Summary: A young woman is in awe of her mentor, a famous feminist who ultimately guides her down a path in stark contrast to the one she had planned.
Rating & Recommendation: 3.5/5; recommend for young adults and an intro to feminism
Review: I was late to work today because I was finishing this book. I’ll generously call it 3.5 stars. I’m not sure what all the hype was about (I wanted to read more by Wolitzer, but I’m certain now that I won’t), and I’m starting to wonder if the hype was generated by a naive crowd over-identifying with a naive character.
It’s mediocre prose and frustratingly predictable. [spoiler alert] The earnest people get what they want, and the shady, selfish, and sinister get what they deserve. I will say it paints a nice picture of all the different ways to be female, and makes me question: Are women are able to truly uplift each other so long as they’re still combatting a male-dominated world? In essence, can a woman help another woman up the same ladder she’s on without ever really being ahead of her? A ladder that a man is already at the top of?
I was underwhelmed by this one though, and I would only recommend to a YA-leaning crowd. I’d maybe call it coming-of-age in some respects. The book is fundamentally about women and power and how women interact with power from men, from other women, and in themselves.
Gem of a line though:
“Men know that women have our number. Like women can see through us... and they can tell we’re full of shit. But the world keeps propping us up, and women know it, and we know you know it, so maybe we hate you because you have something on us. You’re basically witness to a crime.”
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