Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry

Summary from Goodreads:

Best friends are forged by fire. For Winona Olsen and Lucille Pryce, that fire happened the night they met outside the police station—both deciding whether to turn their families in.

Winona has been starving for life in the seemingly perfect home that she shares with her seemingly perfect father, celebrity weatherman Stormy Olsen. No one knows that he locks the pantry door to control her eating and leaves bruises where no one can see them.

Lucille has been suffocating beneath the needs of her mother and her drug-dealing brother, wondering if there’s more out there for her than disappearing waitress tips and generations of barely getting by.

One harrowing night, Winona and Lucille realize they can’t wait until graduation to start their new lives. They need out. Now. All they need is three grand, fast. And really, a stolen convertible to take them from Michigan to Las Vegas can’t hurt.

Review:

I went into this one a little blindly. I didn’t really know what it was about. I just know that I love Brittany Cavallaro, and it sounded like something I’d enjoy/be able to fit into a carry-on to Paris. I was right on both accounts. ARCs are good travel books (light and paperback-y), and it was the kind of story I love.

At its core, it’s a friendship story. It’s about two girls who have struggled to excel in a world that appears to want to have nothing to do with them. With each other to hold on to, they become stronger, fiercer, braver, and better. They learn that they deserve happiness. They deserve love. They deserve not to be abused or taken advantage of. And watching them come to all these conclusions was just powerful.

It took me a little longer than expected to really get into the story. I had trouble relating to the characters at first. One girl was trapped by an abusive father and another was walked all over by her brother and mother. It was hard for me to love them. But, every scene with the two of them together, won me over. They really brought out the best of each other. And that on it’s own was powerful.

Then you add in: bar fights, con schemes, gambling, stolen convertibles, faked kidnappings, drug deals, disappointing dreams, and first love and well, you get this crazy, addicting, and suspenseful story. There’s a definite Bonnie and Clyde/Thelma and Louise vibe here. And as the story was progressing, I was dreading the ending. I know those stories don’t always end well. And a part of me knew there couldn’t not be any consequences for stealing the car, or conning people, or running away.

There were some scary consequences. And despite being afraid of the end, the whole last quarter of the book rushed by. So much goes down, that it’s impossible to put the book down. And I was scared for the girls during two different moments there. Thankfully, I did end up loving the end. It was both sad and happy. It was believable, but also good. I remember taking a deep relieved sigh at the end.

I ended up loving the characters. I loved the friendship story. I loved how empowering this was. I also loved the suspense and plot. If you have trouble getting into it, don’t give up. Try at least a quarter of the book before making up your mind. I give it an 9/10.