Girl Out Loud

Jun 30, 2012 Audrey (holes In My brain) marked it as abandoned

Didn't finish this book. I tried!! The first 50 wasn't doing anything for me but I gave it another 50 because I was told it would approach more emotional issues but yeah, I gave up after 100. I ended up going to the back and skimming the end to see what happens (I haven't done that for a book for like.. years) and I'm not too upset about marking this as DNF.

The main reason I couldn't get into the book is that it felt too "young" for me. The instant messaging with chatspeak made me extremely irr...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Evie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: june-2012, 2012-arcs, 2012-ya, 2012-contemporary, comedy, contemporary, debut-author, freaking-awesome, pure-awesomeness, scholastic-canada, thought-provoking, very-enjoyable

***Originally posted to: Bookish Book Blog |YA and Adult Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Guest Posts, Giveaways and news! ^___^

If you enjoy books full of hilarious inner monologues, sparkly dialogues, family drama, and emotional intensity, Girl Out Loud is THE book for you. Frankly, I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it, and ended up kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. It's a fiercely entertaining, clever pop-culture infused story that will have you hooked from the very first pag...more ***Originally posted to: Bookish Book Blog |YA and Adult Book Reviews, Author Interviews, Guest Posts, Giveaways and news! ^___^

If you enjoy books full of hilarious inner monologues, sparkly dialogues, family drama, and emotional intensity, Girl Out Loud is THE book for you. Frankly, I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it, and ended up kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. It's a fiercely entertaining, clever pop-culture infused story that will have you hooked from the very first page thanks to its extreme readability and freshness. A heart-felt, moving, and thought-provoking look at one family's experience with mental illness, and an original, amusing coming-of-age tale.

The story follows Kassidy, a teenage girl who plays a pretend game show in her head whenever real life gets too boring, or too tragic. At a first glance, her family doesn't strike you as extraordinary. Quite the opposite, they seem rather normal and, well, boring. A typical family that spends every Saturday night eating a reheated pizza while sitting at the kitchen table. Not particularly exciting, right? That's exactly what Kassidy thought, too, until her dad decided that she should - and would - audition for The X-Factor talent show. The only problem is Kass doesn't actually have any talent. She's a talent-free zone, especially when it comes to singing. But there's no arguing with her father, whatever he decides goes, and no amount of pleading, convincing, or plain old arguing could possibly change his mind. Kass, however doesn't want to be a star, she's perfectly content with being ordinary, and she's determined to find a way out of this potentially catastrophic situation.

Emily Gale told the story of Kassidy and her dysfunctional family with incredible emotional intensity and sensitivity. And I can't say that I was prepared for that. Judging by the cover (yes, I know, I know, what can I do?) I was expecting a light, funny read with some typical teenage girl-meets-boy drama and whole lot of cheesy. I mean, come on, it's a book about a girl auditioning for The X-Factor TV-show - how meaningful and life-alternating can it possibly be? Well, surprise, surprise! It is VERY meaningful and it definitely has the potential to change someone's life. Especially, if you're a teenage girl/boy forced by one (or both) of your parents to be someone you're not, you're trying to find your own voice and express yourself, or if one of your family members is suffering from some sort of mental disorder. This book can actually help you. And even if you're not particularly interested in its educational/therapeutic values, it's definitely a book that you will want to pick up, if nothing else, just for the sheer fun of reading it!

Through prose that is both energetic and rich in detail, Emily Gate explores a vast range of issues, from dealing with mentally ill family member to self-discovery and self-assertion to typical teenage problems, such as fall-outs with friends over a cute boy, dealing with mischievous younger brother, and desperately trying to avoid being humiliated in front of thousands of people. I was especially impressed with the author's ability to capture the profound effect of mental illness on the family's dynamics, while keeping the overall tone of the book light. This book deals with some serious issues, but it's not a dark or depressing read. It does get slightly darker at times, especially when Kass re-lives some of her painful memories, but overall you're more likely to laugh out loud than get disturbed.

As much as I loved getting to know Kassidy and following her adventures, I wasn't very fond of Cass (the main love interest) and Kass' two best friends, Izzy and Char. I got especially annoyed by Char's downright childish behaviour and had a hard time figuring out why Kass ever bothered being nice to her. Cass didn't impress me at all, either, but I won't tell you why - that's something you're going to have to find out for yourself. That's not to say that this affected my enjoyment of the book in a negative way. To me this book was about Kass, her internal struggles and personal growth. She started off as a weak, easily-influenced, gilt-ridden character, and it was really interesting to see her morph into a strong, assertive, brave young girl who could finally stand up for herself and quit being everyone's pushover.

Overall, Girl Out Loud has a lot to offer and it's well worth reading. Emily Gale is a promising new talent and I'm very excited to see what else she has in store for us!(less)

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Dec 18, 2009 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary

This book was nothing like what I expected. After reading the blurb on the back of the books (which is different to above) I was expecting perhaps a bit of a silly Dad playing a joke on his daughter, and seeing Kass embarrass herself hugely as she went through the stages of the X Factor auditions. What I got was much better. This is a hard-hitting emotional novel that deals with mental illness, adultery, friendship, crime, and the right to say no. So good, I read it in a day.

This is not to say t...more This book was nothing like what I expected. After reading the blurb on the back of the books (which is different to above) I was expecting perhaps a bit of a silly Dad playing a joke on his daughter, and seeing Kass embarrass herself hugely as she went through the stages of the X Factor auditions. What I got was much better. This is a hard-hitting emotional novel that deals with mental illness, adultery, friendship, crime, and the right to say no. So good, I read it in a day.

This is not to say that there aren’t light moments in this novel. Kass has such a great voice, and is sarcastic about most things unless it’s inappropriate. Some of the times with her friends are really quite amusing, her brother Raff has his moments, which normally involve him taking the mick out of Kass, and then The Other Cass can be a bit of a good distraction when things get a little too much. There are a great range of characters, and they all provide moments of amusements, but on the whole, this book is quite hard to read.

Kass lives a very different life to what I did at her age, but in some ways she reminded me so much of myself, that I couldn’t help but feel for her. The way she acted and behaved sometimes put me so much in mind of myself that I would smile, but it made it so much easier to imagine myself in the situation she finds herself in, and it was emotionally difficult to read. But amazing!

There isn’t a huge amount I can say about this book without spoiling it, but I can talk about how I reacted to it. I’m quite an empathetic person; if people around me are upset, I get upset for them. Even more so with fictional characters, as you get inside their head and completely understand them, as if they were you. It just so happened that at a particular point in this novel, while I was eating, I got so angry and so upset that I had to put the book down. I was fuming, and almost cried into my stew. I can’t tell you what happened at this point, it’s too much of a spoiler, but I could rant about this one thing for absolutely hours on end. I don’t know what it was exactly that had me reacting as I did, it could be the situation itself, it could be the characters, or perhaps it was because I could identify with Kass so much on some levels, but whatever it was, it came from Emily, and I think it’s a testament to her writing that it evoked such a reaction from me.

This is such an amazing novel, and I can’t recommend it enough! You really need to read this book, it’s just fantastic, and can really make you think. Emily Gale is an awesome author, and I can’t wait to read her future novels!(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Dorian added it

The synopsis to this book kind of confused me. I mean, the first parts make it sound like a comedy book, but the last part sounds like a drama. I decided to read this book because it looked alright to me, but I wasn't quite sure what to make of it before. I'm so thankful that I did, or else I wouldn't have read this really good novel.

Reasons to Read:

1.Kass's Narration:

The way the protagonist narrated the entire book reminded me a lot of Greg from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, in the way that...more The synopsis to this book kind of confused me. I mean, the first parts make it sound like a comedy book, but the last part sounds like a drama. I decided to read this book because it looked alright to me, but I wasn't quite sure what to make of it before. I'm so thankful that I did, or else I wouldn't have read this really good novel.

