Again, Courtney Summers gives us a book that is hard hitting, uncomfortable, and a cautionary tale. This book was hard to read. TW for grooming and sexual assault. I think what makes this book so hard to read is how naïve the main character, Geogia, is. Georgia is 16 and thinks she knows what she wants and what is good for her. She's been told she is beautiful, and she thinks she knows how to embrace it and wield it. Unfortunately, others embrace it and use it against her.

As with any Courtney Summers book, we can learn from these harsh lessons. Hopefully we can educate ourselves and others about how to avoid these situations or take down institutions that perpetuate these situations.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story was written from the POV of a 16 year old girl, naïve, eager to please, and thought she had the world figured out. I kept on thinking there's going to be some plot twist of why she wanted to work at Aspera so badly, I thought it was because she wanted to solve the crime, but no, her 16 years old self just wanted to be recognized to be beautiful, I guess that makes sense if you're looking at it from an adolescence's mind. A lot of the plot will have you slap your forehead in frustration, but in a way, making Georgia an unpolished but realistic character.

This is a well written thriller and a look at a society that tells girls all they are worth is whether they are beautiful or not. The author makes us feel and think and this is a good read for student to discuss and learn from

This is another strong book from Courtney Summers, a book about power, about desperate girls who aspire to better things, who believe their beauty will save them and give them everything. It is also a mystery, who killed Ashley and while to me, the reader it seem obvious what the outcome would be, it was Georgia's path of growth to get there and to know her real worth. Heartbreaking and powerful

Unfortunately, this book was not my cup of tea, the mystery itself and the plot were fairly good, but I just feel like the end left a few too many questions unanswered. In my opinion, the end of the book was confusing. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for a honest review

This is my first read by this author even though, I do own Sadie. While I love a good mystery, this book left me asking myself what I had I just read. There were definitely parts I enjoyed but by the end, I was confused about what actually happened. What actually happened to Ashley and who dumped her body on the side of the road? What did George’s mom see while working at Aspera?

Uncomfortable with hard-to-read topics, but beautifully written.

I’m the Girl is about a 16-year-old girl who dreams of escaping poverty and sees her beauty as a way out. When she discovers the body of a 13-year-old girl, she is lured into a world filled with wealth, privilege, and power, at the risk of losing herself.

Narrated solely by Georgie, her character is raw and painfully naive. I didn’t completely like her, but I understood her desire for her dream. She is beautiful and conscious of the power of her beauty, but she doesn’t fully understand her power, nor does she understand desire. Her focus and awareness of her beauty grew redundant and frustrating to read, but at the same time, there is a purpose behind Summer’s focus on this aspect of Georgie’s character.

This is book is one giant trigger warning: with grooming and sexual assault at the forefront. I can’t say I enjoyed reading this, but it is provocative and timely. There is a nod to Sadie, and Georgie is an interesting character. Overall, while this wasn’t a fun reading experience, I am glad I read I'm The Girl.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Courtney Summers specializes in making me feel uncomfortable and I mean that in a good way.
All of her books have been tough, hard to read, and raw.
I’m the Girl was heartbreaking to read.. it was so dark and gritty and naive and frustrating. I just felt so many things about everyone in the story as Georgia attempted to secure a place in a world she didn’t understand while trying to find out what really happened to a murdered girl.
The book was incredibly dark and not for anyone who is sensitive to any kind of content.
Also, I know a lot of people will not like Georgia, but I feel like it was bold to have written from her POV. Yes, she was naive and kind of dumb about the whole industry. As an adult, I just wanted to shake her and explain how things worked, but no one else in her life ever did. People are drawn into the glamour of things without realizing the ugly truth about them and young, beautiful girls are drawn to some of the worst things imaginable in our society and don’t always have people in their lives that warn them about it. We want to avoid talking about it, we want to assume girls are just being self absorbed or promiscuous, when sometimes maybe they are are just lost and they need people in their lives to level with them.
This book won’t be for everyone and it’s not comfortable to read, but it was so good and sharp and provocative.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read I'M THE GIRL early.

