Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing

Yeah I do not know how to rate this book at all. This was one of the most challenging books I read in 2022, both in content but also in style. The experience of reading this book is draining. The sentences are short and grammatically incorrect; the book grabs, twists, and pushes you through the pages with force. The content itself is very traumatizing, and the main character's mind (which the reader occupies) is simply messy. This book took me nearly a month to read just because I couldn't sit down and breeze through pages. However, I didn't hate this book. It was definitely one of the most unique books I've picked up, but I'm glad I read it overall. This one will definitely stay in my mind for how McBride wields the English language as a weapon for building atmosphere and character.

As an experience: this book is maybe a 3.5 star read. Its difficult and challenging with very, very few hopeful moments. The relationship between the main character and her brother (to me) felt underdeveloped in their youth and hence the end of the book didn't have the same impact as I felt it could have had. The ending however, is beautifully written, and I really did enjoy it. I also understand the different themes the book juggled (sexuality, coming of age, and religion) but I felt like there was a lot happening all the time that wasn't really developed (?). Things just happened with no real need or reason, which is very fair because that's how life is! But it led it to be a little bland at times. I also understand the reasoning for the main character's sexuality 'growth' (not the right word) but it was extremely uncomfortable to read about.
As a piece of literature: probably 4 / 4.5 stars. I love how unique and aggressive the style is -- it draws you in and persuades you to keep reading. It's almost as if the writing is another character that improves the characters in the novel. I also commend McBride for sticking through and getting this book published after 9 years of rejections. It's definitely worth a read (IF you look through the warnings first and are in a good head space) but don't expect an easy read.

Content Warnings

yolkdevil's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

bumble_abi's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Difficult in all senses of the word. The stream of consciousness is very immediate but the broken sentences mean you have to invest all your attention to keep up, and investing all your attention makes the whole thing hurt more. Raw and violent and horribly sad, I'm not sure I gained much from sitting beside this particular pain, because too much of it is close enough to my life experiences that it didn't really broaden my mind so much as force me into my own memories. I can see how this might be considered a work of genius, and I think it's a valuable read for anybody who can situate themselves further away from the narrator, but I was left feeling scratched and hollow in a way that felt a little personal.

Content Warnings