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The Spinster Club #3
What's a Girl Gotta Do?
Lottie is starting a supersonic feminist experiment. For one month she’s going to call out every instance of sexism she sees. But when her project hits the headlines, the trolls come out to play – and they are VICIOUS. Lottie’s not a quitter, but best friends Evie and Amber are worried. What if Lottie’s heading for burnout...or worse?
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2016
219 people are currently reading
9330 people want to read
About the author
Holly Bourne
31 books6,242 followersHolly started her writing career as a news journalist, where she was nominated for Best Print Journalist of the Year. She then spent six years working as an editor, a relationship advisor, and general ‘agony aunt’ for a youth charity – helping young people with their relationships and mental health.
Inspired by what she saw, she started writing teen fiction, including the best-selling, award-winning ‘Spinster Club’ series which helps educate teenagers about feminism. When she turned thirty, Holly wrote her first adult novel, 'How Do You Like Me Now?', examining the intensified pressures on women once they hit that landmark.
Alongside her writing, Holly has a keen interest in women’s rights and is an advocate for reducing the stigma of mental health problems. She’s helped create online apps that teach young people about sexual consent, works with Women’s Aid to spread awareness of abusive relationships, and runs Rethink’s mental health book club.
Inspired by what she saw, she started writing teen fiction, including the best-selling, award-winning ‘Spinster Club’ series which helps educate teenagers about feminism. When she turned thirty, Holly wrote her first adult novel, 'How Do You Like Me Now?', examining the intensified pressures on women once they hit that landmark.
Alongside her writing, Holly has a keen interest in women’s rights and is an advocate for reducing the stigma of mental health problems. She’s helped create online apps that teach young people about sexual consent, works with Women’s Aid to spread awareness of abusive relationships, and runs Rethink’s mental health book club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 970 reviews
August 3, 2016
“I wanted to be the sort of person who could face themselves in the mirror.”
[4.5] This book was gold. Holly Bourne is a gift to the YA book community. As an author in general. Tackling issues and creating discussions on topics such as, feminism, gender inequality and societal norms, that need to be spoken more often about in books. And she does it so well.
I loved Lottie as a main protagonist. As frustrating as she was at times, I absolutely love that she didn't back down from anything that would get in her way. Of getting her point across. She believed in herself, her cause and didn't give a flying fuck basically, what others thought. She was proud, fearless, reckless but also vulnerable. She was herself. Human.
I definitely came away from this book feeling rejuvenated, alive and wanting to be more outspoken about my believes, whatever they may be. And to not back down because society frowns upon it or people that are important to you not supporting etc. She was such a strong-minded character that I really appreciated.
I can't recommend Holly Bourne's books enough. It needs to be read by everyone, young and old.
[4.5] This book was gold. Holly Bourne is a gift to the YA book community. As an author in general. Tackling issues and creating discussions on topics such as, feminism, gender inequality and societal norms, that need to be spoken more often about in books. And she does it so well.
I loved Lottie as a main protagonist. As frustrating as she was at times, I absolutely love that she didn't back down from anything that would get in her way. Of getting her point across. She believed in herself, her cause and didn't give a flying fuck basically, what others thought. She was proud, fearless, reckless but also vulnerable. She was herself. Human.
I definitely came away from this book feeling rejuvenated, alive and wanting to be more outspoken about my believes, whatever they may be. And to not back down because society frowns upon it or people that are important to you not supporting etc. She was such a strong-minded character that I really appreciated.
I can't recommend Holly Bourne's books enough. It needs to be read by everyone, young and old.
July 3, 2019
1.) Am I Normal Yet ★★★★★
2.) How Hard Can Love Be? ★★★★★
3.) What's A Girl Gotta Do? ★★★★★
*.) ...And A Happy New Year? ★★★★.5
--------------------------------------------------
INCREDIBLE.
2.) How Hard Can Love Be? ★★★★★
3.) What's A Girl Gotta Do? ★★★★★
*.) ...And A Happy New Year? ★★★★.5
--------------------------------------------------
INCREDIBLE.
October 17, 2016
“When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.”
----Bette Davis
Holly Bourne, an English bestselling author, pens an incredibly funny, enlightening yet powerful young adult novel, What's a Girl Gotta Do? which is the third book in the The Spinster Clubseries. This series welcomes Lottie, the teenage feminist heroine, who has started a spinster club with her best friends, is now eyeing for Cambridge admission while making a name for her video blog where she shames and trolls those who doesn't know how to respect women, but things get bit murky in a long run.
Synopsis:
HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:
1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender
2. Don't call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe)
3. Always try to keep it funny
4. Don't let anything slide. Even when you start to break...
Lottie's determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas...
Lottie is back with her bffs, Evie and Amber and this time, their Spinster Club, which focuses on women's everyday battle against the men-dominated society, is on roll. More and more girls are signing up for the club and for Lottie, this is a perfect way to get extra credit for her Cambridge admissions. While Lottie waits up for an interview call from the most prestigious institution of her country, she decides to fight back for the injustice faced by the women on a regular basis, like Lottie who was simply sneered at by some old men at a rather dirty way which made her feel guilty and ashamed, and the sad part is that Lottie could not say or do anything to teach those men a lesson. This incident eventually plants the seed of the idea of starting up a video blog, along with the help of her Spinster Club friends, that will capture the shaming of such acts on live, but things get out of hand, when Lottie makes this idea way too serious, that gradually pushes away her close friends, her crushes and her parents away from her, and with so less time for the interview date, the dream to pursue her college degree at the prestigious college too seems very bleak. Can Lottie really change the world?
After reading this book, my expression was like, "why haven't I read the previous books in the series before?" No not because of the fact that I had difficulty in understanding the story line or about Lottie's actions, but mainly because of the author, who is a skilled and smart story teller. The way she have spun this tale with so a little funny anecdotes here and there and with a little flavor of teenage drama, along with a strong concept and message, this book turns out to be a complete package of fun, laughter, emotions and a lot of motivation. And not to mention about that crazy, very, very feminish and an eye-catchy book cover, that aptly portrays and justifies the story.
The author's writing style is fabulous and really crisp and strong that screams out properly inducing emotions and ongoing real-life social drama, that will keep the readers hooked into the story till the very end. The narrative is absolutely free-flowing and is laced with hilarious yet sarcastic moments that will at times make the readers go ROFL or sometime feel pain. The pacing is really fast, as the story moves swiftly with Lottie's determination to change the mindset of the common people, by making them aware about the ideas of feminism.
The word "FEMINISM" screams out from each and every page of this book and Lottie successfully carries the baton of feminism till the very last line of this story. Well, its really inspiring the way the author manages to convey her readers that it necessary to stand up for the injustice, especially if a woman is a victim of verbal sexual harassment, and to fight back against it, no matter what their priorities are. The teenagers of this century can dress however they want to, can hang out with whomever they want to and can have opinions of their own, without being subjected to harsh judgement or abuse or harassment from the society. After reading this book, I'm pretty sure, teenage girls are going to find their own voice and the common people will be forced to ponder about their reaction and attitude towards this era's teenage girls.
The characters in this book are extremely realistic and are featured with their honest demeanor. The main character, Lottie, is very well developed, with her flaws, her shortcomings, her opinions, her impulsiveness, her understanding, everything makes her look real and easy to connect with for the readers. Lottie is brave, has a rocking attitude towards her cause and fight, also she has mots of emotions that run wild in some situations. Lottie is an epitome for all modern day teenagers. Her determination will motivate many girls of today's era. The supporting cast is also perfectly crafted and will leave an impression on the minds of the readers.
The author has successfully captured the voice and the mindset of a teenager girl and has also highlighted the emotional turmoil that she goes through while she is in a peer dilemma or in teacher's dilemma or in parents' dilemma. There is also a bit of romance that the author has innocently yet compassionately depicted into the story line, thereby making sure that the readers can feel that rush of a love affair between two young hearts.