I have been a Courtney Summers fan since picking up CRACKED UP TO BE in high school. I'm drawn to Summers' style of writing; the way she roots us in the shoes of young women and makes us understand "unlikeable" girls.

Thank you, Courtney, for writing "unlikeable" girls.

I would recommend I'M THE GIRL to any reader because everyone has something to learn from its pages. I'M THE GIRL masterfully takes untrustworthy characters and makes them seem trustworthy. It makes us understand a young woman's confusion about how she fits into a man's world. It makes us understand a young woman's desperation to make something of herself--a desperation so poignant that she's ripe for the picking.

And then, of course, there's the all-too-real exploration of law enforcement's involvement in keeping powerful men powerful,

I'm not easily fooled--it's not often that I get to the end of a book and don't know the "who" in the who-dun-it. But in I'M THE GIRL, there's more than one who-dun-it, and that's a beautifully illustrated point in this book: there are entire societies of people who work together to protect men in power.

In true Courtney Summers fashion, I'm left with complicated thoughts and feelings about one of her books.

Courtney Summers doesn't write happy endings. She writes complete train wrecks so terrible you can't look away - in the best ways possible.

The difference I felt with this one is that I was thoroughly lost and confused through the first 20%, so much so that I HAD to go back and reread, which is mainly why I took one star away. The first 30-40% is just...odd. It's written oddly (as far as words and phrasing) and you're thrown into the not-quite-middle of the story but definitely not the beginning. It was truly my curiosity of /what the heck is happening/ that kept me going through the story. I was worried at one point that there wasn't going to be enough to keep me interested on solely the desire to figure out the story, but I got through it and there's a big event that happens just over 1/2 way through the book that carries you through the rest of it.

I didn't enjoy the ending - AT ALL. It felt abrupt and weird and unsatisfactory. I didn't expect happily ever after, but I wanted more closure than what we were given, and I felt that the last 15% was rushed in its pacing.

If I could give .5 stars, this would have been a 3.5 rating, but I thought it was a unique book and bumped it up to 4 stars for that reason - it's weird partially because it's not like every other book out there, and I greatly appreciate that.

Ever since I've read Sadie by Courtney Summers, I've been a big fan. Her books hit in ways that other books do not, and they constantly wrap you in and you always want more. Not sure if I'll ever feel the way I do when I read her books. Five stars, every single time.

Wow, what a heavy hitter of a book. Dark, tension filled with power struggles, sex, murder, money all rolled up into this gripping thriller. Some of the content may not be for all readers. The ending felt a little unfinished for all the tension readers go through.

Giving this a 3.5 star only because dark, gritty thrillers normally aren't my jam. But wow, the writing is FANTASTIC! You can feel the tension as you read!

I'm The Girl follows sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis as she becomes entangled in the brutal murder and assault of a fellow neighborhood girl, Ashley. Over the course of the book, she teams up with the victim's sister in hopes of finding answers about what really happened and who's out there killing young women. While this book is advertised as a thriller, it felt more like Georgia's coming-of-age story. Ashley's murder is tragic and starts the action of the book, however, it takes a backseat the more we get into Georgia's motivations for going to Aspera. I expected more from the story, but that's only because I thought I was about to read a murder mystery solved by two teenage girls.

Courtney Summers' writing is strong, poignant, and engaging — I'd happily read more from her. I just think I'm the Girl is not quite giving what it promises.

This thriller is all a reader would enjoy. It is brutal, stirring and heartbreaking. I can’t recommend this book enough. Courtney Summers has brought a realistic take to the genre. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced reading copy of I’m The Girl by Courtney Summers.

This new thought provoking thriller from Courtney Summers is a must read.

Since the night Matthew Hayes found her on their road Georgia Avis wants nothing more than to be something, an Aspera Girl. A world of beauty, power, and intrigue. But is everything always as it seems? Georgia soon finds herself in unimaginable circumstances after finding the dead body of a 13 year old girl.

I highly recommend this book to past readers of Courtney Summers and people who like gripping, fast paced novels with open endings. I will continue to read everything Courtney Summers writes.

Georgia wakes up on the side of the road disoriented with a broken arm and a missing bike. Not far from the scene, she finds 13 year old Ashley dead. Georgia reluctantly agrees to help Nora find out who murdered her sister.

I wish that I could physically share with you the relief I felt around the 15% mark when I knew in my bones that whatever magic that Summers manifested to write Sadie was alive and well in I'm the Girl. Summers writing is unhinged. Her writing is an intoxicating blend of sexy and intimate, brutal and unforgiving. Reading I'm the Girl reminded me of every reason I fell into chaotic love with Summers work.

Here is what I love about Summers: her plots are hypnotizing, her characters are fully formed before they even speak up, and, most importantly, her plot and its resolution are never the point. The story and its unwindinh is just a vehicle to get you to sit with the discomfort of the point. Its like the salt-lick before the burn of tequila. I'm obsessed with this tactic. I admire the hell out of an author who lures you in with a siren call made of a black, glittery-plot, only to drop you off at the end of the novel dazed and unsatisfied. This is a brilliant tactic that only a meticulously self-aware author could pull off.

If you come into this novel expecting a gritty YA thriller, you might be disappointed. While I'm the girl has gritt by the bucket-full, it isn't your average thrill-ride. If you come in knowing you are getting more than just the price of admission I think you'll see how special and rare a reading experiences like this one is. You have to enjoy this for what it is not what you want it to be. Summers knows best! You have to let her do her thing. Is I'm the Girl as good as Sadie? In my inconsequential opinion, no. However, it is far more confident in its identity than Summers last book The Project!

A special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy of I'm the Girl in exchange for my honest review.

I'm super bummed to announce that you cannot get your hands on this until September 13th but what you can do is call up your local bookstore and pre-order this so you get it ASAP!

Just wonderful, maybe even better than my favorite "Sadie" from the same author. The queer rep was so great, the writing was beautiful and heartbreaking, I just can't recommend this enough.

This is really a lovely breakdown of living under a patriarchy. We can play into it, ignore the atrocities as long as we gain some benefit, "safe" until we open our eyes too widely or are unable to fulfill the purpose projected onto our bodies. A book friend described this as if the main character believes she is in a romcom, while everyone knows she's in danger. I think that simplifies the feeling a bit, but I digress. It is so hard to watch this hopeful young girl walk past the red flags and put her faith in those looking to take advantage of her.

Courtney is a must-read author. She tackles pain head-on without being exploitative. This was especially difficult to get through this past month, but I always come out of her novels feeling bittersweet. (The sweet feeling is there! There is some hope!)

Unfortunately, this book didn't blow me away like Sadie did. Georgia was infuriatingly stupid to me, and her growth only happening on the last page made me annoyed and mad, which is how I spent the majority of this book. Summers has some amazing works out there, but this story felt discombobulated and unfinished. There was none of the rage or understanding that radiated off her last book like this, instead just confusion and tired conversation on how powerful the rich are. This added nothing new or no new observations about it, just a sad girl who is refusing to learn for the better until the very, very end of the novel. I was frustrated with this and wished it did something more for what it was trying to say.

I am a huge Sadie fan so I was excited to request a digital ARC of this new book by Courtney Summers! I was so disappointed in this book because it was so fragmented and confusing from start to finish. That being said it was also a page turner and hard to put down. I still can't say that I enjoyed the story but it did hold my attention. Summers does not hesitate to write authentically raw and horrific stories. This one plunges the reader into a world of privilege and power in a patriarchal society that exploits the vulnerability of young women. Contemporary events such as Epstein's "Pedophile Island" and the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs Wade will stir up emotions and conversations among readers. I feel that the graphic sexual content lends this book to an older teen audience.