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307th out of 403 books
—
909 voters
The Bitch Goddess Notebook
Set in a small-town high school in Illinois in 1988, three misfit girls join forces with devastating consequences. Rennie, the stunningly attractive straight-A student, finds herself way out of her depth when she embarks on an affair with her married teacher. Cherry builds a shrine to Princess Diana in her bedroom while nursing her hippy mother through her coke-fuelled rag...more
295 pages
Published
by Orion Publishing Group
(first published January 1st 2005)
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I cannot quite say that I really enjoyed the book, but I was extremely engrossed by it. I just kept reading and reading until I had pretty much forgotten the time, until I realized that I had just passed a whole day. And this was actually my second time reading this book, though to be fair, it was quite a while since I last read it. The writing was simple, yet beautiful, and the characters were so real, so painfully real that it was as if they were sitting there telling me the entire story. I re...more
Ever looked back on your high school years, the friends you had, the secrets you kept? Ever had those secrets come back to haunt you?
The above premise is the setting and situation for O Connor's book. Three girls, so different and yet somehow united, your typical high school clique, leave high school with an horrific event behind them.
What unfolds in the book is a look through the lives of the three girls, one of which I am sure readers will be able to identify with, the things they have done, t...more
The above premise is the setting and situation for O Connor's book. Three girls, so different and yet somehow united, your typical high school clique, leave high school with an horrific event behind them.
What unfolds in the book is a look through the lives of the three girls, one of which I am sure readers will be able to identify with, the things they have done, t...more
This book is essentially about girls who aren't quite like the others. Self-harm, punk rock, unhealthy relationships, booze, drugs ... I don't know what this says about me but I could relate to this book a lot. I was a teenager in the early 00's so it's interesting that I can relate to teenagers 20 years ago.
For the most part, I enjoyed O'Connor's bluntly honest stream-of-conscious writing style. My only criticism is that this style makes some of the heavier issues seems melodramatic at times an...more
For the most part, I enjoyed O'Connor's bluntly honest stream-of-conscious writing style. My only criticism is that this style makes some of the heavier issues seems melodramatic at times an...more
This book just hooked itself onto my ribcage and squeezes itself in below my heart and wouldn't let go. It was a pretty intense ride, and a little bit scary too. Somehow, this book brought up feelings in me that were dangerous and slightly frightening - but perhaps that is just because I was a f-ed up little teenager myself five years ago and it just felt a little too familiar - and at the same time it was alluring and thrilling so that I couldn't put it down.
So I feel a little torn about this b...more
So I feel a little torn about this b...more
This book was... absolutely FANTASTIC. By far one of my top five favourites! I couldn't get enough of each girls' lives, together and separate. Every time a chapter would end (like say Rennie in 1988), I would pound through the following chapters to get to the next Rennie in 1988 chapter. Each chapter drew me in so powerfully that I just couldn't put the book down. I can't wait for Martha O'Connor to publish another book. If it's anywhere near as good as The Bitch Goddess Notebook, I'll read it...more
I'd seen this book at a book stand and thought it sounded interesting, so after a lot of searching/waiting I finally found it at a library. It's the story of three girls who were best friends in high school, but lost contact with each other for various reasons. I loved the writing style.. first chapter was told by R in 2003, second chapter was told by C in 1988, third chapter was told by A in 2003, fourth chapter was told by R in 1988 and so on, back and forth all the time. Of course that meant...more
May 08, 2013
Lauren
added it
I found this a fun light read which expresses a females opinions and emotions. This book is aimed at the over 17's as it is rather adulty. I did find it a quite pleasure-able book but would suggest having a piece of paper to cover the title if you want to read it in public.
More depth and racier than 50 Shades of Gray. I first read this when I was 13/14, and is probably one of the reasons why I'm so imaginative. This made you WANT to do all the things you couldn't, as a teen you want to experience what these girls go through, really rather good!
Once you start reading, you can't stop following the downward spiral in which this young women throw themselves in. The author's prose is very exact detailing their feelings and personalities both as teenagers and women and although you keep rooting for them to pull through you kinda know that is not gonna be so.
A bit draggy with a Virgins Suicide and the Lost and the Delirious sort of feel. But the ending was really quite epic! Then again, I read it when I was a teenager and seemed to be able to relate to it in a way.
(I read this when I was about 13, and I think my review would be more interesting if I re-read the book to see if I enjoy it any more or less)
Depression, sex, drugs, abusive relationships, the book kind of has it all. A tad bit crazy but quite a good story overall and very well written
I must say, I loved this book, it was so dark and compelling I could barely put it down and the twist was written so well
Slightly disturbing but also an enjoyable read which I couldn't put down
Nov 25, 2012
Maria
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
teacher-student-relationship,
self-injury
The Bitch Goddess Notebook was a book that really got to me. I hadn't expected this - I had expected a chick-lit, a light read. But it was definitely not light.
Main subject of this book is self-harm, a topic that is very real to me and is, unfortunately, often wrongly done. I thought it was well handled in this book - I didn't get the feeling that it was made into a cliché, or into something only stupid kids do. And even though it was the main subject, it's never mentioned as such. It's always i...more
Main subject of this book is self-harm, a topic that is very real to me and is, unfortunately, often wrongly done. I thought it was well handled in this book - I didn't get the feeling that it was made into a cliché, or into something only stupid kids do. And even though it was the main subject, it's never mentioned as such. It's always i...more
Kind of sickening... can't really believe this was in a boxset-thingy aimed at 13-year-olds minimum... bleugh.
Sadly I couldn't get into this one and gave up!
very graffic in some parts but still has a good story line.
This book was really good, because in my opinion you could actually -hear- the voices of the three girls, and the transitioning between 2003 and 1988 was absolutely beautiful in that you could tell they came from different times. And when they changed from their younger selves to their older selves, you could sense the push of time and how the Porter Place accident really effected them in how they all shattered apart. It was heart wrenching to read, but it was so wonderfully done that I couldn't...more
Wonderful and absorbing.
One of the better chick lits!
Man alive. This book was in the Contemporary Literature section at my work (usually reserved for the best books around) and I read the blurb and reviews of this book and I thought it would be something I was into. Yeah - and it would have been if I was 14 instead of 19 going on 20!
It was just so bad. It took me like two hours to read and I'm so P.O'd that I spent money on this book. What upsets me the most is that a critic compared it to Heathers - NO WAY is this book anywhere near as good as He...more
It was just so bad. It took me like two hours to read and I'm so P.O'd that I spent money on this book. What upsets me the most is that a critic compared it to Heathers - NO WAY is this book anywhere near as good as He...more
thought id would enjoy this book second time round but i still struggled with it - little disappointed
I love this book
Apr 07, 2013
Danielle Redz
added it
*unrated*
Loved it!
Badly written, mainly, plus the plots were unbelievably conceited. The author wants to 'shock' and show 'something different' but it's not working at all.
Took me a few hours to read and it was a waste of those hours. i won't say that about a book easily, but this was very, very boring.
Took me a few hours to read and it was a waste of those hours. i won't say that about a book easily, but this was very, very boring.
One of the most bizarre books I've ever read. I wouldn't have bothered finishing it if I'd had another book on hand to read. The author tries far too hard to get into teenage "angst" but fails miserably, going into outlandish extremes. Don't bother is my advice
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“This time the skin seperates and she blinks her way back into the universe, watches the valley fold open, the blood seaming up along the cut and pressing out, blue to red in the air of this world, and as usual the pain springs her into the here and now.”
—
12 people liked it
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Aug 10, 2012 07:35am