Amy Reed

Meet Kelly, Olivia, Christopher, Jason and Eva. All of them are teens with promising futures. All of them are addicts.

These five kids all come from different backgrounds and they all have different addictions. They’re being forced to reevaluate themselves in a suburban rehab center for teens. Some of them want to change, while some of them still won’t admit they have a problem. They’re all going to have to work together as a group to find themselves again, and put themselves on the show more road to recovery.

Amy Reed has written an amazing, gut-punch of a novel filled with raw emotion. I haven’t met characters so real since I read Ordinary Beauty. The author doesn’t hold back. The language is raw, the emotions are heavy and the situations these kids have put themselves in are not pretty. At the same time, there is a light at the end of this deep, dark tunnel. These five kids, so unalike in the beginning learn to love and respect one another as they face the cold, hard realities of what they’ve done to their lives and how it has affected others.

I opened the ARC of this one just to read the first page or two to get a feel for it, and I didn’t stop reading. I didn’t put my nook down until I had finished the book. I was completely lost in the story. The writing style is very unique. It’s told through a series of essays, group sessions and first-person narratives. I was completely engaged. I laughed at some parts and cried in others. I felt every emotion possible. The most heart-wrenching scenes in the book had to be when the parents came to rehab for group sessions with their kids. I was cheering for every single one of these kids by the end of the book. I can not recommend this one enough. Though the story does deal with some heavy subjects and the author doesn’t hold back in her descriptions, I think this book should be read by teens and parents, especially those who use, have ever considered using or have friends who use drugs.

(Review based on an advanced readers copy courtesy of the publisher via Simon & Schuster GalleyGrab) show less

“But just because she's not helpless doesn't mean she doesn't need help.”

-5 stars-

Before going into this review, I would like to mention that this book has a couple of trigger warning… rape and sexual assault, heavy sexism, homophobia, and harassment (both verbal and physical). If you are triggered by these things, then please keep in mind before reading. Take care of yourself and know that you are perfect just the way you are.

Yes, yes, yes.
To be honest, I really want everyone to show more read this book. The book was so heart breaking and made me sob. The fact that this actually happens to people really makes me upset and hate people.
If you liked the book Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu, then I highly highly recommend giving this book a read.
Like I said before the review, it is quite a heavy book, but I actually quite liked it because it really made me feel for all of these girls, not just the one's that have been assaulted/raped, but for Grace- being the new girl.
The Nowhere Girls covers so many good topics that really need to be spoken about more often. I actually really loved the 3rd point of view of this book. I'm usually not a big fan of 3rd point of view in books, but honestly, I think it just enhanced the book, making it 10 times better.
I could not praise Amy Reed enough. The literal writing of this book... It's so incredibly heartfelt and so relatable being a girl. Absolutely admire Amy Reed for writing such an amazing book.
Overall, amazing amazing book! I couldn't recommend this book enough!

“Because unlike boys, girls turn inward. They hide. They adapt, even if it hurts. Because they are not screaming, people assume they do not suffer.” show less

WOW!!!!! This book just left me speechless, with goosebumps and a lot of thoughts swirling in my head. I’m not sure if I can express anything properly in this review but I’m definitely going to try.

Grace is a white Christian girl who is new to the town of Prescott after her minister mother is forced out of her old church for preaching about a more progressive version of Jesus. Now, all she wants is to live her life in high school without making any waves and probably find some normal show more friends. Rosina is queer latina teen who wants more from her life than just working her ass off at her uncle’s restaurant and taking care of her cousins. She also feels very invisible and insignificant for being a poor brown lesbian girl in a small town. Erin is a very smart socially awkward girl who wants to be a marine biologist learning about the numerous life forms living under the water. She has Asperger’s syndrome and she follows her own rigid set of rules to get through every day and finds solace in watching Star Trek. She is very empathetic and hopes that she could be void of her emotions like her favorite android character because she wants to escape the emotional overload that she feels sometimes.

When these three girls come together to do something to bring justice to Lucy – a rape survivor who was bullied and shamed and denied justice – the “Nowhere Girls” are born. But this book and the group are not just about this one issue. Through the group, all the girls come together, have discussions about their lives and choices, their expectations, their need to be seen and valued and loved as equals. This book is about so much more:

A girl who believes in her faith and prays to find purpose in her life and do good.
A girl who wants to forget all the trauma that she has experienced and just get through the day in a normal way.
A girl who is conflicted about loving her family that is also suffocating her dreams.
A girl who is resigned to faking it while being with a guy because she believes she is worthless and her “no” means nothing.
A girl who enjoys sex and is confident enough to ask for what she wants.
A smart girl who wants to look and dress pretty but believes that she has to choose between beauty and brains.
A cheerleader with a love for dancing who can’t get behind the idea of her body being on display and judged for it.
An athletic girl who is stereotyped as a lesbian and goes so unnoticed that she believes even being taken advantage of might be better.
A closeted trans girl worried if she would be accepted by the group of girls in her school.
A black girl tired of white feminism which is so indifferent to her struggles.
The patriarchy that treats women as second class citizens only good for serving men.
The culture that perpetuates the notion that women like being with a strong man, women dressed a certain way are asking for it and excuses the actions of boys “for being boys”.
The hypocrisy of being called a slut for enjoying sex while being named a prude for not putting oneself out there.
The men who don’t call out the sexism and misogyny around them because they don’t want to lose their friends.
The men and women who would do anything to maintain the status quo and not ruffle any feathers.
The parents who believe their kids and fight for the truth alongside them.
The parents who are complicit in furthering the misogynistic attitudes in their kids.
This book made me think a lot, question my own beliefs and attitudes and actions till date and what I can do better in my life. It also reaffirms the need for listening to the victim, stop blaming them and female solidarity. Though it is unfortunate that this book seems so realistic in this day and age, but this is the world we live in and I recommend everyone to read this book and introspect. show less

This book is by far one of the most powerful stories I have ever read. It is a book that deals with so many different issues like rape and rape culture, sex positivity and choosing to be sexually active or not, sexual identity, ableism, racial discrimination, and biased school systems - and these are just a few!

The story is told mainly from the perspective of 3 girls: Grace, Rosina, and Erin. But there are also sections of the story called "Us" and they are from the perspective of various show more female characters in the book, that remain unnamed. I absolutely loved this approach. Not only did the author give us central characters to focus on and form connections with, she was also able to showcase various other perspectives. By creating anonymity through these voiceless other girls, she allowed other readers to put themselves in their place. It worked for me on so many levels, and gave me the chance to see so many different outlooks on various topics.

The main characters themselves were perfect choices for the story. Grace comes from a religious background, what with her mother being a pastor, and her views were about how her faith influences her choices. I really loved this angle and the way that the author developed Grace; she doesn't blindly accept beliefs but tries to question them and analyze them so that they are relevant to her current life. These are things that I try to do daily with regards to my own religious views, and it was heartening to see an open-minded and faith-oriented character. I also loved that Grace, while being considered "fat", never focused on her body issues. Her body did not become the main focal point, and that gave room for the reader to focus on her personality and thoughts.

Rosina comes from an immigrant family and struggles with her sexual orientation. Her worries that her mother will not accept that Rosina has feelings for women is a concern that I think many teens can face. Through her character, we get a glimpse of what it feels like to be marginalized, not only for your sexual preference but also for your race and immigration status.

Erin has Asperger's Syndrome and her character deals with the struggles that come with being labelled. She has feelings, she has thoughts, and she wants to be able to show that Asperger's in no ways limits her as a person. I loved how defiant she was about this label, how strongly she would say that this is a part of her that she would never change. There are plenty of times when someone says "I'm so sorry" when they hear about a child who has autism or Asperger's and it bothers me a lot, because there is nothing to be sorry about. This person is still a person, who has wonderful gifts to offer the world, just like every other human being. Erin embodies this sentiment, and her experiences show that she is just like everyone else - and deserves to be treated that way.

I don't want to speak too much since I don't want to ruin this story, but it is an absolutely stunning read. Amy Reed is not afraid to pack the punches and this book has so many of them. I think that everything that this novel covers is relevant to people today - not just girls - and I would want everyone to read this. It's a near perfect book for me, and I'm giving this a 5/5 stars.

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