onthecyberseas's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
kmfeeney's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I just wanted more from it? Each section was pretty short and could summed up with "It's okay to look to fictional characters for strength when you go through tough times" and then some examples of those characters and their tough times.
blue_jo's review against another edition
a wonderful birthday gift from my big sister
theverbalthing's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advanced copy of Geek Girls Don't Cry from Sterling Publishers in exchange for an honest review on The Beat. You can read my full review by clicking here, or check out an excerpt below!
***
Quick! Name three fictional characters with whom you identify. Now consider: what do they have in common? In Andrea Towers‘ debut book, Geek Girls Don’t Cry, she explores connecting threads between some of the most iconic female characters in fiction. From Diana of Themyscira to General Leia Organa to Barbara Gordon to Hermione Granger to Ellie from The Last of Us, Towers examines the various traumas that force these women to build their emotional, mental and physical strength to push forward in the face of overwhelming trauma. She also talks to real women about their own relationships to fictional characters and interviews mental health experts about the potential impacts of these characters’ experiences, as well as how those ripples manifest in their stories.
Geek Girls Don’t Cry is as much a history as it is a confessional, not just for Towers but for the real-life women she interviews, including Kelly Sue DeConnick and Catrina Dennis. The book is divided into sections, exploring topics like: trauma, grief, adversity, depression and isolation. Towers pulls examples from all over pop culture, including comic books, television, video games and even webseries like Critical Role. Throughout the book, Towers attempts to examine intersections of oppression, noting how marginalized people have a different relationship to mental health than those who come from privilege.
...
In Geek Girls Don’t Cry, Towers centers women and their stories. She explores the importance of seeing ourselves represented in fiction. She even explores these characters’ coping mechanisms and encourages readers to find healthy routines that work for them, whether they have the benefit of professional, therapeutic help or not. Geek Girls Don’t Cry isn’t a self-help book, but it will definitely help someone. It may even help you.
***
Quick! Name three fictional characters with whom you identify. Now consider: what do they have in common? In Andrea Towers‘ debut book, Geek Girls Don’t Cry, she explores connecting threads between some of the most iconic female characters in fiction. From Diana of Themyscira to General Leia Organa to Barbara Gordon to Hermione Granger to Ellie from The Last of Us, Towers examines the various traumas that force these women to build their emotional, mental and physical strength to push forward in the face of overwhelming trauma. She also talks to real women about their own relationships to fictional characters and interviews mental health experts about the potential impacts of these characters’ experiences, as well as how those ripples manifest in their stories.
Geek Girls Don’t Cry is as much a history as it is a confessional, not just for Towers but for the real-life women she interviews, including Kelly Sue DeConnick and Catrina Dennis. The book is divided into sections, exploring topics like: trauma, grief, adversity, depression and isolation. Towers pulls examples from all over pop culture, including comic books, television, video games and even webseries like Critical Role. Throughout the book, Towers attempts to examine intersections of oppression, noting how marginalized people have a different relationship to mental health than those who come from privilege.
...
In Geek Girls Don’t Cry, Towers centers women and their stories. She explores the importance of seeing ourselves represented in fiction. She even explores these characters’ coping mechanisms and encourages readers to find healthy routines that work for them, whether they have the benefit of professional, therapeutic help or not. Geek Girls Don’t Cry isn’t a self-help book, but it will definitely help someone. It may even help you.
messofcontradictions's review against another edition
4.0
As a pop culture geek and someone who considered going into psychiatry I knew I would love this book and it did not disappoint. It provides real-life coping mechanisms for a variety of everyday issues while highlighting some of my favorite tv and movie characters as examples. It made me remember why I love these characters and want to go back and revisit some of my faves. I plan on sharing this book with friends for many years to come and am happy to finally have something substantial to point to when I try and explain to non-geeks why I relate to and cherish pop culture characters as much as I do.
bexteryoung's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read a lot of fiction books this year (actually, they were all fiction) so I wanted to read something a bit different before the year is over. Being a Geek Girl myself, this was an insightful read, with plenty of moments for learning and featured some of my favourite fictional ladies - Scarlet Witch, Buffy Summers, Hermione Granger, to name a few. Who knew that there was actual scientific evidence to prove that relating to fictional characters is normal?