Girlcrush
Author: Florence Given
Published by: Brazen
Pages: 387
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★
Published by: Brazen
Pages: 387
Format: Paperback
My Rating: ★★
In Given’s debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.
The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill off?
Warning this book does include storylines that some readers may find triggering.
In Given’s debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.
The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill off?
Warning this book does include storylines that some readers may find triggering.
My thoughts:
I recently attended an event in Bath with the author, Florence Given, where I picked up a copy of her debut novel. It was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed hearing her discuss her career so far. And I was excited to read Girlcrush soon after. This book had so much promise, but in my opinion it didn't really deliver. I was looking forward to it, but have sadly been left feeling quite flat and disappointed.
For me, Girlcrush simply did not deliver on its taglines: it is not a hot, dark story, nor a Jekyll and Hyde retelling, nor a feminist dark comedy. Instead, this book is an extremely superficial exploration of bisexuality, feminism, social media, 'cancel culture', and sexual assault.
The novel has the capabilities of a fun beach read, but wants to be a sharp social commentary, and it does not come together, as it lacks stringency, smart plotting, and explanation. I felt that the book was trying to be too many things; it started out as a contemporary fiction that I could enjoy, but switched right at the end to something much darker. This would have been fine if it was consistent all the way through, but it wasn't. The story lacked nuance and context - it talked about Wonderland but didn't explain what it was, or how it worked, instead it just dove in with readers expected to know exactly what it was and how it functioned.
I know this is meant to be a story about a messy character, but you're given almost no reason at all to care about this woman from the start of the novel. She does a lot of queer stereotyping, is repeatedly selfish and honestly, I found her very irritating for much of the book. However, the relationship between Phaedra and Eartha was interesting, and I would have liked more scenes with them together. Unfortunately, Phaedra understandably ends up ghosting Eartha and disappears for a huge chunk of the novel.
I think I understand what the author was going for, but the novel is not well executed. There are some good elements, and the first half is strangely addictive, but overall, I found this a confusing read. I didn't connect with any of the characters, the story felt rushed and at times there appeared to be no coherent plot.
All in all, Girlcrush felt like it was trying a little too hard to be relevant. Despite having the basis of a great storyline, it just didn't quite get there. The ending for me was the most disappointing part and there were so many loose ends regarding Wonderland that needed to be tied up and brought to some kind of conclusion. Disappointing.
Overall reaction:
I recently attended an event in Bath with the author, Florence Given, where I picked up a copy of her debut novel. It was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed hearing her discuss her career so far. And I was excited to read Girlcrush soon after. This book had so much promise, but in my opinion it didn't really deliver. I was looking forward to it, but have sadly been left feeling quite flat and disappointed.
For me, Girlcrush simply did not deliver on its taglines: it is not a hot, dark story, nor a Jekyll and Hyde retelling, nor a feminist dark comedy. Instead, this book is an extremely superficial exploration of bisexuality, feminism, social media, 'cancel culture', and sexual assault.
The novel has the capabilities of a fun beach read, but wants to be a sharp social commentary, and it does not come together, as it lacks stringency, smart plotting, and explanation. I felt that the book was trying to be too many things; it started out as a contemporary fiction that I could enjoy, but switched right at the end to something much darker. This would have been fine if it was consistent all the way through, but it wasn't. The story lacked nuance and context - it talked about Wonderland but didn't explain what it was, or how it worked, instead it just dove in with readers expected to know exactly what it was and how it functioned.
I know this is meant to be a story about a messy character, but you're given almost no reason at all to care about this woman from the start of the novel. She does a lot of queer stereotyping, is repeatedly selfish and honestly, I found her very irritating for much of the book. However, the relationship between Phaedra and Eartha was interesting, and I would have liked more scenes with them together. Unfortunately, Phaedra understandably ends up ghosting Eartha and disappears for a huge chunk of the novel.
I think I understand what the author was going for, but the novel is not well executed. There are some good elements, and the first half is strangely addictive, but overall, I found this a confusing read. I didn't connect with any of the characters, the story felt rushed and at times there appeared to be no coherent plot.
All in all, Girlcrush felt like it was trying a little too hard to be relevant. Despite having the basis of a great storyline, it just didn't quite get there. The ending for me was the most disappointing part and there were so many loose ends regarding Wonderland that needed to be tied up and brought to some kind of conclusion. Disappointing.
Overall reaction:
