Mindy McGinnis

Living a life in the shadows after violently retaliating against the killer who walked free after murdering her sister, Alex unexpectedly befriends guilt-ridden athlete Jack and defiant preacher's kid Peekay, who must navigate Alex's darker nature throughout their senior year.

The Female of the Species

★★★★☆
3.50 STARS

I can say, this book has a lot of good quotes referring to sexism. How each words has a great conviction about the social stereotypes of the topic. That was the part that I liked the most. It was a tough read. For one, because it has a very sensitive topic. But the main reason was because I'm not into the entirety of the story flow. I actually went through this a few days more than my usual read. I am not entirely sure, but maybe because plot-wise, I was not rooting for it. It was average, for me, and I didn't see myself being attached to it. After hearing a lot of good things about this book, I set a very high expectation that I felt a surge of disappointment after reading and thinking that it didn't quite meet that expectation. And the way the ending was wrapped up, it just really threw me off.

chloe rae

4.5
Damn. I did NOT know what to expect with this book and I think that's exactly why I loved it so much.
I'm not sure how to explain this book, or what exactly to compare it to. I mean, it's kind of thriller-esque? A little mystery? I'm not sure. There was this air of...something to it that I really liked; I thought it had a really strange, captivating atmosphere.
I found this book extremely hard to put down. It’s weird and odd and wrong but ADDICTING. I basically flew through it. The best part for me was the characters. There’s a lot about this book that is messed up but all of the POV's held my attention and I still loved them all equally. I found everyone to be fascinating and interesting and enjoyable. They all had their own distinctive voice and opinions and it was just stellar.
The only reason this isn't a 5 star for me is because of the ending. I felt like the entire book was this wonderful, slightly creepy slow build up to something; I kept thinking "ok, something is going to happen. What's going to happen?!" But when something finally did happen at the end I was a little disappointed. I thought it could've been bigger or more intense. I feel like the ending was just so abrupt that I guess I just wanted more. I'm not necessarily mad about the ending but I think it could've been done even better.
Overall, this book was a total surprise and I'm super glad I read it. I'll probably be thinking about it for a while.

Denaiir

I am so happy that a YA book could be so realistic, dark and original. 

All the characters were amazingly crafted, three-dimensional, realistic and believable. I like how Mindy McGinnis didn't shy away from her morally-grey main character, because yes there are some things in today's society that just are not ok, and yes I understand that some people would react the way Alex does. Thank you for creating such a relatable character (not saying I have the same urges, just that sometimes people do not feel that unicorns and rainbow are all around us all the time, and it feels horrible to not be able to do anything about it). 

I loved all the characters in that they made me question my choices, they surprised me (I thought Jack would turn out to be the stupid athletic type, sorry Jack for not beliving in you more) and they showed so much kindness. I loved their interactions and unlikely friendships.

Finally, the ending was just perfect I didn't know how the author would fall on her feet, but she did it superbly.

P.S.: I am an animal-lover and the shelter volunteering part was a little extra treat or me, it showed that whenever you don't feel fine, animals can always help (my 2 cats certainly do that!) :)

As Kristin from SuperSpaceChick put it: "I have no doubt you’ll fall in love with Alex’s morally grey character and her drive for justice in a society that’s otherwise apathetic to the things women experience". So true.

Such a fun read and very magnetic, but I didn't love how it ended. 

koî glasscock

Julia

3.5/5
Listened to it on Chirp because it was only $3.99. I have trouble listening to audiobooks but this one was super engaging! 
I liked the plot a lot but didn’t like most of the characters. However, I think the last chapter makes up for some complaints I had earlier in the novel and it wraps up the story nicely. I couldn’t stand Jack, the main guy character, and actually wasn’t a big fan of Alex (one of the main characters) either. The characters I actually liked or wanted to learn more about were not the main focus of the first half of the book. However, the characters I wanted to see more of did become more complex and more of a central focus toward the end. I just wish it was like that for more of the book.

The best revenge tale I have ever read. Feminist to a fault.  Anyone who's ever felt like they wanted to kill a man and actually 

 should get their capable hands on this book.

Just a wee bit over the top, but we all need that sometimes.

Lily Elizabeth Labella

The best revenge tale I have ever read. Feminist to a fault.  Anyone who's ever felt like they wanted to kill a man and actually could should get their capable hands on this book.

Just a wee bit over the top, but we all need that sometimes.

Alexa M

"The books didn't help me find a word for myself; my father refused to accept the weight of it. And so I made my own. 
I am vengeance." 

 REREAD 6/4/2022:  i still love this just as much as i did 3 years ago! i almost wanted to lower my rating a little because of Jack... he annoyed me and his chapters felt very gratuitous to me. like why in this book about rape culture are we giving a pervy teenage boy a voice? anyways, i loveeee Alex sm. 6 years later, this is still a very unique book on the topic and i highly recommend.

Tori Agnew

The tears won’t stop coming. How does one recover after a book like this? Fucking brilliant.

Edgar Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a riveting contemporary YA novel that examines rape culture through alternating perspectives. A stunning, unforgettable page-turner. Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone. As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever. 2017 Tayshas List Selection * YALSA Top 10 Best YA Fiction of 2017 * School Libray Journal Best of 2016 * Junior Library Guild Selection * The Globe and Mail Best Books of 2016 * Bustle’s Best Young Adult Books of 2016 * Mashable’s 8 Best YA Books of 2016 * Seventeen's 10 Best YA Books of 2016 * CCBC Choices 2017 * 2018-2019 Louisiana Readers' Choice Award Nominee * 2019 & 2020 Choose to Read Ohio Booklist

dija

Why the hell wasn't i expecting that ending?????

Lorelei Petcu

This book hit me a lot harder than I expected. I went into it without reading the synopsis, and so I assumed I was about to read a feminist book. And it was definitely feminist, but it was also so much more. 

Rape culture is such a big problem in our world and it’s also a subject I get very passionate and angry about. It was great to see it talked about so openly. It was dark and brutal and incredibly necessary. Rape is not a subject to be romanticized and this book understood pefectly. 

Alex is a great protagonist. She has questionable morals and she makes you question your own morals, because you find yourself agreeing with her actions. 
I loved reading from her point of view. You could also see her “normal” part coming out through the relationships she creates during this book. 

I was expecting something a little different from the ending, but the one we got was entirely fitting to the book. I loved everything about it. It made me angry, it made me sad and, most importantly, it made me think.

Fátima

Nos encontramos con tópicos que incomodan, y lo hacen porque son reales, porque son la cruda realidad con la que nos enfrentamos toda la vida. Es un libro con descripciones bastante fuertes y gráficas, es un libro que va a tocar tus fibras más sensibles. A mí me dejó devastada.

Reseña completa: https://paperstarlight.blogspot.com/2...

Interesting book. 
3-4 stars. Unsure about the rating.

Lyra Perez

Amanda Kordeliski

Melissa Moore

WOW. Everyone should read this book. It touches on today's society in so many ways. My heart was crushed, but still I feel stronger as a female after reading this book. I can see myself reading this book over and over again.

Carley Whitehead

***Reread 5/10/19 and damn it, it got me again. Such an incredible book.


Feels like the book reached in and crushed my heart and goddamn, I loved every second of it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.

Alexa Jade

Amanda Autumn Berrey

Five Stars

A brief synopsis: Following her sisters brutal assault and murder, Alex decides to take matters into her own hands to serve justice against the man who killed her sister. She makes peace with what shes done deeming it a necessary evil, but as she returns to her normal life she has an overwhelming murderous Robin Hood complex that just might get her in trouble

My review: Yes!! I loved every single page of this novel. The characters are amazing and I love Alex. Shes misunderstood. But she also has good intentions. The title of the book is extremely clever as it relates to the fact listed in the books that females are the more violent sex of most species. The plot was fascinating and the way the author wrote hooked me

There are definitely some triggers to warn about so please be careful with reading. This book covers drug use, rape, murder, violence, bullying, among other things. Please read with caution

Jordyn Wassen

I knew from the first page this book was going to leave a lasting impression and little did I know what was to come. I loved everything about the book and things like this is what should be taught in school not Romeo and Juliet. This amazing story has left me in awe and my mind is trying to process what I just read.

Mariana Correia

August 1st, 02:04am
Being a woman is fucking scary. Is not being able to fully trust, always having multiple set of eyes, constantly aware of danger, and by danger I mostly mean men or danger situations inflected (again mostly) by men. This book is making me feel so much at the same time that I need to collect my thoughts to give it its proper exaltation and credit.
TW: sexual assault; sexual violence; drugs; alcohol; animal cruelty; death
I will start with a simple example. Women are expected to be “house wives” and perform “trademarked” tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Funny enough, the best culinary chefs in the world are male. It could also be related to talent, of course, but deep down I believe it is due to the fact men can’t see women prosper and win. We have to prove twice as hard our worth, skills and talent. Our fucking value. That is shown by statistics of percentages of women vs men in positions of leadership and power. (Sorry if this is controversial but I am trying to set to tone for the rest of the review). 
Women are "taught" to see other women as competition. We are "taught" to always blame women, to not hold men accountable. (when I say "taught", I means it is pass on to us by society). This book also tackles that aspects brilliant. We are taught to minimize our existences to our visual and physical appearances. If we are virgins, men see that as a "problem to be dealt with", if women want to explore their sexualities, they are seen as sluts and suddenly, it because "acceptable to "men"" to take advantage of them.
This book was realistic when it comes to relationships, friendships, themes such as loyalty, self worthy and how it portraits the reality of being a woman. And this also has a fascinating way of representing trauma and how we deal with it, how it effects us long term. Some ghosts won’t simple go away.
We are equal. We are to be respected. Women are done surviving and I think this book really analyzes that idea in the most understanding, daunting, beautiful way.

Sheila

"But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll."

This book pulls no punches & is refreshing in the utter lack of bullshit. Every character was fantastic! The ending though T_______________T 

My only criticism is that the relationship between Jack and Alex progressed too quickly to be realistic given Alex's emotional baggage (more like emotional oil tanker with 500 anvils and an elephant on top). Everything else though? So so so so so so so so so so soooooooo fantastic

Kathryn 

This book is incredibly difficult to rate because there are some things about it that I loved and some things that I absolutely hated so I’m just gonna stick right in the middle while I try to sort out my thoughts and feelings.

Caroline Lewicki

WOW. This was so powerful and striking. I would absolutely own this and read it again. Mindy McGinnis does such a graceful job transitioning between character's voices. I could stop in the middle of a chapter and come back to it later and know who was narrating because she truly develops a voice for Alex, Peekay, and Jack. 

I highly, highly recommend this book and feel like it's going to linger with me for a while!

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.

The female of the species

Hannah Derzanovich

4 stars right up until the ending. What the hell.

The Female of the Species

Reviews