Girl Mans Up - Book Review

Girl Mans Up - Book Review

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Posted 2019-10-22 by Jennifer Muirheadfollow
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"Then I realised I don't have to be trans to still confuse people with the way I look. I had my hair then. Now, there's nothing left that makes me a girl, except for the fact that I am one. But I guess that's not enough."%%

Sixteen-year-old Pen loves gaming and hanging out with her male friends. Her Portuguese mother wants her to dress "like a pretty girl" to show respect, and her friend, Colby, wants Pen to be his wing woman, helping him get together with girls and taking his side when things go sour. Pen prefers to dress in her brother's old clothes, and when she cuts her hair suddenly more than ever she is accused of "wanting to be a boy", which she doesn't. When Pen gets talking with one of Colby's conquests he starts acting paranoid that she is trying to steal "his" girl. Now with the people around her demanding respect and loyalty, Pen needs to work out what she really wants and who she is.
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Girl Mans Up%% is the debut novel of Canadian author, M-E Girard. The main character, Pen, is a very realistic teenager. She is frustrated, angry, and confused a lot of the time, but doing the best she can to navigate her own sexuality, as well as her friends' and family's expectations. Pen's sweet romance with Blake is contrasted with the crass way Colby talks about girls. It's lucky Pen has her brother, Johnny, as a better example in that regard, if not when it comes to handling disagreements.

The book is aimed at teens, and is probably most suited to readers aged about 15 and up, since there are sex scenes, violence, attempted sexual assault and a lot of foul language. Parts of it are quite unpleasant to read, but they come across as honest, and they are balanced out with some more lighthearted moments. It's refreshing to see a few young adult books with lesbian characters out there now, since that was just not a thing when I was a teenager.
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Girl Mans Up%% is a gritty young adult coming of age novel. I wanted to end on this quote from Pen, because I whole-heartedly agree:
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"People should just be allowed to look in the mirror and see all kinds of possibilities".%%

#book_reviews
#books_writing
#games
#LGBTIQ
#teenagers
%wneverywhere
85587 - 2023-06-11 07:11:25

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