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Lawless Spaces
Perfect for fans of Deb Caletti, this “powerful, absorbing, and beautiful” (Booklist) coming-of-age novel in verse follows a teen girl who connects with the women of her maternal line through their journals and comes to better understand her fraught relationship with her mother.Mimi’s relationship with her mother has always been difficult. But lately, her mother has been acting more withdrawn than usual, leaving Mimi to navigate the tricky world of turning sixteen alone. What she doesn’t expect is her mother’s advice to start journaling—just like all the woman in her family before her. It’s a tradition, she says. Expected. But Mimi takes to poetry and with it, a way to write down the realities of growing into a woman, the pains of online bullying, and the new experiences of having a boyfriend. And all in the shadows of a sexual assault case that is everywhere on the news—a case that seems to specifically rattle her mother. Trying to understand her place in the world, Mimi dives into the uncovered journals of her grandmother, great-grandmother, and beyond. She immerses herself in each of their lives, learns of their painful stories and their beautiful sprits. And as Mimi grows closer to each of these women, she starts to forge her own path. But it isn’t until her mother’s story comes to light that Mimi learns about the unyielding bonds of family and the relentless spirit of womanhood.
493 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2022
18 people are currently reading
1515 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
May 18, 2022
Mimi is the main character but so many in her family had a very sad story.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
It is hard to do and say the
right things
from an empty house that
echoes when you
breathe.
**
My heart is
beat beat beating,
so I open the door to get away
from the things she keeps
saying to let me know I am
unwanted and bad and wrong
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 26, 2022
Just make sure you read the blurb before reading the book. Also, the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.
The writing is so well done. I was a bit sceptical about the book before I picked it up knowing that it's a book in verse but I didn't expect it to be this heavy and complicated.
It's a story about mothers, daughters, girls and women who are going through tough times just because they are born as they are and more so because the women in their lives are making things more difficult for them.
Not speaking up when needed to, not allowing them certain basic freedom, making them feel guilty about being born as women/girls, not having their back when they are much needed.
My heart is not handling all the emotions well. I need time to calm down.
The writing is so well done. I was a bit sceptical about the book before I picked it up knowing that it's a book in verse but I didn't expect it to be this heavy and complicated.
It's a story about mothers, daughters, girls and women who are going through tough times just because they are born as they are and more so because the women in their lives are making things more difficult for them.
Not speaking up when needed to, not allowing them certain basic freedom, making them feel guilty about being born as women/girls, not having their back when they are much needed.
My heart is not handling all the emotions well. I need time to calm down.
February 14, 2022
Men are trash.
March 9, 2025
"[They] would never understand what I am finally understanding, which is that
bodies aren’t lawless spaces
like Mom said.
They are
cages,
places we are trapped inside,
and the world just gets to
look and
decide
who we
are"
.
bodies aren’t lawless spaces
like Mom said.
They are
cages,
places we are trapped inside,
and the world just gets to
look and
decide
who we
are"
.
Read
January 10, 2022A Heart in a Body in the World meets All the Rage in this verse novel about generations of women in the Dovewick family who've shoved down their experiences, thoughts, and realities into a series of journals that have then been passed down again and again. It is Mimi, our 2022 entry, who works to break the cycle.
This book dives into sexual abuse and high-profile #metoo allegations and the impact that has on the survivors and their families. Even deeper, though, is how stories like these have played out in every generation, wherein women are told to be one thing, pinned to a photo of that image, and are unable to break outside those lines for fear of what may or may not happen if they do. For Mimi, it's one image on her well-followed social media accounts. For her mother, it was what happened while trying to break into acting and the sexy nymph photos she was cajoled into taking. For her grandmother, it was being the wife of a solider lost at war. For her great-grandmother, being whisked away to a home for pregnant teenagers, her first child taken from her to maintain the family's reputation. Generation after generation of female trauma, of expectations for girls and women, and the tremendous bravery that comes in dismantling (an apt word) the entire system and legacy.
It could very well be the way the review copy was formatted, but the verse for this doesn't seem to gel the way it could have. Perhaps it's the fact the verse carried through diary entries of all the women and that didn't feel authentic to each of them? The verse is fine, and it carries the reader through the story, which is a lengthier one. But it's not necessarily remarkable on the style level; this is about the meat inside the story.
Though lengthy, I'd have loved even more about Mimi's absent father. That thread resonated with me personally, and I almost wish Mimi had taken a stronger stand on whether or not she'd seek him out or seek out a relationship with him in the future some time.
This book dives into sexual abuse and high-profile #metoo allegations and the impact that has on the survivors and their families. Even deeper, though, is how stories like these have played out in every generation, wherein women are told to be one thing, pinned to a photo of that image, and are unable to break outside those lines for fear of what may or may not happen if they do. For Mimi, it's one image on her well-followed social media accounts. For her mother, it was what happened while trying to break into acting and the sexy nymph photos she was cajoled into taking. For her grandmother, it was being the wife of a solider lost at war. For her great-grandmother, being whisked away to a home for pregnant teenagers, her first child taken from her to maintain the family's reputation. Generation after generation of female trauma, of expectations for girls and women, and the tremendous bravery that comes in dismantling (an apt word) the entire system and legacy.
It could very well be the way the review copy was formatted, but the verse for this doesn't seem to gel the way it could have. Perhaps it's the fact the verse carried through diary entries of all the women and that didn't feel authentic to each of them? The verse is fine, and it carries the reader through the story, which is a lengthier one. But it's not necessarily remarkable on the style level; this is about the meat inside the story.
Though lengthy, I'd have loved even more about Mimi's absent father. That thread resonated with me personally, and I almost wish Mimi had taken a stronger stand on whether or not she'd seek him out or seek out a relationship with him in the future some time.
December 25, 2025
A book that’s almost there but isn’t – and I'm not even sorry to say this.
5 generations of women, living in 5 different points of time in history - and they all think and write in the same voice. Plus- sure, verse poetry spanning decades since the 1900s ALL read like your garden variety Lang Leav. Who's to say teens in the 1920s weren't the original millennials?
Before anyone thinks that I've missed the point of the story - or gasp because this deals with generational trauma and therefore we should tiptoe on eggshells around its quality; imagine how anyone could possibly lead themselves into the over-ambitious task of writing in FIVE different voices from five different time periods across the entire CENTURY - and somehow be callous enough to think that it's okay if they all somehow sound one and the same?
It's lackadaiscal authorship at best and offensive to the reader's intelligence at worst - and no, the one solitary act of 1920s Virginia referring to her mom as 'Mother' does not count (not when she continues to write like an off-brand Rupi Kaur).
I'm actually a little miffed because the entire premise of this story had so much potential: the idea of a 'notebook heirloom' I found very precious, and I also truly loved the idea of the narrative traversing generations and history. Regrettably, their characters ended up shoddily developed; the execution clumsy; and at the end of the day, we have on our hands nothing but a really remarkable story concept gone to waste:
- The multi-generational jump was well-timed, but the women's voices were monotonous.
- All of them carried well-crafted trauma, but the stories they told were hollow.
- Any one of the girls could have given an extremely memorable account of their pain (like Betty) - but there was an overall lack of thoughtful consideration for which parts of the story needed more space than the others and so everything was equally compressed and carelessly squeezed into the narrative, further weakening the storytelling experience.
Since I've gone so far off the deep end, allow me just one more unpopular opinion - and that is, personally, I don’t agree with the notion that a book should automatically get a free pass at a 5-star review just because it skims the surface of sensitive zeitgeist issues – if anything, should a writer decide to explore any aspect of human fragility in their story, it is first and foremost their job as a director of words, to ensure that they do it literary justice.
In addition, I also found it a little disturbing that much of this trauma centred around the belief that these women were targets of varying sexual mishaps because of their age and 'body type' (think Dolly Parton). This shit happens no matter how old you are or what you look like, and the author - as a female and in wanting to tackle an issue as delicate as this - should have at least understood that. (Refer to Paragraph 4 above, on - .)
What would have been TRULY interesting, is if the writer had written each woman to represent a distinctly different body type- and ended up walking into the same anguish anyway.
You don't have to agree with me, but you can at least allow me this: For a book that is 496 pages long, this story sure lacked a mountain load of fine detailing that could have made it a masterpiece.
5 generations of women, living in 5 different points of time in history - and they all think and write in the same voice. Plus- sure, verse poetry spanning decades since the 1900s ALL read like your garden variety Lang Leav. Who's to say teens in the 1920s weren't the original millennials?
Before anyone thinks that I've missed the point of the story - or gasp because this deals with generational trauma and therefore we should tiptoe on eggshells around its quality; imagine how anyone could possibly lead themselves into the over-ambitious task of writing in FIVE different voices from five different time periods across the entire CENTURY - and somehow be callous enough to think that it's okay if they all somehow sound one and the same?
It's lackadaiscal authorship at best and offensive to the reader's intelligence at worst - and no, the one solitary act of 1920s Virginia referring to her mom as 'Mother' does not count (not when she continues to write like an off-brand Rupi Kaur).
