I want first think the publishers, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an Arc for an honest review. This is marked at YA because of the characters age but this has very mature content, and I would not recommend it for a young teen.

I'm honestly sad to say this was only a 3.5 for me. I love Courtney Summers, as an author, and this is my 3rd book by her. I read and loved Sadie last year but this one hits a little different for me.

This book has a couple scenes that made me feel extremely uncomfortable, and while I do think that's the point it felt like a lot.

Georgia, is a 16 year-old girl that wants to work at Aspera which is essentially a country club for the rich and powerful. Growing up her mother worked there, and that was the last thing she wanted for Georgia. In an effort to be seen as "good enough" at Aspera she get some adult photos taken by a modeling agency she finds at the mall.

On her way to deliver the photos to Aspera though she gets in some trouble and ends up finding more then she bargained for.

If you don't want any spoilers I would stay away from my next comment but if you want trigger warnings they are below.

Rape, murder, drug overdose, workplace sexual harassment, there is a few scenes that Georgia has relations with her boss which is where I really started to feel uncomfortable.

At the end of the day, I think this book challenged me in the way that it was supposed to and I'm still very excited to read Courtney Summers other books, but this one was a little bit of a miss for me. Also a side note I would love to read some of her books that followed a new adult or adult!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars.
This book took me forever to get through. I would have missed the deadline had it not been extended. I’m a fan of Courtney Summers and I enjoy a meandering book. However meandering with an unlikeable character was not fun. She wasn’t despicable enough for me to love to hate but wasn’t enjoyable enough to want to know more. It feels like everything just sorta happens to Georgia. She’s not an active participant in the plot. It was to the point where it wasn’t even suspenseful I was just annoyed waiting for answers. Is the book the worst thing I’ve ever read? No, but’s not very good either. I ended up skimming the last 15% of the book just to finish it.

Georgia is unfortunate to find missing Ashley James dead body. She teams up with her older sister, who she has always crushed on, to investigate and find the killer.

If you’re a fan of Sadie, you’ll like this one. I actually enjoyed it a bit more. It’s got the same dark, female empowerment feel to the story. It’s hard to read at times, especially if you have Jeffrey Epstein in your head like I did. I loved the naivety and innocence of the main character but it was like watching a bad accident about to happen… You know what’s coming and want to look away.

“Because this world is made by men. Beauty is decided by them. And power is held only by them. And there’s nothing you can do about any of it.”

I’m the Girl comes out 9/13.

Courtney Summers writes books that are haunting, realistic and raw. I'm the Girl is no exception to this. Georgia Avis dreams of becoming a model and getting out of her life of poverty. She discovers Ashley James' body after being hit by a car. Georgie works with Ashley sister, Nora, to figure out who killed Ashley and what is happening as Aspera, an exclusive club outside of town.

In true Courtney Summers fashion this book is intense, without a guaranteed happily ever after. This book deals with a lot of different things, and I found myself having to take breaks while reading because of the uncomfortable feelings and topics discussed. While these topics were uncomfortable, they are also necessary in the world today. Courtney Summers always makes me think, and this story was no different.

The book is totally narrated by Georgie, and the author did a great job writing this character. I did not like Georgie all the time, and did not agree with many of the decisions she made, but even then I found the story compelling.

This book is evocative and moving and an eerie read. Please be sure to check content warnings if you need them, as there are many in this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This book is hard to review without giving anything away.

Georgia Avis is 16 and she's been dreaming of working for Aspera, a wealthy resort for VIP members, ever since Matthew Hayes, its owner, told her she was beautiful when she was 13.

Her life changes the day she's hit by a car and discovers the body of Ashley James, the Sheriff's 13 year old daughter near the resort. The Hayes take her under their wing and she's finally joins the Aspera Staff and an Aspirant. She soon becomes aware that she hast he kind of beauty that can help her escape poverty and learns to navigate the power that comes with it.

On her days off, along with Ashley's sister Nora, she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding Ashley's death and her own accident. It's not long before Georgia finds out how hard the world can be and how some choices are not as easy as she thought.

This queer mystery/thriller drew me in from the first chapter. There are hard but important topics in this book so please check TW. In my opinion, this is not a YA novel but a New Adult fiction.

4 stars - I still have questions after reading this book but I think this is what the author intended. Recommended to people who likes a fast paced thought provoking thriller.

Georgia Avis wants more from life. She feels she deserves more and is determined to have more no matter the stakes. To Georgia, the epitome of making it is to become an “Aspera girl”. Aspera is an elite resort for the rich and famous surrounding by mystery and secrets. When Georgia is offered a job there, the secrets begin to unravel.

I love Courtney Summers books. I love how she tackles difficult subjects and brings them to light. I wanted to love this book. I did not. There were so many plot points that it was very hard to decide how to write a synopsis. Was it about Georgia’s obsession with the resort and the people who run it? Was it the fact Georgia found the dead body of a 13 year old girl and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her? Was it about trying to spotlight a young girl’s naïveté and thereby unable to see the dangers that lurked around her? I don’t know! It was all those things and didn’t do any of them particularly well. It was too disjointed and because of that nothing really resolved. As for character development, there was none. Georgia wandered in and out of so many traumatic experiences seemingly learning nothing from any of them. She became very trying.

The blurb for this book says it’s about Georgia and her friend trying to find out what happened to her friend’s sister. To me this was secondary. In my opinion, it was more about Georgia fulfilling her dreams no matter the cost and sometimes stumbling upon something about the murder case, usually by being in situations from very poor decision making.

Another reviewer wrote that the entire book was a giant trigger warning and I agree. They were all represented, rape, child molestation, grooming, human trafficking, murder, suicide, drug use, classism and more. For me, the book needed more cohesion. As I said I have loved Summers other books but this one, for me, was just too all over the place.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is a damn good queer thriller. And while it won't leave you guessing, you still won't be able to put it down. It has 2 of my favorite topics for a thriller - rich people behaving badly and cultlike locations - but seen through a myopic lens of a teenager who wants nothing more than to feel wanted. This girl is abused, assaulted, and never thinks once that she doesn't deserve it. Courtney Summers masterfully writes Georgia's story through all of this pain and it left me feeling numb. This book hits harder than most. Trigger warnings for assault, rape, pedophilia, and the like...

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

Unfortunately, this one wasn't my cup of tea, but it might be yours! It's been getting great reviews otherwise.

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

First. I want to give a warning that their are things in this book that can be triggering for some.

Georgia Avis a sixteen year old finds a body of a thirteen year old Ashley James. This is where the story begins with this mystery who killed thirteen year Ashley. Nora James who is Ashley's bigger sister wants to find out. Georgia is trying to figure out her life after her mother died of cancer. Georgia wants to use her looks to get her out of poverty.

Aspera Resort is the towns wealthy elite place where they get together. Georgia wanted to be an Aspera girl she thinks this is her way to get out of poverty. Georgia soon figures out that Aspera holds a lot of secrets and the wealthy can buy their way out of anything.

The book has many twists when you think you have it figured out you don't. This was a solid four star read for me and I recommend this to anyone who liked Sadie. This one will pull at your heart strings. Georgia does find romance along the way and you will never believe who makes her heart flutter.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for a free copy of this book for an honest review.

This was not the book for me and that's ok.
I kept putting this one down for other things and wasn't really focusing when reading it. I gave it 70 percent until I started to skim read to reach the ending.
It wasn't even that it was too dark because I've certainly read darker books and this one was very mild in terms of content.
I was left with more questions than answers and did not feel satisfied with the ending.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well. I'm not entirely sure I have much to say about this book? It definitely won't be for everyone, as you can probably tell by the reviews so far of the ARC readers. The author has a way of conveying these themes of femininity and the patriarchy and sexuality that I don't think will land right with everyone, though I personally enjoyed it. It felt a bit male-gazey at times, which I think was the point? Even the main romance was just two hot girls working together, and even though the main character explicitly ONLY liked girls, the word lesbian was not mentioned once in the entire book, and I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not.

