supmallory's review against another edition
5.0
Actual Review - 4.75/5
I received a completed copy of this book from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this story. I was skeptical at first but after the first 50 pages, I was hooked. There were a couple of parts that were predictable and a few scenes I didn't necessarily like, but I definitely enjoyed this story.
Poppy is a very interesting character and she struggles with her mental health throughout the whole story, she watches some dark things and has some very worrisome behaviour at certain parts of the book! (Beware if you read to watch out for some triggering scenes) My favourite character was probably Lewis, I loved reading about his story and learning about his transition. It gave me a unique understanding of the possible mindset experienced by someone with gender dysphoria. (he's transgender)
I really enjoyed the discussions of Homelessness as well, I think this story gave a unique perspective on homelessness, one that might be tamer than others but still well written. (There's also a twist at the end that I didn't expect, which hooked me more)
I really enjoyed Heather's style of writing and the way she formed her characters. Every character in the story had personality and I could definitely sense that Heather spent lots of time developing these characters. I also really enjoyed reading a story that was based in Canada.
It took me a bit longer to read this as I was in the middle of exams, but I'm happy I finished! I definitely recommend this book.
I received a completed copy of this book from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this story. I was skeptical at first but after the first 50 pages, I was hooked. There were a couple of parts that were predictable and a few scenes I didn't necessarily like, but I definitely enjoyed this story.
Poppy is a very interesting character and she struggles with her mental health throughout the whole story, she watches some dark things and has some very worrisome behaviour at certain parts of the book! (Beware if you read to watch out for some triggering scenes) My favourite character was probably Lewis, I loved reading about his story and learning about his transition. It gave me a unique understanding of the possible mindset experienced by someone with gender dysphoria. (he's transgender)
I really enjoyed the discussions of Homelessness as well, I think this story gave a unique perspective on homelessness, one that might be tamer than others but still well written. (There's also a twist at the end that I didn't expect, which hooked me more)
I really enjoyed Heather's style of writing and the way she formed her characters. Every character in the story had personality and I could definitely sense that Heather spent lots of time developing these characters. I also really enjoyed reading a story that was based in Canada.
It took me a bit longer to read this as I was in the middle of exams, but I'm happy I finished! I definitely recommend this book.
sandyrabanana's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Dementia, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Deadnaming, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, and Alcohol
lovelyliterary's review against another edition
2.0
This book was sent to me by Penguin Random House Canada to review. This in no way alters my thoughts on the novel. The following review is a truthful representation of my opinions.
A forewarning before continuing this review: this book has a lot of scenes that are extremely triggering in different aspects. I advise a Trigger Warning for sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, and bullying/fat-shaming.
SYNOPSIS: 'Chicken Girl' features its narrator Poppy, who is a large teenager with a love for the 1940's era. Poppy decides to dress up like Rosie the Riveter, which makes her feel empowered and great! She takes a photo of herself and publishes this photo, which then gets posted on Reddit's platform. She is mocked for her size and Poppy's confidence becomes non-existent. Following this, Poppy takes refuge in her job; which just so happens to be dressing up in a chicken suit and attracting customers to the restaurant. She uses the chicken suit to hide from her life, which is now very sad. Poppy then meets a little girl named Miracle, who introduces her to her friends that live under a bridge. These people affect Poppy's life greatly.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I don't usually include spoilers to the books in my reviews; but 'Chicken Girl' had to be an exception. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the book, other than the one main issue I found within it. For me, this overshadowed every other thought I had.
I found a lot of things to be concerning with this book; all concerning controversial and serious topics. I was especially bothered by Cam, Poppy's twin brother, being raped. As if that weren't bad enough, Poppy blames Cam for his own assault, which disgusted me. In the end, Cam forgives his sister. But to me, the forgiveness seems very... sudden, and unwarranted.This issue was never fully resolved, while I feel like it deserved a lot of attention due to the nature of the topic. I understand that 'Chicken Girl' is a short novel, but I feel like a lot of the very serious topics within it could have been handled a bit better.
Overall, I am fond of Smith's writing. I read and reviewed her other novel, 'The Agony of Bun O'Keefe' and loved it. Read the review by clicking the link below!
lovelyliterary.weebly.com/reviews/reviewthe-agony-of-bun-okeefe-by-heather-smith
What I am not fond of is the way that the topics in the story were executed. I feel like this novel had potential to be something powerful, but the only powerful thing about this novel were the insanely strong emotions of frustration I felt while reading certain scenes. I rate it 2/5 stars.
A forewarning before continuing this review: this book has a lot of scenes that are extremely triggering in different aspects. I advise a Trigger Warning for sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, and bullying/fat-shaming.
SYNOPSIS: 'Chicken Girl' features its narrator Poppy, who is a large teenager with a love for the 1940's era. Poppy decides to dress up like Rosie the Riveter, which makes her feel empowered and great! She takes a photo of herself and publishes this photo, which then gets posted on Reddit's platform. She is mocked for her size and Poppy's confidence becomes non-existent. Following this, Poppy takes refuge in her job; which just so happens to be dressing up in a chicken suit and attracting customers to the restaurant. She uses the chicken suit to hide from her life, which is now very sad. Poppy then meets a little girl named Miracle, who introduces her to her friends that live under a bridge. These people affect Poppy's life greatly.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I don't usually include spoilers to the books in my reviews; but 'Chicken Girl' had to be an exception. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the book, other than the one main issue I found within it. For me, this overshadowed every other thought I had.
I found a lot of things to be concerning with this book; all concerning controversial and serious topics. I was especially bothered by Cam, Poppy's twin brother, being raped. As if that weren't bad enough, Poppy blames Cam for his own assault, which disgusted me. In the end, Cam forgives his sister. But to me, the forgiveness seems very... sudden, and unwarranted.This issue was never fully resolved, while I feel like it deserved a lot of attention due to the nature of the topic. I understand that 'Chicken Girl' is a short novel, but I feel like a lot of the very serious topics within it could have been handled a bit better.
Overall, I am fond of Smith's writing. I read and reviewed her other novel, 'The Agony of Bun O'Keefe' and loved it. Read the review by clicking the link below!
lovelyliterary.weebly.com/reviews/reviewthe-agony-of-bun-okeefe-by-heather-smith
What I am not fond of is the way that the topics in the story were executed. I feel like this novel had potential to be something powerful, but the only powerful thing about this novel were the insanely strong emotions of frustration I felt while reading certain scenes. I rate it 2/5 stars.
readingundertheradar's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This was really cute and I loved the characters. Poppy, the narrator, is a flawed and realistic (at times downright not great) but that’s what I liked. The side characters were well developed and I enjoyed their stories even more.
CW: fat phobia, transphobia, sexual assault, rape, homelessness and cruel language surrounding it.
CW: fat phobia, transphobia, sexual assault, rape, homelessness and cruel language surrounding it.
bookishwiccan's review against another edition
4.0
Started and finished this in a day. Wonderful quick read. Full review to come.
clarareadsandwatchesnetflix's review against another edition
2.0
ew, I was getting incest vibes from the twins. rlly weird.
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Addiction, Death of parent, and Racism
angeldu's review against another edition
2.0
didn't enjoy it that much. the protagonist was a bit of an asshole but at least she gets called out on it
clementinemac's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
slagore's review against another edition
1.0
Meh. Some of the characters were interesting. Most of them were annoying and didn't make sense. Poppy is the most annoying person I've ever read in my life and I truly do not understand why all of her friends like her so much.