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A review by whataliciaisreading
Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
‘It’s yours, she said. I mean, it’s on the end of my arm but it’s yours. So’s the arm. So’s the shoulder. So’s everything else it’s connected to.’
Ali Smith’s ‘Girl meets boy’ is a re-mix of one of Ovid’s metamorphisis stories, but it doesn’t take the content as head on as other modern myth reimaginings. Rather, it uses myth as a springboard from which to bounce ideas of gender, identity, and love.
This is the 8th book I’ve read by Ali Smith, and also the earliest work I’ve read of hers, and reading it felt so familiar. Her style is so established and personal, it’s hard not to read every line in her voice. It’s far from my favourite of her works, but I had a really pleasant time reading this.
It was published as part of The Myths series featuring other writers like Margaret Atwood and AS Byatt, and I think it shows that this text is almost a writing exercise for Smith, responding to a fairly specific brief. Yet, it still shines with all the charm of Smith’s humour and punchy prose.
It features a sister dynamic that will remind readers of Fleabag and Claire, a politicial heart that reappears in many of Smith’s works, and a queer love story that is beautiful in its simplicity.
Ali Smith’s ‘Girl meets boy’ is a re-mix of one of Ovid’s metamorphisis stories, but it doesn’t take the content as head on as other modern myth reimaginings. Rather, it uses myth as a springboard from which to bounce ideas of gender, identity, and love.
This is the 8th book I’ve read by Ali Smith, and also the earliest work I’ve read of hers, and reading it felt so familiar. Her style is so established and personal, it’s hard not to read every line in her voice. It’s far from my favourite of her works, but I had a really pleasant time reading this.
It was published as part of The Myths series featuring other writers like Margaret Atwood and AS Byatt, and I think it shows that this text is almost a writing exercise for Smith, responding to a fairly specific brief. Yet, it still shines with all the charm of Smith’s humour and punchy prose.
It features a sister dynamic that will remind readers of Fleabag and Claire, a politicial heart that reappears in many of Smith’s works, and a queer love story that is beautiful in its simplicity.