So why did I still give it four stars, even though the romance fell flat? To be entirely honest, I'm not sure. I may go back and change this rating later, but I will give Summers this: she created a unique thriller that I burned through quickly with very compelling and complex themes. Honestly, I would try to go in blind, because it's a rollercoaster, and I'm still trying to figure out what really happened. I wanted to hate the main character so bad, but she was such an interesting unreliable narrator! She is very much trapped in her own head and unsure how to use the body she grew into. Look up the trigger warnings first, though; they're not spoilery, but they're very important. The book, though it isn't graphic, deals with graphic material.

I honestly wish I had more to say about this book, but if you're looking to read through an interesting perspective on femininity and sexuality wrapped in a murder mystery, I definitely recommend looking into it. Thanks again for the ARC!

Thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me a galley of I'm the Girl in exchange for an honest review.

Courtney Summers has been praised for writing about "angry, unlikable girls," and I'm the Girl is no exception. The storyline follows Georgia Avis and her rise to Aspera. If there's one thing that can be said about Georgia, she is a very distinct character with a distinct personality. It was interesting to see a protagonist like her in fiction. However, her motivations felt shallow and by comparison, the supporting cast was more complex, particularly Nora. I couldn't really bring myself to care about her, and that weakened my enjoyment of the story.

The story was suspenseful and for the most part well paced, but it was somewhat offput by Georgia's lack of depth as a character. The beginning and middle were strong, although the ending seemed weaker. I particularly enjoyed the harsh and raw social commentary. Summers excels at exposing the darker parts of our society and our humanity.

Female sexuality and sexual expression is explored freely in this book, and while it's executed in a deliberate way, it's also not what I was expecting. I don't think I was the right type of audience for this book; I assumed it would be like Summers' breakout book, Sadie. I'm the Girl is described as a spiritual successor to Sadie, but I don't know if ITG can be judged that way. They're very similar, but very different at the same time.

Ultimately, I feel that this books strengths and weaknesses merit 3 stars. The commentary, plot, and the supporting cast made this book most enjoyable for me. I'm the Girl is a difficult book to pin down, and in fact, I don't think it's meant to be.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2022 but it just fell a little flat for me. I never was completely in the story and ultimately found it an unsatisfying book.

I'm the Girl is a gritty, honest coming-of-age YA novel told through the eyes of Courtney Summers. The thought-provoking story explores the influence that power and greed have on society today.

Synopsis:
Georgia Avis, 16, dreams of becoming a model and getting out of poverty. After discovering Ashley James' murdered body, Georgia and Ashley's older sister Nora set out to track down the killer. Their quest to find the murderer places Georgia in a rich environment of entitlement and fame. It appears Georgia has found all she has ever longed for, but she learns that it comes at a price. Soon, her dreams turn into a fight for survival.

I'm the Girl is an intense thriller. The story is brilliant, but difficult to read due to the subject matter. Since the book contains adult content, I struggle to recommend it as a young adult novel. In my opinion, it would be better suited as new adult fiction. In light of this, I highly commend Courtney Summers for addressing difficult topics with grace and eye-opening candor. (4.25⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers is available on September 13th.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this outstanding book with me. Your kindness is appreciated. My opinions are my own in this review.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publishers/author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was strange and uncomfortable at times. It’s in the POV of Georgia, a 16-year-old girl who dreams of being a model and is haunted and entranced by her own beauty. She knows she’s beautiful and is prepared to do anything and everything in her power to use it against the world to get her wishes.

I’m not too sure if I like Georgia as a character. She seemed to really only care about herself and was prepared to hurt herself and everyone else to get what she wanted. She hated her mother for things she didn’t understand and didn’t want to see anyones POC except her own. Her brother obviously cared about her and loved her and multiple times she stabbed him in the back for her own gain.

