The Girls Reviews

• What a real friend is.

  
  By A397H7LFV6CCKQ on 2001-03-31
  I was stunned when I first read this book. It looked a lot less than it actually was. I really hated Candace, the one all the girls turned to as she was their leader. This is one book that all girls can relate to. There is a Candace in everyone's life. Read this book and trust me, it's a lot better than you think.
  
  

• fluff

  
  By ANJ9MN5F1UCZ4 on 2005-04-20
  This book was awful. The story was predictable, cliched and poorly written. The writing was by far the worst part -- it was very immature. This sounded like something my middle school students might have written. Giving books like these to young adults is demeaning to their intelligence, especially when there are so many great authors out there who write well and address the relationship issues that are important to young teenage girls. I would never recommend this to my students.
  
  

• All girls should read this book

  
  By on 2005-12-11
  I loved reading the book! It really shows what a lot of girls go through.
  
  It's about this popular group of girls: Candace, Renee, Brieanna, Darcy, and Maya. Maya is the newest girl, Candace is the leader, Darcy is her best friend, and Brieanna and Renee are also good friends. Maya's life is going good, until one morning when she is told by her Dad that they are going to Magic Mountain and she is allowed to bring one friend. She calls all of her "friends" and finds out that Darcy is having a sleepover that she wasn't invited to. Friendless and confused, Maya goes through her day not knowing where she went wrong.
  
  Meanwhile, at Darcy's house, everyone is having fun dressing up in wigs and making fun of Maya except for Renee. Renee doesn't agree with the others in excluding Maya. She's positive that even everyone else, except Candace, feels the same way! But the rule is that whatever Candace says goes. If Candace likes or dislikes something or someone, everyone else has to follow her lead. Renee knows that this is wrong, but she doesn't know what to do.
  
  The book is seen through all of the characters' eyes, each chapter belonging to the mind of one of the girls. I think that all girls should read this.
  
  

• The Girls

  
  By on 2001-02-21
  This is an excellent book about exclusion and cliques in Middle School. The book is told from five different views and leads to understanding of each of the characters. I felt Maya's pain as she was excluded from the group and never did find out why. Renee and Brianna were good friends who just didn't want to be excluded. I think these are the girls that are like most Middle School girls I have dealt with over the years. Darcy still doesn't understand how manipulating Candace is, and wants to believe she is still her friend. Candace is the type of person who is just plain mean. There is no reason except she seems to be very angry with her life, and she takes it out on everyone else. This is very fast paced and I read it in one sitting. I plan to read it aloud to my classes, as I believe there are many valuable lessons to be learned. Excellent book.
  
  

• Audiobook brings "The Girls" to life

  
  By A1OMFWZHC3XMTB on 2003-03-13
  Gone are the days of "family reading" on a regular basis; instead, it's a lot of back and forth to school and activities. So that's why I've gotten into the habit of playing audiobooks during those car rides. My daughters don't complain, they leave their Gameboys at home, and we get to talk about the books we hear together.

  As the mom of a 9 yr. old and 11 yr. old, "The Girls" in audiobook form was perfect for the car. You can listen to a chapter in a single trip, and shut the tape/CD off and talk about what's just happened. The story's told by a different girl in each chapter, and all the voices lived up to their characterizations.

  Candace was snide and flippant and excellent as the leader of the group; Renee was slow and thoughtful and her confusion about the whole situation was made even more powerful by the separation of her parents and the pain she was going through - you could hear so much of what was going on inside just by the tone in her voice; Brianna was every bit the actress and daughter of her well-educated parents; Darcy was wonderful as Candace's best friend and "enforcer" - her voice revealed her insecurities even as she was being cruel to her "victims"; and Maya had the right note of sadness and loss to her chapters - she sounded younger and more naive than the others, and it came through in her voice.

  This is a great audiobook to get for longer car trips as well. No more fighting over which music CD we listen to! Amy Goldman Koss tells the story of exclusion and group behavior very convincingly, and the audiobook from Full Cast Audio brings it to life with actual teenage girls as the narrators. Give it a try!
  
  

• A very good, interesting book.
  By A79CC6I9RKGLC on 2003-05-29
  The Girls was a very good book. It kept me entertained, and wanting to know what's going to happen next. I read it in six days, and I don't normally read books that fast. This book was about seventh graders, but I found it good and easy to relate to as a ninth grader.

  This book is about 5 girls. Candace, the leader of the group, Darcy, Candace's biggest follower (best friend?), Brianna, the actress in the group who hates her nose, Renee, the girl who's parents are going through a divorce and who talks slowly (a vegetarian?), and Maya, another girl in the group who moved from a tough neighborhood. Candace decides she doesn't like Maya anymore, and suddenly everyone doesn't like Maya anymore. This book is about these girls and what happens in their lives after Maya is dumped from their group.

  This book was very good, and a page-turner. It has a very interesting story, and it is easy to read. The only thing in this book I didn't really like was that one of the characters was supposed to be a vegetarian, but she eats chicken in the book. But this didn't affect the story, so I still give this book 5 stars.

  Read this book. It is really awesome! I highly reccomend it!
  
  

• The Girls
  By on 2002-10-16
  Candace has long hair, and is popular. Darcy is Candace's best friend, and she gossips about eveything. Renee says "um" a lot, and is very nice. Maya has short hair, and has a little sister named Lena. Brianna is an honorary auntie to Candace's two little twin sisters, and she hates her nose. In the begining Darcy had a slumber party, which took at her house. The middle was when Candace and Darcy decided not to like Maya and Brianna, this happened at school and at the girls' houses. Last was when everyone started to go their own direction, this was at the school and at the girls' houses.
  The Girls was very interesting when all the girls started to fight, also it was very sad. The book was at the right pace where I could understand it. There were no confusing spots. The setting really set the book off to a great start because it was like they were my own friends. The message the author was giving me helped me to understand the book.
  The book will probably effect the reader in an exciting way. I feel this way because things happened in the book that happened in my life.
  
  
• the girls
  By on 2005-08-16
  the girls is a very short book which is technically unrealistic. the entire book is about events which happened over 2 days. it is told by six girls and very confusing. the feelings and emotions are so phony it's like reading something written by a 1st grader. if you are bored stiff, you might enjoy it a little, but other than worse case senario, do NOT waste your money on this book!!!!!
  
  
• Book Review
  By on 2005-10-21
  There was a group of friends, Darcy, Candance,Renee, Maya, and Nicole. They were all friends. But Candance was like, the 'leader' for instance. And all the girls wanted to be like Candance. Darcy had a birhtday party, the same day that maya was able to invite a friend to go to Worlds of Fun with her. She called Candance first, she was at Darcy's. Then she called Nicole, she went to Darcy's then she called Renee. Renee's mom anwsered and asked why Maya wasn't going to Darcy's birthday party. Not relizing that Maya wasnt invited becasue Candnace didnt want her there. Of course, she felt left out, and hurt. Maya went to Worlds of Fun with her dad and sister. Then once they got home, she got a phone call making fun of her. Then the rest of the night....Renee was feeling bad because she was at the party having an ok time, letting everyone else make fun of Maya. The next day, everyone left and Renee went over to Maya's. To apoligize. But at school, none of her friends would talk to her.Candance would become best friends with each girl, then used them to get to another girl.She kept keeping secrets from one girl, then telling them to another. Just being a backstabber. Later on in the story, somehow, someway, Maya finnally stood up for herself saying that they hurt her feelings, and that Candance is not all that. Shes rude, and she uses all of them. But at then end of the story,they all became friends again. And they worked it out with Candance.
  
  
• good, pretty realistic
  By on 2006-01-18
  its good, really realalistic. girls will do anything for popularity.
  
  it took a little long to get to the end, b/c each chapter is about a different girl, through her eyes.
  
  candance is a total bitch!hahaha
  
  but yeah good over all
  
  *definatly worth my time*
  
  
  
  
  
• One of the best books ever!
  By on 2006-06-13
  This book was so good. It was kinda suspenseful in a way because you just don't know what is going to happen next(it's not predictable.) It is a page-turner because you just can't stop reading it, you just want to know what happens page after page. Every girl should love this book, it is about something that might happen in life, you get kicked out of a group and feels like Maya(the girl in the book that gets kicked out of a group that she has been in awhile with Candace,Brianna,Renee,and Darcy.) You should REALLY buy this book and read it!!!!!!!!!!! Hope this was helpful.
  
  
• Just Plain Excellent
  By on 2007-02-10
  Maya, Renee, Darcy, Brianna, and Candace are in the same clique, but 'friends' might be too strong a word. Candace, the unquestioned leader, gets to know somebody she thinks is cool, and the other four act happy about it. Still, they persevere, inviting each other to sleepovers, ruling the school together. The entire friendship though, is hugely one-sided, everything relying on Candace. This becomes painfully clear when, without any explanations, Maya is deemed unworthy. And now she's just...out. The remaining three girls deal with Maya's new nobodiness in their own ways(ignoring it, obsessing over it, etc.) All the girls are very realistic. Candace your typical popular girl everyone is terrified of, Maya is crushed and despairing about ever having a social life again, Darcy is pretty much your average simpering toadie, and Renee and Brianna want to be nice to Maya, but are afraid of Candace's wrath. This was a wonderful book. It was so refreshing to read something from the points of view of everybody involved, not just the victim. I know some people whine about never knowing why Maya was suddenly kicked out, but really, to me that just adds another layer of realism. Who can fathom the mind of the popular girl/huge bully(very interchangable roles)? Really, I doubt Candace herself knows. I simply laughed out loud at the darkly humorous ending, which is not narrated by any of the five main characters, but an entirely new girl, Nicole, indicating Candace is probably starting up a new 'girl collection'. This is a great book and I would recommend it to all girls between the ages of 10-14.
  
  
• The Girls
  By A62BS7O9K6VPY on 2001-02-21
  This is an awesome book about relationships in Middle School. The entries are from each of the girls involved in the story and the reader can tell a lot about the personality of each. I felt for Maya who was excluded from the group and never really knew why. Renee and Brianna seem to be good friends, but are confused and don't want to be left out either. Darcy does not get the message and I am sure she will soon be added to Candace's list of used-to-be friends. I see a lot of people like Candace and hope that many others see her also. It is a strong message about acceptance and vulnerability. A must read for all 6-9th grade girls. Excellent book.
  
  
• A page turner
  By AM7YB4L4EZ88Q on 2001-03-15
  This was a totally realistic book about a junior high school clique. Popular Candace and her followers have turned against Maya, a former member of the group. What has Maya done to deserve this? Most of the group, including Maya, doesn't even know. The book just pulls you into this world where social status is important and fragile. You keep turning pages to see what will happen next. I read it in a few hours.
  
  
• The Girls
  By on 2002-03-03
  I was highly dissapointed with this book Amy Goldman Koss wrote. It was a story of five girls who did nothing but stab each other in the back and keep scerets from each other. I will tell you now i will never buy another one of her books ever again.
  
  
• The Girls
  By on 2002-05-24
  The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss is a book that all middle school girls should read. It's about a group of five girls named Brianna, Renee, Maya, Darcy, and Candace. Candace was the center of the group and was snobby and bossy. She kicked Maya out of the group even though she was the one who brought her in. Candace and Darcy began kicking Brianna out of the group because they suddenly didn't like her anymore. In the end, Maya, Renee, and Brianna, stayed out of the group, but they still are really good friends.

  I really enjoyed this book. It shows how some girls are mean to each other. I learned that friends that are nice to you sometimes turn around and go against you. They are not true friends. For instance, Darcy always does what Candace wants her to do. She does this because she doesn't have friends otherwise. She needs to start realizing who her real friends are and stop being a follower.

  My favorite part in this book is when Renee and Briana begin talking to Maya. They were being friendly and ate lunch together. Even though Candace and Darcy hated Maya, Brianna and Renee didn't. They thought that being mean to someone was not right. Maya didn't do anything to hurt their feelings in any way.
  
  

• The Girls
  By on 2002-09-25
  The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss was an okay story about 5 teenage girls that have a problem in their friendship. I can relate to each of the main characters, Maya, Renee, Darcy, Candace, and Brianna, at certian times, but what they go through isn't every interesting. I wouldn't recomend this book because you would probably get bored with it quickly. I would only read this book if i was assigned to to it, and probably wouldn't enjoy it.
  
  
• Popularitical Politics
  By A2X4JJQ98NJYO on 2003-01-12
  This book was amazing. I thought it was really interesting and it reminds me girls I know throughout my school. Despite some views on this book, it truly is good.

  It's all about five girls in the best clique: Candance, Darcy, Renee, Brianna and Maya. When Maya's dumped by Candance (Queen B.), she's stuck with sadness and despair. The others just go along with it but get dumped one by one by Candance anyway. Except the gullible and best friend, Darcy. She is scared of being left by Candance. By the end of the story, Candance has already thought about putting together another group of a popular fivesome of blondes including the new girl, with "cool hair", Nicole.

  This book has major deals on popularity, gossip, dreams, friends and other good middle school subjects.
  
  

• My opinion of The Girls
  By on 2003-04-09
  The Girls was an inspiring story of how a group of girls figure out who their real friends are. I really enjoyed the book, because, it reminded me to be careful of who I chose as my friends. The leader of these girls group is Candace, Candace is one of those preppy type who like to gossip. So, she's the cause of the group's major problems. Mya is the newest memeber of the group. Darcy, Candace's so called "best friend" is having this party and Mya doesn't even know about the party, Darcy and Candace plan on not having her know. When the other girls find out that Mya wasn't invited, they become a little puzzled. When Candace becomes more bored with Mya, at the party her and Darcy prank Mya, Darcy's sister catches them and tells her mom. Darcy does not apoligize to Mya until the book is almost over. To find out more about this book, you should read it!
  
  
• The Girls
  By on 2003-04-11
  The book I read was The Girls. It was about five girls who do everything together. The book shows all of the point of view form each girl so you get a different perspective from everyone. The girl's names are Renee, Nicole, Brianna, Darcy, Candace, and Maya. Candace was the popular girl in school and Darcy pretty much worships her. Everyone wants become Candace. Brianna was the shy one. One day one of the girls has a party; she invites everyone except for Maya. At the party they all make up nicknames for each other. Maya finds out about it and is very confused why they didn't invite her. At the party all of the girls start to talk about Maya saying bad things about her. Then they all decide to make prank phone calls to her. Maya gets really upset. The only people that still like Maya are Brianna and Renee. Later Candace meets Nicole and she becomes all of their friends. None of the other girls want to be friends with Candace any more because she is so mean and greedy. Then Maya becomes friends with all of them (except for Candace). Maya also meets a new friend while everyone else is ignoring her. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I love how this book was so descriptive. I would give this book five stars because it is a very fun and exciting book. It was very fun to hear from each of the girl's different perspectives in how the other girls acted. I would recommend this to all girls out there that enjoy a good book. It was one of those books that you just keep on wanting to read and one of those that you can not put down for a second. I am really glad I read this book and I think you will to.
  
  
• Believable and compelling
  By A2ELT9NS0Q8W9L on 2004-03-08
  Amy Goldman Koss's "The Girls" is a horribly realistic portrayal of the nastiness that goes on in middle-school cliques. The story is alternatingly told from the points of view of all five girls in the group, which was a wise decision on Ms. Koss's part as it allows us to develop a varying amounts of sympathy for all the characters, even the meanest ones.

  One of the most sympathetic figures here is Maya Koptiev, who at at the outset of the story has been the most recent one to be ostracized from the group. The ostracization of Maya (and others, as the tale progresses) is initiated by the clique's ringleader, Candace Newman. Nasty, gutsy, charismatic, and possessing the power to make everyone around kowtow to her, Candace is altogether too believable a character - as is her ugly-acting sidekick, Darcy. Yet at the same time, both girls' characters are three-dimensional. You might want to hate them, but you can't.

  Rounding out the group are weak-willed Brianna, who wants to remain friends with the excluded Maya but can't quite manage to wriggle out of Candace's proverbial clutches; and shy Renee, who dithers her way through sentences and worries about her father, the "jukebox man". Also prevalent are supporting players Keloryn (Darcy's college-bound older sister) and Nicole (a redhead Candace adopts for what Brianna refers to as her "girl collection").

  At 121 pages, "The Girls" is a short novel, but everything is there that needs to be. It is an (unfortunately) accurate and very compelling story from beginning to end.
  
  

• The Girls Review
  By APVC4RJYC6F60 on 2004-05-29
  The Girls consist of Maya, Renee, Candace, and Brianna. All of a sudden the 4 girls decided not to be friends with Maya, leaving her to wonder why they don't like her anymore.
  The book wasn't very detailed. It didn't even tell where it took place. It was hard for me to stay focused because I kept forgetting who the characters were or getting them mixed up, and not knowing who did what in the book. Personally, there were just too many girls to keep track of.
  However, I think a lot of girls can relate to it or atleast understand the concept. It wasn't horrible. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone just young girls like my neice because she is 13 and going in to middle school. Younger girls would maybe like it more.
  
  
• the clique
  By AGGCW2JSP4EON on 2004-08-19
  Since I am 18 yrs old, this book was a little bit young for me but it won more than one award so I decided that it was worth my time. The book shows the members of a clique from each individuals perspective. The book is a little bit juvinile but it shows the troubles that preteens face- divorce, the want for acceptance and watching their parents age.
  
  
  
• The Girls
  By on 2004-09-28
  The book I read was "The Girls". It is about a group of five girls, Candance, Dacrcy, Brianna, Renne, and Maya. There all best friends and Candance is there "leader" who brought in Maya. Then all of a sudden they droped Maya out of the group. At the end Maya, Brianna, and Renne stayed out of the group, but they are all still good friends, but not like they use to be. I gave it a four because it was good, and well written book.
  
  
• Read THE GIRLS
  By on 2005-02-28
  THE GIRLS is an awesome book,it is realistic. The characters are Maya,Renee,Brianna,Darcy,Candace and Nicole. The book is about a group of five girls that are really popular,and the leader of the group kicks Maya out of the group and then Brianna. The whole book is based on things that happen when girls to that age.
  
  
• Gossip Girls
  By on 2005-05-13
  This book is about the gossip that goes on between a group of five girls. They are middle school seventh graders.
  
  The original group of girls picked on Maya, because she was getting more attention than they were. So then Maya became friends with the new girl in school. She became more popular than she was with the orginal group of gossip girls.
  
  I liked the book, because Maya is like me. The other girls are like some of my friends. Otherwise, the book was fairly easy to read and follow the story line.
  
  
  
• The Girls
  By A1E1UFAGC21PR2 on 2005-07-23
  In her novel,The Girls, Koss is a little more in-depth with her characters and their motives. This clique is ruled by Candence, a girl with nothing special about her, but her simple presence. Adults see this, but her peers can not. Darcy is Candence's best friend, a girl who is use to seeing girls come and go in their group. She never stops to realize that she may be next. While Candence decides who stays and who goes, Darcy is the one who carries out the orders. This way, Darcy is seen as the nasty bitch instead of Candence. The clique is rounded out by Renee, whose parents have recently separated, Brianna, a talented actress with book smart parents, and Maya, a normal girl from a normal family.
  
  It is Maya that Candence decides needs to leave. She is simply not what Candence thought she would be. Candence is fascinated by mysterious girls and quickly disappointed when she finds there is no mystery. Maya is one such case. The other girls accept this with no argument, knowing that if they do, they may be next. Darcy, to prove her best friend status, carries out the actual teasing. What follows Maya's dismissal is an entire break down of these girls' culture and nothing is the same afterwards.
  
  The Girls suffer from the fact that it is too short. Koss as well developed characters, but she doesn't give them the space they need to grow. The events in the book take place over three days - very unrealistic.
  
  
  
• Stephanie's Review
  By on 2005-10-26
  This book is just ok. There is some confusion in it. I mean the book was good and all, but I have definately read better.
  
  
• STAY AWAY!
  By A1DHIOA03VJQWC on 2006-01-31
  This book was one of the worst books i have ever read in my entire life. I really thought it was very steriotypical. Sure, some girls go through what the characters went through (being kicked out of a clique)but not in my school. I don't know anybody who has had this happened to them. The style of writing in this book was cool though. The author had every chapter narrated by a different character. But otherwise...do not read. The main characters are weird losers who think they are all that and is so random and pointless...
  
  
• Hey You Need To Read This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By on 2006-05-02
  The book The Girls deals with a lot of problems girls face today.I had no problem relating to the book. In the book there are four girls. Candece being the most popular girl in the group. If she wants someone out of the group then some one gets kicked out of the group. and that is what happens. Candece kickes out Maya, and she doesn't know why... so if you wanna find out then you will have to read........and girls who read this will have no problem relating to this because I'm sure this has happend to them or they have watched it happen....so if you like these kind of books then this is a very good book to read.
  
  

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