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Pretty Girl-13
A disturbing and powerful psychological thriller about a girl who must piece together the mystery of her kidnapping and abuse, Pretty Girl-13 is a haunting yet ultimately uplifting story about the healing power of courage, hope, and love.
Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods on a Girl Scout camping trip. Now she's returned home...only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen—or at least that's what everyone tells her. What happened to the last three years of her life?
With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her lost time. She eventually discovers a terrifying secret and must What do you do when you remember things you wish you could forget?
Perfect for fans of books like Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl and Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces.
Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods on a Girl Scout camping trip. Now she's returned home...only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen—or at least that's what everyone tells her. What happened to the last three years of her life?
With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her lost time. She eventually discovers a terrifying secret and must What do you do when you remember things you wish you could forget?
Perfect for fans of books like Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl and Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2013
About the author
Liz Coley
18 books236 followersLiz Coley, playwright and author.
Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins has been released in twelve languages on five continents, in print, ebook, and audiobook.
There are secrets you can't even tell yourself.
Selfpubs include:
Teen romantic thriller series TOR MADDOX. Disarmed is a prequel short story, followed by the novels TM1: Unleashed, TM2: Embedded, and TM3: Mistaken.
A heroine for our times
Time travel/alternate history Out of Xibalba features a modern teenager thrown back to ancient Mayan times.
The story starts when the world ends.
Sci-fi tween/teen adventure The Captain's Kid is about Brandon Webb's first interstellar journey to a failing colony.
What happens when when the starship is sabotaged, the alien holds secrets about his past, the villain is on the right side, and the world isn’t ready to be saved?
Liz lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and crazed felines Pippin and Merry. When she's not involved in writing-related activities, she can be found sewing, baking, playing tennis, and singing.
Liz loves reading aloud. Check out her #UndercoverReading series on YouTube on the LizColeyBooks channel.
Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins has been released in twelve languages on five continents, in print, ebook, and audiobook.
There are secrets you can't even tell yourself.
Selfpubs include:
Teen romantic thriller series TOR MADDOX. Disarmed is a prequel short story, followed by the novels TM1: Unleashed, TM2: Embedded, and TM3: Mistaken.
A heroine for our times
Time travel/alternate history Out of Xibalba features a modern teenager thrown back to ancient Mayan times.
The story starts when the world ends.
Sci-fi tween/teen adventure The Captain's Kid is about Brandon Webb's first interstellar journey to a failing colony.
What happens when when the starship is sabotaged, the alien holds secrets about his past, the villain is on the right side, and the world isn’t ready to be saved?
Liz lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and crazed felines Pippin and Merry. When she's not involved in writing-related activities, she can be found sewing, baking, playing tennis, and singing.
Liz loves reading aloud. Check out her #UndercoverReading series on YouTube on the LizColeyBooks channel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,123 reviews
July 22, 2016
2.5
Just to issue a quick warning: I'm not sure what is to be considered a spoiler for this book as everything seemed glaringly obvious to me but please don't read this if you'd like to be completely unaware of anything to do with Angie's condition (even though it is made known relatively early).
This book started very well but became more ridiculous with every chapter that I read. A number of subplots were introduced that did nothing but further complicate the story whilst actually being an attempt to fatten it up as the main focus point was not enough to fill out a complete novel. These bits of plot-padding felt like last minute add-ons and were not blended into the rest of the story as naturally as they should have been. Amongst other things, I am talking about the mother's pregnancy - what did this really contribute to the exploration of Angie's (protagonist) disorder? Besides, of course, allowing room for her to whine about how easily forgotten she had been. Once again, I feel like the idea of this story was far better than the reality and it failed to live up to its potential. I also think your enjoyment of this book will depend on how many psychological mysteries you have read and can use as a comparison; I doubt that I would feel so negatively about this if I had not already read books like Living Dead Girl that explore the mind of abuse victims in a much more effective way.
But there was one thing this book reminded me about that I did like: sometimes reality is weirder than fantasy and sometimes the human brain can be scarier than any vampire or demon.
The story here is about a thirteen-year-old girl called Angie who goes on a girl scout camping trip in the woods. She wakes early one morning and goes into the woods to pee, one moment she is crouching there amid the pine trees and the next she finds herself on her own street, walking in the direction of her house. She stumbles home in confusion to find that she has been gone for three years, that she is now sixteen and the evidence the doctors take from her body suggests she has been violently and sexually abused. She remembers none of this. Why? Because she has developed Disassociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder) and therefore her brain has created multiple identities that she switches between in order to cope with traumatic situations.
I found this idea truly fascinating, but I fear that may be more to do with the fact that it's the first of its kind that I've read and I've always wanted to learn a bit more about DID. Don't you find the idea of multiple personalities simultaneously interesting and very scary? Imagine sharing your body with several different personalities - completely different personalities - each of them have their own thoughts and motivations and interests. They are essentially different people inside one body. But... isn't personality a creation born from memories and experiences built up through the years to make you YOU? So, if your mind has created them all, how can you be sure there's a "real" one? Or which that is? Doesn't the existence of this condition open up the possibility that we are all several different personalities inside one body but the dominant one is in control? Until, sometimes, it isn't anymore? It's like What's Left of Me but a million times more interesting. Give me a good book on this subject any day, too bad this wasn't the book I've been looking for.
One main problem with Pretty Girl-13 is that there are no twists or surprises, no shocking moments, no revelations that make you glad you spent time waiting for the book to drop something amazing in your lap. And maybe that wouldn't be so bad if there weren't so many things I thought COULD HAVE made a great twist if it had been written into the story better. I am going to assume that certain things were not actually meant to be twists - though I'm not 100% sure if they were or not - because I am not a difficult reader to fool or surprise and I saw everything coming. Plus, anything that might be considered a twist was actually just a ploy to send the reader spiralling off in a new direction, instead of adding something exciting to the main storyline.
Whilst not the primary subject of my dislike, I also didn't appreciate Angie calling one of her alternate personalities THE SLUT just because she was the one who satisfied her captor's sexual appetite. I wouldn't like it whatever the reason, but I felt it was even worse because she was doing it to prevent Angie from having to go through the sexual abuse and was, in fact, a victim of rape. In what fucked up worldview does being raped make you a slut?
Not everything is bad, though. I liked the idea of all these different personalities being an important part of Angie, that they were all the different strengths she had within her, ready to come out when she needed to be stronger or more resourceful than she usually is. I guess it really does show the ultimate power of mind over matter in the most testing situations and I had to write my whole review before I finally decided on a rating. I like this idea, I just really wished I liked the book a lot more.
July 13, 2016
This is such a thought-provoking read! I can't stop thinking about it, I felt so emotionally captivated by Angie's story . I love the all the psychology stuff and the mystery. I love how raw and real it is! I do have to warn that it is disturbing and mature at times. This is just one of those books that will stick with me. The mystery plot line is slightly predictable, but still a crazy and intense journey!
February 13, 2017
Everyone needs to go and read this book right now. One of the most thought provoking, unputdownable books I have ever read. I'm sure this book will stay with me for years to come.
March 8, 2013
This is the perfect example of a book you should go into completely blind. I did not read the synopsis beforehand (I think I may have months ago but I couldn't recall anything), nor did I even know the genre. I went in with zero expectation, and came out of it baffled by how it blew me out of the water!
Since I think everyone should do like me and go in without a clue, I will not ruin the moment for you either. But I can safely tell you the very basics without changing your reading experience: Angie went missing, then she comes back suddenly, and with absolutely zero memory of the past three years of her life. Three years that, to her, has never passed. Thus she finds herself still in her 13 year old mind, but with a 16 year old body. This, to me, was unbelievable. Leaving me turning the pages frantically to try and get a grip of what exactly has happened to her, WAS happening to her. There are events at the beginning that leave your mind stunned; fascinated, mostly. But soon enough you begin to understand what she's going through, and it opens up a whole new world of intrigue and wonder.
The story is raw and gritty, it left me both horrified and in a puddle of my own emotions. Upon turning the last page, all I wanted to do was burst into tears. As the story progresses, we learn exactly what happened to Angie, slowly, piece by shocking piece, until everything fits together at the end. This wonderful, strong, and brave soul really grabbed at my heart. I loved the protagonist and I adored her friends. I do have one qualm with the latter, though: When her friends see her--their missing and presumed dead friend--for the first time after three years, I was not convinced by their reaction. It was underwhelming. I'm also not sure about how the media could have been kept away for so long, or how easy it was for her to re-emerge herself into society without any chinks, not to mention her recovery's progression. These are all easily forgivable in hindsight, though, being a YA novel. Yes the story could afford to be tighter and stronger, had it been more thoroughly dissected, in psychological terms especially--it would have also needed to be longer to achieve this--but the book progresses rather quickly and into a direction that essentially makes these qualms inconsequential to get to the heart of what this story wants to be.
For a review on this novel, my plan is to keep it short and to the point and I think that's been achieved. We get into very hard topics, told in an amazingly effective way; intense, piercing, and all-consuming. Now, look away. Look. Away! And just read it!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Since I think everyone should do like me and go in without a clue, I will not ruin the moment for you either. But I can safely tell you the very basics without changing your reading experience: Angie went missing, then she comes back suddenly, and with absolutely zero memory of the past three years of her life. Three years that, to her, has never passed. Thus she finds herself still in her 13 year old mind, but with a 16 year old body. This, to me, was unbelievable. Leaving me turning the pages frantically to try and get a grip of what exactly has happened to her, WAS happening to her. There are events at the beginning that leave your mind stunned; fascinated, mostly. But soon enough you begin to understand what she's going through, and it opens up a whole new world of intrigue and wonder.
The story is raw and gritty, it left me both horrified and in a puddle of my own emotions. Upon turning the last page, all I wanted to do was burst into tears. As the story progresses, we learn exactly what happened to Angie, slowly, piece by shocking piece, until everything fits together at the end. This wonderful, strong, and brave soul really grabbed at my heart. I loved the protagonist and I adored her friends. I do have one qualm with the latter, though: When her friends see her--their missing and presumed dead friend--for the first time after three years, I was not convinced by their reaction. It was underwhelming. I'm also not sure about how the media could have been kept away for so long, or how easy it was for her to re-emerge herself into society without any chinks, not to mention her recovery's progression. These are all easily forgivable in hindsight, though, being a YA novel. Yes the story could afford to be tighter and stronger, had it been more thoroughly dissected, in psychological terms especially--it would have also needed to be longer to achieve this--but the book progresses rather quickly and into a direction that essentially makes these qualms inconsequential to get to the heart of what this story wants to be.
For a review on this novel, my plan is to keep it short and to the point and I think that's been achieved. We get into very hard topics, told in an amazingly effective way; intense, piercing, and all-consuming. Now, look away. Look. Away! And just read it!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
May 20, 2013
**This review contains spoilers, please read at your own risk**
I’ll keep this brief because I only have so much time I’m willing to dedicate to talking about books I didn’t particularly like and
Despite the hook of the premise and strong, if disorienting, opening - Pretty Girl 13 is an uncomfortable (and I don’t meant that in a compelling, interesting way), mess of a novel. It relies heavily on the protagonist’s Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and her ordeal without adequately addressing any of it. There’s tension and reasonably compelling characters, but the sloppy and problematic handling of both mental illness and the investigation surrounding Angela’s disappearance let the novel down, not to mention some completely absurd plot developments.
While the author admits that part of Angela’s “treatment” currently exists in theory only (the “deletion” of alters, rather than therapy to reintegrate them), the fact that it was used to truncate the story really bothered me. Two of Angela’s alters are conveniently erased using this experimental process when they are no longer required in the plot, which feels incredibly disrespectful to me. (I know, I know, ”It’s fiction! Who cares!?” Well, I care.) Coley also attempts to incorporate more traditional (albeit abbreviated) methods of treatment as part of Angela’s recovery, but it’s all very expedient and neat, as if the disorder is only useful so long as it keeps propelling the plot.
The other big problem I had with this novel is the ridiculously unrealistic manner in which media coverage of Angela’s reappearance is completely suppressed and / or avoided (until it’s necessary to up the ante in the plot, of course), and the similarly bizarre reactions of the other characters. Despite the fact that Angela’s return to school prompts a horde of fascinated hangers-on and rubberneckers, somehow, not a single whiff of the amnesiac girl who returns after a three-year absence reaches the headlines. Call me jaded but in the age of social media and means of communication that now inform faster than traditional news outlets, this novel apparently believes its readers are idiots. Nor is there any real nuance in the handling of how Angela’s peers process her return and her DID. Confusion, questions, ignorance, misconceptions, shock, curiosity, fear – these I would understand. But there’s no real exploration of how it impacts them or their relationships with Angela. (Of course, there’s jealously and some good-old-fashioned-mean-girl-style ostracising over a boy.) Sorry, but the ”looks like your slutty alter dressed you today, LOL!” reactions just ring false to me.
Relatedly, after an intense scene in which Angela – with the assistance of her alters – finally speaks up about , there’s little to no discussion of how this affects the family, apart from a couple of lines towards the end of the book. The scene itself abruptly cuts away to another, and this huge reveal of information just sits there.. undealt with.
Then there’s the climax, in which Angela discovers I’ll just leave that there for you to digest, shall I?
Sadly, there is much fact in this story. The trauma that Angela’s own mind is trying to protect her from is a reality for some, and I don’t want to take away from the seriousness of that. But I am disappointed in the sensationalist tactics Coley uses in her novel, and the superficial treatment of the numerous issues raised in Pretty Girl 13. I would love to read a more proficient take on this topic, so please throw your recommendations at me if you have them.
I’ll keep this brief because I only have so much time I’m willing to dedicate to talking about books I didn’t particularly like and
Despite the hook of the premise and strong, if disorienting, opening - Pretty Girl 13 is an uncomfortable (and I don’t meant that in a compelling, interesting way), mess of a novel. It relies heavily on the protagonist’s Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and her ordeal without adequately addressing any of it. There’s tension and reasonably compelling characters, but the sloppy and problematic handling of both mental illness and the investigation surrounding Angela’s disappearance let the novel down, not to mention some completely absurd plot developments.
While the author admits that part of Angela’s “treatment” currently exists in theory only (the “deletion” of alters, rather than therapy to reintegrate them), the fact that it was used to truncate the story really bothered me. Two of Angela’s alters are conveniently erased using this experimental process when they are no longer required in the plot, which feels incredibly disrespectful to me. (I know, I know, ”It’s fiction! Who cares!?” Well, I care.) Coley also attempts to incorporate more traditional (albeit abbreviated) methods of treatment as part of Angela’s recovery, but it’s all very expedient and neat, as if the disorder is only useful so long as it keeps propelling the plot.
The other big problem I had with this novel is the ridiculously unrealistic manner in which media coverage of Angela’s reappearance is completely suppressed and / or avoided (until it’s necessary to up the ante in the plot, of course), and the similarly bizarre reactions of the other characters. Despite the fact that Angela’s return to school prompts a horde of fascinated hangers-on and rubberneckers, somehow, not a single whiff of the amnesiac girl who returns after a three-year absence reaches the headlines. Call me jaded but in the age of social media and means of communication that now inform faster than traditional news outlets, this novel apparently believes its readers are idiots. Nor is there any real nuance in the handling of how Angela’s peers process her return and her DID. Confusion, questions, ignorance, misconceptions, shock, curiosity, fear – these I would understand. But there’s no real exploration of how it impacts them or their relationships with Angela. (Of course, there’s jealously and some good-old-fashioned-mean-girl-style ostracising over a boy.) Sorry, but the ”looks like your slutty alter dressed you today, LOL!” reactions just ring false to me.
Relatedly, after an intense scene in which Angela – with the assistance of her alters – finally speaks up about , there’s little to no discussion of how this affects the family, apart from a couple of lines towards the end of the book. The scene itself abruptly cuts away to another, and this huge reveal of information just sits there.. undealt with.
Then there’s the climax, in which Angela discovers I’ll just leave that there for you to digest, shall I?
Sadly, there is much fact in this story. The trauma that Angela’s own mind is trying to protect her from is a reality for some, and I don’t want to take away from the seriousness of that. But I am disappointed in the sensationalist tactics Coley uses in her novel, and the superficial treatment of the numerous issues raised in Pretty Girl 13. I would love to read a more proficient take on this topic, so please throw your recommendations at me if you have them.
March 15, 2015
I highly recommend this book. I was so engrossed in the book that I had no idea of the time. I finally realized I should probably get to sleep as it was 3am and I hadn't stopped.
A tough and emotional read due to the themes it entailed but I was extremely impressed by the writing and delivery.
I have always been very interested in the subject matter (I'm not going to say much more as I really don't want to give anything away). I will say it impressed me how much the author must have researched her subjects.
Again I will say I highly recommend this book. I am still emotional after finishing it a few days ago. Well done Liz Coley!!!!
A tough and emotional read due to the themes it entailed but I was extremely impressed by the writing and delivery.
I have always been very interested in the subject matter (I'm not going to say much more as I really don't want to give anything away). I will say it impressed me how much the author must have researched her subjects.
Again I will say I highly recommend this book. I am still emotional after finishing it a few days ago. Well done Liz Coley!!!!
January 2, 2013
This started really promising and the further in I got, the more ridiculous it got.
So, in the preface, as she went missing. Angie returns to her home three years later, having not been there since she was 13. No one knew where she disappeared to, and she herself has no idea what happened.
Coley's novel then delves into putting together the pieces as Angie goes through therapy.
As Angie works through the process of discovering the truth of her disappearance, readers learn more about her traumatic history.
But wait. There's more, too.
Also, there is a boy! There were a couple females who could have been good friends but they were sort of secondary to the boy plot.
You know who was missing in all of this? The media!
Here's where the problem lies. Nothing in here is new or original. It tries to meld together the well-developed plot lines of a ton of other contemporary novels and do so in fewer pages, with less reality. What all those titles do that Coley's doesn't is offer a full story. This is a poorly executed mashup of all those plots. And while I suspect a character could experience everything Angie does, the way it's presented here is weak.
There weren't really any twists except in the sense that they didn't actually make sense with the plot. It was used ONLY to throw off the reader. It wasn't part and parcel of character development. Since we can't be in Angie's head, we just have to accept it at face value because, well, we have no other choice. It's not that she's not reliable. It's that her allows her the tools to get around the story.
I will say But I do take some issue, too, with the surprise factor of Angie's mom being pregnant when she returns home. Another point of unnecessary plot bloating.
So, in the preface, as she went missing. Angie returns to her home three years later, having not been there since she was 13. No one knew where she disappeared to, and she herself has no idea what happened.
Coley's novel then delves into putting together the pieces as Angie goes through therapy.
As Angie works through the process of discovering the truth of her disappearance, readers learn more about her traumatic history.
But wait. There's more, too.
Also, there is a boy! There were a couple females who could have been good friends but they were sort of secondary to the boy plot.
You know who was missing in all of this? The media!
Here's where the problem lies. Nothing in here is new or original. It tries to meld together the well-developed plot lines of a ton of other contemporary novels and do so in fewer pages, with less reality. What all those titles do that Coley's doesn't is offer a full story. This is a poorly executed mashup of all those plots. And while I suspect a character could experience everything Angie does, the way it's presented here is weak.
There weren't really any twists except in the sense that they didn't actually make sense with the plot. It was used ONLY to throw off the reader. It wasn't part and parcel of character development. Since we can't be in Angie's head, we just have to accept it at face value because, well, we have no other choice. It's not that she's not reliable. It's that her allows her the tools to get around the story.
I will say But I do take some issue, too, with the surprise factor of Angie's mom being pregnant when she returns home. Another point of unnecessary plot bloating.
October 31, 2014
I really enjoyed reading a book about someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder!
I have to admit though I hated her dad and Greg and Yuncle! And the last three chapters.. WOW.
It was a definitely an interesting read! Very different.
I have to admit though I hated her dad and Greg and Yuncle! And the last three chapters.. WOW.
It was a definitely an interesting read! Very different.
February 4, 2013
Fascinating subject, and a hard one to tackle for YA in particular. I've mixed feelings about some of the things it missed, so I think it falls somewhere in the middle of books that involve kidnapping.
Possible review to come.
Possible review to come.
June 16, 2013
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
Want this pretty? Clicky here
Pretty Girl-13 is one heck of a ride. Psychological thrillers aren't really my thing. I've always thought of them as well...weird and just creepy. However, this book was surprisingly good. While it had flaws, Pretty Girl-13 is a refreshing and unique read!
Thirteen year old Angie goes on a Girl Scout camping trip in the woods. One minute she's walking in the woods, next minute she's walking up the road to her house. Three years later. Angie, lost in confusion finds the fact that she is actually now 16 hard to believe as she felt as if just yesterday, she was packing her bag to Girl Scout camp. It turns out she has Multiple Personality Disorder. As Angie uncovers the shocking facts towards her abrupt disappearance, she endeavours through, meeting her 'alts' different personalities that helped her through her lost 3 years.
We dive into the story quickly, I really appreciate that as synopsis already gave us a run down on what happened. Angie is a really different girl to what I normally come by. Even though she had other personalities that were welded by her 'alters' Angie was quite average..but different at the same time. (...) okay this ain't working. Let me paint you guys a picture (not literally. That would be nasty) A girl goes to high school, does the same things from everyone else, but has something special about her, nothing too outstanding but she is empathetic, impulsive and likeable. Now, imagine this girl as our pretty girl-13, Angie the protagonist.
From what I have written down in my notes when reading this book, I have detected something I wrote down 4 times unintentionally. 'Lacks depth, couldn't feel any strong attachments to the characters' I really hate it when books lack depth. This one was a minor one, when the story began, everything moved too quickly, I couldn't quite keep up or have some 'text-self' relation.
The story line of Pretty Girl-13 is beyond what I expected. It was rather hard to grasp at first, but as the story progressed, I liked it more and more!
Pretty Girl-13 is a cannot be missed psychological mystery that keeps you on the edge of the seat the entire time. It could have been dusted up with the depth, but other than that, I really enjoyed this! Totally recommend to seekers of something new!
This copy was given for review purposes. No bribes were given to alter the review in anyway. Thank you for letting me have the chance to read such a lovely book Harperteen!
Want this pretty? Clicky here
Pretty Girl-13 is one heck of a ride. Psychological thrillers aren't really my thing. I've always thought of them as well...weird and just creepy. However, this book was surprisingly good. While it had flaws, Pretty Girl-13 is a refreshing and unique read!
Thirteen year old Angie goes on a Girl Scout camping trip in the woods. One minute she's walking in the woods, next minute she's walking up the road to her house. Three years later. Angie, lost in confusion finds the fact that she is actually now 16 hard to believe as she felt as if just yesterday, she was packing her bag to Girl Scout camp. It turns out she has Multiple Personality Disorder. As Angie uncovers the shocking facts towards her abrupt disappearance, she endeavours through, meeting her 'alts' different personalities that helped her through her lost 3 years.
We dive into the story quickly, I really appreciate that as synopsis already gave us a run down on what happened. Angie is a really different girl to what I normally come by. Even though she had other personalities that were welded by her 'alters' Angie was quite average..but different at the same time. (...) okay this ain't working. Let me paint you guys a picture (not literally. That would be nasty) A girl goes to high school, does the same things from everyone else, but has something special about her, nothing too outstanding but she is empathetic, impulsive and likeable. Now, imagine this girl as our pretty girl-13, Angie the protagonist.
From what I have written down in my notes when reading this book, I have detected something I wrote down 4 times unintentionally. 'Lacks depth, couldn't feel any strong attachments to the characters' I really hate it when books lack depth. This one was a minor one, when the story began, everything moved too quickly, I couldn't quite keep up or have some 'text-self' relation.
The story line of Pretty Girl-13 is beyond what I expected. It was rather hard to grasp at first, but as the story progressed, I liked it more and more!
Pretty Girl-13 is a cannot be missed psychological mystery that keeps you on the edge of the seat the entire time. It could have been dusted up with the depth, but other than that, I really enjoyed this! Totally recommend to seekers of something new!
This copy was given for review purposes. No bribes were given to alter the review in anyway. Thank you for letting me have the chance to read such a lovely book Harperteen!
March 23, 2016
Liz did her research and did it well. Especially during chapter 2 where she's being examined. Her writing is very easy, very fluid and you feel like you've been transported in Angie's world, forgetting about your reality. You're literally dropped into the mystery surrounding Angie and at first you're just as disoriented as her. There are different clues as to the horrors that could come to be.
Now I don't know about you, but when there's a problem to solve, my mind will fast forward with a million different scenarios, starting small then enlarging into one big mountain of a mole hill. It just so happened that one of my most extreme predictions turned out to be the biggest twist in the book. There was emphasis being portrayed and when that happens you know something is up. I'm still a little shocked about it. I know this happens to people all over the world, but to almost become a shadow in Angie's life was terribly traumatic. Kate is one of those wonderful best friends with a good head on her shoulders and that's exactly what Angie needs.
The prologue in the beginning is frightening, terrifying and something most girls should never ever experience. Being told in second point of view is unique and I felt the hairs on my body rise when reading it.
I'm thoroughly fascinated with alters. Having it displayed in a book like this makes it even better. Multiple personalities all living in one body, I just can't understand or fathom how crowded it would be to live that. I found it fascinating having her mind still be 13 years old, while her physical body is 16.
Psychology plays a big part in Pretty Girl-13. Liz describes it in such a simple and easy way that you have no trouble understanding it at all. If anyone noticed the title also states PG-13, because the issues in this book is very adult and psychologically damaging. I can't stop thinking about this book either, it gave me major book hangover.
Now I don't know about you, but when there's a problem to solve, my mind will fast forward with a million different scenarios, starting small then enlarging into one big mountain of a mole hill. It just so happened that one of my most extreme predictions turned out to be the biggest twist in the book. There was emphasis being portrayed and when that happens you know something is up. I'm still a little shocked about it. I know this happens to people all over the world, but to almost become a shadow in Angie's life was terribly traumatic. Kate is one of those wonderful best friends with a good head on her shoulders and that's exactly what Angie needs.
The prologue in the beginning is frightening, terrifying and something most girls should never ever experience. Being told in second point of view is unique and I felt the hairs on my body rise when reading it.
I'm thoroughly fascinated with alters. Having it displayed in a book like this makes it even better. Multiple personalities all living in one body, I just can't understand or fathom how crowded it would be to live that. I found it fascinating having her mind still be 13 years old, while her physical body is 16.
Psychology plays a big part in Pretty Girl-13. Liz describes it in such a simple and easy way that you have no trouble understanding it at all. If anyone noticed the title also states PG-13, because the issues in this book is very adult and psychologically damaging. I can't stop thinking about this book either, it gave me major book hangover.
September 29, 2016
Uma abordagem muito boa sobre o Transtorno Dissociativo de Identidade (TDI). Já é um assunto que eu AMO ler e estudar sobre. Sou viciado em ficar buscando documentários, histórias e relatos. E esse foi o primeiro livro que eu li retratando o problema de forma mais direta e explícita. Apesar de ser uma leitura que me entreteve muito por causa do assunto, tiveram alguns defeitos que me incomodaram consideravelmente. Mas falo deles daqui a pouco.
Primeiro o que eu gostei: o mistério. O livro me deixou curioso e vívido até a última página. Não queria parar de ler. Ele flui muito bem, e a forma como é contada não foi nada difícil de acompanhar. Amei as razões por trás da existência de cada alter da Angie, e todo o elemento "fantasioso" criado pela mente dele.
O problema mora em algumas coisinhas. O livro subestima o leitor em vários momentos. Muitas das coisas foram meio óbvias pela forma como a autora entregou as pistas, e em determinados momentos as coisas eram reveladas como um grande choque, mas você meio que já sabia. Alguns diálogos também eram teatrais demais: "oh minha querida!!", "onde está aquela blusa de marca X que tanto amo??", e outras coisas que te deixam... QUEM FALA ASSIM? Também achei que houve um pouquinho de drama desnecessário por parte da protagonista em coisas que nem eram um auê tão grande assim.
A última coisa que me desagradou foi o ROMANCE. Sim! Um romance durante um livro em que a garota está tentando lidar com uma mente toda DESGRAMADA. Afinal, é claro que entre tentar resolver seus problemas psicológicos, e descobrir se o cara que era seu namorado antes do seu desaparecimento ainda está afim de você, a prioridade é sempre o macho. ARGH! O livro perdeu um bom tempo nisso, e me irritou.
No mais, foi uma leitura boa. Recomendo muito pra quem tem interesse no assunto. Só peço que tomem cuidado, pois ele apresenta cenas um pouco fortes de abuso, e talvez isso sirva de gatilho pra algumas pessoas. Eu mesmo fiquei um pouco chocado em algumas delas. É isso!
Primeiro o que eu gostei: o mistério. O livro me deixou curioso e vívido até a última página. Não queria parar de ler. Ele flui muito bem, e a forma como é contada não foi nada difícil de acompanhar. Amei as razões por trás da existência de cada alter da Angie, e todo o elemento "fantasioso" criado pela mente dele.
O problema mora em algumas coisinhas. O livro subestima o leitor em vários momentos. Muitas das coisas foram meio óbvias pela forma como a autora entregou as pistas, e em determinados momentos as coisas eram reveladas como um grande choque, mas você meio que já sabia. Alguns diálogos também eram teatrais demais: "oh minha querida!!", "onde está aquela blusa de marca X que tanto amo??", e outras coisas que te deixam... QUEM FALA ASSIM? Também achei que houve um pouquinho de drama desnecessário por parte da protagonista em coisas que nem eram um auê tão grande assim.
A última coisa que me desagradou foi o ROMANCE. Sim! Um romance durante um livro em que a garota está tentando lidar com uma mente toda DESGRAMADA. Afinal, é claro que entre tentar resolver seus problemas psicológicos, e descobrir se o cara que era seu namorado antes do seu desaparecimento ainda está afim de você, a prioridade é sempre o macho. ARGH! O livro perdeu um bom tempo nisso, e me irritou.
No mais, foi uma leitura boa. Recomendo muito pra quem tem interesse no assunto. Só peço que tomem cuidado, pois ele apresenta cenas um pouco fortes de abuso, e talvez isso sirva de gatilho pra algumas pessoas. Eu mesmo fiquei um pouco chocado em algumas delas. É isso!
April 16, 2018
Prečítala som stovky young adult kníh. Ani jediná nebola ako táto. Napriek žánru je toto jedna z najviac psycho kníh, čo som čítala. Porucha rozštiepených osobností je fascinujúca a toto bolo spracované veľmi dobre. Bol to príbeh, ktorý ma naozaj zasiahol a určite naň budem ešte veľmi dlho spomínať.
Wow.
Odporúčam.
Wow.
Odporúčam.
June 8, 2015
Longer review to come soon after finals crush my soul on Tuesday, but in short...
What a thrilling ride and an amazing look inside Multiple personality Disorder, something to rarely discussed in the mental health world (or YA books, for that matter). I thought the author handled it very tastefully and obviously did her research. While I did think some of the main characters "other" personalities were a little far-fetched and not fully developed, overall this was a compelling read. Highly recommended!
What a thrilling ride and an amazing look inside Multiple personality Disorder, something to rarely discussed in the mental health world (or YA books, for that matter). I thought the author handled it very tastefully and obviously did her research. While I did think some of the main characters "other" personalities were a little far-fetched and not fully developed, overall this was a compelling read. Highly recommended!
May 31, 2015
Meine Rezi gibt es hier: http://dasblondinchen.blogspot.de/201...
January 25, 2013
In a nutshell, Pretty Girl-13 is the story of Angie, who at 13 was abducted while camping, held in captivity, and then managed to escape and return home three years later. The problem is Angie doesn't realize she's been gone. In her mind, not a day has passed since her Girl Scout camping trip, she goes out early one morning to use the bathroom in the woods and the next thing she remembers is limping onto her street as she makes her way home.
Angie soon discovers that she is now sixteen, the last three years of her life are completely blank, and that during that time, a time that she thankfully cannot remember, she was physically and sexually abused and restrained. Most startling, Angie has developed Dissociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder.) Her mind has fractured, separated itself into five different persona's, a coping mechanism to help her withstand years of abuse.
Guys, this is a dark book. I love psychological thrillers but I have to say, the pairing of an child abduction story with split personalities, who were brought into being to protect that child from the horrible things happening to her, was very hard for me to read. Multiple Personality Disorder is a fascinating subject but as Angie's altars began to open up, allowing her to remember the terrible things her mind had repressed, I found myself struggling to read it. Terrible, dark, twisted stuff, you guys.
Struggles aside I pushed on, and though the psychological aspects were interesting and informative, I had some issues with the rest of the book. I never felt very connected to any of the characters involved, including Angie. I felt sorry for her, I felt angry about what happened to her, but I never felt that connection. The book is told in 3rd person, which I sometimes have a hard time with (I prefer 1st person) so perhaps that was some of it. Reading the epistolary accounts of her altars was more interesting and emotional, though they were the ones relaying firsthand accounts of what took place during her captivity.
I also had some issues with Angie's homecoming and assimilation back into the real world. Her relationship with her parents is strained, which is understandable, but the reunion with her friends felt off. Once the initial "You're back! What happened?" questions were asked and answered, they all sort of forgot about her abduction and that Angie had been gone for three years experiencing horribly traumatic things. I don't know, maybe it could play out like that in real life, but it felt off to me.
Along with the drama of the abduction, looking for the perpetrator, and trying to assimilate all her persona's into one mind, there was some typical high school drama and that just felt weird too. It felt unnecessary and distracting from the real issues at hand.
There are a few twists in the story, but much of it I figured out in advance. And some of them felt a bit over the top.
So, I am a bit torn here. I liked the subject, even though it was disturbing and made me uncomfortable. I liked that it demonstrated just what a nightmarish place the human mind can be. And I thought it was cool to see a YA book taking this on. But my lack of emotional involvement with the characters and unnecessary, distracting subplots took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I think that some readers will not have the issues I had, and will probably really love the way this book is executed, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me.
Angie soon discovers that she is now sixteen, the last three years of her life are completely blank, and that during that time, a time that she thankfully cannot remember, she was physically and sexually abused and restrained. Most startling, Angie has developed Dissociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder.) Her mind has fractured, separated itself into five different persona's, a coping mechanism to help her withstand years of abuse.
Guys, this is a dark book. I love psychological thrillers but I have to say, the pairing of an child abduction story with split personalities, who were brought into being to protect that child from the horrible things happening to her, was very hard for me to read. Multiple Personality Disorder is a fascinating subject but as Angie's altars began to open up, allowing her to remember the terrible things her mind had repressed, I found myself struggling to read it. Terrible, dark, twisted stuff, you guys.
Struggles aside I pushed on, and though the psychological aspects were interesting and informative, I had some issues with the rest of the book. I never felt very connected to any of the characters involved, including Angie. I felt sorry for her, I felt angry about what happened to her, but I never felt that connection. The book is told in 3rd person, which I sometimes have a hard time with (I prefer 1st person) so perhaps that was some of it. Reading the epistolary accounts of her altars was more interesting and emotional, though they were the ones relaying firsthand accounts of what took place during her captivity.
I also had some issues with Angie's homecoming and assimilation back into the real world. Her relationship with her parents is strained, which is understandable, but the reunion with her friends felt off. Once the initial "You're back! What happened?" questions were asked and answered, they all sort of forgot about her abduction and that Angie had been gone for three years experiencing horribly traumatic things. I don't know, maybe it could play out like that in real life, but it felt off to me.
Along with the drama of the abduction, looking for the perpetrator, and trying to assimilate all her persona's into one mind, there was some typical high school drama and that just felt weird too. It felt unnecessary and distracting from the real issues at hand.
There are a few twists in the story, but much of it I figured out in advance. And some of them felt a bit over the top.
So, I am a bit torn here. I liked the subject, even though it was disturbing and made me uncomfortable. I liked that it demonstrated just what a nightmarish place the human mind can be. And I thought it was cool to see a YA book taking this on. But my lack of emotional involvement with the characters and unnecessary, distracting subplots took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I think that some readers will not have the issues I had, and will probably really love the way this book is executed, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me.
March 13, 2013
BookNook — Young Adult book reviews
Pretty Girl-13 completely took me by surprise! This book is really heavy. It's dark, gritty, and deals with some seriously intense issues. I adored this book, but not in the usual girly, giddy, fan-girl-scream way. I adored Pretty Girl-13 in the sense that it really shook me to my core and left me speechless. It's an extremely sad and emotionally draining book, but it will leave you with dark and heavy thoughts that are sure to change you.
My biggest fear going into Pretty Girl-13 was that the "alters" would be confusing. These "alters" are Angie's other personalities. She developed them as a way to cope with extreme physical and emotional abuse. But I was afraid that these multiple personalities would make the book extremely confusing, especially if we were hopping from one personality's point of view to another. But don't worry—none of those fears became a reality; Liz Coley does a wonderful job crafting this book with zero confusion. It's definitely intriguing and a bit freaky to think about, but it's not confusing. For the most part, we don't actually see from the other personalities' points of view (there are a few minor exceptions). Usually when we hear from them it's in the form of a physical letter or recording from one personality to Angie. This more 'physical' way of hearing from the other personalities made it really easy to relate to and almost just view them as separate people.
On a similar note: don't be freaked out by the second person point of view in the prologue. I have to be honest, it scared the shit out of me. Second person isn't something you come across often and I was confused, scared, and worried. It kind of put me off on a bad foot with Pretty Girl-13 . But the rest of the book (or at least 99% of it) is formatted in a more traditional third person point of view. Now and then we do get the second person narrative, and that's when we're reading from an alter, who's sort of talking to Angie as "You". (I'm afraid I'm making this sound confusing, but I promise—it's not.)
Liz Coley did a fabulous job of slowly revealing the information about Angie's capture. We only learn bits and pieces at a time, but each new piece of information is a twist in the story. It's bomb drop after bomb drop, and things just get scarier, creepier, and more traumatic. But Angie was a fabulously strong main character and I was amazed at how well she took everything. She was a real trooper, and I loved that about her! I also loved the integration of therapy. I'm usually one of the people that's a little bit skeptical of therapy, but this book did a great job to demonstrate how therapy can really help a person overcome traumatic experiences, and it was brilliant!
Pretty Girl-13 is certainly a dark book and you can't go into it light-hearted, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for an intriguing, fascinating, and devastating read all in one. This book is just as hopeful as it is traumatic, and I love how Angie and Liz are able to point out the light amidst a sea of darkness.
Pretty Girl-13 completely took me by surprise! This book is really heavy. It's dark, gritty, and deals with some seriously intense issues. I adored this book, but not in the usual girly, giddy, fan-girl-scream way. I adored Pretty Girl-13 in the sense that it really shook me to my core and left me speechless. It's an extremely sad and emotionally draining book, but it will leave you with dark and heavy thoughts that are sure to change you.
My biggest fear going into Pretty Girl-13 was that the "alters" would be confusing. These "alters" are Angie's other personalities. She developed them as a way to cope with extreme physical and emotional abuse. But I was afraid that these multiple personalities would make the book extremely confusing, especially if we were hopping from one personality's point of view to another. But don't worry—none of those fears became a reality; Liz Coley does a wonderful job crafting this book with zero confusion. It's definitely intriguing and a bit freaky to think about, but it's not confusing. For the most part, we don't actually see from the other personalities' points of view (there are a few minor exceptions). Usually when we hear from them it's in the form of a physical letter or recording from one personality to Angie. This more 'physical' way of hearing from the other personalities made it really easy to relate to and almost just view them as separate people.
On a similar note: don't be freaked out by the second person point of view in the prologue. I have to be honest, it scared the shit out of me. Second person isn't something you come across often and I was confused, scared, and worried. It kind of put me off on a bad foot with Pretty Girl-13 . But the rest of the book (or at least 99% of it) is formatted in a more traditional third person point of view. Now and then we do get the second person narrative, and that's when we're reading from an alter, who's sort of talking to Angie as "You". (I'm afraid I'm making this sound confusing, but I promise—it's not.)
Liz Coley did a fabulous job of slowly revealing the information about Angie's capture. We only learn bits and pieces at a time, but each new piece of information is a twist in the story. It's bomb drop after bomb drop, and things just get scarier, creepier, and more traumatic. But Angie was a fabulously strong main character and I was amazed at how well she took everything. She was a real trooper, and I loved that about her! I also loved the integration of therapy. I'm usually one of the people that's a little bit skeptical of therapy, but this book did a great job to demonstrate how therapy can really help a person overcome traumatic experiences, and it was brilliant!
Pretty Girl-13 is certainly a dark book and you can't go into it light-hearted, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for an intriguing, fascinating, and devastating read all in one. This book is just as hopeful as it is traumatic, and I love how Angie and Liz are able to point out the light amidst a sea of darkness.
March 16, 2013
I'm really not sure how to start this review. And forgive me, but there are going to have to SPOILERS here. I'll try to keep them to a minimum though.
I really wanted to like this book. The cover is so cool, the concept so intriguing. The structure had potential for real brilliance, too--the way Angela's other personalities tell their part of the story in second person and through notes they leave for Angela. But the potential wasn't met, and I found the story less and less believable as I read.
First of all, this book is about a hugely traumatic experience. Angela is abducted, and physically and sexually abused to the point where she splits into multiple personalities and the Angela part of her doesn't remember anything. But she is so flippant about the whole thing. At one point, as she's getting ready to have a full medical exam only hours after returning home--poked and prodded to determine if she's been raped--she discovers horrible scars on her ankles from where she'd been shackled. What does she think to herself? That she is "never, ever going to wear sandals again."
This lack of real emotion and realistic reaction occurs through the entire book. There were SO many variables thrown in--what happened to her during her missing years, the amnesia, the split personalities, changes in her parents lives while she was gone, her friends lives changing, things emerging from her past...and Angela takes it all in stride, joking about things, never crying. Even with the other personalities there to "protect" her, she'd be completely overwhelmed, but she goes right back to school, goes to dances and on dates, and even babysits for the neighbor.
That right there had me, as a parent, completely freaked out. I'm sorry--Angela's parents know she has other personalities inside her, personalities that take over her and make her black out for hours, and they let her babysit someone else's infant????? Seriously?
And other characters were unbelievable as well. Most were pretty flat, to be honest.
Just last week I read another YA novel that dealt with mental illness, and I've read several YA novels that deal with topics like suicide and abuse. Incredible, insightful, deep, emotional, and rich stories. Everything this book was not, I'm sorry to say. The fact is, if you're going to pick a dark topic to write a story around--and sexual abuse, especially to the extent present in this story--a light tone and simplistic voice just does not work. It felt completely unbalanced and awkward.
I gave the book two stars instead of one because I actually finished it--although I skimmed the last third of the book just to see if my guesses about certain things were true (they were)--and I could see *potential* in the author's writing.
I really wanted to like this book. The cover is so cool, the concept so intriguing. The structure had potential for real brilliance, too--the way Angela's other personalities tell their part of the story in second person and through notes they leave for Angela. But the potential wasn't met, and I found the story less and less believable as I read.
First of all, this book is about a hugely traumatic experience. Angela is abducted, and physically and sexually abused to the point where she splits into multiple personalities and the Angela part of her doesn't remember anything. But she is so flippant about the whole thing. At one point, as she's getting ready to have a full medical exam only hours after returning home--poked and prodded to determine if she's been raped--she discovers horrible scars on her ankles from where she'd been shackled. What does she think to herself? That she is "never, ever going to wear sandals again."
This lack of real emotion and realistic reaction occurs through the entire book. There were SO many variables thrown in--what happened to her during her missing years, the amnesia, the split personalities, changes in her parents lives while she was gone, her friends lives changing, things emerging from her past...and Angela takes it all in stride, joking about things, never crying. Even with the other personalities there to "protect" her, she'd be completely overwhelmed, but she goes right back to school, goes to dances and on dates, and even babysits for the neighbor.
That right there had me, as a parent, completely freaked out. I'm sorry--Angela's parents know she has other personalities inside her, personalities that take over her and make her black out for hours, and they let her babysit someone else's infant????? Seriously?
And other characters were unbelievable as well. Most were pretty flat, to be honest.
Just last week I read another YA novel that dealt with mental illness, and I've read several YA novels that deal with topics like suicide and abuse. Incredible, insightful, deep, emotional, and rich stories. Everything this book was not, I'm sorry to say. The fact is, if you're going to pick a dark topic to write a story around--and sexual abuse, especially to the extent present in this story--a light tone and simplistic voice just does not work. It felt completely unbalanced and awkward.
I gave the book two stars instead of one because I actually finished it--although I skimmed the last third of the book just to see if my guesses about certain things were true (they were)--and I could see *potential* in the author's writing.
September 9, 2018
So, I quite liked this one. I really enjoyed the premise and certain aspects of the story. I also had several issues with it.
Pretty Girl 13 begins with a girl finding herself walking home after a camping trip. When she arrives home, her parents are shocked to see her, as it turns out she has been missing for 3 years. Angie has no memory of any of this, and feels that no time has passed.
This is a terrifying story of kidnapping and mental health disorders. Angie's dissociative identity disorder seemed fictionalised and imagined, which makes it all the scarier that this can happen in real life. It was by far the most interesting and intriguing aspect of the story. I can't speak to how realistic the portrayal is, but the medical examinations and treatments she has seem well explained and logical enough. I like the complicated relationship she has with her parents-things aren't all sunshine and fairies when she gets home, and that's so much more realistic than everything becoming normal again. There's a fantastic therapist character in this book, which is refreshing compared to other YA books' portraying mental health professionals as useless.
My issues are probably spoilers, but if I had to summarise them it is simply that there seems to be unnecessary, extraneous plot lines that I didn't feel should have been there.
Pretty Girl 13 begins with a girl finding herself walking home after a camping trip. When she arrives home, her parents are shocked to see her, as it turns out she has been missing for 3 years. Angie has no memory of any of this, and feels that no time has passed.
This is a terrifying story of kidnapping and mental health disorders. Angie's dissociative identity disorder seemed fictionalised and imagined, which makes it all the scarier that this can happen in real life. It was by far the most interesting and intriguing aspect of the story. I can't speak to how realistic the portrayal is, but the medical examinations and treatments she has seem well explained and logical enough. I like the complicated relationship she has with her parents-things aren't all sunshine and fairies when she gets home, and that's so much more realistic than everything becoming normal again. There's a fantastic therapist character in this book, which is refreshing compared to other YA books' portraying mental health professionals as useless.
My issues are probably spoilers, but if I had to summarise them it is simply that there seems to be unnecessary, extraneous plot lines that I didn't feel should have been there.
January 17, 2015
I really wanted to like this book, but I have read way too many true-life accounts of multiple personalities to be able to take it seriously. The plot twists were way too obviously foreshadowed, and there are major plot holes.
SPOILER ALERTS
Now, having said all that, I would say the beginning of the book had me hooked, but about 1/3 of the way in, my continued reading became morbid curiosity to see if it was really going the way I thought it was. (It was.) There was potential here, it just didn't pan out.
December 13, 2015
Wow! This was a rollercoaster ride! I cannot say that "I can't put it down" because I started reading late yesterday and I was so creeped out that I'm sure to get nightmares when I sleep, so I had to stop. But when I woke up, a bright sunny day, I dived back in and then I didn't put it down. It's been a long time since I read a book this fast, less than 24hours, because I've been a slow reader recently. I didn't expect anything from this book, so the creepiness came as a surprise. I got a bad case of goosebumps! It's the first time in a long time I felt this way, that I had to move around and jump up and down just to get the goosies off! And mind you, there's nothing paranormal in this! I don't want to go into details but just that, again, it creeped the hell out of me! It's not my first time to encounter this issue in a novel, but still! Liz Coley wrote this simply and it's perfect! No dull moment in this book!
October 7, 2022
I love going into books blindly because I’m always so pleasantly surprised by the plot and characters. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone because I enjoyed the storyline so much, but I will say I’ve never read a book about this topic, but i used to binge watch YouTube videos about it in high school… so it was super cool to read a book with a character who had this.
There were times when I questioned how believable the story was, and I thought some issues were introduced that didn’t really contribute to the storyline in any way… but nonetheless, I devoured this book in less than a day. Overall, it was a thrilling read that kept me intrigued the entire time!
There were times when I questioned how believable the story was, and I thought some issues were introduced that didn’t really contribute to the storyline in any way… but nonetheless, I devoured this book in less than a day. Overall, it was a thrilling read that kept me intrigued the entire time!
May 6, 2013
A very gripping and interesting book. I actually really enjoyed it, even considering the troubling topic of child abuse. The author did an excellent job of balancing the gritty realism with a hopeful undertone.
Angie is thirteen when she is abducted and kept captive for three years, after this time she returns home without any memory of the time passing, and not realizing she has aged at all.
Throughout medical and psychological examinations, we learn that Angie is suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or in laymans terms, multiple personalities. This is a condition that Angie's mind has developed to shield her from the trauma she has suffered in order for her to cope, and survive the situation. There are several personalities inside Angie and each had a specific role to play, and dealt with a different aspect of the abuse.
The story goes on to describe Angie's journey to becoming whole again, and the struggle of putting all the parts of her fractured psyche back together. As Angie has no memory of the past three years she has to work with her other personalities to gradually remember, and come to terms with the situation she survived, and to try to get them to merge with her so that she is in full control once more.
The full explanation, and ramifications of the DID disorder add real substance to this book. Some child abuse based books can fall into the trap of just dealing with the dreadful physical injuries sustained, but there is a huge mental impact that is sometimes overlooked. I never realized that DID was a defense mechanism, and by getting to know each individual personality we slowly realize the horrific events that Angie has been through, discovering it bit by bit as she does.
The other facet of the book I enjoyed was the almost out of body experience feeling that Angie had when trying to get back to normalcy. While she was trapped for those three years everyone else around her had to begin moving on. Her parents have had to grieve and say a final goodbye to her, her friends have aged and are different people, and the world has moved on without her. Yet Angie at first feels exactly the same as she did three years ago, except when she looks in the mirror a stranger stares back at her.
You would think considering the subject matter that this would be a very depressing book, and there is no getting away from the fact that reading about child abuse is always going to be tough to take. Yet throughout the book is Angie's steely resolve to live a normal life as possible. Her strength and resilience are inspirational, and by the end of the long hard journey I was left satisfied and optimistic that although she would never forget what happened, she would not let it dominate her life any longer.
I have to say that the book was excellent. I have read two other fictionalizations of child abuse/abduction, but Pretty Girl Thirteen has to be the best one. It had more realism, and was more relatable than Room, and although I did really enjoy Living Dead Girl, I felt that the psychological factors in Pretty Girl Thirteen made it really stand out.
A brilliantly absorbing novel. I'll be looking out for further books by Liz Coley.
Angie is thirteen when she is abducted and kept captive for three years, after this time she returns home without any memory of the time passing, and not realizing she has aged at all.
Throughout medical and psychological examinations, we learn that Angie is suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or in laymans terms, multiple personalities. This is a condition that Angie's mind has developed to shield her from the trauma she has suffered in order for her to cope, and survive the situation. There are several personalities inside Angie and each had a specific role to play, and dealt with a different aspect of the abuse.
The story goes on to describe Angie's journey to becoming whole again, and the struggle of putting all the parts of her fractured psyche back together. As Angie has no memory of the past three years she has to work with her other personalities to gradually remember, and come to terms with the situation she survived, and to try to get them to merge with her so that she is in full control once more.
The full explanation, and ramifications of the DID disorder add real substance to this book. Some child abuse based books can fall into the trap of just dealing with the dreadful physical injuries sustained, but there is a huge mental impact that is sometimes overlooked. I never realized that DID was a defense mechanism, and by getting to know each individual personality we slowly realize the horrific events that Angie has been through, discovering it bit by bit as she does.
The other facet of the book I enjoyed was the almost out of body experience feeling that Angie had when trying to get back to normalcy. While she was trapped for those three years everyone else around her had to begin moving on. Her parents have had to grieve and say a final goodbye to her, her friends have aged and are different people, and the world has moved on without her. Yet Angie at first feels exactly the same as she did three years ago, except when she looks in the mirror a stranger stares back at her.
You would think considering the subject matter that this would be a very depressing book, and there is no getting away from the fact that reading about child abuse is always going to be tough to take. Yet throughout the book is Angie's steely resolve to live a normal life as possible. Her strength and resilience are inspirational, and by the end of the long hard journey I was left satisfied and optimistic that although she would never forget what happened, she would not let it dominate her life any longer.
I have to say that the book was excellent. I have read two other fictionalizations of child abuse/abduction, but Pretty Girl Thirteen has to be the best one. It had more realism, and was more relatable than Room, and although I did really enjoy Living Dead Girl, I felt that the psychological factors in Pretty Girl Thirteen made it really stand out.
A brilliantly absorbing novel. I'll be looking out for further books by Liz Coley.
July 20, 2022
3.5 stars!
This one comes with a multitude of trigger warnings, so please be aware of the following subject content: Sexual assault, scenes of mental health trauma/distress, descriptions of trauma, paranoia, incest etc.
What a powerful story. We follow Angie, a young thirteen year old girl who one moment is on a camping trip, the next, stumbling into the arms of her parents who are shocked by her arriving unannounced. Angie learns quickly why everyone around her is so shocked. She is now actually sixteen, three years older than what she thought she was. As she, her family and the wider community try to piece together all that happened, Angie finds herself being diagnosed with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and has multiple identities.
She starts a course of therapy and experimental treatment to try and block out these identities but also, bringing closure and giving answers to what really happened to her over the three years she was missing. There were a lot of things that came to light but the book itself had a good pace to it. Moments did come and go in which a few events were mentioned and skipped over. I kind of wanted to see what happened there. As I keep my reviews spoiler-free, I can’t reveal what events. However, it is gripping, terrifying and not something to read just before bedtime.
As this is my first written review in years, please note I’m still quite rusty with my writing.
Borrowed from work (I now work as a library assistant!)
If you would like to support me and my content further, you can follow me here on Goodreads and send a coffee via Ko-Fi to enable me to keep buying, reviewing and collecting books as well as supporting authors and publishers.
This one comes with a multitude of trigger warnings, so please be aware of the following subject content: Sexual assault, scenes of mental health trauma/distress, descriptions of trauma, paranoia, incest etc.
What a powerful story. We follow Angie, a young thirteen year old girl who one moment is on a camping trip, the next, stumbling into the arms of her parents who are shocked by her arriving unannounced. Angie learns quickly why everyone around her is so shocked. She is now actually sixteen, three years older than what she thought she was. As she, her family and the wider community try to piece together all that happened, Angie finds herself being diagnosed with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and has multiple identities.
She starts a course of therapy and experimental treatment to try and block out these identities but also, bringing closure and giving answers to what really happened to her over the three years she was missing. There were a lot of things that came to light but the book itself had a good pace to it. Moments did come and go in which a few events were mentioned and skipped over. I kind of wanted to see what happened there. As I keep my reviews spoiler-free, I can’t reveal what events. However, it is gripping, terrifying and not something to read just before bedtime.
As this is my first written review in years, please note I’m still quite rusty with my writing.
Borrowed from work (I now work as a library assistant!)
If you would like to support me and my content further, you can follow me here on Goodreads and send a coffee via Ko-Fi to enable me to keep buying, reviewing and collecting books as well as supporting authors and publishers.
January 25, 2013
At times, this book was uncomfortable to read. Rather than being an exciting thriller about a girl's kidnapping and escape, it's about Angie's slow journey back from a three-year captivity--not a physical journey, but a mental one.
In the aftermath of her captivity and escape, Angie remembers absolutely nothing about the time that passed between waking up at Girl Scout Camp one morning and finding herself standing on her street three years later with a bag full of clothes that definitely aren't hers. Her parents, the police, and the doctors all say she went through a horrible ordeal, but Angie doesn't remember any of it. She doesn't even feel like she belongs in her own body anymore--it has grown up without her. Angie is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder and through therapy she slowly gets to know her "alters," each of whom holds a different piece of the puzzle of Angie's past. The alters came into being to protect her, but now that Angie is safe, she becomes frustrated by her lost time--by the alter who stays up all night leaving Angie bleary-eyed the next day, by the one who "sluts up" her outfits without Angie even realizing it, by her total inability to recall anything about the three missing years of her life. And in the midst of everything she is also dealing with reintegrating into family and school life after everyone had given her up for dead, and with the mentality of a thirteen-year-old but the body of a sixteen-year-old.
I had a few minor concerns about sexism and some one-dimensional characters, but overall this book is difficult but compelling, heartbreaking, and definitely worthwhile.
In the aftermath of her captivity and escape, Angie remembers absolutely nothing about the time that passed between waking up at Girl Scout Camp one morning and finding herself standing on her street three years later with a bag full of clothes that definitely aren't hers. Her parents, the police, and the doctors all say she went through a horrible ordeal, but Angie doesn't remember any of it. She doesn't even feel like she belongs in her own body anymore--it has grown up without her. Angie is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder and through therapy she slowly gets to know her "alters," each of whom holds a different piece of the puzzle of Angie's past. The alters came into being to protect her, but now that Angie is safe, she becomes frustrated by her lost time--by the alter who stays up all night leaving Angie bleary-eyed the next day, by the one who "sluts up" her outfits without Angie even realizing it, by her total inability to recall anything about the three missing years of her life. And in the midst of everything she is also dealing with reintegrating into family and school life after everyone had given her up for dead, and with the mentality of a thirteen-year-old but the body of a sixteen-year-old.
I had a few minor concerns about sexism and some one-dimensional characters, but overall this book is difficult but compelling, heartbreaking, and definitely worthwhile.
June 27, 2016
Where do I start?? I freakin love this book so much, I started reading it yesterday and I badly wanted to finish it as soon as possible. Every chapter I was hooked through the pages and I don't even want to stop reading it! I recommend this to everyone, go read it! It's utterly creepy and will leave you wanting more...
September 17, 2017
This was a really interesting and engaging thriller. There were parts that seemed very realistic and then other parts that were a little far out there and cliche but overall a really good book.
TW: sexual abuse, kidnapping, child abuse, and violence.
Review to come.
TW: sexual abuse, kidnapping, child abuse, and violence.
Review to come.
January 4, 2013
Can also be read on The Social Potato.
Thank you Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for the free copy of this novel in exchange for a review. This did not influence my review in any way.
Despite the three stars I gave, I did somehow enjoy this. I love reading psychological thrillers, because I find the human psyche intimidating and fascinating, and books that explore this are far and few between. Liz Coley writes a rather unique approach to this with Pretty Girl-13, providing us, readers, a chance to see what has happened in Angie's life when she was kidnapped and held captive through her eyes and the eyes of her alternate personalities, different sides of her who took over her being in order to protect her from the dangers she was surrounded by. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people will love this, based on the premise alone.
So why did I not like this enough to give it 5 stars? I have a feeling I'll be one of the minority here, but here are some reasons why:
NARRATIVE
There was simply not enough narrative for me to absolutely and 100% emphatize with the main character, Angie. There would be a passing sentence or two here and there saying what she felt, and then it would go back to "she did this, and then did that", telling us what actions she did next. As someone who was confused, lost and utterly bewildered with the circumstances, you'd expect you'll find out more of what Angie was going through emotionally through the internal narration. But because it was the opposite, it didn't become as "personal" as I hoped it to be. There were a lot of scenes that were supposed to be dramatic and powerful, but because I didn't feel intimate enough with Angie, it simply felt... not dull, not boring, but lacking? I truly wish that I read more of what Angie felt in the book - they simply needed to be told, especially since they come from a traumatic experience. I think it would have been better if the story was told in the first person point of view, for perhaps that way, there would be more room and opportunities for internal monologue and emotions. I wanted to feel sad and frustrated like the heroine, but I really just couldn't...
CHARACTERS
As previously said, there were many sides of Angie here, sides of hers that took over her body whenever certain circumstances happened. To be honest, I found the other sides of hers to be more interesting. They were fun to read, and I actually felt more for them (but then again, these personalities or personas were the ones who experienced all the bad stuff), than the main one. It's a shame we don't see a lot of them, and it's a shame that her other sides had little to no internal dialogue. It would have been cool to know more about them aside from what we discover in the letters they wrote for the main personality, because these other personas were actually the ones who brought color in the book.
DILEMMAS (twists?)
Phew. One thing you need to know about this book, it's this: there are a LOT of twists, or dilemmas (problems Angie has to face), that after a while, it starts to feel the others were simply no longer necessary. Some of them were predictable, some were not, and some felt were simply added to make the character seem more vulnerable and helpless.
Like for example, after getting back from three years of absence, she meets two of her three best friends. The third one became an outcast after reporting to the police a party that reeked of disaster. She makes out with the guy BF, and regrets it because he already was the boyfriend of the other BF. Then he comes back, tells the heroine they aren't really together-together, and then they have sex. Conveniently, he breaks up with the other one, but being more mature this time, our heroine rejects him. He gets back with the other BF, and both of them come back to Angie with a vengeance, as they tried to make her life miserable.
Really? Was that just necessary? Angie already has enough on her plate, and here comes again another dilemma she has to face.
Certainly, there are others, and it simply becomes too much after a while (well, it seemed that way anyway to me). She overcomes all of these, of course, and suffice to say, she would have matured either way, with or without those problems placed there. Halfway, I felt "choked" with all of the things she had to go through. Can't they simply give her a rest already?!
Overall, this is a promising read. Yes, it wasn't as emotional and gripping as I thought it would be, based on the fact this is a psychological thriller, but it was a decent read nonetheless. It may not have worked for me, given that I expect a lot from books, but I won't be surprised if others like this a great deal. It tackles a lot of sensitive issues that may not be suited for the faint-hearted, but come on, it's part of life, so you may as well read about it :P
A solid 3 - 3.5 stars.
Thank you Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for the free copy of this novel in exchange for a review. This did not influence my review in any way.
Despite the three stars I gave, I did somehow enjoy this. I love reading psychological thrillers, because I find the human psyche intimidating and fascinating, and books that explore this are far and few between. Liz Coley writes a rather unique approach to this with Pretty Girl-13, providing us, readers, a chance to see what has happened in Angie's life when she was kidnapped and held captive through her eyes and the eyes of her alternate personalities, different sides of her who took over her being in order to protect her from the dangers she was surrounded by. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people will love this, based on the premise alone.
So why did I not like this enough to give it 5 stars? I have a feeling I'll be one of the minority here, but here are some reasons why:
NARRATIVE
There was simply not enough narrative for me to absolutely and 100% emphatize with the main character, Angie. There would be a passing sentence or two here and there saying what she felt, and then it would go back to "she did this, and then did that", telling us what actions she did next. As someone who was confused, lost and utterly bewildered with the circumstances, you'd expect you'll find out more of what Angie was going through emotionally through the internal narration. But because it was the opposite, it didn't become as "personal" as I hoped it to be. There were a lot of scenes that were supposed to be dramatic and powerful, but because I didn't feel intimate enough with Angie, it simply felt... not dull, not boring, but lacking? I truly wish that I read more of what Angie felt in the book - they simply needed to be told, especially since they come from a traumatic experience. I think it would have been better if the story was told in the first person point of view, for perhaps that way, there would be more room and opportunities for internal monologue and emotions. I wanted to feel sad and frustrated like the heroine, but I really just couldn't...
CHARACTERS
As previously said, there were many sides of Angie here, sides of hers that took over her body whenever certain circumstances happened. To be honest, I found the other sides of hers to be more interesting. They were fun to read, and I actually felt more for them (but then again, these personalities or personas were the ones who experienced all the bad stuff), than the main one. It's a shame we don't see a lot of them, and it's a shame that her other sides had little to no internal dialogue. It would have been cool to know more about them aside from what we discover in the letters they wrote for the main personality, because these other personas were actually the ones who brought color in the book.
DILEMMAS (twists?)
Phew. One thing you need to know about this book, it's this: there are a LOT of twists, or dilemmas (problems Angie has to face), that after a while, it starts to feel the others were simply no longer necessary. Some of them were predictable, some were not, and some felt were simply added to make the character seem more vulnerable and helpless.
Like for example, after getting back from three years of absence, she meets two of her three best friends. The third one became an outcast after reporting to the police a party that reeked of disaster. She makes out with the guy BF, and regrets it because he already was the boyfriend of the other BF. Then he comes back, tells the heroine they aren't really together-together, and then they have sex. Conveniently, he breaks up with the other one, but being more mature this time, our heroine rejects him. He gets back with the other BF, and both of them come back to Angie with a vengeance, as they tried to make her life miserable.
Really? Was that just necessary? Angie already has enough on her plate, and here comes again another dilemma she has to face.
Certainly, there are others, and it simply becomes too much after a while (well, it seemed that way anyway to me). She overcomes all of these, of course, and suffice to say, she would have matured either way, with or without those problems placed there. Halfway, I felt "choked" with all of the things she had to go through. Can't they simply give her a rest already?!
Overall, this is a promising read. Yes, it wasn't as emotional and gripping as I thought it would be, based on the fact this is a psychological thriller, but it was a decent read nonetheless. It may not have worked for me, given that I expect a lot from books, but I won't be surprised if others like this a great deal. It tackles a lot of sensitive issues that may not be suited for the faint-hearted, but come on, it's part of life, so you may as well read about it :P
A solid 3 - 3.5 stars.
March 20, 2013
Actual rating is 3.5, decided to go with the lower due to predictability.
What a riot reading this book was! I have to say that I was surprised to check Goodreads and see that this book clocks in at just over 350 pages after reading my egalley. I breezed through Pretty Girl-13 so fast that I thought for sure it would be in the 200 page range. A story that plays games with your mind and keeps you wondering what will happen just around the corner with every page, this is not one to be missed for sure.
Angie went missing on a Girl Scout campout when she was just 13 years old. Her parents exhausted all of their resources searching for her and right when they were about to give up hope, she re-appears. This is 3 years later, she is now 16 years old and remembers absolutely nothing of the last 3 years. According to her she just came home from the campout and is still 13 year old Angie. As the story unfolds it becomes a really great psychological thriller that I felt unraveled at just the perfect pace. One complaint that I do have, however, is that the novels glaring parallels to a certain TV show (that I can’t name for fear of spoilers) made it all a bit too predictable (DM me if you want me to extrapolate). I do have to say that not a lot ended up taking me by surprise and I figured out much of what happened chapters before it was revealed, but nevertheless I had such a good time reading this that it didn’t hinder my reading experience too much.
Angie was way more levelheaded for someone who went through what she did than I could have ever imagined. All throughout the story she was able to joke about what she had gone through, I guess this is thanks to her “amnesia”. She didn’t know how to feel about anything because she had no first hand idea about what actually happened to her. She does find herself in a bit of a romance and while the guy who ends up being her love interest was a bit cheesy and cutesy for me, he was still so sweet and I could see how that was just what Angie needed in her life at the time. She also finds a great friend in Kate, who was very supportive of her. I’m not entirely sure that with all the things that happened to her everyone would have been so flippant about it all, including Angie, but for some reason the tone of the story worked.
There isn’t too much I can talk about plot-wise here because pretty much anything that I mention would be a spoiler. So just know that this is a really good psychological thriller that keeps you turning the pages at an extremely fast pace. I couldn’t take in this book fast enough, and even though I always saw exactly what was coming, I had so much fun reading it.
__
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
What a riot reading this book was! I have to say that I was surprised to check Goodreads and see that this book clocks in at just over 350 pages after reading my egalley. I breezed through Pretty Girl-13 so fast that I thought for sure it would be in the 200 page range. A story that plays games with your mind and keeps you wondering what will happen just around the corner with every page, this is not one to be missed for sure.
Angie went missing on a Girl Scout campout when she was just 13 years old. Her parents exhausted all of their resources searching for her and right when they were about to give up hope, she re-appears. This is 3 years later, she is now 16 years old and remembers absolutely nothing of the last 3 years. According to her she just came home from the campout and is still 13 year old Angie. As the story unfolds it becomes a really great psychological thriller that I felt unraveled at just the perfect pace. One complaint that I do have, however, is that the novels glaring parallels to a certain TV show (that I can’t name for fear of spoilers) made it all a bit too predictable (DM me if you want me to extrapolate). I do have to say that not a lot ended up taking me by surprise and I figured out much of what happened chapters before it was revealed, but nevertheless I had such a good time reading this that it didn’t hinder my reading experience too much.
Angie was way more levelheaded for someone who went through what she did than I could have ever imagined. All throughout the story she was able to joke about what she had gone through, I guess this is thanks to her “amnesia”. She didn’t know how to feel about anything because she had no first hand idea about what actually happened to her. She does find herself in a bit of a romance and while the guy who ends up being her love interest was a bit cheesy and cutesy for me, he was still so sweet and I could see how that was just what Angie needed in her life at the time. She also finds a great friend in Kate, who was very supportive of her. I’m not entirely sure that with all the things that happened to her everyone would have been so flippant about it all, including Angie, but for some reason the tone of the story worked.
There isn’t too much I can talk about plot-wise here because pretty much anything that I mention would be a spoiler. So just know that this is a really good psychological thriller that keeps you turning the pages at an extremely fast pace. I couldn’t take in this book fast enough, and even though I always saw exactly what was coming, I had so much fun reading it.
__
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
January 19, 2013
On the surface, this was a five star book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. When I wasn't thinking about it...well, that didn't happen. Too many books focus on the kidnap itself. The time spent being kidnapped. I liked that this looked at the after effects. I liked that it focused on Angie coming home. Because there's trauma there too. Different, but still trauma.
The book starts with Angie's return home. It's been three years since she was taken, but to Angie, no time has passed at all. In fact, she still thinks she's thirteen, still thinks she was camping with her friends, still thinks that it's August. She can't quite believe what her stunned parents tell her, and the face in the mirror just isn't hers. But with the help of a psychologist, Angie learns the truth: she has DID (dissociative identity disorder) and there are a number of Angie's, but which one you'll get depends entirely on the circumstance.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
Like I mentioned above, on the surface this was fantastic. It was interesting, haunting, emotional and tragic. But, unfortunately, the second half of the book led me to a few problems and though I was enjoying what I was reading, in the back of my head I was very disbelieving and quite irritated.
A lot of the big twists are revealed and then forgotten. Some of the twists were good ones, ones with a lot of fallout after. With 90% of these cases, the fallout wasn't mentioned. It was skipped and we were briefly told what happened later. It wasn't good enough for me.
My biggest complaint of this was after Angie attacks Yuncle and her parents find out what had happened. I expected this huge emotional scene, especially a confrontation between Angie and her father, and instead that wasn't explained. We're later told her parents accepted it and now her Grandma won't come to Christmas? It felt to me like a cop out.
Another complaint...when Angie manages to mould two of her alters with her own personality, she gets back all of their memories and isn't affected one tiny bit by it. The girl was held captive for 3 years and terrified of her captor, not to mention the incident that caused her to have an alter in the first place. But she doesn't think about it or react to it at all. She carries on dating and babysitting and going on with life as though none of that never happened. For me, that was really unrealistic.
There were more things I had a problem with, but I won't go into it. Because at the end of it all, I still really enjoyed reading it. I devoured the entire book and finished it quickly. I wanted more and more and more. And actually, maybe I'm so annoyed at the parts missed out because in fact, I just wanted to know more and that's a sign of a good story. If I didn't care about the book, I wouldn't want more!
4 stars.
The book starts with Angie's return home. It's been three years since she was taken, but to Angie, no time has passed at all. In fact, she still thinks she's thirteen, still thinks she was camping with her friends, still thinks that it's August. She can't quite believe what her stunned parents tell her, and the face in the mirror just isn't hers. But with the help of a psychologist, Angie learns the truth: she has DID (dissociative identity disorder) and there are a number of Angie's, but which one you'll get depends entirely on the circumstance.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
Like I mentioned above, on the surface this was fantastic. It was interesting, haunting, emotional and tragic. But, unfortunately, the second half of the book led me to a few problems and though I was enjoying what I was reading, in the back of my head I was very disbelieving and quite irritated.
A lot of the big twists are revealed and then forgotten. Some of the twists were good ones, ones with a lot of fallout after. With 90% of these cases, the fallout wasn't mentioned. It was skipped and we were briefly told what happened later. It wasn't good enough for me.
My biggest complaint of this was after Angie attacks Yuncle and her parents find out what had happened. I expected this huge emotional scene, especially a confrontation between Angie and her father, and instead that wasn't explained. We're later told her parents accepted it and now her Grandma won't come to Christmas? It felt to me like a cop out.
Another complaint...when Angie manages to mould two of her alters with her own personality, she gets back all of their memories and isn't affected one tiny bit by it. The girl was held captive for 3 years and terrified of her captor, not to mention the incident that caused her to have an alter in the first place. But she doesn't think about it or react to it at all. She carries on dating and babysitting and going on with life as though none of that never happened. For me, that was really unrealistic.
There were more things I had a problem with, but I won't go into it. Because at the end of it all, I still really enjoyed reading it. I devoured the entire book and finished it quickly. I wanted more and more and more. And actually, maybe I'm so annoyed at the parts missed out because in fact, I just wanted to know more and that's a sign of a good story. If I didn't care about the book, I wouldn't want more!
4 stars.
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