A review by notsarahconnor
Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships That Changed History by Sam Maggs

5.0

I was incredibly lucky to receive an ARC of Girl Squads at Fan Expo Canada this August. This is my honest review of the book.

When I received this book at Fan Expo (THE LAST ARC!) I knew it was the book for me. In recent years I've been looking to expand my list of feminist reads, and discovering that Sam Maggs had written a book looking at all the different girl squads around the world that have changed history was exactly what I was looking for.

And the book is just that, a look at twenty different female friendships that affected history. Maggs looks at a variety of different areas of these friendships, particularly looking at female athletes, political and activist groups, warriors, scientists, and artists. There was no section I preferred more than another, or one group of women that I found more interesting than another. Each held my interest and taught me something that I hadn't known before. There were so many women in these books that I'd never heard of before which reminded me about how much of what we learn is told through a male lens. There are so many amazing women who changed history who are hidden in the shadows of men, and I'm so happy Sam Maggs is giving these women the spotlight that they deserve.

And Jenn Woodall's illustrations are fantastic and really make the book! I adore the cover and the little illustrations I did get to see. Being an ARC, a lot of them weren't included, but I look forward to checking out the final copy of the book and seeing all of Woodall's illustrations in their glory!

But to give you a taste of what Maggs has to offer, here are some of my favourite ladies from Maggs book that I need to do more research on for their sheer awesomeness!
• The Haenyeo
• Manon Roland and Sophie Grandchamp
• Anne Bonny and Mary Read
• The Edinburgh Seven
• The Trobairitz

Girl Squads is a must read for any feminist and history lover ready to learn how many awesome women have affected and changed the world and in so many areas. Maggs novel is an inspiring book that teaches readers that they too have the power to change the world.