FROM PUBLISHER: When 17-year-old Rilla is busted for partying 24 hours into arriving in Yosemite National Park to live with her park ranger sister, it’s a come-to-Jesus moment.

Determined to make up for her screw-up and create a stable new home for herself, Rilla charms her way into a tight-knit group of climbers. But Rilla can’t help but be seduced by experiences she couldn’t have imagined back home. She sets her sights on climbing El Capitan, one of the most challenging routes in Yosemite, and her summer becomes one harrowing and ecstatic experience after another: first climb, first fall two thousand feet in the air, first love. But becoming the person Rilla feels she was meant to be jeopardizes the reasons why she came to Yosemite—a bright new future and a second chance at sisterhood. When her family and her future are at odds, what will Rilla choose?

After seventeen year old Rilla gets into trouble, she is sent to live with her sister, a park ranger at Yosemite National Park. Rilla is unhappy about this until she falls in love with rock climbing.

Lemon effectively conveys the process of climbing, as well as its emotional appeal: the camaraderie of being in a team; the satisfaction and joy of achieving a goal; and the beauty of the landscape. I liked the insight into the world of climbing (worldbuilding!) and into why people would do something so physically demanding and risky. Especially someone like Rilla, who desperately needs a supportive group of friends, a sense of purpose and a positive physical outlet for her emotional turmoil. Finding these things doesn’t magically fix Rilla’s problems, but it does puts her in a better position to work towards that. Climbing fits in with Rilla’s personal journey, providing opportunities for her to learn about trust, friendship, perseverance and resilience -- and about herself. I really liked how this is a story about mistakes and second chances.

Valley Girls has a nicely nuanced portrayal of female friendships, but stumbles a little in its portrayal of sisters. It ends with a plot thread or two glossed over rather than properly addressed, as if there’s a needed scene missing from the final chapters. That’s a little frustrating but it doesn’t undermine what this book gets right.

Even with all the people, she felt out of place. It was clear from the winter paleness of her soft limbs, so was not here for anything Yosemite had to offer. It felt like everyone could see she was one of those rebellious teenagers dragged into the wilderness against her will, in hopes the awe of things bigger than herself would unlock the stubborn set to her jaw and the daggers she tried to shoot from her eyes. ( )

1.5 Stars

DNF @ 49%

I’m doing it. I’m DNFing my first book of 2018. Honestly, Valley Girls wasn’t egregious or offensive or really even that bad, but I was so utterly bored and indifferent I couldn’t continue. My biggest problem was likely my complete annoyance at main character, Rilla, who was forced to leave her home in West Virginia after some relationship problems and live with her park ranger sister in Yosemite valley.

Like I said above, I didn’t really like Rilla at all. I’m honestly not entirely clear on why she’s in Yosemite to begin with, but we do not mesh. She is very needy and insecure. Obviously, the climbing journey is going to showcase her growth, but I felt like she didn’t get into it for herself she just wanted to impress/belong with the older “cooler” people she just met. I also found a few scenes in the beginning to be a little confusing. There were a lot of new characters to keep track of in a wild environment and I did get lost a time or two.

But I did really all the climbing stuff!!!! There’s a great group of people and lots of comrodiere, but I just didn’t get enough from the story overall the make me want to continue.

I received a copy of the book from Amulet Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )