In the unsettling aftermath of discovering thirteen-year-old Ashley James' lifeless body, sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis embarks on a harrowing journey. In her quest for justice, she joins forces with Ashley's older sister, Nora, determined to apprehend the killer before he can claim another victim. Yet, their investigation immerses Georgia in a world where unimaginable privilege and boundless wealth reign supreme, a realm devoid of conscience or consequence. As they close in on Ashley's killer, Georgia will come to realize that in a domain where money, power, and beauty hold dominion, culpability may not be a matter of who is guilty, but rather, who is guiltiest.

"I'm the Girl" delves into the essence of innocence and the profound impact of its loss. It exposes the manner in which the affluent and powerful manipulate their influence and control, revealing the predatory nature of those who exploit the vulnerabilities of others. This book portrays the arduous process of growing up, laden with its challenges and complexities.

This is not a tale of carefree contentment; rather, it confronts daunting subjects and situations head-on. It sheds light on how naiveté can crumble when faced with the malevolence of others. "I'm the Girl" is an unvarnished, gripping narrative that stirs a maelstrom of emotions.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a heart-pounding read that kept me up at night because I just had to know what would happen next. A great spine-tingling read.

A captivating read by an incredible author.

I’m the Girl is an intense heartbreaking and un-put-downable story. Summers creates characters that are so real and haunting in a variety of ways. We follow Georgia as she tries to find the person who killed the girl whose body she found. The path takes her back to her past all while confronting her present feelings for the sister of the murder victim.

If you are looking for mystery, queer love, and dark twists and turns, I’m the Girl is the book for you.

Courtney Summers does it again. Her early work remains my favorite; I'm a sucker for the broken, tough girls of All the Rage, Some Girls Are, and my personal favorite, Cracked Up to Be, but her newer stuff has a leaness to the writing style that I really appreciate. Not a word wasted.

If you've read Courtney Summers before, you'll be familiar with many of the themes: feminism, what it means to be a girl (and a woman), poverty, the interplay of female beauty and male desire. They are well done here, but heed the trigger warnings as this is one of her most brutal books.

The sapphic romance, which I was incredibly excited for, rang hollow and was the weakest element for me. Surprisingly for a Courtney Summers' book, I found myself disengaged with Nora, the love interest, and to some extent with Georgia, our protagonist, because her relationship with Nora seemed so surface-level. YMMV.

I’ve read Sadie and The Project by Courtney Summers and really enjoyed her writing and storytelling. It’s hard to say I love her books because the subject matter is difficult and full of triggers but the character development is always on point. In this book, we experience things as narrated by Georgie, who just wants to be accepted and loved. When she finds the body of Ashley James, she and Ashely’s sister are determined to find the killer. They must navigate an elite world of privilege and power but are they up for the challenge?

I requested an arc for I'm the Girl because of how much I loved Sadie. Unfortunately, while I can appreciate the social commentary I just couldn't invest myself into the story.

Sadie still haunts me and I'm the Girl had be struggling for over a year to get through it. I think in part that it went in so many directions and I felt like none of them were thoroughly explored. I wanted a more fulfilling sibling dynamic, some resolution or better understanding between Avis and her dead mother, and a more satisfying ending then just a necklace being taken off.

Maybe I just couldn't connect to the luxury and lifestyle of Aspera as a setting. This ring of mighty people who are untouchable makes sense but the way it was laid out just felt like I was in a fever dream than the climax of the book. It felt hollow.

I did love that Sadie was mentioned and felt it kind of an apt representation of Hollywood that a man is making bank off of these girls suffering and he is a predator. Cleo being a victim and upholding the system was also interesting but just didn't feel developed enough as a character that I could really invest in her portion of the plot.

I'm left disappointed but am still interested in trying another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Courtney Summers and St Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Sadie and this has similar dark vibes. I didn’t feel like it was as good, but then I finished it so quickly and that ending. It was a good read, but I would recommend Sadie first!

So excited I finally got to one of Courtney Summers books! I’ve heard amazing things about Sadie so I was happy to check this book out. Summers knows how to write a story about uncomfortable situations involving girls. The story unfortunately for me felt a bit flat for me and feel like it’s hard topics might lean more adult or upper YA at least. I will be checking out her other work.

As someone who absolutely loved Sadie, I was so excited for this book. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.

Fascinating and interesting concept. It wasn’t completely my favorite in execution. I found the book a bit disjointed. Appreciate what the author was trying to do here.

Courtney Summers has a knack for writing uncomfortable and heartbreaking books about young women. She does not shy away from exposing readers to the harsh realities of life and dares you to not look away but to face things head on.

It’s FriYAY!!!!

There is no better day than today to have a great day and I knew that I needed a day to recharge, relax and rewind. The only way I know how to do this, is to read.

I’m the Girl, is a book that will keep you thinking about long after you conclude.

I won’t lie. I was weery about this one. Between the cover and the title I wasn’t too sure what it would be about but once I read the synopsis I knew it was for me.

I truly enjoyed Courtney Summers, writing style. You can tell she has an honest gift for writing that wasn’t studied in any literature class. From page one I was hooked and excited to keep going.

This book delivers! You are going to feel completely consumed! The characters were incredible and the plot flowed easily between chapters.

Check out this teaser :

All sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis wants is everything, but the poverty and hardship that defines her life has kept her from the beautiful and special things she knows she deserves. When she stumbles upon the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, Georgia teams up with Ashley's older sister Nora, to find the killer before he strikes again, and their investigation throws Georgia into a glittering world of unimaginable privilege and wealth--and all she's ever dreamed. But behind every dream lurks a nightmare, and Georgia must reconcile her heart's desires with what it really takes to survive. As Ashley's killer closes in and their feelings for one another grow, Georgia and Nora will discover when money, power, and beauty rule, it's not always a matter of who is guilty but who is guiltiest--and the only thing that might save them is each other.

I kept trying, but unfortunately this Courtney Summers book was a DNF for me. I really enjoyed her another novels,but this one did not pique my interest. Still a fan of her work

A sapphic mystery/thriller from Courtney Summers about a small-town girl who is determined to make something of herself and also solve a murder along the way? Sign me up! A lengthy, ill-paced, abstract exploration of this girl’s pure vanity and ignorance? No thanks!

After Sadie, I had much higher expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I was let down in a few ways.

My issue is that much like the synopsis, the book fails to accurately describe what is happening to Georgia in a way that makes sense. It makes you feel like you should have understood what was happening from the get-go, which would be fine except for the fact that much of the novel hinges on that understanding of Georgia’s circumstances. She repeatedly gets involved in things that are much larger than her and makes them about her vanity and ego in ways that only a 16 year old girl could. For the titular character of a mystery novel, who is purportedly solving a murder, she’s more invested in her own sense of destiny and genuinely believes that her beauty will reap rewards against all advice from other characters.

On one hand, I can admit that this is brilliant writing. Summers hooks readers into a full picture of Georgia’s manipulation by the powerful adults around her, including some truly brutal representations of sexual assault (CW for readers). Her prose is sharp and evocative, if a little vague. On the other hand, it was difficult to empathize with Georgia and stay invested in the story when she always seems so obsessed with herself. Her entire character comes across as ignorant of her situation, which is baffling since all the aspects are so obvious.

The pacing is also off, especially in the last quarter of the book. Wrapping up the mystery in a winding and convoluted manner and having Georgia “realize” a number of things that readers could see right from the start in very little time doesn’t make for a smooth ride.

I’m going to get into minor spoiler territory here to share some things that I just found truly bizarre:

1. The “elite country club” that Georgia works at, Aspera: Never fully described, has a bizarre amount of supposed power and wealth flowing around it, but is also located in the middle of nowhere? Sure, Jan.
2. Georgia’s queerness: I have such mixed feelings on this! I love a sapphic YA, but I felt so weird about how her lesbianism is essentially used as a plot device to enable sexual assault. There is literally a scene where she justifies a sexual experience with a club member by saying she isn’t attracted to men… so… it didn’t happen? And is okay with men using her in that way because she’s not attracted to them? That is so gross!

Because of all this, I’m having a hard time truly recommending *************I’m the Girl************* to readers. I think if you’re going through Summers’ catalog, Sadie is more worth the hype. 3/5 stars.

"[I]t's more important to know who you are than who you think you're meant to be."
Holy heck, this book was powerful and heartbreaking and I want to punch things. This is a beautifully written uncomfortable read, please read the content warnings before picking this one up.
"Are you the girl? he asked. There could only be one answer. More powerful than disappearing was being found. More powerful was being found was being seen."
Beautifully written and effortlessly engaging, I'm The Girl is like a car accident that you can't look away from. Courtney Summers nails the teen voice and writes in a way that feels authentic. There's a raw vulnerability to this story of Georgia, a teenaged girl who desperately wants to grow up and make something of herself. Who never felt support from those around her. Who sees her beauty as a way out of poverty and a path to a better life. Whose desire and naivete draw Bad People to her and she doesn't realize that she's a victim. Georgia infuriates me and I wish that I could hold her close and tell her that she doesn't need to seek validation and that she's worthy of respect. But I remember all too well wanting to grow up, to be Seen by older men and thinking that made me special. The anger and frustration that I feel is as much for my younger self, and for all young girls who have been taken advantage of.

I can't exactly say that I enjoyed reading this book, but it is powerful, timely, and beautifully written. Courtney Summers handles the topic with care and with I'm The Girl she continues her focus on the young victims of society without sensationalizing.

Content Warnings: blackmail, child sex abuse, kidnapping, pedophilia, statutory rape
Representation: sapphic main character, poverty rep

eARC & ALC provided by the publisher via NetGalley and LibroFM for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.

"I'm the Girl" took me on an emotional rollercoaster over two days, but there were aspects of the book that didn't appeal to me.

1) The writing style didn't resonate with my personal preferences. However, I acknowledge that writing style is subjective, and others may appreciate the author's unique approach.

2) I found some information and mysteries unclear, requiring reader interpretation.

3) I felt very uncomfortable with some of the content. I will not spoil the story, but potential readers to approach this book with caution and thoroughly consider the content warnings before deciding to embark on this challenging journey.

"I'm the Girl" is a book that left me with mixed feelings. While I did not particularly enjoyed it, I believe the some readers might appreciate that the book tackles challenging themes and offers a thought-provoking narrative.

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers follows sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis who discovers the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, she teams up with Ashley's older sister, Nora, to find and bring the killer to justice before he strikes again. But their investigation throws Georgia into a world of unimaginable privilege and wealth, without conscience or consequence, and as Ashley’s killer closes in, Georgia will discover when money, power and beauty rule, it might not be a matter of who is guilty—but who is guiltiest.

While this book had a really intriguing set-up, I just wasn't that invested in this one. I love Courtney Summers books and will continue to read them, but this one wasn't my favorite.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Courtney Summers books. I'm the Girl is probably my least favorite book so far.

I don't exactly blame Summers for my dislike of this book. But more so at how it was presented. It was described as a murder mystery/thriller and I don't feel like we got that. It ruins the reading experience when you go into a book expecting one thing and it turns out nothing like that

Like Sadie, this book discusses heavy topics. And I think the author does a good job talking about it. It is uncomfortable because it should be. But definitely read trigger warnings before diving in. This isn't going to be a book for everyone.

Besides feeling bamboozled, I also was not a fan on the ending. I don't like open endings. It doesn't satisfy me enough and this book left me feeling frustrated. Which is not a great feeling to have when closing a book. I understand why Summers has a niche for ending her books with a more open ending, But I just like more closure.

Courtney is an incredible storyteller. She creates such dynamic and complex characters that stir various emotions within the reader. This is an incredible and powerful read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced copy of this book.