GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS

Loved this book, i would say this is a book for starters.

Incredible book! I could not put this down. The characters and worldbuilding was excellent, and the writing style masterful

Since coming across The Program in 2013 I have been a fan of Suzanne Young and her books. There is something about the way she tells a story that sucked me in from the get go. I swear every time I need a new book by her I don’t think she can write any better than she has and yet she constantly proves me wrong. But I can confidentially tell you that Girls with Sharp Sticks is 100% her most brilliant masterpiece yet. When I tell you that I loved this book, I mean it more than I can accurately explain. It is just such a memorable reading experience you truly won’t be able to find the words to describe your feelings.Girls with Sharp Sticks is about Mena, a girl that goes to a school where she is taught how to be the ‘perfect woman’. The girls are told how to dress, how to act, and how to behave in order to please the men in their lives. They are conditioned to behave and be ‘proper’ and to obey. But when strange things start happening Mena starts noticing how unusual the school is and how sheltered the girls actually are. With the help of a new friend from outside the school walls, Mena opens her eyes and sees what’s really going on at Innovations Academy and she isn’t going to let it continue. When all the girls ban together the men of Innovations learn what the tag line says: Some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns.This book was hardcore! And epic! And amazing! And fantastic! And any other adjective you can think of to describe such an unexpectedly powerful book. I was completely creeped out and disgusted reading it. These men were so vile and gross and 100% taking advantage of these girls to suit their needs. I swear I wanted to punch them all in the face so many times. But these girls, Mena, Sydney, Annaliese, Marcella, Brynn and Valentine (not a name a few), were actually what these men feared. These women together held all the power. They were the ones that were able to stand up for themselves and say ‘no, enough is enough’, and I loved every minute of it.I want to say so much about this story. I want to tell you every detail and small thing I loved. But I refuse to ruin this experience. I strongly feel this is a book that everyone should read and will love. It is so unexpected and brilliantly done. I really can’t say any more than that. If you have trusted my book judgement in the past then trust it now. I swear it is worth it!Now bring on Girls with Razor Hearts!

Content warnings: physical abuse, graphic violence, murder, PTSD, infertility, mental abuse and manipulation.I have to admit that when I first picked up Girls with Sharp Sticks I had Expectations. It was promising to bring together some of my favoruite things: a boarding school setting, feminist themes, dystopian storyline. And this book blew my expectations out of the water.Parts of this story had my toes curling. Parts of this story are terrifying. Parts of it broke my heart. And all of this is because of how scarily plausible the whole thing is. It's disturbing and compelling and I couldn't help but be fascinated by the world.Mena was an excellent character - unreliable at times for Reasons, but a character who I loved reading about. I was rooting for her the whole time.I really loved the questions this book posed about ownership, perfection, ethics, the standards people are held to, sexism... It's a bit of an issue book, all wrapped up in a gripping story.I don't want to spoil the book, because you HAVE TO READ IT, but there was a twist that absolutely flabbergasting. This book kept me guessing. Once I got to the end the whole story felt different, and I know that when I reread it (and I will reread it) I'll see things in a new light and pick up on the clues that I may have missed.So stop sleeping on this book. Go out and Read It because I need more people to talk about it with.

Eine wahre Überraschung. Jede Frau sollte dieses Buch lesen, es ist feministisch ohne belehren zu wollen und wirklich gut geschrieben. Eine klare Empfehlung!

I love everything this book stands for; it's empowering and exciting and just goddam amazing. It was so brilliant to see genuine female friendships in a book especially one with such a plot twist towards the end, I loved the characters and can't wait to see what they get up to in the second book.