Girls with Razor Hearts

Girls with Sharp Sticks, Book 2

By: Suzanne Young

Narrated by: Caitlin Davies

Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

“A food-for-thought dystopian with a strong feminist message.” (Kirkus Reviews)

It’s time to fight back in this second novel in the thrilling, subversive near-future series from New York Times best-selling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private high school that is far more than it appears to be.

Make me a girl with a razor heart....

It’s been weeks since Mena and the other girls of Innovations Academy escaped their elite boarding school. Although traumatized by the violence and experimentations that occurred there, Mena quickly discovers that the outside world can be just as unwelcoming and cruel. With no one else to turn to, the girls only have each other - and the revenge-fueled desire to shut down the corporation that imprisoned them.

The girls enroll in Ridgeview Prep, a private school with suspect connections to Innovations, to identify the son of an investor and take down the corporation from the inside. But with pressure from Leandra, who revealed herself to be a double-agent, and Winston Weeks, an academy investor gone rogue, Mena wonders if she and her friends are simply trading one form of control for another. Not to mention the woman who is quite literally invading Mena’s thoughts - a woman with extreme ideas that both frighten and intrigue Mena.

And as the girls fight for freedom from their past - and freedom for the girls still at Innovations - they must also face new questions about their existence...and what it means to be girls with razor hearts.

©2020 Suzanne Young (P)2020 Simon & Schuster Audio

Absolutely astonishing in the best way

I loved ever minute of this audiobook. Each chapter was more insane than the last!! I was filled with so many emotions... I can't wait for book three. Don't hesitate to listen to this series! Its incredible and so well written.

A thrilling continuation!

*spoiler alert*

The second installment of the "Girls with Sharp Sticks" series was just as thought-provoking and thrilling as the first!

Now, Mena and Sydney are enrolled at a high school called Ridgeview Prep. Here, they are experiencing traditional school life while actively seeking out the son of an investor who is funneling his donations through the school.

The girls are in a tough position, with the analyst Anton, double-agent Leandra, and investor Winston Weeks all looking to control them in their own ways.

This story addresses many issues that the girls face at school including racism, sexism, and blatant harassment at the hands of the administration and male students.

Additionally, there are rules on how the female students must dress, and Sydney actually gets dress-coded for her skirt length at one point. Seeing the world of Ridgeview High through Mena's lens, wherein she is shocked at the restrictions that women deal with outside the Academy is indicative of much larger social problems that Young addresses.

The story also talks about an Essential Women's Act wherein women weren't allowed to have abortions or hysterectomies. Through this, it then ties in censorship and the lack of books and resources on this topic.

Let me just say, wow. The social commentary tied in with the romance, excitement, and mysteries that the girls are solving make for an incredible read!

I admire the way that Mena always stands up for what's right. The female solidarity throughout the novel is touching, and I can't wait to see what's next for these characters!

Listening to the series

I enjoyed the first book of this series more than this one, but overall am enjoying the series as a whole. I am definitely going to listen to the third book. I like the narrator.