I think this book is grappling with some really important topics, and I can appreciate what it's trying to say about how our current systems fail vulnerable people. Part of my concern though is that this doesn't feel solidly young adult to me. Half the book is from an adult woman's perspective, and the way she thinks about our teen protagonist felt infantilizing to me. I think that thinking was justified, but I fear it would be a turn off for teen readers. Second, I really did not like the twist. It was very jarring and left a bad taste in my mouth. Obviously a child should not go to jail for life, but the decision to trick the reader like that didn't work for me.

Oh wow, this book was so so good. I was definitely not expecting it to be so intense and so heartbreaking, I felt so much while reading Ruby’s story. She is a young girl forced to live through lots of trauma and abuse and that pushes her to murder someone - we then follow the story of Ruby’s trial and I was waiting on the edge of the seat to find out if she is found guilty or not. I loved the format of the book, the dialogues between Ruby and Cadence and the transcripts from the court, I felt like I was right there with them while they were trying to help Ruby and I felt so sorry for her because she had such a horrible life.

This was such an important and difficult read. Ruby is a "troubled" teen awaiting trial and we find out more about her through letters, trial transcripts and conversations with others about the circumstances which have led her to her situation. It's such a complex novel delving into trauma, abuse (physical and mental), prostitution, and the justice system.

The book was a read in one sitting type of book and one I would recommend to everybody.

Girls Like Her exhibits the flaws of the justice system through the Ruby, a teen standing trial for murder of powerful businessman in her town. This story is sad and tragic in so many ways as the reader learns about the abuse Ruby has endured and what led to her standing trial. The story is told from multiple perspectives and through artifacts such as court transcripts and newspaper articles. This enriches and added layers to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A raw, gripping, authentic, and boldly original novel about a fifteen-year-old Texas girl set to stand trial for murder—and the one person who might be able to help her clear her name.

This had me on the edge of my seat and completely nauseous (in a good way). I loved it!

***TRIGGER WARNING: sexual assault***

Girls Like Her follows troubled teen Ruby who is on trial for murdering someone. She is determined to proved that she’s innocent; with the help of her case worker Cadence. Will they be able to prove that she is innocent?

I thought this book was just okay. It felt very repetitive I think it would have better if it was shorter. I did want to read it to see what happened. But by the time it ended I didn’t really care what happened. I also hated the main character she was not likable at all. And the whole point of this book was to get you to root for her, but I just didn’t think she deserved it. Nothing really stood out in this book to me. I would not suggest this one.

This was an extremely painful, yet necessary book to read. I felt so captivated with the way Sumrow told this story. I will highly recommend this novel! 5/5 stars.

Fans of Tiffany Jackson's Allegedly should grab this book! Fifteen year old Ruby is on trial for murdering a prominent businessman. But did she do it? Did her past compromise her future? A fast, enjoyable read.

Thank you to netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Balzer + Bray for allowing me to read this book. This book was definitely a breathe of fresh air when it comes to original concept. The author executed this book like no other.

A wholly original YA novel by @melaniesumrowbooks that’s going to change the game for the industry.
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A wealthy construction company CEO is shot to death in Dallas and all signs point to fifteen-year-old Ruby Monroe being the only suspect in the crime. As her murder trial gets closer, the reader tries to piece together the real story from newspaper articles, interviews and letters. Cadence Ware is Ruby’s caseworker and is trying desperately to work with both Ruby and her lawyer to help get her acquitted. As the #book builds to the stunning finale we see what being a survivor looks like.
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WOW. When @harpercollins asked me to read this novel to provide an honest review, saying I would be blown away by this YA debut, they were right. Sumrow’s history as a lawyer really shown on the pages, as you knew she was well-versed in what she was writing about. The reader will be dying to know what happens with each turn of the page. This was told so intentionally, even until the final word. Please check content warnings on this one, as it discusses very important topics, but ones that aren’t always easy to read. High school libraries should grab this one up when it releases June 25! 5⭐️

CW: addiction, alcoholism, drug use, gun use, murder, blood, vomit, adult/child relationship, domestic abuse, sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, abortion, violence, prostitution, abandonment, unhoused youth, incest

It is not a stretch of fiction to say that I was fully addicted to this book. I started and finished it over the course of 24 hours. I fell asleep with it smashed into my face and woke up like a hangover and turned off the light. This story was incredibly gripping and would not let me go.

15-year-old Ruby Monroe has been accused of murder, but her legal team is determined to set the record straight and return her freedom. Told through interviews, letters, and court transcripts, Girls Like Her follows the story of Ruby's incarceration, trial, and aftermath with a no-stop fever that will pull readers in from the jump.

