Scan barcode
thaliareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall I enjoyed the pace of this book, and I enjoyed watching Molly learn and grow as she moved further into her life. I especially loved how unapologetically herself she was. Her boldness in a time where she could have been severely punished for it was really cool. However, this probably isn't a book I would automatically feel compelled to re-read without a specific reason.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death, Bullying, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
It would take forever to list all the reasons for the warnings I tagged, but it basically boils down to being an unavoidable fact of following a gay woman in a time when being both made you targeted and viewed as less than others. However, to clarify, the author never comes off as sexist or homophobic, it's just a part of the MCs experience. The only thing I'll add is that there is a lot of stereotyping at certain points in the book and I'm not sure if that was meant as a comment on the way society viewed these groups during that time period or if it was the author themselves. To me this didn't seem like it was ever in a way that was harmful, just improper.tinstae's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Child abuse
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death of parent, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Incest, and Adult/minor relationship
janicew9's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
piastri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
i see how this book became a cult classic, but it is very much a product of its time and i don’t think has withstood that test.
it’s an interesting exploration of queer experiences and sexuality, but the line of taboo is very blurred and that doesn’t work in the book’s favour. with the adult/minor relationships, incest being encouraged, sexual assault perpetrated by the main character, racism and antisemitism, and the butch-phobia, it’s a lot to stomach that i’m not really sure is worth the read.
it’s an interesting exploration of queer experiences and sexuality, but the line of taboo is very blurred and that doesn’t work in the book’s favour. with the adult/minor relationships, incest being encouraged, sexual assault perpetrated by the main character, racism and antisemitism, and the butch-phobia, it’s a lot to stomach that i’m not really sure is worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Antisemitism
hubes's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Antisemitism
aus10england's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, and Abortion
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and War
sib_reads's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Incest
Moderate: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Infertility, Suicide, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Misogyny
webblybooks's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Unique and enjoyable. Molly was a powerhouse and did what she wanted, who she wanted, whenever she wanted. She didn’t let anyone stand in her way. Loved that the most. The book dragged along a bit for me but I loved the realistic ending to Molly’s story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Homophobia, and Sexual content
christcore's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Lackluster autobiography. It's a classic, but not worth going out of your way to read in 2022 and beyond. I did find the narrator extremely well-realized. She is combative and compassionate and full of unexpected ideas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Sexual content
marprokup's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This is an incredibly difficult book to rate. My intuition was to rate it at a neutral 3 stars, but I just couldn't rate it that for a few big reasons. Let me go over both the good and the bad:
This book is marvelously progressive and bold for being written in the 1970s. It is fiercely feminist and queer, yet still holds a bubbly nature with its awkward and funny scenarios. I will wholeheartedly give this book credit for its raw, honest descriptions of coming to terms with being queer, and the blunt desire that Molly has to be an independent woman. This book can make you uncomfortable, but with a humbling familiarity to real human experiences. This holds so much weight and I want to give credit to that.
However, there are just some things I can't let slide about this book:
1. Rita Mae Brown's voice bleeds through the main character too often. This book is supposed to be vaguely and indirectly based off of Rita's life, but through a separate character known as Molly. Molly goes through many experiences that mirrors that of Rita's. However, it feels sometimes that Molly's character blends the line too much of being her own, individual character in a novel versus simply being a vessel of Rita's thoughts. This includes some lengthy sections that are heavily narcissistic and self-righteous that can get annoying to read at times. However this is a gradual shift, since Molly seemed to be much more of her own individual character in the first half of the book. As a result, many of the characters introduced in the last half of the novel seem to contribute very little to Molly's character development or the story (*spoiler* pretty much everyone after Calvin just did not leave much of an impression on me).
2. (Trigger warning) Rape and/or character inconsistencies. These two kind of go together, but alas I can only really explain through **spoilers**: In the second to last chapter of the book, Molly berates another film student who did his final film project on a half people/martian gang-rape. Obviously, yes, not good. However, Molly also pressured Polina into having sex with her earlier in the book while intoxicated. Polina tries to mention this, asking why Molly wouldn't have asked before kissing her, but Molly says it wouldn't have done much good because she would have said no (yikes). This may have been an intentional character flaw, however I find that hard to believe based on the way Molly's character was written. She's not particularly meant to be disliked.