I'm actually a little miffed because the entire premise of this story had so much potential: the idea of a 'notebook heirloom' I found very precious, and I also truly loved the idea of the narrative traversing generations and history. Regrettably, their characters ended up shoddily developed; the execution clumsy; and at the end of the day, we have on our hands nothing but a really remarkable story concept gone to waste:
- The multi-generational jump was well-timed, but the women's voices were monotonous.
- All of them carried well-crafted trauma, but the stories they told were hollow.
- Any one of the girls could have given an extremely memorable account of their pain (like Betty) - but there was an overall lack of thoughtful consideration for which parts of the story needed more space than the others and so everything was equally compressed and carelessly squeezed into the narrative, further weakening the storytelling experience.
Since I've gone so far off the deep end, allow me just one more unpopular opinion - and that is, personally, I don’t agree with the notion that a book should automatically get a free pass at a 5-star review just because it skims the surface of sensitive zeitgeist issues – if anything, should a writer decide to explore any aspect of human fragility in their story, it is first and foremost their job as a director of words, to ensure that they do it literary justice.
In addition, I also found it a little disturbing that much of this trauma centred around the belief that these women were targets of varying sexual mishaps because of their age and 'body type' (think Dolly Parton). This shit happens no matter how old you are or what you look like, and the author - as a female and in wanting to tackle an issue as delicate as this - should have at least understood that. (Refer to Paragraph 4 above, on - .)
What would have been TRULY interesting, is if the writer had written each woman to represent a distinctly different body type- and ended up walking into the same anguish anyway.
You don't have to agree with me, but you can at least allow me this: For a book that is 496 pages long, this story sure lacked a mountain load of fine detailing that could have made it a masterpiece.
October 19, 2021
Lawless Spaces is about a daughter in her teen years who is gifted a journal by her mother on her 16th birthday. This is a tradition that spans many years from mother to daughter. The daughter, Mimi, doesn’t feel seen and doesn’t have the best relationship with her mom and it might have to do what is written in those lawless spaces. This is a journey of growth from keeping secrets with ones self that then blossomed into people who speak the truth out loud where others can hear it.
This book did a lot of things well. It has art, it has flow, it has emotion, and great storytelling. I did not think I would be a fan of the verse style, but I loved it and couldn’t put the book down. You could tell every space and line was made with intention. I was also so invested in the stories being told in the journals. Of all of them Betty’s was my favorite. You wanted to cry for Betty, fight for her and her love, and give her a hug because of the life she led as a woman, or shall I say child, in that she was just 16 when life threw challenges at her that an adult may not even know what to do. This author also does well telling a story that touches on how women feel when it comes to their bodies and being judged from what people see. As well as the pressures of social media that people of today can relate to. You post about one thing, but what is really happening behind the scenes? What is posted may just be the highlight reel. You never know what someone is going through beyond the posts. And that last entry just brought everything together as to what it means to write in lawless spaces as a woman.
As for what I wasn’t a huge fan of was how Mimi, the daughter, just forgave her mother, Tiffany, for how she acted as a parent. Mimi’s family life was so sad and the things her mom said to her are things a child would never forget. Of course people make mistakes all the time, but it felt like Mimi just stood up for her mom through her crisis and then they were buddy buddy like they used to be. I would have at least liked Tiffany to apologize to her daughter instead of acting like what she did never happened.
Overall I rate this 4 out of 5 stars. It is a book that I feel any woman under the age of 30 could read and relate to in some way, especially teens. Love, life, and family is a tricky thing sometimes and this represents that.
This book did a lot of things well. It has art, it has flow, it has emotion, and great storytelling. I did not think I would be a fan of the verse style, but I loved it and couldn’t put the book down. You could tell every space and line was made with intention. I was also so invested in the stories being told in the journals. Of all of them Betty’s was my favorite. You wanted to cry for Betty, fight for her and her love, and give her a hug because of the life she led as a woman, or shall I say child, in that she was just 16 when life threw challenges at her that an adult may not even know what to do. This author also does well telling a story that touches on how women feel when it comes to their bodies and being judged from what people see. As well as the pressures of social media that people of today can relate to. You post about one thing, but what is really happening behind the scenes? What is posted may just be the highlight reel. You never know what someone is going through beyond the posts. And that last entry just brought everything together as to what it means to write in lawless spaces as a woman.
As for what I wasn’t a huge fan of was how Mimi, the daughter, just forgave her mother, Tiffany, for how she acted as a parent. Mimi’s family life was so sad and the things her mom said to her are things a child would never forget. Of course people make mistakes all the time, but it felt like Mimi just stood up for her mom through her crisis and then they were buddy buddy like they used to be. I would have at least liked Tiffany to apologize to her daughter instead of acting like what she did never happened.
Overall I rate this 4 out of 5 stars. It is a book that I feel any woman under the age of 30 could read and relate to in some way, especially teens. Love, life, and family is a tricky thing sometimes and this represents that.
March 18, 2022
Oh. My. Goodness. I picked up this book at Barnes & Noble and couldn’t stop reading it. So of course it came home with me and I’m so glad it did.
I am OBSESSED but also so sad and heartbroken by this book. It was hard to read. It was painful.
But it was also beautiful and true. Unfortunately true, for so many women who have stories to tell…and don’t.
Please please please read this book. It’s one of my new favorites.
I am OBSESSED but also so sad and heartbroken by this book. It was hard to read. It was painful.
But it was also beautiful and true. Unfortunately true, for so many women who have stories to tell…and don’t.
Please please please read this book. It’s one of my new favorites.
January 16, 2022
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
As you can tell by the content warning, this book tackles some tough topics. Mimi is turning sixteen, and she's struggling. Her mom (Tiffany) is... okay look, her mom is absolute rubbish, frankly. I was going to say that she abandoned Mimi in favor of her boyfriend, but the truth is, it might have been better if she simply ignored Mimi. Instead, she treats her like crap, and is super toxic. On Mimi's sixteenth birthday, Dear Ol' mom yeets a journal at her and tells her basically "write your feelings here because I give zero fucks about them".
I was so full of rage, I cannot even explain. Full. Of. Rage. And the thing is, this kind of stuff truly does happen in life! Parents do this to their kids! I can't wrap my head around how, but here we are. Anyway, Mimi finds the box containing her mom's journal, and those of several generations before her too. Meanwhile, while all of this is happening, news comes out that Tiffany has accused a Shitty Famous Dude™ of sexual assault. And of course, as always, the media pounces on Tiffany and Mimi, dissecting their lives, their choices, and how they respond to the scrutiny.
I loved the trips back in time, seeing how the other women in Mimi's family struggled too. The one thing that bummed me out pretty hard was how much they all seemed to have failed their daughters. Obviously Tiffany didn't just randomly decide to dump her daughter for some gross dude. She's been through the ringer too. Not that it excuses her behavior to Mimi, not by a long shot, but it does explain some stuff.
There is also a bit of a weird issue I had with the book, though I really did enjoy it. Mimi (and her predecessors) say many times that because of their particular body type, they were harassed, treated poorly, etc. Nah, fam. It's all female bodies. All. Of. Them. No matter what your body is like, in this society, someone will have something to say about it.
Regardless, the writing is stunning, and the story is really quite beautiful as it all shakes out. The messages are obviously strong and tons of important topics are explored. There is even a great plot point about social media, and how we present ourselves in certain ways online versus how we present ourselves in our everyday lives.
Bottom Line: Beautifully written and extremely emotive, the stories of Mimi and those who came before her shouldn't be missed.
TW, via author: "Dear Reader, Lawless Spaces includes material related to sexual trauma, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and generational trauma. Please read with care, and step away if you need to protect your mental health. If you are in need of support, resources are listed in the back of this book."
As you can tell by the content warning, this book tackles some tough topics. Mimi is turning sixteen, and she's struggling. Her mom (Tiffany) is... okay look, her mom is absolute rubbish, frankly. I was going to say that she abandoned Mimi in favor of her boyfriend, but the truth is, it might have been better if she simply ignored Mimi. Instead, she treats her like crap, and is super toxic. On Mimi's sixteenth birthday, Dear Ol' mom yeets a journal at her and tells her basically "write your feelings here because I give zero fucks about them".
I was so full of rage, I cannot even explain. Full. Of. Rage. And the thing is, this kind of stuff truly does happen in life! Parents do this to their kids! I can't wrap my head around how, but here we are. Anyway, Mimi finds the box containing her mom's journal, and those of several generations before her too. Meanwhile, while all of this is happening, news comes out that Tiffany has accused a Shitty Famous Dude™ of sexual assault. And of course, as always, the media pounces on Tiffany and Mimi, dissecting their lives, their choices, and how they respond to the scrutiny.
I loved the trips back in time, seeing how the other women in Mimi's family struggled too. The one thing that bummed me out pretty hard was how much they all seemed to have failed their daughters. Obviously Tiffany didn't just randomly decide to dump her daughter for some gross dude. She's been through the ringer too. Not that it excuses her behavior to Mimi, not by a long shot, but it does explain some stuff.
