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Ten Girls to Watch
A radiant debut novel about stumbling through the early years of adulthood; and a love letter to the role models who light the way.
Like so many other recent graduates, Dawn West is trying to make her way in New York City. She's got an ex-boyfriend she can't quite stop seeing, a roommate who views rent checks and basic hygiene as optional, and a writing career that's gotten as far as penning an online lawn care advice column.
So when Dawn lands a job tracking down the past winners of Charm magazine's "Ten Girls to Watch" contest, she's thrilled. After all, she's being paid to interview hundreds of fascinating women: once outstanding college students, they have gone on to become mayors, opera singers, and air force pilots. As Dawn gets to know their life stories, she'll discover that success, love, and friendship can be found in the most unexpected of places. Most importantly, she'll learn that while those who came before us can be role models, ultimately, we each have to create our own happy ending.
Like so many other recent graduates, Dawn West is trying to make her way in New York City. She's got an ex-boyfriend she can't quite stop seeing, a roommate who views rent checks and basic hygiene as optional, and a writing career that's gotten as far as penning an online lawn care advice column.
So when Dawn lands a job tracking down the past winners of Charm magazine's "Ten Girls to Watch" contest, she's thrilled. After all, she's being paid to interview hundreds of fascinating women: once outstanding college students, they have gone on to become mayors, opera singers, and air force pilots. As Dawn gets to know their life stories, she'll discover that success, love, and friendship can be found in the most unexpected of places. Most importantly, she'll learn that while those who came before us can be role models, ultimately, we each have to create our own happy ending.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
26 people are currently reading
2701 people want to read
About the author
Charity Shumway
2 books38 followersCharity grew up in Utah. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Oregon State University and a BA in English from Harvard College. Her first novel, Ten Girls to Watch, was published in 2012. Her new novel, Bountiful, arrived in September 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
February 14, 2016
When I finished Ten Girls to Watch, I was speechless. I sat there, looking at the book and waving my hands and trying to come up with something more specific than "That was fabulous." Because it is fabulous. But it also feels like this book deserves more than that. So here are some words.
Ten Girls to Watch centers on Dawn, who is 23 and job-hunting and living in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn while she struggles to pay rent every month. She does something she doesn't respect about herself and goes to a party her ex-boyfriend invited her to, a party where said ex's date is his new girlfriend. And new girlfriend introduces Dawn to Regina, who offers her a job.
That sounds clinical, doesn't it? As if our protagonist, by virtue of being our protagonist, is now primed for a life of success and fame. But this isn't that story. And yet it also isn't just the story of Dawn's struggles to move on past her ex, and to do well at her job, and to balance confusion and loneliness in the meantime. Her new job involves tracking down the 500 previous Ten Girls to Watch so her magazine can host a 50th anniversary gala, and while Dawn's interview questions are exactly what you'd expect - "How has the magazine's selection changed your life?" - it opens the door for each of these women to be warm and real and wise. Ten Girls to Watch becomes a treatise on women who accomplish great things, from air force piloting to TV-show-hosting to teaching first grade for forty years, and this is perfectly complemented by Dawn's warmth and sincerity and willingness to listen and take in and learn, and by her appreciation of all sorts of accomplishments.
Dawn is so much more than the transcriber here. She isn't only a vehicle to bring out other women's stories (then again, in a nice balance, these women aren't downgraded to become mere gears propelling her growth). She's smart and sweet and nice and flawed. She makes mistakes that feel real. She's upset at herself for them. She lives in her head and analyzes herself in a way that feels achingly familiar:
And then there's XADI and Helen, women who are powerful, unique individuals, who add such wonderful shading to the story. XADI, who is valuable precisely because she is so competent, who is steadfastly herself. And Helen, who wrote a book I would love to read, "about the cultural and spiritual fallout of World War I... 'Remembering the Great War,' the essay opens, 'requires modern man to face twin compulsions: the compulsion to find sense in tragedy and the compulsion to insist on its senselessness.'"
There's so much wisdom allowed to breathe through the pages, and yet it's coupled with Dawn's determination and hard work and failure, and the acknowledgment of the same on the part of these women, and so it never becomes that sort of treacly sentiment it so easily could.
This isn't enough. So let me just say that this book is an ode to women and to their friendships and to the amazing things they can accomplish, whether they're wise and experienced or just starting out. And it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.
Ten Girls to Watch centers on Dawn, who is 23 and job-hunting and living in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn while she struggles to pay rent every month. She does something she doesn't respect about herself and goes to a party her ex-boyfriend invited her to, a party where said ex's date is his new girlfriend. And new girlfriend introduces Dawn to Regina, who offers her a job.
That sounds clinical, doesn't it? As if our protagonist, by virtue of being our protagonist, is now primed for a life of success and fame. But this isn't that story. And yet it also isn't just the story of Dawn's struggles to move on past her ex, and to do well at her job, and to balance confusion and loneliness in the meantime. Her new job involves tracking down the 500 previous Ten Girls to Watch so her magazine can host a 50th anniversary gala, and while Dawn's interview questions are exactly what you'd expect - "How has the magazine's selection changed your life?" - it opens the door for each of these women to be warm and real and wise. Ten Girls to Watch becomes a treatise on women who accomplish great things, from air force piloting to TV-show-hosting to teaching first grade for forty years, and this is perfectly complemented by Dawn's warmth and sincerity and willingness to listen and take in and learn, and by her appreciation of all sorts of accomplishments.
Dawn is so much more than the transcriber here. She isn't only a vehicle to bring out other women's stories (then again, in a nice balance, these women aren't downgraded to become mere gears propelling her growth). She's smart and sweet and nice and flawed. She makes mistakes that feel real. She's upset at herself for them. She lives in her head and analyzes herself in a way that feels achingly familiar:
A job you find online and apply for and get through your own shining resume - no one can say anything about that except congratulations, you deserve it. A job you get because you met someone at a party in the Hamptons - it has the taint of privilege, as if Regina hadn't chosen me because I'd wowed her but because I'd been vouched for by the right people. I knew it was "how the world worked," and after a year of searching, it wasn't like I was going to turn down the job. It was just that this was the sort of thing I'd resented most about Robert. When he wanted a summer job on Capitol Hill, his dad called some friends. When I wanted a summer job anywhere other than Oregon, my dad said good luck. Meaning I was usually the person who got screwed by "that's how the world works." Just shrugging and taking advantage of it now made me feel a little like I was pocketing an envelope full of dirty money. Pocketing gratefully, but still.
And then there's XADI and Helen, women who are powerful, unique individuals, who add such wonderful shading to the story. XADI, who is valuable precisely because she is so competent, who is steadfastly herself. And Helen, who wrote a book I would love to read, "about the cultural and spiritual fallout of World War I... 'Remembering the Great War,' the essay opens, 'requires modern man to face twin compulsions: the compulsion to find sense in tragedy and the compulsion to insist on its senselessness.'"
There's so much wisdom allowed to breathe through the pages, and yet it's coupled with Dawn's determination and hard work and failure, and the acknowledgment of the same on the part of these women, and so it never becomes that sort of treacly sentiment it so easily could.
"It sounds like a lot when you summarize it, but I don't do all of it every day. If you want to know the truth, most days I feel like I'm miserably behind and only doing about half of what I should be doing. But when you look back you can see that you're building something. I think people who say 'Don't look back' are crazy. I wouldn't survive if I weren't looking back and patting myself on the back all the time for making it this far. I've been thinking about memory a lot more these days, with my mom and all. And I think dwelling in the past can be... I don't know, very good, I guess. I just know that if you look back at it, the days add up to something."
This isn't enough. So let me just say that this book is an ode to women and to their friendships and to the amazing things they can accomplish, whether they're wise and experienced or just starting out. And it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.
August 27, 2012
I have great things to say about the beginning and the ending of this book….but I have to tell you that the middle just drug…on….and….on. The beginning got me ready to read a fast paced book about love, loss, growing up and growing apart, but the middle left me desperate to put the book down and read something else. The ending made me smile and glad that I had slugged through the middle, but I really wished the middle could have been edited tighter and made more interesting to the reader.
I loved the way the women who had won the contest years ago spoke of their lives now compared to what they thought they would be like. I loved the fact that most of them agreed that ‘You can’t have it all.’ But they had fabulous lives that were filled with adventure and meaning anyway. Lives that were the envy of many and made great magazine articles.
One of the winners, a friend of the protagonist Dawn, told her that she knew everything would work out. She told her that she knew this because of her life experience and the evidence that she had built over-time and that Dawn would find that out as she accomplished things in her life and built up her own reserves of evidence. Growing-up is difficult and when you think you are finally there you realize you still have a lot to learn. Dawn had things to learn about life, careers, friends, and love. Wonderful advice from the women made this book inspirational, but too long and drawn out in my opinion. More about Dawn and less about the women would have helped move this story along.
The story sucked me in but then just slowed to a crawl. I kept reading here and there wondering when things would get interesting again….and when the booked picked up again, I finally finished it. I did enjoy the ending and even shed a few tears. Dawn had a hard time at it for awhile, but with the evidence stacking in her favor I think….well you will have to read the book if you really want to know.
Lots of good things in this book and lots of dead air also. A good 100 pages could be cut to make this a book you couldn’t put down…I wish the editor had taken a stronger hand and done that…it would have made a much better all-around enjoyable book capable of best-seller status.
I loved the way the women who had won the contest years ago spoke of their lives now compared to what they thought they would be like. I loved the fact that most of them agreed that ‘You can’t have it all.’ But they had fabulous lives that were filled with adventure and meaning anyway. Lives that were the envy of many and made great magazine articles.
One of the winners, a friend of the protagonist Dawn, told her that she knew everything would work out. She told her that she knew this because of her life experience and the evidence that she had built over-time and that Dawn would find that out as she accomplished things in her life and built up her own reserves of evidence. Growing-up is difficult and when you think you are finally there you realize you still have a lot to learn. Dawn had things to learn about life, careers, friends, and love. Wonderful advice from the women made this book inspirational, but too long and drawn out in my opinion. More about Dawn and less about the women would have helped move this story along.
The story sucked me in but then just slowed to a crawl. I kept reading here and there wondering when things would get interesting again….and when the booked picked up again, I finally finished it. I did enjoy the ending and even shed a few tears. Dawn had a hard time at it for awhile, but with the evidence stacking in her favor I think….well you will have to read the book if you really want to know.
Lots of good things in this book and lots of dead air also. A good 100 pages could be cut to make this a book you couldn’t put down…I wish the editor had taken a stronger hand and done that…it would have made a much better all-around enjoyable book capable of best-seller status.
August 30, 2013
As expected this book is fun, easy, single-girl chick lit. It started off really strong with Dawn graduating college and moving to New York to try and make it as a writer. At first I was laughing out loud at Dawn’s wit and charm. Then it took a turn for the worse. I was really put off by her interaction with her ex-boyfriend. She had no backbone and allowed herself to pushed, pulled and treated like crap. I tried not to judge her too harshly because what girl hasn’t been in that situation before? If that wasn’t bad enough she let her roommate and new fling walk all over her, all the while just feeling sorry for herself.
When it came to interviewing the winners of the Ten Girls to Watch contest I was reluctant when ALL of the stories were positive and perfect. Sure some of the women would go on to do amazing things, but every single one of them? It quickly became boring and too contrived.
