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studiouspoppy's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.0
This book is entertaining and interesting, written in a very casual language, telling jokes and making fun of the sexist language surrounding these women. As such, is a good non-fiction book for people who aren't usually into non fiction, with witty jokes and independent chapters. However, it was pretty basic which I didn't like, and there were a couple of issues that made it very evident that this book is written by a white feminist.
First, the language used is very binary in terms of gender, and while it made fun of the "gal-paling" surrounding queer relationships, it didn't correct those assumptions either. It kept talking about the relationship in terms of friendship which made me feel that their queerness was not relevant.
Secondly, many chapters talked about history to contextualize, and I found incredibly offensive the way it depicted Latin American history (particularly Haiti and Dominican Republic's independence and conflicts), and I think it's very dangerous to teach about the Haitian independence erasing black history, and putting it like they "bought" their independence when in fact it was a revolution where the majorly black and enslaved population fought the French occupation and were later forced by France to pay the slave-owners for their "property loss".
I think it's a pity, because it was a really good book until the last part, and I think that an author shouldn't explain foreign history if they don't bother doing their homework and actually understands it first. It loses 1 star because of that last part.
First, the language used is very binary in terms of gender, and while it made fun of the "gal-paling" surrounding queer relationships, it didn't correct those assumptions either. It kept talking about the relationship in terms of friendship which made me feel that their queerness was not relevant.
Secondly, many chapters talked about history to contextualize, and I found incredibly offensive the way it depicted Latin American history (particularly Haiti and Dominican Republic's independence and conflicts), and I think it's very dangerous to teach about the Haitian independence erasing black history, and putting it like they "bought" their independence when in fact it was a revolution where the majorly black and enslaved population fought the French occupation and were later forced by France to pay the slave-owners for their "property loss".
I think it's a pity, because it was a really good book until the last part, and I think that an author shouldn't explain foreign history if they don't bother doing their homework and actually understands it first. It loses 1 star because of that last part.
liesljrowe's review against another edition
5.0
I have been loving the trend of anthologies celebrating influential women which have been coming out lately, and this is one of the best of the bunch. Decent length descriptions of a variety of women from a range of countries and fields, several of whom I had heard of, but plenty that I hadn't. A light-hearted narrative voice and humorous asides make sure it doesn't get too heavy, but at the same time leaves the reader in no doubt just how amazing the women's accomplishments were. Particular favourites included the Blue Stockings group who were fabulous literary socialites and the Japanese women's volleyball team who helped restore some of their country's pride after WW2, but honestly all of the women here were equally inspiring. I will definitely be recommending this to the kids at my school.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
kcelena's review against another edition
I was so excited to start this book, because I love the concept, but a two hours into the audio I had to stop. The stories/histories were interesting. The writing style however, was, in my mind, very immature. I have no doubt that this is just a personal quirk and that the majority of people won't be bothered by it. It's just not for me.
funsizelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
There have been quite a few titles published in the last few years that give short essays on women (and their accomplishments) that history seems to have forgotten. Girl Squads is the first one I've seen about women supporting women and the accomplishments that were made as a result of that support. The short entries span recorded history and are divided into sections devoted to the arts, science, sports, politics/activism, and warriors. The squads discussed in each section were a mix of known and unknown, and all were fascinating. The title is well-written and the short essays are very readable. I highly recommend it.
verityw's review against another edition
3.0
This is an entertaining starting point for people - probably teens - looking for an introduction to forgotten friendships across history. It's not the most indepth, and I didn't always love the writing style, but it's quite entertaining and introduced me to a few people and stories that I had never heard of before along with some better know groups.
I recently read Hannah Jewel's 100 Nasty Women of History, which is doing something similar but swearier. I found that quite confusing about who it was for (teens? adults) but this felt more squarely aimed at a not-quite adult and possibly activists.
*****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
I recently read Hannah Jewel's 100 Nasty Women of History, which is doing something similar but swearier. I found that quite confusing about who it was for (teens? adults) but this felt more squarely aimed at a not-quite adult and possibly activists.
*****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
michelle_neuwirth_gray9311's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the selection of people discussed in this book. What bothered me most about the book was the way I felt the author tried way to hard to be cool or have references to teen related things. I think leaving many of the asides out would have made the writing much stronger.
rbritt515's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely phenomenal. I love books that bright light to the women who have impacted history, because they are so often left out of history books. Women have always been active participants and change makers in our world, but their contributions have often been actively overlooked, erased, or ignored. Books like Girl Squads show us that all we have to do to discover the amazing women changing the world is to look.
Girl Squads tells the stories of twenty groups of women from ancient times up to modern day whose friendships and contributions have profoundly impacted their community, culture, or the world. From female athletes paving the way for future generations and artists breaking barriers to politicians fighting for equality and scientists making incredible breakthroughs. Of all the incredible groups of women in this book, there were only a few I was familiar with beforehand. But each and every one of them led fascinating and incredible lives that deserve to be told. I'm so glad that Sam Maggs is telling their stories.
In addition to telling the stories of these important women, and celebrating the incredible power of female friendship, this book is also just so much dang fun. Sam Maggs' writing style is casual and conversational, often breaking into asides and peppering in slang in a way that really brings the stories to life. I loved that this book could make me laugh even while recounting some tough women facing tough times. This is the kind of feminist book I want-- not glossing over the realities of the past, the sexism or the racism, while still feeling like a celebration of women working together to make change happen in the past and in the present.
Highly, highly recommend for anyone who feels female friendships deserve better representation in the media, wants to read more fun, feminist nonfiction, or just feels like reading a really great book about some incredible women.
Girl Squads tells the stories of twenty groups of women from ancient times up to modern day whose friendships and contributions have profoundly impacted their community, culture, or the world. From female athletes paving the way for future generations and artists breaking barriers to politicians fighting for equality and scientists making incredible breakthroughs. Of all the incredible groups of women in this book, there were only a few I was familiar with beforehand. But each and every one of them led fascinating and incredible lives that deserve to be told. I'm so glad that Sam Maggs is telling their stories.
In addition to telling the stories of these important women, and celebrating the incredible power of female friendship, this book is also just so much dang fun. Sam Maggs' writing style is casual and conversational, often breaking into asides and peppering in slang in a way that really brings the stories to life. I loved that this book could make me laugh even while recounting some tough women facing tough times. This is the kind of feminist book I want-- not glossing over the realities of the past, the sexism or the racism, while still feeling like a celebration of women working together to make change happen in the past and in the present.
Highly, highly recommend for anyone who feels female friendships deserve better representation in the media, wants to read more fun, feminist nonfiction, or just feels like reading a really great book about some incredible women.
sarah_faichney's review against another edition
5.0
A truly marvellous and inspiring collection, presented in plain, accessible language. I would love to see a televised serialisation of this book! Aside from being incredibly informative and empowering, humour is used throughout to great effect. All of the life stories contained within are remarkable to such an extent that, just when you think you’ve discovered your ultimate hero - along comes another one in the next chapter! I loved it so much that I gifted a few copies to friends this Christmas.
hinoki's review against another edition
4.0
As far as the woman-pioneer-biography-collection genre goes, I would say this is a very good one. It differentiates itself because it covers groups of women working together.
I took off one star because I didn't think the writing was super compelling. Or maybe I just got tired of it. My favorite chapters are the one about the Jeju lady-divers and the Japanese volleyball team (both at the start). To me those stores had an edge of suspense? idk maybe don't try to read this book straight though.
I gave it a star (or .5 of a star? This is too complicated) because the groups covered were of a viariety of ethnicities, worked in a variety of fields, and lived in various times though out history (I think the oldest group is 20AD).
Also, I really love the art by Jenn Woodall (same as the cover) I kind of wish they had enlarged them so the start of every chapter featured an illustration of the group. That's just a small complaint though.
I took off one star because I didn't think the writing was super compelling. Or maybe I just got tired of it. My favorite chapters are the one about the Jeju lady-divers and the Japanese volleyball team (both at the start). To me those stores had an edge of suspense? idk maybe don't try to read this book straight though.
I gave it a star (or .5 of a star? This is too complicated) because the groups covered were of a viariety of ethnicities, worked in a variety of fields, and lived in various times though out history (I think the oldest group is 20AD).
Also, I really love the art by Jenn Woodall (same as the cover) I kind of wish they had enlarged them so the start of every chapter featured an illustration of the group. That's just a small complaint though.