Great, dark book inspired by a (real? imaginary?) 1960s etiquette book of the same name, with plenty of damaged and dangerous young ladies struggling to figure out what it means to be a woman or girl these days. The last line in the final story (WARNING! SPOILER!) is brilliant: Dont be a fool, there is no such thing as just a girl.
Take that, Gwen Stefani.
As a woman who, in her girlhood, often tread that fine line between intention and ignorance, I completely understood this narrators sentiment. She has been trying to share the story of her youthful romantic escapades with her son, in an effort to make him see that his girlfriend is not as innocent and perfect as he seems to believe. The son is attempting to console her by saying that the girl in her story couldnt have been responsible for something as sinister as her lovers death, trying to side with her as an innocent victim despite his previous judgements of slut and bitch, but his mother knows the truth: no one is innocent. She is not innocent.
Having seen her younger self in action in the opening story, we readers already know shes not innocent or perfect. Intriguing, yes. Mysterious, sure. Hard-done-by, perhaps. Vindictive? Absolutely. Innocent? Never.
I loved that these girls felt real, not pretty little stereotypes or images of what one might like them to be. They did things you didnt always expect. They were mean to one another, cruel to the men that trailed after them, awful even to themselves. Some of them are, its true, too old to be called girls, but thats all part of the game, isnt it? Were all just girls to someone, usually some male someone looking to diminish us. So why not embrace the label?
We may be girls, but were not good girls. We are very bad girls indeed.
So capsule review: two thumbs way up, and now Ive got to get my hands on Schappells first book, Use Me.
Take that, Gwen Stefani.
As a woman who, in her girlhood, often tread that fine line between intention and ignorance, I completely understood this narrators sentiment. She has been trying to share the story of her youthful romantic escapades with her son, in an effort to make him see that his girlfriend is not as innocent and perfect as he seems to believe. The son is attempting to console her by saying that the girl in her story couldnt have been responsible for something as sinister as her lovers death, trying to side with her as an innocent victim despite his previous judgements of slut and bitch, but his mother knows the truth: no one is innocent. She is not innocent.
Having seen her younger self in action in the opening story, we readers already know shes not innocent or perfect. Intriguing, yes. Mysterious, sure. Hard-done-by, perhaps. Vindictive? Absolutely. Innocent? Never.
I loved that these girls felt real, not pretty little stereotypes or images of what one might like them to be. They did things you didnt always expect. They were mean to one another, cruel to the men that trailed after them, awful even to themselves. Some of them are, its true, too old to be called girls, but thats all part of the game, isnt it? Were all just girls to someone, usually some male someone looking to diminish us. So why not embrace the label?
We may be girls, but were not good girls. We are very bad girls indeed.
So capsule review: two thumbs way up, and now Ive got to get my hands on Schappells first book, Use Me.
