made to leave the ending completely open just didn’t sit right with me. I know that some people have very strong opinions about open ended books but I’m not too picky, if the book suits the ending I’ll take the questions I may have and they add to my enjoyment. In other cases, as was the case with Trouble Girls, the questions detracted from the overall good parts of the story because it gave me nothing to root for. There wasn’t enough of a connection to the real world narrative for this to feel like a statement on the #MeToo movement and it kind of felt cheap. I didn’t feel like I got to properly see Trixie and Lux to the end of their journey and that’s why I ended up rounding down to 3 stars.

Trouble Girls was a dark book. It had a heavy plot centered around relevant topics from real life. The characters were realistic and flawed and it was heartbreaking to watch them make each choice throughout the story. Though it was slow moving at times, there was enough action to keep me engaged while reading though the open ending is what kept me from fully enjoying this book. It had the potential to be the hard hitting book it hoped to be in which it shows how one night could change the course of someone’s life forever but unfortunately it just didn’t quite make it.

“Maybe there are no signs or symbols in this world at all, just things we desperately want to see."

Trouble Girls is a new age queer Themla and Louise storyline with characters Lux and Trixie who plan to spend the weekend together end up running from the law after a violent encounter when a man tries to assault one of them. Suddenly they are wanted fugitives. As the media spins the story they soon realize they only have each other.

There's something about two young women who stop a terrible man from doing a terrible thing then running from the police that makes me scream "Gimmie!" You can't help root for Trixie and Lux. While the story had a lot of great qualities the overall plot was just okay for me. Most of the book is Trixie and Lux on a road trip and the mistakes they make. I was hoping for more of a cat and mouse chase between the girls on the run and the police. These characters are teens and so the poor decision making is accurate and authentic. It's great that more queer representation is happening in books instead of the typical heterosexual relationship too. I wish we could have seen more of Trixie and Lux's romantic relationship.

The portrayal of victims of sexual abuse and the response of outsiders as well as how their abusers are treated is depressing but accurate. The storyline strives to intertwine the #metoo movement but the author could have gone a bit deeper with that.

Overall this book was just okay for me. I don't regret reading it but it wasn't my favorite book.

Trouble Girls is a beautifully written thrill ride, taking readers through emotional turmoil, high stakes and grunge aesthetic. Rubin sensitively explores rape culture and victim blaming through two teenage girls unfortunately all too familiar with a system that protects abusers and denies their victims justice. With an intense relationship, vivid imagery and girls fighting back, Trouble Girls will leave you breathless.

I really enjoyed this book! For me, Trouble Girls’ main strength lies in its writing. Rubin effortlessly conveys the cynical tone and character of our narrator, Trixie, a girl from small town West Virginia with a tough home life through simple, casual prose and sharp descriptions. The aesthetic and the atmosphere of the book was one of my favourite parts, though I’m not too sure how to describe it. The synopsis calls it the ‘aesthetic of Riverdale’ which I read as existing in this inbetween space of vintage aesthetic infused with modern vibrancy and pop culture. It has this blistering, run down and forgotten vibe that feels almost like falling into a dream scape at times, complemented by sharp writing and characters and the piercing urgency of conversations surrounding sexual assault. I think this line from the books most aptly describes it:

"This is purgatory played to a soundtrack of pop music"

Something else I enjoyed about this book was that the characters were unapologetically messy. They’re just a couple of teenagers thrown into a situation no one is ever prepared for and they make a lot of questionable decisions and mistakes but the reader always understands their reasoning. There’s also a palpable anxiety to everything that sets you on edge and helps you feel even a fraction of what they’re feeling and connect with them. I also thought that the conversations surrounding misogyny, rape culture and homophobia were handled really sensitively and enjoyed this aspect. The horrors of what’s portrayed and discussed is well offset by the girls’ reaction and narrative of fighting back. I also really enjoyed the romance between the two main characters and the development of their relationship from best friends with what felt like a lot of dependency on Trixie’s part, to just as intense but more independent of each other and capable of standing on their own together. I also really appreciated the sex positivity of their relationship and the soft moments the two of them shared, which really offset the harshness of the rest of the story.

However, I would say that this relationship and Lux’s character could have done with some more development. In particular, I loved the concept of deconstructing the idea of a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl character through Lux, but felt that not enough was done to develop her character to make this effective. Additionally, I wouldn’t say this book dragged exactly, but I would say that the momentum was really inconsistent and there were times where it got lost. I think this also impacted the ending, in that there just wasn’t the same intensity or drive and it fell flat. This was coupled with a lack of resolution that honestly soured my experience after really loving the majority of the book.

For me, Trouble Girls was much like the sweets Trixie and Lux delight in: great while you’re reading it but leaves you feeling kind of empty afterwards. The more I reflect on this book, the less I can say it has stuck with me, despite how much I enjoyed reading it. However, much like sweets, it was an enjoyable experience and had me hooked right from the beginning with gorgeous writing. Despite my issues I did overall love Trouble Girls for its messy characters, killer aesthetic and narrative of fighting the fuck back and challenging rape culture.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I thought Trouble Girls would be something like Promising Young Woman meets Thelma & Louise but unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations.

Trixie and Lux are two girls from a small town in West Virginia, who desperately need to get away for the weekend to escape their difficult lives. However, in their attempt to have fun things go sideways and they end up committing a crime and running away across the country.

I think the idea was quite interesting and appealing but this book has a lot of wasted potential: the plot gets monotonous and boring after a few pages, the main characters are so naïve and immature that it’s a bit hard to connect with them and also, the book is filled with YA clichés and it felt like I had already read it before.

Another thing that made me a bit reluctant to like this book was the style of the prose: the language used in the book feels very colloquial and simple and not very literary, and while that’s fine for some readers, to me it felt like the book was written for Wattpad. Once again, this is totally fine and I often like books that read like fanfiction but I just didn’t connect with this one.

If you are looking for an easy read, a sapphic teenage romance and runaway criminals on a road trip, this might be your book. The fact that it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!

TW: domestic abuse, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, violence.
Rep: (L)GBT – Main characters

I’ve just finished reading an eARC of Trouble by Julia Lynn Rubin. Whew. This one took a lot out of me. It’s a Thelma and Louise retelling (which I apparently did not remember like I thought I did— I just checked the plot synopsis to confirm), with a sapphic YA twist.

This book has some very nice moments of friendship, girl crushes, the excitement of starting a road trip, and the thrill of causing chaos and hopefully getting a little revenge.

I definitely suggest you read through some of the content warnings in other reviews, at least. Especially if you’re not familiar with the original tale (and maybe even if you are.)

Thank you to NetGalley for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

** spoiler alert ** tw// mentions of sexual assault

This book is described as a queer YA #MeToo reimagining of Thelma and Louise which is the best way to describe this book. I loved how it touched upon important topics such as how female victims of sexual assault aren’t always believed and how the media harshly twists their stories. This forms the reasoning behind the main character’s decisions throughout the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this fast-paced story. There were several moments when my heart started beating fast because this book makes you feel like you’re on the run. The characters are well-rounded, enjoyable, and real.

With that being said, I feel like it didn’t quite live up to its potential. The plot-point about the main characters using social media to stand up for themselves and seeing others supporting them was really interesting, yet very underutilized. The ending was abrupt and provided no closure.

ARC copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.