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Girls Like Me: A Hopeful YA Novel-in-Verse About Teen Grief, Cyber-Bullying, and Online Romance
Fifteen-year-old Shay Summers is trying to cope with the death of her father, being overweight, and threats from a girl bully in school. When she falls in love with Blake, a mysterious boy online, insecure Shay doesn't want to tell him who she is. But with the help of her two best friends, as well as an assist by Kermit and Miss Piggy, ultimately Shay and Blake’s love prevails.
Girls Like Me is a fun and fresh poetic take on teen angst, social media and online anonymity, and high school romance.
Girls Like Me is a fun and fresh poetic take on teen angst, social media and online anonymity, and high school romance.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2016
92 people are currently reading
3128 people want to read
About the author
Lola St. Vil
62 books862 followersHi!
This is my debut novel "Guardians:The Girl" It is a story about a girl who has to save the world by staying away from the guy she loves.
This is my debut novel "Guardians:The Girl" It is a story about a girl who has to save the world by staying away from the guy she loves.
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April 21, 2016The cover is the best part of the book.
Shay Summers is 15, her dad died a year ago, she hates her stepmother, and she's fat. She's best friends with a gay boy and a girl who has a tumor that will kill her. That's what we know about her. It's ALL we get to know about her. Yet, the story hinges on the fact she's hated at school by a girl named Kelly (of course) who chooses to hate her for...no apparent reason. We get no backstory on Shay nor on Kelly nor on what looks like a whole school that likes to make fun of this fat girl for simply existing.
Shay meets a boy on an anonymous social network and lo and behold, it's the boy she's had a crush on at school for a while. Things are up and down with them. She constantly worries about being fat and him being cool (there's even a great line about how she's not happy like a skinny girl is happy, which could not be any more cliche in fat fiction in YA if it tried). Long story longer, the two of them get revenge on the mean kids.
This book takes the worst parts of Empty, a book that was terrible, and combines them with the worst parts of Butter, which was okay. Worse, though, is St.Vil's book is written
in verse
for no apparent
reason.
And it's not
J U S T
S H
A Y
Who tends to write
like this
her Friends, who get
Random Inserts In The n a r r a t i v e
also
all write
like this.
Breaking lines up doesn't make them poetic, and there needs to be purpose for it. And don't get me started on the horrific text speak between the two teen characters. Sure, that was a thing in the 2000s when teens had those horrible keypads on phones where clicking "2" three times to get a single letter sucked. But that...isn't how phone letters are anymore, and it's a sure sign of being uninformed about modern teens to read pages and pages of text speak.
Feel free to skip this one. It's not that great or interesting, the writing is mediocre at best, and there's nothing salvageable about this fat girl who gets oinked at, called a pig, eats garbage because she's mourning or needs to feel better, believes all skinny girls are happy, and has nothing else going on in her life that makes her a character worth following.
Shay Summers is 15, her dad died a year ago, she hates her stepmother, and she's fat. She's best friends with a gay boy and a girl who has a tumor that will kill her. That's what we know about her. It's ALL we get to know about her. Yet, the story hinges on the fact she's hated at school by a girl named Kelly (of course) who chooses to hate her for...no apparent reason. We get no backstory on Shay nor on Kelly nor on what looks like a whole school that likes to make fun of this fat girl for simply existing.
Shay meets a boy on an anonymous social network and lo and behold, it's the boy she's had a crush on at school for a while. Things are up and down with them. She constantly worries about being fat and him being cool (there's even a great line about how she's not happy like a skinny girl is happy, which could not be any more cliche in fat fiction in YA if it tried). Long story longer, the two of them get revenge on the mean kids.
This book takes the worst parts of Empty, a book that was terrible, and combines them with the worst parts of Butter, which was okay. Worse, though, is St.Vil's book is written
in verse
for no apparent
reason.
And it's not
J U S T
S H
A Y
Who tends to write
like this
her Friends, who get
Random Inserts In The n a r r a t i v e
also
all write
like this.
Breaking lines up doesn't make them poetic, and there needs to be purpose for it. And don't get me started on the horrific text speak between the two teen characters. Sure, that was a thing in the 2000s when teens had those horrible keypads on phones where clicking "2" three times to get a single letter sucked. But that...isn't how phone letters are anymore, and it's a sure sign of being uninformed about modern teens to read pages and pages of text speak.
Feel free to skip this one. It's not that great or interesting, the writing is mediocre at best, and there's nothing salvageable about this fat girl who gets oinked at, called a pig, eats garbage because she's mourning or needs to feel better, believes all skinny girls are happy, and has nothing else going on in her life that makes her a character worth following.
August 17, 2021
hello kiddos, it’s me, ur friendly neighborhood fat queen, who’s come to judge this book.
first of all, let’s cancel the trope where the super hot guy falls in love with a fat girl,, and that’s bad. bc she’s fat.
listen, the ONLY complication they ever had. ever. is that she’s fat.
and some insecure barbie was mad about that?
that would NEVER ever happen in a skinny mc book.
like
have you EVER seen a book where the main plot was:
she loves this guy.
he loves her.
but they can’t be together.
because she’s skinny.
NO???? because it doesn’t happen. because aside from the AWFUL body-shaming, it’s a terrible plot.
they had decent banter that was fun to watch, but it wasn't enough for me to ship them.
there also were a few instances where the guy (cannot remember his name for the life of me) was kissed on the cheek by said flirtatious barbie, and didn't say "no thanks I have a girlfriend" or "i don't feel comfortable with that" and MANS DIDN'T EVEN TELL HIS GIRLFRIEND
but where the part gets good, is when she actually SAW it and came to him about how she wasn't comfortable with that, and he pretty much just gaslights her.
saying how "it wasn't a big deal" "you're really going to get worked up over that??" and other unhealthy stuff
it wasn't major but the way he responded was really toxic.
yknow they were BOTH toxic. and not in that fun, morally grey, were using each other type; no just high school toxic.
she wouldn't let him see her even though he was going through a REALYY bad time,, bc she's insecure??
I get insecurities ok? don't forget IM FAT. I've dealt with this crap but, her continuing to not be there for him when his home life is terrible and he just needs a person? that shouldn't amount to your insecurities holding u back.
there’s NO 🥂🎶💋SPICE👛☕️🛍
there’s NO heartbreaking betrayal, or backstory.
there’s so warm fuzzies while reading.
this book was short, it had unlikeable characters, except for the barely-there sides; they were toxic; they didn't handle body-positivity well at all; there were massive cliches; and the vibes were just so off.
not feel-good vibes.
this could've been GREAT okay??? the banter was great; the mc dealing with grief and her stepmother was concluded well; it was all written in verse, and was great!!; initially the love interest was great too.
but nearing the middle/end it just went downhill.
it just makes u feel BAD. a book about body-positivity that makes u feel bad.
that’s when u know u SCREWED UP SIS.
first of all, let’s cancel the trope where the super hot guy falls in love with a fat girl,, and that’s bad. bc she’s fat.
listen, the ONLY complication they ever had. ever. is that she’s fat.
and some insecure barbie was mad about that?
that would NEVER ever happen in a skinny mc book.
like
have you EVER seen a book where the main plot was:
she loves this guy.
he loves her.
but they can’t be together.
because she’s skinny.
NO???? because it doesn’t happen. because aside from the AWFUL body-shaming, it’s a terrible plot.
they had decent banter that was fun to watch, but it wasn't enough for me to ship them.
there also were a few instances where the guy (cannot remember his name for the life of me) was kissed on the cheek by said flirtatious barbie, and didn't say "no thanks I have a girlfriend" or "i don't feel comfortable with that" and MANS DIDN'T EVEN TELL HIS GIRLFRIEND
but where the part gets good, is when she actually SAW it and came to him about how she wasn't comfortable with that, and he pretty much just gaslights her.
saying how "it wasn't a big deal" "you're really going to get worked up over that??" and other unhealthy stuff
it wasn't major but the way he responded was really toxic.
yknow they were BOTH toxic. and not in that fun, morally grey, were using each other type; no just high school toxic.
she wouldn't let him see her even though he was going through a REALYY bad time,, bc she's insecure??
I get insecurities ok? don't forget IM FAT. I've dealt with this crap but, her continuing to not be there for him when his home life is terrible and he just needs a person? that shouldn't amount to your insecurities holding u back.
there’s NO 🥂🎶💋SPICE👛☕️🛍
there’s NO heartbreaking betrayal, or backstory.
there’s so warm fuzzies while reading.
this book was short, it had unlikeable characters, except for the barely-there sides; they were toxic; they didn't handle body-positivity well at all; there were massive cliches; and the vibes were just so off.
not feel-good vibes.
this could've been GREAT okay??? the banter was great; the mc dealing with grief and her stepmother was concluded well; it was all written in verse, and was great!!; initially the love interest was great too.
but nearing the middle/end it just went downhill.
it just makes u feel BAD. a book about body-positivity that makes u feel bad.
that’s when u know u SCREWED UP SIS.
January 3, 2017
3.5 stars, but I decided to round up because I finished it (it's a quick read btw, took me an hour)
okay
first of all
poetry isnt just about
adding line breaks
to every sentence
ever
Honestly, this book could've been better if they didn't make it a "poetic" take on teen angst. I had so much trouble distinguishing who was speaking and who was being talked about. It just switched between Dash and Boots and Shay and back again with very little warning. I hope the book was more clear. The book is moderately well-written, in my opinion.
The story is cliché, I'll admit. It's the typical hot-boy-likes-weird-girl-but-popular-girl-comes-between-them. The twists were predictable , and we didn't get to know the characters that well. The backstories were okay, but they could've used a little more explanation.
The characters were annoying at points, too. The fights between Godot and Shay were pointless. The way they acted was.. *sighs*. They acted like children. Even me, a 14 year old, would know how to break up with someone in a better way than that (disclaimer: i have never broken up or been together with anyone, I just know... from like... books.)
But there's kind of a charm to it. Probably because it's kind of easy to relate to. It's cute and heartwarming at times. The lines between the characters are funny. Would still recommend.
okay
first of all
poetry isnt just about
adding line breaks
to every sentence
ever
Honestly, this book could've been better if they didn't make it a "poetic" take on teen angst. I had so much trouble distinguishing who was speaking and who was being talked about. It just switched between Dash and Boots and Shay and back again with very little warning. I hope the book was more clear. The book is moderately well-written, in my opinion.
The story is cliché, I'll admit. It's the typical hot-boy-likes-weird-girl-but-popular-girl-comes-between-them. The twists were predictable , and we didn't get to know the characters that well. The backstories were okay, but they could've used a little more explanation.
The characters were annoying at points, too. The fights between Godot and Shay were pointless. The way they acted was.. *sighs*. They acted like children. Even me, a 14 year old, would know how to break up with someone in a better way than that (disclaimer: i have never broken up or been together with anyone, I just know... from like... books.)
But there's kind of a charm to it. Probably because it's kind of easy to relate to. It's cute and heartwarming at times. The lines between the characters are funny. Would still recommend.
June 18, 2018
This book is actually really impressive because instead of choosing just one overused YA cliche, Lola St.Vil chose to use all of them.
(1) The token gay friend with the disappointed father who doesn't understand homosexuality cliche.
(2) The edgy girl with cancer who doesn't want to die a virgin cliche.
(3) The dead parent / evil stepmother cliche.
(4) The girl who doesn't think she's beautiful until a guy tells her she is cliche.
(5) The hottest guy in school falls for random unpopular girl cliche.
(6) The super hot popular girl who wants to take the protagonist down because of said hot guy cliche.
(7) The happy girl-gets-guy after adversity kiss cliche.
And to top it all off...
it's written
in a painful attempt
at verse
i mean seriously
writing like this
doesn't make you
a poet
(1) The token gay friend with the disappointed father who doesn't understand homosexuality cliche.
(2) The edgy girl with cancer who doesn't want to die a virgin cliche.
(3) The dead parent / evil stepmother cliche.
(4) The girl who doesn't think she's beautiful until a guy tells her she is cliche.
(5) The hottest guy in school falls for random unpopular girl cliche.
(6) The super hot popular girl who wants to take the protagonist down because of said hot guy cliche.
(7) The happy girl-gets-guy after adversity kiss cliche.
And to top it all off...
it's written
in a painful attempt
at verse
i mean seriously
writing like this
doesn't make you
a poet
November 20, 2017
The cover's
attractive,
plot sounds
good,
characters are easy
to like/relate to.
But,
dang,
that use of
verse.
Cringe-worthy.
Annoying.
Just.
No.
This would have been way, way better in prose. A lot of parts were too cheesy and seemed a little too trying hard. Still, I give it two stars for ~diversity (which should already be a given at this point in time), secret relationships, teen angst, family drama.
Here are some excerpts:
attractive,
plot sounds
good,
characters are easy
to like/relate to.
But,
dang,
that use of
verse.
Cringe-worthy.
Annoying.
Just.
No.
This would have been way, way better in prose. A lot of parts were too cheesy and seemed a little too trying hard. Still, I give it two stars for ~diversity (which should already be a given at this point in time), secret relationships, teen angst, family drama.
Here are some excerpts:
November 2, 2016
Look.
It's rare that I give books a one-star rating based on how boring they were. The fact that I found this book completely boring was only half the problem.
The other half was the writing style.
Now, don't get me wrong, I've read books with writing styles like this before and liked them just fine. A lot of Ellen Hopkins's books, as well as Sold come to mind. I didn't look at this book, see the writing, and immediately go "Nah, it sucks."
But the way this style of writing was utilized was just... It was messy. It was really, really messy.
There were no quotation marks when characters spoke. It is unbelievably annoying to have to go back and re-read lines multiple times because I have to check if that was someone saying something out loud, or if it was just Shay's internal monologue.
Or, going off that, if it was someone ELSE'S "internal monologue", because at a few points, we're seeing different characters' perspectives- one time is towards the beginning when Shay is speaking from the POV of her classmates ("Cheerleader", "After School Helper", etc) and later, we get a section from Boots's POV and another from Dash's (and then later there are letters from him).
But see, it's almost impossible to tell, because the only change for those sections- Boots's and Dash's- is the slight change of font. And again, it's irritating to read halfway through the monologue and realize "WTF is Shay doing- oh, this is Boots talking, not Shay." This was the author's opportunity to maybe switch up the style- maybe Boots or Dash's way of writing could be vastly different from Shay's, to convey the differences in their personalities. But instead, she just stuck with the same formula, making them sound exactly like Shay.
Not to mention the fact that, overall, the writing was just...
So
The writing was a bit
Like
This
Where you almost
feel like
the author
was maybe trying to
make
her book
l o n g e r
because
I
don't
see
why
every
word
has
to
have
it's
own
line
and this
went on
throughout the entire
B O O K
instead of
(maybe)
being strategically
PLACED
in certain spots
Okay, I think you get the point. It would be one thing if Shay's writing was like my example in certain places to highlight her moods, but it's like that all the way through. Take that and combine it with the no quotation marks, occasional deviations into other character's minds (often without warning that that's what's supposed to be happening.
It's rare that I give books a one-star rating based on how boring they were. The fact that I found this book completely boring was only half the problem.
The other half was the writing style.
Now, don't get me wrong, I've read books with writing styles like this before and liked them just fine. A lot of Ellen Hopkins's books, as well as Sold come to mind. I didn't look at this book, see the writing, and immediately go "Nah, it sucks."
But the way this style of writing was utilized was just... It was messy. It was really, really messy.
There were no quotation marks when characters spoke. It is unbelievably annoying to have to go back and re-read lines multiple times because I have to check if that was someone saying something out loud, or if it was just Shay's internal monologue.
Or, going off that, if it was someone ELSE'S "internal monologue", because at a few points, we're seeing different characters' perspectives- one time is towards the beginning when Shay is speaking from the POV of her classmates ("Cheerleader", "After School Helper", etc) and later, we get a section from Boots's POV and another from Dash's (and then later there are letters from him).
But see, it's almost impossible to tell, because the only change for those sections- Boots's and Dash's- is the slight change of font. And again, it's irritating to read halfway through the monologue and realize "WTF is Shay doing- oh, this is Boots talking, not Shay." This was the author's opportunity to maybe switch up the style- maybe Boots or Dash's way of writing could be vastly different from Shay's, to convey the differences in their personalities. But instead, she just stuck with the same formula, making them sound exactly like Shay.
Not to mention the fact that, overall, the writing was just...
So
The writing was a bit
Like
This
Where you almost
feel like
the author
was maybe trying to
make
her book
l o n g e r
because
I
don't
see
why
every
word
has
to
have
it's
own
line
and this
went on
throughout the entire
B O O K
instead of
(maybe)
being strategically
PLACED
in certain spots
Okay, I think you get the point. It would be one thing if Shay's writing was like my example in certain places to highlight her moods, but it's like that all the way through. Take that and combine it with the no quotation marks, occasional deviations into other character's minds (often without warning that that's what's supposed to be happening.
March 16, 2016
In love with that ending!
As soon as I finished the last word i was like
"Okay, when can I see the movie?" This is a must read for teens that have ever gone through bullying of any sorts
As soon as I finished the last word i was like
"Okay, when can I see the movie?" This is a must read for teens that have ever gone through bullying of any sorts
May 11, 2018
2.5 stars.
This was confusing to follow and I REALLY didn't like the romance.
This was confusing to follow and I REALLY didn't like the romance.
February 7, 2017
I had never heard of this book before, but it was featured in my library and I saw that it was written in a mixture of verse, emails and text messages and so I was intrigued. I'll also admit that the cover drew me in too, i really love that cover. I like the simplicity and I like the fact that we have shay texting right there on the cover, letting the reader know the kind of thing they are in for.
Because this book is written in verse and texts, it is obviously a very quick read. This is a, sit down one afternoon and read it, kind of book and I liked that I could devour the whole story in one. Despite the fact that it is written in this way and therefore makes for quite a short read, this book is very definitely a complete story. One of the things that struck me about the storyline was really how much I identified with it. I could definitely feel myself in shay's shoes, getting involved with something via email and text, not really knowing who they are but already having strong feeling with them and them having the power to brighten up a bad day. I also get the insecurities that come across in this book, not wanting to reveal to someone what you look like, in case they just suddenly stop speaking to you!
Shay was interesting as a character. She wasn't the most like able character, but as I have already said, she was definitely someone who was easy to identify with. She has a great couple of friends who are very diverse. One of her friends is very ill and the other is gay but hasn't yet come out to his dad. I liked that her friends were this diverse but I think it was maybe just one step too far when something happens to one of them, it almost felt like that particular part of the storyline was just being put in for diversity's sake and not because it would actually happen to that character.
I thought the writing style was interesting. I've seen some reviews of this book that say they think that this author was just following the trend for things being written in a different way, but I like the fact that it made for a slightly quicker read. I think that email and text interactions give us a better insight into a character that just reading a description of them or an interaction with another character. I think the texts between Shay and her mystery man were on point and I really enjoyed the way the book was written.
This book deals with a lot of issues including bullying which spans everyday school life and cyber bullying. We also have the LGBTQ issues, the issues of being a teenager that doesn't fit 'the norm' and dealing with a friend who has a terminal condition. This seems like maybe a little too many issues all in one short book, but this is the reality of what some people have to go through as they are growing up and so it seems relevant to me. i thought he issues were dealt with well and I enjoyed the book as a whole!
Because this book is written in verse and texts, it is obviously a very quick read. This is a, sit down one afternoon and read it, kind of book and I liked that I could devour the whole story in one. Despite the fact that it is written in this way and therefore makes for quite a short read, this book is very definitely a complete story. One of the things that struck me about the storyline was really how much I identified with it. I could definitely feel myself in shay's shoes, getting involved with something via email and text, not really knowing who they are but already having strong feeling with them and them having the power to brighten up a bad day. I also get the insecurities that come across in this book, not wanting to reveal to someone what you look like, in case they just suddenly stop speaking to you!
Shay was interesting as a character. She wasn't the most like able character, but as I have already said, she was definitely someone who was easy to identify with. She has a great couple of friends who are very diverse. One of her friends is very ill and the other is gay but hasn't yet come out to his dad. I liked that her friends were this diverse but I think it was maybe just one step too far when something happens to one of them, it almost felt like that particular part of the storyline was just being put in for diversity's sake and not because it would actually happen to that character.
I thought the writing style was interesting. I've seen some reviews of this book that say they think that this author was just following the trend for things being written in a different way, but I like the fact that it made for a slightly quicker read. I think that email and text interactions give us a better insight into a character that just reading a description of them or an interaction with another character. I think the texts between Shay and her mystery man were on point and I really enjoyed the way the book was written.
This book deals with a lot of issues including bullying which spans everyday school life and cyber bullying. We also have the LGBTQ issues, the issues of being a teenager that doesn't fit 'the norm' and dealing with a friend who has a terminal condition. This seems like maybe a little too many issues all in one short book, but this is the reality of what some people have to go through as they are growing up and so it seems relevant to me. i thought he issues were dealt with well and I enjoyed the book as a whole!
February 9, 2017
As I was leaving the library, this YA novel in verse immediately caught my eye. I flipped through it, it seemed interesting, I ended up reading it in one evening. What? How? /Why?/
Fat Girl Shay's entire existence hinges on Mean and Popular Kelly's unexplained hatred of her. With her loyal side kicks Gay With Homophobic Family Dash and Teen Dying of Cancer Boots, she tries to brave school. Catching glimpses of Hot God Blake is all she lives for, besides hating her Evil Yoga and Skinless Chicken Stepmom. Suddenly, her world changes when she meets Quirky and Witty Dream Boy online -
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? -
I guessed Quirky and Witty Dream Boy's identity about two hundred pages before it was revealed.
/Girls Like Me/ just isn't noticeable.
It's
Written
Like
T H I S
Which
Can
Be
Q U I T E
impactful
Except when it's
N
O
T
:((((((((((((((((((((
The boy she meets online comes off as a sexual predator to me. I get that Shay's insecure and morose and desperate and all of the other token Fat Girl Problems, but the constant /begging/ to meet in person is terrifying. I found all the characters to be paper dolls, and terrible ones at that.
Long story short, this strongly reminded me of /Eleanor and Park/ minus dynamic and round characters, plus cringe-enduring text language. Read at your own risk.
Fat Girl Shay's entire existence hinges on Mean and Popular Kelly's unexplained hatred of her. With her loyal side kicks Gay With Homophobic Family Dash and Teen Dying of Cancer Boots, she tries to brave school. Catching glimpses of Hot God Blake is all she lives for, besides hating her Evil Yoga and Skinless Chicken Stepmom. Suddenly, her world changes when she meets Quirky and Witty Dream Boy online -
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? -
I guessed Quirky and Witty Dream Boy's identity about two hundred pages before it was revealed.
/Girls Like Me/ just isn't noticeable.
It's
Written
Like
T H I S
Which
Can
Be
Q U I T E
impactful
Except when it's
N
O
T
:((((((((((((((((((((
The boy she meets online comes off as a sexual predator to me. I get that Shay's insecure and morose and desperate and all of the other token Fat Girl Problems, but the constant /begging/ to meet in person is terrifying. I found all the characters to be paper dolls, and terrible ones at that.
Long story short, this strongly reminded me of /Eleanor and Park/ minus dynamic and round characters, plus cringe-enduring text language. Read at your own risk.
December 8, 2016
Very cliche and predictable, however, I'm still smiling. ;)))
September 12, 2019
34% DNF!!!
I have never EVERRRRRR been so disappointed in a book... in YA... been awhile... i had this on my self for awhile.. never read the reviews... so i finally got to it... AND IM SO SAD!!!
Now the blurb was what made me wanna read this a chubby 15 year old girl struggling with the death of her father, "evil" step mom and mean girls at school.. plus a anonymous crush!! I was down!! Plus the coverrr!! LOOK HOW CUTE IT IS!! I was sooo excited!
Then it weeennnnttt down hill when i read
Page one
Yeah
This is how
This book was written!
Bits and bits nothing else
This is how Shay was
Thinking in the
Book
AND
I HATED
IT SO
FUCKING
MUCH
LIKE
WHYYYY DID YOU
DO THIS!!
8 pages in
And it still
Looks like this!!
Like someone
Please
For the love
Of god
Why did you write this
Book like this!!!
Then i find out is a sorta poetry book type read.. which fking sucks because i did not like how this was written!! I really wanted to read this story so badly!!
I skimmed some of the other pages it also has text bubbles which i could have been down with if the book wasn't written in poetry style...
Why 1 ⭐
. IM
A sucker
Forrr BOOK COVERS
SO YES THATS
ALL I'M GIVING
I have never EVERRRRRR been so disappointed in a book... in YA... been awhile... i had this on my self for awhile.. never read the reviews... so i finally got to it... AND IM SO SAD!!!
Now the blurb was what made me wanna read this a chubby 15 year old girl struggling with the death of her father, "evil" step mom and mean girls at school.. plus a anonymous crush!! I was down!! Plus the coverrr!! LOOK HOW CUTE IT IS!! I was sooo excited!
Then it weeennnnttt down hill when i read
Page one
Yeah
This is how
This book was written!
Bits and bits nothing else
This is how Shay was
Thinking in the
Book
AND
I HATED
IT SO
FUCKING
MUCH
LIKE
WHYYYY DID YOU
DO THIS!!
8 pages in
And it still
Looks like this!!
Like someone
Please
For the love
Of god
Why did you write this
Book like this!!!
Then i find out is a sorta poetry book type read.. which fking sucks because i did not like how this was written!! I really wanted to read this story so badly!!
I skimmed some of the other pages it also has text bubbles which i could have been down with if the book wasn't written in poetry style...
Why 1 ⭐
. IM
A sucker
Forrr BOOK COVERS
SO YES THATS
ALL I'M GIVING
November 17, 2017
A cliche story that adds nothing new to the fat-girl-and-popular-boy-fall-in-love tale. There's literally nothing else to it. Bullied, overweight girl falls in love with the cute, popular boy. That's all, folks! Yeah it tries to add depth with the loss of her father and her best friend's cancer, but those plot lines seem so insignificant compared to the general woe-is-me feeling encompassing the novel.
I get it. It's rough being a big girl, and I mean rough. Not two years ago I used to be 230 pounds. Fortunately I got my act together and worked my butt off to get healthy. I was not going to suffer a heart attack/stroke before I turned 30. I'm 150 now, still considered overweight by society's standards, but I don't give a rat's ass what any naysayer says. I did it for myself, not them.
It's safe to say I understand the fear and insecurity of being overweight. But there has to be more to this story than that to get me to feel anything. There's no depth to the characters, no depth to the story. The fact this was written in verse probably didn't help matters, as I felt it made me more disconnected from Shay. Best to skip this one.
I get it. It's rough being a big girl, and I mean rough. Not two years ago I used to be 230 pounds. Fortunately I got my act together and worked my butt off to get healthy. I was not going to suffer a heart attack/stroke before I turned 30. I'm 150 now, still considered overweight by society's standards, but I don't give a rat's ass what any naysayer says. I did it for myself, not them.
It's safe to say I understand the fear and insecurity of being overweight. But there has to be more to this story than that to get me to feel anything. There's no depth to the characters, no depth to the story. The fact this was written in verse probably didn't help matters, as I felt it made me more disconnected from Shay. Best to skip this one.
December 17, 2016
Don't always like novels in verse, but this book felt nearly perfect to me.
January 3, 2018
Every single trope in this story is gross.
October 12, 2016
Written in a gorgeous poem style which is growing in popularity in the YA fiction genre, this is the saga of Shay Summers; the "pretty-faced fat girl who reads, writes and thinks too much." Living with her step-mom after the death of her father, Shay and her two friends, Dash and Boots, take on the troubles of high school, families, and romance while fat or gay or dying. It is touching, funny, beautiful, diverse and powerfully enjoyable. It is like a lovely mashup of Eleanor & Park with The Fault in our Stars with a focus on social media connection that gives it a twist and breath of its own.
Anything you didn’t like about it? It is a bit predictable in certain spots but done well enough that even these bits are enjoyable. Many threads are left to the imagination plot-wise which could be annoying to some but would even better lead to some great thoughtful book group discussions
To whom would you recommend this book? For fans of the darkly beautiful but still humorous writing of Rainbow Rowell and John Green or readers who love a fabulously written story done in the poetry-style for an incredibly fast read.
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Anything you didn’t like about it? It is a bit predictable in certain spots but done well enough that even these bits are enjoyable. Many threads are left to the imagination plot-wise which could be annoying to some but would even better lead to some great thoughtful book group discussions
To whom would you recommend this book? For fans of the darkly beautiful but still humorous writing of Rainbow Rowell and John Green or readers who love a fabulously written story done in the poetry-style for an incredibly fast read.
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
May 21, 2022
I don't remember the full context of this book, just that it was basically along the lines of "hot 'fit' guy falls for 'fat' girl and they keep their relationship secret solely because of her appearance". Oh, and it was also written in verse.
January 28, 2019
I really liked this book. I loved how the author used poems to Express the protagonists motivations and support. I would suggest this book for those that enjoy reading a love story that takes place during high school and it is present day conversations.
April 10, 2022
3.5 stars!!!
Okay can I just wait. Okay Blake like that boy is damn like omg. Okay he says the sweetest words and yet she keeps pushing him away and he was protecting her and that boy just like couldn't he be more sweeter than this???? Cuz I cant stop saying damn!!!!!!!!I loved Shay and Blake how they met online and how like he knew who she was and still liked her for who she is and Shay is an amazing and funny and beautiful person!!!! And I loved her friends Dash and Boots they are just amazing!!!!! I hated Kelly so bad I wanted to smack her but damn Shay at the end when she roasted her like that my jaw dropped and I kept laughing cuz Shay you go girllllll!!!!!!!! This book was a good read even though I gave it a 3.5 starsss!!! It was a book that made you feel plenty of emotions, such as joy, sadness, love cuz right there you know that love truly exists cuz Blake he showed her how much he loved her and he also was so funny and he is so good with Shay!!! They look so good with eachother<3
Okay can I just wait. Okay Blake like that boy is damn like omg. Okay he says the sweetest words and yet she keeps pushing him away and he was protecting her and that boy just like couldn't he be more sweeter than this???? Cuz I cant stop saying damn!!!!!!!!I loved Shay and Blake how they met online and how like he knew who she was and still liked her for who she is and Shay is an amazing and funny and beautiful person!!!! And I loved her friends Dash and Boots they are just amazing!!!!! I hated Kelly so bad I wanted to smack her but damn Shay at the end when she roasted her like that my jaw dropped and I kept laughing cuz Shay you go girllllll!!!!!!!! This book was a good read even though I gave it a 3.5 starsss!!! It was a book that made you feel plenty of emotions, such as joy, sadness, love cuz right there you know that love truly exists cuz Blake he showed her how much he loved her and he also was so funny and he is so good with Shay!!! They look so good with eachother<3
November 26, 2023
Este libro no va más allá del “not being enough” para el hottie de la escuela, pero ha tocado áreas en mi inner child que pensé que no volvería a sentir. Reflexionar y verme reflejada en Shay con la inseguridad y sarcasmo que se maneja, al igual, la forma en la que me he sentido protegida con el solo hecho de solo poder hablar con seguridad a través de un teléfono.
Muy buen libro, me gustó la forma en la que está escrito, puedo sentir el drama adolescente como si estuviera ahí.
Muy buen libro, me gustó la forma en la que está escrito, puedo sentir el drama adolescente como si estuviera ahí.
July 22, 2020
Dnf'd
Because
It
Wasn't
I N T E R E S T I N G
or
Well
Written.
Because
It
Wasn't
I N T E R E S T I N G
or
Well
Written.
March 29, 2018
To view on Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings: https://rainyday.blog/2018/03/29/book...
This book was such a delight for me to read. It was quirky, had a diverse set of characters and the writing style was different from any of the young adult literature I’ve been reading recently. I enjoyed it a whole lot more than I thought I would and was sad when it ended. However, there were some things in the book that were a complete cliché that made the book a little less enjoyable for me to read.
For those who haven’t read this book before, Girls Like Me tells the story of Shay Summers, a teenager who struggles with her weight and trying to fit in at school. After the death of her father, Shay is stuck living with her stepmother Kara and tries to cope with her life by eating. She also makes two good friends who don’t fit in at school just like her. Then one day while online, she chats with a mysterious boy who gives her butterflies and knows how to make her laugh. What she doesn’t know is that this boy is actually the guy she’s had a crush on at school. He wants to meet her, but she’s so insecure about herself that she keeps pushing him away. Their relationship gets put to the test, but will their love prevail? Or are they not meant to be?
What drew me into reading this book was the cover and title. The cover is beautifully illustrated, making the reader want to pick up the book and read it. The title caught my eye too because it made me think this book would be relatable to me and that I’d understand the characters within its pages. While I don’t at all understand what it’s like being considered overweight, I feel like I can relate to Shay’s character anyway. I can relate to her because I love food too and I was bullied in school quite a bit myself, which made me lack a lot of self-confidence.
I also enjoyed reading Girls Like Me because of the writing style. It was written in free verse, which reminded me a lot of author Ellen Hopkins’s books, but also stood out from her work because of the use of social media in the story. It was unique storytelling to me because I haven’t seen too many other books written like this. I also enjoyed this writing style because it made this book an easy read for me.
Another reason I enjoyed reading this book is because of the diverse cast of characters. There’s not only Shay, who is considered overweight, but her two best friends Dash and Boots are also unique characters too. Dash is her male best friend who struggles with being gay because of his upbringing in a Christian household. He especially has a really rocky relationship with his father because of his sexuality so he tries to change himself in order to please his dad. Boots on the other hand has cancer and is trying the best she can to live each day like it’s her last. But she’s dying and wants really badly to have sex since she knows she doesn’t have too much time left to live. She tries the best she can not to worry Shay and Dash with her sickness by trying to hide how unwell she’s doing, but they both know something is wrong.
And of course there’s Shay who struggles to cope with the loss of her father and eats because it helps her deal with the pain. She’s bullied in school relentlessly because of her weight by a girl named Kelly who enjoys nothing more than seeing Shay miserable. Her relationship with her stepmother Kara isn’t too great because Shay feels like she’s body shaming her. It isn’t until later on in the story that you find out that Kara understands exactly what Shay is going through. I like that this story has all of these characters with different problems and you get to see how they are handled. I also like that this book has a character with body issues because I haven’t read too many books that center around a character like Shay.
However, I do have some criticisms with Girls Like Me. While I overall enjoyed the writing style Lola StVil used, there were times where I found being able to understand it a little confusing. This confusing typically occurred whenever StVil had the story being told from the perspective of Dash and Boots. I was usually confused when this happened because their text didn’t at all have a different style from Shay’s. The only reason I was even able to tell the difference between the three was because of the change in font. Otherwise, I would’ve thought the text was just Shay talking about Dash and Boots’ personal lives.
Another criticism I have for this book is that while the set of characters are diverse, they are pretty cliché too. All of the characters that are really close friends are all of the social outcasts at the school, and they just happen to become good friends because of their differences.
Then, there’s the relationship between Shay and Blake, two people on opposite sides of the social pool. Blake is the typical popular kid who doesn’t notice how popular he is because he only pays attention to Shay. To the point that he doesn’t at all understand why Shay is hesitant about their relationship being out in the open. He’s so clueless, especially close to the end when Shay finds out about the website students at the school made about her and she asks him if he knew about it. He doesn’t at all understand why it’s such a big deal to her, which bothers me since they are supposed to be a couple and he doesn’t at all see why her weight is an issue to her. Their whole relationship was just a big cliché to me and I didn’t really like it because it was too much insta-love.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the ending of Girls Like Me. I thought there’d be a big reveal where we found out why Kelly doesn’t like Shay. Instead, we get no sort of reason other than she just doesn’t want her to be happy, which isn’t really much of a reason at all. If anything, it just shows that Kelly isn’t a great person and she’s just a character in the story put in to cause Shay conflict. I also thought it was a little cheesy because even though I like the Muppets, I just thought the whole thing was a little corny. But at the same time, I also liked the ending because we finally see Shay stand up for herself and call Kelly out on her bullying. We also see her act confident in herself for once, which was something we didn’t see a whole lot of throughout the book. And I feel like Blake finally gets to see the real Shay and understand why she’s the person she is in the story.
Overall, Girls Like Me is such a fun, quirky read. It has a style unlike any other book I’ve read with a set of diverse, relatable characters and was such a delight to read. I definitely recommend this book to people with body issues and people who want to read a book with free verse poetry.
This book was such a delight for me to read. It was quirky, had a diverse set of characters and the writing style was different from any of the young adult literature I’ve been reading recently. I enjoyed it a whole lot more than I thought I would and was sad when it ended. However, there were some things in the book that were a complete cliché that made the book a little less enjoyable for me to read.
For those who haven’t read this book before, Girls Like Me tells the story of Shay Summers, a teenager who struggles with her weight and trying to fit in at school. After the death of her father, Shay is stuck living with her stepmother Kara and tries to cope with her life by eating. She also makes two good friends who don’t fit in at school just like her. Then one day while online, she chats with a mysterious boy who gives her butterflies and knows how to make her laugh. What she doesn’t know is that this boy is actually the guy she’s had a crush on at school. He wants to meet her, but she’s so insecure about herself that she keeps pushing him away. Their relationship gets put to the test, but will their love prevail? Or are they not meant to be?
What drew me into reading this book was the cover and title. The cover is beautifully illustrated, making the reader want to pick up the book and read it. The title caught my eye too because it made me think this book would be relatable to me and that I’d understand the characters within its pages. While I don’t at all understand what it’s like being considered overweight, I feel like I can relate to Shay’s character anyway. I can relate to her because I love food too and I was bullied in school quite a bit myself, which made me lack a lot of self-confidence.
I also enjoyed reading Girls Like Me because of the writing style. It was written in free verse, which reminded me a lot of author Ellen Hopkins’s books, but also stood out from her work because of the use of social media in the story. It was unique storytelling to me because I haven’t seen too many other books written like this. I also enjoyed this writing style because it made this book an easy read for me.
Another reason I enjoyed reading this book is because of the diverse cast of characters. There’s not only Shay, who is considered overweight, but her two best friends Dash and Boots are also unique characters too. Dash is her male best friend who struggles with being gay because of his upbringing in a Christian household. He especially has a really rocky relationship with his father because of his sexuality so he tries to change himself in order to please his dad. Boots on the other hand has cancer and is trying the best she can to live each day like it’s her last. But she’s dying and wants really badly to have sex since she knows she doesn’t have too much time left to live. She tries the best she can not to worry Shay and Dash with her sickness by trying to hide how unwell she’s doing, but they both know something is wrong.
And of course there’s Shay who struggles to cope with the loss of her father and eats because it helps her deal with the pain. She’s bullied in school relentlessly because of her weight by a girl named Kelly who enjoys nothing more than seeing Shay miserable. Her relationship with her stepmother Kara isn’t too great because Shay feels like she’s body shaming her. It isn’t until later on in the story that you find out that Kara understands exactly what Shay is going through. I like that this story has all of these characters with different problems and you get to see how they are handled. I also like that this book has a character with body issues because I haven’t read too many books that center around a character like Shay.
However, I do have some criticisms with Girls Like Me. While I overall enjoyed the writing style Lola StVil used, there were times where I found being able to understand it a little confusing. This confusing typically occurred whenever StVil had the story being told from the perspective of Dash and Boots. I was usually confused when this happened because their text didn’t at all have a different style from Shay’s. The only reason I was even able to tell the difference between the three was because of the change in font. Otherwise, I would’ve thought the text was just Shay talking about Dash and Boots’ personal lives.
Another criticism I have for this book is that while the set of characters are diverse, they are pretty cliché too. All of the characters that are really close friends are all of the social outcasts at the school, and they just happen to become good friends because of their differences.
Then, there’s the relationship between Shay and Blake, two people on opposite sides of the social pool. Blake is the typical popular kid who doesn’t notice how popular he is because he only pays attention to Shay. To the point that he doesn’t at all understand why Shay is hesitant about their relationship being out in the open. He’s so clueless, especially close to the end when Shay finds out about the website students at the school made about her and she asks him if he knew about it. He doesn’t at all understand why it’s such a big deal to her, which bothers me since they are supposed to be a couple and he doesn’t at all see why her weight is an issue to her. Their whole relationship was just a big cliché to me and I didn’t really like it because it was too much insta-love.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the ending of Girls Like Me. I thought there’d be a big reveal where we found out why Kelly doesn’t like Shay. Instead, we get no sort of reason other than she just doesn’t want her to be happy, which isn’t really much of a reason at all. If anything, it just shows that Kelly isn’t a great person and she’s just a character in the story put in to cause Shay conflict. I also thought it was a little cheesy because even though I like the Muppets, I just thought the whole thing was a little corny. But at the same time, I also liked the ending because we finally see Shay stand up for herself and call Kelly out on her bullying. We also see her act confident in herself for once, which was something we didn’t see a whole lot of throughout the book. And I feel like Blake finally gets to see the real Shay and understand why she’s the person she is in the story.
Overall, Girls Like Me is such a fun, quirky read. It has a style unlike any other book I’ve read with a set of diverse, relatable characters and was such a delight to read. I definitely recommend this book to people with body issues and people who want to read a book with free verse poetry.
August 4, 2023
I’m surprised this book was published in 2016 because it has early 2000s vibes in a bad way. Every trope in this book feels outdated, including the “I’m not like other girls” sentiment.
It was going for body positivity but it came off as body shaming.
I didn’t want to root for the romantic relationship because of some of the things they said / did.
Some excerpts that made me cringe:
“Send a Quick Mental Tweet” (like you mean have a thought??)
“By Now
News is all over
Face/Tube/tweet”
“HIS GIRL???
But Girl who gets Boyfriend wears
‘Kiss me’ lip gloss
‘Petite’ jeans
‘Orgasm’ blush” 😐
Plus the stylistic choice to remove grammatically necessary words made it feel clunky at times.
This was just bleh.
It was going for body positivity but it came off as body shaming.
I didn’t want to root for the romantic relationship because of some of the things they said / did.
Some excerpts that made me cringe:
“Send a Quick Mental Tweet” (like you mean have a thought??)
“By Now
News is all over
Face/Tube/tweet”
“HIS GIRL???
But Girl who gets Boyfriend wears
‘Kiss me’ lip gloss
‘Petite’ jeans
‘Orgasm’ blush” 😐
Plus the stylistic choice to remove grammatically necessary words made it feel clunky at times.
This was just bleh.
December 16, 2016
This was super cute.
Though I will say at certain parts I found the way it was written hard to follow but I still thought it was cute.
Though I will say at certain parts I found the way it was written hard to follow but I still thought it was cute.
June 5, 2019
Life isn't always what you expect it to be. Sometimes it's worse. Other times it's better. In this book Shay goes though many tough times. Her dad passed away and she gets bullied. Shay is insecure over her body because she's on the heavier side. She is kind and humorous but many people judge before they know.
When she meets a guy over social media and get to know each other, they really start to hit it off. He wants to meet with her and she wants to meet with him, but since she doesn't have much confidence she doesn't tell him who she is or what she looks like. Shay also has some other personal life issues. In some moments is was as if she was loosing everyone in her life. She had to friends that she cared for. One was gay. The other had cancer. Her gay friend was kicked out because his father had a hard time accepting who he was. While the one with cancer feels as though she can die at any moment.
This book was really good. I liked all the twist and turns within it. I honestly expected some of the outcomes to occur the way they did but other parts were very creative. This book was really quick to read. I wish it were longer. The beginning of the book also confused me as well. I didn't know how to read it because of how the format was written. Besides that I enjoyed reading this book because of how different it was compared to other books.
I recommend this book to people who like quick and easy to read books. This book makes reading a lot more interesting and fun. It's also relatable to a certain extent. The theme shows that you might go though tough times but you have to just do you and things get better.
When she meets a guy over social media and get to know each other, they really start to hit it off. He wants to meet with her and she wants to meet with him, but since she doesn't have much confidence she doesn't tell him who she is or what she looks like. Shay also has some other personal life issues. In some moments is was as if she was loosing everyone in her life. She had to friends that she cared for. One was gay. The other had cancer. Her gay friend was kicked out because his father had a hard time accepting who he was. While the one with cancer feels as though she can die at any moment.
This book was really good. I liked all the twist and turns within it. I honestly expected some of the outcomes to occur the way they did but other parts were very creative. This book was really quick to read. I wish it were longer. The beginning of the book also confused me as well. I didn't know how to read it because of how the format was written. Besides that I enjoyed reading this book because of how different it was compared to other books.
I recommend this book to people who like quick and easy to read books. This book makes reading a lot more interesting and fun. It's also relatable to a certain extent. The theme shows that you might go though tough times but you have to just do you and things get better.
April 15, 2019
A quick read. At times a difficult read - because there's so much raw feeling/emotion, and hard topics. Like, this covers the gamut, y'all: parental death; step-drama; terminal illness of BFF; the other BFF struggling with nonacceptance from parental units; intense (evil) bullying; the whole virtual-vs-reality romance thing ... it's all here. And it's real. And I think the verse format really brings something to it - makes you look at it differently, closer maybe, than if you were reading a prose version of the same.
December 8, 2020
I can say with certainty that this is not middle school appropriate, but it definitely does a fantastic job of illustrating the inner workings of a teenage girl's mind. I appreciate how realistic the characters are, for the most part, although the typical "popular girl" trope is a little overused. I would've loved to see the "mean girl" with even a fraction of the character development that the two main characters had. All in all, it was a cute, quick read about falling in love over text and falling in love with yourself at the same time.
Read
May 8, 2019I think this is the first time I have ever DNF'd a novel written in verse. The writing here felt so stilted and awkward, like random words were left out of sentences. I kept re-reading bits and doing the "I don't fucking get it" head tilt. I'm sure this will work for some, but it didn't work for me.
January 17, 2020
Enjoyable read. Fun format. Some parts authentic (felt like I was back in high school)-other parts a little too cool to be true. Author’s use of language is bold. A few unfinished/unresolved issues with characters, but perhaps they need not be. Overall engrossing read, and reminder of how wonderful it is to no longer be a teenager.
April 27, 2017
Very much a teen romance book, predictable but with smart choices and use of the novel in verse style.
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