The Girls

by Amy Goldman Koss

Book Overview

Maya has been part of the group ever since the day Candace asked her if she wanted to "do lunch" in the cafeteria. Yet when Candace suddenly deems her unworthy, Maya's so-called friends just blow her off. While Maya just wants the girls back like they used to be, she knows that can never happen-because whatever Candace wants, Candace gets, no matter who gets hurt. Maya isn't sure exactly where things went wrong for her, but she knows she has to find...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142300330
• ISBN13: 9780142300336
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

All girls should read this book

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.

A very good, interesting book.

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!

Audiobook brings "The Girls" to life

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!

The Girls

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

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.