Sophie's Secret

Okay, I get it. The book is supposed to reflect a reality that we have in our highschools and which make me hate highschool A LOT (more than I already hate it), then why would I want to read a book that talks about that - during my vacation - that would remind me of how much I fucking hate highschool? Well, I guess that means it is my problem and I shouldn't be rating the book so low if I have problems right? But people don't escape reality into books just to read more about it, especially into paranormal books like this one. People escape reality to read so they won't be reminded TOO much about it. Let's face it, I don't like to read books that don't have that realistic side, but seriously, this book was too much. It just drove me crazy.

First of all - the slut shaming.
Apparently, these kids think that sleeping with a guy qualifies a girl to become a slut while the guy can fool around all he wants and gets cheers from his friends. This has GOT to stop. And I don't think that putting this slut shaming in a young adult book helps at all. People have to refuse the idea that sleeping with a guy makes the girl a slut. It is none of anybody's business. If she wants to sleep with someone, it is her fucking vagina and then it is her business. NOT YOURS.

Second - the sexism, and the gender issue.
“A girl shouldn't be on a football field” Seriously? I said it before, and I will say it now. These things have GOT TO stop and putting it in a young adult book (meaning it is designed for teenagers) does NOT help at all with this issue. It only encourages it. And trust me, everyone within my age range who drools over young adult books (I do not drool over YA books, except maybe the pretty covers) is NOT mature enough or responsible enough to know that these things are wrong. He/she might go and do that in their community.
The gender issue? Well let's see, if a girl has a rough voice and short hair then her gender is not known anymore? That she isn't feminine enough for everyone? That you fucking need to go around labeling her as “he” or “it” ? Seriously? How does that fucking help? Being like that is NOT wrong. not everyone should just rise up to our twisted society's standards.

Third - the confidence issue, and the revenge.
So Sophie is a girl facing a confidence issue whose friend AJ always has to defend her and stand up to her, but I fail to see why getting back at someone is her way of getting over her fear. What she did was looooow. Very LOW . Instead of teaching kids that they have to stand up for themselves, you are teaching teenagers that it is better to avenge and to stoop low towards your agressor's level? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Instead of teaching them to defend themselves, you tell them to fucking throw the first punch and deal with the consequences later? LOL YOLO , right? Is that how you make a person responsible? Is that how you shape a kid? I know that life is full of disappointment and getting back at someone tastes really good but there are better ways than what she did. She was right, and now she becomes the wrong one.
Throughout the book, Sophie only wants to become “popular” and “cool” and that's how the book ends, with Sophie getting what she wants. Seriously? That's your advice for teenagers? That you should aim high for popularity? I fail to see where that will lead her. Only a huge social life with her grades going low because she has no time, only time to fucking fix herself, and go out with people who won't remember her when she's in need.

Fourth - The fat issue, and the you-are-fucking-wrong-if-you-think-that-you-should-be-yourself issue.
This is just like the slut shaming. The author is only trying to teach kids that being herself IS WRONG. That she needs to dump a lot of what she herself is to stand up to people's expectations, and to be noticed. Okay, maybe losing weight is good. Less diseases bla bla bla. but putting this one aside, I fail to see how not being herself can really help her. It would just MAKE HER FAKE! And if you are a mother, would you want your child to become FAKE? Seriously? You told her to lose every part of who she is - even if Frankie complimented her on being her later (which wasn't actually her anymore) - just to be able to be noticed and rise on the food chain. Is that what you want to teach your kids? She highlighted her hair at this young age - which I would never approve of especially for my own children - she lost weight, changed her dressing habits, wore lots of make up to hide a bruise that she got for not paying attention to the ball (NOT HER FAULT), and eventually, wait... where is the point of the book? That popularity is better? That trying to be “cool” is better? Let us see how that will shape Sophie in the future, how much a better person that will make her in 10 years time. Okay, Sophie is a character that doesn't exist, but any idiot reading this book and working by it (since teenagers today are really stupid) will fail to have a proper future. Okay, I am probably blaming the author too much... but seriously. After all of that venting, I think I have rated the book a bit too much.

Oh, and the writing style sucks as hell. Too lame.