Three-ish stars

I've read and enjoyed several books by Courtney Summers, but this is not among my favorites.

Parker is clearly troubled. She has gone through a major shift in personality and priorities, she has - according to the perceptions of some - potentially attempted suicide, and she is now under the close watch of various school officials, parents, and other adults. How, then, is every single one of these adults so inept? It drove me bananas that none of these adults - particularly the trained professionals - could find a way to work with Parker effectively. This notion that they're all going to tiptoe around her and give her special treats (a dog, BTW, should not be a special reward) when she is not overtly misbehaving is exhausting.

Repeatedly, Parker mentions that no one really sees her, hears her, etc. At least she is aware of the failures surrounding her. But I actually found this somewhat tough to stomach. Working in a space with many 17 and 18-year-olds, we're trained on what to look for and how to deal; Parker displays all of the classic signs.

The worst part of this for me was everything relating to Bailey. NO.

This is an okay work but it is more upsetting than didactic or enjoyable or empathy building in any way. It's not going on my list of recs for students any time soon.

‘Cracked Up to Be’ is an exposed nerve—raw and unflinching—from beginning to end.

Parker Fadley would do anything to be perfect, even if that means being controlling and dictatorial. After something terrible happens at a party, something that Parker sees as unforgivable and solely her fault, she becomes convinced that the only way through is to burn everything down. She puts as much effort into alienating herself as she did at being perfect. And it seems to be working, until a new student and a persistent rescue dog start to break down her defenses. The question becomes whether or not Parker will let them, and if she is capable of acknowledging and processing all of her trauma in order to truly heal.

I’ll be honest, ‘Cracked Up to Be’ is a difficult read. It deals with heavy topics like suicide and sexual violence. It’s a complete immersion into Parker’s burgeoning breakdown, and it is as riveting as it is heartbreaking. The way in which Courtney Summers deftly weaves in portions of the past that build and build until the reader knows everything that Parker knows is genius. This slow unraveling ratchets up the anxiety and stress of not knowing, and also makes you feel like you’re experiencing what Parker is experiencing in real time.

I appreciate the way that Summers encapsulates the adolescent experience, and that she presents a protagonist that isn’t stereotypically “likable.” Parker is suffering, she is unable to process her pain, and she employs flawed logic… all of these attributes humanize her and imprint her more fully onto the reader. I am so glad that the publisher decided to reissue this novel; it is too important to be missed.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

Parker Fadley was perfect...she had perfect grades, was the perfect daughter, she had the perfect boyfriend, and she was captain of the cheerleading squad. After an incident at a party, she decides to put all of her effort into becoming socially isolated. Her self-destructive behavior has her parents on a constant suicide watch, and she is given one last chance to put forth effort at school or she won't graduate. Parker’s plan to isolate herself from others becomes complicated when a new transfer student, Jake Gardner, decides to befriend her despite her efforts to discourage his attempts.

All the stars! Cracked Up to Be is a re-release of Courtney Summers debut novel with a new look and foreword from the author. I fell in LOVE with her book Sadie and enjoyed This Is Not a Test so I was very excited to get the chance read her debut novel. One of the things I love about this author is her ability to write strong, often damaged, and unique main characters. In this novel we have Parker, a young girl who experiences a mysterious traumatic event which she feels responsible for. She determines that the way to atone for this is to remove herself from others, much to the dismay of her family and friends, by taking part in some pretty awful self-destructive behavior. Although the book covers some behaviors that may be disturbing to some readers, the main character's intentions are not always understood until later on. Her interactions with Jake are charming and often witty adding a touch of humor to some of the darker content. Some of the content may be a trigger for some readers and includes topics on: drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, and rape. I personally thought this book was fantastic and devoured it in an afternoon. A must read for 2020!

This was the first Courtney Summers book that I read and since then have gone on to read two of her other books. I'm so glad that she finally has gotten the recognition that she deserves. This is one of my all time favorite books and I'm so excited to read it again. This is such a good hard hitting contemporary. Not super long making it a very quick read.