2.5 stars

What the heck did I just read?

This is a YA horror book about Isla, whose sister, Renata, comes home from finishing school a totally different person. Isla suspects something happened there, so she enrolls herself to investigate. I appreciated the subtle creepiness of the school and its descriptions, but there was so much figurative language and dreams/hallucinations that it was hard to tell what was and was not real. Not much actually happened in terms of plot. While I appreciated the overall message being a critique on the patriarchy and the gender binary, along with some pretty descriptions, overall I had a hard time staying focused while reading. This book was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

As always, McLemore’s writing is beautiful, and I think that gave me a better impression of the book overall than I might have had otherwise. It’s a pretty quiet story, without much physical movement, but there’s a lot of really nice “grotesque” imagery and quite a lot of unexpected turns in the story. I kept thinking I knew what was happening until something changed and the cycle repeated.

Where this really falls short though is the relationships between characters. I didn’t feel like we understood Renata, Paz, or Carina - but Isla was enough to get us through, especially with the writing style.

I had high hopes for Flawless Girls and I’m not entirely sure if they were met? The writing was beautiful and the story started out just as good, but about halfway through I began to feel like I was being strung along on someone else’s adventure.

It is more of an unsettling horror as opposed to a more outright “traditional” horror theme, which I also enjoyed. Overall I think I would recommend this to someone who enjoys atmospheric literary fiction and is looking to dip their toes into the horror genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I may not be the ideal reader for this book, but I really struggled to get through it. The premise sounded awesome, but then the vast majority of the story felt like one descriptive metaphor after another with little progression in the story. I appreciate the message that all people should accept who they are despite social expectations and constraints on gender, etc., but I do not think my high school students would make it through more than a few chapters of this before putting it down.

"Flawless Girls" by Anna-Marie McLemore is a mesmerizing exploration of identity, sisterhood, and the power of acceptance. McLemore's lyrical prose weaves together the stories of two sisters, each struggling with their own insecurities and desires for perfection. Set against the backdrop of a small town with its own secrets, this novel beautifully captures the complexities of growing up and finding one's place in the world. With its diverse characters and heartfelt storytelling, "Flawless Girls" is a gem that shines with authenticity and grace.

3.5

This book was definitely heavy-handed at times, but I still enjoyed it. It feels like less of a mystery and more of a social commentary described in very metaphorical terms. While I didn't mind this for the most part, at times it got to be a bit too much. Also, the author's note at the end irked me slightly. If you're going to write something with such a blatantly obvious theme, you should trust your readers to know this and pick up on it. They don't need it explained to them.

McLemore does have amazing prose, and I did like the overarching theme of there being more than one way to be a girl. But I would just like to point out that this goes for every facet of being a girl - if some girls like wearing dresses and makeup and being in high society, it's okay. If some girls like wearing pants and tailored shirts, it's okay. Just because you identify with one way of being a girl, doesn't mean it's okay for you rag on other girls that identify differently than you. This still seems to be an issue today, and it goes both ways.

I can see why this not may as well liked as some of their other books, but I think it's worth checking out. Just know going into it that it's probably not going to be what you expect.

Let me preface by saying I love Anna-Marie McLemore’s books and writing and I’ve been reading their work for years now. That said, this book was a little bit outside of what I’m most drawn to in their work, even if that characteristic beautiful writing was still ethereal. FLAWLESS GIRLS feels a little bit more conceptual, and I think if it had been any longer it wouldn’t have worked for me as much as it did. As it stands, a lot of the story is in the writing, in this floaty but gritty world of finishing schools and girls molded into perfect diamonds. It’s part metaphor and part fantastical reality while just slightly putting you on edge. There are definitely some parts of the story that are a little bit harder to get into than others, and I’ll admit I was a bit confused with some parts while reading them (although that might be because I was on a transatlantic flight for most of the time I read). I would say if you have mixed feelings about McLemore’s writing or you need books that are more grounded in plot then this might not be the book for you, but if you want a weird and somewhat ethereal world of girls and some queerness, then this might be worth checking out, and was a quick read for me regardless.

I am not sure how to rate this book. As soon as I saw the cover and read the summary I was excited to delve right in and follow along with Isla as she took the same path her sister, Renata, did and try to discover what actually happens at Alarie House that changes girls into unrecognizable people. However, when Isla went to that house I was left confused about all the nightmares, apparitions, and gems of the girls and how it all related to their worth. That got creepy at time with kind of Stepford wives vibes and crazy girl unraveling screaming. I guess it was all one big extended metaphor about what makes up a girl, flaws and all (which make certain gems shine all the brighter) and that it is not right that they have to hide away their complete selves. There was some magic, enchantment, curse? Not sure what exactly it was at Alarie House. It was a strange book, both intriguing and confusing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to read an review.

I enjoyed the overall plot and general mystery of it all, but then something was definitely going on in a literary/metaphor type of way the entire time with all these jewels and whatnot (or I just made all that up). I got a little confused a few times, and once it happened chapter after chapter I never really regained my footing on what was happening. I thought Isla was a pretty cool character to read and follow. And I absolutely LOVE the setting -- it was giving an even more bourgie look at the dance academy in Suspiria.

I was very excited to see what McLemore would do with a book that leans towards horror and I quite enjoyed it, even if it is a bit heavy-handed with the imagery and how that ties into the themes.

Flawless Girls follows two sisters who have always been close and a "matched set" so to speak. They are sent to a finishing school to hopefully polish their rough edges. Isla runs away on the first night, leaving her sister Renata behind. But when her sister graduates and returns home, she is not like herself in disturbing ways, and then she disappears. In an effort to understand what happened to her sister, Isla returns to the school and begins to go through this process herself...

I've seen people compare this to a fever dream, and it does kind of have that quality. It's horrific at times, but using metaphor to unpack assumptions of what it means to be a woman or what it requires. I love how it's dealing with intersex identities, as well as people born as girls who don't fit into expectations of femininity. It's engaging, disturbing, and ultimately satisfying. Though as I said, it does kind of hit you over the head with the imagery and related metaphors. It could have been a bit more subtle, but I liked it. Interested to see how people feel about this one! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I have was very excited for this book, it had a very interesting premise. However, I couldn't get into the writing style and found the story overall kind of clunky. Though I wanted to find out what was going on, I couldn't resonate with the characters as it felt kind of disjointed - maybe it was just working so hard to keep secrets from the reader to reveal later? I feel terrible but I just couldn't get into it

I loved the premise of this book! The finishing school was a great setting for this mysterious and ominous plot. I loved the family dynamics between the grandmother and her granddaughters, as well as the sisters themselves. They were a great foil to one another. I also loved the intensity of this story and the tight prose that kept me interested throughout!

Flawless Girls is beautifully written and creepy, on the verge of horror. The imagery of the jewels and how they play into the finishing school is fascinating. I loved the fact that the main character was intersex and how that played into her psyche. I wish I could have seen more of her sister and their relationship and I do like my stories a little more grounded in reality but it is a strong piece of work by Anna-Marie McLemore

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

While this was an interesting premise, it didn’t hit all the points for me. I liked the metaphors and messages. I liked how the point was that not every girl is the same and there isn’t a perfect way to be a girl and you can’t create one. Isla and Paz were interesting as our rebel girls and I liked their characters. After the diamonds and jewels and gold for introduced to the story I was so confused. Like what did that even mean?

The cover is eye catching and I really want to read more Anna-Marie Mclemore because their stories seem so interesting. I just can’t find ones that I’m heavily invested it.

I'm not certain that any review I write will do Flawless Girls justice. It's the kind of book you need to read without reading reviews. It's a fever dream and a half that probably seems like it doesn't make sense while reading it. I think that's what makes it so easy to keep turning the pages.

I started reading Anna-Marie McLemore when they released Lakelore and fell for the way they write. Every word means something. It hurts and it heals and it still blows my mind days later. Honestly, it was so atmospheric that I'm pretty sure I dreamt about it after I finished the book. I definitely have a new appreciation for stones and gems now.

I would be remiss not to mention the representation in Flawless Girls. The FMC is an Latina, intersex, girl in a world that is ripe with expectations of what femininity is and isn't. It's extremely powerful.

This book was creepy and suspenseful. I enjoyed the characters and atmosphere. Would love to read more from this author

Flawless Girls follows Isla, who is trying to find her sister. After leaving her older sister at a finishing school, Renata comes back... different. And homicidal. But mostly different. The only solution for Isla is to follow her sister's footsteps, returning to the finishing school. But can she survive with her mind in tact, or is she doomed to the same fate as her sister?

The first quarter of this book is intriguing and un-put-down-able. But once we reach the finishing school, everything goes off the walls and is really hard to follow. Not in the is-this-surreal-or-real but just confusing. It felt esoteric in a sense. It was beautifully written though, and the parts I did understand were great!

This book has great intersex representation, and Isla is a really complicated and strong character. She deserves the world, but due to how underwhelming the plot actually was, I'm only giving this 3 stars.

I think this book is great for anyone interested in reading about an intersex main character or interested in beautiful, atmospheric writing, but I don't recommend it for the plot.


Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!:)

Intersex representation! I fear saying this is the first book this year that I have read with it and I am very grateful to AMM for this. It is opening my eyes to voices I have not been paying attention to and I appreciate the confrontation with that lack in my reading.

This was eerie, thought-provoking and so compelling. I will continue to read anything AMM writes and publishes.

The cover art is extremely beautiful. That is what really caught my attention. A major theme in this story is focused on identity. Isla is used to being in her sister Renata’s shadow, but there comes a time when she must follow her own path. The plot was easy enough to follow. I feel like some points were very repetitive. I don’t think I was the target audience, but I did understand the storyline.

HOUGHTS

The writing, the essence, the vibes are immaculate... but a book really needs more than vibes, right?


PROS
Immaculate: This book grabs you by the throat from the beginning. The writing here is masterful, eerie and evocative. I was engaged from the first page, and that's saying something. I do think the story falters a bit (see some of the cons below), but if we're talking about technical construction here, the writing itself is beautiful. I have rarely been so captivated.

Catty, Chatty Girls: So many books write teen girls as one note. They're either chatty and friendly or mean and catty. But the truth is, teen girls are all of these things, all at once. And McLemore definitely writes that well. These girls are snippy. They're gossipy. They're scathing on occasion. And they like being around each other. They support each other. They're friendly, and they look out for each other. People can be enigmas, and it is so nice to see teens written with some actual nuance--nuance that makes them feel realistic.

Refined: I really appreciate McLemore's nuanced consideration of "refinement" here as well. Because refinement is about polishing, elevating, becoming "better"... and it is also intrinsically a loss. A loss of rough edges in favor of some conception of femininity. The polishing of an image that erases parts of the person being polished. This book is all about femme rage, restrained and righteous, and I love that.


CONS
Dragging On: As much as the vibes, the tone, the writing here might be immaculate... the story does start to drag on a bit. Which is saying quite a lot, since this book isn't long by any standard.

Breaking Point: Part of the reason this book seems to drag, I think, is because the tension is building and building and building... and doesn't ultimately go anywhere. It felt like we should have reached a breaking point way earlier than we did. Things should have made sense. Pieces should have clicked. And there is a bit of that in the conclusion... but it was too little, too late for me.

Wishy Washy: Which kind of leads me to my biggest problem here. As wonderfully evocative as the vibes are... this book is just vibes. I had no idea what was happening the entire time. I had no footing in the world itself. I didn't know what kind of world it was--fantasy, historical, contemporary realist? I needed some kind of groundwork, some kind of foundation, and because the plot itself doesn't really come together either, I was just left... kind of confused and vaguely appalled. I just... am not sure what this book was. I love the vibes, but the vibes were not enough.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐
4/10
Fans of Kirsten Miller's Don't Tell a Soul will like the eerie, ethereal nature of this story. Those who like Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball will enjoy the glittering, dark underworld of this refined finishing school.