Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin's Press-- Wednesday Books, and author Courtney Summers for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This read was not was I was expecting at all, and I was wishing that I paid more attention to the comparison I saw to the book My Dark Vanessa, which was one of the heaviest books I've ever read. This is a hard read-- and not in a good way for me personally. The cover is gorgeous, and I was drawn in by the description that it was a queer mystery thriller. However, there are very little queer undertones and very little of the actual mystery plot. Even though the protagonists were teenagers, I would not recommend this for a YA audience, as there is pretty intense discussion about sexual assault/sexual manipulation of teenagers all throughout. This was hard to read and in a very jarring way; although My Dark Vanessa was equally as heavy (if not more so), the quality writing and plot at least helped to redeem the subject matter. For me personally, this writing was very discombobulated. The book immediately jumped into the action to the point where I kept flipping back to the beginning because I thought I missed something. At one point, I even Googled if this was a sequel because it felt like the author just assumed you knew who all the characters and settings were. Nothing was ever explained adequately, so it made it hard to me to get into as a reader because I just felt confused. Add that on top of the sensitive subject matter, and I didn't have an enjoyable reading time. There was also almost no chemistry between the two queer characters, and the killer/twist was apparent from early on, making two of the biggest plot draws irrelevant. I know Summers is an acclaimed author, so I am curious about her other works, but unfortunately, this was not the book for me.

Georgie is a 16 year old girl who comes from poor surroundings and the key to freedom and the lifestyle she dreams of is her beauty. She accidentally comes across the dead body of a young girl. From that moment on her life drastically changes.

This was a heavy read but it was well done. Ultimately I have mixed feelings about it.

Books by Courtney Summers always take me a little time to sift through because I feel like she brings so much to the page for us to unpack. The story challenges its readers to dive deep into a girl who doesn’t have it all figured out. Georgia is a dreamer, and she doesn’t understand the price she’s being asked to pay until it’s being taken from her, and even then, she works really hard to rationalize what’s happened.

Georgia is the kind of character I wanted to stop from making the choices she’s making. I totally got why she did what she did. I knew she couldn’t see the danger signs. She was caught up in some other place, seeing stars and the recognition she felt she’d always been denied. It’s like those horror movies where the bad guy is hiding behind a door with an axe and you’re watching the main character opening doors without a clue what’s coming.

There was one moment toward the end, which I don’t think I can explain well without spoilers, but I’ll do my best. Georgia discovers a connection between a murdered girl and another crime operation, but the connection seemed weird to me. I think I wanted more explanation to understand what made that connection plausible. Otherwise it seemed like an unnecessary risk to the crime operation, if that makes sense?

Other than that, I feel like this is a book that grabbed my heart with both hands and squeezed, and I kind of held my breath until the end, hoping that Georgia would be okay, would learn what she needed to learn, and that she would answer the question about whether to accept a predatory power structure for herself.

It feels a little weird to refer to this book as a successor to SADIE when I feel like the whole premise of SADIE was that Sadie wholeheartedly rejects that predatory power structure, but there’s definitely a connection thematically between the two books. And both contain sisters seeking justice at any price.

I’M THE GIRL is another powerful story by an incredible author. It delves into some difficult content (sexual assault, victim of child pornography, underage drinking), so be aware of that.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to this book after loving Sadie. This has that same ominous feeling as Sadie, but is not told in the same mixed media format. This book is pretty heavy and does have alot of triggers. I'm not sure how I feel about this book even after sitting with it for a bit. It is an uncomfortable read for sure, and it has several unlikable characters. This is going to be a difficult one to review without spoilers.

Georgia is 16, and she has big dreams. She dreams of working at the exclusive members only club in her town, Aspera. She wants to be an Aspera girl, but unfortunately she doesn't know what that entails. Her mother worked at Aspera, but she kept much of her work a secret from her daughter. This of course had the opposite effect and make it look glamourous instead of dangerous to Georgia. With her mother having lost her battle with cancer, she can't giver her the facts and tell her the truth of the club and the wonders and dangers that lie within.

At the heart of this story, Georgia is naïve, immature, and trusting of everyone around her. She takes everything everyone tells her at face value and believes them. So when she gets caught up in a murder investigation, she finds herself in situations that she really should never be in. While you think that the investigation might be the main focus, there is a much bigger much more sinister plot happening around her. Speaking of the plot, it was kind of all over the place. One moment we are with Georgia and Nora as they are "investigating" the murder, the next minute we are with Georgia as she is trying to better her position and "live her dreams" at Aspera. Georgia is being groomed and manipulated by the people she thinks are protecting her and she doesn't even know it. My biggest issue with this book is the flow of the varied storylines, they didn't feel cohesive and the ending was abrupt. The message and overall plot was good, but it didn't deliver in the end for me. Perhaps it was messy by design as was the message and content of the book. It doesn't deliver on atmosphere and the emotional aspects. It gives you that squirmy, icky feeling and I always had that feeling of waiting for the jump scare to happen. Georgia finds herself in several messy and ugly situations. You aren't sure if you want to hug her or shake her. As an outsider looking in you can't imagine why she can't see the danger right in front of her, but as a realist you know that kids/people get sucked into these kind of situations all the time in the real world. People, kids especially, get caught up in the promise of wealth and better things, especially when it comes from an adult they trust.

Overall, this was just ok for me. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it either. The message was haunting but the execution was not to my taste. I would caution readers to look up trigger warnings before diving in as this has many when it comes to grooming, SA, manipulation, etc.

Anyone who thinks YA is all butterflies, rainbows, and fluffy bunnies should read this book. I think a lot of YA books, like this one, are really boundary pushing. I’m the Girl gives me My Dark Vanessa vibes, buts it’s also unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
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I am shook by this book y’all.
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Sixteen-year-old Georgia has only ever known poverty and struggle. She wants nothing more in life than to be one of the glittering girls who works at Aspera, an exclusive resort for the rich and famous. After Georgia stumbles across the body of 13-year-old Ashley James near the resort, she teams up with Ashley’s sister, Nora, to find the killer. While the girls start to develop feelings for each other, Georgia begins work at Aspera where she is dazzled by wealth and privilege. But what dark secrets lurk behind Aspera’s closed doors?
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I’m the Girl got me thinking, and left me reeling. I was so stressed while power reading this raw thriller. This book explores constructs of beauty, sexuality, and power. It’s told through the hopeful voice of a 16-year-old girl who is naive to the dark, predatory, brutal world of adults lurking around her. This feminist book takes a chainsaw to the patriarchal door hiding secrets of the rich and powerful, revealing a ruthless, disturbing, bleak, and crushingly realistic world.
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I listened to and read this book. The writing and narration is absolutely gripping. Thank you to @netgalley , @macmillan.audio , and @wednesdaybooks for the digital ARCs in exchange for an honest review.
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I’m the Girl - Courtney Summers
4/5⭐️
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TWs: sexual assault, misogyny, toxic masculinity, sex slavery

Since Sadie, I have been eager to read all of Courtney Summers' new releases. She clearly does not shy away from tackling dark, difficult topics, and her style of writing is so unique. The teaser blurb of this one really captured me, and I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy.

Summers' style does not disappoint— it's twisty and disconnected, and it created the perfect atmosphere for this story. The setup is interesting and draws you in, immediately engaging you in the mystery.

But that's about where my enjoyment of the book ended, unfortunately. The action of this story was packed into the last 1/5 of the book, with the first 4/5 quickly becoming repetitive and wandering. Additionally, the revelations in the story weren't unexpected to me, as I felt like they'd been revealed in marketing for the book. I kept wondering, "Wait, was that supposed to be a surprise?" Maybe it wasn't supposed to be surprising, but I just kept waiting for the story to reach where I knew we were going... and then it just ended.

I wanted to like this so much, but it just was a miss for me. Though, don't get me wrong—I'll still be picking up Courtney Summers' next release.

Poor Georgia :( the world really failed her. There are a lot of dark themes in this book, but it's gritty an honest.

Another powerful, visceral novel from Summers. The kind of prose that simultaneously lulls and flays the reader open with its sharp, no-holds-barred detail. The characters feel like real people you could encounter in ordinary places, unaware of the horror hiding just behind their breastbones. Writers of any genre should study Summers's novels.

Content warnings (explicit but handled with solemnity): sexual assault, aftermath of rape including graphic description of a dead rape victim, objectification of girls and women, explicit language

Georgia Avis is a young teenage girl who is hellbent on becoming an 'Aspera girl', one of the young women who work at the local resort and serve the wealthy upper echelon of society. When we first meet her, she is hit by a car after an encounter with a sleazy con man at the mall. After she wakes up, she comes upon the body of a local missing girl. Georgia and the sister of the dead girl, Nora, discover that these events are not as unconnected as they seem at first.

This book was unsettling, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a haunting look at the way our world treats girls and women, and how some men are allowed to take everything from them. It was difficult to get into at first and I had a hard time understanding some of Georgia's choices, but they make sense for her character. I'd recommend this book to anyone who liked Courtney Summer's previous book, Sadie, or people who enjoy thrillers.

This book was gritty and hard to read, and you might want to check for trigger warnings. I feel it is for a more mature YA audience and that it could help someone reading it see that a person is more than a pretty face and nice body; that they are worth more than that. It might help someone be on the lookout for predators and grooming. The author definitely has a way of writing that grabs you no matter the subject matter.

Georgia, a 16-year-old girl who bases the bulk of her worth on her good looks gets drawn into the beautiful and superficial world of a resort for the ultra-wealthy. Of course, since Courtney Summers wrote it, it doesn't end so well for Georgia, but it does make for a gripping, haunting story that will stick with you for days after you're done reading.

I liked the LGBT+ representation in this book and that Georgia was an obviously flawed main character. Her narcissisms and singular focus on being an "Aspera girl" got a bit old after a while but over all I would call this another hit for Summers. Not as good as Sadie, but as she says in this book, that one was hard to follow.

I would be lying if I said I didn't love every Courtney Summers book I picked up. The writing style is emotional and life-like, which by that I mean it never falls flat. Her stories are thrilling and exciting, I'm the Girl is no differnet. This one covers the secrets of beauty and the power it ca hold. I am completely hooked and excited about this book!

Sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis knows her exquisite beauty will take her places. The one place she wants to go is Aspera, a gated resort in her town that caters to the wealthy and powerful who want absolute privacy. Despite the warnings from her late mother, Georgia makes her way to the resort, determined to become an Aspera Girl. Along the road, she discovers the raped and mangled body of 13-year-old Ashley James, the sister of classmate Nora. Even as Georgia lands a job at Aspera and attracts the attention of its owners, she teams up with Nora to unearth what really happened to Ashley, a sweet romance blossoming between Georgia and Nora in the process. The unexpected truth is discovered only as they delve into a twisting labyrinth of deceit and cover-ups. Summers examines the privileged decadence, predatory activities, and subtle grooming that tempt young things into believing they are precious and special. Brutal and bold in its telling, Summers’ account of Georgia’s inability to grasp that her dreams are on a course to becoming nightmares yields a raw and crushing page-turner.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-seller Summers’ Epstein-tinged thriller will be on the radar of her sizable fan base. Ready the waiting lists!

This review appears in the September 1, 2022, issue of Booklist Magazine and on my web site WhenLooseEndsMeet.com

I’ve always enjoyed Courtney Summers’ books from zombies to troubled youth. I’m the Girl introduces us to sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis whose recently lost her mother, made some bad choices, and discovered the body of a murdered thirteen-year-old girl. Suspense and heartbreak unfold in this coming of age thriller.

Georgia and her brother are getting by after losing their mother. Georgia is angry with her mother. Mostly because she feels her mother held her back. She told her no to certain things without explanation and now Georgia is hellbent on proving her mother wrong. So, of course, she is doing exactly what her mother didn’t want.

The story opens with Georgia in an unsavory situation and receiving a portfolio of modeling photos she hopes will make all of dreams come true. How and where she purchased them will be revealed, but not before they are stolen and she discovers the murdered body of Ashley James. Ashley is the younger sister of Nora and soon she and Georgia will begin investigating her death.

The tale will take us down a dark, twisted path as Georgia gains employment at a private member only club/resort and pushes to make her dreams a reality. We learn about her mother’s past, and the hours leading up to Ashley’s murder. Summers shines a light on the darker aspects of life in this realistic thriller.

Character growth, first love and more are found along the way in this well-paced thriller. Georgia will enter a world of privilege, wealth, and power where she’ll soon discover it’s not the perfect world she has imagined.

While not my favorite Summers story, I enjoyed the twisty vibe of this one and the romance developing between Georgia and Nora. The ending was bitter and heartbreaking. I’m the Girl was a thought-provoking, sometimes depressing and dark tale that highlights the darker side of small-town living and the powerful employer who controls it.

This book is all sorts of a fucked up train wreck in a disgustingly, addicting, haunting way. Courtney is no rookie at writing about darker topics, and I’m the Girl is no exception. It is horrifically brilliant.

“Asterism: a group of stars smaller than a constellation.”

At the start of the book, I’m like okay it’s Mrs. White, in the kitchen, with the revolver. Yet, Every time we derailed with a new detail my thoughts were thrown off track only to then circle back around. I felt so, so bad for all of our characters in this for so many different reasons. Some are mislead, some are losing everything, some are being manipulated, and some are just evil and have completely lost their way.

“…burying her face in her hands, and I don’t know what to do about a girl who has made her pain a fortress.”

I will say with the girl on girl play here, she knocked it out of the park. The relationship between Georgia and Nora is so organic and I loved watching it unfold. Even though both of them are going through such a rocky moment in live, they’re good for each other.

This is not a light read AT ALL. The end doesn’t give you that sugary “well, it all worked out” feeling either. However, it is dark but a read that spotlights some of the horrific things that are and absolutely do go on in our society. I think Courtney stayed right on pace with not shying away from tough topics, and she crushed this one.

I don’t always post trigger warnings because I think they can be spoilery however with this one I’d like to. Trigger Warnings: Murder, rape, scams, prostitution, drugs, underage “photography”.

Gosh this book was wild from start to finish. I listened to the audiobook of it and it was so compelling. Georgia's life is far from an easy one, having lost her mom and her sense of identity after waking up on the side of the road to find a 13 year old's body dumped next to her. After the trauma of that, she gets herself mixed up with some horrible people in an effort to redefine her worth. A story of nightmares brought to life, survival of the strongest (a teenage girl of girl), and shedding guilt over your traumas done to you, Summers wows readers with a harrowing novel in the post #MeToo era. Take your time with this one.

I loved that this was a queer thriller, I have not met a lot of books that focus on that and it made me so excited to read this book! I will say, I did not like this book as much as I like Sadie, but this was still a super fun YA thriller. This book covered so many really difficult topics especially for a YA, but I thought it was done well (grooming, sexual assault, abuse, and so many others). I think this book would have been so good as an audio book, just like Sadie was! This is not a book I would recommend to everyone just based on the content and how raw it felt, it brought tout so many emotions! Please beware of any trigger warnings.

This is one of those books that you’re not sure if you’re supposed to say you enjoyed it. It was filled with gruesome and hard-to-read topics, but the writing and storytelling were phenomenal.

We follow Georgie as she dreams of escaping poverty and wills her beauty to get her there. She dreams of being loved and understood and appreciated. So when she teams up with Nora, the older sister of a recently deceased girl, to try to find the killer, she starts to find the world she’s always dreamed of.

I didn’t love Georgie and I didn’t dislike her entirely, either. She was so naive and I felt so sad for her throughout. I wanted to just reach through the pages and give her a hug. This book is traumatic, it’s ugly, and it’s vicious. It will make you mad as it shows the power of wealth and social standings. Another great novel by Courtney Summers!

I loved "Sadie" and I have been hoping for another book that hit similar from this author. Unfortunately this wasn't it for me. I was well written, and a story that absolutely needs to be told, it just wasn't for me.

This book was interesting and very well-written. I would likely want to read more from this author and will recommend this to friends.