The back cover of Laura Ruby's Good Girls claims it's a Forever for the 21st Century. What is it with Forever these days? Everyone's Judy Blume obsessed!
The premise of Laura Ruby's teen debut Good Girls is brilliant. At a party, Honours student Audrey decided to break up with her sort-of boyfriend by giving him something to remember her by. Unfortunately, someone takes a picture of her in the act and soon it's emailed around the school and even her parents have seen it.
I was worried that it might be a bit sensationalist. You know, the shocking things teens get up to with their loose morals and modern technology - but it wasn't like that at all. In fact, it was completely brilliant. One of the best books I've read for ages. (I'm constantly thrilled by how great YA books are.)
Following the photo, Audrey learns about friendship, relationships, self-worth and judging people. It made me cry and left me with a daft smile on my face. Yes, it's probably a bit more "adult" than Forever (although it's a long time since I've read Forever, so I couldn't be sure) but teens are a lot more "adult" than they were 20 years ago, aren't they?
When I got to the end, I wanted to go back and start reading it again (and there's only one other book that's made me want to do that).
Like Tanya Lee Stone's A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, Good Girls is an important book and one that teens should read and pass around (yes, even to their parents).
Rating: 5/5
Like this? Try I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
