Grit

A Novel

By: Gillian French

Narrated by: Caitlin Davies

Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Mystery * A Kirkus Best Book

Raw and moving, this contemporary realistic debut novel will leave readers of E. Lockhart and Gayle Forman breathless as it unflinchingly unfolds the tragic secrets being kept in a small, deceptively idyllic town.

“Gorgeously written and helmed by a protagonist with an indelibly fierce heart."" (starred review from Kirkus)

“Keen plotting, evocative writing, and dynamic characterization make French a writer to watch.” (starred review from Booklist)

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Prentiss has long held the title of “town slut.” She knows how to have a good time, sure, but she isn’t doing anything all the guys haven’t done. But when you’re a girl with a reputation, every little thing that happens seems to keep people whispering—especially when your ex-best friend goes missing.

But if anyone were to look closer at Darcy, they’d realize there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. Staying out late, hooking up, and telling lies is what Darcy does to forget. Forget about the mysterious disappearance of her friend. Forget about the dark secret she and her cousin Nell share.

Forget about that hazy Fourth of July night. So when someone in town anonymously nominates Darcy to be in the running for Bay Festival Princess—a cruel act only someone with a score to settle would make—all of the things that Darcy wants to keep hidden threaten to erupt in ways she wasn’t prepared to handle…and isn’t sure if she can.

It was good

I really liked this book a lot, it did kind of just abruptly end. Ending could have been better, but I would still recommend it!

Not impressed

The author was recommended by a friend. Didn’t realize it was teen fiction before I bought, so I guess this is partly on me. But the story is so cheesy. And the writing is bland at best. I get that if the target audience is horny 14 and 15 year old girls, the blandness might be understandable.

However, the narrator is the biggest crime in this torturous farce. I can’t tell where the dialogue ends and the prose begins. I can’t differentiate between characters. And she reads everything like a question!!!! That annoying lilt at the end of each sentence makes me want to jab needles under my fingernails. Without a doubt, the WORST book I’ve ever struggled through. Don’t waste your time. Zero redeeming qualities. The only reason I gave the story two stars is show just how badly the performance sucked.

The narrator needs to learn when to pause and when NOT to pause.

Darcy, the unofficial slut if her small town lies and keeps secrets. She knows more about the disappearance of her ex-best friend than she tells police. She knows The Big Secret her cousin Nell has. Darcy even has her own secret about last summer. Some secrets aren't meant to be kept. Some secrets can be deadly.

Gillian French gave Darcy an authentic voice of a small town, rural girl who spends her summers picking blueberries with migrant workers. She dreams of traveling, but may be destined to become a waitress like her sister. GRIT reads more like literary fiction than mystery or suspense. French's writing is slow paced and lacks tension. Even in places where I should have felt excitement, I didn't really care.

GRIT might appear to readers who prefer lit fiction, but I didn't enjoy the story or the reading experience. I gave 2 stars because I don't think my lack of enjoyment is reflective of all or most readers. GRIT is probably better than my enjoyment of the book.