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janaybrazier's review against another edition
3.0
This feels like more than a 3 but not quite a 4 for me (maybe a 3.5 if I was giving a half star rating...) but this wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it would be all about the play but it's about so much more. I loved the concept and the way it was written. It annoyed me at first that there weren't chapter numbers but I lived with it. I just really liked it. It was a quick read too.
djc16's review against another edition
5.0
Last year’s Nothing Tastes as Good was one of my favourites of the year, so I was delighted to see Like Other Girls following soon after. And man, is this one timely. As teased on her Twitter page for a few months now, there is no holding back in any way here in dealing with some of the more sensitive issues in modern society. It is particularly prescient with the current state of affairs in debates around changing the laws around the 8th amendment in Ireland.
But that’s far from all that’s going on in Like Other Girls. It’s a proper exploration of what it means to be a teenage girl, not just in Ireland. Lauren has to put up with the ideas of social norms, fitting in, finding her own tribe, exploring her own sexuality, while then having to deal with as the blurb says, every teenage girl’s worst nightmare.
The voice of Lauren from the outset is great – it works well with an emerging second narrative told from ‘Before,’ which is tuned to perfection in its balance of giving us enough to infer what Lauren is remembering, a traumatic something which happened in the summer before this school year.
Lauren attends the stereotypical yet very true school of contradictions, and her mother is the principal. There is an interesting exploration of the role of Lauren’s mother as a principal and as a mother. Claire Hennessy makes the point that there may not be room for both. There is the influence of religion from on high in school, which comes more into play when the more serious nightmares come to pass for Lauren. Particularly brilliant is the scene where Lauren first realises she may be living the nightmare alluded to above (Sorry for vagueness, slight spoiler, just read it!). The overbearing nature of the Church in Irish society is not lost on the reader here, through the ever-present thread of religion in school to the preachy and sometimes straight-up wrong advice to people looking for advice.
The commentary on ‘family planning services’ in Like Other Girls is startling, even as factual as it is. Lauren finds herself in her nightmare and goes to what seems like a suitable place to go for advice, only to find that they straight up lie to her, a stark reflection of a similar incident in Dublin in recent times.
In terms of teenage relationships, I found it fascinating and great to read about the support group (Q Club) for LGBTQ teenagers that Lauren and her friends attend. Some of the characters here are great and there’s lots of exploration of different situations around gender and binary issues here, that will be of particular interest to teenagers reading this. I thought the inclusion of other friends of Lauren’s outside of the group was clever too, as it showed that not everyone is as engaged with issues, from LGBTQ rights to abortion to feminism.
At this stage it’s expected with Claire Hennessy, but it’s worth mentioning that Like Other Girls is also very funny. It carries that dark Irish humour well, across all these serious issues like abortion and alcoholism, in a way that only certain writers can mix the serious and the humorous.
As with most contemporary YA, it’s almost impossible to ignore the constant presence of the internet and Claire Hennessy doesn’t shy away from it at all. The never-ending chats, the having to be online and then just the general weariness.
‘I am too weary for internet fights, for being yelled at by social justice warriors as though I am even worse than the creepy men who think a female protagonist marks the end of civilisation.’
Just wonderful stuff. Like Other Girls is a fast-paced read, with a ticking clock element that makes you want to read on. The presence of so much good, readable, believable dialogue is also great and makes it an immersive read. Like Other Girls has a lot to say, it has anger, and rightly so. It’s drawing attention to a polarising topic in Irish society, but one that as Claire Hennessy alludes to in the acknowledgements section will hopefully be ‘historical fiction’ sooner rather than later.
You can find Claire @chennessybooks and clairehennessy.com, where she posts reviews and blogs about writing in general.
https://derekcarneyhasathingforbooks.wordpress.com/
But that’s far from all that’s going on in Like Other Girls. It’s a proper exploration of what it means to be a teenage girl, not just in Ireland. Lauren has to put up with the ideas of social norms, fitting in, finding her own tribe, exploring her own sexuality, while then having to deal with as the blurb says, every teenage girl’s worst nightmare.
The voice of Lauren from the outset is great – it works well with an emerging second narrative told from ‘Before,’ which is tuned to perfection in its balance of giving us enough to infer what Lauren is remembering, a traumatic something which happened in the summer before this school year.
Lauren attends the stereotypical yet very true school of contradictions, and her mother is the principal. There is an interesting exploration of the role of Lauren’s mother as a principal and as a mother. Claire Hennessy makes the point that there may not be room for both. There is the influence of religion from on high in school, which comes more into play when the more serious nightmares come to pass for Lauren. Particularly brilliant is the scene where Lauren first realises she may be living the nightmare alluded to above (Sorry for vagueness, slight spoiler, just read it!). The overbearing nature of the Church in Irish society is not lost on the reader here, through the ever-present thread of religion in school to the preachy and sometimes straight-up wrong advice to people looking for advice.
The commentary on ‘family planning services’ in Like Other Girls is startling, even as factual as it is. Lauren finds herself in her nightmare and goes to what seems like a suitable place to go for advice, only to find that they straight up lie to her, a stark reflection of a similar incident in Dublin in recent times.
In terms of teenage relationships, I found it fascinating and great to read about the support group (Q Club) for LGBTQ teenagers that Lauren and her friends attend. Some of the characters here are great and there’s lots of exploration of different situations around gender and binary issues here, that will be of particular interest to teenagers reading this. I thought the inclusion of other friends of Lauren’s outside of the group was clever too, as it showed that not everyone is as engaged with issues, from LGBTQ rights to abortion to feminism.
At this stage it’s expected with Claire Hennessy, but it’s worth mentioning that Like Other Girls is also very funny. It carries that dark Irish humour well, across all these serious issues like abortion and alcoholism, in a way that only certain writers can mix the serious and the humorous.
As with most contemporary YA, it’s almost impossible to ignore the constant presence of the internet and Claire Hennessy doesn’t shy away from it at all. The never-ending chats, the having to be online and then just the general weariness.
‘I am too weary for internet fights, for being yelled at by social justice warriors as though I am even worse than the creepy men who think a female protagonist marks the end of civilisation.’
Just wonderful stuff. Like Other Girls is a fast-paced read, with a ticking clock element that makes you want to read on. The presence of so much good, readable, believable dialogue is also great and makes it an immersive read. Like Other Girls has a lot to say, it has anger, and rightly so. It’s drawing attention to a polarising topic in Irish society, but one that as Claire Hennessy alludes to in the acknowledgements section will hopefully be ‘historical fiction’ sooner rather than later.
You can find Claire @chennessybooks and clairehennessy.com, where she posts reviews and blogs about writing in general.
https://derekcarneyhasathingforbooks.wordpress.com/
madecel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- 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
I was transported back to my days at a catholic all-girls highschool while reading this.
I would’ve loved reading this book as a teen, deep in my baby-gay era, but there’s something so special about reading a story like this with hindsight, having gone through it all already.
This was such an enjoyable read, it’s clear that Hennessy put a lot of love into this book.
I would’ve loved reading this book as a teen, deep in my baby-gay era, but there’s something so special about reading a story like this with hindsight, having gone through it all already.
This was such an enjoyable read, it’s clear that Hennessy put a lot of love into this book.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
Saying you weren't able to put a book down is a cliché, but in this case it was true. I began this at 3pm and finished it at 10pm the same day, stopping only for snacks. It's a gripping, complex story about a bisexual girl who discovers she needs an abortion -- a vital medical procedure not currently legal in Ireland. When the book opens, the situation is straightforward enough: Lauren is struggling to fit into her strict Catholic school, a situation compounded by her mother being the principal. Lauren finds companionship at Q Club, a club for queer teenagers, and with her good-looking but clueless boyfriend. Hennessy is great at pointing sexism, from a stranger who grabs Lauren in a club, forcing Lauren to retaliate, which ends with Lauren being kicked out of the club, to Lauren's boyfriend, who is annoyed when she speaks her mind. When Lauren discovers she is pregnant, she does not have any support from her boyfriend.
The strongest part of the novel focuses on abortion in Ireland, and how women struggle to find proper information about abortion, cannot access safe services, and have to go abroad in order to access abortion. Hennessy powerfully shows the reader how Lauren feels out of control of her own body and that she isn't allowed to make decisions about her own body. Lauren is isolated from her family and friends as she struggles to deal with the abortion on her own, and has to go to Liverpool, navigating the airport and the abortion clinic by herself at the age of 16. Hennessy does a great job of powerfully and subtly showing the terrible situation here in Ireland, and left me enraged.
The other focus of the novel in on queer teenagers friendships. Lauren is bi, and in love with her best friend, who has realised he is transgender and is struggling with this realisation. Lauren feels like Evan's gender has caused him to reject her, and as she struggles with her pregnancy, she lashes out at her transgender friends. I think Hennessy is trying to show us how teenagers struggle to navigate emotions, and how understanding and empathising with each other as well as themselves can be really hard -- though sometimes they do a much better job than adults can! By writing about queer teenagers in a broad context that doesn't just focus on their being trans or being bi, she shows how being queer is a normal aspect of life. However, this means sometimes the issues she writes about feel rushed, and Lauren comes off as very transphobic at times, which is not fully addressed by the narrative. This aspect of the novel left me feeling uneasy, and I wish Hennessy had been able to address trans issues a bit more thoroughly and gently.
However, I think this is a very important book, very engaging, and I am delighted that someone is writing about abortion in Ireland in YA novels.
The strongest part of the novel focuses on abortion in Ireland, and how women struggle to find proper information about abortion, cannot access safe services, and have to go abroad in order to access abortion. Hennessy powerfully shows the reader how Lauren feels out of control of her own body and that she isn't allowed to make decisions about her own body. Lauren is isolated from her family and friends as she struggles to deal with the abortion on her own, and has to go to Liverpool, navigating the airport and the abortion clinic by herself at the age of 16. Hennessy does a great job of powerfully and subtly showing the terrible situation here in Ireland, and left me enraged.
The other focus of the novel in on queer teenagers friendships. Lauren is bi, and in love with her best friend, who has realised he is transgender and is struggling with this realisation. Lauren feels like Evan's gender has caused him to reject her, and as she struggles with her pregnancy, she lashes out at her transgender friends. I think Hennessy is trying to show us how teenagers struggle to navigate emotions, and how understanding and empathising with each other as well as themselves can be really hard -- though sometimes they do a much better job than adults can! By writing about queer teenagers in a broad context that doesn't just focus on their being trans or being bi, she shows how being queer is a normal aspect of life. However, this means sometimes the issues she writes about feel rushed, and Lauren comes off as very transphobic at times, which is not fully addressed by the narrative. This aspect of the novel left me feeling uneasy, and I wish Hennessy had been able to address trans issues a bit more thoroughly and gently.
However, I think this is a very important book, very engaging, and I am delighted that someone is writing about abortion in Ireland in YA novels.
readsbyross's review against another edition
5.0
**Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a finished copy in exchange for an honest review!!**
Damn. Can't believe I finished this. It's a book I have hotly been anticipated and my god, it did not disappoint. I adored it.
I'll start off with saying how ridiculous it is that this book has been getting so much hate and being called transphobic, even the author being called transphobic and problematic. Her portrayal of Lauren being unsettled by the fact that she's suddenly discovered her friend is not offensive, it is realistic. Don't tell me that every single person this world would be happy and okay with trans people, because if they were, transphobia would not be a thing. And the thing about it being a "problematic" title? Maybe if you read the blurb, never mind the book itself, you would realise it is recognised as a problematic thing to think/say and the author uses it in an ironic sense.
Now, I'm glad my rant is out of the way. Because now I get to talk about how glorious this book is. Firstly, in terms of sexualities it is incredibly diverse. There are little straight main characters which is pleasing. The fact that Lauren is a mess and she had to go through having an abortion ON HER OWN shows what a strong, incredible character she is. Her friend group are amazing, her relationship with her mam is shown excellently and has the best conclusion, as does the book itself. The plot was so engaging that I could hardly find time to put this gem down. I loved Nothing Tastes as Good but this just knocked it out of the park. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Witty, original, dark at times, addicting, important and quite simply exceptional. It was a pleasure to read and enjoy and I recommend this to everyone!!
Damn. Can't believe I finished this. It's a book I have hotly been anticipated and my god, it did not disappoint. I adored it.
I'll start off with saying how ridiculous it is that this book has been getting so much hate and being called transphobic, even the author being called transphobic and problematic. Her portrayal of Lauren being unsettled by the fact that she's suddenly discovered her friend is not offensive, it is realistic. Don't tell me that every single person this world would be happy and okay with trans people, because if they were, transphobia would not be a thing. And the thing about it being a "problematic" title? Maybe if you read the blurb, never mind the book itself, you would realise it is recognised as a problematic thing to think/say and the author uses it in an ironic sense.
Now, I'm glad my rant is out of the way. Because now I get to talk about how glorious this book is. Firstly, in terms of sexualities it is incredibly diverse. There are little straight main characters which is pleasing. The fact that Lauren is a mess and she had to go through having an abortion ON HER OWN shows what a strong, incredible character she is. Her friend group are amazing, her relationship with her mam is shown excellently and has the best conclusion, as does the book itself. The plot was so engaging that I could hardly find time to put this gem down. I loved Nothing Tastes as Good but this just knocked it out of the park. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Witty, original, dark at times, addicting, important and quite simply exceptional. It was a pleasure to read and enjoy and I recommend this to everyone!!
shaunieee_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
amber_is_reading_'s review against another edition
5.0
Lauren is frustrated. Angry. Angry at her friends, her family, her school and mostly with her country. Lauren's struggling to find who she is, to find her identity. She feels isolated by those she loves and trusts. She goes through possibly the hardest decision a woman could face and she does it alone. Lauren battles with her inner-log of her depression, anxiety and grief, pouring herself another drink as she goes.
Though while Lauren is going through what she feels is the end of the world, her friend Steph - Evan - is facing difficulties and is feeling just as lost as Lauren but both have put their own lives before their friendship. Through tears, anger, laughter and shouting these teens push through their struggles and build their bond again. Proving that no matter what things can and do get better, and it's okay to open up about your mental battles instead of suffering alone.
Though while Lauren is going through what she feels is the end of the world, her friend Steph - Evan - is facing difficulties and is feeling just as lost as Lauren but both have put their own lives before their friendship. Through tears, anger, laughter and shouting these teens push through their struggles and build their bond again. Proving that no matter what things can and do get better, and it's okay to open up about your mental battles instead of suffering alone.
nerdypumpkinpie's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like flawed characters in contemporary YA lit are very under-appreciated. Lauren's thinking is absolutely definitely flawed in some aspects, but then again, she is just a teenage girl and not a all-knowing transcendent being.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the pace and the storylines of this book.
Great comment on women's reproductive rights in Ireland!
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the pace and the storylines of this book.
Great comment on women's reproductive rights in Ireland!
romancetrash's review against another edition
5.0
It appears to be the cliche Not Like Other Girls trope and annoys you for the first 20 pages, but I promise that it becomes much deeper as the novel progresses. If you are not a fan of the trope and it is off-putting, give it a chance - it becomes more than that
The topics discussed are not light - from abortion, alcohol abuse and relationship problems to transphobia, sex and mental health - all are issues very relevant. Claire Hennessy does not beat around the bush and tells it how it is. Most touching moments for me were the discussion of how it is to be a woman in Ireland, pre-abortion referendum, and the measures to which women had to go through for their own bodies and freedom.
Some reviews say that Lauren is an unlikable character. I do not believe she is supposed to be liked by the reader. Her superiority complex, inability to communicate and unwillingness to understand the problems of other people is there to show that, unfortunately, are people like that. Lauren’s thoughts are very much like of any 16 year old girl who thinks she is something special. Lauren’s ways of dealing with her feelings and issues are not absurd or overstated, but are actions that some people do take in a time of crisis.
For me, what was comforting, is her exploration with her sexuality. This is the first piece of literature that I have read that looks into bisexuality from the point of view of a normal teenager finding herself in this world. It allowed me to empathise with her and inspired to search for more literature regarding this area.
Overall, I recommend this to everyone out there: young adults for relevancy; parents for insight. Give it a chance
The topics discussed are not light - from abortion, alcohol abuse and relationship problems to transphobia, sex and mental health - all are issues very relevant. Claire Hennessy does not beat around the bush and tells it how it is. Most touching moments for me were the discussion of how it is to be a woman in Ireland, pre-abortion referendum, and the measures to which women had to go through for their own bodies and freedom.
Some reviews say that Lauren is an unlikable character. I do not believe she is supposed to be liked by the reader. Her superiority complex, inability to communicate and unwillingness to understand the problems of other people is there to show that, unfortunately, are people like that. Lauren’s thoughts are very much like of any 16 year old girl who thinks she is something special. Lauren’s ways of dealing with her feelings and issues are not absurd or overstated, but are actions that some people do take in a time of crisis.
For me, what was comforting, is her exploration with her sexuality. This is the first piece of literature that I have read that looks into bisexuality from the point of view of a normal teenager finding herself in this world. It allowed me to empathise with her and inspired to search for more literature regarding this area.
Overall, I recommend this to everyone out there: young adults for relevancy; parents for insight. Give it a chance
mustbeinwantofawife's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.0