rkuschmider's review against another edition
5.0
This book is wonderful. But a note to my LGBTQ and allied friends: this is not a story that generalizes about coming from a queer home. This is a very particular story about very particular people. You won’t recognize yourself in these individuals and - those of you who are parents - you won’t recognize your children. This isn’t sociology, it’s memoir and you should read as such. Don’t look for yourself in this book because you aren’t there, I promise. I know because I WAS there (or at least nearby) while the author was growing up. She’s one of my longest and dearest friends and her story is unique and difficult and wonderful all at once.
kayeswiss's review
5.0
There are some moments in the memoir that could be triggering for some, but it was a powerful account of one woman's experience in a dysfunctional household. They are not dysfunctional because of anyone's sexuality, but because they are painfully human. There are some chapters I couldn't put down and others I had to step away from.
Lara is honest and raw, making you immediately connect with Girl. She admits the struggles she has had through the years with how she views her parents' sexuality, as well as other things. She doesn't leave anything out, even the things that are ugly and hard to talk about (especially those).
You should keep a box of kleenex nearby because you will cry as often, if not more, as you laugh. And there were times I had to put the book down and get some distance from it. It makes complete sense to me why she chose to write via the third person "Girl" instead of first person. Her notes from the 4th wall don't let you forget, however, that she is a real person, that she did experience all of these things. It is both ugly and messy and somehow that makes it beautiful.
Lara is honest and raw, making you immediately connect with Girl. She admits the struggles she has had through the years with how she views her parents' sexuality, as well as other things. She doesn't leave anything out, even the things that are ugly and hard to talk about (especially those).
You should keep a box of kleenex nearby because you will cry as often, if not more, as you laugh. And there were times I had to put the book down and get some distance from it. It makes complete sense to me why she chose to write via the third person "Girl" instead of first person. Her notes from the 4th wall don't let you forget, however, that she is a real person, that she did experience all of these things. It is both ugly and messy and somehow that makes it beautiful.
roguebelle's review against another edition
5.0
An utterly compelling narrative! GIRLISH tells a unique story of growing up with lesbian parents, reminding us that while no experience is universal, the challenge of navigating family ties just might be -- no matter what shape that family takes or how it changes over the years. Throughout the book, Lillibridge offers counterpoints to her own memories -- on the one hand, we read the experience, rendered in third-person, a story she tells; on the other, her reflections, written in first person with a bit more distance and a lot more experience. The result is a book that does precisely what a good memoir should -- gives you a fascinating, even voyeuristic, view inside someone else’s life, but also leads you to consider your own.
mithilareads's review
5.0
This memoir is written by Lara Lillibridge who grew up with two moms, and she hopes that your view about her story is not affected by this fact. Told from the third person POV of Lara as “Girl”, Girl shares some of her childhood experiences, that most of us have never experienced. For example, have you ever stayed at a summer camp, where everyone and their parents roamed around naked 24×7? Have you ever travelled unaccompanied as a kid, almost four thousand miles away from home, on a flight, with only the air hostesses to look after your daily needs? Have you ever gone on a sailing expedition across the Alaskan seas at the age of ten, with a crew consisting of only your dad and your brother, who is just a year older to you?
If you haven’t, you’ve got to read this book.
This book is divided into sections based on the age of the author (The Early Years, Elementary School, Middle School, Junior High, High School, College and Beyond). Within each section, there are multiple chapters told from Girl’s POV. The last chapter in each section is written from the first person perspective and as a ‘current-age’ essay.
What I liked about this book is that it is relatable, yet unique. The experiences that I have mentioned above, and the many other experiences shared by the author may be unfamiliar to the reader. But I’m pretty damn sure that almost everyone who reads this book will relate to the emotions that the author has shared in this memoir. A teenager reading this book would be able to relate with the emotions of ‘not being able to fit in with the popular crowd’ or ‘the struggles of pretending to be cool while on a budget’ or ‘falling in love with a guy who doesn’t treat you well’. As a teenager myself, I throughly appreciated the sections ‘High School’ and ‘College and Beyond’. Her experience of working at “South Wedge Florist” is my favourite part of the book.
I give this book a 5/5 star rating, and recommend it to every teenager who needs to believe that however bad things may seem now, it’s okay. Things get better in the future, and if they don’t, you’ll develop the skill set to tackle the bad things anyway.
Read the full review on my blog : https://mithilareviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/girlish-by-lara-lillibridge-book-review/
If you haven’t, you’ve got to read this book.
This book is divided into sections based on the age of the author (The Early Years, Elementary School, Middle School, Junior High, High School, College and Beyond). Within each section, there are multiple chapters told from Girl’s POV. The last chapter in each section is written from the first person perspective and as a ‘current-age’ essay.
What I liked about this book is that it is relatable, yet unique. The experiences that I have mentioned above, and the many other experiences shared by the author may be unfamiliar to the reader. But I’m pretty damn sure that almost everyone who reads this book will relate to the emotions that the author has shared in this memoir. A teenager reading this book would be able to relate with the emotions of ‘not being able to fit in with the popular crowd’ or ‘the struggles of pretending to be cool while on a budget’ or ‘falling in love with a guy who doesn’t treat you well’. As a teenager myself, I throughly appreciated the sections ‘High School’ and ‘College and Beyond’. Her experience of working at “South Wedge Florist” is my favourite part of the book.
I give this book a 5/5 star rating, and recommend it to every teenager who needs to believe that however bad things may seem now, it’s okay. Things get better in the future, and if they don’t, you’ll develop the skill set to tackle the bad things anyway.
Read the full review on my blog : https://mithilareviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/girlish-by-lara-lillibridge-book-review/
didyousaybooks's review
3.0
I received this book in exchange via netgalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
According to goodreads, it took me exactly 2 months to read Girlish. And the main reason why I’m only putting 3 stars. Let’s say three and a half.
It is a good, honest, raw book.
But everytime I was putting it down, I did not feel like picking it up again.
It was a bit depressing to be honest.
I felt sad, frustrated and angry on behalf of young Girl.
Now, the « notes from the fourth wall », when the author breaks the 3rd person narrative to speak directly, analyse or explain her thoughts as a grown adult were more than welcome because they brought much open mindedness, still truth but also acceptance, clarity and understanding, as well as love to balance everything else.
There is a lot of « ugly » bits, but this is mainly a story with lots of love. Hard, strange, compulsive or even abuse love as well as a love a child as for its parents and vice versa. Motherhood.
As Girl would tell you herself, this is her own story she presents you.
She is not talking about anyone else.
I’d say if you like reading personal memoirs, Girlish is a solid book. Not an easy one but don’t be scared, it’s not all depressing either. Just a bit of life.
And it’s always good to learn about people that leads extremely different lives as yourselves.
As a 29 French girl, who’s main occupation is to travel the world and only has to take care of myself, you’d think I did not have much to take from Girl’s story but there are a few things here and there that are applicable to my own experience and I think as a whole, everyone would find something to connect with in this book, identify with or just empathize.
According to goodreads, it took me exactly 2 months to read Girlish. And the main reason why I’m only putting 3 stars. Let’s say three and a half.
It is a good, honest, raw book.
But everytime I was putting it down, I did not feel like picking it up again.
It was a bit depressing to be honest.
I felt sad, frustrated and angry on behalf of young Girl.
Now, the « notes from the fourth wall », when the author breaks the 3rd person narrative to speak directly, analyse or explain her thoughts as a grown adult were more than welcome because they brought much open mindedness, still truth but also acceptance, clarity and understanding, as well as love to balance everything else.
There is a lot of « ugly » bits, but this is mainly a story with lots of love. Hard, strange, compulsive or even abuse love as well as a love a child as for its parents and vice versa. Motherhood.
As Girl would tell you herself, this is her own story she presents you.
She is not talking about anyone else.
I’d say if you like reading personal memoirs, Girlish is a solid book. Not an easy one but don’t be scared, it’s not all depressing either. Just a bit of life.
And it’s always good to learn about people that leads extremely different lives as yourselves.
As a 29 French girl, who’s main occupation is to travel the world and only has to take care of myself, you’d think I did not have much to take from Girl’s story but there are a few things here and there that are applicable to my own experience and I think as a whole, everyone would find something to connect with in this book, identify with or just empathize.
kjharrowick's review
5.0
Why I picked up this book:
OMG… this book! All right, so I met Ms. Lara several months back when she was recommended to me as a Winterviewee (http://blog.halon-chronicles.com/winterview-with-author-lara-lillibridge/). I may have never looked twice at her book as memoir is not really my thing, but I adore Lara. The more I kept seeing blurbs of her book everywhere, the more I wanted to read it. I was so lucky to get an ARC to read off of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
First of all… this is a 10-star book! Lara’s voice throughout the narrative is strong and beautiful, but she weaves this tale that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching. I couldn’t tell if I was excited because my family feels sane compared to hers or heart-broken because so much of my family and childhood are just like hers. It’s a strange duality that resonates on a deeper level.
In the opening chapter, the main character’s name is Girl. It took me a moment to get used to this, but as the family and their everyday problems unfolded, using ‘Girl’ as a distancer is actually a stronger take. It becomes a role any reader can slide into and be Girl. They feel her pain, her longing, and her desperate need to escape these weird, volatile instances where the adult voice is screaming no no no! I really liked that no main family member had a name, because bits of this tale are everyone’s family.
So much of the interwoven era bits were spot on. In many ways, I got to relive the feel of my childhood through high school and college while reading this story. It’s a nice trip down nostalgia lane to feel the hot summers and warm breezes and smells coming back. I grew up in the same era as the author, so perhaps that’s why I resonated so strongly with this book.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
There are several spots in the story where two words are missing the space between, or the hyphen between. Not sure if this is just the ARC copy or in the final version as well, but it could use one final tweak to fix these. There weren’t tons, but enough that they started pulling me out of the story.
Father disappeared from the story about 3/4 of the way through. I would have liked to see a closer for him. Or perhaps their final ‘talk’ was the closer, but it was early enough that it didn’t feel like closure with him.
Overall:
I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. It was funny. It was heart-breaking. At one point my skin crawled so bad I had to toss the kindle across the couch and walk off the shudders. But these characters are very real. They have occasional nefarious acts, but aren’t villains. They have good days and bad, terrible and redeeming qualities. In essence… they’re the same people we grow up with, we bounce to and away from, we have in our families, and they’re just like everyone else. Trying to survive.
OMG… this book! All right, so I met Ms. Lara several months back when she was recommended to me as a Winterviewee (http://blog.halon-chronicles.com/winterview-with-author-lara-lillibridge/). I may have never looked twice at her book as memoir is not really my thing, but I adore Lara. The more I kept seeing blurbs of her book everywhere, the more I wanted to read it. I was so lucky to get an ARC to read off of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
First of all… this is a 10-star book! Lara’s voice throughout the narrative is strong and beautiful, but she weaves this tale that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching. I couldn’t tell if I was excited because my family feels sane compared to hers or heart-broken because so much of my family and childhood are just like hers. It’s a strange duality that resonates on a deeper level.
In the opening chapter, the main character’s name is Girl. It took me a moment to get used to this, but as the family and their everyday problems unfolded, using ‘Girl’ as a distancer is actually a stronger take. It becomes a role any reader can slide into and be Girl. They feel her pain, her longing, and her desperate need to escape these weird, volatile instances where the adult voice is screaming no no no! I really liked that no main family member had a name, because bits of this tale are everyone’s family.
So much of the interwoven era bits were spot on. In many ways, I got to relive the feel of my childhood through high school and college while reading this story. It’s a nice trip down nostalgia lane to feel the hot summers and warm breezes and smells coming back. I grew up in the same era as the author, so perhaps that’s why I resonated so strongly with this book.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
There are several spots in the story where two words are missing the space between, or the hyphen between. Not sure if this is just the ARC copy or in the final version as well, but it could use one final tweak to fix these. There weren’t tons, but enough that they started pulling me out of the story.
Father disappeared from the story about 3/4 of the way through. I would have liked to see a closer for him. Or perhaps their final ‘talk’ was the closer, but it was early enough that it didn’t feel like closure with him.
Overall:
I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. It was funny. It was heart-breaking. At one point my skin crawled so bad I had to toss the kindle across the couch and walk off the shudders. But these characters are very real. They have occasional nefarious acts, but aren’t villains. They have good days and bad, terrible and redeeming qualities. In essence… they’re the same people we grow up with, we bounce to and away from, we have in our families, and they’re just like everyone else. Trying to survive.
crystallyn's review
5.0
My favorite line from Lillibridge's debut memoir is "Girl was sixteen and trying to grow out her mullet." That was a definite LOL moment for me and I was glad that there were many of those moments, tucked in between a story of growing up in an unconventional home.
This is less a story of having lesbian moms and more about mental illness, about neglect and the challenges of being a kid mixed up in a family with multiple moms (her father was married seven times) and yet, for all those moms, Lillibridge often lacked someone to parent her.
The memoir is beautifully written, in a style as unconventional as the story itself, and through the thread of all the chaos and shame is one of love and forgiveness.
This is less a story of having lesbian moms and more about mental illness, about neglect and the challenges of being a kid mixed up in a family with multiple moms (her father was married seven times) and yet, for all those moms, Lillibridge often lacked someone to parent her.
The memoir is beautifully written, in a style as unconventional as the story itself, and through the thread of all the chaos and shame is one of love and forgiveness.
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