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em_brebs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How to Build a Girl is shockingly profound, lovely, crass, and painfully accurate. Though Johanna lives a drastically different teenagehood than I did, and all of her feelings and perspectives are specific to her experience, they feel analogous to my own. Reading about Johanna is painful because she is so, so innocent and so, so out of her depth, but she wants it all so, so much. She's a teenage girl and that's incredible but also, my God, the absolute worst.
The first 90% of the novel is brilliant and packed with smart writing: funny jokes, insightful lines, and incredibly specific, well-drawn characters. I can't even say everything I love about it. Johanna's voice is the best. But also her brother and her mom and her dad and her other brother and her incredible, life-defining crush.
The last 10% I didn't like quite as much: it felt like Moran was struggling to pull together an ending with the gravity and clarity that a novel of this sort demands. How to Build a Girl is essentially a classic coming of age novel, and so it feels as though Johanna should really come of age at the end. Instead, there's a bit of a stall and some mildly cliché platitudes. Additionally, in the sort of tormenting last couple chapters, Johanna self-harms she cuts her arms and legs for the first time in the story. The self-harm felt gratuitous and as though it lacked meaning to the story. How to Build a Girl is FULL of behavior that is self-destructive and harmful, but at least the rest of it felt considered and thoughtful. I'm sure Moran thought about including that scene, just because the rest of the novel is so intentional, but it doesn't feel that way.
There were also some sections in which the Johanna's clear, decisively teenage voice faded away into a much more adult and measured narrator, which felt especially disconcerting given how consistent Johanna's voice was elsewhere. We know who she is, so when she disappears it's weird. Also, I feel like Moran's project is clear. As a reader, I at no point thought Johanna was RIGHT about literally anything at all, so I don't feel like Moran had to be quite so explicit about the fact that, obviously, Johanna is super wrong about everything.
I want to again underline that I LOVED the first 90% and only struggled with the last maybe 5-10%. If you have to choose between reading and not reading, ABSOLUTELY read!!! It's just that Moran didn't entirely stick the landing. But I promise it's MORE than worth it to live through Johanna's honesty for a bit: 89%
The first 90% of the novel is brilliant and packed with smart writing: funny jokes, insightful lines, and incredibly specific, well-drawn characters. I can't even say everything I love about it. Johanna's voice is the best. But also her brother and her mom and her dad and her other brother and her incredible, life-defining crush.
The last 10% I didn't like quite as much: it felt like Moran was struggling to pull together an ending with the gravity and clarity that a novel of this sort demands. How to Build a Girl is essentially a classic coming of age novel, and so it feels as though Johanna should really come of age at the end. Instead, there's a bit of a stall and some mildly cliché platitudes. Additionally, in the sort of tormenting last couple chapters, Johanna self-harms
There were also some sections in which the Johanna's clear, decisively teenage voice faded away into a much more adult and measured narrator, which felt especially disconcerting given how consistent Johanna's voice was elsewhere. We know who she is, so when she disappears it's weird. Also, I feel like Moran's project is clear. As a reader, I at no point thought Johanna was RIGHT about literally anything at all, so I don't feel like Moran had to be quite so explicit about the fact that, obviously, Johanna is super wrong about everything.
I want to again underline that I LOVED the first 90% and only struggled with the last maybe 5-10%. If you have to choose between reading and not reading, ABSOLUTELY read!!! It's just that Moran didn't entirely stick the landing. But I promise it's MORE than worth it to live through Johanna's honesty for a bit: 89%
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
selftitledpunk's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
sommer22's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Author is self-aware about the adult-minor relationships in the book. Some racially insensitive things are said as well. Those are my only two knocks on this book. The main character, Johanna, reminded me of myself a bit when I was a younger teen: confused, filled with wanderlust, and cringe. This is exactly the kind of book I needed at this point in my life as I'm getting over the identity-crisis hump of my high school years. It speaks greatly to the innate fluctuations of the human identity, and the impossibility of cynicism and staying in one niche for your entire life. Kids do be stupid, but society shouldn't shame them for it. That only engenders cynicism and disdain for others. They just want to have a sense of belonging, and as Moran points out, no one will be able to truly provide you your own identity but yourself. The greatest facet of self-love is the acceptance of change, which allows us to love and accept others when they change as well.
There's no way Johanna isn't a Leo, but she can't be, considering she's still 17 in October. Sagittarius?
There's no way Johanna isn't a Leo, but she can't be, considering she's still 17 in October. Sagittarius?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Body horror
Moderate: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Drug abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Racial slurs
This book is British, so it uses their slang term for cigarettes, which in the U.S. is an LGBT slur (the f-slur.) I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with trauma with that term, since it's used quite a bit.damen_ever's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Self harm
nataliect13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Self harm, and Sexual content
esme's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I felt like I was mostly reading this because I wanted to read something that would make me laugh and it did that! I'm still not sure if I really properly liked any of the characters but I did find it entertaining, and I didn't mind spending this time with them so that's a good sign!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Self harm
cinnamingsley's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I'll start off by saying that I don't expect the main character at the end of a coming-of-age novel to become this flawless superhero or whatever, however having said that, I do expect some character growth.
The entire novel follows Johanna trying to gain a deeper sense of self by redefining her appearance and some of her mannerisms. She wants to become 'legendary' to other people and is really the epitome of a people-pleaser. She doesn't listen to her own wishes because she fears that others may dislike her, so she basically defines her success by the validation of others. This is reflected in the relationships that she has with the other characters, namely her father who isn't really ever there for her until her job opportunity can benefit his failing music career and her brother who really only seems to have a closer relationship with her once she entertains him with her 'adventures', which really just adds fuel to the whole fire of people-pleasing that Johanna uses to validate herself. This issue is presented in Johanna through her relationships with other men and her sexuality and her work/hobbies.
So, naturally, by the end I was expecting all these issues to get addressed by her having an epiphany of some sort where she feels empowered enough to feel validated by her own decisions, and did that happen? Well, partially, but not really.
By 70% through, I was starting to get a bit irritated by her. The fact that she kept ignoring her own ironic behaviour and insecurity front, left, and center, started to get old, and page after page I was waiting for her to have a moment of realization, until it came to the fourth last chapter of the book whereit takes an invitation to a threesome for her to say 'no', which is uh well, ya, I don't think I need to elaborate on that. I got so excited because I could finally say 'YES JOHANNA YOU TELL EM' and then this great scene comes where (tw: adult/minor relationships)she asks herself what she wants to do, and at this point I am crying tears of joy, and what does she respond with? What is the one thing she is dying to do now that she has realised her freedom of choice and expression? Ah yes, of course. RUNNING AFTER WEIRD-PEDO-VIBES JOHN KITE. Johanna, WHY. When they do meet, surely we're expecting their meet-up to be inspiring and symbolic of John Kite's inspiration for Johanna (I think it could have been really interesting to develop him more as a mentor-figure for Johanna rather than an awkward, teased half-romance) but of course, it's another let-down. They get so drunk that they don't remember anything and the only different thing that happens compared to other meet-ups is that Johanna confesses her love, to which John Kite responds with a hazy "ya we'll probably kiss", which is just like, why are we going in this direction at the end of the novel, I don't get what we're trying to say here.... I don't feel like elaborating on this anymore, I'm bored and confused and I have no desire to figure it out.
So we have all these issues that Johanna is dealing with, and out of all of them, by the end of the novel, only one of these really gets addressed, and that is how she expresses herself to others and makes her decisions. Howeverbecause, like, 80% of this book is focused on her 'Lady Sex Adventures', and her relationship with sex itself, none of the issues she experiences during these 'adventures' gets addressed at the end. So ok, she feels more empowered in what she wants to bring to the world through her self-expression, but 80% of this book was literally about her exploration of her sexuality and the struggles she faced so how can we end this book and have absolutely no indication of where she stands on that part of her identity???
Despite all of this, there were some brilliant scenes, combining a complex exploration of identity with ironic humour and I think Johanna's characterisation was really strong. There were some beautiful lines about what it means to express yourself and how much you should let other people influence who you are as a person.
Honestly, I'm just angry that I don't love this book. I loved the funny literary and music references (although, half of them lost me) and the relationships between characters were all significant in some way because they each revealed something to Johanna about her personal growth. Caitlin Moran knew what she was doing with this book and the ideas that fuel the storyline and characters is sosososo good, but I think the execution could have been better.
