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snapplespice's review against another edition
5.0
Quincy and Biddy are self-described “speddies,” girls who were in special education and teased mercilessly because of it. This book details their life after graduation, and we see these girls adjust to adulthood despite the fact that they view themselves as lesser people. This book is not simply a story about a growing friendship and overcoming hardship, it’s a story about survival and empowerment. Quincy and Biddy learn from each other through their most painful experiences, and despite all of the suffering they endure, we are left feeling hopeful in the end. Overall a great read – I finished the book in a day!
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=5661
While reading this book, I had no question that it deserved the Schneider Teen Award. The Schneider Family Book Award honors a “book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for adolescent audiences,” and Girls Like Us take us into Quincy and Biddy’s worlds as they learn to transition from a special-ed classroom in high school to real life in such a true matter, it definitely meets the criteria for the award. In many ways, the book is like any book about girls who just graduated from high school: learning to live with a roommate you don’t understand, learning to be responsible, etc. However, the challenges that these young ladies face because of their disabilities puts the book on a whole different level. Although the book is primarily about Quincy and Biddy’s life, it does illuminate some serious issues towards the treatment of differently abled individuals. (P.S. I love the ending very much!)
There is so much to talk about with this book! Because it impacted myself and a few of my friends, we decided to have a Twitter chat focused around it (#GLUChat). If you have read the book (because there are spoilers) check out our conversation: https://storify.com/trkravtin/girls-like-us-twitter-chat. Thank you to Teresa for archiving and Michele, Carrie, Alyson, and Leigh for taking part in it with me!
While reading this book, I had no question that it deserved the Schneider Teen Award. The Schneider Family Book Award honors a “book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for adolescent audiences,” and Girls Like Us take us into Quincy and Biddy’s worlds as they learn to transition from a special-ed classroom in high school to real life in such a true matter, it definitely meets the criteria for the award. In many ways, the book is like any book about girls who just graduated from high school: learning to live with a roommate you don’t understand, learning to be responsible, etc. However, the challenges that these young ladies face because of their disabilities puts the book on a whole different level. Although the book is primarily about Quincy and Biddy’s life, it does illuminate some serious issues towards the treatment of differently abled individuals. (P.S. I love the ending very much!)
There is so much to talk about with this book! Because it impacted myself and a few of my friends, we decided to have a Twitter chat focused around it (#GLUChat). If you have read the book (because there are spoilers) check out our conversation: https://storify.com/trkravtin/girls-like-us-twitter-chat. Thank you to Teresa for archiving and Michele, Carrie, Alyson, and Leigh for taking part in it with me!
maryehavens's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book more than I thought I would. Probably a 3.5. I think they could have done without the judge’s wife scene at the end.
This book surprised me because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wish the author would have given some background information - why she wanted to write a book like this, what research she conducted to get the characters right, etc. I wonder what the statistics are (if there are any) about intellectually disabled persons and sexual assault. It’s a terrifying and heartbreaking thought.
Glad I listened to this- the narrator was good although Texans don’t talk like that. That’s Georgia.
This book surprised me because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wish the author would have given some background information - why she wanted to write a book like this, what research she conducted to get the characters right, etc. I wonder what the statistics are (if there are any) about intellectually disabled persons and sexual assault. It’s a terrifying and heartbreaking thought.
Glad I listened to this- the narrator was good although Texans don’t talk like that. That’s Georgia.
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
3.0
This was not my favorite. It made me super uncomfortable. I felt like there should have been some kind of warning as to what was waiting for me in the story. This book is definitely not for sensitive readers. Aside from that, the story was a sweet way to show how a friendship developed between three different people. I enjoyed seeing all of the characters grow and learn from each other. The cruel world that they lived in prior to finding each other, however, was hard for me to handle.
icygrl7's review against another edition
5.0
Girls Like Us by Gail Giles is a very emotional read. I enjoyed reading it but it evoked so many emotions. There were times I giggled or laughed, times I cried, times I wanted to scream or yell, and the times I wanted to pull my hair out. I think any good book will do some or all of those things. I found the plot to be interesting and I liked the characters. I haven’t read this author before but this book has piqued my interest and I will be looking into buying some of her other books. Girls Like Us is Qunicy and Biddy’s story.
Quincy and Biddy are both special needs girls that go to the same school. They both have different disabilities and they both need someone. They are both pulled into the school office when they are about to graduate and told that because they are 18 they can no longer be in their foster homes. They are then told that they will be living in an apartment together and working for an elderly lady. One of them will do the cooking the other one will do the cleaning. Quincy isn’t thrilled at all but Biddy couldn’t be happier. Together they must face the challenges that come with learning to live on their own, dealing with roommates, their first jobs, and navigating their everyday lives. These two girls couldn’t be any more different but they may find that they need each other. Both girls have had it tough and both of them have something they can teach the other. Can they put their differences aside and become friends? Will they be able to live together? Or will there always be some sort of strife between the two?
Girls Like Us is a very heavy at times but it is very well written. You cannot help but love Quincy and Biddy. They are wonderful characters that tug at your heart. I wanted to help them from the moment I “met” them. Girls Like Us is told from the perspectives of Quincy and Biddy and is written accordingly. It is a heartwarming story about finding out who you are and finding family when you aren’t blessed with a good one. Both girls have to contend with feeling less then and with feeling like they have nobody. Both girls have their own set of struggles but they both share some of the same struggles. It shows you how special needs people are treated by others. Girls Like Us isn’t for everyone due to some of the subject matter, but it is well worth the read. I can’t say that I liked one character over the other because they were both quite endearing. I would highly recommend Girls Like Us to those who enjoy poignant contemporary stories.
Quincy and Biddy are both special needs girls that go to the same school. They both have different disabilities and they both need someone. They are both pulled into the school office when they are about to graduate and told that because they are 18 they can no longer be in their foster homes. They are then told that they will be living in an apartment together and working for an elderly lady. One of them will do the cooking the other one will do the cleaning. Quincy isn’t thrilled at all but Biddy couldn’t be happier. Together they must face the challenges that come with learning to live on their own, dealing with roommates, their first jobs, and navigating their everyday lives. These two girls couldn’t be any more different but they may find that they need each other. Both girls have had it tough and both of them have something they can teach the other. Can they put their differences aside and become friends? Will they be able to live together? Or will there always be some sort of strife between the two?
Girls Like Us is a very heavy at times but it is very well written. You cannot help but love Quincy and Biddy. They are wonderful characters that tug at your heart. I wanted to help them from the moment I “met” them. Girls Like Us is told from the perspectives of Quincy and Biddy and is written accordingly. It is a heartwarming story about finding out who you are and finding family when you aren’t blessed with a good one. Both girls have to contend with feeling less then and with feeling like they have nobody. Both girls have their own set of struggles but they both share some of the same struggles. It shows you how special needs people are treated by others. Girls Like Us isn’t for everyone due to some of the subject matter, but it is well worth the read. I can’t say that I liked one character over the other because they were both quite endearing. I would highly recommend Girls Like Us to those who enjoy poignant contemporary stories.
greenvillemelissa's review against another edition
4.0
Book #13 Read in 2015
Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (YA)
Giles is one of my favorite young adult authors and this book does not disappoint. Quincy and Biddy are special education students who are graduating high school and having a work/apartment program set up for them to be roommates. The two are very different but fundamentally the same...hurt and abandoned girls. This story shows that people with special needs can be successful--at life, at being friends and at being good people. A short, quick read, this book has power to it. I recommend it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (YA)
Giles is one of my favorite young adult authors and this book does not disappoint. Quincy and Biddy are special education students who are graduating high school and having a work/apartment program set up for them to be roommates. The two are very different but fundamentally the same...hurt and abandoned girls. This story shows that people with special needs can be successful--at life, at being friends and at being good people. A short, quick read, this book has power to it. I recommend it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
ellsbeth's review against another edition
4.0
At first, I was leery of the opening of the book, but it soon sucked me in and I finished this fairly easy read in a couple of hours. The perspective of the main characters is distinctive and well done. If you plan to put this book in the hands of kids, keep in mind that this book does address violent sexual assault, so be ready for related conversations. The story is good at creating empathy for the characters rather than pity, and it is well written.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my heart.
I think I'm going to need some time to recover from this book. It was honest and sweet and real and hard and sad. It made me feel things.
Quincy and Biddy are Speddies—girls in the Special Ed program at their high school. After graduation, they're paired up by their teacher and move into an apartment together above an elderly lady's garage. They'll both be working—Quincy will prep food at a grocery store bakery, and Biddy will help their landlord Elizabeth around the house.
They're excited to be out on their own, but living together is a challenge. Quincy spends a lot of time angry, lashing out at Biddy and Elizabeth whether they deserve it or not. Biddy is afraid of the world, only able to venture out if she's wearing a huge coat (even though where they live, in Texas, it's hardly ever coat weather). And the girls learn that even though Elizabeth isn't a Speddie, she makes plenty of her own mistakes.
My favorite books are the ones that show what it's like to be someone else. If you met Quincy or Biddy in real life, you might not understand them. You might make assumptions about what they're like and what they're capable of. But the story alternates between their two perspectives, and by letting us into their minds, Giles shines a light on the two girls. They've been through some terrible things in the past, and their lives are far from perfect now, but slowly they are finding ways to help and teach each other.
Life for Quincy and Biddy is better when they're together, when they trust each other. Their story wrung me out completely. I feel like I've been emotionally bludgeoned. But in a totally good way.
Find more of my book recommendations for grades 6-12 at www.read-or-die.com.
I think I'm going to need some time to recover from this book. It was honest and sweet and real and hard and sad. It made me feel things.
Quincy and Biddy are Speddies—girls in the Special Ed program at their high school. After graduation, they're paired up by their teacher and move into an apartment together above an elderly lady's garage. They'll both be working—Quincy will prep food at a grocery store bakery, and Biddy will help their landlord Elizabeth around the house.
They're excited to be out on their own, but living together is a challenge. Quincy spends a lot of time angry, lashing out at Biddy and Elizabeth whether they deserve it or not. Biddy is afraid of the world, only able to venture out if she's wearing a huge coat (even though where they live, in Texas, it's hardly ever coat weather). And the girls learn that even though Elizabeth isn't a Speddie, she makes plenty of her own mistakes.
My favorite books are the ones that show what it's like to be someone else. If you met Quincy or Biddy in real life, you might not understand them. You might make assumptions about what they're like and what they're capable of. But the story alternates between their two perspectives, and by letting us into their minds, Giles shines a light on the two girls. They've been through some terrible things in the past, and their lives are far from perfect now, but slowly they are finding ways to help and teach each other.
Life for Quincy and Biddy is better when they're together, when they trust each other. Their story wrung me out completely. I feel like I've been emotionally bludgeoned. But in a totally good way.
Find more of my book recommendations for grades 6-12 at www.read-or-die.com.