Unfortunately, this book was archived before I was able to download it. I was looking forward to reading this one, since I loved Summer’s book, Sadie. This author creates such unique and eerily real stories that I feel some people can relate to. I was excited to see that this book was rereleased. I’m glad this book was given a second chance and with how well it was recurved in the book world.

Cracked Up to Be can only exceed your expectations. It centres on the teenage daily life of Parker Fadley who will take the role of our very own multi-faceted protagonist.

See, Parker is not just an average adolescent girl. She's conflicted, unashamedly flawed, dramatic, manipulative, clever, kind-hearted, and hilariously good at giving the best one-liners... And did I mention the witty dialogues and addictive narration? Yep, that's our Parker. She's one of a kind and I hope you'll enjoy this ride of a book just as much as I did.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but let me just say that it's full of turns, twists and unexpected surprises. It's not your typical YA novel and I say this in the best possible way.

The book is amazingly well-written. Summers knows her craft and it's refreshing to be able to witness it in such a well-executed manner. The words pour, the sentences flow and you really get engrossed into what's happening (and trust me, a LOT is happening in this town!). The writing style is beautiful and not at all pretentious.

I enjoyed reading it under the warm spring sun, and even though I love the sunshine, this book was the focus of that weekend hands down! 

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and St Martin's Press in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After being completely blown away after reading Sadie last year- it was great to dive back into the author's backlist. Cracked Up to Be is fantastic - completely raw and Summers doesn't shy away from painful moments and thoughts. This is a remarkable novel exploring one teenager's downward spiral and the struggle to take a step toward recovery. Parker isn't the most likeable person - her comments to other people are sarcastic and biting. Her life was perfect at one time but a night where she decided to let go of her perfect image set in motion other events beyond her control. But the guilt she feels over that night stays and is excruciating. This book will stick in your mind long after you finished reading the final page. Really excited to read more from Courtney Summers. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

I typically don't like books with an unlikeable narrator as it's too difficult to stay in that person's head for so long. However, I enjoyed reading Parker's story. It was great.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

My only other experience with Summers was with her incredibly raw and powerful novel, Sadie. But based on what I've read now with Cracked Up to Be, it seems that this is the type of book Summers likes to create. Cracked Up to Be is just as raw, despite the different subject matter, and just as heart-wrenching. The narrator, Parker Fadley is struggling to navigate through the remnants of having experienced a trauma. She's anything but your typical unlikeable narrator — she's dislikable on purpose. Regardless of her deflections and her bitter, sarcastic humor she launches like an assault, nothing can quite hide her pervasive sadness.

Through flashbacks, ones that feel so incredibly natural and organic to the story as any thought Parker has, we slowly pick away at the memory she's battling that left her so traumatized. Along with that, the flashbacks allow the reader to peek at the type of overachiever Parker was before everything shattered. The build up throughout the book was propulsive, pulling you along completely. I do admit that once the reveal was on the page, I found the explantation a tad . . . weak . . ., but still utterly tragic and believable — it felt as though there should have been a bit more on the page of what occurred just after the emotionally distressing event. Nonetheless, what Summers writes are powerful books about broken narrators — and she does it well, and she does it with a rawness that stays with you long after you close the book.

It's official Courtney Summers is one of my favorite authors. I have only read her newer books, but when presented the opportunity to read this book from Wednesday books, I had to read it. Cracked Up to Be is a fantastic book, and I cannot believe Summers wrote it at 22 and it is ten years old. I am completely baffled by her sheer talent.

I love love love Parker. I love every narrator Summers writes. She writes girls that we see in everyday life. I have been Parker. I know a Parker. We all experience the self sabotage that Parker inflicts on herself and everyone. It's so relieving opening a Courtney Summers book. Because I know I won't be reading about a perfect girl with perfect problems.

Thank you Courtney Summers for being my favorite author. You're incredible.

I love this book. I think it should be required YA reading. Courtney Summers is a wonderful, real YA author.

Wow. This book was something pretty serious. I had not realized that Courtney Summers wrote this book before Sadie. After doing some research I found out that this was a reprint. I loved Sadie. I listened to the audiobook and as messy as it was, I couldn’t stop listening. When I saw that I could request Cracked up to be on NetGalley I knew I had to have it. I was sooo excited to be approved for this title.

We follow Parker Fadley, who used to be a super-popular cheerleader and had a super-popular boyfriend. She was up for valedictorian and all the teachers loved her. But one event changed her completely. I love Courtney’s writing style in this book. We as the reader have no idea what happened to Parker to change her into a completely different person. I remember having so many theories, but of course, each one of those was wrong. I wasn’t even close. Parker is now a girl who is mean, drinks a lot and is on suicide watch. No one really understands why either.

Another thing that I love about Courtney is her characters. Parker was not a likable character, yet I couldn’t stop reading. Even though I didn’t just love her, I did understand why she was the way she was. Especially towards the end when we find out more about what happened. And I won’t lie, I probably liked her even less after finishing, but I still think she was the perfect main character. I love messy books and this book was definitely messy.

I think if you loved Sadie, you need to read this book. Check it out and let me know what you thought about it!!

Courtney Summers gives the world the angry, "unlikable" girls that we need. Her female characters are always tackling an unspeakable trauma which can lead them to lash out, push people away, or ruin their lives. These angry girls who speak their minds are usually considered unlikable even though boys get away with the same thing.

Parker is trying to come to terms with an unspeakable horror she witnessed while also coming to terms with the fact that she has anxiety. She's not nice, doing everything she can to be left alone because that's what she thinks she deserves. She blames herself for what happened and therefore does her best to ruin anything good she has. This isn't an easy read and Parker is not an easy girl but that's the point. She doesn't have to be her old self, perfect and put together, to deserve our time. She isn't less of a person because she's become "unlikable". Trigger warnings for rape, murder, death, suicide attempt, mention of self-harm, and anxiety.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Wednesday Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Courtney Summers is unafraid to write complex, unforgettable, and often unlikable characters and Cracked Up to Be is no exception. This is not a surface level YA about high school drama-- it is hard hitting, raw, and emotional, all with beautiful prose.

This book has some messed up stuff in it, and it’s also extremely good. Difficult to read at times, but incredibly well-written, Cracked Up to Be is raw and powerful and heart-breaking.

Parker, the main character, has been through some trauma, and as a result, she definitely falls into what many would call the ‘unlikable protagonist’ category. I know some readers don’t like books with these types of main characters, but personally, I loved getting to know Parker, in all of her messiness and complexities, and getting to look inside her head and try to understand why she is the way that she is.

This ‘unlikable female character’ trope is touched on in the author’s introduction—the novel was first published in 2008, but this 2020 re-release includes a new introduction from the author—and I absolutely loved the insight and context I gained from reading it before beginning the story.

It is these types of narratives, I think, that help us gain a greater sense of empathy for real-life people, for girls like Parker who don’t always do likable things. Gradually, through short, fragmented flashbacks, we come to understand Parker’s backstory, and how she went from straight-As and cheerleading to missing assignments and isolation.

Surprisingly, another word I would use to describe Cracked Up to Be is funny. Parker’s voice is razor-sharp, and her narration is, at times, laugh-out-loud funny in a very sardonic way.

If you’re up for a darker read with a messy protagonist, I would definitely recommend Cracked Up to Be. (Though, you should be sure to check the content warnings.)

4.5 stars

The overarching themes of Summers book shine through in this newly rereleased edition, updated to today's technology. A great read for teenagers, who will find her characters and situations resonate in their own lives.

This is one of those well written, heart wrenching, and emotional turmoil inducing books! It’s written very well, and gets the characters developed in a manner that makes you care about them! I found it to be unputdownable and realistic. I thought it provided many different roller coaster or emotions, while still holding my attention and needing to find more. I look forward to more by Courtney Summers, whom seems to know how to write a worthwhile, important YA book, parents can also enjoy! I highly, highly recommend!
Will make sure I buzz it up on all the different platforms!

While I enjoyed Summer’s later novels I found myself putting this one down, picking it up and restarting it several times. The premise is cute but I couldn’t get past most of it. Her later novels are much more of a hit!!

Courtney Summers' Cracked Up to Be was originally published in 2008 and is getting a deserved re-release, given the popularity of Sadie. Summers doesn't write bubblegum YA. She writes complex characters with complex problems, and the characters aren't always the most likable. However, they are facing real challenges associated with growing up.

Parker Fadley had everything going for her and was a golden girl, but then everything starts to change, and she's spiraling out of control. This book is about how events can affect an individual and what recovery may look like.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is not a typical light young adult read. It also doesn't feature a sick kid romance trope or a discovery of a magical land. This book is a hard hitting, emotional read that tears your soul apart and makes you feel like a teenager all over again, but with escalated mental health struggles.

This book showcases the darkest parts of being a teenager, complete with friends that are well meaning yet clueless to personal struggles and parents that are lost at how to parent someone who they no longer can relate to or understand, yet love with all their hearts. Following along with Parker's daily high school life, the reader is slowly brought into an even that disrupted her life emotionally and turned her sense of self completely on its head. The reader can't help but be drawn into Parker's emotional state, wanting to hug and care for her just as her friends and family want to do, but knowing that you cant help someone that has no interest in helping themselves.

This is a DEEP read. It is not quick or something that can be glossed over. It hits the reader right in their heart and doesn't let go easily. Be prepared going into this book because I wasn't and it definitely made an impression that I was by no means expecting. The author does such an amazing job at allowing the reader to be a passenger along for the ride but a victim of the inevitable crash that occurs and I am wholly impressed with the showcase of her abilities, as hard as it is at times to stomach the brutal honesty.

This was darker than I expected it to be though maybe I should have known since the same wrote Sadie. This book was heartbreaking and also surprising. It is quite different than the YA that most people are used to but I did enjoy it. I just had to wait to be in the right headspace as it could be heavy. The main character Parker was easy to dislike but you also grew to care about her throughout the book as you find out what made Parker the way that she is.

Let's switch things up and start with trigger warnings. I wish I had some before reading so I want to make sure you are warned beforehand.

Trigger warnings: suicide attempt, rape (no graphic description, shown as a flashback), death of a dog

Ok, now to the story!

Parker used to be the queen bee of her school. Amazing grades, captain of the cheerleading squad, and was with the most popular guy in school. But after one night, she makes sure to change all that.

She makes sure all her former friends hate her, dumps her boyfriend, quits the cheerleading squad, and ensures her grades go to shit. What happened that night to make her give up so thoroughly? She saw something happen to her best friend, Jessie, and now Jessie is missing.

So Parker has made herself into the most unlikable girl in school BUT some people don't seem to care, including her ex-boyfriend, Chris, and the new kid in school, Jake.

Chris will not give up on Parker and him. I'm not sure if he just likes the idea of them together or if he really is in love with her and wants to get back together. Either way, Parker is not having it.

Jake is baffled by why he's attracted to her. She's mean to him, pushes him away, and yet, he still comes back asking for more. Parker doesn't really understand it either. Why won't he leave her alone and let her be forgotten like she wants? Their relationship fascinates me. I had no idea how they were going to end up.

Besides her relationships with Chris and Jake, she has quite the relationship with guilt. Parker feels guilty for what she saw that night and her lack of action. It eats her up inside and while she doesn't openly acknowledge it, it's there plain to see in her actions. She rips apart every inch of what her life used to be. You don't do that for the fun of it.

This was a hard book to put down. I NEEDED to know what happened to Parker that night and what she saw, and since it's not completely explained until the last quarter of the book, I went from chapter to chapter soaking up every inch of Parker's life trying to figure it out.

In terms of Parker as a character, I found her quite relatable. I connected to her almost immediately as a girl who doesn't fit into all the nice edges others like to push us into. But that doesn't mean I would've done everything she does in the book. I would've been a fool for Jake at that age lol.

While this book isn't as epic as Sadie was for me, it's still extremely well-written and the characters wonderfully complex.

If I 'd been aware of the triggers in Cracked Up to Be before I read it, I think I'd be giving it a higher rating. My reading experience would've been better if I'd had know those things were coming. But sometimes that's the way it goes.

I'm giving Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers 4 out of 5 stars. If you've read and loved Courtney Summers' books in the past or simply like complicated teen stories, this book is definitely for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an intriguing book. I was surprised at its short length, but it certainly packed a lot in. You really have to work to stay with Parker because she really is unlikable, but I think that's the beauty of the writing.

<I> Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

This is Summers' debut novel, but not the first of her books that I have read. I borrowed and liked <u> Sadie </u> enough that when I saw this one I wanted to give it ago.

<U> Cracked Up </u> has the same witty banter, clever writing style and intelligent female protagonist that <u> Sadie </u> does. I enjoy how Summers writes, but the cruelty of Parker (the lead in this novel) completely turned my stomach. Yes, she went through some unimaginably difficult experiences, but I was bothered by the fact that these situations (repeatedly touted as being the reason for her attitude) were barely addressed. Parker herself barely seemed to grow and learn from the other character interactions in the novel so that the ending left me feeling dissatisfied. I liked it, but I was not wowed by it. Very dark and mean girl.