littlespookycute's review against another edition
4.0
This is very different from what I usually read but it was so good and so SAD. Like the author really does a great job of making you feel what Mickey is going through. This book is very triggering though so be sure to read the TW’s!
mandyist's review against another edition
4.0
I never thought I’d see the day where I recommend a book that I did not enjoy or where I absolutely disliked the protagonist but here we go. In Heroine Mindy McGinnis, author of Female of the Species and Not A Drop to Drink has decided to tackle the growing opioid crisis in the US with a brutal, no holds barred account of a teenager who becomes addicted to heroine. It is not a pleasant book to read but I could not put it down.
Mickey Catalan and her best friend Carolina are local softball stars, the talk of their town and no doubt heading to college on scholarships. Until one day, they are involved in a terrible car accident where Mickey’s hip is shattered along with Carolina’s arm. In those first weeks following the accident, both girls need Oxy to help them deal with the pain and get back into training. Why is it then that Mickey travels down a much darker path than Carolina, one that will destroy nearly everyone close to her and end some relationships forever?
Mindy McGinnis starts at the end, so we know in the very first page where this story is going but that didn’t make it any less compelling or devastating.
The only problem is that Mickey is so awful.
I don’t usually like it when people say they don’t like a protagonist, preferring instead to try understand why the author wrote them that way. That didn’t make the book any more enjoyable to read because Mickey is first and foremost an addict and what is there to like in a novel about an addict becoming addicted? I speak from deep personal experience when I say that addicts are selfish, duplicitous, lying, thieving people who will stop at nothing to get their next fix. You’re not meant to like an addict.
Mickey’s downfall is horrendous and messy. There is not really any chance of liking that.
"REALISTIC, FRUSTRATING AND TERRIFYING"
So is the book worth reading? Yes. Mindy McGinnis has done such a good job of writing this catastrophically flawed character that she draws the reader right in to the events in a book. I don’t mean simply that I was engaged or riveted, which I was, I mean that I felt emotionally drained and traumatised by the end of the book.
Heroine definitely does a better job of showing the harm of drugs than Christiane F or Go Ask Alice. I haven’t read any more contemporary YA books on substance abuse because, like Heroine, if it is well written it is never going to be an enjoyable or uplifting read. I’ve also gone through that in real life and don’t necessarily want to be reminded of it.
Heroine is realistic, frustrating and terrifying. I give it an excellent four out of five stars and definitely recommend this book for classroom discussions on opioid abuse and addiction.
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Mickey Catalan and her best friend Carolina are local softball stars, the talk of their town and no doubt heading to college on scholarships. Until one day, they are involved in a terrible car accident where Mickey’s hip is shattered along with Carolina’s arm. In those first weeks following the accident, both girls need Oxy to help them deal with the pain and get back into training. Why is it then that Mickey travels down a much darker path than Carolina, one that will destroy nearly everyone close to her and end some relationships forever?
Mindy McGinnis starts at the end, so we know in the very first page where this story is going but that didn’t make it any less compelling or devastating.
The only problem is that Mickey is so awful.
I don’t usually like it when people say they don’t like a protagonist, preferring instead to try understand why the author wrote them that way. That didn’t make the book any more enjoyable to read because Mickey is first and foremost an addict and what is there to like in a novel about an addict becoming addicted? I speak from deep personal experience when I say that addicts are selfish, duplicitous, lying, thieving people who will stop at nothing to get their next fix. You’re not meant to like an addict.
Mickey’s downfall is horrendous and messy. There is not really any chance of liking that.
"REALISTIC, FRUSTRATING AND TERRIFYING"
So is the book worth reading? Yes. Mindy McGinnis has done such a good job of writing this catastrophically flawed character that she draws the reader right in to the events in a book. I don’t mean simply that I was engaged or riveted, which I was, I mean that I felt emotionally drained and traumatised by the end of the book.
Heroine definitely does a better job of showing the harm of drugs than Christiane F or Go Ask Alice. I haven’t read any more contemporary YA books on substance abuse because, like Heroine, if it is well written it is never going to be an enjoyable or uplifting read. I’ve also gone through that in real life and don’t necessarily want to be reminded of it.
Heroine is realistic, frustrating and terrifying. I give it an excellent four out of five stars and definitely recommend this book for classroom discussions on opioid abuse and addiction.
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kerstynleigh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is probably my favorite of the 3 Mindy McGinnis books I've read so far. It was so raw and sad and Mickey was terrible and wonderful. She is so good at making you look right at something and accept it for what it is. And Brittany Pressley brings her stories to life perfectly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, and Excrement
Moderate: Death
lisettemarie's review against another edition
5.0
Ooof normally I don’t cry while reading/listening but this one had me tearing up at the end. How easily it happened for the protagonist and how wholly the addiction consumed her. A very gritty read, 5 stars based on how it made me feel while listening
soffafa's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
what a rollercoaster watching our MC go through the various stages of addiction. the people shes met through it were so lovable despite being enablers, cant put my finger on how to describe my experience justly. enjoyed for the trauma and sadness and thats all i got
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Addiction
aclopez6's review against another edition
5.0
Mickey is a captivating character that I was rooting for, even as her decisions became more questionable and driven by trauma and addiction. McGinnis made a wise decision in including a mother in the medical field, and a step-mother who also knew the signs of addiction and dependency from personal experience.
I would recommend that teachers/classroom libraries have this book, but also need to be willing and available to unpack the decisions and options that Mickey faced. At times I hoped to hear from Josie or Luther, but Heroine is impactful regardless.
I would recommend that teachers/classroom libraries have this book, but also need to be willing and available to unpack the decisions and options that Mickey faced. At times I hoped to hear from Josie or Luther, but Heroine is impactful regardless.
jakobmarleymommy's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Drug use, and Infertility
paigeafterpage_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book was heartbreaking to me.
It was well written from an addict’s point of view.
TRIGGER WARNINGS, FOR SURE.
If someone you know has an addiction, please try to help them.
Don’t give up on them.
Be supportive and help them!
It was well written from an addict’s point of view.
TRIGGER WARNINGS, FOR SURE.
If someone you know has an addiction, please try to help them.
Don’t give up on them.
Be supportive and help them!
denaiir's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars, spot-on, direct, sad, cruel, shitty. Just like real life.