A Year in Girl Hell

A Year in Girl Hell by Merideth Costain (Hardie Grant Egmont)

PB RRP $24.95

ISBN 978-192175948-2

Reviewed by Lillian Rodrigues-Pang

www.thestoryline.com.au

Written in the first person we delve into the lives of five girls as they face a tortuous first year of high school. I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book but to be honest, as a parent of soon-to-be high school students, I found it frightening. The first year of high school for these girls involves cyber bullying, nasty friends, striving to be popular, bullying in the school grounds, bulimia, parental separation and not a positive proactive parent in sight!

On the serious side it was a riveting read and I believe girls will love this book. The language and situations depicted are well written and relevant to girls facing the first few years of high school (or changing schools). I had to laugh at all the talk of boys, the descriptions, the ‘pash-ability scale’, etc.

As we read the book we are presented with a different girl’s perspective per term; from the bullied to the bully. A year of Girl Hell presents a year of change, friendship, bullying and acceptance with an overall satisfying ending – not rosy or too positive, but satisfying. This book is well worth reading and will offer a platform for discussion that is sometimes very difficult to find.