Review // Pretty Girl Thirteen - Liz Coley

Published - 28th February 2013
Publisher - Harper
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - A gripping, suspenseful debut that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page…Angie Chapman is only 13 when she gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night. The next thing she knows she’s returned home, scars around her wrists and ankles, physically exhausted. Her parents collapse into tears when they see her, but Angie doesn’t understand – until they tell her she has been missing, presumed dead, for three years. Angie doesn’t remember anything from her missing years. But there are people who do – people who could tell Angie every terrifying detail, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind. With help, Angie begins to unravel the darkest secrets of her own past. But does she really want to know the truth?

Pretty Girl Thirteen was one of those books that I bought purely based on the synopsis and the beautiful cover that drew my attention to it. I hadn't heard of the book or any reviews etc so it was completely new for me! And wow, what a book.

I'm still having trouble putting my thoughts together about this book even though it's been a couple of weeks now. It was fantastic - I should start with that. I read a lot of YA and a fair amount of classics but psychological fiction is something that is pretty new to me. I find it difficult to say I "enjoyed" a book that was so emotional and disturbing - much in the same way a true story of abuse would make me feel, and I did feel like this was real. About half way in I had to put the book down as it was so...intense.

Angie is a brave young girl who has faced way more than her share of trouble and heartache and I truly felt for the girl, which is probably why i'm having difficulty making this review detached in any kind of way. Dissassociate Identity Disorder is not something that i'm familiar with so I can't comment on how well Coley put the condition across but I can say, as I did before, that I felt like it was real. Honestly, I don't think it's a book that i'm likely to reread but i'm glad that I have read it and already there have been moments in RL conversations where i've made reference to it!

Warning, this book isn't for everyone and contains graphic experiences and mental health problems. It is definitely not a light read but it's different and out of my comfort zone so take my review lightly!