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| Libraries are pretty awesome for books |
I picked up How To Build A Girl because it was staring at me every time I went to the library. Seriously, the bright green cover, the ripped tights and the chunky army boots were irresistible to my inner rebel. I was horrified reading the blurb though and read it at least 3 times before I calmed down and realised the protagonist didn't actually kill themselves, just changed who they were, like most teenagers. This isn't a spoiler btw, the blurb gives away as much. I don't think I could've read the book when I did if it was about suicide, like Eric Lange's Butter, which I recommend but won't review, just because the story touched me so much and I'm not ready to connect with all the emotions I felt. (Yeah, I'm super sensitive, especially when a book is well-written.)
Rating
7/10
Good Points
- The characters were really vivid and believable for the most part. I got so annoyed by Johanna's dad and wished her mum would get some proper support with her depression. I also felt the hunger when they ran out of money and were eating the least satisfying meals imaginable. The family felt really close-knit even though their situation was pretty abysmal, which was refreshing. Also with the characters feeling so real it was easy to understand Johanna/Dolly's relationships with them, which I feel made the book more enjoyable. Her attachments to certain guys were particularly raw, though not too dark.
- The plot was awesome, it went from a kind of suspense thriller to a coming of age novel, really smoothly. You saw coming the point where Johanna would have to grow up, but you didn't know exactly when it would come.
- The setting was perfect. I really enjoyed the fact that Johanna came from a place I knew nothing about, apart from that it's somewhere up north, and that made her see London with these fresh eager eyes that Londoners don't see London with.
Not As Good Points
- I wasn't quite ready for Johanna's sexual liberation but this might be more of a reflection on me. Teens are curious at that age whether we as a society want to acknowledge it properly or not. Still, it's there *bam!* first page a 14 year old is masturbating. Okay, *cringe* maybe I shouldn't be reading this on a packed train to Brighton? (Where incidentally, Caitlin is from)
- There's a sentence that says something about hip hop being scary. I don't know if hip hop did used to be scary to teenage white girls but I just didn't like it. I listen to lots of genres of music, sometimes alternative RnB, sometimes rock, sometimes indie, sometimes hip hop. I felt as if me and the character were from different worlds at that point, and didn't see the need for the comparison. But maybe that's the point, Joanna was unique as much as she was relatable.
- Also didn't feel the book needed to be as long as it was, just felt like nothing was happening for a while or events were dragged on. I could also be being impatient. I'm the kind of person who reads a few of the first pages then skips to the end to make sure everything is okay, before returning to the beginning!
As someone who has not read the book, it sounds appealing and enticing. More importantly, it seems like Caitlin is not just writing a book for shock value but one that actually speaks to society about the different paths of youthful discovery. One question does come to mind though, you reference the book as one that slowly emerged into a "coming of age" novel. Would you say the target audience is focused more for younger readers? Or do you think it has a universal appeal? Also without giving any spoilers away (if it is possible) how much did the cultural environment of London affect Johanna's decisions, if it did at all..? And lastly can any lessons be derived from this story?
ReplyDeleteAn intriguing review that does not give too much away but gives a nice flavour of what to expect from the novel. I look forward to your future reviews!
I think that the book definitely has an appeal to a larger audience than just younger readers. Once you read it you won't be surprised that it's an adult novel and I think it's suitable for older teens to any age of adult. It'd make anyone nostalgic or excited for the future.
DeleteSo without giving away any spoilers I'd say that London opened Johanna's eyes to the bigger picture and made her more determined to make something of her life. But it also scared her and made her appreciate that she came from somewhere smaller and more intimate.
Lessons... hmmm that might be inspiration for another blog post! I think that there's a feeling that it's okay to make mistakes, particularly in your teenagehood and that often there is a point where one has to grow up. Usually it won't be as obvious as Johanna's though. She spends a lot of time worrying about it but she's also equipped to deal with it because it emerges as a circumstance from her life which she's lived her whole life (and is better at living than she thinks!)
Thanks so much for reading and responding Reece and I'll have another review soon!