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36 reviews for:
Undiscovered Gyrl: The Novel That Inspired the Movie Ask Me Anything
Allison Burnett
3.64 AVERAGE
36 reviews for:
Undiscovered Gyrl: The Novel That Inspired the Movie Ask Me Anything
Allison Burnett
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Billed as a "Lolita for the computer age" Undiscovered Gyrl reminded me of a modern twist on a Go Ask Alice sort of book - anonymous blogger tells all about her exploits - sexual and otherwise - during her gap year, with more sensational observation than introspection. Although we never see reader comments, we see her in-post responses. Predictably, her erratic, irresponsible behavior is tied to *CENSORED* (don't want to spoil it!)
The writing is not stellar, but there is some dark and irreverent humor that teens might enjoy. "Katie's" frank edgy voice has initial appeal, but gets old and gimmicky fast, and the conclusion throws the reliability of the narrator into question, making for an unsatisfying read.
The writing is not stellar, but there is some dark and irreverent humor that teens might enjoy. "Katie's" frank edgy voice has initial appeal, but gets old and gimmicky fast, and the conclusion throws the reliability of the narrator into question, making for an unsatisfying read.
Have you ever wondered what a middle aged white dude thinks being a teenaged girl is like? Have you ever wanted heavy topics such as child molestation, rape, depression, suicide, and abortion to be handled in the worst way possible? Have you ever thought that we need more literary fiction that sets women back further than the Trump administration? Have you ever spent 300 pages wondering who the fuck is in charge of editing over at Random House? WELL YOU ARE IN LUCK FAM.
This is the story of a 17 year old girl (she turns 18 during the course of the novel) who blogs about her life. In fact the entire book consists of her blog entries. Due to the anonymity of the internet, bloggers can be extremely truthful when writing about their innermost thoughts and emotions. Such is the case here. The protagonist, Katie Kampenfelt (she is quick to point out that this is not her real name, for safety purposes) has chosen to defer college for a year until she can get her head straight.
Her blogs cover almost a year of real time and provide fascinating insights to her life. And, indeed, her life is not pretty. She is sexually promiscuous with numerous partners, an abuser of drugs and alcohol, and emotionally scarred. Just how she came to be that way is masterfully revealed over the course of the book. The author seems able to really, truly get inside the protagonist's head. I was very surprised to learn that the author is actually male, so keen are his insight's into this girl's life. And since I have a daughter that is only about a year older than Katie, and I see her friends all the time, I can attest to just how real the language and expressions are in this novel.
Despite the darkness of Katie's life and the stresses she endures, this is a remarkably funny book as well. Her day-to-day descriptions of the people she interacts with are often hillarious. It's a careful balance for the horror of her reality. In some ways, this book is like a reality TV show. While it was an easy book to get into, and I definitely wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next, it was sort of like watching a train wreck. I grew frustrated with the way Katie was offered help time and again only for her to give up or ignore the advice all together. You really root for her and experience her ups and downs along with her.
For those looking for a nicely tied-up happy ending, keep looking. For those who want to experience how this internet generation of young people communicate, this is the book for you.
Her blogs cover almost a year of real time and provide fascinating insights to her life. And, indeed, her life is not pretty. She is sexually promiscuous with numerous partners, an abuser of drugs and alcohol, and emotionally scarred. Just how she came to be that way is masterfully revealed over the course of the book. The author seems able to really, truly get inside the protagonist's head. I was very surprised to learn that the author is actually male, so keen are his insight's into this girl's life. And since I have a daughter that is only about a year older than Katie, and I see her friends all the time, I can attest to just how real the language and expressions are in this novel.
Despite the darkness of Katie's life and the stresses she endures, this is a remarkably funny book as well. Her day-to-day descriptions of the people she interacts with are often hillarious. It's a careful balance for the horror of her reality. In some ways, this book is like a reality TV show. While it was an easy book to get into, and I definitely wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next, it was sort of like watching a train wreck. I grew frustrated with the way Katie was offered help time and again only for her to give up or ignore the advice all together. You really root for her and experience her ups and downs along with her.
For those looking for a nicely tied-up happy ending, keep looking. For those who want to experience how this internet generation of young people communicate, this is the book for you.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
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
i just couldn’t really get past the writing style to continue on with the book. might try to pick up again