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!

Sadie would make my top five favorite books of all time. So I'm devastated that this was not only a disappointment, but by the end I was genuinely hating it. This is gonna be a long one, I have all the things to rant about.

The book opens up with us learning that 16-year-old Georgia stole her brothers money to pay for "headshots" nude photos by a man in the mall who told her she could be a model. She's riding her bike, gets hit by a car, then discovers the body of Nora's little sister on the side of the road. Georgia then gets a summer job at Aspera (a resort her mom worked at that has a lot of secrecy around it and why her mom never wanted her to work there.)

Georgia and Nora don't "team up". More like bad things keep happening to Georgia and she gleans vague pieces of information and Nora gives her rides home from Aspera and they kiss sometimes.

Character development was one of the biggest issues for me. Georgia is horrifically taken advantage of from page 1 and continues to be taken advantage of up until the very end. I feel like there was no justice for any of the girls victimized in this book, it just happened.

The whole question is do we accept the fact that wealthy people (men) can do whatever they want to whoever they want with no consequences? 1. No, I don't accept. I want to see everyone at Aspera lit on fire. 2. OBVIOUSLY no one accepts things the way they are. Especially in recent years with #metoo and many women coming out and speaking out against men in power. Why is it still a question if this behavior is acceptable???!!!!

Often the writing and plot felt directionless and vague to the point I was confused on the details. The ending was so abrupt. Summers leaves a lot of information about the mystery for the reader to infer on their own but we get to read a detailed scene of a grown man talking his way into sex with a 16 year old. Why? Just why?

I was left with a lot of questions about why characters made the choices they did and mainly what was the point? I know Courtney Summers can write a top tier emotional dark contemporary, but this completely missed the mark with me :(

I previously read and loved Sadie by Courtney Summers a few years ago, but this one definitely didn't hit the mark for me.

This is very well written. You can tell because the protagonist is infuriating at times. If it wasn't, you wouldn't care.

This is a mystery in a Jeffery Epstein style setting. And it's told from the perspective of a girl that wants to be accepted into that lifestyle. It's complicated and I don't want to give it all away.

If you can stomach the idea of teenagers getting in over their heads and being used by adults for a host of different (age-inappropriate) reasons, and you enjoy a good mystery, I definitely recommend this.

Really thought the queer representation was solid but whew it’s gritty for YA. It was pretty intense at parts and I could see that being hard for young people to stomach. I’d love to see what this author would do in the adult category.

I’ve liked other books by Courtney Summers but this particular one wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m sure others will love it, thanks for the advanced copy.

Okay so Courtney Summers writes some tough books to read. If you aren't prepared to witness girls and women being treated terribly, I don't recommend her work. If you're ready to power through, I do think the storytelling is worth it. At the start of this novel, Georgia Avis is trying to get the money back that she paid for some "modeling" photos to some guy at the mall (who ends up having been running a scam, naturally). She got the money from her brother, who has been her guardian since her mom died, and when she can't go through what's needed to get it back, she bikes all the way across town to Aspera, which kind of confused me but seems to be kind of a hotel/resort situation for very rich people. Her mom worked there, cleaning the expensive rooms, and Georgia has always wanted to be an Aspera girl (essentially beautiful women who are companions to the rich clients at Aspera). Before she makes it to Aspera, she discovers the dead body of a 13 year old girl, Ashley James, and is then hit by a car and lands in the hospital. She ends up getting a job at Aspera after all, but behind the scenes and not as an Aspera girl (which she hates), and when she's not working, she's got a budding romance going with Nora, Ashley's older sister, who is trying to figure out what happened. This is told sometimes in kind of a fractured, dreamy way that won't work for everyone, but did work for me in this case. This is a tough read though, and there are content warnings galore: murder and rape (off page but very important to the plot), statutory rape, child endangerment, maybe child pornography (Georgia is 16 and it sounds like she was not the only person duped by this mall photographer into having nude photos taken). There are some glimmers of hope in here, and the romance between Georgia and Nora is surprisingly sweet against the gritty backdrop.

This seemed like a good book, but I wasn't really into it. It wasn't really a topic that I enjoyed, it had potential but I didn't see myself getting into the writing. I've loved other books by this author though and I recommend those.

Courtney Summers has a way to writing that makes you stay up late to find out what happens next.

I’m the Girl hits tough topics and unimaginable situations while sprinkling in a budding queer romance. After Georgia Avis was hit by a car while walking the road to the mysterious and extravagant resort, Aspera, she finds the body of 13 year old Ashley. Together with Ashley’s older (attractive & queer) sister Nora, Georgia sets out to find who is behind this mystery. Little did she know she would be thrown into a world of wealth, sex, drugs, and privilege.

Unfortunately, I was left with a lot more questions than answers. While the book is written very well, I finished the book feeling like I had missed something.