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Rating: 
Summary: Believable and compelling
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: This book has no plot!
Review: I found this book in my 11 year-old sister's room, and thought it looked interesting. Boy was I wrong! This book can be confusing to follow because each chapter is writted from another character's point of view. Not only does this book have so weak a plot that it seems to be non-existent, but the portrayel of the four teenage girls who are the main characters is totally false! The plot in this book is so unbelievable! I wouldn't waste your money on this book. If you desperatly want to read this book, then borrow it from the library, but do not spend your own money on it!
Rating: 
Summary: Pre-Teen Peer Pressure
Review: I thought that this book was really good because it describes about how the life of being a teenager really is.Its not easy fitting in or choosing the right group of friends and just because you think you fit in doesnt necessarily mean it is the right group. Choosing your friends is hard and I think this book really describes that.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Maya's a member of a middle-school clique, until one day, when their "leader" decides to ditch her. Maya's confusion, along with three of the other girls in the clique's emotions are explored in short chapters that switch back and forth from one girl to another. What emerges is a sad, but very true picture of how cliques function and how girls treat their "friends." My main gripe with this book was that it was far too short and read more like a short story than a novel. I wish that the characters had been expanded a bit more, but maybe by keeping it short, the author was trying to prove a point.
Rating:
Summary: The Girls
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Girls
Review: The Girls
Amy Goldman Koss
Maya's life was going great when she moved into town and became friends with the most popular girl in school named Candace. That would change after one night during the end of summer break. Maya isn't invited to Darcy's sleepover because Candace considered her boring now. It's time for Renee and Brianna to make their own choice on whether they were going to be Maya's friend or just follow the leader of their group, Candace.
This was a book that can really relate to real life problems people go through. It's about making your own decision, not follow someone else's, and learning how to stand up for what you truly believe in.
I would really recommend this book to people of the ages of 11-14. I got caught up in this book the more I read it. I personally would rate this book a 4 with 5 being the highest.
Rating:
Summary: This book has no plot!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Girls
Review: 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.
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