Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Girls

Wow. I am kind of surprised that I loved this book as much as I did. It was slow, and it felt like nothing happened, but it also felt so dark, twisted, and intense. I also feel like Cline has produced some of the most realistic and authentic feminist prose in fiction that I've seen recently. I have so many quotes and passages from this book that I loved, that I just had to write down for future me, which ultimately lead me to giving this 5 stars. This book is not for every body. It is incredibly messed up, but it is also a very accurate image of what it is like to be a white woman in the patriarchy.

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knikchevich's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense 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

3.25

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caseyjayner's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An interesting story where time is slow, characters have diverse backgrounds, and all are hungry for love nd acceptance. The secret life of subtle misogyny and unrealized lesbian love. It touched a lot of topics but didn’t go far or make specific convictions. Instead it’s the soft
, harsh, reality of being alive and dissatisfied

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geesammy's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

why was this 14yr old girl so lost and making such morally ambiguous choices? Just to belong and be seen? She never developed her own sense of self, dignity, decency or even hygiene….the idea that she questioned whether she would have stopped them is laughable …she clearly would not have.

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_eleanorgreen8_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - i read it in 3 days and it had me gripped from the start. Cline's writing is so poetic, beautifully capturing feelings and setting, and always delving deep into every character. i felt it was the perfect mix of concise and intricate. i also found the main character relatable in lots of ways, and felt i could understand all her thoughts and emotions. perhaps i was hoping for more plot twists, as you could see almost everything coming, but maybe that was intentional. overall a really dark but stunning read.

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frog_appreciator's review against another edition

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2.0

I understand the point of the book is to be uncomfortable to read but I don’t think I enjoyed it. Feels a bit icky to have resemblance to a real life cult. While I appreciate the intent of showcasing the internalized misogyny of girls and the way the world treats them in general, reading it felt a bit too much like trauma porn. There were one or two pages that stood out to me like wow I felt that, but not enough to make it worth it.

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