My favorite Courtney Summers book so far.
This has sat with me ever since I finished reading it.
As I'm sure many are aware, this was inspired by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the powerful men who take advantage of young girls, there is also a murder, but that isn't the main focus of the story.
The focus of the story is our main character Georgia, everything else is happening in the background. It affects her but its not what this story is about. It's about her growing up and trying to figure who she is and what she wants. And she *wants* a lot. She wants to be noticed, yearns for it. She knows she's beautiful and is just learning the power and the danger that comes from that.
I don't know if I've ever seen a character quite like her. She's so brazenly honest about her wants and the book never judges her for it, even if the people around her do.
Dark things happen in this book and I think it creates a great discussion of the ways in which predators take advantage of young girls and their desires.
I think there are a lot of people this isn't going to work for. It's slow and it's a character study. To say it's a murder mystery is very misleading. It's just one summer in this girl's life that will probably stay with her (and you) forever.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader audio copy of this book. Having enjoyed Summers' Sadie, I had high hopes for this new book. The narrator was good, but the book was not. Confusing with too many characters and not enough information makes for a bad story. Two Stars.

I found the storyline to be confusing and also too much of a commentary on society. I've loved Courtney Summers other books and had high hopes for this one but I did not end up liking it.

This was my first Courtney Summers novel and it was a *doozy*. The voice of the characters were so distinct. She really masters the deep inner voice & narrative we tell ourselves when we are young and traumatized to get through the moment....it was triggering AF tbh. Summers gave a beautiful content warning at the beginning of the book but I wasn't fully ready for how spot on it was.

I'm the Girl is such an addictive YA thriller, I was hooked from the very beginning just as I expected when jumping into another Courtney Summers book. The influence of the wealthy resort Aspera on this town and even law enforcement was crazy and painted a world in which money and beauty control everything. The main character Georgia is a very flawed character blinded by the ideal and unrealistic life she is longing for without knowing the consequences of the things she has to do to get there. She wants to be a Asperan girl and all the perks that come with it. When she is attacked and finds the body of a 13-year-old girl who was murdered her life changes forever. Soon she's faced with some devastating wake up calls and digging deeper into the murder and her own mother's history with Aspera left me tense and on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would play out. I feel like overall I could guess how things would go but it was definitely a ride in getting there. The queer rep was great to see, the mystery/thriller was engaging and kept me intrigued. The audiobook was great and was an easy and engaging listening experience.

I hesitate to call any of Courtney Summers’ recent YA works as thrillers, because they read more like contemporaries with a low-key mystery throughline. They’re not written to shock with a big twist, the “whoddunit” aspect is usually clear if not heavily implied, but they are as intense as any gorey slasher by nature of their graphic material. She tends to write very young, jaded female leads and I’m the Girl’s main character Georgia is only a slight variation from the archetype. Georgia is a difficult POV to digest - she’s beautiful and recognizes this fact but very few lasting relationships in her life have left her using this to seek out attention and validation from people around her in unhealthy and self-destructive ways. It makes for a very frustrating read, if perhaps a realistic one.

Where I struggle the most with this book is so much of Georgia’s sense of self-worth (or lack thereof) is derived from her rocky relationship with her mother. Namely, the way she interpreted her mother’s coldness as disregard for her. And it’s this disconnect between them that has Georgia so determined to seek out validation as what she interprets as the glitzy, polished lifestyle of the beautiful Aspera girl she wants to become. But we never see any of this mother-daughter relationship on page, as Georgia’s mother has passed away before the story’s start. We don’t even get a flashback, meaning the ending in which her brother (mild spoilers) explains her mother loved her all along in a roundabout way feels very rushed and slotted in to give some sense of closure. We are already consciously aware Georgia is an unreliable narrator by nature of her constant seeking of validation and the way she overlooks the shadiness of others to obtain this surface-level acceptance of self. So this complicates her perception of her mother in a way that can’t be simply glossed over in a passing comment at the book’s conclusion.