Ultimately this book is about growing up. Just when you think you are finally there you realize you still have a lot to learn. Dawn had things to learn about life, careers, friends and love. Wonderful advice from the women made this book inspirational, but it was too long and drawn out in my opinion. More about Dawn and less about the women would have helped move this story along.
When it came to interviewing the winners of the Ten Girls to Watch contest I was reluctant when ALL of the stories were positive and perfect. Sure some of the women would go on to do amazing things, but every single one of them? It quickly became boring and too contrived.
Ultimately this book is about growing up. Just when you think you are finally there you realize you still have a lot to learn. Dawn had things to learn about life, careers, friends and love. Wonderful advice from the women made this book inspirational, but it was too long and drawn out in my opinion. More about Dawn and less about the women would have helped move this story along.
September 13, 2013
I wasn't sure about this at first, but then it got REALLY GREAT.
It started out a bit rough and I was kind of worried that it would end up being one of those books that I couldn't relate to because the character would get all these breaks that I haven't gotten and all the women profiled were just magically successful.
But it wasn't that in the end. Instead, it felt like my own life. The way you piece things together and you don't always see where things are leading until you get there. All the stories that the women shared felt so real and helpful (reading the acknowledgments and the photo copyrights, I think they ARE real), like advice I could take.
And ohhh. Just seeing a book that's a celebration of women and female friendships is just amazing. I loved Lily. And XADI.
If you read this, though, be aware that you might have to push through the beginning, particularly if you're subject to secondhand embarrassment. (This book made me realize that it's not that I tend towards secondhand embarrassment, it's that I'm not easily embarrassed at all, so the "embarrassing" scenarios are lost on me.)
But it is a most definite rec.
It started out a bit rough and I was kind of worried that it would end up being one of those books that I couldn't relate to because the character would get all these breaks that I haven't gotten and all the women profiled were just magically successful.
But it wasn't that in the end. Instead, it felt like my own life. The way you piece things together and you don't always see where things are leading until you get there. All the stories that the women shared felt so real and helpful (reading the acknowledgments and the photo copyrights, I think they ARE real), like advice I could take.
And ohhh. Just seeing a book that's a celebration of women and female friendships is just amazing. I loved Lily. And XADI.
If you read this, though, be aware that you might have to push through the beginning, particularly if you're subject to secondhand embarrassment. (This book made me realize that it's not that I tend towards secondhand embarrassment, it's that I'm not easily embarrassed at all, so the "embarrassing" scenarios are lost on me.)
But it is a most definite rec.
August 8, 2012
I feel like a scrooge giving such an optimistic book a low rating, but it read a bit too much like an improbable fairy tale to me. Dawn's string of bad career, romance, and roommate luck seemed piled-on, and the resolutions were far too easily reached. Predictability isn't a problem if the road to the expected ending is filled with interesting twists and turns, but that wasn't the case here. None of the secondary characters and plot lines were interesting to me, and the former "Girls to Watch" that Dawn interviewed offered nothing more than sunny, cliched words of encouragement.
On the plus side, I loved the underlying message that nice girls don't necessarily finish last. Dawn never has to compromise her personality to find success, and that's a great message.
For young women going through a rough patch, Dawn's story could offer hope and inspiration. For young women who have recently gotten through the awkward post-college years, Dawn's story is mildly insulting.
*Note - I received this book for free from Atria Books.
On the plus side, I loved the underlying message that nice girls don't necessarily finish last. Dawn never has to compromise her personality to find success, and that's a great message.
For young women going through a rough patch, Dawn's story could offer hope and inspiration. For young women who have recently gotten through the awkward post-college years, Dawn's story is mildly insulting.
*Note - I received this book for free from Atria Books.
February 8, 2017
I had a great experience reading this book, largely due to the charming and memorable narrator, Dawn. An aspiring writer stuck just below the lowest rung of publishing, Dawn is both touchingly honest and hilariously funny, and I laughed many times at the clever and surprising descriptions and references throughout the story. This is a book about women, and I loved the variety of unique, real feeling characters and appreciated that none of them ever dipped into cattiness or cliche. The author creates a really enjoyable world in this book- one that is not filled with perfect people, but where kindness reigns and people can actually become better. Pick it up on a rainy day and you'll find that Dawn's sunny disposition is an infectious mood lifter. Highly recommend!
March 12, 2024
Lots of ups and downs in this book so I'll settle at 3 stars
The bad: Part of what grated on me so hard with this book (which I found in a little free library) was the archetype of the poor college grad trying to make it in the big city, lamenting how she doesn't have enough money and worrying about having to move home. This probably would have been fine with me if I hadn't been simultaneously reading Lauren Sandler's nonfiction book "This Is All I Got" (I wrote a review for it that I accidentally deleted) which chronicles a year in the life of a single mother navigating the New York City shelter system. That book really opened my eyes to a lot of things, so going from that to reading this fictionalized version of being "poor" in New York kept making me roll my eyes. That's not really this book's fault, it's more of a testament to how Lauren Sandler's book is going to affect every reading experience I have for the rest of my life lol.
The other thing that bothered me about this book was that it was pretty boring. A lot of the narrative is the main character going to a basement office and making phone calls. It felt like I was clocking in sometimes the way she would detail getting up for work and walking into the office building. When she described eating a single peanut butter sandwich for lunch I lost it, I was like girl I know you don't have any fictional money but we couldn't have gotten takeout? The parts of the story where she wasn't at work were pretty random, like when she spends the night at a sleep lab and gets hit on by one of the lab techs? And finally, the protagonist's ex boyfriend is a main character, which I can never get behind in books/shows because it's like, we're supposed to buy that they were ever together? I have noooo investment in this supposed relationship that took place entirely off camera so I have nooooooooooo investment in caring if they get back together lol.
