Violence | Sexual Content | Profanity
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| 5/5 stars |
Note: Sorry for the short review! I really don't have much to say, even though I loved it to bits. :) Read it for yourself!
I don't think I've had a 5 star read in a while, but this one deserved it without a doubt. Take Three Girls is brutally honest, bold and navigates a plethora of extremely important and relevant issues that teenagers face today: online (and offline) bullying, peer pressure, struggling families, toxic friends, love and heartbreak, sexuality ... just to name a few. This book was absolutely everything I could have asked for! I was just so hooked! My fragile little Feminist inner self was jumping up and down with glee by the end of it. :)
Take Three Girls is written in the perspectives of three girls at a prestigious all-girls private school in Melbourne: Clem, the sporty twin, the swimming prodigy; Kate, the quiet and studious cellist with hidden dreams; and Ady, the 'It' girl, who might not have it all together as she would have others believe. I adored them so much! And I love the randomness of their coming together and eventual friendship!
Wellness class came about as a way to combat the level of bullying that occurs in private schools, particularly the toxic PSST website which is a disturbing hot spot of misogyny and hate posts. I'll admit that when I read the PSST posts that were sprinkled throughout the book, I felt angry and frustrated. Why do some people have to be so mean? I'm glad that these posts were included though - cruel as they were, they helped to really drive home the troubling nature of online bullying, the anonymity of it all. I was waving my arms in anticipation when the girls pledged to take PSST down - they may only be words, but words (and rumours) can be the most harmful.
I loved that the authors did not hold back. At all. Like, even a little bit. There was a bit of everything in it. Now, I'm starting to get to that age where I stay away from books that have a heavy focus on high school life, but this book was just brilliant, I don't even know what to say!
Favourites:
"'I would like, very much, to kiss you,' I say, imitating Oliver's formal tone.
Oliver is, as always, really good at what he sets his mind to. Later, I will remember this as my first real kiss, with someone I respect, like, need. I will remember Bowie playing in the background as Oliver's hands find their way. I will remember falling asleep, records spinning. (283)
"When I told Ady ... she didn't say, 'I told you so.' She just hugged me and told me about this thing the Japanese do: if they break a pot or a cup they don't try to make it perfect, instead they fill the cracks with gold-dusted lacquer. She said, 'They believe when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful. Like, it is more beautiful for being broken. Maybe all our heartbreaks will be like that and when we're old we'll look crazed with experience. In both senses of the word.' (327)
"How do you know if a boy likes you?
Maybe because they act interested in you. Or they ask you questions and when you answer they actually listen. Because they smile at you shyly and duck their head and there's no edge in their voice. Ben's looking at me like he's just given something of himself away. He pulls the oars back and we move with a sudden surge. I close my eyes for a few seconds and feel the trees, the sky, the clouds - all of it gently waving us back to the bank. (337)
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AUSTRALIA: A&R | Booktopia | Boomerang Books
I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.
