You Know I'm No Good

This razor-sharp novel from Printz Honor winner and Morris Award finalist Jessie Ann Foley will appeal to fans of Wilder Girls and The Grace Year.

Mia is officially a Troubled Teen™—she gets bad grades, drinks too much, and has probably gone too far with too many guys.

But she doesn’t realize how out of control she seems until she is taken from her home in the middle of the night and sent away to Red Oak Academy, a therapeutic girls' boarding school in the middle of nowhere.

While there, Mia is forced to confront her painful past at the same time she questions why she's at Red Oak. If she were a boy, would her behavior be considered wild enough to get sent away? But what happens when circumstances outside of her control compel Mia to make herself vulnerable enough to be truly seen?

Challenging and thought-provoking, this stunning contemporary YA novel examines the ways society is stacked against teen girls and what one young woman will do to even the odds. 

* A Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction Selection * A Banks Street Best Children's Book of the Year *

At Red Oak Academy, the only way out is through. But what happens when the girls who are supposed to be your rivals become your only lifeline?

• Troubled Teen Protagonist: Meet Mia Dempsey: smart, sarcastic, and spiraling. She's been labeled a bad kid, but the truth about her past is far more complicated.
• Forced Proximity: Taken from her home in the middle of the night, Mia is now trapped at a remote therapeutic school where every move is monitored and there's no escape.
• Found Family: Among the other outcasts and rebels at Red Oak, from a wannabe pipe-bomber to a girl who literally eats her own hands, Mia might just find the first real friends she's ever had.
• Feminist YA Fiction: A sharp, unflinching look at the impossible expectations and double standards placed on teenage girls, and one girl's fight to define herself on her own terms.

“Arresting dialogue and tender moments showcase the girls’ distinct and lively personalities while offering striking examples of the way society ignores teenage girls’ experiences.” - Publishers Weekly

“This is a thoughtful examination of sexual assault, trauma, and misogyny. . . Remarkably moving.” - Kirkus Reviews

"An instant winner, reminiscent of the classic Speak, with a caustically funny and searching teen protagonist." - School Library Journal

“For teens—especially girls—still finding that place between vulnerable and armored, this will be a balm.” - Booklist

"When I love a book, I just inhale, absorb, consume. This book is so good and beautiful and true."  - Carrie Mesrobian, William C. Morris Award Finalist

"A captivating portrait of a girl at war with herself, this novel grapples with complex social issues in the guise of one young person’s trauma . . . Recommend this to readers who want a more contemporary, inclusive alternative to Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books