Girls on Fire: A Novel Kindle Edition

Is this really what adolescence is like? I admittedly lived a very quiet adolescence, but I remember all the intensity of feelings and friendships and the certainty that the teen years were all there were.The book captures a lot of these feelings, and then things get really weird. I think there is a line between believable adolescent horror (themes of sexual assault, homelessness, suicide) and then the truly horrifying. In the last 100 pages the book crosses that line, and I don’t understand how it ended up there.This book is certainly engrossing, but I think the author could have stopped just short of the most shocking event. I think the book would be better served with the same heightened emotions, without the hard-to-believe violence.It is certainly true that teens are capable of terrible things, but the event that stands out is like something from a particularly gruesome and cruel Law and Order episode.This book is worth a read, but it is not one I will return to.

Excellent craft here. Stories about high school can be easily tiresome and predictable. The author does everything she can to spin a tale that, in the most shallow summary would seem formulaic, gives the reader deep insights into recognizable characters in a way that had me cringing at their choices while turning page after page to learn more about what happens. This book is more than a captivating plot with fascinating three dimensional characters, however. Through this book we are challenged to question the way that women are treated in society by men and by women as well. Difficult material is covered here, and its content is not for everyone, but the strength of writing craft can't be denied.

The book was dark, though not quite as dark as the reviews made it out to be. A lot of the "dark" material isn't necessarily explicit - more flashes of memories. I really could not put this one down. The relationships were never straight forward (and that is the point with teenage girls). You are always wondering what's the real motivation (also just like teenage girls). Really good story, told really well. Yes, it is disturbing but I couldn't wait to see how it wrapped up. The ending was not predictable and the story kept me until the very end.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. Three stars is probably not a high enough rating, but anything higher also feels somewhat wrong.No doubt, this is a well written story. It's intriguing and, for me, once I got past the first few chapters, I was hooked. These girls, though, are terrible. Their lives are not something to be proud of. Their secrets are scary and dark. And their parents don't seem to notice just how far gone they really are. It's about their sad and lonely existences, even when they aren't alone.I'm just not sure how I feel.

Some gorgeous writing replete with apt insights into the human psyche. I am not a fan of multiple points-of-view but the switch between Lacey and Dex was not jarring because Wasserman was able to differentiate the voices of the two characters well. I found it hard to believe that teenage girls could be THIS depraved (Lacey as wise as she was at her age) but I was happy to put aside my 'believability' criterion because the book was interesting. Having said all this, the book was WAY too long and dragged on. Wasserman would be even more effective as a writer if she had cut out about a 100 pages from the narrative - less is more (a cliche but a true one). Sometimes I thought I wouldn't be able to finish the book but made myself do it.

Just finished #reading #girlsonfire by @robinwassermanwrites WOW! The #author did an amazing job of capturing the early/mid 90s vibe. This was the soundtrack to my HS years, & I remember when #KurtCobain was on #MTVUnplugged & when he died. I was more of a #headbangersball kind of girl (who could forget #RikiRachtman at midnight on #mtv ), but there was no way to ignore #nirvana & Kurt. This novel had a heavy #heathers undercurrent. Dex, Lacey, & Nikki are about a year older than I am. This #book gave me flashbacks to high school. I think most of us were the Dexes of the world, and we all knew who the Nikkis and the Laceys were. We were just lucky enough that we didn’t all converge as one like the girls in this amazing novel. This book represents the fantasies that so many of us had back in HS-getting revenge on the popular #meangirls

This was just too much: too much trying hard, too much trying to be different; too much overkill of character, too much bitterness, too much hatred. TOO MUCH. Sure this author knows how to turn a phrase, but it was all too covert, too trying to keep you guessing. I just didn't relate to any of the characters at all. I just found myself bored. I tried so hard to get into it, but all the time I was wishing I was finished with it, so I could at least find out the ending. Boring, boring, boring. And predictable. I thought perhaps there might have been a twist at the end - poacher turned gamekeeper; that might have been a bit more exciting, more thought provoking. I much preferred 'The Girls' by Emma Cline. I got her characters and felt their pain and loved her lyrical writing. Sorry, Robin W is a good writer, her English impeccable, but I won't be reading more of her work. I found it implausible, especially the constant referral to sex and lesbian trios, pretty grim actually.

This book was honestly an effort to read, however I hoped it would get better (it didn't). This received such rave reviews I thought it wasn't to be missed. The book claims to provide an insight into the lives of teenage girls in a relatable way. The main characters were boring and contrived, typical high school 'jocks' and girls trying too hard to be indie. This was personally nothing I could relate to from my teenage years. The storyline was unrealistic and quite frankly cliché. 'Girl gets drunk at party and makes a fool of herself' and 'popular girls in high school are mean' *yawn* I wouldn't bother buying this book. Complete waste of time and money

Great read

A stunning piece of writing from start to finish.Absolutely engrossing,enthralling and addictive.I was compelled to finish it yet at the same time reaching the end felt like something significant had gone from my life.Brilliant.

Genuinely brilliant book. Well written, well described...great pace and intrigue. I procrastinated about finishing other work in favour of reading this, curled up with a cuppa. Rare these days that I find a book that I really 'get into'.Loved it!! Another please!!