Like a Girl

By Author / Illustrator

Rebecca Westcott

Genre

Bullying

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Scholastic

ISBN

9780702318467

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

11-04-2024

Synopsis

A powerful, contemporary teen novel about the courage to be yourself in the face of online and in-school peer pressure, from the co-author of Can You See Me? - perfect for fans of Tamsin Winter, Holly Bourne and Moxie.

14-year-old Eden McCoy doesn't fit in. All she's good at is running, and she doesn't even dare join the track team. Her priority is to stay in the shadows and avoid the Glossies - a ruthless clique of girls who use social media to punish and humiliate their targets, led by their queen Bea and her sidekick Mikki. But one day, Eden breaks her vow to stay unnoticed: she beats track star Mikki in a race. This bold move captures the attention of Bea, who decides Eden needs to either prove her loyalty and become one of the Glossies - or suffer the consequences. And so The Testing begins...

As Eden is challenged to play a cruel prank on another kid or have that same act inflicted on her, her will is pushed to the limit. The only thing keeping her afloat is an unexpected connection with a boy called Riley, a fellow runner who messages her online. But how deep does The Testing run? And how long until Eden breaks?

A sharply written, grippingly entertaining and moving story that explores the joy to be found in running, sports and exercise - as well as in community, real friendship and solidarity. Inspired by research into real teen opinions about the risks and benefits of social media. Empathetically explores the different ways girls can be 'put in boxes' and the pressure to act in a way that society or their peers expect of them, with a touching mother-daughter relationship at the heart.

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Reviews

Ruth

Like A Girl is a book about resilience, revenge and running. Eden McCoy, the protagonist of this 'real life' fiction genre, lives her school life as much as possible in the shadows so she can stay off the 'Glossies' radar. The leader of the Glossies group, Bea Miller, used to be her best friend before senior school, when she was passed over for the more confident Mikki Potts and Autumn Addiman to form a powerful school clique. Their group are the undisputed leaders of Woodford High and the rest of the school community are either in awe of them or fear getting on their wrong side.

Unfortunately for Eden, beating reigning champion Mikki in a race one day unleashes a campaign of revenge led by the Glossies, who use their influence to control other students to do their dirty work for them. Anonymous postings on a mystery chat group, Woodford Whispers, encourages both the amplification of acts of cruelty whilst encouraging pile ons from other teens. Eden feels unable to turn to anyone in real life but finds support through online chatgroups. Crushed by embarrassment and isolation, Eden eventually decides that it is time address the cause of her public humiliation and turn the tables on the Glossies once and for all.

The author, Rebecca Westcott uses the contemporary themes of peer pressure and social media to examine group behaviour in a school environment. As the cover tells us 'online you can't run and you can't hide...' and as the story progresses, the reader sees the deterioration in Eden's wellbeing caused by the bullying at school and from which she cannot escape when she reaches the supposed safety of her home.

The supporting characters are seen capitulating under the pressure of avoiding being picked on by the Glossies and they carry out prescribed acts of bullying they would not ordinarily have considered. The pressure of fitting in and the power of the clique are described in an authentic way that will, sadly, be recognised by some readers. The denouement comes, enabling Eden to draw on her resilience to reek revenge on her tormentors and take down their ring leader.

'Like A Girl' is an excellent addition to the school library and a book which I can recommend inclusion in the fiction shelving in a wellbeing senior school collection. Highly recommended.

352 pages / Reviewed by Ruth Cornish, school librarian