Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 34 reviews)

Don't know what it was...

I read this book in a day. When I picked it up and read the back, I thought it would be powerful and moving... Then as I read it, I realized that it wasn't... Something about it put me off and I honestly can't put my finger on it. No discredit to the author. She certainly has potential.
October 30, 2008

Such a Pretty Girl - 5 Stars

Here is the first thing I would like to say about this novel: don't let the fact that it is young adult fiction keep you from reading it. I am so glad I read Such a Pretty Girl despite its genre classification.

Laura Wiess has written a compelling novel that deals with a painful subject. Meredith was sexually abused by her father, who has recently been released from prison. She is an anguished, wounded character struggling to overcome and as the reader, I could feel the conflict inside her: would she ultimately be victim or victor?

Meredith was wise beyond her years, forced to grow up too early by her father's iniquities. Still, she felt unable to protect herself from her father, who had clearly not been successfully rehabilitated.

I think a talented writer not only creates characters for the reader to fall in love with, but often also gives us one or two to despise. Wiess created a truly loathsome character in Meredith's mother. She was ignorant and insipid and from the father's first day back home, repeatedly violated the court order not to leave him alone with Meredith. She was nearly as despicable as her pedophilic husband.

The system failed to protect Meredith just as abysmally as her mother did. Meredith seemed to fall between the cracks, leaving her frightened and vulnerable. Redemption would be her own doing, and that of a few people - her maternal grandmother, a caring neighbor - who were willing to get involved instead of merely looking the other way.

Besides being very well-written, Such a Pretty Girl is thought-provoking. Can pedophiles be successfully rehabilitated? How effective is the sex-offender registry in its current format? Is it appropriate to take matters into our own hands when we see the system is failing to protect children? Are we even willing to?

October 18, 2008

pretty little life

Meridith ( the little girl in this story) was molested by her father at a young age. Along with Meridith her father molested several other children of which he looked after as their coach for baseball. She was promised 9 years of saftey, security, of freedom from her father but only got 3 years in the outcome. 15 years old at the time and she already has to deal with the troubles of abandonment from her mother who thinks nothing ever happened in there " happy peacefully house". She pretty much falls in love with her neighboor,Andy, who is handicapped and was also one of her fathers molestation victims. The weeks her father comes home her safe house and lover leaves to go to a "healer" and she has to face the demon alone. The end of the book is the end of that week and telling you it would ruin the book so enjoy.
One of the reasons why you should read this book is because it demonstrates something that is real that is the truth for some girls/guys in our genoration. The second is because it really catches you. i didnt want to ever put it down. It just kept getting more and more thrilling to see what was going to happen to Meridith and Andy and her father. The third reason is because it describes the emotions so well. The description was awesome in the first place but the way the author described how Meridith was feeling and how Andy was feeling was amazing in so many ways.
This book does not have a specific sex gender for the book. I personaly think that a guy could read this book and find it good but most guys probably wouldnt read it because of the flower on the front.
This book was great i loved it and hopefully if you read it you'll like it too.

Megan
October 15, 2008

A compelling read but falls short of greatness

This book is a lot of things to me. Depressing, engrossing, decently written, and one dimensional. It flirts with the line that divides the emotional from the literary. The main character never really grows as a person, the "bad guy", her father, has no depth to his character and her mother even less. The role of the grandmother is simply convenient and her relationship with the boy across the way is just awkward. Meredith's experiences are painful and she spends much of her time trapped in them. It was, however, a compelling read. Once i started i couldn't stop until i found out if Meredith wins her battles. But compelling doesn't unnecessarily mean 'good'. You feel for the characters in the story in a very detached way--yes you FEEL for them, but only due to their circumstances and not necessarily because their suffering is fully explored. The subject matter appears to be the draw here. I can see why so many people enjoy this book, it certainly fills a niche of darkly themed books for young readers. This book definitely isn't for everyone but i think many people will find it enjoyable.
September 13, 2008

Surviving Every Day

I have to say that when I saw this book at the bookstore, the size and cover was what grabbed my attention. I usually frown upon short books because I read them within hours. However, I love reading new voices! The fact that the book was an unsual size and had pretty cover was interesting. I still can't believe what a HUGE affect this book had on my life! In only 212 pages, Mer dug into my charcoled guarded heart, and tore open a hole that exposed the raw meat of my childhood abuse. It hit home and drew out things that I havent had to 'deal' with since I was 17.

I doubt that it's suppose to draw in victims, but this book is for you out there in your 20's, 30's, 40's, or 90's and have been a victim of abuse. It show's us survivers the amazing recovery of Meredith when she gains empowerment to REFUSE to let her self be a victim anymore. And for those who have not been a victim(thank god!)or knows someone who has, read this! Its important insite into a huge problem that we are barely scratching the surface to help and solve.

I acually wrote a personal letter to Ms. Wiess to thank her for this book that brought all my uglyness to a head and now Im going get someone to help! Thank you sooo much Ms. Wiess! I cant believe Im crying while reviewing a book!
September 01, 2008

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