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crippytay's review
emotional
reflective
4.5
I had a hard time with this one at first. I think I heard about it from TikTok and didn’t know much about the plot. When the first part was so uncomfortable talking so explicitly about teenage sex for what I thought was no reason I thought I wouldn’t finish it. But something lead me to read more reviews and I’m so happy I did. Her character really changed a lot throughout the book and it was all about that change and perspective. And also all about it being so uncomfortable and disturbing. I think the book itself was good, but made so much better and more meaningful by the author’s note at the end. Don’t skip it. It made the book in my opinion.
qu33rkat's review against another edition
2.0
i dont get this book. it starts off interesting and then it flipflops between, compelling, and, what the actual fuck. i dont mind when a book asks deep questions or get realistic or even dark. but this book is just uncomfortable to me, all the fucking way through. why is there so much mention of fucking? why is nina so terrible? why is she doing all these things that make absolutely no sense? i just dont get it. there are some things i like, like the abortion scene, mainly because i think its supposed to be the moment nina changes, and it slightly worked.i like bekah and the abortion people at the clinic. but nina is the main problem. she starts out unlikable and you think halfway through, oh, shes gonna get better! no. she doesnt. her only friend is terrible by rubbing it in her face that shes broken up with seth, seth is fine, and he actually realizes his girlfriend is terrible so hes okay. apolloina sounds like the girl who should be the main character. like everything comes back to her and for some reason she isnt the mc. tf? i wanted to like this book and it just left a bad taste in my mouth.
mindfullibrarian's review
5.0
Hands-down the most feminist book I have ever read. And the most unflinchingly graphic YA book I have ever read. There are pages and pages of quotes I would love to share that just cut to the feminist core, but technically I can't share them here because I read an uncorrected proof of the book. Once I get a final copy, I will update to share some of them!
This is the one and only book I have read that talks about every single thing that we (speaking as a parent, teacher and librarian) like to pretend that teen girls don't think about or do, but if we think back to our time as teens.........we thought about and possibly did as well. We just didn't have this exquisite/disgusting, beautiful/disturbing, truthful/magical book to read to articulate the thoughts we had about entering womanhood and all the inequities and contradictions involved in that rite of passage. The magical realism stories between chapters are strange and disturbing, but at the same time incredibly symbolic and poetic. As the mother-daughter relationship got more and more complex as the past was revealed, I realized there was never once (that I can recall) a interaction between Nina and her father. Telling to be sure. Descriptions of virgin martyrs and twisted tales of saints are blended in throughout the story, including horrifying stories told to Nina as a child by her mother, leading readers to understand just why Nina may be the Nina she became. I appreciated the message of service and cried at the descriptions of the impossibility of unconditional love (which I disagree with, by the way).
As I wrestled with and appreciated the extremely blunt and graphic language (including detailed naming of reproductive organs and descriptions of orgasms and an abortion) within this book, I was attempting to decide whether or not I could place "What Girls Are Made Of" in my high school library.......and then I remembered that I bought and read and handed "Asking for It" by Louise O'Neill to senior girls. Because it was amazing and it won a huge award this year. And if I could hand that book to high school kids, I can hand this book to young adults. Mature ones. Is this YA like Sarah Dessen is YA? No. But neither is Angie Thomas and THUG is winning every star and award out there. And high schoolers are lining up to read it. Would I hand this to middle school girls? Not necessarily, but I'd be fine with my own daughter reading it in middle school.
What Girls Are Made of deserves awards, even if adult readers like to think girls like these don't exist. They do. They are ALL girls.
I received a digital advance reader copy of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
This is the one and only book I have read that talks about every single thing that we (speaking as a parent, teacher and librarian) like to pretend that teen girls don't think about or do, but if we think back to our time as teens.........we thought about and possibly did as well. We just didn't have this exquisite/disgusting, beautiful/disturbing, truthful/magical book to read to articulate the thoughts we had about entering womanhood and all the inequities and contradictions involved in that rite of passage. The magical realism stories between chapters are strange and disturbing, but at the same time incredibly symbolic and poetic. As the mother-daughter relationship got more and more complex as the past was revealed, I realized there was never once (that I can recall) a interaction between Nina and her father. Telling to be sure. Descriptions of virgin martyrs and twisted tales of saints are blended in throughout the story, including horrifying stories told to Nina as a child by her mother, leading readers to understand just why Nina may be the Nina she became. I appreciated the message of service and cried at the descriptions of the impossibility of unconditional love (which I disagree with, by the way).
As I wrestled with and appreciated the extremely blunt and graphic language (including detailed naming of reproductive organs and descriptions of orgasms and an abortion) within this book, I was attempting to decide whether or not I could place "What Girls Are Made Of" in my high school library.......and then I remembered that I bought and read and handed "Asking for It" by Louise O'Neill to senior girls. Because it was amazing and it won a huge award this year. And if I could hand that book to high school kids, I can hand this book to young adults. Mature ones. Is this YA like Sarah Dessen is YA? No. But neither is Angie Thomas and THUG is winning every star and award out there. And high schoolers are lining up to read it. Would I hand this to middle school girls? Not necessarily, but I'd be fine with my own daughter reading it in middle school.
