NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL, Siobhan Vivians third novel, succeeds where few other contemporary YAs do: it features a smart, determined, but not always nice or right female protagonist and a strong message of the different definitions of what female empowerment entails.
Natalie is not a straightforwardly sympathetic protagonist. Shes smart and has obviously accomplished much, yes, and her narration is delightful for the over-read YA reader: anguished and angsty, determined and stubborn, without being overly dramatic and annoying. However, we get the sense early on that, despite the seeming solidness of her feminist creed, she could stand to learn a lesson or two. Too often I feel like YA protagonists are always made out to either be ethically perfect in dealing with external problems, or else have an identity utterly wrapped up in a love interest. Thus, Natalie is a breath of fresh aireven if she may snap at you, and even slap you, for daring to objectify her as refreshing.
There are a gratifying number of strong females in this noveleven if not all of them are strong in the best waysbut Spencer is probably the most admirable character of them all. She is the type of girl Natalie fears, though for all the wrong reasons. Spencer is confident, strong-willed, feminine, and, to Natalies horror, not afraid to play up her feminine appeal to get her way. Spencer and Natalie come from different schools of feminism, and while there is no clear answer as to which of them is more correctSpencer gets hurt more, but she also livesthey are excellent examples of the different manifestations of feminismwith a hearty dose of entertainment in their shenanigans and interactions, too.
NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL focuses on the feminism aspect, on what it could mean for a female to be empowered, but its hardly preachy, and not without a crackling romance as well (although Natalies interactions with Connor was something I wish had been more fleshed out). Siobhan Vivian is a strong writer with a talent for character subtleties. This is my first book of hers, but it will certainly not be my last. Dont overlook this strong gem of a contemporary YA read!
Natalie is not a straightforwardly sympathetic protagonist. Shes smart and has obviously accomplished much, yes, and her narration is delightful for the over-read YA reader: anguished and angsty, determined and stubborn, without being overly dramatic and annoying. However, we get the sense early on that, despite the seeming solidness of her feminist creed, she could stand to learn a lesson or two. Too often I feel like YA protagonists are always made out to either be ethically perfect in dealing with external problems, or else have an identity utterly wrapped up in a love interest. Thus, Natalie is a breath of fresh aireven if she may snap at you, and even slap you, for daring to objectify her as refreshing.
There are a gratifying number of strong females in this noveleven if not all of them are strong in the best waysbut Spencer is probably the most admirable character of them all. She is the type of girl Natalie fears, though for all the wrong reasons. Spencer is confident, strong-willed, feminine, and, to Natalies horror, not afraid to play up her feminine appeal to get her way. Spencer and Natalie come from different schools of feminism, and while there is no clear answer as to which of them is more correctSpencer gets hurt more, but she also livesthey are excellent examples of the different manifestations of feminismwith a hearty dose of entertainment in their shenanigans and interactions, too.
NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL focuses on the feminism aspect, on what it could mean for a female to be empowered, but its hardly preachy, and not without a crackling romance as well (although Natalies interactions with Connor was something I wish had been more fleshed out). Siobhan Vivian is a strong writer with a talent for character subtleties. This is my first book of hers, but it will certainly not be my last. Dont overlook this strong gem of a contemporary YA read!
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