Nowadays it seems like all Young Adult Novels come stem from the same branch. We’ve got countless teenage girls looking for love, a few dozen too many vampires, and your standard coming of age story. We are so accustomed to reading what we know and love, reading what we find we can relate to in some form or another. It’s such a refresher to read a book and not be able to guess how the plot line will end up or not know anything about the characters. Gail Giles Girls like Us gives readers a new perspective that they will no doubt tear through.

Girls like Us alternates chapters between high school graduates Biddy and Quincy. Both girls have graduated high school through the special education program. Although they were not friends in high school, they are now living together as they start to navigate the world on their own. They’ve both got jobs and responsibilities they never had before. They’ve got to learn to get along with each other, but also with the world around them.

New experiences and new people make just about anyone nervous person. But imagine if you knew you were different. If you constantly lived your life in fear that someone would hurt you. What if people thought less of you when you knew you were just as good as them? Giles dares to ask these questions and her novel answers them remarkably well.

Biddy and Quincy’s story is one that will be remembered by all. Giles’ writing proves to be powerful and innovative. It’s a story about a world that majority of people will never experience. Girls like Us also sends a wonderful message without being forceful. The only flaw one may find is the length of the book. Some may find the novel too short and they may feel that they’ve been left out after experiencing so much with these girls. Overall though, Girls like Us is a book to be read and appreciated by many. After all, a novel like this doesn’t come out often.