Review: Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

4 yummy oatmeal creme sandwiches.

Cover Love: Yes! I love the pink plaid.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I just loved the synopsis and had read a lot of good reviews. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

The higher you aim, the farther you fall….

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.

When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?

I Kept Reading Because:
It was an easy read. Well written and smooth. Quick chapters and fun characters!

Romance?: Not really. Just focused on the friendship between Katie and Violet.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
The first half of the book seemed kind of wasted to me. There just seemed like a lot of time setting up the world Katie and Violet lived in and I just wasn't that invested. Not to say that it wasn't enjoyable to read, but there was a point where I remember thinking that something had better happen soon.

That part that changed it all for me was when Katie got her boyfriend. I remember that feeling of being on the outside looking in when your best friend got a boyfriend (and I sadly recall this happening to a few of my friends when I got a boyfriend). It is so natural though! Suddenly this person that you were so close with is spending more time with basically a stranger than you! It's a weird feeling.

And when they went to Martin's house I could just feel Violet's uncomfortableness. I am Violet. I always was super uncomfortable at house parties or friend's houses in college that were occupied with alcohol and people I didn't know. I am still super uncomfortable in situations like that.

I was really glad with the direction the story went. I liked both Katie and Violet and that they were both able to come to some good realizations about themselves. This was a well written coming of age story!

To Sum Up:
I really enjoyed this story--the writing and the characters! Due to some language and sex talk I am not sure it would be a great addition to my middle school library, but I would recommend it for older teens.

Book bought at local bookstore.