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Girls, Assassins & Other Bad Ideas: A Memoir
The only daughter of a bipolar woman, Mae’s childhood innocence was bartered for the ease of a “secure” life. At twelve years old and after years of abuse, Mae realizes she must fight for herself. When she is sent away from her family, she’s forced to navigate years of abandonment in a children’s home.
Throughout her turbulent adolescence and well into adulthood, the need to be seen as enough and the ache to become a mother shaped her life. It is this heartbreaking journey that leads to her deepest loss.
Girls, Assassins & Other Bad Ideas is a collection of personal essays shining light where abuse and trauma-induced shame brought darkness. As life often led toward grief, Mae reflects back on her most shattering moments—nearly always tied to the women she loved the deepest. The poignant reflections through Mae’s heartbreak, grief, and eventual self-acceptance will serve as an inspiration to those navigating hardship and trauma, reminding us we are not alone.
Throughout her turbulent adolescence and well into adulthood, the need to be seen as enough and the ache to become a mother shaped her life. It is this heartbreaking journey that leads to her deepest loss.
Girls, Assassins & Other Bad Ideas is a collection of personal essays shining light where abuse and trauma-induced shame brought darkness. As life often led toward grief, Mae reflects back on her most shattering moments—nearly always tied to the women she loved the deepest. The poignant reflections through Mae’s heartbreak, grief, and eventual self-acceptance will serve as an inspiration to those navigating hardship and trauma, reminding us we are not alone.
Audible Audio
Published April 23, 2026
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May 22, 2026
I was a little unsure at the beginning because memoirs can be a hit or miss sometimes, specially for people that I am not particularly familiar with, and the start was a bit slow an unassuming.
However, the narration had such a nice way of making things flow, that it kept me hooked, and I was soon really invested in Mae's story.
It is NOT an easy one to go through, I'll tell you that much. It deals with pretty much every trigger warning a young person can go through (as Wagner's is through a big portion of the book), but I think her reflections are something really worth giving a hard look at, even if we don't agree, even if they're hard pills to swallow, because this is just one girl's story among many that still have to go through many similar situations, to this very day.
However, the narration had such a nice way of making things flow, that it kept me hooked, and I was soon really invested in Mae's story.
It is NOT an easy one to go through, I'll tell you that much. It deals with pretty much every trigger warning a young person can go through (as Wagner's is through a big portion of the book), but I think her reflections are something really worth giving a hard look at, even if we don't agree, even if they're hard pills to swallow, because this is just one girl's story among many that still have to go through many similar situations, to this very day.
Displaying 1 of 1 review