ciska's review against another edition
3.0
Author
Stevie Mikayne holds a Master in Creative writing from the Lancaster University. She has worked part time in special education, finance and at the children's library. Currently she is a creative writing instructor at Algonquin College.
Review
I received this book in return for an honest review.
I just finished the book and am sitting here wondering what to write. I have some mixed feelings about this book and am going to try to write them down.
I think the author touched to many possible story lines while doing research for this book. There is Jackie and the whole mystery surrounding her which is of big influence. There is the intelligence putting Beth in a special situation in school. There is the situation with her mother. There is the aspect on Beths sexual behavior. There is Lizzie. There is a bit to much and though the author juggled all these subjects in a decent manner I got overwhelmed a bit. I think the story could have been more powerful if the author had chosen just 2 of these subjects. Still the story grabs you by the throat and does not really let go.
What I could appreciate too was the way the self destruction was handled. Without being judgmental there was a clear message that it is not healthy to do it and you need to search for a solution but that doing so takes courage and time and you should give yourself that time.
I am not sure about the characters. Though you spend a fair amount of time in Beth's head while she is thinking about her looks I have a hard time picturing her. Suggested is that she is wearing regular clothes (though no jeans) trying to blend in but that is not what she is broadcasting. That sometimes made it hard to connect with her. I did have very strong feelings for Lizzie and Dr. Sullivan, they where both very well set characters.
Stevie Mikayne holds a Master in Creative writing from the Lancaster University. She has worked part time in special education, finance and at the children's library. Currently she is a creative writing instructor at Algonquin College.
Review
I received this book in return for an honest review.
I just finished the book and am sitting here wondering what to write. I have some mixed feelings about this book and am going to try to write them down.
I think the author touched to many possible story lines while doing research for this book. There is Jackie and the whole mystery surrounding her which is of big influence. There is the intelligence putting Beth in a special situation in school. There is the situation with her mother. There is the aspect on Beths sexual behavior. There is Lizzie. There is a bit to much and though the author juggled all these subjects in a decent manner I got overwhelmed a bit. I think the story could have been more powerful if the author had chosen just 2 of these subjects. Still the story grabs you by the throat and does not really let go.
What I could appreciate too was the way the self destruction was handled. Without being judgmental there was a clear message that it is not healthy to do it and you need to search for a solution but that doing so takes courage and time and you should give yourself that time.
I am not sure about the characters. Though you spend a fair amount of time in Beth's head while she is thinking about her looks I have a hard time picturing her. Suggested is that she is wearing regular clothes (though no jeans) trying to blend in but that is not what she is broadcasting. That sometimes made it hard to connect with her. I did have very strong feelings for Lizzie and Dr. Sullivan, they where both very well set characters.
judeinthestars's review against another edition
5.0
I was having a bad day when I began reading Jellicle Girl. It happens, it’s okay now. The reason I mention it is that I didn’t read the blurb before picking this book. All I saw was that it had been written by Stevie Mikayne and since I love her Jil Kidd series, I didn’t look any further. Do not do what I did. This is not a book you can read whenever. It deserves your full attention and it will get under your skin if you’re even just a little raw.
Beth left her mother’s house as soon as it was legally possible. At seventeen, she’s squatting her absentee father’s place, going to university and working in a group home for children who are at least as broken as she is. Mandatory support therapy is part of the bridge program that took her early to university, so she goes head to head with the no-nonsense Dr Nancy Sullivan on a weekly basis. Like Grizabella in Cats, she’s hoping for her own Jellicle Transformation, the day she’ll leave this person behind and become someone else. She can’t picture her future because she can’t let go of her past, namely what happened with Jackie at camp two summers ago.
First published in 2012, Jellicle Girl is Stevie Mikayne’s debut and it’s both brilliant and disturbing. It totally spoke to the teenager that never left my brain, and brought back all the angst and malaise of that time. I could have done without that, but I can’t fault the author for writing it so well.
This novel is reminiscent of one of the best films I never want to watch again, Girl Interrupted, and of the book that shaped my adolescence, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. It also reminded me of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. It’s full of teenage angst, internalized homophobia, life and death, terrible parents and too-smart-for-their-own-good kids.
I’ve been known to rate a tad too generously books that make my heart happy, and I hesitated to give this one the 5* it probably deserves, because it made my heart want to explode, not with love and joyous feelings but with pain. I don’t know, maybe I’m overrating it out of fear of underrating it. So, facts: the writing is excellent, the characters are complex and relatable, the pace is a bit slow at times but not overly so, the story feels real. Read it, but choose the right time.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Beth left her mother’s house as soon as it was legally possible. At seventeen, she’s squatting her absentee father’s place, going to university and working in a group home for children who are at least as broken as she is. Mandatory support therapy is part of the bridge program that took her early to university, so she goes head to head with the no-nonsense Dr Nancy Sullivan on a weekly basis. Like Grizabella in Cats, she’s hoping for her own Jellicle Transformation, the day she’ll leave this person behind and become someone else. She can’t picture her future because she can’t let go of her past, namely what happened with Jackie at camp two summers ago.
First published in 2012, Jellicle Girl is Stevie Mikayne’s debut and it’s both brilliant and disturbing. It totally spoke to the teenager that never left my brain, and brought back all the angst and malaise of that time. I could have done without that, but I can’t fault the author for writing it so well.
This novel is reminiscent of one of the best films I never want to watch again, Girl Interrupted, and of the book that shaped my adolescence, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. It also reminded me of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. It’s full of teenage angst, internalized homophobia, life and death, terrible parents and too-smart-for-their-own-good kids.
I’ve been known to rate a tad too generously books that make my heart happy, and I hesitated to give this one the 5* it probably deserves, because it made my heart want to explode, not with love and joyous feelings but with pain. I don’t know, maybe I’m overrating it out of fear of underrating it. So, facts: the writing is excellent, the characters are complex and relatable, the pace is a bit slow at times but not overly so, the story feels real. Read it, but choose the right time.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
perpetuallytiredpanda's review against another edition
5.0
I was sent this eBook by Vicky from Novel Publicity. I thought that I was about to read something related to Halloween since the deadline for the review was the 31 of October. But I had an amazing surprise.
This book is amazing from serval points of view. As an avid reader I was please with such rich characters, a great plot and the different twist and topics approached by the author. Loved the inclusion of every one of the story-lines and characters, every single one was justified and successfully developed along the book.
However as a psychologist, this book amazed me. So far I haven't had the pleasure of reading an author that could capture in such a vivid and perfect way the mind of a teenager that is experiencing difficult situations from different areas in her life. But overall I haven't found a book that detailed in a emotional and insightful way the anxiety and relief experience by people when they rely on self-harm to cope with the stress and overwhelming situations of their day.
Beth, the main character, is a troubled and very afraid teenager with too many losses in her life. The
lack of emotionally available parents and the death of the only person that she cared for made her put some distance between her and the world.
As part of the journey Beth is introduce to a group of people (Children mostly) that face bigger and deeper problems than Beth's. Although at the beginning she believes she won't learn anything important and she is there only for an school requirement, she starts to care for these children, even without her noticing. For instance when she was the victim of the "Pee prank" she decided to take all responsibility so no one gets send "Back to Zero".
A very interesting relationship is the one held between Beth and Nancy (The psychologist). In this case both of them ended up gaining something, Beth went into a road of recovery and understanding of her, her family, friends and the world; while Nancy was able to see that she was still in charge of some decisions of her life - i.e. when to stop getting medication and start dying.
Overall the book is amazing. I would recommended it to parents, teachers and teenagers. Is one ebook that makes me want to buy the hardcover version and keep it in my library.
This book is amazing from serval points of view. As an avid reader I was please with such rich characters, a great plot and the different twist and topics approached by the author. Loved the inclusion of every one of the story-lines and characters, every single one was justified and successfully developed along the book.
However as a psychologist, this book amazed me. So far I haven't had the pleasure of reading an author that could capture in such a vivid and perfect way the mind of a teenager that is experiencing difficult situations from different areas in her life. But overall I haven't found a book that detailed in a emotional and insightful way the anxiety and relief experience by people when they rely on self-harm to cope with the stress and overwhelming situations of their day.
Beth, the main character, is a troubled and very afraid teenager with too many losses in her life. The
lack of emotionally available parents and the death of the only person that she cared for made her put some distance between her and the world.
As part of the journey Beth is introduce to a group of people (Children mostly) that face bigger and deeper problems than Beth's. Although at the beginning she believes she won't learn anything important and she is there only for an school requirement, she starts to care for these children, even without her noticing. For instance when she was the victim of the "Pee prank" she decided to take all responsibility so no one gets send "Back to Zero".
A very interesting relationship is the one held between Beth and Nancy (The psychologist). In this case both of them ended up gaining something, Beth went into a road of recovery and understanding of her, her family, friends and the world; while Nancy was able to see that she was still in charge of some decisions of her life - i.e. when to stop getting medication and start dying.
Overall the book is amazing. I would recommended it to parents, teachers and teenagers. Is one ebook that makes me want to buy the hardcover version and keep it in my library.
alyp01's review
4.0
This is a complicated book, because Beth is a complicated person. When you get the point of view of someone with a mental illness that cause them to hallucinate and self harm, you know this is going to be a deep, emotional read. I've never read a character quite like Beth, I felt so much for her and just wanted her to trust an adult and get help. Her parents aren't really parents, they aren't present and her mom is emotionally abusive. Beth struggles with suicidal ideation, self harm, and PTSD to name a few things. She's also denying her feelings for girls by forcing herself to sleep with men. I am so glad Nancy came into her life and was able to make a difference.
I was a bit confused at times because Beth is keeping secrets even from herself, but it did add to the authenticity and really put you in her head.
There's a lot of tough issues addressed in this and it's well written. It's not too long and keeps a decent pace. I wish there were more books like this and definitely recommend reading!
I received this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
I was a bit confused at times because Beth is keeping secrets even from herself, but it did add to the authenticity and really put you in her head.
There's a lot of tough issues addressed in this and it's well written. It's not too long and keeps a decent pace. I wish there were more books like this and definitely recommend reading!
I received this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
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