Released February 4th, 2020, What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel is a moving and unforgettable read about what it takes to be brave and stand up for yourself.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Description:

She has finally decided to confess to the principal of her school, North Bay Academy, about how her boyfriend, Mike Parker, had hit her. Now, students are beginning to take sides for who they believe. Mike Parker, the popular, perfect athlete, has always been the star of the school. How could he have done something like this? After his girlfriend appears at school with a bruise of her face, they have to decide for themselves; is she lying, or has Mike been keeping this side of himself secret all this time?

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What Kind of Girl follows the lives of eight different people; the Popular Girl, the Girlfriend, the Best Friend, the Bulimic, the Burnout, the Anxious Girl, the Activist, and the Cool Girl. Alongside the characters through their ups and downs, you begin to discover the underlying connection in each of their stories.

It is a grasping read, about characters who are struggling to overcome their problems and differences. Though they aren’t always great role models, the story overall has important and positive messages for teens and adults.

This book deals with a lot of difficult topics including self-harm, abuse, drugs, and eating disorders.

What Kind of Girl has a plot that is easy to understand, and settings that are descriptive but still leave you to imagine the details yourself.

Character development and growth is common throughout this book, as they discover more about who they are. Though I had felt confused as I wondered what significance some of the characters had to the story, the question answered itself for me the more that I read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was unable to put it down until I’d finished. There are parts of the story that many readers will be able to sympathize with. It’s important to learn about a lot of the issues that people, especially teens, are facing today.

This book has helped me to reflect on how others may not be as perfect as they act. It’s unfortunate that people might go through similar issues as the characters from What Kind of Girl are experiencing, and how getting help or breaking apart from the toxic people in your life can be difficult.

A lot of issues that the characters deal with, as well as how they overcome them, could be shared with teens, as to help them feel safe when revealing complications in their life to those who can help.

This book was reviewed by Elli, from NeedtoRead.