The story revolves around a murder mystery where a 13-year-old girl is raped and dumped on the side of the road right as Georgia is hit by a car and finds the body. She and the murdered girl’s older sister go about trying to solve the mystery together.

There are plenty of twists and turns here and it doesn’t quite reveal what’s happening till the very end. I was extremely interested in seeing where it would lead.

I would not read this book if you can’t read pedophilia, grooming, and multiple cases of sexual assault. Georgia’s character is often put in positions she shouldn’t have to with adult men who want her for her beauty and she does it for her career. The characters also speak about Ashley James, the little girl who was murdered, as a fast and destructive party girl when she was really just a trauma filled child who needed therapy. There are also some moments in reading the dialog where I was confused who was speaking.

I wouldn’t call this a light read with all the heavy topics, but all in all this was an interesting story with LGBT themes and an open ending.

I'm the Girl is about a sixteen year old who dreams of escaping her small town life to become someone special and sees her youthful beauty as the way out.

This book had me reeling from the way it highlights the heartbreak and horror of how young girls get taken in and used by men with power and privilege and how men capitalize on the naiveté/need/desperation of these young girls. Our MC Georgia is lured into a world she is not yet old enough to understand; she knows beauty is a commodity but she is not yet aware what it is traded for. Georgia is frustrating as a character in the decisions she makes but she is young and idealistic and has so much want and isn't this the point because these are the exact types of girls who end up in these situations

The writing is disjointed in a phenomenal and electric way, shrouding the start of the novel in an air of mystery, with the reader knowing that we are not getting the full truth. I struggled a bit to catch on at first but I believe this was done purposefully by the author to pack a bigger punch once I did.

Penned as a queer feminist YA novel, this story really gives you much much more with very adult themes. As I was reading I was getting very Season 1 'The Sinner' vibes This was my first Courtney Summers book and I am thrilled to say it was not what I expected but it was EVEN BETTER- I am definitely a huge Summers fan now

Thought provoking, heavy, truthful and impactful and asks readers to dive deep within themselves and answer the question: if this is the way the world is, do I accept it? This book stayed with me long after I finished reading it and I highly recommend everyone go pre-order their copy now! 4.5 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

In classic Courtney Summers fashion, we have bad-ass teens using their trauma as fuel for their elaborate revenge plots, and we love it. As always, Summers does an immaculate job of exposing the dark underbelly of privilege, power, and male entitlement while also providing us with a compelling thriller plotline that grips from the beginning. I loved the spunk and determination of Georgia, the main character, and the questions that this book asks from the get-go. This one would be great for book clubs or buddy reads - it practically BEGS for discussion.

I've heard great things about Courtney Summers' previous book, so I was excited to pick up I'm the Girl. Based on the description, I thought this would be a suspenseful YA thriller, but from the first pages, this was much darker and more graphic. My expectations aside, the writing style was a little hard to follow, and overall the story just felt really sad. It clearly wasn't for me, but maybe it will speak to other readers out there.

I really enjoy Courtney Summers and I knew right away I would enjoy this one as well. Im The Girl follows the story of Georgie, 16 year old girl who is trying to escape poverty and ends up in the dark underbelly of wealth and power. This novel does have some sensitive material at the forefront that may be hard for some to read but it is well written and engaging.

This is not an easy and fast paced read. The format takes a while to get used to. The story is raw, and cruel, and real. There's something about the lack of clear resolutions in the books l've read from Courtney that can be frustrating but at the same time is so true. In real life, not everything has a happy ending. We don't always get what we want. Not everything gets magically solved. I feel like her novels reflect that and I'm The Girl is no exception. It starts off slow and builds up. The chapters are short, yet the story is at times hard to read and definitely thought provoking. George is young and naive and determined to get what she wants and learns about the cruelty of the world the hard way. You may get mad at her choices but end up feeling for her. This is a powerful read that will leave you thinking long after you finish it. Sadie fans will absolutely devour it!