Squad

by Mariah MacCarthy

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

When I first saw the cover of this book, I thought this was going to be a story about cheerleading, but it's really a tale of one girl's struggle, when she loses her "squad".

Jenna couldn't figure out when or why it all began, but her teammates were icing her out. Between the in-jokes, the backhanded compliments, and the unanswered text messages, Jenna knew she was now on the outside looking in. All of this was very painful for Jenna, but the worst part was how her long-time best friend, Raejean, abandoned her.

I won't lie, Jenna's reaction to all of these changes was FAR from positive. She made a bunch of really questionable decisions, but I was still able to empathize with her, because I had experienced this sort of thing first hand. It hurts, it starts to make you question yourself, and I thought MacCarthy did an excellent job capturing the fear, anxiety, desperation, and insecurities Jenna experienced.

I was a little worried about this story, because the first half of the book was kind of dark and bleak, but then Jenna sort of comes to terms with her situation. In an effort to atone for her bad behavior, she cuts herself off from the cheer squad, and that was when she really started to figure out who she was. She began to expand her circle of friends and renewed her relationships with her brother and mother. She made new friends and even picked up some new interests (LARPing!). It was great to see her grow, heal, acknowledge her mistakes, and make an effort to achieve some closure.

Overall: An interesting look at fading friendships, getting through tough times, and finding yourself.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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