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doramak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment and War
Minor: Rape
amandaburstedt's review against another edition
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Toxic friendship
mulhollen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The first half of the book had me captivated, but the ending got slow and the books beginning only comes back into play at 85% complete or so. I wish we heard more about Frank, Nathan, and those later moments in life in as much interesting detail as her 20s.
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
lindsey_bear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, Alcohol, and War
betsygrace's review against another edition
Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
lotten4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
flowtjo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
naiu_cs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The writing was great, and the characters were amazing. And although there were parts of the book that bored me and made me roll my eyes, it is outweighed by the moments that really touched me and made me reflect on how I am living my own life.
A very good book indeed.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death, Rape, Vomit, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
jadenebean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
“The world ain’t straight. You grow up thinking things are a certain way. You think there are rules. You think there’s a way that things have to be. You try to live straight. But the world doesn’t care about your rules or what you believe. […] Our rules? They don’t mean a thing. The world just happens to you sometimes. […] And people just gotta keep moving through it, best they can.”
Overall, slow but enjoyable read. Powerful, independent women are my favourite.
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Rape
kari_f's review against another edition
3.5
“I hope you’re having a good time... People will tell you not to waste your youth having too much fun, but they’re wrong. Youth is an irreplaceable treasure, and the only respectable thing to do with irreplaceable treasure is to waste it.”
The first half of City of Girls plays out according to this advice; we see the gritty, boozy, sensual, thrill-seeking lifestyles of the young and beautiful in 1940s NYC. Small blunders turn into bad habits, and it’s clear throughout that multiple characters are headed toward catastrophe.
If the first half of the book is careening toward chaos, the second half is learning from mistakes and moving on. We see the maturation of a listless young woman who isn’t really sure of what she wants out of life.
With vivid sensory details, the reader can almost hear the theater music and feel the silky fabrics and see the vibrant colors of the stage costumes. Gilbert has a way with words, and this book is like her others, in that she engages the reader with her beautiful language. There were a few sections where (for me) the story felt slow, but the fluid and descriptive language kept me invested in the story despite any plot lags.
City of Girls includes many dichotomies: listlessness and purpose, debauchery and reckoning, lust and love, denial and rage, rationalized ignorance and reflective discovery. Gender-related stigmas are addressed head-on. In many cases, incidents and judgments are reflected upon through the lenses of age and experience, and the reader can see where leaps in societal norms have occurred and where they haven’t.
This story doesn’t box itself into one genre, and it won’t appeal to everyone. In fact, I would wager that there’s at least one aspect of someone’s personality or character that will upset or even offend any given reader, and I think this is done intentionally. There are no perfect or polished people in this book, and everybody has skeletons in their closet and secrets hidden beneath the surface. Not only is this a well-told and beautiful story, but it encourages a bit of self-reflection and vulnerability in the reader.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence