Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Title: Some Girls Are	Loved it	Graded
Author: Courtney Summers
Genre: Comtemporary
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Elements: Social issues, Bullying
Series: Stand alone

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.

Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Oh my god. I just finished reading this, and I can't get over how vicious the acts are. I feel like I need to take a scrubbing to my heart. Now let me backtrack. I live in a peaceful, very safe society where things like this don't happen. Or if they do, it's very quiet.

When I first heard of Some Girls Are, I thought that yes! It'd be interesting to see things from the bully's POV. What goes through her mind when she does that? Does she feel bad for making others suffer; does she even think of it as them suffering? I got more than I bargained, because it starts off with the bully being bullied.

Technically, Regina isn't THE bully. She's the bully's best friend, which is worse because they just go along with what the bullies want them to. In a sense, they're being bullied themselves, and they can't ever fight back. The only way they can get ahold of themselves is if the bully lets them go.

This is as much the bully's story as the bullied. And since you'll read Regina's story, let's start with the bully, and in SGA, that's Anna. I'm not going to mince words here: I hate her. Or if I have to be more precise: I hate the influence she has over people. And I admire it at the same time. Now, this Anna. Only in the last chapter do we get to know more about her journey to be the reigning queen beeyotch. In a time where everyone is unsure of themselves and their places in the world, she's the one who knows what she wants, and she'll do anything to get it. It doesn't matter to her whose head she steps on as long as she gets there. To go after what you want and not care what anyone else thinks, isn't this what is preached to us? 'Be confident! Go after what you want! Haters to the left!'

'But Liyana,' you protest. 'That's different. You're totally twisting the meaning around.' But interpretation is a wondrous thing, is it not? With this short paragraph, can you see how much Anna wants it? And by it, I mean anything she wants. When she wants something, she wants it bad.

Now Regina. She's been Anna's best friend since they were freshmen, so that means she's been under Anna's control for a long time, and she's used to it. Best of all, Anna's used to Regina being under her thumb, that when it happens that Regina 'does' something she doesn't approve of, she freaks out. She's more worried about the loss of control than the act that actually happened. To her, this signifies the worse betrayal she has ever experienced, never mind that Regina didn't actually do anything.

Bullies just hate when people rebel against them. The thought of it, of losing power and control scares them so much, and that's why they always have to crush others down. And those in the posse are as much under her control as the bullied. Using Anna as an example, when she shows favour to them, they are as much under her control because they never ever want to be out of it. Being on the inside, even controlled is better than being bullied, but not accepted. Right? :S

Personally, I have never gone through such a thing and I NEVER EVER WANT TO. Everything came through so raw and potent; I've never felt such hatred, bitterness and revenge. And rage. Lots of rage.

This novel is good in so many ways.