Whores on the Hill

This book is absolutely my favorite book I have ever read. You couldnt have torn me away from it, had you used phyiscal force. Even after finishing it, i was reluctant to let go of it for the next 3 days. Its characters are so beautifully created and exposed. Their experiences are described with such evocative description and subtle detail that I can still picture each one. After finishing it, I wanted to be these characters, despite the turmoil of their lives. They are endearing, real and poignant, as is the whole book. In a word, it is AMAZING.

This was the best coming of age novel that I have ever read. Ms. Curran really taps into the angst of searching for one's identity during the teenage years. At first I thought this book might be attacking an all girls' high school, but that was definitely not the case. In fact Ms. Curran shows how an all girls' education can be quite empowering.I am a high school English teacher and we are always looking for good and yet controversial literature. I have recommended this book to my students and everyone who has read it raves about it. A few of my students confessed that they have never read an entire book before--until they read this book!!! I really like how one of the minor characters in this book, Sister Joe, really provides emotional help to one of the major characters after she is gang-raped. Ms. Curran deftly handles her sex scenes with such subtle beauty that it almost is poetical. This book is not only realistic, but it is a real page turner! A must read for this summer for teens and adults. Marybeth Raff, Waukesha,Wisc.

This is NOT a coming of age novel by any means... but it is a "coming of responsibility" novel. I live in Wauwatosa, just outside of Milwaukee and right where this book takes place. Half of the places they mention I know where they are. Originally, I picked up this book just as a laugh because it was supposed to be based on DSHA (Divine Savior Holy Angels... see a connection?) the last all girls Catholic school in Milwaukee. But after reading it, I liked it for much more than that. The girls in this book are crazy and wild. Halfway through the book, you sit there thinking: 'Wow. Wouldn't it be amazing to live like that, without any restrictions?' until at the end, you close the book and go, 'Wow. Who would ever want to do that to themselves?' Don't believe the bad reviews from concerned parents that this book is getting. I'm a straightedge kid (no sex, no drugs, no alcohol) and this book most definitely didn't change my mind about any of that. It was well written and it really grabs you: the characters are life-like and incredible. I highly recomend this book to anyone and everyone, especially if you live in the area.

[...]Whores on the Hill is actually an amazing story about three young women trying to understand and take control of their lives, their dreams, and their own sexuality. It's basically what every teenager (male and female) goes through, but in this book, Colleen Curran has not avoided addressing these issues in real terms. Curran doesn't gloss over the startling reality of teenage sex and drug use. She presents the story of a world that exists out there today for all teenagers. [...]