A review by alexiasambrano
All Girls by Emily Layden

challenging tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

while there were some points where i felt like there was some depth, the entire story fell short of the mark for me. as someone who is a violence prevention educator and has been heavily involved in developing programs that tackle the root issue of gender- and power-based harm (spoiler alert! its all of the above: misogyny, capitalism, and white supremacy) i was really disappointed that there was no substantive conversation had about the impact of sexual violence on youth, and in particular on young girls. were given front row seat to a lengthy list of Atwater students’ lives but never really ~see~ how they’re grappling with sexual abuse allegations against a member of their academic community. Their stories all feel distant from each other, never truly embracing the healing capacity of community care.