melfurious's review against another edition
5.0
Great fiction of make believe set in a real modern setting. I absolutely adored the message the book conveyed.
lexmcgnns's review
2.0
A whole lot of potential unfortunately not executed the way it could have been.
Not just because one of the narrators was extremely nauseating in her non-moving opinion on what feminism is (spoiler: she's the worst kind of feminist — anti-makeup, anti women's magazines, anti women taking pride in their appearance because naturally that means they only do it to impress men *insert eye roll here*) but because it totally isn't about self-love. It's basically a bashing of pretty women and the discovery that 'hey, even attractive people have problems!' which anyone with a grasp on human emotion or society could have figured that out. It contained no character growth until the last section (and even then it was minor stuff) which was too little too late by then.
Not just because one of the narrators was extremely nauseating in her non-moving opinion on what feminism is (spoiler: she's the worst kind of feminist — anti-makeup, anti women's magazines, anti women taking pride in their appearance because naturally that means they only do it to impress men *insert eye roll here*) but because it totally isn't about self-love. It's basically a bashing of pretty women and the discovery that 'hey, even attractive people have problems!' which anyone with a grasp on human emotion or society could have figured that out. It contained no character growth until the last section (and even then it was minor stuff) which was too little too late by then.
sincerelykiwi's review against another edition
I couldn’t get into it. I DNF’d at first but then just hate read it the rest of the way and it didn’t get any better.
sallyc23's review
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
readwithmeemz's review against another edition
4.0
I'm an Indigo employee, and I received a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback from Indigo Books and Music.
I wasn't expecting to, but I really really loved this quirky book by Georgia Clark. You need to be able to suspend your disbelief when you read this book - it's essentially a modern-day coming-of-age story with feminist themes... and a dash of magic. It reminds me a lot of all those 'modern day spin on a fairy tale' kind of stories... with a twist!
This book took a hard (almost satirical?) look at society's obsession with beauty, and wrote a 'refreshing' (ugh, i know), and fun response to societal norms. Although predictable, this book had me laughing out loud, and really connecting with the characters. It starts of light, funny, and quirky, but about a third of a way into the book, the shoe starts to drop, and the final third of the book is pretty dark and twisted. Because of the fresh take on social issues, and the really young protagonists, I think this could have some cool crossover potential with teen (and especially with adult readers who like teen books, but are tired of teen problems).
With an LGBTQ2I+ protagonist, a non-white protagonist, and a (potentially) mentally ill protagonist - it's the perfect answer to the (often) homogenous protagonists of quirky fiction and romances. It's a great modern take on feminism (with three super diverse protagonists), and I just kind of got swept away in it. I am psyched to read more from Georgia Clark.
I wasn't expecting to, but I really really loved this quirky book by Georgia Clark. You need to be able to suspend your disbelief when you read this book - it's essentially a modern-day coming-of-age story with feminist themes... and a dash of magic. It reminds me a lot of all those 'modern day spin on a fairy tale' kind of stories... with a twist!
This book took a hard (almost satirical?) look at society's obsession with beauty, and wrote a 'refreshing' (ugh, i know), and fun response to societal norms. Although predictable, this book had me laughing out loud, and really connecting with the characters. It starts of light, funny, and quirky, but about a third of a way into the book, the shoe starts to drop, and the final third of the book is pretty dark and twisted. Because of the fresh take on social issues, and the really young protagonists, I think this could have some cool crossover potential with teen (and especially with adult readers who like teen books, but are tired of teen problems).
With an LGBTQ2I+ protagonist, a non-white protagonist, and a (potentially) mentally ill protagonist - it's the perfect answer to the (often) homogenous protagonists of quirky fiction and romances. It's a great modern take on feminism (with three super diverse protagonists), and I just kind of got swept away in it. I am psyched to read more from Georgia Clark.
bunceyyy's review against another edition
3.0
This is probably nearer to two stars than three, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, so rounded up. Clark kept me reading, but very much in a "oh god this is like watching a car crash, what's going to happen next, I can't look away" type of way... It felt very try-hard, with lots of over-wordy paragraphs and ridiculously over-the-top metaphors that just didn't gel with the more low-brow subject matter. At one point, a guy's (groping) hands are described as "hungry sharks", which speaks for itself really. Whilst I admired parts of the book's plot - and Clark's strong feminist agenda - the overall absurdity of the situation overwhelmed my enjoyment. Yes, this is fiction, so I can pretend that there's a concoction out there that will turn you into a better-looking version of yourself, but Clark's attempts to bring this into line with a modern-day New York city and the three protagonists were jarring at best. Too many things happened that had me thinking "but, really?!" For one thing, the angry electricities man disappears into thin air after being seduced into postponing the electricity cut off for a couple of days. But then the events in the book take place over a period of a couple of weeks, and he - or any consequences of these girls' irresponsible and unbelievable actions - fails to re-appear. For another, one of the main character's is caught in an extremely compromised position that would have most people phoning the police/local asylum...to be forgiven within a few hastily written lines at the beginning of the next chapter, purely (it seems to me) for the sake of plot progression. As the characters chopped and changed between their Pretty and Regular selves, I felt similarly discombobulated as a reader. It is due to this lack of commitment that the message becomes vague and disorientated, and becomes simply "something to do with unrealistic expectations of beauty, self-love, and girl power". It's a shame, because this could have been a clever, succinct, and hilarious book, but it's let down by both trying to be much more than it it is, and its(/Clark's) lack of conviction.
yesterdayna's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
lesliebcook's review against another edition
4.0
I devoured this book in a few bittersweet gulps, because, despite some of the problems I had with the story and characters, it is impulsively readable. There were several points in the novel where I physically rolled my eyes at the characters's behaviors, because their childish attitude and outlook were celebrated rather than scrutinized. The characters were certainly complex and interesting but they weren't necessarily likable, leaving readers with the question: are these people we want to succeed anyway? Despite its glaring problems, though, it was interesting all the way through and I did enjoy it as a light afternoon read.
melissadelongcox's review against another edition
3.0
I felt really meh about this. The concept was interesting, but I felt like I only knew the characters on a superficial level. That can work for some stories, but this one just missed the mark for me. Certainly not horrible, but not something I'll be gifting to friends either.
elligraydee's review against another edition
1.0
When I started reading this, I Had no idea what this was about or the hype about the feminist message it's supposed to be sending. It just kept coming up in my Insta as a must read, so...
It may have been ok if it weren't for the incredibly stupid, over the top, cliched and annoying three characters.
I did reflect that perhaps that was the hidden meaning and author was trying to make a point. But then, why would you purposely set out to create the most irritating subjects possible?
I'd have given three stars if one person in the book was at least a little likable.
It may have been ok if it weren't for the incredibly stupid, over the top, cliched and annoying three characters.
I did reflect that perhaps that was the hidden meaning and author was trying to make a point. But then, why would you purposely set out to create the most irritating subjects possible?
I'd have given three stars if one person in the book was at least a little likable.