Boring Girls

“But the girls are friends. And they killed him for a good reason,” 12-year old Rachel says as she looks at Artemesia Gentileschi’s famous and gory painting of Judith Slaying Holofernes—a hint early on that Taylor’s debut novel isn’t going to be your average girl’s coming-of-age story. A bright, artistic teen who doesn’t fit in with the other kids at her school, Rachel finds an escape from the bullying she is suffering at the hands of one of the popular girls when she discovers metal music. Drawn to music that expresses her rage, she finds her way into a scene where she feels like she can fit in, and she finds a friend, Fern. Together, Rachel and Fern start a metal band of their own, Colostomy Hag. But just as their band begins to find some success, the girls are violently attacked by the men in a band they had admired and had gone to meet backstage. Their plan to get revenge sets them on a course that descends further into violence. Anything but boring, Taylor has created a gripping psychological portrait and riveting tale of female friendship and the power of music. (Apr.)