Rating: 6/10
Overall Thoughts
Having read all of Lang Leav's previous works, I was exceptionally excited to get my hands on a copy of her first novel. When I heard that the title was going to be 'Sad Girls', my first impression was that the novel is going to be dark, tragic and emotional. Well, needless to say, I was wrong about the dark and tragic part. Just like every other teenage novel, 'Sad Girls' is essentially about a girl (Audrey) falling deeply in love with a boy (Rad) whom she knows is wrong for her but being a stubborn teenager like we all once were, she can't seem to be apart from him.
The story revolves around a lie that Audrey told which led to Ana's death. The lie soon became a weight on her shoulders that was too heavy for her to carry and Audrey started having panic attacks. Despite having a loving boyfriend (Duck) who saved her life and is basically perfect in terms of having a goal and vision in life, Audrey finds herself attracted to Rad who turns out to be *drumroll* the dead girl's boyfriend.
Whilst the novel may not be Lang Leav's best work, it is well-written and an easy read. The most interesting part would be the unexpected twist at the last twenty pages of the book.
Favourite Quotes from 'Sad Girls'
"Black is a shade - one that holds its presence in every gradation of gray, departing only with its transition into white. I have always thought of white as a clean slate, an unwritten page. A snow-covered field or a wedding dress. White is starting over, an absolution from your sins. That day, I was the furthest away from white that I could possibly be."
"A flash of guilt opened me up like a fresh, gaping wound."
"His voice was like a lullaby, and I could feel my eyelids growing heavy."
"Your first love isn't the first person you give your heart to - it's the first one who breaks it."
"Once you cross over, you can't go back. It never goes away completely. You just get better at dealing with it."
"Then just as swiftly as he appeared in my life, he was gone."
"I stood there for a long time in the dying light, a dull thudding in my chest and the feeling I was more alone than I had ever been."
"He looked as though he wanted to kiss me, and I was readying myself. But then he looked away, and the spell was broken."
"I used to think people were like lighthouses. That they were there to protect you. But they're not. People are like whirlpools. They pull you in; they drag you under. You have to work so hard just to keep your head above water."