In a nutshell, this is a must read story for each and everyone and I must say, parents must encourage their daughters to read this book, that is highly compelling, energetic and influential enough to bring changes even for a while.
Verdict: A hilarious yet an inspiring read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publisher from Usborne Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
----Bette Davis
Holly Bourne, an English bestselling author, pens an incredibly funny, enlightening yet powerful young adult novel, What's a Girl Gotta Do? which is the third book in the The Spinster Clubseries. This series welcomes Lottie, the teenage feminist heroine, who has started a spinster club with her best friends, is now eyeing for Cambridge admission while making a name for her video blog where she shames and trolls those who doesn't know how to respect women, but things get bit murky in a long run.
Synopsis:
HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:
1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender
2. Don't call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe)
3. Always try to keep it funny
4. Don't let anything slide. Even when you start to break...
Lottie's determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas...
Lottie is back with her bffs, Evie and Amber and this time, their Spinster Club, which focuses on women's everyday battle against the men-dominated society, is on roll. More and more girls are signing up for the club and for Lottie, this is a perfect way to get extra credit for her Cambridge admissions. While Lottie waits up for an interview call from the most prestigious institution of her country, she decides to fight back for the injustice faced by the women on a regular basis, like Lottie who was simply sneered at by some old men at a rather dirty way which made her feel guilty and ashamed, and the sad part is that Lottie could not say or do anything to teach those men a lesson. This incident eventually plants the seed of the idea of starting up a video blog, along with the help of her Spinster Club friends, that will capture the shaming of such acts on live, but things get out of hand, when Lottie makes this idea way too serious, that gradually pushes away her close friends, her crushes and her parents away from her, and with so less time for the interview date, the dream to pursue her college degree at the prestigious college too seems very bleak. Can Lottie really change the world?
After reading this book, my expression was like, "why haven't I read the previous books in the series before?" No not because of the fact that I had difficulty in understanding the story line or about Lottie's actions, but mainly because of the author, who is a skilled and smart story teller. The way she have spun this tale with so a little funny anecdotes here and there and with a little flavor of teenage drama, along with a strong concept and message, this book turns out to be a complete package of fun, laughter, emotions and a lot of motivation. And not to mention about that crazy, very, very feminish and an eye-catchy book cover, that aptly portrays and justifies the story.
The author's writing style is fabulous and really crisp and strong that screams out properly inducing emotions and ongoing real-life social drama, that will keep the readers hooked into the story till the very end. The narrative is absolutely free-flowing and is laced with hilarious yet sarcastic moments that will at times make the readers go ROFL or sometime feel pain. The pacing is really fast, as the story moves swiftly with Lottie's determination to change the mindset of the common people, by making them aware about the ideas of feminism.
The word "FEMINISM" screams out from each and every page of this book and Lottie successfully carries the baton of feminism till the very last line of this story. Well, its really inspiring the way the author manages to convey her readers that it necessary to stand up for the injustice, especially if a woman is a victim of verbal sexual harassment, and to fight back against it, no matter what their priorities are. The teenagers of this century can dress however they want to, can hang out with whomever they want to and can have opinions of their own, without being subjected to harsh judgement or abuse or harassment from the society. After reading this book, I'm pretty sure, teenage girls are going to find their own voice and the common people will be forced to ponder about their reaction and attitude towards this era's teenage girls.
The characters in this book are extremely realistic and are featured with their honest demeanor. The main character, Lottie, is very well developed, with her flaws, her shortcomings, her opinions, her impulsiveness, her understanding, everything makes her look real and easy to connect with for the readers. Lottie is brave, has a rocking attitude towards her cause and fight, also she has mots of emotions that run wild in some situations. Lottie is an epitome for all modern day teenagers. Her determination will motivate many girls of today's era. The supporting cast is also perfectly crafted and will leave an impression on the minds of the readers.
The author has successfully captured the voice and the mindset of a teenager girl and has also highlighted the emotional turmoil that she goes through while she is in a peer dilemma or in teacher's dilemma or in parents' dilemma. There is also a bit of romance that the author has innocently yet compassionately depicted into the story line, thereby making sure that the readers can feel that rush of a love affair between two young hearts.
In a nutshell, this is a must read story for each and everyone and I must say, parents must encourage their daughters to read this book, that is highly compelling, energetic and influential enough to bring changes even for a while.
Verdict: A hilarious yet an inspiring read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publisher from Usborne Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
July 3, 2021
This is like Moxie, but 10 times better, IMO.
Although, as expected, YA books about feminism are usually blunter in their message than I prefer, and What's a Girl Gotta Do? is no exception, I found Charlotte to be a dynamo of a character and thoroughly enjoyed her shouting about sexism on every corner (while tooting a clown horn, no less), manspreading on the train and growing out her body hair for #activism. It's a loud book with a loud message, which will turn off some readers, thus proving this novel's point. Not everyone likes a person calling out all the wrongs and disturbing the peace of the status quo, but almost everyone enjoys the gains in rights such people bring about.
The subplot about activism burnout was a nice touch, as well as the character of "equalist" Will. 🤔🙄🤨
Another winner from Holly Bourne.
Although, as expected, YA books about feminism are usually blunter in their message than I prefer, and What's a Girl Gotta Do? is no exception, I found Charlotte to be a dynamo of a character and thoroughly enjoyed her shouting about sexism on every corner (while tooting a clown horn, no less), manspreading on the train and growing out her body hair for #activism. It's a loud book with a loud message, which will turn off some readers, thus proving this novel's point. Not everyone likes a person calling out all the wrongs and disturbing the peace of the status quo, but almost everyone enjoys the gains in rights such people bring about.
The subplot about activism burnout was a nice touch, as well as the character of "equalist" Will. 🤔🙄🤨
Another winner from Holly Bourne.
February 11, 2019
Trigger warnings: sexual harassment, implications of sexual assault, slut shaming, misogyny, alcohol abuse.
11/2/2019
On reread, I'm bumping this down to 4.5 stars purely because there are times when Lottie's head isn't the most pleasant place to be. I love her to bits, but she can be very...forceful?...at times and it's sort of exhausting. But other than that, I stand by everything I said two years ago.
8/1/2017
HOLY HELL, THIS WAS AMAZING.
I've loved all three of the books in this trilogy, but this one is easily my favourite.
Reasons why I loved this book:
- So. Much. Amazing. Feminism.
- Seriously. So incredibly feminist.
- Wonderful friendships
- Adorable relationships
- Great representation of mental health issues
- It deals with difficult topics respectfully
Lottie is such an amazingly fierce character. I loved her activism, her determination, and the way that she keeps going even when she feels like everyone hates her for it. I love her relationship with her friends and her antagonistic relationship with Will. I teared up multiple times and cheered multiple times.
All in all? A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
11/2/2019
On reread, I'm bumping this down to 4.5 stars purely because there are times when Lottie's head isn't the most pleasant place to be. I love her to bits, but she can be very...forceful?...at times and it's sort of exhausting. But other than that, I stand by everything I said two years ago.
8/1/2017
HOLY HELL, THIS WAS AMAZING.
I've loved all three of the books in this trilogy, but this one is easily my favourite.
Reasons why I loved this book:
- So. Much. Amazing. Feminism.
- Seriously. So incredibly feminist.
- Wonderful friendships
- Adorable relationships
- Great representation of mental health issues
- It deals with difficult topics respectfully
Lottie is such an amazingly fierce character. I loved her activism, her determination, and the way that she keeps going even when she feels like everyone hates her for it. I love her relationship with her friends and her antagonistic relationship with Will. I teared up multiple times and cheered multiple times.
All in all? A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
July 30, 2016
Lottie has always been the most vocal about her feminist views and that really comes across in What's A Girl Gotta Do? Calling out sexism isn't an easy undertaking, but it was so eye opening! If the other books dealt with feminism in addition to something else, this deals with it 100% head on, and it's such a fantastic read! I literally cannot wait until the novella comes out in November!
