The Female of the Species

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
On Sale September 20, 2016 by Katherine Tegan Books
Rating: ★★★★★



I'm not entirely sure I have the words for this one, but I'll go ahead and try. This book is dark and violent and awesome... and I think I'll be processing what the holy heck I just read for a while to come. If you read this book, prepare to clear out some head space for the story to come and live in.

In the small, insular Ohio town where she grows up, Alex Craft is the girl with the dead sister. Not much more. She doesn't interact with her classmates, and they make no move to include her. That's until she catches the eyes of Jack Fisher-- the all-American boy who plays on every sports team, gets good grades and has no shortage of girls vying for a place in his bed. Once he notices Alex, really notices her, he can't get her out of his mind. Peekay also notices Alex but with very different motivation. Peekay is pigeonholed to the role of preacher's kid and is looking for a friend who sees her in a different light. Alex struggles with social interaction, but the two are able to cobble together a growing friendship as they volunteer at the local animal shelter.

And, oh, yeah, Alex Craft is also kind of a cold-blooded murderer:

"This is how I kill someone. And I don't feel bad about it." 

"I am a wolf that my sister kept in a cage, until her hand was removed." 

Alex Craft is the character I thought Jane Steele would be when I read the blurb for Jane Steele. She's a mixture of righteousness and cruelty. It's easy to fear her and admire her. You hope she'll be able to run off with Jack and start a happy little family while also thinking she really needs to be in jail.

And I did not see that ending coming.

For better or worse, it's impossible to deny this book has an effect. It's one of the most memorable books I've read all year. I will say that for a YA book, I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with my teen reading this. I'll have to get back to you on that.