I want to preface my review with the fact that I didn’t realize this was a young adult novel, so I know I’m not quite the audience for this book. That being said, I was excited for this one, as I love true crime and thrillers, but I felt let down. The main character was annoying, naive, and very one-dimensional. I didn’t understand her obsession with Aspera, and it was hard to believe that she was so gullible when the men in this book mistreated her (not to victim blame at all). I liked the queer element of the book, but to be honest that was really the only thing I liked. Her love interest was similarly one-dimensional, though she had more of a personality than the main character.
There was a lot of build up in the plot, just for it to fall flat in my opinion.

Summer’s newest book releases in July and it should be another huge success. With each suspense book she write, I think she gets better and better and throwing the reader off.

Sixteen year old Georgia finds a dead teen and was nearly killed by her murdered. She teams up with the girl’s sister Nora to help solve the mystery of the murder. This book calls into the question the powerful, wealthy, and entitled who think they control the world and everyone around this.

I will admit the ending confused me and I still is not quite sure what happpened-but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.

This story left me guessing the whole time. I couldn’t quite figure out who was the bad guy and who was the good guy… but neither could Georgia!

I really wanted to love "I'm the Girl", and for the most part, I did. I enjoyed the fact that George wasn't your usual sort of protagonist. She's so easily swayed by compliments, and how other people view her, and it feels absolutely true of what you'd find with any sixteen year old girl. They're manipulated easily because they're told what they want to hear. Beyond that, the story itself felt a little too predictable for my taste, and after a book like "Sadie", somehow this one feels like a step back for Summers.

Beyond that, I enjoyed the characters of Nora and Tyler, and I like many of the ideas displayed here, but this isn't a book I would necessarily be coming back to.

I've said this here before, but suspense is not my favourite genre. A few years ago I kept hearing about this YA suspense novel, Sadie, so I decided to give it a shot and I loved it. I then received an eARC of Summers' next book The Project - once again I was not disappointed. I'm happy to report that Courtney Summers continues to impress with her perfectly imperfect protagonists.

Georgia Avis just wants to be more than her mother believed she could be. Her goal is to become an Aspera girl - one of the ultra-attractive young women hired for the enjoyment of the guests of a retreat for the elite, the same retreat Georgia's mom was fired from. Then Georgia finds the body of 13 year old Ashley James, and begins working with Ashley's sister Nora to find the killer - and the answers just may be at Aspera.

If you're looking for a dark YA suspense novel with a complicated protagonist and (bonus!) a sapphic romance, pick up I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers, available September 13, 2022.

Thanks to @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

OMG! This book was riveting and I could not put it down, it has left me with so many thoughts! There are many trigger warnings so be informed of them before reading this. I was pretty clueless about how the story was going to play out and overall an enjoyable read!

I read Sadie by Courtney Summers and really enjoyed it but this one was difficult for me to read. The beginning felt like I was just thrown in and I felt confused. It felt like I had to re-read some pages to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Maybe it is meant to feel mysterious but it just made the story feel choppy. I would still try other books by this author in the future because overall her themes and writing is great.

Courtney Summers is one of my favorite YA authors, but I have to steel myself before reading one of her books. It's always an emotional, brutal journey. Like Sadie, this novel is about how powerless teenage girls are in today's society. Here, we have Aspera, a prestigious resort shrouded in mystery, where celebrities and multi-millionaires go to "unwind." Georgia doesn't think that the death of Ashley has anything to do with Aspera - or, for that matter, the reason why she found Ashley in the first place, but things aren't what it seems in this small town.

I loved this novel, but I wish there had been more about Georgia's relationship to her mother. I know that what that her mom's relationship to Aspera (and how this is revealed) is pivotal to the plot, but Georgia's outlook on life was shaped by relationship with her mom, and I wanted to lean in more.

If you are sensitive to themes of rape and sexual trauma, this novel might be triggering to you.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. I'm the Girl will be on bookshelves everywhere September 13, 2022.

Inspired by true stories of people in power predating on young girls, this book tells the story of those girls. It asks the reader what they are going to do to change a seemingly untouchable and immoral system, where the people in power protect their own self-interest and the people who pay them. A difficult, frightening, harrowing story. Well done.

I’m struggling with the right way to explain this book. It’s different than Sadie? I think it’s just as raw, but it’s unique as well.

Georgia struggles with who she is and where she fits. It’s even more complicated when she finds the body of a girl along the road, and she’s thrown into a new series of events. This book deals with so many visceral imagery… Georgia being groomed by “model scouts” to take terrible photos, an older man grooming her, body image trauma, the loss of her mother, a complex relationship with her brother, and falling in love with the girl who was the sister of the body she found.

This book is so raw and visceral. It can be a lot at times, but it’s impossible to put down. The thriller aspect was fantastic, along with the queer rep. I adored this book, and this is why summers is one of my favorite YA authors.

Thank you NetGalley and SMP for the digital review copy.

I've read Courtney Summers before, so I should have been prepared for I'm the Girl, but it still took me by surprise.

I'm the Girl is heartbreakingly realistically written. It's bleak and fucking depressing because it accurately captures how our society treats and values attractive young women. The story swishes back and forth between the past and present in Summers' signature style that slightly drives me bonkers because it's so hard to figure out what is going on or if it's already happened, but it's unsettling and I believe that's on purpose.

I recommend I'm the Girl, but get ready to cry after.

The thing with courtney summers stories they are hard hitting and has you on the edge of the seat this one really reminded me of all her books ccoming together and i was here for it. I was rooting for the heroine and liked her. And now i need more because this book cant get out my head

I’ve never read a Courtney Summers book that I didn’t love and that didn’t leave me thinking of it far after I was finished with it. This book was a timely hit on patriarchy, beauty and how we see ourselves as young women. Looking below the surface of her words as you read you will,be struck with lightbulbs in your head and nodding along as you read.

Georgia is navigating life without her mother,coming into her beauty and her body and discovering the power that it holds. After finding the body of a dead 13 year old, Ashley, she teams up with her sister to discover who murdered her. But along the way she uncovers betrayals that will rock the foundation of all she knows. Falling for a girl, finding a role model and navigating predatory men, as Georgia finds her way in the world she sees how much power and men play a part as well as the women who help them. Grab this book. You don’t want to miss this.

Honestly, I could not put this one down. Georgia is 16 and she is beautiful. She discovers the body of a brutally discarded younger girl when she is hit by a car while walking. While the killer is on the loose, she develops a relationship with the murdered girls’ older sister. This was the sexy queer thriller I didn’t even know I needed!

Georgia ends up working at Aspera, a high class resort for elites, where her deceased mother had previously worked. She has long fantasized about becoming an “Aspera Girl” and it finally looks like she is on route. However, she quickly begins to realize the cyclical and often damaging dynamic between power, beauty, and status. A super entertaining read, loved it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

On a bike ride up a remote mountain road, sixteen-year-old Georgia gets hit by a car. Upon waking, she finds herself on the side of the road near the dead body of a young girl named Ashley. Her life changes forever as she investigates the mystery with Ashley's older sister Nora, all while navigating the pressures of her new job at an elite resort and still dealing with the grief of losing her mother.

The newest book from "Sadie" author Courtney Summers is an unflinching, raw portrayal of the power imbalances and unfairness that make up our patriarchal society. It is a challenging read, though the developing relationship between Georgia and Nora and the connection between Georgia and her brother adds a measure of hope and lightness to an otherwise necessarily dark story. I had a few minor quibbles, but overall this is an easy 4.5 out of 5, rounded up.

I'M THE GIRL is unflinching, powerful, and impossible to put down. It is the kind of book that any girl or person who presents feminine will relate to, because so many of us have been that girl, or are that girl, and have had our power taken from us or were told to find power in ways that only hurt us in the end. Every person regardless of gender should read this and feel uncomfortable, but be unable to look away.

Every book I've read by Summers is masterful and this is no exception. It doesn't shy away from what it is saying, but creates a compelling and horrifying realistic story of the abuse and sexualization of so many young women. Georgia is so authentic and relatable, even in the way that modern society and beauty standards have affected her beliefs and thoughts of herself. Seeing her grow throughout the story is as heartbreaking as it is necessary, and while there is almost too much to go against, there is still a hopeful note at the end of the story.

The queer representation is well-done and really takes the book a step further. The chemistry and romance of Georgia and Nora was a beautiful counter to the abuse and pedophilia that the story deals with.

All in all, I'm almost speechless with how good and important this book is. I hated how much of my past self I saw in it, but that only made it better by the end to know something like this is available for teens to read and recognize the danger. It does everything it sets out to do, and in such a heartbreaking, emotional, and powerful way. I can't recommend it enough.

This is the kind of book that will stick with you long after finishing. Beautifully written, and we'll paced. I was a fan of the authors previous book Sadie. This book did not disappoint either.

Georgia has always dreamed of entering the resort community Aspera. The home of some of the wealthiest, and richest people in their local community. But what teenager wouldn't dream of such a mysterious and elegant place? Well one day on her way home, things take a horrible turn. She discovers the body of a local 13 year old girl named, Ashley James. Georgia is haunted by what happened because it could have possibly happened to her instead. Ashley's older sister, Nora, wants to discover who killed her sister, and she asks Georgia to join her. Both Georgia and Nora team up to discover the grisly truth behind what really happened. They both have to battle against the wealthy, and privelaged people of the resort community. Money and power can buy or make anything disappear. Or so the privelaged think. Can both girls discover the justice Ashley deserves? But not everything is as nice as it seems on the surface.

What I enjoyed :
- 💯 for the pacing! Immediately we are thrown into a quick paced chapter. I couldn't put it down after the first chapter
- The queer representation was wonderful. I did love the dabble of romance.
- I felt like my teen self could relate to Georgia in a lot of ways. How young girls are often treated can be horrid. But I thought she was strong, determined, and I like how she isn't afraid to dream. I also wanted to hug her and sweep her away from all the horrible people.
- There is so many layers to this story. We also have to uncover a few things from the past. I liked how that kept it interesting. But didn't distract from the main plot.
- There is quite a few twists. I thought they were well thought out.

This book was incredible, devastating, and just so well done. I know it will leave me with a massive book hangover. 4.5 stars out of 5. I am excited to read more from this author in the future. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Before I start this review, I want to say that while I’m something of a Courtney Summers super fan and was incredibly excited to dig into I’m the Girl I wouldn’t find reading books as interesting and as fun as i do if I didn’t start off every book with a clean and neutral slate.

So, that’s exactly what I did when reading I’m the Girl and it is with this clean slate that I dove straight into the poignant and impassioned world of Courtney Summers’ latest novel.

From the very start, the pages were heavy with a fog of anxiety and suspense. The young protagonist, Georgia Avis, carries the narrative in a haze brought by trauma and injury. Her point of view is unreliable and distorted, but she’s the only one we can trust. This hazy narrative that Georgia shows us, that Courtney Summers has written, is a perfect example of the way our brains work when traumatized, psychologically and physically.

Courtney Summers has always been someone who has the ability to write complete and utter reality of the everyday person — even as that person goes through the absolute worst thing they could imagine. The uniqueness and incredible thing about Summers is that while writing these every day people in these scenarios of great trauma, she recognizes that the traumas and evils in our society do not discriminate, the worst things can and do happen to anyone.

In I’m the Girl Courtney Summers perfectly illustrates how even when the elite seem — and are — otherworldly, they are not unlike those traumas and evils, they will make their mark on anyone — for better or for worse.

I was completely amazed and blown away by I’m the Girl and I have to say this will probably be my favorite book, by anyone, it’s just… incredible.

I want to thank netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved Summers’ first book, but I have to admit that her following releases have fallen a bit flat for me. I feel about I’m The Girl very similar to how I felt about The Project. The plot was meandering and a bit boring at times and the characters lacked depth and a likability needed in order to root for them. I feel that this author is trying to re-create Sadie at every turn, but the characters are falling flat when compared. The story needs to be more varied in order to escape that comparison. Slightly below average YA thriller- 2 stars.