But I guess we ended up at 3 stars because the story was enjoyable and things did come together at the end, albeit a little too neatly. I was happy that the ex boyfriend disappeared. And in the last chapter the character goes to a little spot called the Cornelia Street Cafe, iykyk. That's probably all I have for the positives lol.
Edited to add bc I'm afraid this sounds too mean, the book was well written and fun. I'm just a chick lit hater, and I should have known that's what this was going into it. Live and learn!
The bad: Part of what grated on me so hard with this book (which I found in a little free library) was the archetype of the poor college grad trying to make it in the big city, lamenting how she doesn't have enough money and worrying about having to move home. This probably would have been fine with me if I hadn't been simultaneously reading Lauren Sandler's nonfiction book "This Is All I Got" (I wrote a review for it that I accidentally deleted) which chronicles a year in the life of a single mother navigating the New York City shelter system. That book really opened my eyes to a lot of things, so going from that to reading this fictionalized version of being "poor" in New York kept making me roll my eyes. That's not really this book's fault, it's more of a testament to how Lauren Sandler's book is going to affect every reading experience I have for the rest of my life lol.
The other thing that bothered me about this book was that it was pretty boring. A lot of the narrative is the main character going to a basement office and making phone calls. It felt like I was clocking in sometimes the way she would detail getting up for work and walking into the office building. When she described eating a single peanut butter sandwich for lunch I lost it, I was like girl I know you don't have any fictional money but we couldn't have gotten takeout? The parts of the story where she wasn't at work were pretty random, like when she spends the night at a sleep lab and gets hit on by one of the lab techs? And finally, the protagonist's ex boyfriend is a main character, which I can never get behind in books/shows because it's like, we're supposed to buy that they were ever together? I have noooo investment in this supposed relationship that took place entirely off camera so I have nooooooooooo investment in caring if they get back together lol.
But I guess we ended up at 3 stars because the story was enjoyable and things did come together at the end, albeit a little too neatly. I was happy that the ex boyfriend disappeared. And in the last chapter the character goes to a little spot called the Cornelia Street Cafe, iykyk. That's probably all I have for the positives lol.
Edited to add bc I'm afraid this sounds too mean, the book was well written and fun. I'm just a chick lit hater, and I should have known that's what this was going into it. Live and learn!
November 14, 2017
This was probably more like 3.5 overall. I did really enjoy this, I liked the focus on all the women in the novel and the profiles of them, and Dawn was a great protagonist and very relatable. I liked that she didn't have her shit together at 23 and was struggling with both professional and personal things. I just thought the book dragged a lot in the middle, it took me a really long time to actually finish it.
My absolute favorite thing, though, was . I wish we could've had a little bit more of that, and I'm giving the novel 4 stars just because of the last 20 or so pages because those were A+.
My absolute favorite thing, though, was . I wish we could've had a little bit more of that, and I'm giving the novel 4 stars just because of the last 20 or so pages because those were A+.
November 10, 2012
I did like the author of this book and her writing style. She is clean and very insightful in some of her descriptions. Several parts of this book stuck out to me:
Pg. 32 Regarding second-guessing yourself: "If you're going to try something else first, you need to stop second-guessing yourself." There's time for reflection and course correction if necessary, but you're not there yet." Loved that! Great reminder for me.
Pg. 80 "Unfortunately, her flirtatious fervor sounded like real fury, leading me to infer that in addition to being insatiably hungry for male attention, she was among the poor, misguided souls who confused outright assault with coy banter. Akin to my problem of slight meanness in place of real flirting, but a much more virulent form of the disease."
Pg. 131 "Most days I feel like I'm miserably behind and only doing about half of what I should be doing. But when you look back you can see that you're building something. I think people who say 'Don't look back' are crazy. I wouldn't survive if I weren't looking back and patting myself on the back all th time for making it this far." I love this!!
Pg. 232 "...Families come in all shapes and cope in all sorts of ways, and sometimes there is nothing like a divorce to liberate everyone. Parents and kids, they lose this dream of the perfect family, but sometimes - not always, definitely not always,- but sometimes it finally clears out the junk and lets people be who they ought to be."
Pg. 234 Re: parents and divorce: "I realized that I'd pretty much been treating my parents as if their stories were encapsulated in a single snapshot, as if they were forever locked in place as the unhappy people they'd been when I was in high school. I needed to stop doing that. In the last seven years, I'd gone from being a kid who couldn't drive to being a college graduate who paid their own bills. It seemed quite possible that they'd change a little too."
I really liked this because I believe that one single event or time in our life does not tell our story. Our stories are a culmination of our experiences, of those we loved, and the efforts we make. We all have our ups and downs and our stories are being written continually and each of us are evolving daily. Our lives and who we are are made up of many "single snapshots."
Pg. 275 Re: Serendipity: "...she was handing me a photo of the one things she wasn't quite sure she deserved. Everything else she'd worked for. Everything else was hers. But this? Pure serendipity. And maybe that made it the most precious thing of all because it could so easily not have happened. Maybe, once chance plays so big a part in your life, you realize more is out of your control than you'd like to think."
Pg. 32 Regarding second-guessing yourself: "If you're going to try something else first, you need to stop second-guessing yourself." There's time for reflection and course correction if necessary, but you're not there yet." Loved that! Great reminder for me.
Pg. 80 "Unfortunately, her flirtatious fervor sounded like real fury, leading me to infer that in addition to being insatiably hungry for male attention, she was among the poor, misguided souls who confused outright assault with coy banter. Akin to my problem of slight meanness in place of real flirting, but a much more virulent form of the disease."
Pg. 131 "Most days I feel like I'm miserably behind and only doing about half of what I should be doing. But when you look back you can see that you're building something. I think people who say 'Don't look back' are crazy. I wouldn't survive if I weren't looking back and patting myself on the back all th time for making it this far." I love this!!
Pg. 232 "...Families come in all shapes and cope in all sorts of ways, and sometimes there is nothing like a divorce to liberate everyone. Parents and kids, they lose this dream of the perfect family, but sometimes - not always, definitely not always,- but sometimes it finally clears out the junk and lets people be who they ought to be."
Pg. 234 Re: parents and divorce: "I realized that I'd pretty much been treating my parents as if their stories were encapsulated in a single snapshot, as if they were forever locked in place as the unhappy people they'd been when I was in high school. I needed to stop doing that. In the last seven years, I'd gone from being a kid who couldn't drive to being a college graduate who paid their own bills. It seemed quite possible that they'd change a little too."
I really liked this because I believe that one single event or time in our life does not tell our story. Our stories are a culmination of our experiences, of those we loved, and the efforts we make. We all have our ups and downs and our stories are being written continually and each of us are evolving daily. Our lives and who we are are made up of many "single snapshots."
Pg. 275 Re: Serendipity: "...she was handing me a photo of the one things she wasn't quite sure she deserved. Everything else she'd worked for. Everything else was hers. But this? Pure serendipity. And maybe that made it the most precious thing of all because it could so easily not have happened. Maybe, once chance plays so big a part in your life, you realize more is out of your control than you'd like to think."
February 28, 2013
There are quite a few things I really liked about Ten Girls to Watch. I like Dawn as a character. She’s believable and honestly, quite similar to me. She has a dream that she’s working towards, but she’s not an instant success story, which is something that I loved. So often you’ll read a story where the main character is a struggling, aspiring actress or writer or singer or what-have-you, but by the end of the novel they have a record deal or have written a book or have become really well-off. Dawn definitely leaves the story in a better place than when she started, but it’s not like she want from online writer to magazine editor-in-chief in a year.
I liked seeing all the different women that Dawn interviews for the Ten Girls to Watch feature. It really highlights how many different ways there are to be inspiring and be successful. One of the women was a first grade teacher for forty years; another wrote a novel, and both of those are celebrated as achievements, as well as many others. It many ways, this book is all about celebrating success–but not the type of narrowly defined success we normally see. You’re a politician? Success. You’ve been happily married for thirty years? Success.
However,there were a few things I didn’t enjoy. There’s a few love interests, none of which take up that much page time, but none of them caught my interest. None of them were terrible human beings by any means, but they weren’t particularly interesting either, and I found myself bored during the time when Dawn was really concentrating on a guy, which might have been while the middle of this book dragged for me a little. The book’s pacing seemed a little off; I could have done with some more complications in the middle and less towards the end. However, neither of these complaints severely hindered my lack of enjoyment in the novel.
Final Impression: An enjoyable read with a character whose story line is both compelling and realistic. Though there were a few minor issues with this book, especially in the middle, this is still a book I would highly recommend, especially since it focuses on the year post-college graduation, which I wish to see more of in books. I particularly like how this book celebrates achievements. A (strong) 3/5 stars.
Originally reviewed on my blog Book.Blog.Bake.
I liked seeing all the different women that Dawn interviews for the Ten Girls to Watch feature. It really highlights how many different ways there are to be inspiring and be successful. One of the women was a first grade teacher for forty years; another wrote a novel, and both of those are celebrated as achievements, as well as many others. It many ways, this book is all about celebrating success–but not the type of narrowly defined success we normally see. You’re a politician? Success. You’ve been happily married for thirty years? Success.
However,there were a few things I didn’t enjoy. There’s a few love interests, none of which take up that much page time, but none of them caught my interest. None of them were terrible human beings by any means, but they weren’t particularly interesting either, and I found myself bored during the time when Dawn was really concentrating on a guy, which might have been while the middle of this book dragged for me a little. The book’s pacing seemed a little off; I could have done with some more complications in the middle and less towards the end. However, neither of these complaints severely hindered my lack of enjoyment in the novel.
Final Impression: An enjoyable read with a character whose story line is both compelling and realistic. Though there were a few minor issues with this book, especially in the middle, this is still a book I would highly recommend, especially since it focuses on the year post-college graduation, which I wish to see more of in books. I particularly like how this book celebrates achievements. A (strong) 3/5 stars.
Originally reviewed on my blog Book.Blog.Bake.
August 12, 2012
What a wonderful book by a debut author.
Ten Girls to Watch: A Novel by Charity Shumway was totally unexpected. I was expecting more of a beach read and when I began it and realized it was not going to be a beach read, I was surprised.
This is a story of growing up and lessons learned. Dawn is struggling with all aspects of her life and she gets a chance from the unlikeliest of people, her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend introduces her to Regina, editor of Charm Magazine and this chance meeting turns into a freelance job for her. She is to track down the prior Ten Girls to Watch from the last 50 years and at the end there will be a 50th Anniversary Party.
Dawn is relegated to the archives building and given an office which is nothing more than a closet. She begins the process of find past TGTW woman. She gets them to talk freely to her and she enjoys what she is doing. She is given advice from most all of the women on how to do things or what not to do.
Dawn is living in a crummy apartment, with a slob for a roommate and barely making ends meet.
Ten Girls to Watch: A Novel by Charity Shumway was totally unexpected. I was expecting more of a beach read and when I began it and realized it was not going to be a beach read, I was surprised.
This is a story of growing up and lessons learned. Dawn is struggling with all aspects of her life and she gets a chance from the unlikeliest of people, her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend introduces her to Regina, editor of Charm Magazine and this chance meeting turns into a freelance job for her. She is to track down the prior Ten Girls to Watch from the last 50 years and at the end there will be a 50th Anniversary Party.
Dawn is relegated to the archives building and given an office which is nothing more than a closet. She begins the process of find past TGTW woman. She gets them to talk freely to her and she enjoys what she is doing. She is given advice from most all of the women on how to do things or what not to do.
Dawn is living in a crummy apartment, with a slob for a roommate and barely making ends meet.
July 23, 2012
Dawn West is currently just scraping by as a writer. She works (under a pen name) as a lawn care expert, even though she doesn't really know much about it. (Turns out there are books for everything!) Then she gets an awesome temp assignment: find out what happened to all the winners of Charm Magazine's 10 Girls to Watch. Some have gone on to achieve high levels of fame (including an Oprah-like talk show host and media mogul) but most are relatively anonymous---doing great things but not necessarily household names.
Meanwhile, she also meets a columnist at the magazine, a very cute guy who does their "Secret Agent Romance" column...
This is a ridiculously fun book. It has great things to say about women throughout the ages and what it's like to be just starting out in the world, granted, but it's also a complete joy to read.
This is actually one of my favorite books to read, the ones that are so true but that are still lighthearted and just...well, fun.
I completely overidentified with Dawn, although our situations aren't that similar. Yes, we are both trying to prove ourselves but I at least have the luxury of a full-time job. I can't even imagine how scary it would be to have a temp job, knowing that you only have a definite paycheck for a few months.
The time she spends talking to the past winners were my favorite parts of the book. There's a great deal of wisdom in those sections. But the other really fun parts, obviously, are the ones between Dawn and Elliot (Mr. Secret Agent Romance). Love stories make me happy.
This is a light, sweet summer read that is almost guaranteed to make you happy.
Recommended.
Meanwhile, she also meets a columnist at the magazine, a very cute guy who does their "Secret Agent Romance" column...
This is a ridiculously fun book. It has great things to say about women throughout the ages and what it's like to be just starting out in the world, granted, but it's also a complete joy to read.
This is actually one of my favorite books to read, the ones that are so true but that are still lighthearted and just...well, fun.
I completely overidentified with Dawn, although our situations aren't that similar. Yes, we are both trying to prove ourselves but I at least have the luxury of a full-time job. I can't even imagine how scary it would be to have a temp job, knowing that you only have a definite paycheck for a few months.
The time she spends talking to the past winners were my favorite parts of the book. There's a great deal of wisdom in those sections. But the other really fun parts, obviously, are the ones between Dawn and Elliot (Mr. Secret Agent Romance). Love stories make me happy.
This is a light, sweet summer read that is almost guaranteed to make you happy.
Recommended.
May 18, 2013
IQ "In her reminder that life is long and you can't just look at one moment and judge your life based on that snapshot" pg. 234
Love that quote, fun book. My only quibble with the ending is how dramatic it was, honestly Dawn had gone through a lot by the end of the book and I did not understand why the author despised her protagonist so (I'm only half joking). I suppose the ending was realistic but at the same time what are the odds that a broke 20-something (I think she's 24)...well I'll stop before I give anything away. This book scared me with its realism (although I'm sure that was unintentional) mainly because Dawn spends over a year after college searching for employment. However what I love about Dawn is that she gets discouraged. She's not eternally optimistic (which I find unrealistic) nor is she downright pessimistic but her good nature wavers a few times, as is her right as a struggling writer recently graduated from college. Her ex-boyfriend is making everything harder for everyone by refusing to extract himself from her life and this is a storyline I found genuine. Its hard to know how involved to be in an ex's life-especially if you still want to be friends-or at least not be awkward. I really enjoyed reading the profiles of all the various women, is kind of an easy way to impart wisdom upon your readers but the advice was always delivered in an interesting, conversational manner.
Another quintessential beach-read with some authentic life complications that aren't easily laughed off or brushed aside, Dawn's resilience shines through as does the power of mentors, especially female mentors.
Love that quote, fun book. My only quibble with the ending is how dramatic it was, honestly Dawn had gone through a lot by the end of the book and I did not understand why the author despised her protagonist so (I'm only half joking). I suppose the ending was realistic but at the same time what are the odds that a broke 20-something (I think she's 24)...well I'll stop before I give anything away. This book scared me with its realism (although I'm sure that was unintentional) mainly because Dawn spends over a year after college searching for employment. However what I love about Dawn is that she gets discouraged. She's not eternally optimistic (which I find unrealistic) nor is she downright pessimistic but her good nature wavers a few times, as is her right as a struggling writer recently graduated from college. Her ex-boyfriend is making everything harder for everyone by refusing to extract himself from her life and this is a storyline I found genuine. Its hard to know how involved to be in an ex's life-especially if you still want to be friends-or at least not be awkward. I really enjoyed reading the profiles of all the various women, is kind of an easy way to impart wisdom upon your readers but the advice was always delivered in an interesting, conversational manner.
Another quintessential beach-read with some authentic life complications that aren't easily laughed off or brushed aside, Dawn's resilience shines through as does the power of mentors, especially female mentors.
September 17, 2012
This novel begins with Dawn West landing a job with a popular glossy magazine called "Charm" Dawn's grandiose expectations are shattered when she learns that the job will only be temp, and that her office is located in the sub-basement of an older building in a dodgy area of New York.
Her assignment is to locate past winners of the magazine's presigious "Ten Girls To Watch". Dawn will interview and compile the necesary information of these women for an upcoming gala 5oth anniversay celebration.
Each past winner has unique talents that have contributed to success. We read how how Dawn grows and matures through life's lessons, many a direct result of this temp job.
I personally took longer than usual to finish this book. It is written with intense passion. It took me back to a time in my life where I experienced and related to many of the things that Dawn had to face.
This is a dynamite debut from an up and coming author. Charity Shumway has captured a place in time many women will relate to and I highly recommend this engaging read! The character development is outstanding, and book clubs will find so much to discuss.
I can envision another novel that features Dawn and the main cast of characters! In any event, be on the lookout for this author!
Her assignment is to locate past winners of the magazine's presigious "Ten Girls To Watch". Dawn will interview and compile the necesary information of these women for an upcoming gala 5oth anniversay celebration.
Each past winner has unique talents that have contributed to success. We read how how Dawn grows and matures through life's lessons, many a direct result of this temp job.
I personally took longer than usual to finish this book. It is written with intense passion. It took me back to a time in my life where I experienced and related to many of the things that Dawn had to face.
This is a dynamite debut from an up and coming author. Charity Shumway has captured a place in time many women will relate to and I highly recommend this engaging read! The character development is outstanding, and book clubs will find so much to discuss.
I can envision another novel that features Dawn and the main cast of characters! In any event, be on the lookout for this author!
August 28, 2012
Probably 4.5 stars, but regardless this was a great book, I would definitely reccomend everyone read it. (it's also probably slightly out of the New Adult genre, but all the mainstays of the genre are there, so)
okay, coherent thoughts:
- I feel like this book is what Girls could have been? Like it seemed like this is what it's really like, 18 months out of college, struggling to find a job & picking up all these odd jobs & trying to get over your college boyfriend & living with a flaky weird roommate & then finally getting a break but there is still like, 5 steps from where you want to be?
- I also loved how the romance story line(s) played out.
- I loved reading all the profiles of the women, it was a really great idea for a novel.
tl;dr - I think most people will really enjoy this.
okay, coherent thoughts:
- I feel like this book is what Girls could have been? Like it seemed like this is what it's really like, 18 months out of college, struggling to find a job & picking up all these odd jobs & trying to get over your college boyfriend & living with a flaky weird roommate & then finally getting a break but there is still like, 5 steps from where you want to be?
- I also loved how the romance story line(s) played out.
- I loved reading all the profiles of the women, it was a really great idea for a novel.
tl;dr - I think most people will really enjoy this.
August 20, 2012
I read this book because I read some good reviews. They were right. I found this book delightful and insightful. This is a debut novel for Charity Shumway. Way to go Girl! It follow a young woman who has moved to New York City to become a writer. Dawn, the young woman, struggles to pay to rent, still misses her ex-boyfriend, and has a slug for a roommate. But she gets a temporary job at a magazine researching 50 years of women who have won the "Ten Girls To Watch" award at the magazine. As she talks to these women she gets insight that helps her turn her life around. It was a book I wanted to keep reading, and I underlined pieces of wisdom that I think will help me. It is a well-crafted book, and doesn't contain anything that should put anyone off. The author uses her life experiences as a basis for the story, which only makes it more real because she knows of what she speaks. Good book! I recommend it.
July 28, 2012
Full review published at Talk Supe
I love women's literature because the stories are often inspiring regardless if its fiction. I love stories that mirror my journey and sometimes I find strength in a simple phrase or word and next thing I know, it becomes an anthem of sorts. Fueling my drive to become a better version of myself, a reminder that I can be great and that I possess the tenacity to get go through any hurdle in life. TEN GIRLS TO WATCH by Charity Shumway is a good example of this, Dawn West's promise for bravery was very authentic and something that will surely resonate with a lot of readers like me.
I love women's literature because the stories are often inspiring regardless if its fiction. I love stories that mirror my journey and sometimes I find strength in a simple phrase or word and next thing I know, it becomes an anthem of sorts. Fueling my drive to become a better version of myself, a reminder that I can be great and that I possess the tenacity to get go through any hurdle in life. TEN GIRLS TO WATCH by Charity Shumway is a good example of this, Dawn West's promise for bravery was very authentic and something that will surely resonate with a lot of readers like me.
May 27, 2014
I really enjoyed this book - it was exactly the lighthearted, uplifting read that I needed. Being a recent college graduate (and writer) myself, I identified with Dawn's struggles in the "real" world. As a character, Dawn has a unique and engaging voice that pulled me along through the story and kept me reading. In addition, the premise itself was original and very interesting.
The book ended perfectly, what I would call an "earned" happy ending - things work out for Dawn, but not in an unrealistic or unbelievable way.
The book ended perfectly, what I would call an "earned" happy ending - things work out for Dawn, but not in an unrealistic or unbelievable way.
September 5, 2012
Such a fun read - one of my favorites of the summer of 2012 if not all time. It would be a wondeful book club read as it is very relatable to many different women. The main character is researching past winners of the fictional Charm magazine's 10 Girls To Watch contest for a 50th anniversary special. In the process of touching base with all these previous winners, she learns a lot about herself and her expectations for her life. It is heartfelt, warm, funny and very entertaining. Loved it!
February 21, 2012
It was reminiscent of "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The Nanny Diaries," but without any of the negativity and cynicism that ran throughout those stories. Dawn manages to fill her world with inspiration -- even in the midst of personal crises -- and most of the people she interacts with are heroes in some way. It will be a wonderful and successful beach book in Summer 2012, I am certain.
September 12, 2012
A purely entertaining beach read. Great writing for a debut. Loved the main character; loved the life lessons she learns; love that it's not smutty or snotty. Just fun.
Own it and won't read it again. If you want an escape, I'll give it to you.
Own it and won't read it again. If you want an escape, I'll give it to you.
January 29, 2015
Wow this was a good book. I really loved Dawn, the main character, and I identified with her and her personality so well. Really well done. The snapshots of all the different girls at the beg of each chapter were great too, made me feel like they were actual people.
April 15, 2012
Shumway's debut is an absolute delight to read: fun, chatty, and charming, I couldn't put it down! I look forward to seeing more from this author!
October 1, 2012
I found myself savoring this book and the life lessons provided by the women within.
July 9, 2013
This was a really fun easy, breezy read. Very beach friendly!
November 11, 2013
I liked a lot of this book and the message about failure and success, but I just couldn't ever relate to the main character.
May 18, 2018
Really cute story idea -- Dawn West, a recent college graduate attends a Hamptons party with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, Lily. He is a pretzel heir and the party is an annual event for the company. Dawn, looking for a job, writes for a lawn blog under an alias, and is introduced to Regina, the editor of Charm magazine, by Lily. Regina recognizes Dawn's lawn care work - her husband is a fan - and gives her a temporary job contacting past winners of the magazine's Ten Girls to Watch feature, which began in the 1950s, selecting the current year's winners, and helping to plan the 50th anniversary gala.
There were a couple of annoying parts to the book, that I felt detracted from the totally awesome story idea. Sometimes I felt like the book was about Dawn's terrible luck and dwindling bank account instead of the Ten Girls to Watch contest. I wish there was more about the women and the lead-up to the gala. I also hated that she left the gala early to cry about some guy she had sex with and got stuck in a small town with due to car trouble. He was NOT your boyfriend, and never answered your texts.
The beginning and end seemed to move fast, but the middle dragged on and I felt like a lot of events were added that just didn't need to be. They were not related to, nor added to the story.
- Dawn lives in Carroll Gardens, one of Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhoods. She constantly is talking about her nonexistent bank account, yet she lives in a two-bedroom apartment with a crazy girl named Sylvia. How is this possible?
- It was sad that her apartment building caught on fire, but did it really reach her unit? I hate that we will never know if all of her stuff was actually gone, or if the fire was put out in time. With Sylvia moving home and her apartment gone, it made sense that she would move in with a newly single Lily, and they would form a friendship.
I did like Dawn's relationship with Helen, one of the Ten Girls to Watch and a sort of mentor to her. I also liked that Regina seemed like a nice woman boss, even the not-too-wordy XADI came off as great. It was also nice that Dawn patched up her relationships with her family at the end.
There were a couple of annoying parts to the book, that I felt detracted from the totally awesome story idea. Sometimes I felt like the book was about Dawn's terrible luck and dwindling bank account instead of the Ten Girls to Watch contest. I wish there was more about the women and the lead-up to the gala. I also hated that she left the gala early to cry about some guy she had sex with and got stuck in a small town with due to car trouble. He was NOT your boyfriend, and never answered your texts.
The beginning and end seemed to move fast, but the middle dragged on and I felt like a lot of events were added that just didn't need to be. They were not related to, nor added to the story.
- Dawn lives in Carroll Gardens, one of Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhoods. She constantly is talking about her nonexistent bank account, yet she lives in a two-bedroom apartment with a crazy girl named Sylvia. How is this possible?
- It was sad that her apartment building caught on fire, but did it really reach her unit? I hate that we will never know if all of her stuff was actually gone, or if the fire was put out in time. With Sylvia moving home and her apartment gone, it made sense that she would move in with a newly single Lily, and they would form a friendship.
I did like Dawn's relationship with Helen, one of the Ten Girls to Watch and a sort of mentor to her. I also liked that Regina seemed like a nice woman boss, even the not-too-wordy XADI came off as great. It was also nice that Dawn patched up her relationships with her family at the end.
July 20, 2019
Well, this was a very cute book about a girl struggling her way through a post college move to New York. I love post college New York books. They're sort of a genre unto themselves. But this tread a fine line between cute and serious. Amid a final breakup with her on again off again college boyfriend, Dawn West finally gets a job, albeit a tempory one, seeking out the past winners of Charm magazine's Ten Girls to Watch contest for the fiftieth anniversary edition. Dawn's struggles were real and her achievements hard won. So while this was cute and a little glossy, it was still realistic and relatable. Even though I am not in New York nor post college.
February 14, 2022
This book was adorable!
It was perfectly light and heartwarming and would be a great book for any woman in her twenties to read. We've all felt what Dawn has felt before - questioning what life after college will be like, will we be successful, how is everyone else holding it together, are we making mistakes? But this book was filled with wonderful advice from preview winners of Charm magazines' Ten Girls to Watch list. Charm reminded me of a Seventeen/Teen Vogue kind of magazine and the Ten Girls to Watch list was like a "30 under 30" but for college students rather than celebrities.
I enjoyed seeing how each Ten Girl's story or advice was woven into what Dawn was experiencing and felt that I even needed to hear some of it myself!
This was a wonderful and adorable little book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It was perfectly light and heartwarming and would be a great book for any woman in her twenties to read. We've all felt what Dawn has felt before - questioning what life after college will be like, will we be successful, how is everyone else holding it together, are we making mistakes? But this book was filled with wonderful advice from preview winners of Charm magazines' Ten Girls to Watch list. Charm reminded me of a Seventeen/Teen Vogue kind of magazine and the Ten Girls to Watch list was like a "30 under 30" but for college students rather than celebrities.
I enjoyed seeing how each Ten Girl's story or advice was woven into what Dawn was experiencing and felt that I even needed to hear some of it myself!
This was a wonderful and adorable little book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
June 28, 2019
Breezy and fun. This one moved along quickly and I enjoyed it very much. Found myself laughing out loud a few times. The repetitive nature of all the Girls to Watch eventually became a little tiring, but I loved the heroine, whose grit and honest mistakes in love and life rang quite true. Good book!
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