Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Title: Some Girls Are
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Published: 5th January 2010
Source: Own Copy

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.
Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

I have said this before and I will say it again, I love the writing of Courtney Summers. It is bold and in your face and nothing is held back for fear of scaring off the reader. All of the characters Courtney Summers writes are deeply flawed but the main protagonist always grows on me. This book was certainly no different. Everything I loved about Cracked Up To Be I also found in Some Girls Are. In no way is that me saying that this is the same book repackaged, what I loved about both books was the writing, the rich characters and the raw, and sometimes brutal, story lines.

Regina Afton is one of the popular mean girls of her school until her best friend's boyfriend tries to rape her at a party. Turning to the one girl in her clique that hates her Regina decides to say nothing and forget it ever happened. Unfortunately when she returns to school the one person she turned to has started the rumour that Regina willingly slept with her best friend's boyfriend. Regina is left isolated and friendless in a school of peers who Regina and her old clique used to prey on.

Some of the tactics used by Regina's old clique to hurt her physically and mentally are horrible. You begin to hope that in the end some of Regina's own small payback schemes work. I loved this book and all of the characters in it, even some of the characters that seem evil to the core. I found this book incredibly difficult to put down and I am looking forward to the next reading of this novel. This is definitely a book which will stay on my shelf forever.