Such a Pretty Girl

Summary:

They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three. Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison. Today her time has run out.

Staff Review:

Such a Pretty Girl shocked me into a reading marathon.  One chapter in and I had to make sure that Meredith would survive.  Never have i felt such a burden to see a character through to the end or been so glad I did.

Meredith wears old overalls, her long hair hides her face, she doesn’t shower often and she smokes.  She wants to be invisible.   If she can’t be invisible then she wants to be repulsive because today her dad is coming home.  Three years earlier he was sent to prison for sexual abuse and is out early on parole.  Her mom believes they can be a happy family again while Meredith lives in terror that he hasn’t changed.  One glance from him confirms all her worst fears. Meredith must then choose whether to cave into her fears and be a victim her whole life or whether she has the strength to defy the statistics and break free of her past.

This is a challenging book full of the pain of recovery and the terrors of a nightmare come back.  Yet it is also stunning in its raw portrayal of a girl faced with near impossible circumstances her determination to overcome.  The abuse is told through small flashbacks yet the author never strays into unnecessary graphic content.   This is an excellent book for discussion about abuse, recovery, and what it means to stand up for yourself. 

-- by Mollie H.