First of all, I must say a sincere thank you to Magan @ Rather Be Reading for recommending this book to me. When I picked this book up from the library, I was already excited to read it because A) I trust Magan's recommendations and B) I saw a little maple leaf sticker on the spine of the book ... the author's Canadian! Yeah! So I figured that this review would make the best Canada Day post -- Happy Canada Day Everyone!Some Girls Are is an INTENSE book, and not a story to be read lightly. Regina is part of the Fearsome Fivesome, a group of five girls at school that are only popular because everyone's afraid to cross them. Then, after a near-rape at a party, Regina is tossed from the group and her life becomes a nightmare. The only friendship that she tries to forge is with Michael, an outcast who lives on the edge of the social circles of high school because Regina put him there, at her former best friend's urging. Suddenly, Regina realizes that the only people that could be her new friends are the social outcasts, and the reason that these people are social outcasts is because of the way that Regina and her former friends behaved. What ensues is a gut-wrenching story of a girl who used to be on the top, but is now on the bottom, and has to figure out why her life has turned out the way it did.This book deals with bullying in a very real way, but the one criticism that I had of the book is that Regina isn't a terribly likeable person. After having read Before I Fall, which is also told through the eyes of a bully who is learning the errors of her ways, I found myself comparing Regina's character to Samantha's journey. I realize that no author's writing can quite compare to Lauren Oliver, because she's a freakin' literary GODDESS, but still, I found my mind wandering a little.Regardless, this is still a book that I would recommend. It's a tough read and it'll definitely tear at your heart ... a lot ... but it's good. It's really, really good. I will definitely be heading off on a Ms. Summers reading expedition now, just as Magan predicted!P.S. If you've read this one, and enjoyed it, I would also highly recommend Carrie Mac's The Beckoners. It's also a Canadian writer, and it's one of the most gut-wrenching books on the topic of bullying that I've ever read. My review on Goodreads says: OMG. One of the best books I've ever read. Broke my heart, made me cry and, when it was all over, I wanted to start again. Plus, I also happen to know the talented man who designed the cover (he was a former coworker). Which is pretty cool.Review also posted at: http://writergrrlreads.blogspot.ca/2012/07/some-girls-are-courtney-summers.html
