I guess I should start this review by sharing that I was crying in public when I finished this book
Rory is doing her best to survive after the Worst Night and still can't understand why she survived and Liv died. We join Rory throughout the months leading up to the accident and through the months after when her life has completely fallen apart. Instead of going to college and starting a new chapter of her life, Rory is stuck with her family and memories of her time spent with Liv as they enjoyed partying and having emotional heart-to-hearts.
This is a story about growing up, self discovery and grief when the world isn't as it feels it should be.
I'm finishing this with so many emotions running through me and I loved Maxine Rae's writing. Honestly though, halfway through I was going to rate this 3 stars because it wasn't really for me, it's a very modern setting with underage girls getting drunk, high and partying which is something I can't relate to and I feel like I'm too old for the story. It is a YA however so it works for the target audience's age.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flux for this ARC

A haunting tale of friendship and grief, told in snippets of befores and afters. It's been eight months since Rory lost her best friend, Liv. She's just trying to make it day to day, wondering why she lived and Liv didn't. What she could have done differently that night. So maybe she takes a couple extra Xanax. She just wants to *sleep*. But her mother doesn't agree, and it's off to therapy for Rory. Even worse, her therapist is making it hard to keep her guard up. She doesn't want to talk about Liv. About what might have been if only they hadn't gotten in the car when they did. About *why* she took those pills.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved, loved, loved Liv and Rory's friendship, from its beginning right to the end. I felt for Rory as she struggled to figure out what life looks like After. Losing a friend like that stays with you, and watching Rory grow as a person as she navigated her new, lonely world really stuck with me. I also loved the family interactions, especially her with her sisters.

I adored Liv and Rory, and I adored this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased opinion! I will definitely be buying a copy!

Thank you net galley for the Arc
I truly wanted this book to fallow in the foot steps of "we are okay" but unfortunately it felt more along the lines of "13 reasons why" I realized around page 40 that this book was not for me; as a Sapphic person who also struggles with her mental health this book felt harmful; where I do understand that some people do have bad experiences with therapists I think using this particular narrative could be harmful to young readers and their views on seeking help.

Sometimes you read a book that you relate to so much that it feels like it was written for you. This is one of those books. This author really did a great job at capturing the voices of teenage girls. The dialog between the two main characters Rory and Liv was so realistic they felt like real people. I often have difficulty reading stories that jump between timelines, because I tend to get bored with one storyline, however I didn't experience that at all with this book. A must read for anyone who likes YA books. I will be preordering a physical copy.

This book just was not for me. It reminded me of Far From You by Tess Sharpe but with too many pop culture references and poor writing. Liv having the Stranger Things tattoo was in such poor taste and was probably my biggest hangup with the book, not to mention the writing style. Despite all this, I would consider reading another book by this author because I see potential and loved the sister dynamics, the characters' love of music, the discussions about grief, and the ending. I also love a Joni Mitchell and Lucy Dacus shout-out.

this book was painful in many ways:
1. this is more of a personal opinion, but seeing references to recent pop culture in books makes me cringe so hard. this one is FILLED with them. (the stranger things number tattoo is a big NO??)
2. tackles grief pretty well (cried a lot, ill give it that)
3. the romance is very ... secondary. idk, i went into this read thinking it would be focused on a romantic relationship but it just wasn't. the author either tried to make it SUPER slowburn or the romance just wasn't mutual. to me, this is about two besties n they coincidentally r both gay.
4. liv is described as this very woke and untouchable cool girl with winged eyeliner! but her lines are horrible! all about misandry and white privilege and "tea" and "homeboy". it just felt very artificial, a usual caricature of a queer woc that's mad at the world for oppressing her. the dialogue reminded me of stan twitter 3 years ago.
5. here is how modern teenagers can have fun : drink BEER, smoke weed in an apple (at the same time ofc), jump off roofs & attend concerts where everyone is smelly
6. books abt sapphics being miserable are just old🫠

anyway, i did enjoy how fast-paced the story was and it was pretty easy to read. i also liked how it talked about family. thanks netgalley for the arc!

Cold Girls was both sad and poignant. It portrayed a very realistic depiction of life and the struggles that come with it. The characters were well-developed and relatable, I really loved Liv's development and Rory's dialogue, and their experiences were raw and emotional. While the book was heavy, I appreciated the author's ability to capture the complexities of the human experience. If you're looking for a thought-provoking and emotional read, this book may be worth picking up.

I love how this book is inclusive when it comes to race, sexuality, and gender. If you're looking for a book that a thousand pop culture references, then this is the book for you. The writing style is not my cup of tea. The dialogue is written like how teenagers in 2023 would talk to each other, which makes the main characters realistic and obnoxious. The story feels unoriginal. A group of high schoolers party/take drugs/drink alcohol, then something bad happens to one person, causing the other people's mental health to drop.

Thank you NetGalley and North Star Editions for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story immediately pulls you in and gets you connected to Rory and the other characters. It's written in a believable fashion given the MC's age and didn't feel forced or tacky which I sometimes see in YA.

There are definitely a number of formatting issues that need to be addressed before publication. Repeat pages and random cut offs made it a bit difficult to read. I think there was too much pining and not any actual relationship which was disappointing.

That being said, I really enjoyed this story. It was simultaneously cute, sweet, funny, and heartbreaking. It kept me interested and wanting to continue reading. I would definitely recommend it.