Reviews

Girl Friends by Holly Bourne

kiyamarie's review against another edition

4.0

"Of being jealous of your friend who got assaulted on the dance floor because why didn't he pick you to assault"

This book was packed with so many things, it's hard to know where to begin. At the core, I think it's safe to say we are all failing each other. But most importantly, we rely on the women in our lives to understand the struggles we are born with and forget that those lens come laced with individual traumas.

When We Were Friends holds deeply flawed characters and grapples with the question of whether or not human beings are capable of change and forgiveness. And what those things actually mean in the face of doubt. It hold questions about what it actually means to be a good friend. The significance of communication. The complexities of relationships romantic, platonic, and carnal. It touches on mental health, sexual assault, and more. (Triggers there)

It was a easy read. It should make you question how your teenage years have shaped the adult you've become and if you are holding onto anything that may not be serving you or your relationships.

katie_aa's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

bronski's review against another edition

4.0

Wow. I expected a story that celebrates female friendship, but it was so much more than that. If you are a woman who went to high school or university in the early 2000's, this might mess you up a bit.

katlizmag's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I felt so much reading this book, in part because of the fantastic writing and in part because of the visceral memories it brought up of being a teenager and having intense friendships that don’t survive the shift to adulthood, and how mental illness changes with age but stays with you 

as1u18's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

recovering_my_sparkle's review

5.0

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was more lighthearted than my usual book choices but I’m glad that I stuck with it! Despite having lightheartedness to it, there were also important themes running through and it does talk about sexual assault and rape within it - but actually I feel this is important to be covered within literature, especially in society today where people are encouraged to speak up more than ever before. I think it was covered with a great deal of care and was gentle in its approach. The short chapters that alternated between present day and the past also helped to break things up and keep it from feeling too heavy.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me early access to this book!

mollyhyland's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad 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

cerysejones's review

5.0

I got this book at the airport because my flight was delayed and I had some cash on me and I am SO HAPPY I did. The accuracy of some parts of this book was absolutely insane - I felt like someone had scooped up parts of my brain and spread it onto a page. I’ve folded over so many pages so I can come back to them and write all over them and save the quotes forever because they say what I’ve felt in such better words than I could use. Kind of disturbing sometimes but only because of how accurate the scenarios felt, even though the teenagers in it are from the 2000s. Read it waiting for the plane, on the plane, in the bath and then before bed because I literally could not put it down and it’s been a while since I’ve had a book like that. Big fat five stars.

aerm_x's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

fallonheartss's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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

3.5