What Girls Are Made of deserves awards, even if adult readers like to think girls like these don't exist. They do. They are ALL girls.
I received a digital advance reader copy of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
debi_g's review
4.0
What Girls Are Made of is realistic fiction that is both poetic and blunt, vulnerable and guarded. It may not be an enjoyable read, yet it is riveting.
I am filled with admiration for the author and her ability to represent adolescence and incorporate gritty, personal details of ordinary, physical life using neither clinical terminology nor slang. Certainly, readers will trust in and feel reassured by representations of unexpected menstrual blood and independently achieved orgasms. Surely, readers will glean accurate information about largely unspoken elements of life, like what actually happens to the corpses of euthanized animals and what medical abortions and their aftermaths are actually like. Likewise, readers will acquire a lens for the effects of emotional absence, for the futility of suppressing the self in search of love, and the positive results of creative expression. In Nina, readers will find a warning rather than a hero. She will inspire girls to grow into a strength of self that she lacks.
I am also feeling fear for this book, which will either go unnoticed and unread by those who could benefit from the story, or which will be challenged by censors whose goal will be to protect teen readers from the world they already walk. The other potential future for this book is a trajectory like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, an unflinching story that reigned the word of mouth canon.
The language and structure of this book are exemplary, even if the characters are deliberately distasteful. Perhaps the largest theme is this: "You can't make people love you. Love isn't something you earn, or something you deserve. Love just is. Or it isn't" (180). As painful as it is to watch Nina (or a real person) manage her every expression in a misguided effort to attract a lasting affection, it is necessary component of the characterization and plot.
The author's note is absolutely worthwhile and appreciated.
Although I respect the writing and I continue to ponder the story and its implications, which is the trait of a good story, I can't shake the awareness that this is a book to recommend with prudence.
I am filled with admiration for the author and her ability to represent adolescence and incorporate gritty, personal details of ordinary, physical life using neither clinical terminology nor slang. Certainly, readers will trust in and feel reassured by representations of unexpected menstrual blood and independently achieved orgasms. Surely, readers will glean accurate information about largely unspoken elements of life, like what actually happens to the corpses of euthanized animals and what medical abortions and their aftermaths are actually like. Likewise, readers will acquire a lens for the effects of emotional absence, for the futility of suppressing the self in search of love, and the positive results of creative expression. In Nina, readers will find a warning rather than a hero. She will inspire girls to grow into a strength of self that she lacks.
I am also feeling fear for this book, which will either go unnoticed and unread by those who could benefit from the story, or which will be challenged by censors whose goal will be to protect teen readers from the world they already walk. The other potential future for this book is a trajectory like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, an unflinching story that reigned the word of mouth canon.
The language and structure of this book are exemplary, even if the characters are deliberately distasteful. Perhaps the largest theme is this: "You can't make people love you. Love isn't something you earn, or something you deserve. Love just is. Or it isn't" (180). As painful as it is to watch Nina (or a real person) manage her every expression in a misguided effort to attract a lasting affection, it is necessary component of the characterization and plot.
The author's note is absolutely worthwhile and appreciated.
Although I respect the writing and I continue to ponder the story and its implications, which is the trait of a good story, I can't shake the awareness that this is a book to recommend with prudence.
mariethelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This was a weird but interesting book. What are girls made of? So much more than sugar and spice and everything nice, thats for sure! I think I liked this book, at least it made quite an impact on me.
molly_dettmann's review
5.0
This book… wow. It’s definitely for mature readers as there are description of a lot of stuff, but the message is so powerful. I felt 16. I felt Nina’s all consuming feelings of measuring her worth by the affections of her boyfriend and how toxic and unsettling those feelings were, yet so realistic. Arnold wrote a story that captures how as women we are told to sacrifice, to be small, to take punishment in so many forms, from the gaping wounds to the smallest cuts, and how we turn on each other (looking at Nina’s horrible mother right here but also Nina herself). There’s a whole symbolic parallel plot where Nina recounts a trip to Rome with her mother and the martyred Catholic saints she sees in famous artworks that have haunted her and now she starts to see herself in them. Y’all, this book was one of those that’ll sit with me. I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner. It was pretty short too. Again, it’s mature, and not for every reader.
venti's review
dark
sad
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
3.0
interesting… i don’t like reading about animal cruelty so that somewhat tainted the experience for me, but whatever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Mental illness
act_10's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, the only thing that saved this book from a 2 star rating was the author note at the end. I didn’t like this story. I didn’t like the main character. I felt the book got a bit preachy in a very progressive, liberal way. But hearing (I did this one as an audiobook) the authors intention, I get where she was trying to go with it. It was meant to be empowering to young women, but to me it seemed like a teenager making a lot of really bad choices all in a row. Yes, she gets better by the end, but I still didn’t like her. The author talks about how she LOVES Nina, but for her it’s like loving one of her kids. She wrote this girl into existence, so she kinda has to love her.
The small, intertwining stories and martyr tales were pretty interesting though. Probably the best parts of the book
The small, intertwining stories and martyr tales were pretty interesting though. Probably the best parts of the book
josssc's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.75