i love how completely unique this book is — it stands out on its own. nothing could ever hope to live up to it. at first, i mistakingly thought it was just another steamy romance novel with a feminist core in it — and it was but it was also so much more than that.

this book was thoughtful, hilarious, hot, sweet, absurd, and was such a good time. that’s why i took my time with it. the female friendships in this? i absolutely adore. leanne is a psychology major demon and i love her. allie is so cool and tries to get power in her own way and i love her. farren is such a resilient woman and so mature and i love her. there’s also the dudes, like callum that soft nice boy and michael, who politely pretends to not see you crying as a way of comforting you when you’re crying. and i love how some of them got that college vibe of “i actually don’t know what i’m doing with my life”. and the main character, jess gordon? i don’t think i’ve ever felt so understood by a main character. her mind goes fast as she gives a smile. she tells it as it is while also being aware of the sensitivities of a situation. she cares, she forgives, but she will not and won’t let other girls be treated like shit. and i adore her so much. one of my favorite characters ever.

i don’t think i’ll ever get over this book’s humor. it’s so peculiar and clever and i don’t read a lot of books with this kind of poignant humor.

now — some of my favorite, random quotes from the book:


“I’m not angry,” he said, sounding angry.

“Honestly, I’m too tired for this shit.” As Jess said it, she felt it. “Exhausted. Do you know I’ve been out every night for the last six nights?”
“You’re a legend.”
“That’s what I was aiming for. Legend status.”

“Look at me—nobody used to know I existed. Girls like you and Farren, you’re loud and quick and funny, and you’ve got opinions. But for people like me, that’s hard. Then one day, I just thought, Fuck it. I’m going to pretend to be confident. Tits, tongue, and teeth. That’s how easy it is, really. Just don’t ever let them see they’ve gotten to you. Act confident.” With that, she left.

As if aware that she’d slipped and sounded as flat as she felt, she laughed.

“I know everyone here thought I should have taken it further. Taken a stand—put myself on the stand, more like it. And that’s my problem with the whole thing. People save their strong opinions for women. Why don’t they look at men? If I have to read another book or see another movie about a woman being courageous, I’ll throw up. Where are the books and movies about the men who do this stuff? But no, it’s always about the women. They not only have to get through it, they’re supposed to stand up, become a symbol, allow their whole lives to become derailed and defined by it. What if you don’t want to? What if you just think, Okay, so two guys watched me having sex without my consent. It wasn’t pleasant, but so what? Big. Fucking. Deal. I refuse to sacrifice myself to that.”
“Okay,” said Jess.
“Oh, I’m not finished.” Farren planted a hand on the desktop. “Because here’s the thing. As far as I’m concerned, I’m already a hero. You know why? Because I did the one thing nobody thought I would do after that. I ran for president. And you know why that makes me a hero? Not because I was making some big, brave statement, but because it’s what I’d always intended to do. I did not allow my life to change. Not even to make other people feel better. People bang on about women having the right to make choices—well, they need to realize women have the right to choose in these matters, too.”

“I’m your friend, not your manager. Anyway, he was probably necessary for your evolution.”

“We were being objectified? I kind of liked it. I never get objectified.”

“Maybe he likes you.”
“He called me a slut.”
“Generation Porn, Jess. Consider it a term of endearment.”

Farren moved like a bullet, fast and straight and true, whereas Jess liked to wander. Farren was a third-year arts and law student who got involved, changing the world from the inside out. Jess was a second-year economics slacker, allergic to committees of any kind. Farren analyzed things rationally, looking at them from all angles. Jess operated on gut instinct. Farren was an only child, the offspring of two lawyers, now divorced. Jess was one of three siblings whose parents hadn’t made it past high school. Both had lived on T-floor the year before, and the birth of their friendship had been fast, furious, and forever. Obviously.

The thing is, one of the M-floor girls had later told Jess, with the blank-faced look associated with shock, if we hadn’t stopped Leanne, she would have kept going. She was having the time of her life. Sometimes I think there’s something wrong with that girl.
If you lived on T-floor you’d know there was,Jess had responded.

“But I can’t have sex without trust. Actually, it’s worse than that. I have to be sure they care about me.”

“Jess.”
“Hmm?”
“Just saying it.”

“Nice tits, by the way.”
“They’re small—”
“Why can’t small be nice?”

“It’s not your fault,” Farren assured her. “You’re going up against years of conditioning—this idea that for every woman there’s a singular male who will haunt her, fascinate her, for the rest of her life. Look, from the moment they start reading fairy tales to us, we’re encouraged to isolate ourselves, put ourselves in a tower or in a deep sleep, hang out in our room at college, and wait for this mythical being to turn up.”

“And there’s the big money,” Sylvie said, thoughtfully. “The smile.”
Jess laughed, embarrassed, looking from Sylvie’s reflection to her own, and just for a second she saw what Sylvie meant. Somehow, the humor and light in her hazel eyes, the kindness in her face, her vibrancy, rendered Sylvie’s perfect symmetry irrelevant.

“It’s not funny!” Jess protested. “I’m actually really sensitive.” And yet she couldn’t help but smile, which was annoying.
“There it is. There’s the smile.”

“Brent! Hey, Brent! Would you do Jess?”
“What?” came the shout.
“Jess Gordon! Would you sleep with her?”
“In a flash. Ha, ha!”
Jess looked skyward.
“What about you, Ticker?” Leanne yelled.
“Affirmative.”
Leanne returned to her seat. “Problem solved. Brent and/or Ticker.”
“I feel sorry for your future patients.”

and the quote that introduced me to this book:

“Want to know a secret? I am someone else. Nobody knows the real me.”
“You’re a girl. It’s the same for all of us.”