The entire novel follows Johanna trying to gain a deeper sense of self by redefining her appearance and some of her mannerisms. She wants to become 'legendary' to other people and is really the epitome of a people-pleaser. She doesn't listen to her own wishes because she fears that others may dislike her, so she basically defines her success by the validation of others. This is reflected in the relationships that she has with the other characters, namely her father who isn't really ever there for her until her job opportunity can benefit his failing music career and her brother who really only seems to have a closer relationship with her once she entertains him with her 'adventures', which really just adds fuel to the whole fire of people-pleasing that Johanna uses to validate herself. This issue is presented in Johanna through her relationships with other men and her sexuality and her work/hobbies.
So, naturally, by the end I was expecting all these issues to get addressed by her having an epiphany of some sort where she feels empowered enough to feel validated by her own decisions, and did that happen? Well, partially, but not really.
By 70% through, I was starting to get a bit irritated by her. The fact that she kept ignoring her own ironic behaviour and insecurity front, left, and center, started to get old, and page after page I was waiting for her to have a moment of realization, until it came to the fourth last chapter of the book where
So we have all these issues that Johanna is dealing with, and out of all of them, by the end of the novel, only one of these really gets addressed, and that is how she expresses herself to others and makes her decisions. However
Despite all of this, there were some brilliant scenes, combining a complex exploration of identity with ironic humour and I think Johanna's characterisation was really strong. There were some beautiful lines about what it means to express yourself and how much you should let other people influence who you are as a person.
Honestly, I'm just angry that I don't love this book. I loved the funny literary and music references (although, half of them lost me) and the relationships between characters were all significant in some way because they each revealed something to Johanna about her personal growth. Caitlin Moran knew what she was doing with this book and the ideas that fuel the storyline and characters is sosososo good, but I think the execution could have been better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness
heini's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
1.0
Näin minusta tuli tyttö on musiikkiin ja populäärikulttuuriin kiedottu tarina identiteetistä ja seksistä. Päähenkilön identiteetti on vahvasti kiinni seksissä, ensin neitsyenä ja sitten "jumalattomana lutkana".
Sisarussuhde oli mielenkiintoinen. Muu perhe oli myös hyvin kuvattu. En tiedä miksi kirja loppui samaan - negatiiviseen - asiaan millä se alkoikin, kun tarina tuntui muuten antavan kuvan siitä, että tulevaisuus on uutta ja suurta, itsenäistä. Johannan perhe-elämä ei ollut sellaista, se oli hyvin ikävää: mitä muuta se voi ollakaan silloin kun lapsi elättää perhettä vanhempien sijaan. Loppu antaa käsityksen, että Johannaa ei tule onnistamaan Lontoossa, että hän joutuu yhä olemaan vastuussa perheestään, itsekin ollessa vielä peruskoulunsa kesken jättänyt lapsi.
Ei ollut mitenkään syvällinen. Ei siitä oikein mitään saanut irti, muuta kuin että vaikka Caitlin Moran selventää alussa kirjan olevan fiktiota, on se täysin Caitlinin äänellä kirjoitettu, ainakin sen mukaan mitä Kiitoksista ja yhdestä haastattelun pätkästä luin. Niistä myös päättelin, että en pidä hänestä.
Sisarussuhde oli mielenkiintoinen. Muu perhe oli myös hyvin kuvattu. En tiedä miksi kirja loppui samaan - negatiiviseen - asiaan millä se alkoikin, kun tarina tuntui muuten antavan kuvan siitä, että tulevaisuus on uutta ja suurta, itsenäistä. Johannan perhe-elämä ei ollut sellaista, se oli hyvin ikävää: mitä muuta se voi ollakaan silloin kun lapsi elättää perhettä vanhempien sijaan. Loppu antaa käsityksen, että Johannaa ei tule onnistamaan Lontoossa, että hän joutuu yhä olemaan vastuussa perheestään, itsekin ollessa vielä peruskoulunsa kesken jättänyt lapsi.
Ei ollut mitenkään syvällinen. Ei siitä oikein mitään saanut irti, muuta kuin että vaikka Caitlin Moran selventää alussa kirjan olevan fiktiota, on se täysin Caitlinin äänellä kirjoitettu, ainakin sen mukaan mitä Kiitoksista ja yhdestä haastattelun pätkästä luin. Niistä myös päättelin, että en pidä hänestä.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Cursing
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Self harm
Minor: Antisemitism, Biphobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts
mediocreli's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book made me nostalgic for the world I dreamed of as escapism when I was a young teenager. Perhaps the nostalgia blinds me a bit to the flaws of the book, but it’s left me feeling hopeful for life as even in my early to mid twenties, I am still learning how to build a girl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts