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dollteezdiary 's review for:
Rules for Being a Girl
by Candace Bushnell
First off, this story deals with something incredibly important, real, and horrible and it's one that many people, especially women and girls, unfortunately have dealt with or will deal with. I applaud these authors for trying to touch on this subject and trying to empower people to speak up...emphasis on the trying. Overall, it's an incredibly lackluster attempt at shedding light on standing up against things as appalling as sexism in school, abuse of power, sexual abuse, and bullying.
My major complaint is that the way the authors write the characters' reactions in certain situations is incredibly frustrating and makes one wonder if this book is really meant to empower women to rise above the ugly, the horrible, and the unfairness we face and to have a voice.
FOR EXAMPLE!
This book comes from the P.O.V. of the main character, Marin. In her thoughts she is eloquent, thoughtful, and an incredible passionate feminist! But when it comes to actually talking to real people she just goes numb. This is actually VERY REAL and I appreciated the realness behind this...until it got to the point that all she ever said was: "um" "um" "what" "um" what".... right...until... the very.. end, even after so much back and forth with herself (or with others...although that rarely happened.) SHE NEVER ONCE PROPERLY STOOD UP FOR HERSELF!
The whole point of this story is to show how a teenage girl grows and challenges authority and pushes people to speak their truth, but she never fully does herself. I kept expecting her to have an AHA! moment, as one would have in a story such as this, but her eureka moment ends up being violent, as in, she beats up her ignorant, asshole ex-boyfriend. Her complex emotions are still kept in the dark to those who have wronged this character and it's frustrating that the authors opted to take the easy way out in expressing the pent up anger that Marin had dealt with throughout the entire book! To me, it did not give the readers a chance to feel the victory of a positive, empowering solution to stick up for yourself and take a stand against sexism.
The one thing that makes me not hate this book entirely is that someone reacting to constant abuse, sexism, and bullying can take on many different forms, and there isn't necessarily a right and wrong when it comes to that, especially when one is a young teenager trying to find oneself in the process. But if you're going to write a book on these subjects, in what I would assume be a way to help young women speak up and find their voice, you should give it a more satisfying, empowering, justifiable end.
My major complaint is that the way the authors write the characters' reactions in certain situations is incredibly frustrating and makes one wonder if this book is really meant to empower women to rise above the ugly, the horrible, and the unfairness we face and to have a voice.
FOR EXAMPLE!
This book comes from the P.O.V. of the main character, Marin. In her thoughts she is eloquent, thoughtful, and an incredible passionate feminist! But when it comes to actually talking to real people she just goes numb. This is actually VERY REAL and I appreciated the realness behind this...until it got to the point that all she ever said was: "um" "um" "what" "um" what".... right...until... the very.. end, even after so much back and forth with herself (or with others...although that rarely happened.) SHE NEVER ONCE PROPERLY STOOD UP FOR HERSELF!
The whole point of this story is to show how a teenage girl grows and challenges authority and pushes people to speak their truth, but she never fully does herself. I kept expecting her to have an AHA! moment, as one would have in a story such as this, but her eureka moment ends up being violent, as in, she beats up her ignorant, asshole ex-boyfriend. Her complex emotions are still kept in the dark to those who have wronged this character and it's frustrating that the authors opted to take the easy way out in expressing the pent up anger that Marin had dealt with throughout the entire book! To me, it did not give the readers a chance to feel the victory of a positive, empowering solution to stick up for yourself and take a stand against sexism.
The one thing that makes me not hate this book entirely is that someone reacting to constant abuse, sexism, and bullying can take on many different forms, and there isn't necessarily a right and wrong when it comes to that, especially when one is a young teenager trying to find oneself in the process. But if you're going to write a book on these subjects, in what I would assume be a way to help young women speak up and find their voice, you should give it a more satisfying, empowering, justifiable end.