Humor and heart shine equally bright in Leila Sales brilliant debut novel, MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS. Female readers of all ages will laugh and cry as they relate to Violets difficulties and chuckle over her mishaps.
It is a sad indication of our times that we are able to relate so well to Violets situation. Westfield School is extremely competitive, and Leila Sales beautifully captures the utter ridiculousness of upper-middle-class prep school culture: the democracy that results in no decision being made for the most mundane issues, a lack of perspective, etc.
But what makes MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS so enjoyable is not a focus on its setting: its because the two main characters are so real, likable in their flaws. Its easy to see from just her first-person narration that Violet is intelligent. However, she is also very much her age, and thus lacks a certain degree of perspective that makes her escapades so funny. Whether its attempting to gain experience talking to guys, to her confusion over Katies seemingly changed personality, Violet tries to solve her problems with typical adolescent gusto. Shes far from being perfect, but we love her all the more because of that.
MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS deals well with the sensitive issue of changing friendships during adolescence, but in a humorous way that is sorely lacking in YA lit. I think if I were closer to Violets age I wouldve loved this book to pieces: as it is, sometimes her drama grated on my nerves. But as it is, this is teen chick lit as its smartest and most incisive. It will make you laugh so hard your stomach will hurt, and yet it also brings to light the troubling pressures that high-achieving teenagers are facing these days. Im looking forward to more from this talented new author!
It is a sad indication of our times that we are able to relate so well to Violets situation. Westfield School is extremely competitive, and Leila Sales beautifully captures the utter ridiculousness of upper-middle-class prep school culture: the democracy that results in no decision being made for the most mundane issues, a lack of perspective, etc.
But what makes MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS so enjoyable is not a focus on its setting: its because the two main characters are so real, likable in their flaws. Its easy to see from just her first-person narration that Violet is intelligent. However, she is also very much her age, and thus lacks a certain degree of perspective that makes her escapades so funny. Whether its attempting to gain experience talking to guys, to her confusion over Katies seemingly changed personality, Violet tries to solve her problems with typical adolescent gusto. Shes far from being perfect, but we love her all the more because of that.
MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS deals well with the sensitive issue of changing friendships during adolescence, but in a humorous way that is sorely lacking in YA lit. I think if I were closer to Violets age I wouldve loved this book to pieces: as it is, sometimes her drama grated on my nerves. But as it is, this is teen chick lit as its smartest and most incisive. It will make you laugh so hard your stomach will hurt, and yet it also brings to light the troubling pressures that high-achieving teenagers are facing these days. Im looking forward to more from this talented new author!
