pretty little dirty by Amanda Boyden

Well, I have certainly started 2007 off right with my book reading. This will make up for the months when I am studying for my Series 7 and 66 and can't read a book for months.

The book pretty little dirty by Amanda Boyden is told from the perspective of two best friends-Lisa and Celeste-although you don't actually know this until the end. It's the tale of their high school years (with a few younger years stories thrown in) and how they went from the smartest, prettiest and most popular girls in high school to college drop-outs who sell drugs out of their home.

Although older people may be a bit appalled by this story, I think it's very relevant to kids today-GIRLS today. It doesn't matter how much privilege or opportunity you have. It doesn't matter if you are pretty or well-liked. All girls have issues with themselves, with insecurities, with sex and boys. And you learn at an early age that sex can get you pretty much anything you want-even if it's only for 10 minutes.

But who teaches you when to stop? When to say it's NOT OK to let boys use you, hurt you, make you feel like a THING. But maybe you don't have to stop. Maybe when you have a soul mate who makes you feel worthy-then maybe it's just fine to fuck boys randomly. Maybe it's OK. Or maybe it's self-destructive. I am not sure what conclusion the book led me to.

More than anything I think that life is hard for everyone. It's not easier because you rich or pretty or smart. You have just as many problems. Maybe you are poor. Maybe you are "ugly". But maybe you still have dignity. Maybe you still have self-worth. While other maybe be pretty and rich, but they hate themselves. Life is hard either way, just in a different way. My favorite thought is no matter how bad you think your life is at the moment, there is someone out there whose life is worse.

It's a good book. It's addictive and a bit painful to read, but it makes you think-which is always good.