Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers Grades 9+ 256 pages St. Martin's Griffin January 2010 Paperback     Regina Afton used to have it all. One of the most popular girls in school with a gorgeous boyfriend, she never had to worry about not fitting in. Instead, she made the lives of others hell, along with her cruel best friend, Anna. However, after things go wrong at a house party, the rumors start to fly. Before she knows it, Regina has been cast aside by her old friends and the torment begins. But Regina isn’t one to lay down and take it. She gives as good as she gets, but things take a turn for the worse when the abuse gets serious and she suddenly realizes that it’s either them or her. Things will never be the same again. Courtney Summers is quickly becoming a huge staple in the young adult market. It seems like every book blog in the business is buzzing about her unique style and fast-paced stories. I, too, am becoming a massive Courtney Summers fan. Regina is a great protagonist simply because she’s so tough. Lately I think we’ve all gotten used to delicate heroines who need nothing more than to be wrapped in cotton wool and adored by a pretty boy. Not Regina. Her ex-best friend starts terrorizing her, so what does she do? Terrorizes her right back. Brilliant. Maybe not morally right, but brilliant reading nonetheless. Summers isn’t afraid to pull out all the stops and shock her readers, which is something I really appreciate. She doesn’t gloss over the less desirable aspects of teenage life, and when her characters do something, they really go for it, which makes for an explosive novel. I loved Some Girls Are, so there isn’t much I can criticize. However, Regina spent years taunting Michael and generally trying to ruin his life. She really, really tormented him. I found it a little disappointing that when she batted her eyelids and cried a few times, he seemed to forget exactly how hard she had made his life. That said, I do like a good love story, so I wasn’t too put off. This book pushes the boundaries. At first it seems like your typical high school power struggle between two beautiful girls, but it’s much more than that. Some Girls Are reminds us all just how cruel teenage bullying can be and shows us what can happen when one person decides to stand up and fight back. Fantastic.     web reviews   Carly Bennett/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)