I’m the Girl is characteristic of Courtney Summer’s tendency to write hard-hitting contemporaries that graphically illustrate the casual abuse and disregard of teenage girls. It doesn’t make for an easy book to read, but then it’s not intended to be. I hope young readers reflect on the range of gaslighting to neglect that these teenage girls are subjected to - even if the on-page abuse may share some semblance of events in their own life. It’s all too easy to read Georgia’s excitement and giddiness at the attention of an attractive older man and recognize a young reader may fixate on this, rather than the grooming happening. I only hope young girls are ready to interrogate the text in the same way the audience of professional reviewers do.

Thank you to the publisher Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

• Murder/Mystery
• Suspenseful
• Queer

We meet Georgia Avis, a beautiful girl with low self-esteem, who aspires to be an “Aspera Girl.” One day she finds a cop’s daughter laying dead in the woods, and she’s been hit by a car herself. Throughout this story, we find out who to trust and Georgia’s journey at Aspera.

I was captivated by this entire novel. Courtney Summers created something that I’d reread! There were so many things going on that I wanted to make sure I was paying attention that I reread parts, but in a good way. Lori Prince, the narrator, has the perfect voice for a teen girl. I felt as if Georgia was actually the one telling the story, whether it’s the sobs or the confidence.

<i>Thank you to Courtney Summers, Lori Prince, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

#ImTheGirl #CourtneySummers #LoriPrince #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #ARC

Thank you again to MacMillan Audiobook for allowing me the chance to review and support your audiobooks. I'm the Girl is excellent, the narration and production capture a truly powerful moody, and sadly timely book from the evocative Courtney Summers.

This being said, the book won't be for everyone, it contains tough themes on the sexualization and harm of young girls, characters may seem unlikable (not for me, young adolescent girls are layered, sassy and often treated in ways that show that adults don't understand their youth...), the content is tough, not unlike Sadie was tough. But being challenged by a book, uncomfortable, is perhaps the whole point of I'm the Girl. The title alone, the use of the word girl... The objectification contained in that phrase., that is what Summers is examining and offering us to consider.

So read/listen and think. This is a book worthy of discussion from readers and groups who are ok with the discomfort the book may bring but willing to think about why this story is timely, was written, and what it might be like to be the girl on the outskirts of society being taken advantage of and hurt by many.

This book was billed as a thriller and was more of a coming of age story. I was confused as to what the author was trying to say about money, women and sex. Since the MC was sexualized by both sexes and she wasn't a strong enough character to stand up to it. The MC was annoying and dumb but Norah (the friend) was interesting.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault including of a minor, murder, incest, grooming

3/5

Thank you Macmillan for the advanced listening copy.

Georgia Avis, a sixteen year old desperate for attention, stumbles upon the body of thirteen year old Ashley James after she narrowly escapes being hit by a car. From this moment on, Georgia's life is changed. She teams up with Ashley's sister, Nora, to uncover secrets, both about the case and about herself. Not only that, but she's thrown into the complicated world of wealth and privilege when she obtains a job at Aspera, a fancy members-only club that her mom once worked at. Georgia is forced to navigate a complicated power structure for herself and for the memory of Ashley James.

This book was problematic on a few levels for me. First of all, I enjoyed the overall story. I felt like the plot was creative and pretty well done. However, I grew tired of Georgia's complete naivety and ignorance and even more so of the adults in her life (particularly her brother) not being more forceful in their explanations of why certain situations were wrong. Her obsession with Aspera grew repetitive to me and didn't feel necessary. Not to mention the graphic descriptions of sexual assault of a minor and the sexualization of a minor. I understand this is a YA book and 16 year olds have sex, but it felt wildly inappropriate for me, an adult, to be listening to vivid descriptions of teenagers having sex.

The reason I still gave this book 3 stars was because the story itself was fairly well done. I enjoyed the plot and Georgia's character development. I can appreciate the complicated nature of a person's first queer experience and I thought this discovery was well-written. Lori Prince was a good choice for narrator, as well. Obviously I have some moral issues with the book but, as a story and only that, it wasn't bad. I'd be interested to see how Courtney Summers's other books compare to this.

This is a story about a girl, who feels she the girl.

Wow, was this not for me. I don’t really have a lot to say- I don’t need a protagonist to be likable, but I do need them to be compelling. In fairness, the subject matter felt a lot like reading about the victims/survivors I work with, and reading this felt like a weird fever dream version of a work conversation.

That being said- the audio was great! Thank you so much @netgalley @wednesdaybooks & @macmillan.audio for the advanced copy!

I'm really not sure how to rate this book. This book deals with some extremely heavy subjects and while Summers does her best to handle them with grace and care this is still really hard to read. This books mad me angry and uncomfortable and sad all at once and that was exactly what Summers was going for. I think this book is really important and should definitely be read and praised for the things it brings to light. That being said this if very much not for everyone and I beg you to please look at the trigger warning before going into this. If you can read this book I think you will feel a deep connection to the characters here and what they are going through. This book deserves to be read and praised for what it did just please read with care.

I’m the Girl is a gritty and raw intense YA thriller. At times extremely uncomfortable to listen too. TW: drug, sexual assault, rape, trafficking.

As I am listening to Georgia narrate her heartbreaking life story, I am repeatedly asking why. Why do you want this dream? This life? And I am brought back to the question the author asks at the beginning, if this is the way the world is, do you accept it? I know my answer.

Well executed ending with a touch of mind fuckery.

I’m the Girl is well written and thought provoking. As always Lori Prince’s performance was perfect. Actually it was Lori Princes name that brought my attention to I’m the Girl in-turn introducing me Courtney Summers writing style. Definitely a fan and will seek out other books written by her.

Thank you to Courtney Summers, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for ARC.
I’m the Girl’s September 13th pub date

🌟 I’m The Girl 🌟
By: Courtney Summers
Pub Date: 9/13/22
*
This story…and the meaning behind this title… just wow!
*
Thank you Netgalley, Courtney Summers, & Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
*
Georgia Avis is a 16 year old girl with a dream to make her way out of poverty using her beauty, her goal to become an “Aspera Girl.” On Georgia’s way to Aspera, she discovers the dead body of Ashley James, and it completely flips her world upside down. Through this story we see the influence of privilege and wealth, and the power of money and beauty. This was such an interesting story, and a great listen! There were multiple times I gasped listening to this, some shocking moments for sure. I do hope there is a sequel, as I feel there are some questions / situations left open ended / not tied up in the end. Comes hand in hand with a thriller, I suppose, but interested to hear what others think! Definitely worth a read.
*
Triggers: SA, suicide, murder/violence

I found this book a little hard to get into at first because I was a bit confused, but once the story hit the ground running I was in. The audio production was good and did not distract me from being invested in the story. The narrator was lovely and I would absolutely listen to more of her books in the future.

I will say that I came to this book NOT having read Sadie, though Sadie has been on my radar and my TBR. Therefore, I had no expectations for comparing this to Summer's other work. I was here for the vibes: murder, terrible people, and explorations of the seedy underbelly at the intersection of priviledge and gender. When I learned that this particular story was based on Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell I knew I had to read it.

Overall, it delivered. The main character, Georgia, is a complex character with a complex history. She wants to be a model. She want to be bigger than she is expected to be. In her town, the ticket to this lifestyle is becoming a Aspera girl -- the girls who work at the local resort that caters to people with extreme wealth and priviledge. Aspera girls are beautiful and get to spend time with powerful people, potentially giving them connections to fame and money. However, Georgia discovers the dead body of 13-year-old Ashely with connections to the Aspera world and suddenly Georgia is thrust into a world of wealth, secrets, and some pretty disturbing practices.

Georgia is invited to work at Aspera, which is her dream come true. Simultaneously she is investigating Ashley's murder with Ashley's sister, Nora, as the two girls try to figure out what series of events would result in such a young girl being found beaten to death on the side of the road.

Be aware that pretty much everything in Georgia's journey, both in her work at Aspera and in her murder investigation, is FULL of trigger warnings: sexual assault, grooming, rape, suicide, substance abuse -- the list goes on and on. My main complaint about this novel, and what keeps it from being 5 stars, is that the story focuses on the shocking content over fully developing the murder mystery. Teens will love the grittiness of this and won't notice, but the mystery plotline does lack some finesse. I was confused at points, especially in the beginning, and felt like some of the subplots suffered from strange pacing issues. But don't get me wrong -- this is still an excellent read and one I will recommend to students and mystery/thriller fans of all ages. Summers' story has an edge and believability that many YA thrillers are missing (and that is SO HARD to pull off in YA!) and I can see why her stories get so much buzz.

ALSO, and I hate that this is so tacked on to the end here, but do note that this is a QUEER story! I personally love when we get a queer story in genres outside of contemporary/romance, so I will always note with a thriller or mystery has a little bit of WLW swooning on the side. Georgia is queer and explores that side of herself in this novel, and this plotline is juxatposed against the exploitative and abusive sexual power dynamics found in Georgia's dealings at Aspera. I thought this element of the story was particularly well done.

I rated this book 4/5 stars and recommend it to folks who love reading complex character with complete motives, queer stories, and who can handle reading about some of the darkest parts of society. The content here is not for the faint of heart and will make people angry, as it should.

I'm in the minority here but I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I enjoyed it but will likely not read it again.

This was a very unexpected book for me. Since I don't usually read YA - I was surprised at the depth of the story, and also the dark tone of the novel. It is a searing look at young women as commodities, and of the traps that await a beautiful young woman who wants freedom and opportunity. Who is to blame for the sexual objectification of these young women, and how much of a role do they play in this dangerous game? When Ashley - a beautiful 13-year-old is found murdered and 16-year-old Georgia escapes near death, her fixation on the town's destination for the uber wealthy clouds the aspiring model's judgement.
The book lives in the chasm between reality and what a young person dreams is real, and the brutal difference between the two.
Excellent narrator.

This is one of the few thrillers I’ve read where the actual murder isn’t the main storyline of the book. The story mostly focuses on 16 year old Georgia, the girl who discovers the murdered body of a 13 year old girl. At the center of the story is Georgia’s tumultuous relationship with her deceased mother and her desire to be seen and wanted. Georgia wants to get out of her circumstances and thinks that using her beauty and body is the only way. Georgia dreams of being a model or an actress and believes any man who tells her she can. Georgia wants to be loved and paid attention to but she doesn’t always go about it the right away. Georgia finds herself in need of money and starts working at an exclusive club for the rich & famous. Georgia strives to be noticed no matter the cost.

I liked Georgia’s relationship with Nora. Their friendship stars off a little odd with Nora being the sister to the murdered girl but it quickly grew into a genuine, intimate relationship. I wish their relationship continued to grow but I understand why it couldn’t. Georgia doesn’t always live in reality and Nora helped to ground her.

Georgia has an interesting relationship with her sexuality. She knows she’s beautiful and she wants others to tell her so. She’s very aware that she’s attracted to women, not men, but she seeks out the attention and approval of men and women. There’s an underlying theme of grooming and it shows how the wealthy are able to manipulate things. All of the men are power hungry predators and Georgia is their pray. I had a hard time with Georgia’s physical relationships with men. She claims that since she’s attracted to women it doesn’t matter but of course it does. My heart broke for this teenage girl.

I did find myself getting annoyed by Georgia. I wanted to shake her and tell her to “wake up.” She did a lot of naïve, and even worse, degrading things just to feel wanted and beautiful. I wanted her to realized that she doesn’t need male attention to be beautiful.

At times the book was uncomfortable to read but that was the point. I believe that Courtney Summers is trying to make you feel uncomfortable and have you contemplate things outside of your normal life. It certainly evoked a lot of feelings in me. This book pushes the envelope in a good way.

Without giving away any spoilers, I didn’t 100% guess the ending but I had a general idea. I thought it was pretty obvious from the start where the book was headed but there were some twists that threw me off and kept me guessing.

Audiobook Review: I thought the audiobook was well done. I enjoyed the narrator’s tone, speed and inflections. I think the narrator, Lori Prince, did a great job of adding to the story.

I did not like this book at all. I felt like the plot jumped around a lot - like there were times when I thought, "did I skip a page or something?" but I hadn't skipped a page. Also, the hopelessness evident in the story was just really too much. I didn't feel like there was any hopeful resolution at the end. Just an acceptance that the patriarchy is evil, but we have to learn how to live within it. Gross. I was not here for this one.

This book really help solidify that i think men should go extinct! This was a wild ride of a book. I couldn’t put it down. I need like ten more follow up books! A great read!