Reviews

Rent Girl by Michelle Tea

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lizawall's review

Someone who loves this book a lot lent it to me. I liked it, but not as much as she did.

Due to the lack of copy editing and the often boring stories, I'm inclined to only give this 3 stars, but it gets an extra star by virtue of being the unique thing that it is: a medium-length, illustrated memoir by a queer, feminist sex worker.

bookysue's review

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4.0

This was really different from any book I've read before...The emphasis on the illustrations (which I loved) and the way the text was piped in around them made the book graphic-novelish in a cool way. The story was meandering but interesting. But oh my lord the spelling mistakes! I can see how they might add to the charm somewhat, but I really wanted to bust out my sharpie and do some editing.

horfhorfhorf's review

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4.0

I spent years waiting for the NYPL to have a copy of this in stock -- somehow it was always available online unless I was trying to reserve it, in which case there would be an error and I would wonder why. All that waiting was good though, because it built up my anticipation. I like the way occasional errant letters overlap with sketchy illustrations, that the typos seem to multiply the further into the book you get; this book was just so authentic, somehow. More authentic than all the other "whore's glory" type memoirs I've read. The story is not so much about prostitution as it is Michelle's approach to relationships with other women, whether or not they are also pop up on some john's expense account.

gnarltooth's review

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4.0

great book, great stories, great illustrations. a few minor spelling and grammar errors but very easily overlooked. always love michelle tea

meghan111's review

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2.0

I started editing it in my head - in my dream version of this book, instead of being a mix of text and one portrait on each page, it's a traditional panel-format graphic novel. This would force the author to tighten up the storyline and maybe take out a big chunk of the middle. The most interesting parts were the beginning, when she starts working as an escort, and near the end, when she and her girlfriend start trying to sell cocaine and briefly go back into the escort business together.