Review: Grit by Gillian French

Grit by Gillian French

Expected Publication: May 16, 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

His presence beside me is like heat, like weight, something I’ve carried around on my back too long.

Raw and moving, this contemporary realistic debut novel will leave readers of E. Lockhart and Gayle Forman breathless as it unflinchingly unfolds the tragic secrets being kept in a small, deceptively idyllic Maine town.

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Prentiss has long held the title of “town slut.” She knows how to have a good time, sure, but she isn’t doing anything all the guys haven’t done. But when you’re a girl with a reputation, every little thing that happens seems to keep people whispering—especially when your ex-best friend goes missing.

But if anyone were to look closer at Darcy, they’d realize there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. Staying out late, hooking up, and telling lies is what Darcy does to forget. Forget about the mysterious disappearance of her friend. Forget about the dark secret she and her cousin Nell share. Forget about that hazy Fourth of July night. So when someone in town anonymously nominates Darcy to be in the running for Bay Festival Princess—a cruel act only someone with a score to settle would make—all of the things that Darcy wants to keep hidden threaten to erupt in ways she wasn’t prepared to handle…and isn’t sure if she can.

My Thoughts

I initially went into this thinking it was more of a thriller but I found it more of a coming of age story. We meet Darcy and her family who live in a small Maine town. Darcy doesn’t have the greatest of reputations but she owes who she is. She hasn’t been the same since her friend disappeared and the whole town is up in arms wanting to know what happened to her, and many believe Darcy knows something about it. We also met her cousin Nell who everyone, especially her mother thinks is the most innocent person around but we soon find out she isn’t exactly who people think she is. She has her fair share of secrets, ones that Darcy has kept for her since she is protective of her cousin.

I found the read interesting, I felt for Darcy and how she always gets the raw end of the deal. Yes, she likes to have fun and hang out but she isn’t as bad as many people think she is. Her reputation isn’t who she is yet the guys think she is as loose has the rumors make her out to be. Darcy has been hurt in the past and all she wants is for someone to truly love her and accept her for who she is…faults and all. While the backstory is about her missing friend, I found Darcy’s story about herself and how others view her way more interesting. You feel her pain and just want to hug her and tell her everything will be alright. I also love her feistiness though, she isn’t one to back down from everything you have to respect someone for that. This is one story while it wasn’t what I first thought it was about turned out to be a really enjoyable read.