Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Girls Can Kiss Now: Essays by Jill Gutowitz

24 reviews

montyalmoro's review

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

1.75

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meghan's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.75

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kathleencoughlin's review

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slow-paced

2.0

I feel like I don't know who this book was for. Purportedly young queer women (Gutowitz talk a lot about what "we" experienced), but there is so much explaining and surface level analysis that it feels like it's written for some other audience. Also, I think Gutowitz needs to investigate who this "we" is when she talks about what "we" felt and experienced in relation to celebrity culture. Seemingly women who grew up in the 90s and 2000s, but the unsaid part is that it's really middle+ class white women who had the closest experience to hers, and even that group (of which I am a part) did not have a universal experience. The overly casual/slangy style felt like another forced attempt at familiarity and quite affected as if I was reading a tumblr post instead of a book. I think the essays that were the most successful were where she really reflected on her own personal experience and relation to celebrity culture, rather than making broad generalizations. 
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kshertz's review

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

This is for a very very very specific audience. I ALMOST was there. It’s for a 30 something white middle class lesbian who grew up rich. If that doesn’t sound like something you can relate to, this book will probably annoy you. But I AM a 30 something white middle class PANsexual that grew up rich. So close.

For me, this was so much fun because I got to relive my entire childhood with all the pop culture references and reliving AOL, the Internet, etc. I really related to a lot and I liked the references because mine were the same. So why not 5 stars? There’s some man bashing that makes it not inclusive and I also feel like this is a memoir that should come out when this person was much much older and it would be more reflective and awesome. Plus, therapy girl. We all need it. Go to it. But I definitely felt it was light and I enjoyed it and I recommend for reminiscing if you grew up like me.
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burntout_bookworm's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

 (-0.5 for humour that was just a bit too cheesy for me!)
This is what I needed to read. That's it! I just needed to read this. And I suggest any WLW to do so as well.
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megang519's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

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megansoetaert's review

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emotional funny fast-paced

4.25

  • yeah it’s very millennial, but that’s fine??? she’s literally talking about queer women in modern pop culture. lmao. but as a genzennial i feel like i’m close enough where it’s not too cringe??? u know?
  • overuse of Black slang (aka what gay men have already co-opted…)— her voice comes off as very white woman
  • i def disagree with her opinion that her speculating about taylor swifts sexuality is fine bc the intent isn’t bad… it’s none of your business we’re not owed any personal info from celebrities 
  • yearning 🥺 it’s hard to be a queer woman
  • the reflections on her emotions as she was beginning to understand her sexuality… i feel that
  • the end of the book (and the acknowledgments) made me tear up bc she loves her girlfriend so much and i love MY gf so much 😭
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mallory10100's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

5.0

god i LOVED this!! one of the most relatable books i’ve ever read 
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ciarasweeney's review against another edition

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dark funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

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prideandparchment's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

Girls Can Kiss Now is a funny and very relatable essay collection. It's important, fills a huge gap in literature. 
But there are some pretty overdramatic parts near the end I got annoyed by (how can someone freak out by Taylor Swift THAT MUCH?)... 
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