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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess


Such a Pretty Girl
 

Summary:

They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three.

Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 212 pages (Paperback)
Source: Toronto Public Library
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio
Publication Date: January 2nd 2007 by MTV Books and Pocket Books           

After having this book on my tbr pile for a whole year I finally got a chance to read it and I'm really glad I did. This book can be a difficult read because it deals with a difficult subject. Meredith, the heroine of the novel is faced with the horrors of having her sexually abusive father back in the picture 3 years after he was sent to prison. The legal system failed Meredith once and now she, not the people who are supposed to protect the victims must face her new reality with more courage than you can imagine.

I absolutely loved Such a Pretty Girl. It's a great book about an ugly subject but the author handled the subject matter with a lot of grace. Not many authors will touch this subject and even fewer who do it properly but Laura Wiess is one of those who was able to tell her story remarkably well.

While Such a Pretty Girl is a very short read at only 212 pages it certainly packs an emotional punch. I found myself cheering Meredith on through out the whole novel and was happy with the outcome at the end but I also found myself in somewhat of a murderous rage when it came to her parents. It's not every day that I actually find a character let alone two that I would mind putting in a tiger's pen and hoping for the worst. Harsh? Maybe. But completely deserved. Meredith's idiot of a mother failed her even more than her abusive father did. She turned a blind eye to Meredith's horrors for years and she should be in jail just as much as her husband.

However, Meredith does have a small cluster of people around her that do love, support, cherish and are willing to protect her but they all have their own lives as well so I could understand much of Meredith's frustrations in the book of feeling alone.

I thought that the story line of Such a Pretty Girl was perfectly paced and I'm glad it wasn't overly long. 212 pages was the perfect length for this story and I'm afraid that if it were longer it wouldn't have packed as much punch as it did. The characters were though provoking albeit sometimes I had violent thoughts towards some but other I loved.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy contemporary young adult fiction especially novels that deal with the darker subjects. It's one that will make you feel a bevy of different emotions and send you on a roller coaster ride you won't forget. Laura Wiess should be applauded for handling this subject the way she did and I can't wait to read more of her novels.


Loved It!
★★★★★
 To "Follow" Laura on Twitter CLICK HERE
To visit Laura's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Kobo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 

11 comments:

  1. Wow, this one's on my TBR and I think I should notch it up a bit after reading your awesome review. I have been reading some dark contemporary lately. Makes me want to read a chick-lit now.

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    1. I turn to chick lit when I need a lighter read too. After this one I read a nice adventure/thriller novel to pick me up. I hope you get a chance to read it soon.

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  2. I really enjoyed the review. Very well done. Sounds like a very powerful book. Sounds very interesting. It would certainly get me angry to with the mother and father too. Cant wait till. the next review

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  3. Firstly, the cover is absolutely beautiful. I can see why it would be a difficult read. The subject is hard and I'm glad that you liked it. Great Review! :)
    I'll add it to my TBR pile. Thanks.

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    1. I hope you like it when you get a chance to read it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. This is such a difficult topic to tackle, but it sounds like Laura did an awesome job. Very surprised that this type of book is so short, but I'm glad that the author still packed quite a punch. It reminds me a bit of the book I just read, Pretty Girl-13! I love that authors aren't afraid to go there. The more emotional and controversial the story, the better I say. ;)

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    1. OOhh I've heard Pretty Girl-13 is really good. I totally agree with you on the controversial stories being awesome :)

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  5. The cover really drew me in. The story sounds very powerful and my heart goes out to the MC. This sounds like a book that is well-written and interesting. Thanks for sharing!
    ~Jess

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    1. I love the cover fo this one too. I think it's hauntingly beautiful. Thanks for stopping by Jess!

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  6. I love hearing an author does justice to a difficult subject, nice review Kimberly :)

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