Cracked Up to Be ~ Courtney Summers

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: December 2008
ISBN-13: 9780312383695
Age Range: Young Adult
224pp


Synopsis

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.


I find it hard to believe Cracked Up to Be is Courtney Summers' debut. The writing is breathtakingly unforgettable.

Cracked Up to Be is definitely not a light~hearted read. I was stunned speechless.

Summers stretched her literary muscles & crafted not any "teen angst fluff", but a lyrically spellbinding tome!

I'm not going to summarize the plot for fear it will ruin your reading pleasure. In fact, I don't want to discuss much of Cracked Up to Be for fear of tipping off too much.

Courtney Summers is an author that has a natural gift for telling a story; she doesn't need bells & whistles to get her point across. As I was burning through the pages, I kept wondering, "where on earth has Courtney Summers been?"

Courtney's riveting prose will hypnotize you from the first page.

The players lining Cracked Up to Be are mesmerizing, but Parker is resplendent w/ every hue shimmering like stained glass.

Parker's narration is nourishingly illustrative, which Summers generates deftly. Parker seems to "have it all" but things aren't always what they seem. Parker has a fierce longing for approval & a hunger for love which isn't over the top or wishy washy.

Kudos to Ms. Summers for hitting a home run w/ Cracked Up to Be.

Cracked Up to Be is a profound story w/ rich layers you unearth while turning the pages!

I thought I had it all figured out, but I didn't. I'm usually spot on but Summers got me good!

Summers vividly showcases that it isn't all that it's "cracked up to be" being a youth in today's society. Summers' somber view makes you sit up & take notice. Cracked Up to Be is an alarming introspection into the barbarity of high school life.

Cracked Up to Be is definitely a novel to remember long after you close it.

Check out Courtney @ http://courtneysummers.ca/blog/.

Grab a copy of Cracked Up to Be. Definitely a novel to remember look after you close it.