They dress alike, they have each other’s back. They’re the equally feared and idolized Fearsome Fivesome of Hallowell High, and Regina Afton is one of them. Her place in the all-girl, A-list clique was not bought without a price however, which she quickly discovers after her weekend as designated driver. Suddenly her friends have turned their backs on her in a “freeze out” she knows very well – just not on the receiving end. First they spread a very vicious and untrue rumor about Regina and she’s forced to befriend the very people she bullied in the war which begins against her ex-best friend. If only loner Michael Hayden could forgive her – maybe they’d end up being more than just friends as the vengeful, escalating barrage of threats from her ex-clique turns into abuse.
This premise sound familiar to anyone else? I couldn’t help seeing the similarities between Regina’s situation and the 2004 film “Mean Girls” with Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, whose character name even happens to be Regina. Courtney Summers story is much darker, however, and bears no further comparison to stereotypical high school films. Regina has an incredibly real teenage voice, and I felt disturbingly in her shoes every step of the way. Also the characterization of the rest of her ex-clique does not fall into one-note clichés as may be expected. You shouldn’t like or sympathize with Regina, especially in the beginning, because not much separates her character from the cruel, conscious-less personalities of her ex-friends. But somehow you do. Although Regina may use the same malicious tactics and go almost as far, she would not cross the line that these girls have crossed in their borderline criminal treatment of her, and that’s enough. I couldn’t help but want to feel more conflicted sometimes and I think that’s the beauty of the book. Regina also deservedly take plenty of the abuse she dishes so in a sense she’s justified. As far as the much bullied, isolated Michael goes, who could not like the misunderstood boy who lost his mom, is the source of many twisted rumors, and most of all is willing to give the girl who severely wronged him a second chance? I never knew high school could be so harsh but Some Girls Are has made me believe it’s true. From the first to the last page it had this strange hold over me, I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an uncompromising, tough, and gripping contemporary YA with befitting sparse prose. I cannot wait to read Summers first novel, Cracked Up to Be, and her upcoming release, Fall for Anything.
Many thanks go out to Angie for adding this to my stack. 
I have the best book friends.
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This looks like an intense read. It has a similar premise with Before I Fall in the sense that the main character is part of a Mean Girls-esque clique at the start of the story. High school is really tough and I’m thankful that even if I had some difficult experiences, they weren’t as bad as the others that I’ve heard about.
Very true. I knew some kids who were bullied but not to this extent. I’ve thought about reading Before I Fall for awhile now but since I couldn’t finish Delirium I’m not in any rush to pick it up.
I’m really happy you enjoyed this one. I was completely surprised by how hard I fell into it from page one and it always makes me happy when I’m not the only one to experience a book a certain way.
I know! It surprised me a bit how fast it sucked me in but I had a feeling it would be a pageturner and with my fickleness right now it was perfect.