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A review by restless
Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan
5.0
Jennifer Dugan writes characters that frustrate the hell out of me. I wanted to slap Fallon in Melt with You and there were times that I could have strangled Morgan for her high-and-mightiness as well.
What it's about: Morgan is an elite track star whose been "removed" from her previous school for being gay. She's lost her friends, her team, and her license to compete. Determined to take a stand, Morgan breaks out of the closet and sues her old school with help from her parents. Whatever happens, she's never going to let another person silence her again.
That is, until she meets Ruby.
What I thought: I think it's safe to say that my rating is 2 parts book and 3 parts Ruby.
Ruby is the product of a teenage pregnancy. She doesn't have much. A phone, a car, a bad reputation and her mother's resentment. Ruby is a beautiful mess. She's literally Maeve Wiley meets Quinn Fabray all rolled up into one:
For Ruby, appearances are survival - and she's gotten very good at performing.
So when Morgan runs into her life, touches her car and cusses her out, she's literally meeting the one person who is everything (herself, out, proud, loved) that Ruby wants and definitely can't have. How do you even process this? How can you stay away from it?
The attraction feels inevitable.
But wanting and having are two separate verbs. And if Ruby's life is a door, then Morgan is a wedge. Dangerous, irresistible and definitely trouble.
There is nothing easy about these two.
TL;DR: this is a gorgeous, troubling book about privilege, found family, being brave and standing up for yourself. The romance is messy, sometimes infuriating, and possibly not forever. The supporting cast doesn't get anywhere near enough page time.
I loved it because Morgan's insecurities made sense to me and Ruby's bravery was fierce. I can also see why others would hate it. 5/5 would read again.
What it's about: Morgan is an elite track star whose been "removed" from her previous school for being gay. She's lost her friends, her team, and her license to compete. Determined to take a stand, Morgan breaks out of the closet and sues her old school with help from her parents. Whatever happens, she's never going to let another person silence her again.
That is, until she meets Ruby.
What I thought: I think it's safe to say that my rating is 2 parts book and 3 parts Ruby.
Ruby is the product of a teenage pregnancy. She doesn't have much. A phone, a car, a bad reputation and her mother's resentment. Ruby is a beautiful mess. She's literally Maeve Wiley meets Quinn Fabray all rolled up into one:
And now I’m eighteen, older than my mom was when she had me, and I’m still trying to make it up to her. Deep down, I’m scared I never will. That every breath I take for the rest of my life will belong to her. That I’ll never be anything more than a brain stuck inside a body more my mother’s than my own. Forced to live out the life I stole from her forever.
For Ruby, appearances are survival - and she's gotten very good at performing.
So when Morgan runs into her life, touches her car and cusses her out, she's literally meeting the one person who is everything (herself, out, proud, loved) that Ruby wants and definitely can't have. How do you even process this? How can you stay away from it?
The attraction feels inevitable.
But wanting and having are two separate verbs. And if Ruby's life is a door, then Morgan is a wedge. Dangerous, irresistible and definitely trouble.
There is nothing easy about these two.
TL;DR: this is a gorgeous, troubling book about privilege, found family, being brave and standing up for yourself. The romance is messy, sometimes infuriating, and possibly not forever. The supporting cast doesn't get anywhere near enough page time.
I loved it because Morgan's insecurities made sense to me and Ruby's bravery was fierce. I can also see why others would hate it. 5/5 would read again.