3. (Trigger warning) Justifying (consensual) incest. Consent is justified towards the latter half of the book, but there are two separate incest incidents that are nonchalantly justified and accepted. ( ****Spoilers** until the end of this paragraph**): In the beginning of the book, a young Molly and her non-biologically related cousin Leroy decide to try having sex together since they are both confused by their sexuality. Although the early relationship Molly had with Leroy was uncomfortable, it really drove Molly's character development as she tries to figure out her sexuality at a young age. This wasn't where I was set off and decided to bring down my ranking of the book. It was when Molly is with Polina and her daughter Alice that I really was set off and disturbed. Molly and Alice (who is 16) talk about her and her mother having sex together, and how Alice believes her mom is attracted to her. They both address this as fine as long as it's consensual. I could not seem to find any connection or point to bringing up this conversation of incest. It had almost no contribution to Molly's character development, to the plot, or any other themes in the book. It was simply justifying incest just to... justify it. This is such a traumatizing and disagreeable stance that it just made me upset that it was included at all when it served minimal purpose in the book, but take that as you will.
4. Sex with minors. Don't think I need to say much more about this. Minor (no names mentioned) spoiler: a 16 year old is sexualized towards the last half of the book and a 24-year-old has sex with her.
This book is marvelously progressive and bold for being written in the 1970s. It is fiercely feminist and queer, yet still holds a bubbly nature with its awkward and funny scenarios. I will wholeheartedly give this book credit for its raw, honest descriptions of coming to terms with being queer, and the blunt desire that Molly has to be an independent woman. This book can make you uncomfortable, but with a humbling familiarity to real human experiences. This holds so much weight and I want to give credit to that.
However, there are just some things I can't let slide about this book:
1. Rita Mae Brown's voice bleeds through the main character too often. This book is supposed to be vaguely and indirectly based off of Rita's life, but through a separate character known as Molly. Molly goes through many experiences that mirrors that of Rita's. However, it feels sometimes that Molly's character blends the line too much of being her own, individual character in a novel versus simply being a vessel of Rita's thoughts. This includes some lengthy sections that are heavily narcissistic and self-righteous that can get annoying to read at times. However this is a gradual shift, since Molly seemed to be much more of her own individual character in the first half of the book. As a result, many of the characters introduced in the last half of the novel seem to contribute very little to Molly's character development or the story (*spoiler* pretty much everyone after Calvin just did not leave much of an impression on me).
2. (Trigger warning) Rape and/or character inconsistencies. These two kind of go together, but alas I can only really explain through **spoilers**: In the second to last chapter of the book, Molly berates another film student who did his final film project on a half people/martian gang-rape. Obviously, yes, not good. However, Molly also pressured Polina into having sex with her earlier in the book while intoxicated. Polina tries to mention this, asking why Molly wouldn't have asked before kissing her, but Molly says it wouldn't have done much good because she would have said no (yikes). This may have been an intentional character flaw, however I find that hard to believe based on the way Molly's character was written. She's not particularly meant to be disliked.
3. (Trigger warning) Justifying (consensual) incest. Consent is justified towards the latter half of the book, but there are two separate incest incidents that are nonchalantly justified and accepted. ( ****Spoilers** until the end of this paragraph**): In the beginning of the book, a young Molly and her non-biologically related cousin Leroy decide to try having sex together since they are both confused by their sexuality. Although the early relationship Molly had with Leroy was uncomfortable, it really drove Molly's character development as she tries to figure out her sexuality at a young age. This wasn't where I was set off and decided to bring down my ranking of the book. It was when Molly is with Polina and her daughter Alice that I really was set off and disturbed. Molly and Alice (who is 16) talk about her and her mother having sex together, and how Alice believes her mom is attracted to her. They both address this as fine as long as it's consensual. I could not seem to find any connection or point to bringing up this conversation of incest. It had almost no contribution to Molly's character development, to the plot, or any other themes in the book. It was simply justifying incest just to... justify it. This is such a traumatizing and disagreeable stance that it just made me upset that it was included at all when it served minimal purpose in the book, but take that as you will.
4. Sex with minors. Don't think I need to say much more about this. Minor (no names mentioned) spoiler: a 16 year old is sexualized towards the last half of the book and a 24-year-old has sex with her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Outing, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, and Grief
Minor: Classism, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse