I really wanted to love this book with how much I enjoyed the authors previous works. However this one just didn't have the same feel to me. I was confused for most of the book as to how the main character knew these people. There is some vague references to their parents that I didn't understand. While it's mostly wrapped up by the end, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something big

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of I’m the Girl in exchange for my honest opinion. I read about half and listened to the audiobook for the rest after pub day. The audiobook narration by Lori Prince is EXCELLENT - listening to it, I felt I was in MC Georgia’s mind, which is a pretty intense place to be.
Georgia is sixteen, poor, motherless, and beautiful. She wants, more than anything, to work at Aspera, a privileged community on the outskirts of her town. Aspera’s money and power control the town, but what exactly is happening there? There are multiple mysteries to uncover as the reader proceeds through this saga.
Gritty and raw, Summers’s writing is so descriptive it’s almost frightening. The story is dark and, for me, it didn’t read as a young adult book, even though the MC is a young adult. Fans of My Dark Vanessa will likely enjoy this one - and I recommend checking the content warnings before proceeding. I had the pleasure of attending the book’s virtual launch, where Courtney talked with Sara Farizan hosted by Brookline Booksmith which was really interesting, hearing more about the process and influences in writing their books. I’m excited to read more from the author - I’ve heard about the cult following Sadie has!

lots of TW like a lot! this is a YA and I cannot believe it! want a rollercoaster ride and go into the thriller modeeee then read this for sureee

Yikes. This book tackles a lot of hard, difficult, uncomfortable topics that young women deal with. I will say it was very well written, no matter how many times I wanted to stop reading. This is listed as young adult but I don’t know if I would even put this in a high school library. It reads like one big trigger/content warning. Please take lots of care before picking this one up.

I’m the Girl is an absolutely heart-wrenching story of Georgia, a 16 year old girl who strives to be seen. A murder-mystery is the backdrop for Georgia’s story. Georgia finds the body of 13 year old Ashley when she’s run off the road on her bike. She has no idea who was driving the car, and can’t even remember details about the car itself, but she knows she’s now in danger, too, because when she recovers her backpack, from the scene of the accident, photographs of her are missing. She teams up with Nora, Ashley’s older sister to try to solve the mystery, but she’s wrapped up in an elite world thanks to her new job at a local resort. She has to decide what matters more and she learns painfully difficult lessons along the way. This book is a brutal and honest look at power, sexuality, and corruption.

this story was strange and confusing at time but the ending made this book for me worth the read.. over all now a new fave but would recommend

Every time I finish one of Courtney Summers books I am left thinking about it for hours. She is so good at crafting an ending that is non-traditional and unexpected. The main character George is so naive you can't help yelling at her to wake up and smell the roses. I suspected very early what was really going on. It is very disturbing to watch events unfold. The narrative is a sad comment about our society as it is unfortunately true. A very thought provoking story.

This book was definitely hard to read…lots of trigger warnings. I can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that this is being marketed as YA. It’s a bit too much for teens in my opinion. Other than that, the writing itself was good. I just wish it wasn’t so graphic.

I keep reading Courtney Summers books wanting to feel the way Sadie made me feel, and they keep falling short. The thing I love the most about Summer's books is that she doesn't bite her tongue, she writes real stories about things that young women actually go through and that's exactly what this is. My main issue with Summer's books is that her main characters are often kept at a distance from the reader, they're flat and don't evoke much emotion if any at all. Unfortunately that's what this book did of me. I didn't feel any connection to the main character, and more importantly the people in the main characters life didn't seem truly connected to her, the relationships were surface level, and the character development was pretty much non existent. We got more character development for a character who dies before the book even started than we did for the actual characters we're following. Overall, this was a quick read, that left more that I'd like to the imagination.

If I am reading a thriller, we all know it will be good.

Courtney Summer mixed tough topics with a decentish plot in her newest YA Thriller, I'm the Girl. This was a little bit of a letdown from Sadie but overall still a great storyline for YA audiences. It felt a little immature, but I still read the entire thing in one sitting. The thriller aspect was very well down, and it took me a few chapters to figure out the ending. The story will leave you on a rollercoaster ride, and it's perfect for the spooky season. If thriller YA is your thing, this will most likely be your book of the year. and should shouldn't wait to pick up your copy today.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced review copy.

I have loved every book that I have read from Courtney Summers, and this book is no exception. This book is described as a spiritual successor to her book Sadie, which I really enjoyed, and I think anyone who enjoyed Sadie will like this book. I like how Summers always includes a lot of social commentary in her novels (social class and privilege, and their effect on teenage girls, in this case), and how it all feels so natural. Sometimes I feel like an author can be too on the nose or beat you over the head with their message, but I never feel that way with Summers’ novels even though I still get the messages and themes she is going for. I also love how she writes characters, especially teenage girls. They just feel like real people, with all the good and the bad. They are allowed to be gritty and flawed and make mistakes, even if you sometimes want to yell at the choices they are making. I also enjoy the sapphic representation that she includes in her books. Another win for Courtney Summers.

I couldn’t put this down…no seriously!

Georgia is painfully naive about the world around her and defiant against the adults in her life but I felt so connected to her and how she perceived the world from personal experience when I was her age. I read this late into the night in one sitting (rare these days) and while these topics are important for young readers, I would not feel comfortable with a 14 year old girl reading this, as it’s listed in the YA category. The trigger/content warnings are a mile long and this is a dark but important read.

The writing is beautiful, Courtney Summers really is just captivating with her use of words, and I’m a HUGE fan of the voice for Georgia though I realize I may be the unpopular opinion on this one. If you’re not a fan of “emotionless” narrators that are dealing with/discussing trauma, the voice of the MC may not be to your liking. As a Capricorn and someone who processes events without emotion, this was 100% perfect for me and an absolute delight!

I really and truly cannot wait to see what comes next for Courtney Summers! I’ve read and loved Sadie and will be moving through Summers’ backlist now.

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

I love Courtney Summers books. One of my favorites by her is Sadie. I’ve yet to be disappointed by any of her books. This is going on my shelf.

Interesting book and I'm new to this author but I liked it and I thought it was a good book. Hoping for more from this author in the future.

I'm the girl was a mild ride with mild (and confusing) queer representation.

IM THE GIRL,; Georgia Avis, an impoverished orphan living in a small town with her brother dreams of getting out and making something of herself. When an opportunity to work at Aspera, a luxury retreat for the wealthiest men (and women) in the US presents itself she is ready for her big escape. While en route she discovers a body of young girl, and almost becomes a victim herself. As she navigates her trauma and dodging answers from the girls father (who happens to be the town sheriff and an alcoholic) and the girls sister (who keeps asking incredibly insensitive questions and bullying Georgia into giving her info, and despite that, Georgia finds she's attracted to her), and her own brother, who despises Aspera because of its history (their mother worked there and things didn't end up going so well for her). Still Georgia enters this elite playground for the uber wealthy and encounters violence, sexual assault and what exactly Aspera is willing to do for its guests.

I know this is YA but i found these back and forth conversations stiff and unrealistic, the incessant questioning and badgering of Georgia for information was also a bit much and the stakes (yes Nora wanted to find her sisters killer and sought her help) still felt like it was a lot to ask, especially when Nora was a highly unlikable character (in my opinion). The other thing that I found trivializing was Georgias sexuality, something I was excited to read about since I'm always on the hunt for queer representation in books across genres, was so...puzzling? Georgia thrived on the attention of men, their validation and their affection even though she was a lesbian which was confusing? She seemed more lost than secure in who she was and even the relationship with Nora felt a bit dull. The story itself didn't really feel fresh to me or offer a new cool POV from a queer lead. This was my first Courtney summers book so I'm not sure if this was the style of writing or something new but it just felt a bit choppy for me. I think the story had a promising arc and an interesting lead that unfortunately fell flat for me.

OUT NOW

Courtney Summers books always leave me breathless and heartbroken and this one was no different. I loved this MC who was so in love with herself for someone so young but also couldn't tell when those around her were hurting her. Her naiveté a trust in the beautiful adults around her read perfectly for the story and her age. I think this is a story that in some ways shows how a cycle of abuse can continue when we don't share information so people can protect themselves.

16 year old Georgia Avis has been obsessed with Aspera since her mother worked there and the gorgeous couple who run it saved her on the side of the road. At 16, Georgia is invited to work there, and due to the poverty of her older brother turned guardian, she is allowed. Georgia is quickly swept up in the beauty, wealth, and privilege but is also drawn into a dark and sticky web of violence. Prior to starting, she found a dead girl on the road leading to Aspera and promises to help the girl's older sister, Nora, find the killer. As the mystery unspools, so does the opulence of Aspera and Georgia must do everything she can to protect herself.

There are so many ways young girls can be and are hurt in our world Courtney Summers always cuts down to the heart of them in her books. I love Georgia for loving herself and her beauty so much, but unfortunately that is her downfall as well. She wants to be adored and when those around her that she idolizes start grooming her, she falls into it quickly, hoping for an end to her impoverished and ugly life. Her guardian as absent and secrets are kept from her about the reality of the place she works. Her brother KNOWS what goes on at Aspera because their mother worked there prior to her death, but still he lets Georgia work there too. Georgia is taken advantage of again and again and doesn't understand in her youth and innocence.

In the heart of this book, there is a small, soft, blossoming sapphic romance and it's sweetness is what keeps the whole things from being too dark. The end of the book has little hope but a lot of love and it feels real in ways something more positive would not.

I would recommend this to those that enjoy YA thrillers or other Courtney Summers books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every Courtney Summers' book I read further solidifies her place in my mind as one of the best YA authors of this generation. What makes her stand out to me is her characterizations. She has a knack for writing interesting, multi-faceted characters that are fully fleshed out and it increases the tension of her plot. I will gladly read every book she publishes from here on out.

This was sort of a let down - I loved Sadie but this felt “too” YA for me - but 3 solid stars for the beautiful writing. I’m going to try out the project next

The writing was superb with difficult topics and I would definitely recommend to others. Not a superb plot, but the writing will definitely keep you reading.

Wow, what a rollercoaster.

I wanted to start off with an acknowledgement of TW for SA and grooming.

The book starts off a bit disjointed, I don't mean this as a criticism but rather that it's almost manic. Which is fitting as Georgia Avis is a bit manic at the open of this book. She's just gotten herself in over her head with what had seemed like a promising start as a model, she's quickly realized was a scam. And BAM she's hit by a car.

As he reader, you're also caught off guard. She's just seen a young girl's dead body in the woods and then was a victim of a hit and run. It's a small town so she knows the dead girl, she knows her family, she knows her sister. And Nora, the sister, is ready to find out what happened to her little sister. She's ruthless, she's determined to uncover the truth, whatever it may be.

And Georgia decides to help Nora out. She's just started a new job working at a prestigious club, sort of like an elite resort.

I wasn't expecting the twists and turns that came with this book. Having read and loved Sadie, it was great to see the Easter Egg in this novel.