Pretty Girls Make Graves: A pretty girl's ugly story told in borrowed voices [Paperback]

Nicole Trilivas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 2011

Sparked by a break-up with her married lover, Justine trades in college to live abroad, and descends into a destructive reinvention with a backdrop of the underbelly of Scotland, Ireland, and Australia.

Acutely aware that she's not the first girl to experience these formative misadventures, Justine hijacks the vocal chords of archetypal characters from myths, fairy tales, literature, and pop culture such as Medusa, Rapunzel, and Catherine (of Brontë's Wuthering Heights). She echoes the voices that display her story--the violent exit from girlhood via a botched love life--better than her own.

She doesn't have to write another mistress's manifesto; Kalypso, one of the betrayed goddesses from Homer's Odyssey, has that one covered. She was never overtly cruel without justification; that's the job of a sadomasochistic Wicked Witch of fairy tale infamy. She doesn't have a penchant for picking the wrong guy over her soul mate; Catherine does.

PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES is a dark and stylized examination of the vicious things we do in the name of self-preservation, and questions the frantic necessity to tell our stories to establish human connection-however ugly they may be.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pretty Girls Make Graves is not a coming-of-age story. It's a story about allowing yourself to be lost, not because you want to be, or because you have the luxury to do so, but because you can't be anything else."
-Lip Magazine

"An incredibly emotionally involving read."
-Review on Amazon.co.uk

"Because I felt connected to the character, I really enjoyed reading this book. Justine may have some serious baggage, but she's someone I know after she shared her journey with me. She made me see a little bit of myself in her. Plus she listens to some kick-ass music."
-Literary R&R

"An emotional and absorbing read, engaging and perfect for the final days of a carefree summer."
-VEUX, Issue 7

About the Author

During the recession, Nicole Trilivas was the creative director of a cool, young, and successful alternative advertising agency in NYC. It was here, chock full of job security and stability, when she made the unlikely decision to finally tend to the persistent nagging that comes built into the heart of a writer who is not writing. And so eyes were rolled, eyebrows raised, two-cents given, and a consensus drawn: it was officially “a bad idea.” It would be really cool if Nicole was unfazed by all this, but that’s not the truth. She was terrified. But luckily being scared isn’t mutually exclusive with backing out. Fear and all, Nicole moved abroad to write what is now her debut novel, PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES. (And it only took her a few years!) But she hasn’t looked back. Nicole is currently based in Europe where she is scribing away on her next novel, and being terribly bohemian by living off canned soup, wearing a beret, and indulging in delusions of grandeur. Nicole is a 2005 graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication. For more information, poke around www.nicoletrilivas.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Nicole Trilivas (December 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061553712X
• ISBN-13: 978-0615537122
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,719,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

At the height of the recession, Nicole Trilivas was the creative director of a cool, young advertising agency in New York City. It was here, chock full of job security and stability, where she made the unlikely decision to finally silence the persistent nagging that comes built into the heart of a writer who is not writing. And so eyes were rolled, eyebrows raised, two-cents given, and a consensus drawn: it was officially "a bad idea."

It would be really cool if Trilivas was unfazed by all this, but that's not the truth. Luckily being scared isn't mutually exclusive to backpedaling. Fear and all, Trilivas devoted herself full-time to write what is now her debut novel, PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES, which Lip magazine called, "distressing and beautiful in equal measures -- and always visceral."

Trilivas is currently scheming away on her next writing project, and being terribly bohemian by living off canned soup, wearing a beret, choosing lifestyle over money, and indulging in delusions of grandeur.

Nicole is a 2005 graduate of Boston University's College of Communication.

For more information, poke around www.nicoletrilivas.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant December 21, 2011

By G. Stephens

Format:Paperback

This book is a fun, tough, original and thought provoking read. We follow our tortured protagonist Justine through a tumultuous odyssey of post adolescent angst. Humour and sarcasm lace the text and give Justine a tragic yet endearing quality; we see her romantic idealism struggle with her dark reality and this is beautifully interwoven with classical texts and fairy tales which demonstrate the universality of 'Pretty Girls' who not only make graves but are prone to jump in them and weep while on a debauched and lonely adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommendation for Pretty Girls Make Graves April 26, 2013

By Krista's Picks

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The good:

The writing: I went back through my notes and there are pages of highlighted words. Nicole Trivilas' writing is so good it's almost painful. It's insightful and it's real.

The Disclaimer: This alone is the reason I purchased this book without actually getting to the first page. This disclaimer is by far the best thing I've read in far too long.

The maybe not so good:

Emo: The main character, Justine is a tad...over dramatic, there are a few allusions to slitting wrists and ending lives over a boy. It's nothing too over-the-top, but as a personal preference, it's not necessary.

This book made me feel a tad bit old and, dare I say it, responsible. Darn.

Final thoughts:

This book is difficult to read. It's uncomfortable to watch Justine's self destruction, while hoping things get better; and then when they don't, feeling crushed. I really liked Justine, I wanted her to get better, but hope is futile in the book. You want her to have a coming of age, to be better when she ends than when she begins, but this book isn't about the ending, it's about the journey. And, it's well worth the ride.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It's All Fun and Games... March 13, 2013

By winged_dreams

Format:Kindle Edition

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

An incredible story of a haunted and troubled girl that could have been pulled from real life.

This book is fiction, but it is incredibly true to life. It felt like I could have been reading a memoir of a troubled young adult. While this book could have stood on the merits of Justine's personal story, what really stood out to me was the use of myth, mythology, and faerie tales to tell her story. It adds a surreal depth to Justine's story, but still manages to add a humanity to her tales. Some tales are timeless for a reason.

I honestly can't imagine feeling as aimless and miserable as Justine is. I was able to sympathize with her a number of times throughout the book, but I was glad that I do not have to resort to sleeping around, alcohol, and drugs to deal with any sadness or ill feelings. She seems to have no shortage of money, but money, past a certain point, does not buy happiness. Would actual responsibility cause her to toughen up? I can only hope there is a happy ending for Justine, but I feel that if there is, it will have taken her a long time to get there.

I would recommend this to fans of stories about tragic figures or those that enjoy mythological devices in stories.