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Heroine

Mindy McGinnis (Goodreads Author)

4.27 · Rating details · 6,972 ratings · 1,502 reviews

An Amazon Best Book of the Month! A captivating and powerful exploration of the opioid crisis—the deadliest drug epidemic in American history—through the eyes of a college-bound softball star. Edgar Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a visceral and necessary novel about addiction, family, friendship, and hope.

When a car crash sidelines Mickey just before softbal ...more

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Hardcover, 419 pages

Published March 12th 2019 by Katherine Tegen Books

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· 6,972 ratings · 1,502 reviews

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Jul 05, 2018 Emily May rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 2019, contemporary, arc

I am not a wasted person. I am not prowling the streets. I am not an addict. I am a girl spinning her locker combination. I am a girl who got a B on her math test. I am a girl who has two holes on the inside of her arm, but they do not tell the whole story of me.

This book left me feeling hollow. By this I mean that it hit me so hard in so many different ways that I now feel emptied out. Saying it is "sad" is not enough. "Horrifying" is closer to the truth, but that seems too sensational.

W

...more

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May 12, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

Shelves: can-t-wait-to-read, best-ones

Four addicted, compelling, tragic stars!
Mindy McGinnis is one of the most amazing writers and storyteller, grabs your heart, steals a huge Parton it by creating her realistic, flawed, natural characters. As soon as you take back your heart, you feel like so many things, especially your perceptions about life, family, friends already change with it.

The first few pages of the book like a ticking bomb about to explode! So you start to turn pages quickly to reach the spot at the beginning.

At this b Four addicted, compelling, tragic stars!
Mindy McGinnis is one of the most amazing writers and storyteller, grabs your heart, steals a huge Parton it by creating her realistic, flawed, natural characters. As soon as you take back your heart, you feel like so many things, especially your perceptions about life, family, friends already change with it.

The first few pages of the book like a ticking bomb about to explode! So you start to turn pages quickly to reach the spot at the beginning.

At this book our heroine Mickey Catalan is a successful softball player. Playing is her life, her future, team members are her only friends so when you are at the risk of losing the thing that defines you perfectly, you do whatever it takes to keep it! When you think like that everything makes sense, right! But it isn’t!
Because after her traffic accident, Mickey starts suffering from too many surgeries , her leg hurts! Every part of her body starts to betray her! So she finds the most harmful way to protect herself not to suffer more . She becomes a drug addict! Pills help her ease her inner psychological and physical pain,endure her parental issues, numbs her feelings, her aching leg. She does whatever it takes to hold her position at her team even it results with losing herself , selling her soul, happiness, her future to the drugs!!

Mickey’s journey to the dark roads of her self destruction takes her so many dangerous places. McGinnis did a perfect job by telling her journey so objectively, you cannot judge her , despise or detest her. She is not flawless, she made so many bad choices and she knows how to differentiate right and wrong but she just choses the bad things and eventually she pays for her mistakes.

This is not heart and flowers kinda book! It’s terrifying, depressing and blood freezing one, so this is not for everyone! If you’re ready to take a dark journey, face with the addiction issue with a fresh perspective and also ready to put aside your biased opinions about the drug addicts, this may be the right choice!

At least, the bomb that I was expected to explode at the end was dismantled! Thanks to the writer, my heart rates turned to the normal. 😃 ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it really liked it

This book was heavy, but SO good. Wow.

TW: extremely realistic & descriptive drug use (anyone recovering from addiction should proceed with caution)

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Oct 24, 2017 Kai rated it liked it

Shelves: owned

"When I wake up, all my friends are dead."

This book is pain. You know what you're in for right from the start, the prologue makes sure of that. It all starts with pain medication after an accident. From there on, you will watch the main character bury herself in a grave of pills, needles, lies and betrayal, so deep she might never get out. 95% of the book is a downward spiral. And the things is, you just don't know if she can dig herself out again. If you have read a McGinnis novel before, you k "When I wake up, all my friends are dead."

This book is pain. You know what you're in for right from the start, the prologue makes sure of that. It all starts with pain medication after an accident. From there on, you will watch the main character bury herself in a grave of pills, needles, lies and betrayal, so deep she might never get out. 95% of the book is a downward spiral. And the things is, you just don't know if she can dig herself out again. If you have read a McGinnis novel before, you know it's entirely possible that the ending will only mean more pain. Or death. Both are legitimate possibilities.

I'll be honest here: this is my least favourite of Mindy's books and I have a pretty good theory why that's so. I blame Mickey, the main character. She is a distant person, someone who only ever seems to know who she is when she is on the field playing softball - or when she is using. But when she isn't, she is a quiet person who doesn't know what to say or how to behave. Which I usually don't mind. Just because you're not an outgoing person, it doesn't mean you have nothing to say. But you see the world through Mickey's eyes and it all feels distant and too far away.

I only really enjoyed the parts of the book where Mickey hangs out with her best friend, when the plot actually moves forward, when things are happening. Because that's the thing, nothing much happened apart from Mickey falling deeper and deeper into her drug addiction. Of course, that's the whole point of the book: to depict the reality of someone who relies on drugs, who becomes an addict, who doesn't (want to) see another way out. (This, of course, is not applicable to everyone. It only shows an example of what addiction can look like.) But that doesn't mean that the book has to be so devoid of colour. Because Mindy McGinnis can write breathtaking stories, she can construct the most fascinating characters. It showed in the prologue, it showed in the first few chapters, it showed in the last few chapters. But the pages in between couldn't hook me as much.

I also need to add that I struggled to read some parts of the book, especially those that show the drug use in close detail. I just hate talk about needles and veins - it makes me feel sick. But that doesn't have any influence on my rating, I simply can't handle these things very well.

My review shouldn't discourage you, though. If the blurb speaks to you and if you want to know more, read it. It's a tough book, and I'm sure it took a lot of effort to write it. I'm already anxiously waiting for Mindy's next book. I can't wait to hear what she's got up her sleeve.

Find more of my books on Instagram ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, young-adult, contemporary, standalones, 2019-favorites

4/14/19 - Upped my rating to 5 stars (from 4) because of how much this has stuck with me in the months since I read it. It's completely informed my perception of addiction portrayal in everything I've read since, and so far it's standing out as a favorite of the year.
------------------------------

This was uncomfortable to read and I hated what was happening at times, but I have been discussing this book with people I know who with addiction recovery, which has really helped me process my feeling ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: hardback-own, young-adult, own

I did not watch my friends die.
I did not leave their bodies cooling in a basement.
I am not an addict.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Oct 28, 2017 Elle (ellexamines) rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-suspense, y-2019releases, author-love, 3-star, mental-illness-disability, z-2019reads

I'm doing it so that my teammates aren't exchanging worried looks when I limp past them in the hallway. Yes, I manage to tell myself as I sink my teeth into a bread stick, I'm not taking Oxy because it makes me feel good.
I'm taking it for other people.

This is a matter of taste.

This was marketed a bit as a suspense book and it really really isn't; it's more of a contemporary. At this point in my life, in terms of contemporary I look almost entirely for books I see as providing hope, some kin ...more

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Feb 24, 2020 chan ☆ rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020, ya-contemporary, audiobook

reading my twitter followers' underrated faves ...more

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May 07, 2019 *TANYA* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2019, tale-of-2-styles

Whoa, this book was intense!!! I wasn’t feeling this book at first, I was ready to give up on it. But it grew on me, it’s addictive, no pun intended. How quickly things got out of hand, the desperation and callousness was surreal. A very unique, well written story, kudos to the author.

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Jan 08, 2020 Julie Zantopoulos rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2020, blew-my-mind, buddy-read

Review to come when my heart doesn't hurt so much. ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 noa rated it it was amazing

tw: addiction, substance abuse (heroine, oxy). Heroine is REALLY GRAPHIC and I urge you NOT TO READ THIS if you’re not in a good place.

(ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review)

I honestly don't know if I have the words right now. This was... heartbreaking, raw, sad and yet hopeful ?

Heroine tells the story of Mickey, a softball player, who gets into a car accident. An “innocent” prescription of Oxycontin makes Mickey want to “chase the dragon” meaning she wants to feel again th ...more

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Feb 11, 2020 hillary ☾ rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, sports

3.5 stars

This wasn’t a favorite, but in the end it still hit me like a truck. Not everyone can write about very hard topics like Mindy McGinnis does. She just knows where and when to hit you. And she always leaves a mark.

Mom would blame herself for not seeing it. Dad would feel guilty for not being here to notice. [...] Coach would be done with me, since our school has a zero-tolerance drug policy. I imagine the harsh cutoff of Mom’s laughter when I tell her, the collapse of each face as they
3.5 stars

This wasn’t a favorite, but in the end it still hit me like a truck. Not everyone can write about very hard topics like Mindy McGinnis does. She just knows where and when to hit you. And she always leaves a mark.

Mom would blame herself for not seeing it. Dad would feel guilty for not being here to notice. [...] Coach would be done with me, since our school has a zero-tolerance drug policy. I imagine the harsh cutoff of Mom’s laughter when I tell her, the collapse of each face as they flood with disappointment.
Or I can reach for the bottle, knowing that one pill can fix it, restore my balance and put my skin back in the right place and realign my bones, my feet planted firmly on the ground in the morning. Those are my choices. I can derail the lives of everyone I care about, or I can take one white pill and make it all better.
When you think about it that way, it’s easy.

I empathized with the main character way too much. At the beginning I felt for her, as the doctor gave her the world’s worst prescription, then I disapproved of her increasingly wrong choices, but still I understood her. I was constantly worried that they would find her out, and scared about what that would mean for her softball career and college.

The escalation Mickey went through, from Oxy to Heroin, from believing she needed help for the pain and that she could stop at any moment to accepting she is an addict was amazingly done. It felt REAL. It was a scary and realistic depiction of an addict’s descent into obsession.

Except now, if I keep using it’s not because I’m fighting off an injury or for some noble self-sacrifice to keep the team going strong so Carolina can shine. If I keep using now, it’s because I want to.
And yeah, I want to. [...]
Because if I’m an addict I might as well go ahead and just be one.
Fuck it.

For sure this book was impactful. I’m sad it wasn’t a five stars in the end because it was too drawn out. It wasn’t boring, but 400 pages for this was too long, since it wasn’t an action-driven book. I am of this opinion especially after reading the end, which I think was too rushed compared to the rest. This could have possibly been a better book if those 100 pages in the middle of the book were actually at the end of the book. This might just be me, though. At the same time, I loved that the end was both bittersweet and hopeful for the future because it’s exactly what this story needed.

Since the book starts with the deaths of Mickey’s friends, I was also expecting that event to mean more. Mainly, I wished it had a bigger part in the book instead of being very close to the end. Nonetheless, it was still shocking, even if I knew it would happen eventually.

The author’s note at the end literally killed me. Knowing that she took inspiration from something that really happened to her made this entire story all the more real and upsetting. It’s weird that I don’t have a need to read more books about this topic now, but is it really?

Opioids treat pain, yes, but they also allow the user a sense of relief and peace, something that people suffering from mental and emotional trauma are in deep need of. The ease of a trapdoor out of a sometimes cruel reality proves too tempting for many.
...more

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May 16, 2020 Katie B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2020, young-adult, addiction, ohio

4.5 stars

I've read three books by this author and once again, I am impressed with her writing talent. Addiction is a topic that has been explored in many fiction books, but yet after reading this book, I felt like it was covered it in a way that was unique but also very realistic. A worthwhile read for sure.

High school senior Mickey is determined to have a standout softball season this year. The better she plays, the more likely she will receive scholarship offers for college. But a car accident 4.5 stars

I've read three books by this author and once again, I am impressed with her writing talent. Addiction is a topic that has been explored in many fiction books, but yet after reading this book, I felt like it was covered it in a way that was unique but also very realistic. A worthwhile read for sure.

High school senior Mickey is determined to have a standout softball season this year. The better she plays, the more likely she will receive scholarship offers for college. But a car accident leaves her badly injured right before the start of the season. Mickey is determined to not miss a game and she needs to quickly get her body in shape. Physical therapy by itself isn't going to get her where she needs to be so she turns to painkillers.

Despite the fact the story is about a teenager with an addiction, for the most part I didn't feel like this was a heavy read and I actually think that is one of the strengths of the novel. Don't get me wrong, there are some emotional moments in the book, but I never felt overwhelmed by the story. It was straightforward and was a realistic portrayal of how easy it is to slip into addiction. When comparing it to other books I have read on the topic, this one managed to get all the main points across but in a way that was easier to mentally process. That's my opinion though as maybe other readers will find it to be a difficult read.

What was fascinating to me was Mickey became addicted to painkillers because she had goals and she wasn't going to let anything stand in her way. She wanted the ability to function like she did before the accident and painkillers were supposed to aid her in getting back to normal. The author took a unique approach as most stories would have focused on a teenager using painkillers only as a coping mechanism rather than trying to achieve something. I think as a society we tend to associate teenage drug use with only partying but in doing so you are forgetting about all the kids who are using things like painkillers just to get through life. The story hits close to home because you realize Mickey could be anyone you know.

Definitely recommend as a good book to show how easy it is to slip into drug addiction. ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 maddie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-reads-of-2019

Wow wow wow. If you're in a good and healthy mental state please read this book. It's so eye opening and heart breaking. ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Madalyn (Novel Ink) rated it liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, 2019-releases

This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Content warnings: addiction; opioid addiction; extensive drug use (opioid pills, heroin), described in detail; overdose; withdrawal; death; car accident; needles; vomiting

**Please use caution going into this review and/or this book if you are a recovered or recovering addict. This book contains content that could be e This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Content warnings: addiction; opioid addiction; extensive drug use (opioid pills, heroin), described in detail; overdose; withdrawal; death; car accident; needles; vomiting

**Please use caution going into this review and/or this book if you are a recovered or recovering addict. This book contains content that could be extremely triggering.**

Mindy McGinnis is an author who I typically find very hit-or-miss, but her contemporaries always make me think and always tackle difficult subject matter with nuance. Heroine is no exception. In Heroine, McGinnis paints a harrowing and all-too-real picture of the US’s opioid crisis, the myriad types of people affected, and the complexity of the issue itself.

We follow Mickey Catalan, a high school softball star in her small Midwestern town. At the beginning of the book, Mickey is driving with her best friend and fellow softball teammate, Carolina, in the passenger seat, when the two are involved in a nasty car crash that leaves both of them severely injured and puts their futures in jeopardy. Mickey, unable to play or condition during her recovery from surgery and learning to live with three new screws holding her hip together, quickly becomes dependent on her Oxycontin prescription to get through each day. What begins as a quick fix for Mickey to escape her problems soon spirals into full-blown addiction.

I should say early in this review that I have personally never dealt with addiction, so take all of my thoughts on its portrayal in this story with a grain of salt. However, I think Heroine succeeded in capturing many of the thought processes of an addict. Throughout the book, Mickey justifies her drug use because she’s “not like other addicts”– she was first prescribed the drug completely legally, after all, unlike her newfound Oxy-using friends, who she continually demeans because they began using the drug recreationally. We see the victim-blaming narrative play out in Mickey’s inner monologue, even though she is in exactly the same situation as her fellow addicts. It may be cliche, but it’s true: the first step is admitting you have a problem, and Mickey is in deep, deep denial throughout this story.

We see Mickey start to slip away from her friend group and her softball team as she spends more and more time using with her new group of friends. She steals from her mom and stepmom in order to buy more drugs. When Mickey and her friends’ source of Oxycontin is no longer a viable option, they switch to easier-to-access heroin with almost no hesitation. Through all these things, Heroine truly captures the desperation addicts feel and the ways in which addiction can take over your life and your thoughts. It’s difficult to witness as a reader, because all the bad parts of addiction Mickey experiences feel so inevitable from the outside. However, reading from Mickey’s first-person perspective perfectly illustrates how people fall into addiction and why it feels to impossible to escape from the depths of it.

Mickey is no stranger to the opioid crisis– it’s taken over in her town, to the point where everyone knows someone affected– and yet that doesn’t stop her own dependency on the drug from happening. Heroine shows how, really, this can happen to anyone. As I mentioned, Mickey is originally prescribed Oxycontin completely legally, and it’s all too easy for her to access the drug even once her prescription runs out. I think this book illustrates some of the irresponsibility on the part of doctors and drug companies in prescribing opioids.

While I do think the portrayal of addiction in Heroine, though difficult to read, is a necessary one, the reason I can’t rate this book higher boils down to the complete and utter lack of connection I felt to all the characters in this story. We don’t get to spend any time with Mickey as a character before the car accident, so her whole personality in this book is her becoming a drug addict. We are continually told about her personality before the accident, but we’re never shown it, so it’s almost impossible to feel a real connection with her as a character. Additionally, her parents, softball teammates, user friends, and all other side characters in this story all felt like characters whose sole roles in this book were to further the events of Mickey’s plot– none of them felt like fully fleshed-out characters in their own right. I think this did a disservice to the book overall.

In short, this was a powerful read about a subject I’m glad YA is tackling, but don’t expect to find your new favorite characters in this story. ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Vicky Again rated it really liked it

4 stars

Mindy McGinnis is one of the most versatile and consistently amazing writers I know of.

All of her books are stunning and range from a little dark to SUPER DARK, all while being some of the best teen literature I’ve ever read.

Somehow, she effortlessly gets to the root of something with a narrative style that fits the story, and her latest novel, Heroine, was no exception to this streak of consistently great books.

Honestly? Heroine is the darkest, scariest book Mindy’s written that I’ve ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Bookishrealm rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-read-in-2019, ya-realistic-fiction

Oh goodness this book was powerful. It’s a true testament to the opioid crisis here in America and it proves that addiction doesn’t always look the way that we think it does. What I do know is that this book is going to stay with me for a while. My heart truly goes out to Mickey and her family. This book definitely doesn’t have a feel good tone or even a happy ending so if that’s what you’re looking for then stay away from this book. It’s real, it’s gritty and I felt her want and need in her add ...more

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May 15, 2019 Katie.dorny rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

I started this novel this afternoon and haven’t put it down.

Mickey was such a complex character and such a good protagonist to bring the story to life. The author’s acknowledgements also show she put her time into researching this topic.

This is a heavy book,make no mistake. There are no punches pulled in the first chapter but it’s a book definitely worth reading. The brutal honesty opens yours eyes to the reality for a lot of people.

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Mar 31, 2019 Sylvie rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4 out of 5 Stars!

This review may contain spoilers:

I ususally don't go for stories like this, because of the dark subjects that are being dealt in the stories can be too heavy for me sometimes, but for some reason I found myself becoming invested in the synopsis so I decided to give the book a try. Before the book was released I read a sneak a peak of it and I immideately knew that Heroine will be worth the read.

Heroine has been a solid four star read for me. It is the kind of book that will grip 4 out of 5 Stars!

This review may contain spoilers:

I ususally don't go for stories like this, because of the dark subjects that are being dealt in the stories can be too heavy for me sometimes, but for some reason I found myself becoming invested in the synopsis so I decided to give the book a try. Before the book was released I read a sneak a peak of it and I immideately knew that Heroine will be worth the read.

Heroine has been a solid four star read for me. It is the kind of book that will grip you from the beginning till the end. A kind of a story that you don't want to stop with it and constantly want to know what will happen and how things will eventually turn out.

While reading the book it reminded me a lot of the film called 'Perfect High'. The main character of that film was a lot like Mickey (the main protagonist of this book) and the plot was similar as well. Now this doesn't mean I'm comparing those two to each other, however there were a lot of similarities yet different issues as well.

I read many young adult books that drug abuse was included, but there were always a minor issue, there were never the major concentration of the book, which I didn't mind. The deal with Heroine was that it is the main focus of the book and it's told from the POV of an addict.

One of the things that was interesting to me was that Mickey the main character is adopted, and I thought: ''Well here we go again, another book about a teenager wanting to find her biological parents no matter what, and every subject in the book being ignored and only focusing about finding her real parents''. Well folks, that was not case of this book at all. I mean, she was questioning every now and then to herself who her real parents might be and if they are good people or not, meaning if there have been drug useres like her as well and was it because of them that she became an addict.

Another main thing that bothered me through the entire novel was that no one bothered to ask Mickey if she’s using drugs outright, but everyone suspects she does... Even Carolina her best friend doesn’t even try. She knows something isn't the same with Mickey and instead of being concerned about her or talking to her about it, she creates a group chat with their teammates to discuss about Mickey and her newly developed strange behaviour. They were best friends since childhood and the way she started taking back steps from their friendship just because Mickey isn't 100% herself anymore made her an awful friend.

A character that I also want to include in this review is Edith: A woman who's over than 60 sells drugs to teenagers (and ''befriending'' them) to make her ends meet. The reason why I'm writing about her was because not her but the entire world what drugs does to a person, but she still keeps encouraging them to buy it. Plus, after everything that happened in the book there haven't been any mentioning if she's been caught by the police or etc.

In conclusion: The book does provide a good overview on how the opioid crisis is hitting everyone, how addiction breaks everything apart. And it’s well-written with a good story line.
If you enjoy YA books with fast paced storylines and serious topics I would definitely recommed this book! An intense yet very realistic story with a focus on substance abuse! ...more

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Oct 06, 2018 Ellen Gail rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, so-pretty

It's 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up.

It's dark and I'm driving exactly the speed limit, because I am a good girl. I am a student athlete and the catcher for an undefeated softball team and a senior who needs to get a good night's sleep before her last league game.....
I am not an addict.

I have a LOT of thoughts on this one, but I need to say this one first, and say it very loudly: Mickey's mother is one of my all time favorite fictional moms. I LOVE HER.

Don't worry I'll say it again, I'm sure. ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Emma rated it liked it

Shelves: scribd

“You’re still my hero, Mickey Catalan,” Lydia says.
“Heroine,” I correct her.
“Yeah, fucking irony, right?”

2.5 stars
Me, writing a review a day after I finish it? Impossible. This never happens, except I'm currently looking for ways to procrastinate writing an essay while still seeming productive, so here we are!

The truth about Heroine is that it's by no means a bad story. It's written in a tone that's harsh and unapologetic, which I admire Mindy McGinnis for. I know this is a common theme in he “You’re still my hero, Mickey Catalan,” Lydia says.
“Heroine,” I correct her.
“Yeah, fucking irony, right?”

2.5 stars
Me, writing a review a day after I finish it? Impossible. This never happens, except I'm currently looking for ways to procrastinate writing an essay while still seeming productive, so here we are!

The truth about Heroine is that it's by no means a bad story. It's written in a tone that's harsh and unapologetic, which I admire Mindy McGinnis for. I know this is a common theme in her books; to write about gritty and relevant topics that many authors would shy away from. Considering the ignorance people have about addiction, stories like these are incredibly necessary. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book, but just know this - I need more than just an important story to make it a good read. I don't necessarily need a book to be enjoyable, per se, to think highly of it, but this just didn't work for me.

Mickey is a distant character by design. She struggles with knowing what to say, and being an awkward, athletically-inclined girl who never quite felt like she belonged. She's adopted, and while she has a loving family that has provided everything for her, there's still something missing from her life. That makes her particularly vulnerable to addiction, so when she's prescribed oxytocin after being injured in a car crash, it begins a downward spiral that there's seemingly no escaping from. This book is incredibly painful, and it does contain a rather graphic portrayal of addiction, so please read at your own discretion. This is a harrowing read, and it has the power to change people's minds on the issue, so I respect it for that. But I never personally connected with the story, or felt attached with the characters. It all seems so removed, as if you're merely watching from the background. I understand this isn't a book where you're supposed to love the characters and wish they were your real life best friends and all those warm, fluffy feelings, but not feeling anything for this story plays a large part in my lack of enjoyment for it.

The audio was also not my favorite? I'll be honest, I'm a physical reader, but since I have a free trial for Scribd, I decided to play this in the background while studying. While I was intrigued by this story, thus becoming more interested in reading it, I'll admit that I didn't love the narration. Her voice for Mickey was fine, but every time she attempted to do an accent or a guy's voice, it really removed me from this story.

Bottom line: A completely necessary story that the world needs, and a narrative that I don't see represented enough in YA fiction, but it's not a particularly enjoyable one.
-------------------------------------
Currently between 2.5 to 3 stars, so I'll update with a full review and rating later. It's an undeniably well written and important story, especially considering the lack of knowledge most people have about addiction. However, there's zero emotional connection to these characters - it's a harsh and unpleasant read, even if does need to be told.

I want to put a huge content warning here for addiction, mentions of abortions, etc. Addiction is described rather graphically, so if you are recovering or are very close to someone who is, this may not be the best read for you. Please, please take care of yourself when choosing whether or not to read this story. <3 ...more

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Jun 24, 2018 Sana marked it as anti-library · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

UGH, EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS COVER IS JUST :HEART EYES:

Also, no idea how she does it but I love the subjects she tackles in her books from a cli-fi about water scarcity to a historical YA about lobotomies to rape culture and now drug addiction. In other words, I stan one (1) Mindy McGinnis

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Mar 19, 2019 Adah Udechukwu rated it it was amazing

Heroine was an inspiring read. Addictions are bad is a lesson to be learnt from the novel. If you do not control yourself and your addiction your life will be fucked up real bad.

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Nov 03, 2019 Yna the Mood Reader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook

I admit to myself that I am a heroin user, while also updating in my mind what that actually means. I am not a wasted person. I am not prowling the streets. I am not an addict. I am a girl spinning her locker combination. I am a girl who got a B on her math test. I am a girl who has two holes on the inside of her arm, but they do not tell the whole story of me.

📚 Series: No, Standalone.
📚 Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
📚 POV: Frist person.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings: Graphic ...more

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May 23, 2019 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, coming-of-age, contemporary

Star Rating: 3.5 Stars

I admit to myself that I am a heroin user, while also updating in my mind what that actually means. I am not a wasted person. I am not prowling the streets. I am not an addict. I am a girl spinning her locker combination. I am a girl who got a B on her math test. I am a girl who has two holes on the inside of her arm, but they do not tell the whole story of me.

Holy crap, this book is ROUGH. This book opens up with a trigger warning and it is real. This book is graphic, inte Star Rating: 3.5 Stars

I admit to myself that I am a heroin user, while also updating in my mind what that actually means. I am not a wasted person. I am not prowling the streets. I am not an addict. I am a girl spinning her locker combination. I am a girl who got a B on her math test. I am a girl who has two holes on the inside of her arm, but they do not tell the whole story of me.

Holy crap, this book is ROUGH. This book opens up with a trigger warning and it is real. This book is graphic, intense, and upsetting at times. If you're not in a great head space - PUT. THIS. BOOK. DOWN. No book is worth sending yourself into a tailspin.

When I wake up, all my friends are dead.
Yeah, so this book comes out swinging, but also starts by putting its cards on the table. You know where this book is going and honestly it makes the whole thing more harrowing. You start at the climax and time travel back to the start and see how someone with such a promising future can end at such a low point.

I noticed this with The Female of the Species , McGinnis has a way with words and a way of writing books that are harrowing and enthralling. Heroine is no exception. And what really sticks with you is the unease this book leaves you with. I honestly felt anxious just reading about Mickey's downward spiral. Her transition from an excellent softball player and friend to an opioid addict. The slow progress into addiction was excellently written - the small allowances, the denial, the slow deterioration of her sense of what is right and how quickly all of this can take place.

Overall, I liked Mickey. I found her to be sympathetic and it made her downward spiral that much more powerful. I also think it was powerful choice to use Mickey to as the protagonist. She's an extremely talented athlete, she has a strong group of friends. Mickey she has a strong relationship with her adopted mother, but a complicated relationship with her adoptive father and his new wife and her new baby brother. She is a normal girl, but normal people fall into addiction all the time. Addiction doesn't care who you are: rich/poor, you're ethnicity, broken home/strong familial unit, whatever.

You're still my heroine.

Trigger Warning: addiction, substance abuse (specifically opioid use), overdose ...more

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Dec 03, 2019 L A i N E Y ~back in a bit~ rated it it was ok

Shelves: psychological, you-disappoint-me, read-me-a-phonebook, audiobook, reviewed, ya

“I’m exhausted in all the ways I’m supposed to be strong.”

One word: MISERABLE.

I expect more, really. Last year I read female of the species and it was so good so I definitely picked this up with a lot of expectation and that might be the downfall of my own making.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad book, it’s not even a ‘meh’. I just think Mickey doesn’t have that much personality for me to really get invested in her suffering. Oh I do sympathize with her for sure. And the author did a good j ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Cesar rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 stars.

Heroine was an underwhelming book. With the premise of an athlete spiraling into the world of drug abuse, it should've invoked strong feelings of how someone can be fine one day but everything goes south when they start taking drugs. Except, it wasn't.

Being that Heroine tackles drug abuse and how it affects the individual taking the drug and the people around them, I was expecting more from it. And what I got, as a result, was a story that feels... adequate. It's a shame because I want ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 Bethany rated it it was amazing

Woooo this was a lot! I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t for a challenge, (check out the reading vlog here: https://youtu.be/fulfL7aE4vA ) but I’m not upset I did. Heroine is a dark and gritty look at the realities of opioid abuse and drug addiction, and how a normal teen can descend into a very dark place in the wake of trauma.

When Mickey sustains a severe leg injury in a car crash, she is prescribed strong painkillers at the start of a long route to recovery. She is a competit ...more

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Mar 02, 2019 h o l l i s added it

Shelves: contemporary, drugs-or-addiction, family-focused, grief-or-loss, finished-in-march-2019, ya, sportsy, 2019-reads, arc, dark

Never let it be said that McGinnis takes the easy way out in her books. Each one, at least those that I've read, handles something different and, usually, very dark. HEROINE tackles the opioid crisis through the lens of an injured sports star who is desperate to return to her previous incarnation as strong, capable, and on the fast track.

I could absolutely appreciate (whilst also being mostly terrified) of this downward spiral and the desperation that Mickey was driven to just to dull the pain, ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Mickey fractures her hip just a few months before senior year softball season. After one prescription of OxyContin, she’s hooked. Good thing she has it under control. She’s not an addict like Josie, the girl who gives her pills. She can stop any time she wants. Mickey just needs to be ready for spring training. She’d never crush and snort the pills. Until she does. She’d never mix them with water and shoot them into her veins. Until she does. She’d never switch to heroin. She can stop any time s ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Orland Park Publi...: January 2021 Teen Book Club: Heroine by Mindy McGinnis	1	2	Dec 28, 2020 10:57AM
Transforming novel; Must read!	1	4	Mar 07, 2020 06:35PM
Green Ribbon Book...: Heroine SPOILERS	2	13	Aug 22, 2019 01:50AM
Green Ribbon Book...: Heroine NON-SPOILER	1	3	Jul 24, 2019 04:46PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Heroine by Mindy McGinnis - Starting 10th June 2019	15	14	Jun 21, 2019 01:58AM
Play Book Tag: Heroine by Mindy McGinnis - 5 Stars	2	16	May 02, 2019 06:11AM

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About Mindy McGinnis

Mindy McGinnis

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Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy.

While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. ...more

Books by Mindy McGinnis

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Quotes from Heroine

“all her brain is overrun by agony, every nerve she has singing a song that has no lyrics. Pain can come in a quick rush, fading off into something bearable after that initial peak. But pain that endures doesn’t give you that break, the moment of air that you need before you’re pulled back under.” — 3 likes

“heroine: a woman of heroic spirit; the principal female person who figures in a
remarkable action” — 3 likes

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