There is also a bit of a weird issue I had with the book, though I really did enjoy it. Mimi (and her predecessors) say many times that because of their particular body type, they were harassed, treated poorly, etc. Nah, fam. It's all female bodies. All. Of. Them. No matter what your body is like, in this society, someone will have something to say about it.
Regardless, the writing is stunning, and the story is really quite beautiful as it all shakes out. The messages are obviously strong and tons of important topics are explored. There is even a great plot point about social media, and how we present ourselves in certain ways online versus how we present ourselves in our everyday lives.
Bottom Line: Beautifully written and extremely emotive, the stories of Mimi and those who came before her shouldn't be missed.
September 20, 2025
Six stars. This is SO powerful. Every single girl should read this.
July 19, 2022
Mimi receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday—a century-old family tradition for the women in her family. Mimi asks what she’s supposed to write:
“There are things you don’t want to say,” Mom says, opening the car door, / getting in. “So you write them down and put them in an attic /and then they can / exist and not exist, / they can be true and not true.”
Mimi carefully curates her popular online presence where she makes clothes “that people will notice before they notice” her body or, worse yet, comment on it. She keeps real-life friendships distant. Her close ties with her mother slipped away once Mom’s boyfriend moved in; Mom no longer turns to Mimi for advice, and excludes her from major news. To help process her burgeoning feelings, Mimi begins writing poetry in her journal.
Complicated relationships dominate this story including the power and burden of family. I appreciate the juxtaposition of today’s instant-news world versus the slower layers of older, hidden truths. The spare, poetic format serves the story beautifully. Multiple time line chapters alternate between “Mimi, 2022,” and the lives of her maternal ancestors, revealing connections and secrets.
The author cautions that material involving sexual trauma, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and generational trauma are included. RAINN.org (the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization) is listed as a place to seek support.
“There are things you don’t want to say,” Mom says, opening the car door, / getting in. “So you write them down and put them in an attic /and then they can / exist and not exist, / they can be true and not true.”
Mimi carefully curates her popular online presence where she makes clothes “that people will notice before they notice” her body or, worse yet, comment on it. She keeps real-life friendships distant. Her close ties with her mother slipped away once Mom’s boyfriend moved in; Mom no longer turns to Mimi for advice, and excludes her from major news. To help process her burgeoning feelings, Mimi begins writing poetry in her journal.
Complicated relationships dominate this story including the power and burden of family. I appreciate the juxtaposition of today’s instant-news world versus the slower layers of older, hidden truths. The spare, poetic format serves the story beautifully. Multiple time line chapters alternate between “Mimi, 2022,” and the lives of her maternal ancestors, revealing connections and secrets.
The author cautions that material involving sexual trauma, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and generational trauma are included. RAINN.org (the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization) is listed as a place to seek support.
April 3, 2022
Content warning: sexual assault
It's a tradition that the women in Mimi's family start writing in diaries when they turn sixteen. But when Mimi turns sixteen, she begins reading her ancestor's diaries and uncovers the history of sexual assault the women in her family have faced. This was not an easy read, but it was so beautiful and powerful.
It's a tradition that the women in Mimi's family start writing in diaries when they turn sixteen. But when Mimi turns sixteen, she begins reading her ancestor's diaries and uncovers the history of sexual assault the women in her family have faced. This was not an easy read, but it was so beautiful and powerful.
April 18, 2024
This book covered several difficult topics in a book that was quick and accessible to read. Because the book was a novel in verse, it was sometimes difficult to differentiate between the different narrators, outside of what each wrote about. I loved the story, and how the characters grew through the story. There were several times I would have loved to give characters a hug (especially Betty and Mimi). I also liked that the last chapter ended with a sense of hope for the women of the Dovewick family.
Read
May 8, 2022Mimi is a popular presence on social media. Her petite under 5 feet frame and generous breasts have always gotten her attention. Just like her mother and grandmother before her, she has caught the attention of men. Lately, Mimi hasn't felt very comfortable with this, but seeking advice from her mother doesn't seem like an option.
Mimi's mom Tiffany is in the midst of a legal battle with a well-known movie maker. Mimi grew up watching her mother perform and seem comfortable with all the attention. Now there's a question about how willing her mother was when it came to the movie business.
As a sixteenth birthday gift, Mimi's mom gives her a notebook. She says that for generations the women in the family have used similar notebooks to record their thoughts and feelings. She tells Mimi the notebooks are "lawless spaces" to write whatever she wants. Tiffany also shares the fact that all the notebooks are stored in the attic, and she encourages Mimi to read them.
Mimi begins reading and discovers for generations the women in her family have struggled with relationships with men. Unplanned pregnancies, unwanted sexual experiences, and love mishaps have made the women of her past feel just as uncomfortable in their bodies as Mimi has been made to feel. Is there a way these notebooks and revelations can help Mimi, or will it just lead to further confusion?
Author Corey Ann Haydu explores the #MeToo movement within a family of women. Direct and to the point, LAWLESS SPACES will no doubt speak to many young adult readers.
Mimi's mom Tiffany is in the midst of a legal battle with a well-known movie maker. Mimi grew up watching her mother perform and seem comfortable with all the attention. Now there's a question about how willing her mother was when it came to the movie business.
As a sixteenth birthday gift, Mimi's mom gives her a notebook. She says that for generations the women in the family have used similar notebooks to record their thoughts and feelings. She tells Mimi the notebooks are "lawless spaces" to write whatever she wants. Tiffany also shares the fact that all the notebooks are stored in the attic, and she encourages Mimi to read them.
Mimi begins reading and discovers for generations the women in her family have struggled with relationships with men. Unplanned pregnancies, unwanted sexual experiences, and love mishaps have made the women of her past feel just as uncomfortable in their bodies as Mimi has been made to feel. Is there a way these notebooks and revelations can help Mimi, or will it just lead to further confusion?
Author Corey Ann Haydu explores the #MeToo movement within a family of women. Direct and to the point, LAWLESS SPACES will no doubt speak to many young adult readers.
August 20, 2022
Really more like 3.5 stars. I deliberated a LOT between 3 and 4.
There were a couple things that kept this from being a home run for me.
1) It's way too long. Almost 500 pages? I get that it's in verse, so it's not as dense as a traditional prose book, but still. That's way too long for YA.
2) [spoilers ahead] Everything was wrapped up a little too neatly in the end. I'm sorry, but shitty moms don't just suddenly stop being shitty. Not without years of work and therapy and personal growth. And not only Tiffany but Wendy, too? It was too much.
But I do think that this book tells an important story that a lot of girls (and moms) need to hear. It's a worthwhile read. I loved the notebook aspect of it. I thought the photographs on the mantle were a little...I don't know. Too symbolic? Hokey? Not really well explained. Like, everyone hates them, but they still keep doing it and forcing their daughters to do it and keeping those photos on display to just...hate glare at? The notebooks made sense to me. Put all your feelings down in writing, and then you don't have to feel them any more. Pass the notebooks down, and then you don't have to actually talk to your daughter. It's almost healthy but then veers into dysfunctional real fast. It felt authentic to me, and I loved getting the perspective of different generation, but just that snapshot of them at sixteen. Very well done.
I think with some judicious trimming, this could have been a great book. But as it is, it is just a good book.
There were a couple things that kept this from being a home run for me.
1) It's way too long. Almost 500 pages? I get that it's in verse, so it's not as dense as a traditional prose book, but still. That's way too long for YA.
2) [spoilers ahead] Everything was wrapped up a little too neatly in the end. I'm sorry, but shitty moms don't just suddenly stop being shitty. Not without years of work and therapy and personal growth. And not only Tiffany but Wendy, too? It was too much.
But I do think that this book tells an important story that a lot of girls (and moms) need to hear. It's a worthwhile read. I loved the notebook aspect of it. I thought the photographs on the mantle were a little...I don't know. Too symbolic? Hokey? Not really well explained. Like, everyone hates them, but they still keep doing it and forcing their daughters to do it and keeping those photos on display to just...hate glare at? The notebooks made sense to me. Put all your feelings down in writing, and then you don't have to feel them any more. Pass the notebooks down, and then you don't have to actually talk to your daughter. It's almost healthy but then veers into dysfunctional real fast. It felt authentic to me, and I loved getting the perspective of different generation, but just that snapshot of them at sixteen. Very well done.
I think with some judicious trimming, this could have been a great book. But as it is, it is just a good book.
September 9, 2021
Corey Ann Haydu is one of my favorite YA authors, and I eagerly snagged this ARC as soon as I laid eyes on it at the bookstore where I work, prepared to stay up late reading like a teenager the way Haydu's books often inspire me to do (particularly OCD Love Story and Life by Committee). Novels-in-verse admittedly aren't my favorite, but I didn't let that dissuade me.
In Lawless Spaces, Mimi, fifteen-turning-sixteen, grapples with her self-image and her responsibility to represent herself as the right kind of girl. She has the sort of body people feel entitled to comment on, and sometimes just entitled to, full stop. It's the same body her mother had, and her mother before her. When she turns sixteen, Mimi's mother gifts her a journal to write in; it's a family tradition--or maybe a family curse. In writing her own nuanced experience for herself instead of writing captions on photos to an impersonal and sometimes cruel internet following, Mimi begins to uncover and investigate her own hurt. And in reading the stories of the women who came before her, she unearths generations of trauma: written down but left unspoken. This gorgeously complex novel-in-verse made me ache and cry and hope. Is there another way forward? Let's make a better way.
In Lawless Spaces, Mimi, fifteen-turning-sixteen, grapples with her self-image and her responsibility to represent herself as the right kind of girl. She has the sort of body people feel entitled to comment on, and sometimes just entitled to, full stop. It's the same body her mother had, and her mother before her. When she turns sixteen, Mimi's mother gifts her a journal to write in; it's a family tradition--or maybe a family curse. In writing her own nuanced experience for herself instead of writing captions on photos to an impersonal and sometimes cruel internet following, Mimi begins to uncover and investigate her own hurt. And in reading the stories of the women who came before her, she unearths generations of trauma: written down but left unspoken. This gorgeously complex novel-in-verse made me ache and cry and hope. Is there another way forward? Let's make a better way.
May 4, 2022
Beautifully written novel in verse. This story encompasses multigenerational stories of women from one family who were shaped into who they are because of trauma and/or tragedy. These stories shine a light on what it means to be female and the toxicity that developed between mothers and daughters over the years. Sixteen-year-old Mimi hopes to break the cycle by looking for the strength and spirit of each woman, including her own mother. This is a book that needs to be read by every young girl. Our bodies do not have to be "Lawless spaces." We can learn to love one another and stand together in order to make changes in how the world views women. A very timely story for today's issues.
April 26, 2022
4.5 stars
Probably one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. This whole book is a constant ache. It leaves you with so many thoughts and heaviness—I think that’s probably why I couldn’t bring myself to give it five stars because of the lack of levity in some parts of it.
This is an important book. It’s so well written. The ever changing perspectives were beautiful. I wish each perspective had more of a characterization to the poems instead of staying in such a similar format.
But yeah, this was a great book. Wow.
Probably one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. This whole book is a constant ache. It leaves you with so many thoughts and heaviness—I think that’s probably why I couldn’t bring myself to give it five stars because of the lack of levity in some parts of it.
This is an important book. It’s so well written. The ever changing perspectives were beautiful. I wish each perspective had more of a characterization to the poems instead of staying in such a similar format.
But yeah, this was a great book. Wow.
August 7, 2022
A heartbreaking, awesome story. My goodness I cannot tell you how much I loved this book, but I am going to try. The aspects I loved the most were the generational stories told through poetry and how each of these women all struggled with similar body issues and inappropriate advances from the men in their lives. They also all grew up way too fast, and at no fault of their own. This is a book that must be read and talked about. The poetry was also simply wonderful-it was powerful, beautiful, and made me feel all the things.
July 13, 2022
This is a hard but worthwhile read. It made my heart hurt and pissed me off. It’s about how society, particularly men, judge a woman is worth and how women internalizes that “approval” and equates it with self worth. Trigger warnings for sexual assault, sexual harassment, and generational trauma.
January 8, 2023
Some very pretty writing -- she mentioned in an interview that "verse really let me focus in on singular moments and build story through that sort of intimacy rather than trying to write an explosive plot," and I agree, this is one of the few books that I think works better in verse than prose.
An equally lovely cover, not least because the pearls are holographic and catch the light beautifully.
I loved the premise of the notebooks, wanted very much to like the inherently-appealing Mimi, and in fact thought every generation shimmered with potential...but I can't really relate to or empathize with much in this story. In the interview above, Haydu also says that there were "MANY different versions with different types of plot points before this one, including a whole murder and royalty plot at one time," and I rather wish she'd landed on one of those instead. I had high hopes for this title, but it just never got out of the "sufficient" realm in terms of evoking feelings from me.
Clinton was a darling, at least -- I loved the Christmas invite so, so much -- but it feels odd that my favorite character in a book so entirely about women was a boy.
An equally lovely cover, not least because the pearls are holographic and catch the light beautifully.
I loved the premise of the notebooks, wanted very much to like the inherently-appealing Mimi, and in fact thought every generation shimmered with potential...but I can't really relate to or empathize with much in this story. In the interview above, Haydu also says that there were "MANY different versions with different types of plot points before this one, including a whole murder and royalty plot at one time," and I rather wish she'd landed on one of those instead. I had high hopes for this title, but it just never got out of the "sufficient" realm in terms of evoking feelings from me.
Clinton was a darling, at least -- I loved the Christmas invite so, so much -- but it feels odd that my favorite character in a book so entirely about women was a boy.
Read
March 3, 2022Powerful, multigenerational novel in verse for older YAs and adults.
March 14, 2022
Content warning for sexual assault; misogyny, rape culture, and victim blaming; generational trauma; emotional abuse; forced adoption; war; Covid-19
September 12, 2023
This was a heavy read(please check allllll the trigger warnings before reading this). I feel angry and deflated and tense. This is the type of novel that will haunt you. Recommend.
December 23, 2022
Rating 3.5, rounding down because the book is unbelievably long -- way too long. There is an important message in their somewhere, if you can pull it out of all the other chatter -- sexual abuse can impact future generations if it is not dealt with in a constructive way. This book is barely even hopeful, all except for the last page. Sigh.
March 3, 2022
Beautifully written and powerful.
March 24, 2022
I sincerely could not put it down once I started and spent an entire Sunday reading it from cover to cover. It is now several days later and I am still processing this book. Generational trauma is at the core of this novel in verse and it is definitely meant for an older YA audience and, to me, is an adult crossover. The writing is exquisite... really, really wonderful (yes, I am gushing).
Please go read the review by Alexa Blart as she says what I want to say ....
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Oh, and please do take heed of the content warning as this book does touch on a lot of very difficult topics.
Please go read the review by Alexa Blart as she says what I want to say ....
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Oh, and please do take heed of the content warning as this book does touch on a lot of very difficult topics.
June 14, 2022
I feel like I understand the influencer, instagram viral world a little better. I liked Mimi’s narration/journal very much. She was a very realistic authentic character. I thought that the other journal entries from her relatives sounded too much the same and maybe that was the idea--that all these girls had interchangeable stories and nothing changed over time. I would prefer more differences between all the girls. This book made me think and I it’s going to stick with me.
March 17, 2022
Written in verse, this portrays generations of women in the same family who encounter sexual trauma in different ways. Our main character is modern day Mimi. Mimi’s family has a tradition. For generations at age 16 the women in her family are given a journal and told by their mother to use it to record their story. So now Mimi at age 16 is starting her journal. She is also in possession of all the journals of the women before her. Feeling distant and disconnected from her mom, Mimi uses her journal to try and understand what happened in her mom’s past. Mimi’s mother, Tiffany, who was an actress has just accused a producer from her past of sexual misconduct. Mimi also learns about her great grandma Betty who had to give her first child up for adoption because she was a teenage unwed mother. Moving back and forth between the generations the topic of sexual assault and trauma is portrayed in relation to the culture at the time. Mimi has her own experience with a picture that was posted online of her in a compromising pose. The author gives a trigger warning at the beginning of the book. There is no part where the abuse is descriptive or graphic. This is a very tasteful depiction of a tough topic.
April 3, 2022
My goodness! I loved this story, though things about it were difficult to read. It deals with generations of women in a particular family who have the sort of look that gets attention - attention the women didn't ask for in bodies they didn't choose. Haydu traces the experiences of the women from teenaged Mimi in 2022, who had pictures of herself posted online without her permission, all the way back to the exploitation of a silent film star (though her story is brief). Are women more than their bodies? Of course, but perhaps we don't do a good enough job of teaching them that.
This is a novel in verse and the writing is sparse and powerful. I can't adequately express how moving I found this story and how glad I am it is in the world.
As a side note, I'm glad that authors/publishers have been putting content warnings in the beginnings of books lately (perhaps longer, but I've noticed it recently). It's not, at all, for censorship purposes, but to say to readers, "Taking care of yourself is the most important thing and it's okay to put this book down if reading it is doing more harm than good." AND I'm glad that they include resources for getting help. Lawless Spaces deals with sexual trauma, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and generational trauma.
This is a novel in verse and the writing is sparse and powerful. I can't adequately express how moving I found this story and how glad I am it is in the world.
As a side note, I'm glad that authors/publishers have been putting content warnings in the beginnings of books lately (perhaps longer, but I've noticed it recently). It's not, at all, for censorship purposes, but to say to readers, "Taking care of yourself is the most important thing and it's okay to put this book down if reading it is doing more harm than good." AND I'm glad that they include resources for getting help. Lawless Spaces deals with sexual trauma, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and generational trauma.
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