If I am reading a thriller, we all know it will be good.

Courtney Summer mixed tough topics with a decentish plot in her newest YA Thriller, I'm the Girl. This was a little bit of a letdown from Sadie but overall still a great storyline for YA audiences. It felt a little immature, but I still read the entire thing in one sitting. The thriller aspect was very well down, and it took me a few chapters to figure out the ending. The story will leave you on a rollercoaster ride, and it's perfect for the spooky season. If thriller YA is your thing, this will most likely be your book of the year. and should shouldn't wait to pick up your copy today.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced review copy.

I have loved every book that I have read from Courtney Summers, and this book is no exception. This book is described as a spiritual successor to her book Sadie, which I really enjoyed, and I think anyone who enjoyed Sadie will like this book. I like how Summers always includes a lot of social commentary in her novels (social class and privilege, and their effect on teenage girls, in this case), and how it all feels so natural. Sometimes I feel like an author can be too on the nose or beat you over the head with their message, but I never feel that way with Summers’ novels even though I still get the messages and themes she is going for. I also love how she writes characters, especially teenage girls. They just feel like real people, with all the good and the bad. They are allowed to be gritty and flawed and make mistakes, even if you sometimes want to yell at the choices they are making. I also enjoy the sapphic representation that she includes in her books. Another win for Courtney Summers.

I couldn’t put this down…no seriously!

Georgia is painfully naive about the world around her and defiant against the adults in her life but I felt so connected to her and how she perceived the world from personal experience when I was her age. I read this late into the night in one sitting (rare these days) and while these topics are important for young readers, I would not feel comfortable with a 14 year old girl reading this, as it’s listed in the YA category. The trigger/content warnings are a mile long and this is a dark but important read.

The writing is beautiful, Courtney Summers really is just captivating with her use of words, and I’m a HUGE fan of the voice for Georgia though I realize I may be the unpopular opinion on this one. If you’re not a fan of “emotionless” narrators that are dealing with/discussing trauma, the voice of the MC may not be to your liking. As a Capricorn and someone who processes events without emotion, this was 100% perfect for me and an absolute delight!

I really and truly cannot wait to see what comes next for Courtney Summers! I’ve read and loved Sadie and will be moving through Summers’ backlist now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love Courtney Summers books. One of my favorites by her is Sadie. I’ve yet to be disappointed by any of her books. This is going on my shelf.

Interesting book and I'm new to this author but I liked it and I thought it was a good book. Hoping for more from this author in the future.

I'm the girl was a mild ride with mild (and confusing) queer representation.

IM THE GIRL,; Georgia Avis, an impoverished orphan living in a small town with her brother dreams of getting out and making something of herself. When an opportunity to work at Aspera, a luxury retreat for the wealthiest men (and women) in the US presents itself she is ready for her big escape. While en route she discovers a body of young girl, and almost becomes a victim herself. As she navigates her trauma and dodging answers from the girls father (who happens to be the town sheriff and an alcoholic) and the girls sister (who keeps asking incredibly insensitive questions and bullying Georgia into giving her info, and despite that, Georgia finds she's attracted to her), and her own brother, who despises Aspera because of its history (their mother worked there and things didn't end up going so well for her). Still Georgia enters this elite playground for the uber wealthy and encounters violence, sexual assault and what exactly Aspera is willing to do for its guests.

I know this is YA but i found these back and forth conversations stiff and unrealistic, the incessant questioning and badgering of Georgia for information was also a bit much and the stakes (yes Nora wanted to find her sisters killer and sought her help) still felt like it was a lot to ask, especially when Nora was a highly unlikable character (in my opinion). The other thing that I found trivializing was Georgias sexuality, something I was excited to read about since I'm always on the hunt for queer representation in books across genres, was so...puzzling? Georgia thrived on the attention of men, their validation and their affection even though she was a lesbian which was confusing? She seemed more lost than secure in who she was and even the relationship with Nora felt a bit dull. The story itself didn't really feel fresh to me or offer a new cool POV from a queer lead. This was my first Courtney summers book so I'm not sure if this was the style of writing or something new but it just felt a bit choppy for me. I think the story had a promising arc and an interesting lead that unfortunately fell flat for me.

OUT NOW

Courtney Summers books always leave me breathless and heartbroken and this one was no different. I loved this MC who was so in love with herself for someone so young but also couldn't tell when those around her were hurting her. Her naiveté a trust in the beautiful adults around her read perfectly for the story and her age. I think this is a story that in some ways shows how a cycle of abuse can continue when we don't share information so people can protect themselves.

16 year old Georgia Avis has been obsessed with Aspera since her mother worked there and the gorgeous couple who run it saved her on the side of the road. At 16, Georgia is invited to work there, and due to the poverty of her older brother turned guardian, she is allowed. Georgia is quickly swept up in the beauty, wealth, and privilege but is also drawn into a dark and sticky web of violence. Prior to starting, she found a dead girl on the road leading to Aspera and promises to help the girl's older sister, Nora, find the killer. As the mystery unspools, so does the opulence of Aspera and Georgia must do everything she can to protect herself.

There are so many ways young girls can be and are hurt in our world Courtney Summers always cuts down to the heart of them in her books. I love Georgia for loving herself and her beauty so much, but unfortunately that is her downfall as well. She wants to be adored and when those around her that she idolizes start grooming her, she falls into it quickly, hoping for an end to her impoverished and ugly life. Her guardian as absent and secrets are kept from her about the reality of the place she works. Her brother KNOWS what goes on at Aspera because their mother worked there prior to her death, but still he lets Georgia work there too. Georgia is taken advantage of again and again and doesn't understand in her youth and innocence.

In the heart of this book, there is a small, soft, blossoming sapphic romance and it's sweetness is what keeps the whole things from being too dark. The end of the book has little hope but a lot of love and it feels real in ways something more positive would not.

I would recommend this to those that enjoy YA thrillers or other Courtney Summers books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every Courtney Summers' book I read further solidifies her place in my mind as one of the best YA authors of this generation. What makes her stand out to me is her characterizations. She has a knack for writing interesting, multi-faceted characters that are fully fleshed out and it increases the tension of her plot. I will gladly read every book she publishes from here on out.

This was sort of a let down - I loved Sadie but this felt “too” YA for me - but 3 solid stars for the beautiful writing. I’m going to try out the project next

The writing was superb with difficult topics and I would definitely recommend to others. Not a superb plot, but the writing will definitely keep you reading.

Wow, what a rollercoaster.

I wanted to start off with an acknowledgement of TW for SA and grooming.

The book starts off a bit disjointed, I don't mean this as a criticism but rather that it's almost manic. Which is fitting as Georgia Avis is a bit manic at the open of this book. She's just gotten herself in over her head with what had seemed like a promising start as a model, she's quickly realized was a scam. And BAM she's hit by a car.

As he reader, you're also caught off guard. She's just seen a young girl's dead body in the woods and then was a victim of a hit and run. It's a small town so she knows the dead girl, she knows her family, she knows her sister. And Nora, the sister, is ready to find out what happened to her little sister. She's ruthless, she's determined to uncover the truth, whatever it may be.

And Georgia decides to help Nora out. She's just started a new job working at a prestigious club, sort of like an elite resort.

I wasn't expecting the twists and turns that came with this book. Having read and loved Sadie, it was great to see the Easter Egg in this novel.

This is a tough read and a tough review. Following the story of Georgia and examining many of the harsh realities of life. Summers has a way with writing about uncomfortable topics yet still keeping the reader engaged and curious about the next plot point.

I am a strong advocate for YA thrillers. I think they’re honestly better than most of the adult thrillers I’ve read recently, in part because their plots are much more varied and unqiue than the woman disappears and her husband did it trope. In I’M THE GIRL, Georgia, a teen girl desperate to escape poverty, finds the body of Ashley James, a 13-year-old girl. Georgia teams up with Ashley’s older sister Nora to find the killer and seek justice for Ashley before they have a chance to strike again, which involves Georgia beginning to infiltrate the world of the powerful and wealthy. I really enjoyed this, which feels odd to say because it covers some tough topics and is not for the faint of heart. It was SO well-written and utterly riveting and compelling. The characterization was strong, and Summers is clearly a master of plotting. This is called a “spiritual successor to SADIE,” which I haven’t read but am adding to my list ASAP. Highly recommend!

Nonstop from beginning to end I could not put this book down and was fully engaged wondering what would happen next!

One thing about Courtney Summers - she's gonna write an unsettling story that pulls sympathy from you. I'm The Girl deals with a Lot of intense topics and Summers is incredibly eloquent when writing through them. Georgie - in my opinion - was a complex character. Being a teenage girl is hard, add being an orphan, getting hit by a car, stalked, and a myriad of other trauma experiences to that and you're willing to do anything to get out of your own life. I'm a fan of all of Courtney Summers's books and this one is a new favorite.

Courtney Summers has a way of writing that will keep you on the edge of your seat, keep you guessing, and throw you through more loops than you ever thought possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Courtney Summers has yet to write a book that I didnt' enjoy! She does not shy away from real and dark topics and her angry, strongwilled, teenage girl main characters are so real and so easy to root for. My only problem with this book is that the main character automatically assumes everyone is wanting the worst for her, except for the people that actually do. Otherwise, I loved the setting and the main character's voice. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I've loved Summers' previous YA novels, so the as soon as I first heard about this one, I was dying to read it. I was even more thrilled when the publisher reached out directly to me with an early copy! I honestly, I thought I would zoom through this one as quickly as I did with [Sadie] or [The Project]. But this one just didn't resonate with me. Maybe because I got a late summer cold in the middle of reading it is partly why I never found myself terribly eager to pick this one up. I am not sure why this one didn't work for me, really... I struggled to connect with the characters and there were even a few moments where I contemplated not finishing it - completely the opposite of what I anticipated.

While I liked the immediacy of the writing, I think it actually somehow slowed the pacing down because it wasn't always clear what exactly was taking place. The opening of the book - and premise - where Georgia Avis discovers the corpse of the younger sister of a classmate that she has long been drawn to - does hook the reader in, but it all gets a bit garbled in between the weight of grief, the sexualization and victimization of these young teens and the plethora of male predators in this Iowa town.

Georgia finally starts working at the town's ritzy and exclusive resort, but the price of being an Aspera Girl is higher than she imagined. Georgia's overall naïveté is mind-boggling. Her vanity, shallow attitude and odd blinders make it difficult to connect with her - or to root for her romance. Nora deserves better... I am sure that this will incite lively discussion amongst readers, but to be honest, I wish that I had skipped this one.

This was my first book by Courtney Summers and it was pretty good. I passed it on to work so they would order a copy

Not every Courtney Summers is for everyone. However, each one will hurt in just the right amount in just the right way that makes you come back over and over which is exactly what this one is.