Reasons to Read:

1.Kass's Narration:

The way the protagonist narrated the entire book reminded me a lot of Greg from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, in the way that she's always constantly poking at herself in a funny way. She doesn't sugar coat herself, she just says it the way it is. For instance, she doesn't try to pretend she's an amazing singer. She's just like, I'm a really bad singer, nothing's going to change that, but I'm ok with being a not-so-awesome singer. I wouldn't exactly call it low self esteem either; I'm not quite sure how to define how Kass feels about herself. I admired her for being able to identify her flaws, but was also able to highlight her strengths. She made all these jokes about what was going on, but sometimes the things happened were just so crazy and drama filled that they were funny.

2.Kass's relationship with her dad:

I absolutely loved the relationship portrayed between Kass and her dad. From the plot synopsis, you can probably tell that he's not the most... Normal of parents. While many teens would just flat out refuse, but Kass makes an effort to make her dad proud, although it may not be her dream. They had their disagreements, and Kass got angry with her dad a lot in the book, but you could still tell that she felt really close to him, and that she loved him a lot. You could also see that she was really special in her dad's eyes. I wish that more YA books had parent relationships like this.

3.The author's ability to handle touchy subjects:

One of the major things brought up in the book was mental illness. I thought that the author did a really great job at dealing with this issue. She explained really well how hard things can be, but also explained how good things can also be. She also dealed with other things such as underage drinking, touched on self harm, and when a boy tries to take advantage of a girl. I thought that the way things played out in the novel for these was very well done, and they weren't downplayed too much. These things were kept serious in the book, because they were trying to get a good message across.

This book is very different, but it's also very well executed. The only thing that I hated in the book was one of the friends of Kass. She bugged me so much, and made me angry just thinking about her because I found her so annoying. Though, that was a pretty minor thing, and I think that she was written that way on purpose. I think that this book sends out a really good message, and I think that fans of comedic and dramatic books will like this novel.

ARC received from Scholastic Canada for my honest review; no other compensation was received.(less)

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Nov 17, 2012 Peg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disabilities, realistic, young-adult, sj

Kass Kennedy struggles to keep her family on a level playing field, not an easy task given her father’s manic-depressive behavior. She, her mother, and her younger, brother tiptoe around him and each other, ignoring behavior, or quietly trying to be soothing, or, in Kass’ case, giving in to her father’s efforts to make her a singing star. She also is at odds with her two best friends, with whom she’s been part of a threesome forever, over a boy that two of them like. Like many teens, she holds a...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Treasure rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-books

Kassidy is a 15 year old in Australia with an emotionally absent mother, a deliquent younger brother, and a mentally fragile father. Kassidy can't sing, but her father is obsessed with getting her on a reality TV music competition, which her mother enables and her little brother ignores. Add frenemy issues, a parental affair, the usual school drama, and a cute boy who pushes her too far sexually, and you've got one exhausting novel on your hands. While the focus on mental illness (father is clea...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Lauren S rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

I am really glad I got this book! I got it a while ago, and was pleased. Although it has a bit of swearing, and a "Adult Page", it was a really good read. I would recommend it to anyone who has read a Georgia Nicholson (I think thats how you spell it ;) ) book.

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Jun 19, 2012 Kris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya-books, books-reviewed

Kass Kennedy has a unique, slightly over-the-top personality. While interacting with the real world around her, she plays game shows and holds imaginary conversations with Simon Cowell in her mind. It's easy to tell when she's doing this, as the worlds are in italics. Her whole world is one big drama. Her dad is bipolar, and when he's not down in the dumps he's set on making Kass a star. Her mom is never there for her, her kid brother won't help her (he's too busy making money through not-very-l...more Kass Kennedy has a unique, slightly over-the-top personality. While interacting with the real world around her, she plays game shows and holds imaginary conversations with Simon Cowell in her mind. It's easy to tell when she's doing this, as the worlds are in italics. Her whole world is one big drama. Her dad is bipolar, and when he's not down in the dumps he's set on making Kass a star. Her mom is never there for her, her kid brother won't help her (he's too busy making money through not-very-legal methods), and her best friends are preoccupied with their own problems.

At first, I had trouble getting into the story with Kass's inner conversations interrupting the flow and her own personality over dramatizing her life (for valid reasons). Once I adjusted to Kass's voice and the plotlines connected, however, I was able to relate to Kass. Everyone has times when they freak out over little details or feel alienated from the rest of the family. Kass thinks that her mom likes her brother better, and Raff is jealous that their dad fawns over Kass, as troublesome as they know it is for Kass. My brother and I go through these kinds of phases as well, though we know our parents care about both of us. It's just hard sometimes not to think that parents play favorites.

Of course, there are frustrating moments. Kass makes a lot of naive decisions, which I entirely get. Fifteen is the age for teen angst that only seem funny and nonsensical when you're older; it is the age for making silly decisions and placing all the blame either on others or yourself. Char is one of Kass's best friends and supposed to be sweet, but she gets angry at Kass over a crush. Not to mention that Dream Boy is eighteen and they're fifteen. While the age different becomes less importance as you grow older, eighteen and fifteen is a bit creepy. I did appreciate how the romance is more of a side note to the bigger issues in her world, and it wraps up realistically.

Kass doesn't make the best decisions at first, and she blames herself for a lot of things that aren't her fault. Over the course of the novel, however, she will learn how to make her own decisions and make a stand for herself. Girl Out Loud is a short, sweet contemporary read about how a mental disorder can affect a family, overcoming the drama in life, and discovering your self-identity. It is about family, friendship, and first love. And there is teen angst, a whole lot of drama, and humor. Plenty of humor.

Review at Imaginary Reads (less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was really good and it contains a very important message. Kass is a girl who wanted to be a normal teenager, but her dad ruins it by wanting her to sing on the X Factor. She has to practice singing every day, but that doesn't help her. Her voice still sounds like a duck getting choked. Then she founds she and her friend both likes the same boy and a rival starts, and the worse thing is, her other friend is siding with her friend! On the way, she learns more about friendship, crushes, b...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Brianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fun-ya

First, I would like to say that I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program. If I hadn't, truthfully I probably would have put it down after the first 50 pages. I just was not hooked on this book right away, and for me, my valuable reading time is often better spent on books that hook me right off the bat.

However, after making it through to the end of the novel, I have to say that overall I did like it, I just didn't love it. I think this comes from the fact that it was mos...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Eden rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first, Kass's voice seemed forced to me. There is immense pressure on authors to have an idiosyncratic protagonist, and I was sure this was the product. But gradually Kass's voice slows down in the wacky metaphor department, a few of the more consistent stylistic features smooth out and some truly funny observations pop up.

The development of Kass's relationships with the secondary characters is really what drives Girl Out Loud: her and Raff's relationship progress can be predicted before the...more At first, Kass's voice seemed forced to me. There is immense pressure on authors to have an idiosyncratic protagonist, and I was sure this was the product. But gradually Kass's voice slows down in the wacky metaphor department, a few of the more consistent stylistic features smooth out and some truly funny observations pop up.

The development of Kass's relationships with the secondary characters is really what drives Girl Out Loud: her and Raff's relationship progress can be predicted before the book even starts (and is strikingly similar to Antony John's Five Flavors of Dumb -- but obvs FFoD did it better), but the twist with the love interest is unprecedented and refreshing. (Well, calling it "refreshing" is probably the wrong word, especially since I don't feel Kass handled the problem well... but it's definitely not common.)

This novel's major fault lies in the combination of its brevity and its subject matter. The story plunges deep into the crevices of adultery and personality diseases, adding to the relationship stresses with friends & boy. This load of Serious Issues makes the book, in my head, into the shape of a sharp, steep V; the book's shortness compresses all these Issues and either makes them too inconsequential or too quickly resolved. Plus, there's a dose of Kass going "I have no friends to turn to, woe is me" through the middle.

But what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good ending that leaves me tingly with warmth, and the repetition with Simon Cowell worked out extremely nicely in my mind. (You'll have to read the book to understand.) So Girl Out Loud gets a better-than-average rating.

The cover:

Linna said it -- why on Earth is this cover so fluffy? So pink? Do they want readers to be sidelined by this novel's heavy topics like I was? Especially with the blonde. (Not to stereotype hair colour... although you can see her brunette roots showing. I can't decide if I want to point and laugh or facepalm.)

*Review originally published on Pass the Chiclets.(less)

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Jun 29, 2012 Luna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 Stars

Both the cover and blurb of Girl, Aloud do this book a disservice. It’s a really wonderful, desperately sad story of a girl who is forced to “perform” because her father is convinced she is special, when all Kass wants to be is ordinary.

Being at the centre of her Dad’s moods means that Kass has tried everything on his quest to prove she isn’t just any girl. Musical instruments, world chess champion, actress – and each time Kass fails her Dad goes into a Down period. When he decides that...more

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May 24, 2012 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-arc-s

What is it with all of the amazing debuts this year? Emily really has something special with her debut Young Adult novel. I feel as though there have been a lot of books that I have read this year that I really liked, but this is easily one of the few that I truly loved. What I thought was going to be a pretty simple story, ended up being so much deeper and emotional that I would of ever imagined it being. I was beyond impressed with what Emily was able to accomplish.

I really feel like this stor...more What is it with all of the amazing debuts this year? Emily really has something special with her debut Young Adult novel. I feel as though there have been a lot of books that I have read this year that I really liked, but this is easily one of the few that I truly loved. What I thought was going to be a pretty simple story, ended up being so much deeper and emotional that I would of ever imagined it being. I was beyond impressed with what Emily was able to accomplish.

I really feel like this story is one of those that you can't help but love. As I mentioned, I thought it was going to be a fairly simple story about a girl on her journey to audition for X Factor because of it being something her dad wanted her to do, but as the story went on that started to become a very small factor of the story. This story is full of heart, you have all of the things Kassidy is going through with her Dad and not being sure where that is going to go.. And you also have everything going on between Kassidy and her group of friends. There is some drama, and quite a few mistakes made throughout the story but seeing how everything is overcome is what really shows how much heart is within this story. I also really liked how at the end of several chapters Kass has these dreams where she is talking to Simon Cowell, those were a lot of fun to read.

Kassidy is truly an amazing character. She isn't perfect by any means, she makes quite a few mistakes that leaves you wondering what she was thinking.. But in the end she is such a real character, that I really think a lot of people will love. Kass's Dad is another of the major characters, his story is extremely complicated and is also where the emotional part of the story comes into play. He was really one of the best characters, I felt really bad for what he was going through. He was easily my favorite character in this book. Izzy and Char are also two really great characters, there is a lot that goes on between Kass and Char but it was great seeing if everything was going to work out between them or not.

I adored the ending of this book, it was somewhat sad although not in a extremely negative way. But it was also a very enjoyable ending that I felt brought a very nice close to an already beautiful and touching story. There is absolutely nothing about this book which I disliked, and I can't recommend it enough. It's a fairly quick read, but it has so much heart. I can't even express just how much heart this book has. I really hope you all will take the chance to read this amazing book whenever you get the chance to. It is extremely worth it.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, 2012-dac, 2012, arc

Whoa! If you want to start reading a amazing novel, Girl Out Loud is the book for you!

The characters: Kassidy or Kass as she is usually called, is a fun girl. She is about 15 or 16 but thinks that she's 24. She was very mature and handled a lot of tough situations really good. She was always there if her friends needed her but in this book they get into a few little fights and that kind of breaks up their terrific trio. I felt that sometimes she could be kind of childish and I wanted to slap her...more

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May 15, 2011 Brigita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a bit of a problem getting into the book. Mostly, this was due to the discrepancy between the cover and blurb and the actual story of the book. This is indeed a book that you shouldn't judge by its covers. When I looked at it, it seemed like a fun, light read. What I got when I opened it and started reading was a powerful, thought-provoking, great YA novel.

The topic the novel deals with is far from easy, in fact, it's difficult even for the grown-ups to cope with (as is obvious from the w...more

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May 11, 2010 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Girl, Aloud really is a cross between the Diary of Adrian Mole and a Jodi Picoult, balancing a level of everyday humour with emotional realism to create an emotive flash-back producing story about a normal teen-age girl.

Parts of this story made me want to cry, the horrid flash-backs to teen-age fights with best friends, the pain and suffering, the embarrassment that only parents can put you through at that age. Other parts just made me want to laugh, with happy flash-backs to teen-age giggling a...more

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Apr 26, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't let the bright pink cover or the misleading name turn you off this book. It looks like it's going to be a frothing book aimed at tweens but so much more is dealt with here than a girl trying to get on a talent tv show as the name suggests. Kassidy is living a normal, boring teenage life when one thing leads to another and her whole life turns upside down. Most of her problems stem from her undiagnosed Bipolar father who is obsessed with making her a star. Due to Kass' reluctance to admit t...more Don't let the bright pink cover or the misleading name turn you off this book. It looks like it's going to be a frothing book aimed at tweens but so much more is dealt with here than a girl trying to get on a talent tv show as the name suggests. Kassidy is living a normal, boring teenage life when one thing leads to another and her whole life turns upside down. Most of her problems stem from her undiagnosed Bipolar father who is obsessed with making her a star. Due to Kass' reluctance to admit there is something seriously wrong, she puts only up a little fight against his grand plans but always gives in as her mother makes her feel guilty about upsetting him and Kass never knows how he's going to react. This hits close to home for me but I've found my own way of dealing with it. Luckily I'm an adult.

Kass's dad's mental illness is the big picture of what this story is about but also touches on other real life issues of jealousy between friends over boys, annoying brothers, being too self-involved, selfish parents who play favourites between kids, pushy teenage boys...the list goes on. Kass is so easy to relate to and I've been though a few of the issues she goes through. She is a pretty strong character for somehow staying sane through it all. Her friends, while dealing with their own problems are pretty unsympathetic to hearing her side of the story making me want to say things to them that Kass couldn't. Being a reader of this story is so much better than it would be to live through it.

It did take me a few tries to get in this novel at first but once I settled down with it, I didn't want to put it down again. Emily Gale has a real talent for stating things as they are without either making the situations better again too quickly or too slowly. Ultimately the message I felt Gale was trying to get across is that no matter how bad things get, you have to stay strong and fight through them and one day they will become a memory that hopefully you have learned from. Also, there is always light at the end of the tunnel even if it's just a speck at the moment. YA readers should enjoy this one. There's heartache mixed with a good amount of humour.

Cover: While it's quite pretty and eye-catching, it should belong to a book aimed at 8-10 year olds. This is definitely for mid to older teens.
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Mar 21, 2010 Steph Bowe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Girl, Aloud is about Kass, an average teenager with a dysfunctional family. Her father has decided she has to audition for The X-Factor - problem is, Kass can't sing, and she really doesn't want to be a star. But when her dad decides to do something, it must be done - and he's not giving up on the idea of his daughter being a star - so now they're spending every spare moment practising for the audition, while Kass tries to figure out a way to get out of it. Then, when a boy who Kass's friend Cha...more Girl, Aloud is about Kass, an average teenager with a dysfunctional family. Her father has decided she has to audition for The X-Factor - problem is, Kass can't sing, and she really doesn't want to be a star. But when her dad decides to do something, it must be done - and he's not giving up on the idea of his daughter being a star - so now they're spending every spare moment practising for the audition, while Kass tries to figure out a way to get out of it. Then, when a boy who Kass's friend Char has had a crush on for years shows interest in Kass, she has a falling out with her two best friends. On top of this, Kass's mother seems to be keeping secrets, and her brother's in trouble, and the only person who can help is Kass...

When I started reading Girl, Aloud I expected it to be a light and funny read about a girl auditioning for a reality TV show. And it was light and funny - hilariously, laugh-out-loud funny in some parts - but it was a lot more than that, too. It dealt with a vast range of issues - including mental illness, among problems with family, friends and boys - always with a great deal of honesty and tact. Kass was an easy to relate to character, and a very entertaining narrator. I usually find myself skipping over chat transcripts in books, but the use of IM chats was really well integrated into Girl, Aloud.

Sometimes, when I'm reading something that gets me really angry, I have to stop reading and get up and stamp around the room (luckily I was reading this at home. That mightn't have gone down well had I been out in public). I really sympathised with Kassidy - so I was really annoyed, first by her incredibly frustrating friends, infuriating dad, her brother, her mother and most of all dumb Cass (Kass and Cass - different people, similar names. Read the book and you'll see). Everything just kept going wrong for her, and it irritated me no end. Of course, everything will somehow work out... You'll have to read the book to find out whether or not she actually auditioned, though!

I recommend this book to teenage girls looking for a funny, smart and easy read - if you're a fan of Jacqueline Wilson's books, I think you'll love this one.(less)

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Dec 31, 2009 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-debut, for-review, uk-author

Girl, Aloud is the story of a girl finding her voice that’s at once painfully embarrassing and incredibly sad.

Emily Gale wrote a brilliant cast of characters in Girl, Aloud. Kass is strong, funny, and even though nothing ever goes right for her, I didn’t want to pity her. I felt that she would work things out. Raff is funny and strange, like all little brothers, and even a little sweet. And Char and Izzy are great friends with distinctive character traits that set them apart.

One of the elements...more

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Jan 19, 2010 Tamsyn Murray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kass is a girl with problems. Not only does her younger brother seem hell-bent on a life of petty crime but her mum is pre-occupied with work and her dad has decided she's the next Leona Lewis. Unstable at the best of times, it isn't long before he's pinned his hopes and happiness on Kass's dubious singing ability and the pressure begins to tell. Soon her friendships and love life are dangling by a thread, along with her sanity.

I really felt for Kass in this book and my heart ached over the situ...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Sandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: librarylinknj-book-eval

Kass Kennedy has no talent and can't sing, but her manic-depressive dad is determined that she audition for The X Factor. Her absent mom does not defend her and her best friends drop her. The style of writing in the beginning is confusing and slow, but the angst Kass feels is very real.

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Mar 31, 2013 Betina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very good. Not at all what it comes across as. It's witty and cute yet it addresses a problem that many kids go through. It's original and heartwarming and I'm happy to recommend this book to anyone wanting a fresh read.

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Nov 25, 2012 Deborah Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This is a book about the effects of mental health on a family with a good dose of teenage angst over friends, dreams, parents, brothers...

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Oct 31, 2012 Karen Yingling added it

More appropriate for high school.

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Oct 27, 2012 Beki added it

its veru good

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Nov 04, 2012 Jenna Lacovara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this from a contest on Goodreads. It took me awhile to get around to it, but I picked it up the other day because it seemed like a quick read and I wanted a break from homework.

It was pretty good -- I had trouble connecting with the main character, but I felt like the book accurately portrayed her struggle with a father who has a mental illness, and even her character reflected that. She was a little self-involved, not the best friend, but she tried.

Overall, a pretty good book.

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Jun 27, 2010 Jenny (hades2) (Chocolate Chunky Munkie) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-i-ve-won, first-reads

I won a copy of this book on Goodreads.

The story starts off at a rapid pace and it took me a few chapters to settle into it. I really liked the mix of humour and life dramas that surrounded the main character, her friends and family. The main character, Kass, is very likeable and you can really feel her emotions through the story. Overall a very enjoyable and easy read.

The cover is very eye catching and I would definitely have picked this book up for the cover alone.

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Feb 02, 2010 Keren David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This looks like it's going to be frothy and fun - but Emily Gale does so much more than the cover suggests. Kass's dad is desperate for her to shine, and his moods are so volatile that no one can contradict him. Emily Gale's characters are very real, and yet the twists in the plot always surprise. And she's got a great way with metaphor as well.

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Oct 13, 2012 Bistro2012 rated it 3 of 5 stars

angie, 14
Emily Gale
Girl Out Loud
Scholastic 2012

this book is about a girl beign pessured into being her daddys little pop star so she has to overcome it it starts off a bit slow but it was still good

Rating: 3 Readable

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May 23, 2011 Char rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: emily-gale, read-in-2011, realistic

For my full review please visit: http://shadowsireview.blogspot.com/20...

I really liked this book despite the misleading blurb. It a thought provoking novel that is well worth a read.

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