The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis GravesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Final Score - 5+ I AM GUTTED STARS!
From the first moment I read the blurb to this story, I got an immediate sense of what Annika's eccentricities were. Having some knowledge of this, I was ready and open to read this book - not really knowing where the writer was going to take me with this story. Ms. Graves was able to put me in Annika's shoes - so to speak - and as I read the story, I got to see the world from her perspective. She made me feel so much - her pain, her isolation, her fear, her pure heart that just made me want to protect to her from the harsh and often ugly realities of this world. We don't celebrate people we know to be different - we ostracize them, make them feel their inferiority and cast them aside.
The incident that Annika suffered in Seventh grade - I know what she went thru as I too was bullied just for being the tall, awkward girl. Annika's experience was much worse than mine, but my god, it was like I was reliving one of the worst times in my life again. I cried my eyes raw reading that. Hours later, that and other incidents that happened in the book are on constant playback in my mind. Needless to say, this book is going to stay with me for a long time to come and I welcome that. It's brought not only prospective but a bit of peace.
I could NOT put this book down - and believe me when I say I wanted to go slow as to savor it.
Edited to add in (3/31/2019): I just finished re-reading this gem again earlier this afternoon. All of Annika & Jonathan's moments are still with me and once again my eyes are watering and my heart is ready to burst. I love it that much. This is my first book by this author, but this will definitely not be my last. Ms. Graves has found a new fan in me.
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