A review by xxselenaj
Hello Girls by Emily Henry, Brittany Cavallaro
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I enjoyed the platonic and lack of romance. I loved reading about Winona and Lucille’s sister bond and how they avenge themselves against the horrible men in their lives. I loved the beginning, how they met, how they left their terrible home lives. And how they do all of this very crazy, often incredibly dangerous and misguided, stuff in order to keep going. I also like how true the author kept the childish narrative tone. Two repressed girls finally getting a taste of freedom and going wild with their needs. I definitely had a chuckle when they robbed a gas station and the guy said to Lucille that she was so hot.
A lot of plot holes for me, an example of this being the scene where Winona has had enough with her father and set sto move out. I thought I’d completely misread/listened to a chapter because it was so abrupt how things happened. I wish we got to get the bartenders reaction to the fish. I also wish we got more of an explanation from Kate instead of her just confirming to Winona that not only is her father a piece of shit but her mom is, too, a piece of shit. I also felt like there were many loose ends in their friendship that weren’t explored/fully fleshed out that could’ve strengthened their bond. Such as Lucille always putting Winona first and not getting closure for her life with her mother and her brother and the ongoing class differences between them. Alot of moments felt like dumb luck and very unnecessary because it was hard to believe, even if they were wilding out for their freedom.
I did like the mention of exploring sexuality and the end hint of where Lucille may go in the future to get a degree. I wish the authors included an epilogue from a year or so later, so we could check in and see how the girls grew up. The abrupt ending further put this lower on the scale for me. But it was a fun read to get me out of a rut.
A lot of plot holes for me, an example of this being the scene where Winona has had enough with her father and set sto move out. I thought I’d completely misread/listened to a chapter because it was so abrupt how things happened. I wish we got to get the bartenders reaction to the fish. I also wish we got more of an explanation from Kate instead of her just confirming to Winona that not only is her father a piece of shit but her mom is, too, a piece of shit. I also felt like there were many loose ends in their friendship that weren’t explored/fully fleshed out that could’ve strengthened their bond. Such as Lucille always putting Winona first and not getting closure for her life with her mother and her brother and the ongoing class differences between them. Alot of moments felt like dumb luck and very unnecessary because it was hard to believe, even if they were wilding out for their freedom.
I did like the mention of exploring sexuality and the end hint of where Lucille may go in the future to get a degree. I wish the authors included an epilogue from a year or so later, so we could check in and see how the girls grew up. The abrupt ending further put this lower on the scale for me. But it was a fun read to get me out of a rut.