The Bitch Posse    by Martha O'Connor Order:  USA  Can St. Martin's, 2005 (2005) Hardcover      Reviewed by Tarah Schaeffer Martha O'Connor states in her introduction that The Bitch Posse is not another chick lit book. The story line is very raw and does not involve designer anything. Friends Cherry, Amy and Rennie find each other because they're the odd ones out at their high school. Each of them has a hard life, one that no-one should have to deal with (reading made me appreciate my own life and parents much more). There are flashbacks between the young women in the present day and as high school seniors in 1988. Then, Amy lived with parents who had to deal with a special needs child. Her older sister lived in an institution because she was unable to take care of herself due to brain damage sustained at birth. Her parents didn't deal with it very well - when not in a drunken stupor they fought about whether to take her out of there. Cherry's mom was a mental case herself, and a big time druggie on top of that. She not only smoked pot (the whole posse did too) but she inhaled crack and shot up heroin. For much of her life, Cherry had to fend for herself and take care of her mother as well. Rennie loved drama and was cast in a play being overseen by one of the teachers. Many of the girls had crushes on Mr. Schafer, a relatively new, young teacher. Unfortunately for the rest of the female student body, the only girl he had eyes on was Rennie. One day after play practice, lust took over and the two made love on a rafter above the stage. That started a purely sexual relationship. All those issues lead to hefty consequences in the future. I loved The Bitch Posse, an awesome read (note that it has strong language and explicit sexual content). Though its atmosphere is dark and dreary, I couldn't put it down. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews