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A review by mindfullibrarian
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
5.0
Hands-down the most feminist book I have ever read. And the most unflinchingly graphic YA book I have ever read. There are pages and pages of quotes I would love to share that just cut to the feminist core, but technically I can't share them here because I read an uncorrected proof of the book. Once I get a final copy, I will update to share some of them!
This is the one and only book I have read that talks about every single thing that we (speaking as a parent, teacher and librarian) like to pretend that teen girls don't think about or do, but if we think back to our time as teens.........we thought about and possibly did as well. We just didn't have this exquisite/disgusting, beautiful/disturbing, truthful/magical book to read to articulate the thoughts we had about entering womanhood and all the inequities and contradictions involved in that rite of passage. The magical realism stories between chapters are strange and disturbing, but at the same time incredibly symbolic and poetic. As the mother-daughter relationship got more and more complex as the past was revealed, I realized there was never once (that I can recall) a interaction between Nina and her father. Telling to be sure. Descriptions of virgin martyrs and twisted tales of saints are blended in throughout the story, including horrifying stories told to Nina as a child by her mother, leading readers to understand just why Nina may be the Nina she became. I appreciated the message of service and cried at the descriptions of the impossibility of unconditional love (which I disagree with, by the way).
As I wrestled with and appreciated the extremely blunt and graphic language (including detailed naming of reproductive organs and descriptions of orgasms and an abortion) within this book, I was attempting to decide whether or not I could place "What Girls Are Made Of" in my high school library.......and then I remembered that I bought and read and handed "Asking for It" by Louise O'Neill to senior girls. Because it was amazing and it won a huge award this year. And if I could hand that book to high school kids, I can hand this book to young adults. Mature ones. Is this YA like Sarah Dessen is YA? No. But neither is Angie Thomas and THUG is winning every star and award out there. And high schoolers are lining up to read it. Would I hand this to middle school girls? Not necessarily, but I'd be fine with my own daughter reading it in middle school.
What Girls Are Made of deserves awards, even if adult readers like to think girls like these don't exist. They do. They are ALL girls.
I received a digital advance reader copy of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
This is the one and only book I have read that talks about every single thing that we (speaking as a parent, teacher and librarian) like to pretend that teen girls don't think about or do, but if we think back to our time as teens.........we thought about and possibly did as well. We just didn't have this exquisite/disgusting, beautiful/disturbing, truthful/magical book to read to articulate the thoughts we had about entering womanhood and all the inequities and contradictions involved in that rite of passage. The magical realism stories between chapters are strange and disturbing, but at the same time incredibly symbolic and poetic. As the mother-daughter relationship got more and more complex as the past was revealed, I realized there was never once (that I can recall) a interaction between Nina and her father. Telling to be sure. Descriptions of virgin martyrs and twisted tales of saints are blended in throughout the story, including horrifying stories told to Nina as a child by her mother, leading readers to understand just why Nina may be the Nina she became. I appreciated the message of service and cried at the descriptions of the impossibility of unconditional love (which I disagree with, by the way).
As I wrestled with and appreciated the extremely blunt and graphic language (including detailed naming of reproductive organs and descriptions of orgasms and an abortion) within this book, I was attempting to decide whether or not I could place "What Girls Are Made Of" in my high school library.......and then I remembered that I bought and read and handed "Asking for It" by Louise O'Neill to senior girls. Because it was amazing and it won a huge award this year. And if I could hand that book to high school kids, I can hand this book to young adults. Mature ones. Is this YA like Sarah Dessen is YA? No. But neither is Angie Thomas and THUG is winning every star and award out there. And high schoolers are lining up to read it. Would I hand this to middle school girls? Not necessarily, but I'd be fine with my own daughter reading it in middle school.
What Girls Are Made of deserves awards, even if adult readers like to think girls like these don't exist. They do. They are ALL girls.
I received a digital advance reader copy of this book for review - all opinions are my own.