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Such a Pretty Girl

by Laura Wiess

ISBN13: 9781416521839
ISBN10: 1416521836
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three.

Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.

Review:

"Beautifully written and painfully real. Laura Wiess has crafted a gripping story that is heart-rending — and important, with a capital 'I'." Barbara Delinsky, New York Times bestselling author of Flirting with Pete

Review:

"Such a Pretty Girl is deep and ravishing, dark and true. In the character of Meredith, Laura Wiess has created a girl to walk alongside Harper Lee's Scout and J. D. Salinger's Phoebe. Read this novel, and you will be changed forever." Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author

Review:

"Such a Pretty Girl hooked me on page one and Laura Wiess's masterful prose kept me turning the pages. This is the first book in a very long time that made me say, 'Wish I'd written this.'" Ellen Hopkins, bestselling author of Crank

Review:

"...Wiess' story is a page-turner that ultimately sends a startling message of empowerment that, while improbable, is extremely satisfying." Booklist

Review:

"Wiess has created a spunky heroine — tough, darkly humorous, yet achingly vulnerable....[A] nail-biter of an ending. Gusty and effective thriller..." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"This novel is perfectly paced, the momentum never slowing as it races toward the inevitable showdown." VOYA

Review:

"This tale strikes just the right balance between hope and despair, and Meredith's will to survive and ability to take action in the face of her terror are an inspiration." KLIATT

Synopsis:

This haunting, emotionally gripping tale is the story of a 15-year-old girl who must defend herself against her abusive father. Suspenseful, and emotionally shattering, the novel captures a young woman's painful fight for survival — and her journey back to herself.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:

: neliel, September 13, 2008 (view all comments by neliel)
This book is a lot of things to me. Depressing, engrossing, decently written, and one dimensional. It flirts with the line that divides the emotional from the literary. The main character never really grows as a person, the "bad guy", her father, has no depth to his character and her mother even less. The role of the grandmother is simply convenient and her relationship with the boy across the way is just awkward. Meredith's experiences are painful and she spends much of her time trapped in them. It was, however, a compelling read. Once i started i couldn't stop until i found out if Meredith wins her battles. But compelling doesn't unnecessarily mean 'good'. You feel for the characters in the story in a very detached way--yes you FEEL for them, but only due to their circumstances and not necessarily because their suffering is fully explored. The subject matter appears to be the draw here. I can see why so many people enjoy this book, it certainly fills a niche of darkly themed books for young readers. This book definitely isn't for everyone but i think many people will find it enjoyable.

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: Jena, December 2, 2007 (view all comments by Jena)
Such a Pretty Girl reads quickly and as easily as such a book can. Unfortunately, I don't think (even with its emotionally charged flashbacks) that it quite adequately captures the extent of the turmoil of sexual abuse and having to your abuser again. Wiess gave it an admirable try, though. Junior high and high school readers who are into books like A Child Called It and Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson) and Cut (Patricia McCormick) will be interested in this book.
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Product Details

ISBN:: 9781416521839
Author:: Wiess, Laura
Publisher:: MTV Books
Subject:: General
Subject:: Family life
Subject:: Fathers and daughters
Subject:: General Juvenile Fiction
Subject:: General Fiction
Edition Description:: Trade paper
Publication Date:: January 2007
Binding:: Paperback
Grade Level:: General/trade
Language:: English
Pages:: 212
Dimensions:: 7 x 5 in
Age Level:: 13-17

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