Scan barcode
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
4.0
This is another set of semi-linked short stories (seems like a very common genre lately). Each is about a girl or woman going through something that our society doesn't like to think about. In my opinion, the most moving story is about a mother of an anorexic daughter, but all of the stories have powerful moments.
lavloveslit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
nyquilsquirrel's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.0
snarkymotherhen's review against another edition
4.0
I wavered between three and four stars on this one... it is a serious, well-thought out book, but I thought the separate stories were inconsistent: some worked better than others. It was dark, yet pretty realistic - I feel like I "know" all of those girls in one way or another. For creativity, good writing and thoughtful, well-drawn scenes, I give it 4.
ekb523's review against another edition
2.0
Some of the stories were good/interesting while others I felt were just ok. Not my favorite read this year.
littletaiko's review against another edition
2.0
Blueprints for Building Better Girls is one of those books that I feel like I should really like, but overall just don't. The premise was interesting since it's 8 short stories that are loosely connected by the various characters at different points in their lives. My main problem is that there wasn't a single female character that I could relate to. As a whole, they were all incredibly selfish and annoying with problems that felt rather typical. The absolute worst was the wretched character of Emily. No twenty year old should still be calling their mother - "Mommy." I almost gave it three stars though since it did keep me reading, mainly to see which characters showed up each time. It will be interesting to see what the rest of my book club thinks of this book.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Themes I remember from this collection of stories: being a high school outcast, motherhood, old dogs who develop health problems, abortion, rape, dementia. Women's fiction, about difficult stuff. The narrators are friends and relatives who show up in each other's stories.
mehitabels's review against another edition
3.0
I read about half of this in one go, it was captivating in a most depressing way. dark doesn't begin to describe it, but the characters are real and sympathetic.
sarahbethbrown's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book! I had picked it up over and over again for the past year or so, and then would get distracted and put it down. Happens with this type of books to me a lot-- those about girls and young women, particularly short stories. These linked stories are really interesting-- lots of big issues: rape, eating disorders, love/infatuation, family issues, and handles them with subtlety. Many of the stories are framed as memories, with a character in the present telling her story to somone else, or having it unravel in the narrative as it is paralleled by some action going on in the character's present. I didn't love this, only bc I think it popped up in too many of the stories to be interesting. My favorite stories here are the ones that progress neatly in time-- I'm just not sure Schappell is a gifted enough writer to play with time the way she did in some of the stories. I thought, for the most part, this was a great read, and I didn't really put it down much once I got through the first story.
A couple of things that bothered me that are so nitpicky but just really stuck in my head:
1. These are linked stories, but many of the characters don't put together the connections, which drove me NUTS. The most egregious place where this happened is one woman makes a new best friend, and they tell each other EVERYTHING, except they never make the connection that woman A was in rehab with woman B's sister. Really? They tell each other EVERYTHING except a defining event in each of their lives? unlikely.
2. One story puts a lot of focus on a girl's pearl necklace. It breaks, and the pearls go everywhere. Except that a nice pearl necklace (which she assures us this is) is made so that the pearls don't go everywhere! they are knotted on individually for that very reason! if your pearl necklace breaks, you'll lose one pearl. I don't know why this bothered me SO MUCH, but it really did.
Otherwise, great book. read it!
A couple of things that bothered me that are so nitpicky but just really stuck in my head:
1. These are linked stories, but many of the characters don't put together the connections, which drove me NUTS. The most egregious place where this happened is one woman makes a new best friend, and they tell each other EVERYTHING, except they never make the connection that woman A was in rehab with woman B's sister. Really? They tell each other EVERYTHING except a defining event in each of their lives? unlikely.
2. One story puts a lot of focus on a girl's pearl necklace. It breaks, and the pearls go everywhere. Except that a nice pearl necklace (which she assures us this is) is made so that the pearls don't go everywhere! they are knotted on individually for that very reason! if your pearl necklace breaks, you'll lose one pearl. I don't know why this bothered me SO MUCH, but it really did.
Otherwise, great book. read it!
machadofam8's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to give this 2.5 stars. I enjoyed the stories but I found myself not always remembering how everyone was connected.