The Girls from Corona del Mar
The Girls from Corona Del Mar ~ Rufi Thorpe
At the beginning of The Girls from Corona Del Mar, Mia and Lorrie Ann are high school best friends, and Mia is in trouble. She is pregnant (with a boy she doesn’t even like, she just wanted to get the deed over with so she would no longer be a virgin). Mia has an abortion, and decides that the only way to get out of sports practice the following day (don’t ask me what sport, all sports are the same to me. Likely there was a ball involved) is to have Lorrie Ann take a hammer to her toe and break it. This will have the added benefit of bringing Lorrie Ann more solidly into the mess with her, so she’s not alone. Lorrie Ann refuses.
Over the years of their friendship, told from Mia’s point of view, we follow Mia’s life and the decisions she makes, as well as Lorrie Ann’s, which seem to be cursed. Mia has always thought of herself as the ‘bad one’ and Lorrie Ann as the ‘good one’, and cannot understand why Lorrie Ann has such tragedy keep visiting her. Their friendship is tested late in the novel, when Lorrie Ann comes to Mia for help.
I don’t want to say any more because I don’t want to give anything away. I read another book by the same author, Margo’s Got Money Troubles that I enjoyed enough to give this one a try. I would say I liked Girls more than Margo, just because I felt like Margo clearly had other options than getting involved in almost porn. Whether you love the characters or not, Thorpe has a very engaging writing style. Recommended.
16 Comments
Ally Bean
I liked this novel enough that I occasionally think back on it. Just muse on what happened, how expectations can be dicey. The story was compelling. I’ve not read the Margo one, but will eventually.
J
Agreed, a very compelling story!
Lisa's Yarns
I really enjoyed this book and also preferred it to Margo (which I also enjoyed but gave 4 stars instead of the 5 I gave this one). I’m working on reading her back list so I read “The Knockout Queen” late last year as well which was also good, but not as good as Girls from CDM.
J
Another fan! Glad you agree with me on this vs Margo.
NGS
I was so upset with Margo. SO UPSET. I DNFed it with a fiery passion and I still get upset when I think about it. I want to say I’d read this book because books about female friendship are my jam, but I think I might just get all hepped up again. Do you think I would get hepped up? Is there inappropriate drug and/or alcohol use? That’s my biggest pet peeve. I’m such a prude.
J
Engie, likely you should skip it…there’s no underage drug use, but that’s as far as I’ll go.
Nicole MacPherson
You’re a reading machine! I loved this book SO much. It was just so well done! It was such a complicated book with so many layers, and that is my jam. I love this author!
J
LOL, no, not a reading machine. Just got behind (again), and decided to crank them all out at once. I really like her writing.
PocoBrat
A new-to-me author, and it sounds like they have TWO books I should be checking out. I’m so excited for summer reading!
J
I think these are good summer reading books!
Margaret
How are there so many interesting books around that I’ve never heard of?
J
SO MANY BOOKS
Jenny
Margo is on my TBR, because everyone seems to love it so much. But you’re saying you liked this one better- maybe I’ll read it as well!
J
I did like this one better, but both were very good.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I have not read this author but heared of Margo. Maybe I should give this a try.
Always fun to read your recommendations. Thanks.
J
Thanks Tobia! If you read it, I hope you enjoy it!