Title: What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
Length:384 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
What kind of girl stays after her boyfriend hits her?
The girls at North Bay Academy are taking sides. It all started when Mike Parker’s girlfriend showed up with a bruise on her face. Or, more specifically, when she walked into the principal’s office and said Mike hit her. But her classmates have questions. Why did she go to the principal and not the police? Why did she stay so long if Mike was hurting her? Obviously, if it’s true, Mike should be expelled. But is it true?
Some girls want to rally for his expulsion—and some want to rally around Mike. The only thing that the entire student body can agree on? Someone is lying. And the truth has to come out.
From New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel comes an unflinching and resonant tale that examines how society treats women and girls and inspires the power to claim your worth.
Review:
What Kind of Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel is a cleverly written young adult novel with a socially relevant storyline.
After months of dating, Mike Parker’s girlfriend walks into school Monday, heads straight to the principal’s office and reports him for hitting her. Principal Scott is disconcerted by the revelation and uncertain what her next move will be. Mike is the school’s Golden Boy, beloved by his teachers, classmates and teammates. Even though she reported him, his girlfriend grapples with her remaining feelings for him, doubts about what constitutes abuse and most importantly, why she stayed with him for so long after he first hit her. Having allowed Mike to isolate her from her best friend, she has no one to turn to except the school slacker, Hiram Bingham.
Her best friend is currently living in her own bubble of troubles as she grapples with mental health issues and her relationship with her girlfriend Tess. Although they have been best friends for years, they drifted apart when the relationship with Mike began. Shaken by the news, she listens to her parents’ advice and rallies the school into a protest march. Although they are now spending time together, are they ready to reveal their secrets and bridge the gap that looms between them?
Divided into three parts, the first segment unfolds from The Popular Girl, The Girlfriend, The Burn-Out and The Bulimic’s points of view. All but one person remains unnamed and it is quite interesting trying to piece together how they fit into the story. Just as the identity is revealed, the narrative switches to The Anxious Girl, The Activist, The Cool Girl and The Best Friend. This narrative is filled with anxiety as she tries to live up to a pact with parents, keep her relationship with Tess on track and support her friend. The third part reunites the friends as they attempt to deal with their respective issues and the final three days leading up the school’s decision about Mike’s fate. This part of the storyline is compelling as they begin to understand the importance of being honest with themselves and others about the issues they are struggling with.
With an innovative narration style, What Kind of Girl is a timely young adult novel. The main characters are well-developed with distinctive personalities and relatable, true to life problems. The domestic abuse aspect of the storyline is well-developed and presented in a realistic manner. With both young women making progress on addressing their issues, Alyssa B. Sheinmel brings the novel to a surprisingly upbeat conclusion. A frank discourse on domestic abuse, bulimia, anxiety, OCD and self-harm that I recommend to older teen and adult readers.
