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A review by hallirackit
Graffiti Girls by Elissa Soave
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I listened to this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publishers.
This is billed as a feisty, funny feminist novel, presumably because alliteration appeals to readers. I'll give it funny - I'm from the same neck of the woods (roughly) and a similar vintage to the characters.
The feminism is very lightweight and superficial, unfortunately.
4 friends from school are on the cusp of menopause and living in a medium town that's now essentially a suburb of Glasgow; they've lived there all their lives and some have passed up opportunities to leave in the past. Somewhat angry about their lot in life, and society's treatment of women in a variety of ways, they embark upon a campaign of graffiti to highlight certain causes. (Sexism in general, also consent/sexual violence, pay inequality and something else entirely overshadowed by the handwringing about the illegality and costs of clean-up. I guess the author really had to emphasise that doing graffiti is Bad, in case she inspired anyone?)
However, nothing really changes. All the women end up happy in their lives - mostly by finding (or re-finding) intimate relationships. The women are extremely unkind and judgemental of young women and teenage girls. I assure you, women currently in their 40s were really no different in the mid-90s to the teen girls of the 2020s!
One of the friends is a lesbian, and while the other 3 seem to be okay with it, I'm not sure they really are. There's a conversation at one point where the lesbian is highlighted as somehow abnormal. She's also a walking stereotype, down to the shaven head and Doc Martens! As well as this casual homophobia, one of the women has a teenager who is AMAB but might be queer? I don't know if they're gay or bi, or their gender identity is less fixed than anticipated. They have a friend who is definitely non-binary. The women, especially the mother, usually disparage the poor kid. It's suggested they bring the bullying on themselves and it's all just a phase anyway; they'll grow out of it.
Yes, some folks will experiment with their identity in their teens and early 20s - literally everyone in the West does this! There's precisely nothing to be lost by affirming people as they are, today, and again tomorrow and next week etc!
I'm ranting.
There is a very flaccid sop to the kids' "bravery" in being true to themselves as the end, but blink and you'll miss it.
Lastly, and this might be the most infuriating: two of the women are mothers; the children are 100% AMAB. And the mothers are nearly parodies of Boy Moms. Their precious sons can do absolutely no wrong (except for the one who might be queer, and has a queer friend) and they have done absolutely everything for their little princes. I don't think they ever say "no" to them at any point in the book. Way to raise another generation of misogynists!
Lastly lastly: there are no people from the global majority in this book (unless there was another blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention). Scotland is indeed a very white country, but I've been to Hamilton hunners of times and there's *plenty* Brown and Black people there!
PS. Lastly, and this only applies to the audiobook: the narrator (who otherwise does a grand job of the West of Scotland accent) pronounces 'library' as "lie-berry". As one of the women is a librarian, it's said frequently throughout the book.
***
If this had been described as a story of lifelong friendship, being on the cusp of middle-age, something like that - great. It's a fun story otherwise; well-paced and the author clearly worked on getting the 90s details right. It's just not very feminist, if you know anything about modern feminism.
This is billed as a feisty, funny feminist novel, presumably because alliteration appeals to readers. I'll give it funny - I'm from the same neck of the woods (roughly) and a similar vintage to the characters.
The feminism is very lightweight and superficial, unfortunately.
4 friends from school are on the cusp of menopause and living in a medium town that's now essentially a suburb of Glasgow; they've lived there all their lives and some have passed up opportunities to leave in the past. Somewhat angry about their lot in life, and society's treatment of women in a variety of ways, they embark upon a campaign of graffiti to highlight certain causes. (Sexism in general, also consent/sexual violence, pay inequality and something else entirely overshadowed by the handwringing about the illegality and costs of clean-up. I guess the author really had to emphasise that doing graffiti is Bad, in case she inspired anyone?)
However, nothing really changes. All the women end up happy in their lives - mostly by finding (or re-finding) intimate relationships. The women are extremely unkind and judgemental of young women and teenage girls. I assure you, women currently in their 40s were really no different in the mid-90s to the teen girls of the 2020s!
One of the friends is a lesbian, and while the other 3 seem to be okay with it, I'm not sure they really are. There's a conversation at one point where the lesbian is highlighted as somehow abnormal. She's also a walking stereotype, down to the shaven head and Doc Martens! As well as this casual homophobia, one of the women has a teenager who is AMAB but might be queer? I don't know if they're gay or bi, or their gender identity is less fixed than anticipated. They have a friend who is definitely non-binary. The women, especially the mother, usually disparage the poor kid. It's suggested they bring the bullying on themselves and it's all just a phase anyway; they'll grow out of it.
Yes, some folks will experiment with their identity in their teens and early 20s - literally everyone in the West does this! There's precisely nothing to be lost by affirming people as they are, today, and again tomorrow and next week etc!
I'm ranting.
There is a very flaccid sop to the kids' "bravery" in being true to themselves as the end, but blink and you'll miss it.
Lastly, and this might be the most infuriating: two of the women are mothers; the children are 100% AMAB. And the mothers are nearly parodies of Boy Moms. Their precious sons can do absolutely no wrong (except for the one who might be queer, and has a queer friend) and they have done absolutely everything for their little princes. I don't think they ever say "no" to them at any point in the book. Way to raise another generation of misogynists!
Lastly lastly: there are no people from the global majority in this book (unless there was another blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention). Scotland is indeed a very white country, but I've been to Hamilton hunners of times and there's *plenty* Brown and Black people there!
PS. Lastly, and this only applies to the audiobook: the narrator (who otherwise does a grand job of the West of Scotland accent) pronounces 'library' as "lie-berry". As one of the women is a librarian, it's said frequently throughout the book.
***
If this had been described as a story of lifelong friendship, being on the cusp of middle-age, something like that - great. It's a fun story otherwise; well-paced and the author clearly worked on getting the 90s details right. It's just not very feminist, if you know anything about modern feminism.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment