REVIEW--Pretty Girl-13

Hi, readers and fashionistas!  So guess what today was--yep, the first day of school!  Wow, the first day is always exhausting but yet fun at the same time.  I can already tell that it's going to be a really fun year with my students--they seem excited to be in the library and they all seem to be readers.  We are ready to tackle the school year!

Today's review is on Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley.  I'm so glad that I read this book and Elizabeth Smart's memoir so close to each other.  Even though the stories have definite differences, they nevertheless connect in their content.  So let's jump right in!

 

• Realistic fiction
• Standalone novel

The Gist:
When Angie Chapman went on a camping trip at age 13, the unthinkable happened--she was kidnapped.  Just gone, and no amounts of searching or media pleas brought her home.  Fast forward three years later, and Angie walks in her front door, completely unaware that she has been missing.  Her memory loss of where she has been and how she returned home is a complete mystery, and it will take a deep look into her psyche to find the answers.

What I Loved:

• I have not read anything about this kind of psychological situation before.  Angie suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, and I was fascinated by the way it impacted Angie's life.  She could fall into another identity so quickly and unexpected, and I found it so interesting to see how she responded to that.
• I love the cover.  The doorway really fits the plot.

What I Didn't Love:

• Angie is gone for three years and I didn't find her return home to be that welcoming.  Students at school didn't care, her dad has anger/blame issues that prevent him from caring for her, there's little media attention--I just expected so much more from a kidnapped girl case.
• I found Angie's therapy sessions, which were highly successful in eliminating various identities, to be a little unrealistic.  Seemed a little too good to be true and the longer I read the more I found it unbelievable.
• Just lacked depth for me--I couldn't relate to Angie or her parents or her friends. 
• If I had been kidnapped, I would want to know what the heck happened/who was involved.  But when Angie has the chance to uncover some secrets, like the odd inscription on her ring, she keeps the message to herself and doesn't investigate.
• Didn't care for the title.

Just not a big fan of this one.  I didn't find it believable--not just Angie's split personalities but the side characters as well.  Just two stars for me.

I'll be posting an outfit, though, to fit a few of Angie's personalities, so check back for that tomorrow!