I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“Any rose can succumb to rot, given the right conditions. But, with enough attention, it can come back better than before.”
Be The Girl is poignant coming of age story about love, loss, regret and redemption.
Almost sixteen-year-old Aria Jones is starting over; new town, new last name, and new rules.
Aria just wants to leave her past behind and hopes that in her new town of Eastmonte, she can become someone else - someone better.
With the Hartford family living next door, Aria’s dream of moving forward seems achievable. Sure, Cassie Hartford may be the epitome of social awkwardness thanks to her autism, but she also offers a sincere friendship that Aria quickly learns to appreciate.
But when it comes to Cassie’s older brother Emmett, Aria wants to have more than just a friendship, but he already as a girlfriend.
Aria soon finds herself in an uncertain moral predicament that could derail her attempt at a fresh start, and earns her a vindictive enemy who is determined to splinter her happy new world.
“…Before we found out about Dad’s secret family, before my parents divorced. Before my life fell apart.”
I have been a fan of K.A Tucker for years now and I absolutely adored Be The Girl.
I spent a lot of time thinking about what to write for this review, of a way to portray how phenomenal this book is and how many feelings it evoked as I read it.
But nothing I can think of does it justice.
I literally cannot find the words to describe the impact this book had on me. Be The Girl is such a profound novel and I loved every minute of it, even the minutes I spent crying for these characters.
As someone who was bullied relentlessly through school, Be The Girl will always have a special place in my heart and, despite how conflicted Aria made me feel, she will too.
“I wish I had a time machine, Julia. I’d do anything to go back in time. To erase it all.”
I loved how sweet Aria and Emmett’s relationship was and how well K.A Tucker balanced and sweet and funny moments with the more serious themes of bullying, and the impact it can have on people.
As much as I loved both Aria and Emmett, I adored Cassie. She was so full of life and such vibrant enthusiasm and was my favourite character, my heart often broke for her as we saw just how cruel some people can be.
Her eyes trail after the guy. “That boy was being mean to me,” she says after a beat, as if she needed to roll the last few moments over in her mind to decide that.
“Yeah, he was.” I smile softly.
“Yeah … sometimes kids are mean to me.” She says it in an offhand way, but I notice the way her shoulders droop.
“Is it because I have autism?”
Be The Girl is both a heart-warming and heartbreaking story suitable for young adults and adults alike, that teachers people to consider the consequences of their actions and that it’s never too late to try to be a better person.
Be The Girl is due for release on the 21st January.
Purchase: Free on Kindle Unlimited
