I debating reading her earlier work because I was afraid it wouldn't hold up compared to Sadie. I'm honestly amazed at how much I enjoyed Cracked Up to Be, which happens to be her debut novel.
As you all know, I'm a sucker for teen angst.
Now, this book was not all teen angst, it definitely deals with some hard-hitting topics such as alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide, rape, even murder. When you take those topics and set it in a Catholic high school and make the main character an ex-cheerleader? Oh yeah, I'm going to devour it.
Parker Fadley wanted to be perfect, people expected her to be perfect. But after a wild night, that all changes. Parker begins showing up to class drunk, stop turning in assignments, even attempting suicide. Her weekly meetings with the school counselor, Grey, don't really seem to be helping. Parker thinks she can pull one over on her friends and families, even Grey. But in reality they all saw through her bullshit. Everyone just wanted the best for her but she didn't want it for herself.
Since I bought the re-released copy of Cracked Up to Be, I got to read Courtney Summers' authors note. She talked about how she never felt the need to shy away from tough topics. She had to fight for Parker to be as unlikable as possibly. But I never really saw Parker that way. Parker has a darkness, a bitchiness if you will. But the facade she puts up is obviously not her. I don't think she's unlikable, I think she's misunderstood. However, all of her friends cherished her. I think the true unlikable traits were what Parker felt about herself.
I love reading the lives Courtney Summers' complex characters.
I love that she has stayed true to her characters across all of her books.
I loved this.
Looking for other books by Courtney Summers?
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