A review by closetdiscoqueen
The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures by Phoebe Gloeckner

5.0

I LOVED this how this book was multimedia, written in journal entries, letters, panels, and full-page illustrations.

This book made me think very hard about all of the men I've encountered in my life, relatives or not, jerks, friends, or boyfriends. Reading through the reviews before I checked out the book, I was curious why many were offended- especially when the author/illustrator dedicates it to all girls. I guess I can see why some didn't like it, but mostly I'm thankful for Phoebe Gloeckner's brutally honest and exposed look into her childhood. I think that any girl can relate to Minnie on at least some level.

I followed this up with the movie released in 2015 under the same title. The book was so dark to me, filled with longing and desperation- whereas the movie seemed lighthearted. Drugs in the book were Minnie's distractions and her way of coping, whereas the movie glorified it much more. Her relationship with Munroe in the book makes my stomach churn, but the movie made me forget how much older he is. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

I walked away from the book thinking about so much, I even called my mom about it (she hasn't read it). I highly recommend the novel over the movie.