Review: Cracked Up to Be, by Courtney Summers

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Series: Standalone
Published by Macmillan on December 23rd 2008
Genres: Adolescence, Social Issues, Young Adult
Pages: 224
Read it as: Paperback
Source: Purchased
My rating:
Check it out in Goodreads
Synopsis

Perfect Parker Fadley isn't so perfect anymore. She's quit the cheerleading squad, she's dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she's failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she's playing games...but what they don't know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn't something she can say out loud. It isn't even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

 

 

I have conflicted emotions about this book. The first 90% was entertaining. I enjoy witty, tortured characters. But then, the reason why Parker is the way she is surfaces. And that’s where I stopped giving a damn. So, minus two stars because I no longer care about Parker Fadley.

She just had to make everything about her in the end, didn’t she? Her best friend died. And all she can say about it is how it affects her, how it is her fault, how she tried to kill herself.

I just experienced too much rage to like it. Sorrow and stupid choices only are profound and pity-worthy when they make sense. I guess there’s always the possibily of someone acting like this in real life, anything is possible. But I can say most would agree this person is a self-centered jerk.

And we do not like reading about self-centered jerks unless they’re amusing, or have any other redeeming qualities whatsoever. Parker didn’t have any of those. And while she could be funny at times, with all her wit; that aspect of her character was overshadowed by… the rest.

All in all, once I finished the book, I decided I didn’t like it. Because, even though most of it was enjoyable, the entire plot hung on the fact that Parker didn’t do something she should have, and well, she really should have. So, nope.

 

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