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catapocalypse's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is such a sweet book with so many feels! It's an adult coming-of-age story about Grace Porter, a queer Black woman celebrating the completion of her PhD in Vegas but... accidentally getting drunk-married to a woman she doesn't know in the process! She grapples with figuring out what to do next with her life when the field she's dedicated so much time and energy to proves to be unwelcoming, how to meet the expectations and needs of both her blood- and found-family, and how to determine what her own needs are beneath all of it. Grace also finds that her unplanned marriage may actually be one of the only things going right, but can she reconcile it with her grand plans for her future?
I found this so relatable in its treatment of mental health, burnout, and dealing with the fact that sometimes the highest expectations on you are placed there by your own self. I appreciated the reckoning with imperfect parents and learning to understand them. I was a BIG SUCKER for the sweet love story between Grace and Yuki. (It was also a nice feeling to have lots of romantic and platonic queer love represented without guilt over the queerness!)
I found this so relatable in its treatment of mental health, burnout, and dealing with the fact that sometimes the highest expectations on you are placed there by your own self. I appreciated the reckoning with imperfect parents and learning to understand them. I was a BIG SUCKER for the sweet love story between Grace and Yuki. (It was also a nice feeling to have lots of romantic and platonic queer love represented without guilt over the queerness!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
papercraftalex's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Honey Girl is a millennial coming-of-age book for adults with a romantic underbelly. It features a black lesbian main character who just finished her PhD in astronomy and is trying to figure life out; part of this figuring out also includes figuring out where the girl she drunkenly met in Vegas fits into her life plan. This was such a wonderfully emotional read with a cast of characters that felt so real, flawed, and loveable. The queer found families are so beautiful and the familial relationships are so honest and raw. The writing is poetic and stunning. I would recommend this book to every person that feels lost in the never ending expanse of the universe.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Alcoholism and Medical content
mezzarella's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's rare to find a book which captures the millennial experience as fully as Morgan Rogers' Honey Girl does. Within its pages features Grace Porter, a Black lesbian who just acquired their doctorate degree in astronomy. When the declined job and interview requests begin rolling in, Porter goes from the overachieving star pupil to an undesirable company match. Suddenly, everything from her work's integrity to who she is is questioned and scrutinized by companies and universities who do not want to make space for anyone but their own. Porter responds to this quarter life crisis in an interestingly uncharacteristic way: she goes to Las Vegas and gets married. The rest of the book follows the fallout and lessons Porter learns from her past decisions. At the core is one single action: Porter must ask herself if she wants the best or what's best for her.
Grace Porter is 28 years old and facing a world which doesn't have the opportunities for her she was promised. After nearly a decade of additional schooling and nothing to show for it, this book delves deeper into what it means to make life tolerable in a very fraught and lonely world. While it does have it's share of light-hearted conversations and romantic intrigue, at its core, Honey Girl is about the decisions people make while coping. It's not just Porter who feels as though she is falling behind. Porter has friends who are stuck in jobs they never wanted, whether it be out of obligation or the paycheck. The stress of maintaining appearances wears on each person differently, and its fascinating to see how each character copes and makes sense of the life they are given. The end of the book is particularly rewarding, as lapses in understanding are fixed with honest communication.
On a personal note, this book was particularly relatable in ways I was not expecting. Porter's experience was not too unlike my own, excluding the clear difficulties that systematic racism plays in academia. I had also lived in the world of STEM research and academic grinding, wearing myself out at the cost of my mental and physical health. Honey Girl starts at the beginning of Porter's independent life, and I related strongly to the emptiness the main character felt when the research opportunities and university classes ran dry. There is a great emptiness that comes with selecting a job field which does not make space for you. Like Porter, I had also had to evaluate what the best truly meant and what was important to me to have in my life moving forward. After finishing the book, I was astounded that Rogers had no documented experiences in either STEM or graduate programs. In either case, Morgan Rogers' debut is a strong and realistic entrance into the realm of literature.
Grace Porter is 28 years old and facing a world which doesn't have the opportunities for her she was promised. After nearly a decade of additional schooling and nothing to show for it, this book delves deeper into what it means to make life tolerable in a very fraught and lonely world. While it does have it's share of light-hearted conversations and romantic intrigue, at its core, Honey Girl is about the decisions people make while coping. It's not just Porter who feels as though she is falling behind. Porter has friends who are stuck in jobs they never wanted, whether it be out of obligation or the paycheck. The stress of maintaining appearances wears on each person differently, and its fascinating to see how each character copes and makes sense of the life they are given. The end of the book is particularly rewarding, as lapses in understanding are fixed with honest communication.
On a personal note, this book was particularly relatable in ways I was not expecting. Porter's experience was not too unlike my own, excluding the clear difficulties that systematic racism plays in academia. I had also lived in the world of STEM research and academic grinding, wearing myself out at the cost of my mental and physical health. Honey Girl starts at the beginning of Porter's independent life, and I related strongly to the emptiness the main character felt when the research opportunities and university classes ran dry. There is a great emptiness that comes with selecting a job field which does not make space for you. Like Porter, I had also had to evaluate what the best truly meant and what was important to me to have in my life moving forward. After finishing the book, I was astounded that Rogers had no documented experiences in either STEM or graduate programs. In either case, Morgan Rogers' debut is a strong and realistic entrance into the realm of literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
katherinenzr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Grace Porter has always been the best, always had a plan, and always worked five times as hard as everyone else. After getting her PhD in Astronomy, she’s supposed to go on to work at the most prestigious company there is—but a disastrous interview, and a drunken Vegas wedding to a girl she doesn’t know snaps the tension she’s been putting on herself and causes everything to come tumbling down. This book is by turns fiercely funny, and cathartically heartbreaking, with the poetic lyricism of This is How You Lose the Time War, and the witty banter of Red, White, and Royal Blue. Honey Girl tore me to pieces and then put me back together again—I laughed, I cried, I said “this is so sweet” out loud multiple times. This book is for you, you lonely creature. Are you there?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Emotional abuse and Drug use
The racism is mostly of the systemic sort. This book is about a Black woman and how she moves through the world.
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