Take a photo of a barcode or cover
_readingnook 's review for:
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing
by Jessie Tu
This is the most divisive book I have seen for a while, & I understand why. If you want a comfortable read with a clear plot line, this isn’t one for you. However, I found this book thought provoking, complex & an incredible debut from Jessie Tu.
Jena is a child prodigy, playing Carnegie Hall at the age of 15, & A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing follows Jena’s life as she tries to find meaning & fulfillment in other areas of her life, specifically in her relationships with men.
Some of the criticism I have seen around this book is that there is a real lack of character development & growth in Jena, however I feel like sometimes we expect too much because this would have fundamentally changed who Jena is a character, & would tie the story up so neatly & feel so resolved, but I don’t that always reflects real life- I think perhaps we sometimes expect more from characters than we expect from ourselves. Sure the way Jena treats the people around her isn’t always relatable or kind, but I had so much empathy for her & you can clearly see why she self sabotages - I am not trying to say I agree with her behaviour, but I think Jessie Tu has executed her as a character brilliantly.
I found the graphic sex scenes in this book jarring, but that was the author’s point - Jena was using sex as an refuge from her lonely life & provide her with some short term satisfaction. I also think that some of the reason they were so uncomfortable to read is because the way female pleasure is discussed in this book is from a perspective we rarely ever see; & while I was cringing at times, there were also moments of tenderness.
I also loved the amount of lived experience Jessie Tu brought to this book, & her exploration of racism & challenging stereotypes.
I really do recommend this book - maybe not if you need a relatable character or an easy read, but if you want something that challenges you, that makes you think, and that isn’t black & white but yet you are prepared to find its magic the shades of grey, A Lonely Girl Is A Dangerous Thing is a brilliant read, & if you didn’t like it I would LOVE to hear your thoughts & if you disagree with my review!
Jena is a child prodigy, playing Carnegie Hall at the age of 15, & A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing follows Jena’s life as she tries to find meaning & fulfillment in other areas of her life, specifically in her relationships with men.
Some of the criticism I have seen around this book is that there is a real lack of character development & growth in Jena, however I feel like sometimes we expect too much because this would have fundamentally changed who Jena is a character, & would tie the story up so neatly & feel so resolved, but I don’t that always reflects real life- I think perhaps we sometimes expect more from characters than we expect from ourselves. Sure the way Jena treats the people around her isn’t always relatable or kind, but I had so much empathy for her & you can clearly see why she self sabotages - I am not trying to say I agree with her behaviour, but I think Jessie Tu has executed her as a character brilliantly.
I found the graphic sex scenes in this book jarring, but that was the author’s point - Jena was using sex as an refuge from her lonely life & provide her with some short term satisfaction. I also think that some of the reason they were so uncomfortable to read is because the way female pleasure is discussed in this book is from a perspective we rarely ever see; & while I was cringing at times, there were also moments of tenderness.
I also loved the amount of lived experience Jessie Tu brought to this book, & her exploration of racism & challenging stereotypes.
I really do recommend this book - maybe not if you need a relatable character or an easy read, but if you want something that challenges you, that makes you think, and that isn’t black & white but yet you are prepared to find its magic the shades of grey, A Lonely Girl Is A Dangerous Thing is a brilliant read, & if you didn’t like it I would LOVE to hear your thoughts & if you disagree with my review!