This book really did it all for me. I love books that are told through unconventional means like the notes, letters, transcripts, and interviews that we see in this book. Something about having more than just descriptions and dialogue really appeals to me, and I love when something looks more like a photocopy than a real page in a book.

The pacing was absolutely break-neck and only really slowed down when Ruby was writing letters to her friend, Maya. Those were more reflective than most of the other sections and gave the reader a quick second to breathe before diving right back into the fray of interviews and emotional outbursts. This made it incredibly hard to tear my eyes away from the page.

The one place where this book frustrated me a little bit was Ruby herself. Ruby is described as "difficult" in the first few chapters and boy-oh-boy is she. This girl has six walls built around her and a complete disdain for anything even remotely resembling authority. While I get that Ruby's life experiences have made her defensive, it really irritates me when characters lack self-preservation skills. Yes, Ruby has been abused. Yes, her life has been hard. But if her goal of getting out of jail, sniping at the only people trying to help her isn't the way to go. I did gain some sympathy over the course of the book and was really rooting for her by the end, but I never really grew to actually like her.

The final twist was one I absolutely did not see coming. I loved the aspect of the "missing" files that were clearly going to be leading somewhere, but it was really anyone's guess where. The reveal literally made me catch my breath. A true twist that you absolutely could have guessed early one, but didn't give you so much that it was obvious where the story was taking you.

Overall this was a very solid YA thriller and I am thoroughly grateful to #NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

Thank You to Netgalley for the Arc. Girls Like Her is a challenging read. If topics of sexual violence could upset you, I would recommend that you save this book to your TBR until you feel safe reading it. Ruby Monroe is 15 when she is charged with the murder of a local millionaire, and the state is now trying her as an adult. Girls Like Her is perfect for fans of Law and Order; unfortunately, I struggled with this aspect as the harsh reality of the justice system was explored, but not to the extent I would have liked. Women who are victims of sexual violence often are traumatized by having to relive their stories, and I wish we could have seen this from Ruby.

I started reading this one expecting a mystery/thriller but what I got was more realistic fiction. Not to say that is a bad thing, it just wasn’t what I anticipated based on the synopsis. I also actually thought this was the authors debut book based on her writing, but it is not. Not to say the writing was bad! But I would have expected a little more from a seasoned author. I really liked the fact that the author was a lawyer in the Texas court however and drew this character together based on her experiences. She has a nice authors note in the beginning which explains this, as well as the fact that this book does contain mention of trauma and some trigger warnings for readers. This novel was a combination of court transcripts, letters and narrative, which I thought was a great way to present Ruby’s story. I did find the narrative a little repetitive though, until things really picked up toward the end. This was a heart wrenching story and I think it is a needed representation of the girls like Ruby who find themselves in a cycle of trauma and can’t navigate their way out alone.

Girls Like Her does feel grippingly realistic to young girls who have witnessed so much trauma at a young age. You see how Ruby got to this point in life without anyone having her best interests. Overall, this was a quick and approachable read, especially for teens. But, the writing style was not for me. There was a lot of telling rather than showing the audience. At times, I felt like this book was trying to resemble Tiffany Jackson's Allegedly. Ultimately, teens will empathize with Ruby's struggles and will root for her.

Girls Like Her by Melanie Sumrow is a fantastic YA fiction read.
This story deals with some heavy topics but at the same time I was completely and utterly hooked.
The writing was so well done here and the characters sucked me into their world and riveting story of the truths so often lost in the American justice system, and one girl’s fight to be heard.

Thank You NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was SUCH a good read!! While I had an inkling about the *twist*, I still was very pleasantly surprised when it was revealed. Even though Ruby is in jail for something she has confessed to, you still can’t help but empathize and pray that she catches a break. It also sheds even more light on our (in)justice system, and how many people can fall through the cracks if they don’t have a good support system in place.

I love the way this book is set up in the use of newspaper articles, reports, letters, etc. It doesn't read like a "normal" book and I love this. It adds so much to the storyline!

This book has a strong premise. Honestly, I think there should be more like this, but the topic is a bit strong, and I don't think it's appropriate for young adults.
Girls Like her was an roller coaster of emotions. It was raw, and I felt terrible for Ruby and everything she had gone through.
I liked the way this book is written. Telling the story through court transcripts, letter, and social worker meetings was a new idea and I thought it worked well with the story.

This was a tragic story written beautifully. I don’t think the switch between court transcripts and the actual story was cohesive but with that being said I did feel like I was watching one of those limited series shows where they flip between the trial and the events leading up to trial. It was that interesting and that good.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for YA and HS collections where crime and thrillers are popular.