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flutteringbutterflies's review
5.0
YAY for this book. It was this book, Notes From the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell that first inspired me to begin my Awesome Women series of posts. But I've been so nervous about writing this review that it's taken me months to put into words how much I adored this book.
Our main character is Gem, short for Germaine Greer the feminist writer that Gem's hippy mom named her after. Together with her besties, Mira and Lo, they've formed this circle of non-conformity. And to cement it, they've agreed on a special project, one they do every year. This year feels different, like it could be their last, so it has be big and ground breaking. Something very extreme and 'underground'. Something amazing.
This book is so full of fun. Gem's a pretty big film-buff and is still searching to figure out who she is and what she'd like to do with her life.It's just Gem and Gem's eccentric artist mom Bev, who regularly consults the I-Ching and is more friend than mom.. until Gem's absent father arrives on the scene. Gem's mom and godmother are pressuring her to go to university, but Gem feels like film school might be the better option. Another big concern for Gem, is how she fits in with her friends. She has this uneasy feeling when it comes to her Mira and Lo, who are more experienced with boys and seem to connect better with each other. Gem really wants to feel part of the triangle of friends again.
Gem is an absolutely adorable character. She has such a great voice and personality. She is this mixture of uncertainty and quirkiness. In a kind of desperation to impress Lo, Gem dreams up this fantastic idea of using Andy Warhol as her inspiration and their summer project should be filming this underground film. She asks her co-worker and (would-be love interest) Dodgy if she can borrow a video camera and from there, very interesting things start to happen. As this brilliant film is taken over by Mira and Lo, Gem is able to get a better perspective on life, love, friendship and family.
Reading this book really made me wish that I'd grown up in Australia, with a mom like Bev. I wish that I knew more about art, about films about film-making. You can tell that Simmone Howell has an interest in all of these things, as she's written about them with such feeling and passion. This struggle with growing up and family relationships is something I feel like most of us can relate with. Gem's power struggle in her friendship with Mira and Lo was very believable and felt authentic.
In case you were wondering, at one point in the process of making this awesome, underground film, Gem writes a series of scenes involving 'Formidable Women.' Together with this idea and the image of artsy Bev and the idea of Germaine Greer, I really wanted to highlight some other Awesome women. So a big thank you to Simmone Howell for being my inspiration. This is a wonderful book, it comes very highly recommended by me!
Our main character is Gem, short for Germaine Greer the feminist writer that Gem's hippy mom named her after. Together with her besties, Mira and Lo, they've formed this circle of non-conformity. And to cement it, they've agreed on a special project, one they do every year. This year feels different, like it could be their last, so it has be big and ground breaking. Something very extreme and 'underground'. Something amazing.
This book is so full of fun. Gem's a pretty big film-buff and is still searching to figure out who she is and what she'd like to do with her life.It's just Gem and Gem's eccentric artist mom Bev, who regularly consults the I-Ching and is more friend than mom.. until Gem's absent father arrives on the scene. Gem's mom and godmother are pressuring her to go to university, but Gem feels like film school might be the better option. Another big concern for Gem, is how she fits in with her friends. She has this uneasy feeling when it comes to her Mira and Lo, who are more experienced with boys and seem to connect better with each other. Gem really wants to feel part of the triangle of friends again.
Gem is an absolutely adorable character. She has such a great voice and personality. She is this mixture of uncertainty and quirkiness. In a kind of desperation to impress Lo, Gem dreams up this fantastic idea of using Andy Warhol as her inspiration and their summer project should be filming this underground film. She asks her co-worker and (would-be love interest) Dodgy if she can borrow a video camera and from there, very interesting things start to happen. As this brilliant film is taken over by Mira and Lo, Gem is able to get a better perspective on life, love, friendship and family.
Reading this book really made me wish that I'd grown up in Australia, with a mom like Bev. I wish that I knew more about art, about films about film-making. You can tell that Simmone Howell has an interest in all of these things, as she's written about them with such feeling and passion. This struggle with growing up and family relationships is something I feel like most of us can relate with. Gem's power struggle in her friendship with Mira and Lo was very believable and felt authentic.
In case you were wondering, at one point in the process of making this awesome, underground film, Gem writes a series of scenes involving 'Formidable Women.' Together with this idea and the image of artsy Bev and the idea of Germaine Greer, I really wanted to highlight some other Awesome women. So a big thank you to Simmone Howell for being my inspiration. This is a wonderful book, it comes very highly recommended by me!
lauralynnwalsh's review
4.0
I am not very literate when it comes to film - I mostly like them funny and sugary, so the film part of this book sort of passed me by. Luckily, there is a lot more to the book than just that. Specifically, there are some very interesting characters. I guess the plot isn't terribly unusual, but there are quite a few interesting people in the story and that makes it for me. Interesting read.
lisa_d9's review
3.0
This was sooooo disappointing. I couldn't get into it at all. I wanted it to be a gem but I was so bored reading it.
The only thing that got it three stars was the last 50 or so pages. I admired the writing at a few parts. I loved her relationship with her father and the "you're not special enough for me" part.
Overall, I personally didn't like it that much.
The only thing that got it three stars was the last 50 or so pages. I admired the writing at a few parts. I loved her relationship with her father and the "you're not special enough for me" part.
Overall, I personally didn't like it that much.
crumblycrystalz's review
3.0
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a page turner, and I breezed through it. It's a coming of artistic age story, which was relevant to me at the time.
notlikethebeer's review against another edition
3.0
This book hasn't aged particularly well!- lots of ableism, fatphobia, slut-shaming and transphobia. So proceed with caution if necessary! However, as a product of it's time, it's a really good read. Gem is a wonderful narrator, and it really captures growing up as a teen girl, the difficulties of friendships and relationships in the modern world. I particularly liked that it was quite meta at times, a novel within the three girls genre that examined the three girls genre as a whole. Ultimately fairly forgettable, but a fun and compelling read.
laura_storyteller's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
abh1naya's review against another edition
5.0
when i think of all that is possible i get dizzy with freedom
poppy_boa's review against another edition
4.0
loved this book sm. the references of andy warhol and edie sedgwick were really cool to learn about and i could relate to a lot of the themes. the only reason it’s 4 stars is because i think i should have read this a year ago maybe just idk some ways it was written were the tiniest bit below my reading level?? idk i liked it tho.
lauralynnwalsh's review against another edition
4.0
I am not very literate when it comes to film - I mostly like them funny and sugary, so the film part of this book sort of passed me by. Luckily, there is a lot more to the book than just that. Specifically, there are some very interesting characters. I guess the plot isn't terribly unusual, but there are quite a few interesting people in the story and that makes it for me. Interesting read.