September 2, 2020
“But if there’s something not right in the world, you have to fight. Otherwise, what? You’re saying it’s okay that this happens.”
Once again, Ms. Holly Bourne has rendered me speechless. Most of her books seem to have that effect on me. I feel like my little vocabulary will never be enough to describe the brilliance of her books but I’ll still try to sum up my reading experience.
What’s A Girl Gotta Do is the perfect culmination of my wonderful and most memorable reading journey through the Spinster Club Series. This time, it’s Charlotte or Lottie who is the central character of the story and I love that it ultimately focuses on feminism considering this is the concluding book of the series.
Lottie who is very pretty, the kind of pretty that most girls probably envy (and therefore an almost easy target of hate and unwanted attention) finally decides it’s time to do something about gender inequality after being harassed by the men in the van. She decides on a project that will blatantly call out every sexist thing that she sees no matter how small. With the help of Evie and Amber (the two other founders of the Spinsters Club) and the rest of the members of the FemSoc and (the intellectual, handsome, almost perfect) Will whose task is to document the entire thing, they call themselves the Vagilantes (Just brilliantly hilarious!)
I seriously adore that part when they attacked the drug store. Just see some excerpts:
“Because loads of women have cellulite. It exists for a biological reason. Women tend to store fat that way because of our hormones. Yet some smart-arse decided to give it a label and start telling us it was gross and we shouldn’t have it. Basically, making ninety percent of women feel insecure about their NORMAL bodies is just yet another way of controlling us, getting us to worry more about our thighs than the bigger things and feeling $#!+ so we spend money on stuff we don’t need, to prop up our capitalist society and the existing dynamics of power.”
“Well, it says here it’s especially for period cramps. However, I was reading the label on the back- and the ingredients say it’s just two hundred milligrams of ibuprofen...like all the other ibuprofens over there. But this one is more expensive and has fewer capsules. Why’s that?”
But really, I loved everything about it- the project; Lottie’s fire; her constant bickering with Will; the constant presence of Evie and Amber including their love interests; let’s not forget the Harry Potter love; and the challenges Lottie constantly had to surmount including her parents, her school, Teddy, the online hate and even cognitive dissonance.
This is a book that matters, a series that matters. It tackles serious issues with heart, so much humor and passion. It’s a kind of book that could make a positive change in the world and I could start making my contribution to this change by telling you all to read and share this book/series.
Once again, Ms. Holly Bourne has rendered me speechless. Most of her books seem to have that effect on me. I feel like my little vocabulary will never be enough to describe the brilliance of her books but I’ll still try to sum up my reading experience.
What’s A Girl Gotta Do is the perfect culmination of my wonderful and most memorable reading journey through the Spinster Club Series. This time, it’s Charlotte or Lottie who is the central character of the story and I love that it ultimately focuses on feminism considering this is the concluding book of the series.
Lottie who is very pretty, the kind of pretty that most girls probably envy (and therefore an almost easy target of hate and unwanted attention) finally decides it’s time to do something about gender inequality after being harassed by the men in the van. She decides on a project that will blatantly call out every sexist thing that she sees no matter how small. With the help of Evie and Amber (the two other founders of the Spinsters Club) and the rest of the members of the FemSoc and (the intellectual, handsome, almost perfect) Will whose task is to document the entire thing, they call themselves the Vagilantes (Just brilliantly hilarious!)
I seriously adore that part when they attacked the drug store. Just see some excerpts:
“Because loads of women have cellulite. It exists for a biological reason. Women tend to store fat that way because of our hormones. Yet some smart-arse decided to give it a label and start telling us it was gross and we shouldn’t have it. Basically, making ninety percent of women feel insecure about their NORMAL bodies is just yet another way of controlling us, getting us to worry more about our thighs than the bigger things and feeling $#!+ so we spend money on stuff we don’t need, to prop up our capitalist society and the existing dynamics of power.”
“Well, it says here it’s especially for period cramps. However, I was reading the label on the back- and the ingredients say it’s just two hundred milligrams of ibuprofen...like all the other ibuprofens over there. But this one is more expensive and has fewer capsules. Why’s that?”
But really, I loved everything about it- the project; Lottie’s fire; her constant bickering with Will; the constant presence of Evie and Amber including their love interests; let’s not forget the Harry Potter love; and the challenges Lottie constantly had to surmount including her parents, her school, Teddy, the online hate and even cognitive dissonance.
This is a book that matters, a series that matters. It tackles serious issues with heart, so much humor and passion. It’s a kind of book that could make a positive change in the world and I could start making my contribution to this change by telling you all to read and share this book/series.
July 10, 2019
I feel like I’ve timetravelled backwards 20 years reading this. I'm now a 16 year old just stumbling into the revelation of damaging female images on magazines and growing my baby fury at the repercussions of that on a generation of women. Except- it’s not 20 years ago and now we have things called websites and social media and ‘influencers’ and reality tv and the only way SOME of these things were touched on in the context of this book was for Lottie to be called a slut and threatened AFTER she had gone nationwide. It very much felt like it missed the mark.
So let me start from the beginning. I was not impressed. Lottie, a precocious 17 year old, decides she's going to call out every example of sexism she witnesses for a whole month. She's going to do this by tooting a literal horn, and, rather inexplicably, throwing cream pies at things. The cream pies don't last, but the horn does, and she is soon, with the help of an attractive 17 year old film student, making a weekly documentary video that she uploads to her own website (and NOT freakin' Youtube? Please.) You'd think this would be right up my street. Except, the examples of sexism Lottie gets riled up about are so unbelievably privileged it's difficult to take this book seriously.
There is an utter lack of intersectionality. Wealthy white girls complaining about white girl issues. We’re living in an era of period poverty, multi-cultural integration, racial inequality and a whole shit show of trans rights but no, let’s toot a horn for razors being pink.
Combine this with so much privilege my eyes watered. Oh, sorry you’re so pretty Lottie you feel embarrassed by it. What a hardship. Oh, sorry you are living your middle class life, drinking wine at Pizza Express with your white, middle class boyfriend at 17 years old arguing over who’s going to pay. What a pain. What a difficulty it must be, Lottie, not to ever have considered you may not get in to Cambridge because of your skin colour. Give me a freakin’ break!
Towards the end, we veered into utterly unbelievable territory, when SPOILER Lottie and her camera man predictably get together. Because, heck, the idea of having a overtly feminist novel without the main protagonist falling in love is one example of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE, I guess. But not only do they fall in love, they have sex, and maybe I'm old, but I'm supposed to believe a 17 year old boy knows how to give a 17 year old girl an orgasm? Maybe a lesbian teenager who has practiced on herself first, but a cocky, superior 17 year old boy? PLEASE.
What we end up with is a novel with a whole host male characters falling somewhere on the spectrum of Unlikeable to Out Right Sociopath, and no real commentary on that. We don't see major plot points dealt with: the TV interview where Lottie was apparently spectacular, how Teddy apparently turned into a hateful menist, how her father ever got over reading about his 17 year old daughter's sex life! We don't even, after everything, see how her final week plays out. After her complete emotional breakdown, we're given not even 2 pages of fragmented conversations to show us that she did complete it.
If this is what will introduce 15/16/17 year old girls to feminism, then, I mean, I guess yay? But also- no. Because when are we going to get a feminist YA novel that DOES depict complicated, intersectional issues so this generation of 15/16/17 year olds don’t have to START as a deplorable white woman feminist and can really get a jump start at dismantling this god damned patriarchy in self aware ways.
Do I have to write this thing myself? PLEASE.
So let me start from the beginning. I was not impressed. Lottie, a precocious 17 year old, decides she's going to call out every example of sexism she witnesses for a whole month. She's going to do this by tooting a literal horn, and, rather inexplicably, throwing cream pies at things. The cream pies don't last, but the horn does, and she is soon, with the help of an attractive 17 year old film student, making a weekly documentary video that she uploads to her own website (and NOT freakin' Youtube? Please.) You'd think this would be right up my street. Except, the examples of sexism Lottie gets riled up about are so unbelievably privileged it's difficult to take this book seriously.
There is an utter lack of intersectionality. Wealthy white girls complaining about white girl issues. We’re living in an era of period poverty, multi-cultural integration, racial inequality and a whole shit show of trans rights but no, let’s toot a horn for razors being pink.
Combine this with so much privilege my eyes watered. Oh, sorry you’re so pretty Lottie you feel embarrassed by it. What a hardship. Oh, sorry you are living your middle class life, drinking wine at Pizza Express with your white, middle class boyfriend at 17 years old arguing over who’s going to pay. What a pain. What a difficulty it must be, Lottie, not to ever have considered you may not get in to Cambridge because of your skin colour. Give me a freakin’ break!
Towards the end, we veered into utterly unbelievable territory, when SPOILER Lottie and her camera man predictably get together. Because, heck, the idea of having a overtly feminist novel without the main protagonist falling in love is one example of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE, I guess. But not only do they fall in love, they have sex, and maybe I'm old, but I'm supposed to believe a 17 year old boy knows how to give a 17 year old girl an orgasm? Maybe a lesbian teenager who has practiced on herself first, but a cocky, superior 17 year old boy? PLEASE.
What we end up with is a novel with a whole host male characters falling somewhere on the spectrum of Unlikeable to Out Right Sociopath, and no real commentary on that. We don't see major plot points dealt with: the TV interview where Lottie was apparently spectacular, how Teddy apparently turned into a hateful menist, how her father ever got over reading about his 17 year old daughter's sex life! We don't even, after everything, see how her final week plays out. After her complete emotional breakdown, we're given not even 2 pages of fragmented conversations to show us that she did complete it.
If this is what will introduce 15/16/17 year old girls to feminism, then, I mean, I guess yay? But also- no. Because when are we going to get a feminist YA novel that DOES depict complicated, intersectional issues so this generation of 15/16/17 year olds don’t have to START as a deplorable white woman feminist and can really get a jump start at dismantling this god damned patriarchy in self aware ways.
Do I have to write this thing myself? PLEASE.
June 29, 2016
THIS TRILOGY. (WO)MAN. I CANNOT. IT IS TOO GOOD.
I came away from this book loving Lottie more than I ever thought possible.
I want to thrust this entire trilogy into the hands of every teenage girl in the country. NAY, THE WORLD.
I came away from this book loving Lottie more than I ever thought possible.
I want to thrust this entire trilogy into the hands of every teenage girl in the country. NAY, THE WORLD.
January 9, 2018
What's a Girl Gotta Do? is a brilliantly empowering, witty read, filled with a cast of badass women, kickass friendships, adorable romances and infuriating stories that make you want to shout at the world.
Ever since I picked up Am I Normal Yet? I've fallen in love with Holly Bourne's comfortable, funny and emotive writing style and even more so with the cast of the Spinster Trilogy. I don't want to say goodbye to these characters but this was the perfect way to do so. I throughly enjoyed each and every page of this addictive book, so much so that I ended up staying up until 5am to finish it...
My only criticism is that whilst this was brilliantly feminist and empowering, it essentially wasn't intersectional at all. The reasons behind this were touched on in the book and were explained in the authors note, as not being able to speak about everything or wanting to speak for anyone but I feel as though there definitely could have been a respectful way around that, as this book very much focused on feminism from the POV of a cast of white, straight, cis women? There for portraying one type of decision and a very one sided view on feminism. Which leaves me with the question, is it really true feminism if it's not intersectional, when feminism is all about equality for all?...
With all the being said, I love this book, the writing and the characters. I've loved all three books in this trilogy for completely different reasons. Each one has been a totally different reading experience. It's been heartbreaking, relatable, funny, adorable, painful and a lot of fun.
Ever since I picked up Am I Normal Yet? I've fallen in love with Holly Bourne's comfortable, funny and emotive writing style and even more so with the cast of the Spinster Trilogy. I don't want to say goodbye to these characters but this was the perfect way to do so. I throughly enjoyed each and every page of this addictive book, so much so that I ended up staying up until 5am to finish it...
My only criticism is that whilst this was brilliantly feminist and empowering, it essentially wasn't intersectional at all. The reasons behind this were touched on in the book and were explained in the authors note, as not being able to speak about everything or wanting to speak for anyone but I feel as though there definitely could have been a respectful way around that, as this book very much focused on feminism from the POV of a cast of white, straight, cis women? There for portraying one type of decision and a very one sided view on feminism. Which leaves me with the question, is it really true feminism if it's not intersectional, when feminism is all about equality for all?...
With all the being said, I love this book, the writing and the characters. I've loved all three books in this trilogy for completely different reasons. Each one has been a totally different reading experience. It's been heartbreaking, relatable, funny, adorable, painful and a lot of fun.
December 19, 2017
4.5
this book was wonderful, such amazing feminism and friendships in this book, I love Evie, Amber and Lottie and I'm sad that I've come to the end of their story (I do still have a short story to read) but I wish I could read more about them
This wasn't my favourite out of the trilogy, I can't put my finger quite on why, I still loved it, but the other two just beat this one.
Holly Bourne writes such honest and real books and I just hope she continues tackling important issues like the ones in this series, she really is an amazing woman
this book was wonderful, such amazing feminism and friendships in this book, I love Evie, Amber and Lottie and I'm sad that I've come to the end of their story (I do still have a short story to read) but I wish I could read more about them
This wasn't my favourite out of the trilogy, I can't put my finger quite on why, I still loved it, but the other two just beat this one.
Holly Bourne writes such honest and real books and I just hope she continues tackling important issues like the ones in this series, she really is an amazing woman
August 3, 2016
I devoured this book. Honestly, I applaud to Holly Bourne to be so direct, unashamed and unapologetic speaking up about feminism in her novels. While the other two books had strong feminist themes, this one is so straight about feminism, that the whole plot is about a girl standing up and starting a feminism campaign because she's tired about the sexist bullshit all the girls have to put up with on a daily basis.
Although this book is fictional it deals with a lot of real shit going on in real life. Sexual harassment, rape, slut-shaming, it's real. Bourne shows the negative effect on women when they speak up to themselves, from rape to murder threats, from "meninists" who slut shame her, from girls who are so far deep in the patriarchy that they don't notice that they're sexist to their own gender (they are many girls in this book who say "I'm not a feminist" because they think feminism is about hating men).
This book is so, so important. While it shows negative effects, it also shows the positive side of feminism and why need it so bad. It shows how hard it can be to be a feminist, that you have to deal with your own hypocrisy and that you constantly have to unlearn the sexist stuff the patriarchy has put on you to control you (cellulite, shaving, inventing the word 'slut' to shame your sexual decisions, etc.) As Bourne herself states, she only could cover a small part of equality but honestly, that doesn't make the book less important. It shows it's necessary to speak up for yourself and others and raise awareness. It encourages you not to be silenced by people who are afraid to lose control over you. It deals with the fact that you have to look after others, but especially after you.
Thank you Holly for this wonderful journey you allowed me to go with Evie, Amber and Lottie, and telling me it's okay to be not perfect, but encouraging me to do good anyway. Please never stop writing and speaking up about those things because as with Lottie, there are people like me who listen to you and agree with you, and who will fight the battles with you, too.
Although this book is fictional it deals with a lot of real shit going on in real life. Sexual harassment, rape, slut-shaming, it's real. Bourne shows the negative effect on women when they speak up to themselves, from rape to murder threats, from "meninists" who slut shame her, from girls who are so far deep in the patriarchy that they don't notice that they're sexist to their own gender (they are many girls in this book who say "I'm not a feminist" because they think feminism is about hating men).
This book is so, so important. While it shows negative effects, it also shows the positive side of feminism and why need it so bad. It shows how hard it can be to be a feminist, that you have to deal with your own hypocrisy and that you constantly have to unlearn the sexist stuff the patriarchy has put on you to control you (cellulite, shaving, inventing the word 'slut' to shame your sexual decisions, etc.) As Bourne herself states, she only could cover a small part of equality but honestly, that doesn't make the book less important. It shows it's necessary to speak up for yourself and others and raise awareness. It encourages you not to be silenced by people who are afraid to lose control over you. It deals with the fact that you have to look after others, but especially after you.
Thank you Holly for this wonderful journey you allowed me to go with Evie, Amber and Lottie, and telling me it's okay to be not perfect, but encouraging me to do good anyway. Please never stop writing and speaking up about those things because as with Lottie, there are people like me who listen to you and agree with you, and who will fight the battles with you, too.
July 6, 2023
#1 am i normal yet? ★★☆☆☆
#2 how hard can love be? ★☆☆☆☆
#3 what’s a girl gotta do? ★☆☆☆☆
this book is shit. this series is shit. this brand of “feminism” is shit. queerphobia, ableism, victim blaming, misogyny, shallow as fuck.
#2 how hard can love be? ★☆☆☆☆
#3 what’s a girl gotta do? ★☆☆☆☆
this book is shit. this series is shit. this brand of “feminism” is shit. queerphobia, ableism, victim blaming, misogyny, shallow as fuck.
April 8, 2019
I love this book with everything I have.
January 25, 2022
4.5 stars!!
A SOLID conclusion to the trilogy. Love Holly Bourne so much & now I want to read all her books back-to-back.
A SOLID conclusion to the trilogy. Love Holly Bourne so much & now I want to read all her books back-to-back.
August 9, 2016
Originally posted on A Frolic Through Fiction
RATED 4.5/5 STARS!
I just… ugh . So many emotions.
I felt like sludge by the end of this book. In the best possible way.
Let me explain:
Holly Bourne has this wonderful way of making Lottie, Amber and Evie seem like real people. People you can – and are – friends with. So reading this book…well, I felt like I was going through all this with our dear Lottie. Which meant one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride.
So when I read the second half of this book in one sitting and really felt everything, by the end I felt like sludge. Just this ball of gooey mess that didn’t quite know which emotion to feel. You could have poked me and depending where it hit, I’d have either gone into a rant about anything and everything…or cried for Lottie out of both overwhelming sadness and happiness. Yes, at the same time.
In other words, I was broken. Which is a good thing, because it meant this book really hit me hard. It’s definitely a story that will stick with me.
Now, this book is very much about Feminism. And I loved it. There’s so many positive messages spread around this book. But even without the feminism, there’s still things to be learnt from this book. Reading about how to cope with college work pressure. Or even the pressure of parents expecting you to do well. And how important friendships are. And, how the quote below very rightly says, our harshest judges are most often ourselves, not other people.
“I was beginning to realise, the biggest hurdle to overcome was the hurdle of yourself.”
I just love how encouraging this story is. It’s fighting feminism but in a fun way (think clown horns and cheesy snacks). And yet it shows that even when you’re not being particularly aggravating, it can be really REALLY difficult because many people will find a reason to argue. It shows the difficulties…and then focuses on the positives. Because that’s what we need to remember. When things are hard, even the smallest reason to put a smile on your face is completely 100% worth it.
There did come a time when the amount of arguing became a bit exhausting and tedious…but I didn’t have much of a problem with that, because THAT’S THE POINT. It made me feel what Lottie felt at that point in the story, and like everything in this book, it’s important.
Somehow, a book full of heavy topics felt like a lighthearted read. And I honestly think that’s why it’ll stick with me. It wasn’t a murky swamp I had to trudge through to get to the other side. It was a quick jump into the life of a very ambitious teenager who, quite frankly, I want to be more like. If I could be even the slightest bit like Lottie… well, I’d be thrilled.
I’m glad there’s a novella coming out. There were a few loose ties in this book, and I know if there wasn’t a novella, I’d have probably kicked up a fuss about that. Because I can’t NOT know.
If you want to read about important topics with a fun twist and an absolutely amazing friendship between three girls, I suggest you read this series. I don’t think I’ve done it justice with this review – or ANY of my reviews to be honest – but I hope I encouraged someone to pick it up. I’ve never read anything like it before, and it’s one of those series I’ll look back on and thank myself for reading. And I thank Holly Bourne for writing these wonderful books, because I know they’ll stay in my mind forever.
Amazon
July 7, 2018
A book about feminism and I'm only giving it 2 stars? I'm shocked at me too. I genuinely thought I would love this - teenage girls banding together to do a project about exposing sexism? Sign me up!
Except this was the most standard, rich white girl experience. All the sexist things Lottie points out and stands up for are absolutely true and very important, but this was such a narrow-minded expose. Where were the lesbian, bisexual and trans girls, the girls who weren't white, the girls from poorer backgrounds? A tiny footnote at the beginning of the novel and then completely abandoned. Sexism is a huge problem, but it also impacts minorities in a huge way, and that was never remotely discussed during the project.
Lottie as a character frustrated me. The writing felt juvenile at places. Every other word was CAPITALISED for EMPHASIS. I fully supported Lottie's project and ideas, but at times it honestly got a little too much. The argument she would continuously have with Will went on and on in about ten different chapters, to the point where I was like...Wait, haven't I read this chapter already?
Oh, and Will. AKA the most predictable, boring, standard heterosexual love interest. Girl starts with hating pretentious boy but then they fall in love because he was a feminist all along! Shocking.
This review is coming off a little harsh. I'm 100% a feminist and I sympathised hugely with the girl characters in this novel. It's a good book for younger readers to get them involved and aware of feminism. But for me it had some pretty glaring issues which I can't ignore.
Except this was the most standard, rich white girl experience. All the sexist things Lottie points out and stands up for are absolutely true and very important, but this was such a narrow-minded expose. Where were the lesbian, bisexual and trans girls, the girls who weren't white, the girls from poorer backgrounds? A tiny footnote at the beginning of the novel and then completely abandoned. Sexism is a huge problem, but it also impacts minorities in a huge way, and that was never remotely discussed during the project.
Lottie as a character frustrated me. The writing felt juvenile at places. Every other word was CAPITALISED for EMPHASIS. I fully supported Lottie's project and ideas, but at times it honestly got a little too much. The argument she would continuously have with Will went on and on in about ten different chapters, to the point where I was like...Wait, haven't I read this chapter already?
Oh, and Will. AKA the most predictable, boring, standard heterosexual love interest. Girl starts with hating pretentious boy but then they fall in love because he was a feminist all along! Shocking.
This review is coming off a little harsh. I'm 100% a feminist and I sympathised hugely with the girl characters in this novel. It's a good book for younger readers to get them involved and aware of feminism. But for me it had some pretty glaring issues which I can't ignore.
September 13, 2016
4.5/5.
I am so sad this series as come to an end! This was probably my favourite in terms of themes and feminism but I still related to HHCLB? a little more. Lottie was a fantastic character who was extremely flawed but meant well and did a lot of awesome things. I'm really glad there is an MC in the UKYA community who embraces her intelligence and is unapologetic about her sex life etc. I also thought the way the romance was handled was done SUPER well, so much tension and I really liked Will as a character. I'm glad in both the book and in Holly's letter at the end she acknowledges that she didn't cover feminism in terms of intersectionality that much and she at least explained why she did it.
If you haven't read these books yet then I highly recommend you do! They're funny and fierce and all about female friendship.
I am so sad this series as come to an end! This was probably my favourite in terms of themes and feminism but I still related to HHCLB? a little more. Lottie was a fantastic character who was extremely flawed but meant well and did a lot of awesome things. I'm really glad there is an MC in the UKYA community who embraces her intelligence and is unapologetic about her sex life etc. I also thought the way the romance was handled was done SUPER well, so much tension and I really liked Will as a character. I'm glad in both the book and in Holly's letter at the end she acknowledges that she didn't cover feminism in terms of intersectionality that much and she at least explained why she did it.
If you haven't read these books yet then I highly recommend you do! They're funny and fierce and all about female friendship.
September 15, 2016
Received a physical copy from Usborne Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Another version of this review can be found here
"I want to be the sort of person who could face themselves in the mirror."
I couldn’t believe my luck when I received What’s a Girl Gotta Do? for review from the publishers- if you’ve read the synopsis (given below) you’ll know why. A YA contemporary that exclusively deals with feminism? When did we last come across anything even remotely talking about feminism? I certainly don’t remember and I’m sure you wouldn’t too. In YA? Nah. It’s therefore safe to say that I was really excited about reading this book, and given my tendency to take the easy way out in practically everything in life (not that I’m proud of it, oh no), I was really intrigued by this:
HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:
1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender
2. Don't call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe)
3. Always try to keep it funny
4. Don't let anything slide. Even when you start to break...
Lottie's determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas...
A girl who is determined to change the world when there were people like me who were prepared to lay low and take the easy way out? Yes, please. My expectations were undoubtedly at an all-time high, and I needed to read it. However, despite this book promising to work well enough as a standalone, I wanted to read the first two books as well, because they did look really amazing, and they had been sitting in my TBR for too long already, and what better moment to pick them up than this? And so I did. I read both Am I Normal Yet? and How Hard Can Love Be? and trust me when I say they are so, so, SO GOOD. I really regret not picking them up sooner, but anyway, now that I did, I guess I can now yell in your faces- do yourself a favor and pick them up already!!! *deep breathes* Please. And now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you why What’s a Girl Gotta Do? instantly became one of my mostest favoritest books of forever.
The third installment in the one-of-its-kind Spinster Club trilogy by Holly Bourne is all about feminism. Where the first two books were Evelyn's and Amber's stories respectively, here it's all about Lottie and her quest to bring down the patriarchy. What's a Girl Gotta Do? is a powerful series-ender (even though it can be read as a standalone too, as I mentioned before), and works well as a book that speaks about all that comes along with being a teen feminist. It teaches how important it is to hold on to your beliefs, how important it is to keep going, even when the going gets tough.
After being sexually harassed on her way to college one day, Lottie decides she's had enough of it all and realizes it's high time she started standing up for herself and women everywhere. This makes her come up with the idea of calling out on every instance of sexism she sees in day to day life, filming it all and uploading the videos on her #Vigilante blog for one whole month. She has her best friends, Amber and Evie, and the FemSoc at college by her side to help her all the way through this, and a guy from Evie's film studies class, Will, offers to help her with he camera too- even though he didn't believe in the word "feminism"...!!!
Armed with clown horns to honk the second they spot something sexist, Lottie and her team go about their campaign enthusiastically, even as they face resistance from all quarters. However, as the campaign gathers steam, Lottie starts attracting online trolls who try to bring her down. This is not to mention having to deal with her parents who frown upon her activities, school mates determined to ruin her campaign and her grades which suddenly start suffering too. Incredibly stressed out and with both her sanity as well as her Cambridge interview in threat, Lottie finds herself in the difficult position of having to decide whether to go ahead with the campaign, or admit defeat. Does Lottie succeed or will her feminist revolution lose steam just as fast as it gathered it? You'll have to read this wonderfully thought-provoking book to find out!
“When you fight for what you believe in, you come across a lot of obstacles. People who don't agree with you, people who agree with you but only some bits, people who delight in ripping you down, people who are threatened by the strength of your belief.
But I was beginning to realise, the biggest hurdle to overcome was the hurdle of yourself.”
The author’s writing style is as fantastic as always. If you’ve read her previous books, you’d know of her ability to perfectly balance serious undertones and comic ones, and it’s no different here. Despite being quite long, the story is fast paced and filled with humorous, sarcastic anecdotes and for not one moment would find yourself feeling bored (I ended up reading the book even though I had my finals at uni two days later, so you can guess just how addictive it was!). The emotions are spot-on, and you’d find yourself being able to sympathize with the characters.
Just like in the previous Spinster Club books, Holly Bourne has once again managed to perfectly capture the voice of a teenage girl and convey her inner turmoil and feelings in a strong, unforced manner. Along with talking about serious topics comes the risk of sounding too preachy about them, but the author cleverly avoids doing that here. While this book deals mainly about feminism and all that it entails, we also get teenage drama, friendship troubles, falling in love, dealing with parental and peer pressure and much, much, more, and all of this is handled so well and subtly that after reading this book you’d have a lot of thinking to do.
The characters in this book are all very realistic and well developed. Lottie, the main character, was extremely relatable. She was loud, she was flawed, she was insecure, she was spunky, she was frustrated…she was frustrating, and above all, she was human. It was very easy to imagine being in her shoes because what she went through, was what most, if not all, girls go through daily. However unlike her, most of us fail to do something about it, and thus this book serves as a great source of inspiration to anyone and everyone. The supporting cast was perfect, too. I loved her best friends, Evelyn and Amber right from the first book, so it was great to read about their lives now. Will, the cameraman, turns out to be quite an important character, and despite me wrinkling my nose at him at the beginning, he ended up being one of my favorite characters in the series!
“I want to change things on my own terms, to show that there's no right or wrong way to change the world. There's no entry test. You don't need to suck anything up. Pay any dues. Just you and your anger and your voice is enough. If you only have the courage to use it.”
I definitely came away from this book feeling inspired and wanting to be more vocal about the many issues I generally tend to be silent about- this book makes you realize even if everything is against you, it is always worth fighting for something you believe in. The Spinster Club series will always be special to me, and it’s not just because of the various Harry Potter and Enid Blyton references or cheesy snacks either! It doesn’t matter if you’re well past the intended age group, it doesn’t matter if you’re not into YA, it doesn’t matter if you don’t dig contemporary...it doesn't even matter if you don't consider yourself a feminist- this book is a must-read, and while you’re at it, consider picking up the first two books too!
The story idea: 5/5
The realization of the story: 5/5
The characters: 5/5
The cover: 5/5 - I can't think of a more apt cover for this book! Love it!
Enjoy factor: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
PS: …And a Happy New Year? is a novella that will be coming out this November- which means we’ll get to see more of Evie, Amber and Lottie!!! I, for one, simply cannot wait!
PPS: You might want to check out my post about Feminism in YA, if you haven’t already. Just click here! I also created a Pinterest board inspired by this series! Check it out here.
"I want to be the sort of person who could face themselves in the mirror."
I couldn’t believe my luck when I received What’s a Girl Gotta Do? for review from the publishers- if you’ve read the synopsis (given below) you’ll know why. A YA contemporary that exclusively deals with feminism? When did we last come across anything even remotely talking about feminism? I certainly don’t remember and I’m sure you wouldn’t too. In YA? Nah. It’s therefore safe to say that I was really excited about reading this book, and given my tendency to take the easy way out in practically everything in life (not that I’m proud of it, oh no), I was really intrigued by this:
HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:
1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender
2. Don't call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe)
3. Always try to keep it funny
4. Don't let anything slide. Even when you start to break...
Lottie's determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas...
A girl who is determined to change the world when there were people like me who were prepared to lay low and take the easy way out? Yes, please. My expectations were undoubtedly at an all-time high, and I needed to read it. However, despite this book promising to work well enough as a standalone, I wanted to read the first two books as well, because they did look really amazing, and they had been sitting in my TBR for too long already, and what better moment to pick them up than this? And so I did. I read both Am I Normal Yet? and How Hard Can Love Be? and trust me when I say they are so, so, SO GOOD. I really regret not picking them up sooner, but anyway, now that I did, I guess I can now yell in your faces- do yourself a favor and pick them up already!!! *deep breathes* Please. And now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you why What’s a Girl Gotta Do? instantly became one of my mostest favoritest books of forever.
The third installment in the one-of-its-kind Spinster Club trilogy by Holly Bourne is all about feminism. Where the first two books were Evelyn's and Amber's stories respectively, here it's all about Lottie and her quest to bring down the patriarchy. What's a Girl Gotta Do? is a powerful series-ender (even though it can be read as a standalone too, as I mentioned before), and works well as a book that speaks about all that comes along with being a teen feminist. It teaches how important it is to hold on to your beliefs, how important it is to keep going, even when the going gets tough.
After being sexually harassed on her way to college one day, Lottie decides she's had enough of it all and realizes it's high time she started standing up for herself and women everywhere. This makes her come up with the idea of calling out on every instance of sexism she sees in day to day life, filming it all and uploading the videos on her #Vigilante blog for one whole month. She has her best friends, Amber and Evie, and the FemSoc at college by her side to help her all the way through this, and a guy from Evie's film studies class, Will, offers to help her with he camera too- even though he didn't believe in the word "feminism"...!!!
Armed with clown horns to honk the second they spot something sexist, Lottie and her team go about their campaign enthusiastically, even as they face resistance from all quarters. However, as the campaign gathers steam, Lottie starts attracting online trolls who try to bring her down. This is not to mention having to deal with her parents who frown upon her activities, school mates determined to ruin her campaign and her grades which suddenly start suffering too. Incredibly stressed out and with both her sanity as well as her Cambridge interview in threat, Lottie finds herself in the difficult position of having to decide whether to go ahead with the campaign, or admit defeat. Does Lottie succeed or will her feminist revolution lose steam just as fast as it gathered it? You'll have to read this wonderfully thought-provoking book to find out!
“When you fight for what you believe in, you come across a lot of obstacles. People who don't agree with you, people who agree with you but only some bits, people who delight in ripping you down, people who are threatened by the strength of your belief.
But I was beginning to realise, the biggest hurdle to overcome was the hurdle of yourself.”
The author’s writing style is as fantastic as always. If you’ve read her previous books, you’d know of her ability to perfectly balance serious undertones and comic ones, and it’s no different here. Despite being quite long, the story is fast paced and filled with humorous, sarcastic anecdotes and for not one moment would find yourself feeling bored (I ended up reading the book even though I had my finals at uni two days later, so you can guess just how addictive it was!). The emotions are spot-on, and you’d find yourself being able to sympathize with the characters.
Just like in the previous Spinster Club books, Holly Bourne has once again managed to perfectly capture the voice of a teenage girl and convey her inner turmoil and feelings in a strong, unforced manner. Along with talking about serious topics comes the risk of sounding too preachy about them, but the author cleverly avoids doing that here. While this book deals mainly about feminism and all that it entails, we also get teenage drama, friendship troubles, falling in love, dealing with parental and peer pressure and much, much, more, and all of this is handled so well and subtly that after reading this book you’d have a lot of thinking to do.
The characters in this book are all very realistic and well developed. Lottie, the main character, was extremely relatable. She was loud, she was flawed, she was insecure, she was spunky, she was frustrated…she was frustrating, and above all, she was human. It was very easy to imagine being in her shoes because what she went through, was what most, if not all, girls go through daily. However unlike her, most of us fail to do something about it, and thus this book serves as a great source of inspiration to anyone and everyone. The supporting cast was perfect, too. I loved her best friends, Evelyn and Amber right from the first book, so it was great to read about their lives now. Will, the cameraman, turns out to be quite an important character, and despite me wrinkling my nose at him at the beginning, he ended up being one of my favorite characters in the series!
“I want to change things on my own terms, to show that there's no right or wrong way to change the world. There's no entry test. You don't need to suck anything up. Pay any dues. Just you and your anger and your voice is enough. If you only have the courage to use it.”
I definitely came away from this book feeling inspired and wanting to be more vocal about the many issues I generally tend to be silent about- this book makes you realize even if everything is against you, it is always worth fighting for something you believe in. The Spinster Club series will always be special to me, and it’s not just because of the various Harry Potter and Enid Blyton references or cheesy snacks either! It doesn’t matter if you’re well past the intended age group, it doesn’t matter if you’re not into YA, it doesn’t matter if you don’t dig contemporary...it doesn't even matter if you don't consider yourself a feminist- this book is a must-read, and while you’re at it, consider picking up the first two books too!
The story idea: 5/5
The realization of the story: 5/5
The characters: 5/5
The cover: 5/5 - I can't think of a more apt cover for this book! Love it!
Enjoy factor: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
PS: …And a Happy New Year? is a novella that will be coming out this November- which means we’ll get to see more of Evie, Amber and Lottie!!! I, for one, simply cannot wait!
PPS: You might want to check out my post about Feminism in YA, if you haven’t already. Just click here! I also created a Pinterest board inspired by this series! Check it out here.
November 13, 2018
En kestä. Nyt tää mahtava trilogia on ohi.💔 Voisko kaikki vaan lukea nämä kirjat? Ja voisko Bournea kääntää suomeksi lisää? Pliis.
November 30, 2016
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
If there is one YA series that I would push everyone to read, it’s The Spinster Club. I'd shove over your towering to-be-read and insist you devour this series next. And then I'd apologise meekly for the mess I made! What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne is book 3 in the Spinster Club series (nb - read in order!). Just like the previous books; the words that spring to mind are snarky, hilarious and empowering.
First Line of What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne
“I wasn’t even wearing a short skirt.”
Five fantastic reasons to read What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne
1. It sings and dances positive messages about feminism and equality. For this reason alone, I’d urge you to read it.
2. It's thought-provoking. It will challenge your thinking. It made me aware of some of my passive ways. I ended up speculating about the significance of letting small issues float by without comment. Do all the small issues bond into larger ones? Like a catcall on the street, and how that feeds into normalising invasive behaviour.
3. However it doesn’t smash you over the head with a hammer about feminism. The book is funny and entertaining. AS WELL as being powerful.
4. Lottie makes me want to be her. Someday, when I grow up and become 100 zillion times fiercer than I already am. We already know she is intelligent, feisty and ready to challenge society. Basically she’s electric and a born leader. But here we see her vulnerabilities. Her fears. Whether she should shelf her beliefs for an easier life, on certain days, or in certain scenarios. I felt her indecision and I wanted to hug her because life is not black and white. Or easy.
5. The female friendships and support of the Spinster Club energise me. They start all meetings with cheesy snacks, humour, plain speaking and lots of hugs. They are there for each other. Always. That’s what I call friendship.
Final Thoughts:
This series makes me want to fight. For the right. To be heard, seen and treated as an equal. Women have come along way, but there is still a long road ahead.
I love that this book shows all that is great about feminism but also all that is hard and painful. It's a timely reminder. But also a fun, entertaining book with epic characters.
Who should read What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne?
Everyone! Young and old, male and female; there is a message in this book for all. If you loved previous books in the series like Am I Normal Yet, then you will love catching up with this kick-ass gang. Fans of snarky, fun, thought-provoking young adult contemporary books should also really enjoy this series.
If there is one YA series that I would push everyone to read, it’s The Spinster Club. I'd shove over your towering to-be-read and insist you devour this series next. And then I'd apologise meekly for the mess I made! What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne is book 3 in the Spinster Club series (nb - read in order!). Just like the previous books; the words that spring to mind are snarky, hilarious and empowering.
First Line of What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne
“I wasn’t even wearing a short skirt.”
Five fantastic reasons to read What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne
1. It sings and dances positive messages about feminism and equality. For this reason alone, I’d urge you to read it.
2. It's thought-provoking. It will challenge your thinking. It made me aware of some of my passive ways. I ended up speculating about the significance of letting small issues float by without comment. Do all the small issues bond into larger ones? Like a catcall on the street, and how that feeds into normalising invasive behaviour.
3. However it doesn’t smash you over the head with a hammer about feminism. The book is funny and entertaining. AS WELL as being powerful.
4. Lottie makes me want to be her. Someday, when I grow up and become 100 zillion times fiercer than I already am. We already know she is intelligent, feisty and ready to challenge society. Basically she’s electric and a born leader. But here we see her vulnerabilities. Her fears. Whether she should shelf her beliefs for an easier life, on certain days, or in certain scenarios. I felt her indecision and I wanted to hug her because life is not black and white. Or easy.
5. The female friendships and support of the Spinster Club energise me. They start all meetings with cheesy snacks, humour, plain speaking and lots of hugs. They are there for each other. Always. That’s what I call friendship.
Final Thoughts:
This series makes me want to fight. For the right. To be heard, seen and treated as an equal. Women have come along way, but there is still a long road ahead.
I love that this book shows all that is great about feminism but also all that is hard and painful. It's a timely reminder. But also a fun, entertaining book with epic characters.
Who should read What’s A Girl Gotta Do by Holly Bourne?
Everyone! Young and old, male and female; there is a message in this book for all. If you loved previous books in the series like Am I Normal Yet, then you will love catching up with this kick-ass gang. Fans of snarky, fun, thought-provoking young adult contemporary books should also really enjoy this series.
July 4, 2017
5 Words: feminism, attraction, friendship, adversity, futures.
Review to come.
Review to come.
July 9, 2016
Holly Bourne has done it again with the final book in this trilogy. I love Lottie and the focus on feminism. Although that cliffhanger...
Does she get into Cambridge?
Does she get into Cambridge?
April 12, 2019
Holly Bourne to opět dokázala. Bylo to boží, občas z toho bolelo srdíčko, ale užila jsem si to! Lottie je božácká, stejně jako její kamarádky a Will byl ňuňu. Tahle série je prostě must read. Okamžitě všichni přečíst! Autorka umí podat feminismus fakt moc suprově.
4.5/5*
4.5/5*
October 6, 2020
trash. utter trash. this isn't feminism - this is just disgusting. It's repeatedly ableist, equates gender to genitals, its horribly offensive to a survivor of hinted sexual abuse, shames anyone who dares care about their appearance, Lottie is controlling and manipulative and lastly it reminds us that its ok to be misogynistic if you're hot. There is no actual feminism here - just a bunch of privileged straight, white girls complaining about the colour of razors, and I'm just going to point out two of the quotes that deeply offended me.
"Too thin to menstruate" - this is revolting because many sufferers of eating disorders don't menstruate and its something that can be unbelievably hard on the person mentally, while having lasting impacts on that individual's health. To call this anti-feminist, is just, so so wrong and I had to put the book down because I genuinely thought I was going to throw up.
"thinking I was wrong or messed-up or lonely or mentally ill or bitter or a slut or a prude or a killjoy or a whinge-bag or a bra-burner or a yeller or a lesbian" - please don't equate being messed up or wrong to being gay or mentally ill. Just a touch of homophobia with the classic ableism there, please don't read this.
"Too thin to menstruate" - this is revolting because many sufferers of eating disorders don't menstruate and its something that can be unbelievably hard on the person mentally, while having lasting impacts on that individual's health. To call this anti-feminist, is just, so so wrong and I had to put the book down because I genuinely thought I was going to throw up.
"thinking I was wrong or messed-up or lonely or mentally ill or bitter or a slut or a prude or a killjoy or a whinge-bag or a bra-burner or a yeller or a lesbian" - please don't equate being messed up or wrong to being gay or mentally ill. Just a touch of homophobia with the classic ableism there, please don't read this.
August 24, 2016
3.5
I've quite enjoyed this series. Some good UKYA with some serious feminist discussion.
I've quite enjoyed this series. Some good UKYA with some serious feminist discussion.
May 28, 2018
* * * *
4 / 5
~mini review~
The final book in The Spinster Club trilogy focuses on the last of three friends: loud, abrasive, feminist Lottie. She dreams of being Prime Minister and her parents are pushing her hard to get into Cambridge (I remember the pressure very well! It is not fun) - but Lottie has other projects in mind. She's walking to school one day when two men get out of a van and harass her; this unpleasant encounter inspires her month long feminist project - the Vaginilogue - in which she calls out every act of sexism that she sees.
As you can imagine, this isn't particularly well-received by those at her school outside of FemSoc. Over the course of the book, Lottie struggles with balancing her time between the project and preparing for her interview, with her parents, with her crush for the cameraman of her project and self-proclaimed equalist Will (this term always just reminds me of Avatar: The Legend of Korra lol), and the abuse she is getting from fellow students.
What's a Girl Gotta Do? is an emotional read - Lottie is such a vibrant character full of all the emotions and passion and drive. We've got themes of friendship and love and achieving your dreams and philosophical and moral problems. My one complaint is that the ending didn't really wrap everything up for me enough - I wanted more!
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
4 / 5
~mini review~
The final book in The Spinster Club trilogy focuses on the last of three friends: loud, abrasive, feminist Lottie. She dreams of being Prime Minister and her parents are pushing her hard to get into Cambridge (I remember the pressure very well! It is not fun) - but Lottie has other projects in mind. She's walking to school one day when two men get out of a van and harass her; this unpleasant encounter inspires her month long feminist project - the Vaginilogue - in which she calls out every act of sexism that she sees.
As you can imagine, this isn't particularly well-received by those at her school outside of FemSoc. Over the course of the book, Lottie struggles with balancing her time between the project and preparing for her interview, with her parents, with her crush for the cameraman of her project and self-proclaimed equalist Will (this term always just reminds me of Avatar: The Legend of Korra lol), and the abuse she is getting from fellow students.
What's a Girl Gotta Do? is an emotional read - Lottie is such a vibrant character full of all the emotions and passion and drive. We've got themes of friendship and love and achieving your dreams and philosophical and moral problems. My one complaint is that the ending didn't really wrap everything up for me enough - I wanted more!
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
August 17, 2020
i dearly love everything this book talks about. however, the feminism in this story sadly isn't intersectional as it is presented by a cast of characters that only consists of white, straight cis women and men.
in the novel's ending note, it's brought up that the author is passionate about intersectional feminism, but wasn't able to talk about all the aspects of inequality. of course you cannot feature EVERY perspective & the way i understood her letter in the end is that her intention was more like wanting to inspire others to tell their own story instead of claiming their narrative.
but i still feel like this was kind of an approach that made it a little too easy? considering the research the author has apparently done to talk about issues such as societal norms and gender equality in this novel makes me think that she could have put in some extra effort to also make this story a diverse one. though the lack of intersectionality is shortly discussed in one scene of the book, the author should have made it clearer that feminism NEEDS to be intersectional in the actual story rather than mentioning it in a separate letter at the very end of the book. that way, the portrayal of feminism would have gotten a lot more layers.
so while "What's a Girl Gotta Do" was definitely a meaningful, uplifting, entertaining and empowering story that i really enjoyed and that i got many things out of, it could have been more meaningful if the characters had brought a variety of points of views into it.
in the novel's ending note, it's brought up that the author is passionate about intersectional feminism, but wasn't able to talk about all the aspects of inequality. of course you cannot feature EVERY perspective & the way i understood her letter in the end is that her intention was more like wanting to inspire others to tell their own story instead of claiming their narrative.
but i still feel like this was kind of an approach that made it a little too easy? considering the research the author has apparently done to talk about issues such as societal norms and gender equality in this novel makes me think that she could have put in some extra effort to also make this story a diverse one. though the lack of intersectionality is shortly discussed in one scene of the book, the author should have made it clearer that feminism NEEDS to be intersectional in the actual story rather than mentioning it in a separate letter at the very end of the book. that way, the portrayal of feminism would have gotten a lot more layers.
so while "What's a Girl Gotta Do" was definitely a meaningful, uplifting, entertaining and empowering story that i really enjoyed and that i got many things out of, it could have been more meaningful if the characters had brought a variety of points of views into it.
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