The Aussie Zombie

My first Courtney Summers book was This Is Not a Test, which I loved (and read!) in 2012. I'm not the biggest contemporary YA fan, but I really enjoyed her writing style, no-nonense and intense, so I thought I would give her first book, Cracked Up To Be, a whirl.

Let me be completely honest, Parker is not a likable character from the moment that she slouches her way into the book. Shes rude, abrasive and really doesn't seem to care about anything, although her smart-arse one liners almost made me laugh out loud at times. Whether this was the intention of Ms. Summers or not, I really appreciated that although Parker has some issues, it's presented in a way that makes her not exactly endearing but not a complete and utter bitch. Parker's interactions with her peers, the new boy, her parents and her teachers are all awkward and almost mean-girlish but the cleverness of the writing really pulls it back so that I felt sympathy towards her rather than antagonism.

The other characters play an integral part in Parker's story, but the real focus is on Parker herself. Her parents are a little secondary to the story which is quite surprising considering what has happened to her recently, but it's not a complete absence, more that the focus is on her interactions with her former friends, ex-boyfriend and the new boy in school. There's one particular relationship that had me a little confused - I couldn't figure out the back history of Parker and this particular person very clearly, so it could have benefited from a little further explanation.

There's not much I can say about the plot that the synopsis does without potential spoilers, but I didn't anticipate the ending at all - in fact it took me by surprise.

Cracked Up To Be is a fast, but intense read. Ms. Summers tackles some pretty controversial issues, from suicide to alcohol abuse, but does so in a way that isn't condescending nor flippant, and it's the kind of book that's almost impossible to put down.

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie