review: grit by gillian french

His presence beside me is like heat, like weight, something I’ve carried around on my back too long.

Raw and moving, this contemporary realistic debut novel will leave readers of E. Lockhart and Gayle Forman breathless as it unflinchingly unfolds the tragic secrets being kept in a small, deceptively idyllic Maine town.

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Prentiss has long held the title of “town slut.” She knows how to have a good time, sure, but she isn’t doing anything all the guys haven’t done. But when you’re a girl with a reputation, every little thing that happens seems to keep people whispering—especially when your ex-best friend goes missing.

But if anyone were to look closer at Darcy, they’d realize there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. Staying out late, hooking up, and telling lies is what Darcy does to forget. Forget about the mysterious disappearance of her friend. Forget about the dark secret she and her cousin Nell share. Forget about that hazy Fourth of July night. So when someone in town anonymously nominates Darcy to be in the running for Bay Festival Princess—a cruel act only someone with a score to settle would make—all of the things that Darcy wants to keep hidden threaten to erupt in ways she wasn’t prepared to handle…and isn’t sure if she can. ~ Goodreads

Source: ARC provided by the publisher via ALA

Review:

I read my blogger pal Anna’s – from Herding Cats & burning Soup – post “If You Liked THIS BOOK....You'll LOVE My Book! aka #BookDeath”, while I happened to be reading Grit – which is pitched for fans of E. Lockhart, Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson. And seriously….no. The writing style, while very good, and the emotional impact, aren’t even close to those authors mentioned. 

(And just as a general note - staaaaahp doing that publishers! It sets the author up for failure. Just because rape is mentioned in one book doesn't mean it's like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, or set in a small town so it's We Were Liars by E. Lockhart!)

Grit brings up a lot of timely, hard hitting, topics but doesn’t fully deliver on any of them. Sexual assault, slut shaming, class issues, friendships, migrant workers, secrets and a few more that I’m not going to mention because of spoilers.

Instead, French decides to throw in a awkward romance and a beauty pageant that distracts from the story, rather than moving it forward. From the book synopsis I thought we were heading into a Carrie/prom situation or maybe a creepy Stepford Wives kind of small Maine town but not so much.

What I loved, and the only reason I kept reading, was Darcy and the family dynamics between her widowed mother, sister, aunt and cousin. They have had a rough life (and still do) and it was written so heartbreakingly real and beautiful. The book didn’t need all that other filler. Maybe one thing to push the fragile relationships to the brink but not 5 different plot points that don’t really amount to anything or are rushed through in the end.

Darcy is scrappy, unlikable and wonderful! The bond between Darcy, her sister and cousin is sweet and fierce. The dynamic between her mom and aunt and was gritty, brutal and realistic. I loved all of that. I think the author was trying to write this evocative story where you were swept up into this small time vibe with understated writing. However, the result was  a lack of clear focus and missed opportunities by trying to make this a thriller/romance/gritty contemporary wrapped into one book when it could have been an AMAZING contemporary with a touch of romance. Or....go for the thriller angle. But not both.

Having said all that, on Goodreads, this book has several 5 star reviews from readers who found the writing and story raw and gritty.