Saturday, August 27, 2016

Review: The Female of the Species

The Female of the SpeciesTitle: The Female of the Species
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 20, 2016

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.

While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways.

But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her.

So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for.

Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.




I keep running out of things to say about contemporary books.  I should just stop reviewing them.

In a small Ohio town where everyone knows everyone, a young girl is murdered.  But the killer goes free from lack of evidence.  Alex is the victim's sister, and she decides to take matters into her own hands.

While everyone knows who Alex Craft is, no one actually knows her.  So in her senior year of high school, when she begins to make friends and learn more about social situations, things start to change.  She, Peekay, and Jack collide, and things will never be the same for them.

First, this book is dark.  If you're looking for a cutesy contemporary, don't.  Yes, there is some romance.  Yes, there are some sweet parts.  But the overall tone is very dark.  It had me from the very first line, "This is how I kill someone."

I'm amazed that this is the first book by Mindy McGinnis I've ever read.  Especially considering that I follow her blog.  But after reading this, I would definitely love to read some fantasy by her.

Reasons to read this book
1) You're looking for a dark contemporary story
2) And maybe want to cry a bit
3) The characters are fantastic

Reasons not to read this book
1) You're looking for cute and fluffy
2) Sex in lit bothers you
3) Trigger warning: sexual abuse

Overall
I really enjoyed it.  I'd recommend to fans of Mindy and fans of dark contemporaries like The Serpent King.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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