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madelinesouthern's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
marinaemoore's review
4.0
*For transparency, I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.*
I enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was beautiful and thoughtful.
This book is written from multiple POVs. While each character was nuanced, I did deduct one star because I felt the author used too many characters to tell the story. Sometimes the main story got lost in the different characters’ backstories.
I enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was beautiful and thoughtful.
This book is written from multiple POVs. While each character was nuanced, I did deduct one star because I felt the author used too many characters to tell the story. Sometimes the main story got lost in the different characters’ backstories.
mccullah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
scavengercat's review
4.0
I grew up having a mild obsession with boarding school, so my rating might be biased. I devoured it.
indigoivee's review
2.0
A coming-of-age novel set in a prestigious New England prep school. The story follows nine young women as they navigate their ambitions, friendships, and fears amidst a scandal that the school administration desperately wants to suppress within the elite all-girls boarding school. This novel skillfully navigates the lives of a diverse group of students, examining their experiences, struggles, and the lasting impact of their time at the prestigious Atwater School.
The storyline unfolds through the shifting perspectives and narratives of female students whose stories all interconnect throughout the school year, that collectively explores the multifaceted nature of girlhood.. The characters are vividly drawn, with their individual stories contributing to a broader examination of friendship, identity, and societal expectations. The story explores the struggles and triumphs of these characters as they strive to find their voices and assert their power in a world that often denies them.
The author tackles issues such as body image, sexuality, friendship dynamics, and the pressures to conform to societal expectations. The narrative is both sensitive and candid, delving into the emotional landscape of the characters with empathy and authenticity.
While the premise and themes of the book are compelling and relevant, the execution falls short. The pacing feels uneven, with moments of gripping intensity intermixed with slower, less engaging chapters. Additionally, I felt, the plot lacked a sense of continuity, making it difficult to fully invest in the story.
Some readers, like myself, may find some of the subject matter disturbing, as the book includes themes of sexual assault and abuse. It is important to note that there is a trigger warning for these sensitive topics.
Despite its flaws, "All Girls" offers glimpses of insight and inspiring moments. It is not just a story about a specific place and time; it's a universal exploration of the complexities of female relationships and the journey to self-discovery. The novel encourages us to rethink the impact of societal expectations on our lives and the resilience of young women as we navigate a world that often demands conformity. Layden's writing style is evocative, and the portrayal of the characters' emotions is often poignant and relatable. However, the overall reading experience leaves much to be desired.
If you enjoy novels exploring the complexities of teenage life and the challenges faced by young women, "All Girls" may be worth a read. It's a novel that resonates with authenticity and empathy, offering a compelling narrative that lingers in the reader's mind.
Favourite quote: “My point is, love is love is love, or whatever, even if it doesn’t always look the way we expect.”
The storyline unfolds through the shifting perspectives and narratives of female students whose stories all interconnect throughout the school year, that collectively explores the multifaceted nature of girlhood.. The characters are vividly drawn, with their individual stories contributing to a broader examination of friendship, identity, and societal expectations. The story explores the struggles and triumphs of these characters as they strive to find their voices and assert their power in a world that often denies them.
The author tackles issues such as body image, sexuality, friendship dynamics, and the pressures to conform to societal expectations. The narrative is both sensitive and candid, delving into the emotional landscape of the characters with empathy and authenticity.
While the premise and themes of the book are compelling and relevant, the execution falls short. The pacing feels uneven, with moments of gripping intensity intermixed with slower, less engaging chapters. Additionally, I felt, the plot lacked a sense of continuity, making it difficult to fully invest in the story.
Some readers, like myself, may find some of the subject matter disturbing, as the book includes themes of sexual assault and abuse. It is important to note that there is a trigger warning for these sensitive topics.
Despite its flaws, "All Girls" offers glimpses of insight and inspiring moments. It is not just a story about a specific place and time; it's a universal exploration of the complexities of female relationships and the journey to self-discovery. The novel encourages us to rethink the impact of societal expectations on our lives and the resilience of young women as we navigate a world that often demands conformity. Layden's writing style is evocative, and the portrayal of the characters' emotions is often poignant and relatable. However, the overall reading experience leaves much to be desired.
If you enjoy novels exploring the complexities of teenage life and the challenges faced by young women, "All Girls" may be worth a read. It's a novel that resonates with authenticity and empathy, offering a compelling narrative that lingers in the reader's mind.
Favourite quote: “My point is, love is love is love, or whatever, even if it doesn’t always look the way we expect.”
beckimoody29's review
4.0
#metoo in the context of a private boarding school. As students head back to class, they are greeted with yard signs suggesting that a student had been raped years before and the administration covered it up. As the students search for the truth, they also are forced to confront their own ideas about consent. I really liked this book but it was very confusing at first. It is important to know that this is really a series of "vignettes" featuring various students. It is not a straight narrative and characters wander in and out of the story. I was not expecting that and so I had a lot of trouble following the timeline at first.
This book is also less a story and more discussion starter. There are answers (at least implied) and lessons learned, but there is a lot going on. There were girls I really wanted to follow longer, and some stories were a little boring. However, I thought there was a balanced approach with lots of different situations.
This book is also less a story and more discussion starter. There are answers (at least implied) and lessons learned, but there is a lot going on. There were girls I really wanted to follow longer, and some stories were a little boring. However, I thought there was a balanced approach with lots of different situations.
bookish_maddie's review
4.0
As an All girls high school (though not boarding school) graduate and an alum of a college which had its own sexual assault accusations made and poorly handled, this book could not have gotten closer to my liver experience. This book is chock full of nostalgia for my days at my own all girls high school. The stories of each girl who gets her turn at a point of view - Lauren, Macy, Louisa, Chloe, Celeste, Abby, Sloane, Emma, Bryce, Collier, Mia, Anjali, Kat, and Olivia - felt so true to what I went through growing up as a young woman at a private, all girls school.
Lauren Miro never makes an appearance, but what she went through is felt keenly throughout, just as the scandal that took place on my college campus was felt by the student body. When I was in college, a staff member was accused of helping to cover up an assault and mishandling dozens of others. Though I was not personally a victim of these I went through in college was echoed perfectly in this book, right down the the emails to the student body and parents, the investigation, and the faculty member eventually departing.
This book had five stars until the chapter where the culprit of the various “pranks” at Atwater is revealed. Something about it rang false for me. A nice bow is rarely put so neatly on these things, and to reveal the prankster to be Bryce felt wrong somehow. I think there might have been a better way to handle this particular event, If the author felt this was a plot point that needed wrapping up.
Lauren Miro never makes an appearance, but what she went through is felt keenly throughout, just as the scandal that took place on my college campus was felt by the student body. When I was in college, a staff member was accused of helping to cover up an assault and mishandling dozens of others. Though I was not personally a victim of these I went through in college was echoed perfectly in this book, right down the the emails to the student body and parents, the investigation, and the faculty member eventually departing.
This book had five stars until the chapter where the culprit of the various “pranks” at Atwater is revealed. Something about it rang false for me. A nice bow is rarely put so neatly on these things, and to reveal the prankster to be Bryce felt wrong somehow. I think there might have been a better way to handle this particular event, If the author felt this was a plot point that needed wrapping up.
alexiasambrano's review
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
2.75
while there were some points where i felt like there was some depth, the entire story fell short of the mark for me. as someone who is a violence prevention educator and has been heavily involved in developing programs that tackle the root issue of gender- and power-based harm (spoiler alert! its all of the above: misogyny, capitalism, and white supremacy) i was really disappointed that there was no substantive conversation had about the impact of sexual violence on youth, and in particular on young girls. were given front row seat to a lengthy list of Atwater students’ lives but never really ~see~ how they’re grappling with sexual abuse allegations against a member of their academic community. Their stories all feel distant from each other, never truly embracing the healing capacity of community care.
rmarcin's review
2.0
I really was excited to read this book based on advance praise, but I found it SO boring. Having attended an all-girls high school, albeit not a boarding school, I was hoping for a nice juicy tale about female friendships amidst a scandal. But, what I got was a lengthy, dry, novel, with characters I didn't like. The story was convuluted and took forever to make the point. It could have been so much better, in my opinion.
The novel begins with students coming to school for orientation. Along the way, signs warn of a scandal at the school, but the school hasn't dealt with the issue appropriately. The rest of the novel touches on this from time to time, but also on the lives of the female students and their relationships and goals. It missed the mark for me.
The novel begins with students coming to school for orientation. Along the way, signs warn of a scandal at the school, but the school hasn't dealt with the issue appropriately. The rest of the novel touches on this from time to time, but also on the lives of the female students and their relationships and goals. It missed the mark for me.