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Some Girls Do
A gritty, revelatory portrait of twenty something life in the modern urban jungle, Some Girls Do depicts a group of tough, independent, and sexual young women. Lily, Jezebel, Hannah, Carrotgirl, Em, and Blue are not yet ready to commit to careers — or anything else. In sharp yet poetic prose that captures the rhythm of the streets, Teresa McWhirter offers an acute yet surprisingly tender glance into the urban underbelly and the lives and dreams of the seemingly ambitionless generation of young people who inhabit it.
- GenresFiction
152 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2004
16 people want to read
About the author
Teresa McWhirter
5 books4 followersAfter extensive travel across Canada and the US, her first novel, Some Girls Do was published by Raincoast/Polestar books (2002).Teresa McWhirter grew up in Kimberley, in the east Kootenays of interior BC. She received a BA with a double major in English and Creative Writing from the University of Victoria.
Following an assortment of jobs including teaching English in Korea, driving an ice cream truck, and scaring children at a haunted house, she published Dirtbags (Anvil Press, 2007) and YA Skank (Lorimer, 2011).
During the past few years Teresa has toured Europe and North America with punk rock bands, gathering material for her new novel Five Little Bitches (Anvil, 2012)
She lives in east Vancouver.
Following an assortment of jobs including teaching English in Korea, driving an ice cream truck, and scaring children at a haunted house, she published Dirtbags (Anvil Press, 2007) and YA Skank (Lorimer, 2011).
During the past few years Teresa has toured Europe and North America with punk rock bands, gathering material for her new novel Five Little Bitches (Anvil, 2012)
She lives in east Vancouver.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 14, 2018
this book is a heartbreaker, every time. Write another book as soon as possible Teresa McWhirter, Vancouver needs you.
January 21, 2026
Teresa McWhirter’s Some Girls Do is the kind of novel that quietly settles under your skin and refuses to leave. From the first pages, McWhirter establishes a raw, intimate atmosphere that feels both unfiltered and deeply compassionate. Her portrayal of Lily, Jezebel, Hannah, Carrotgirl, Em, and Blue is strikingly honest, resisting easy stereotypes and instead offering fully realized young women navigating a messy, uncertain stage of life. The prose has a streetwise lyricism that captures not just the setting, but the emotional cadence of a generation caught between possibility and paralysis.
What impressed me most is how McWhirter allows her characters to exist without apology. These women are not striving for conventional success, and the novel never scolds them for that. Instead, it asks the reader to sit with their drift, their friendships, their hunger for sensation and meaning. The city itself becomes a living presence, gritty, seductive, and unforgiving, mirroring the inner lives of the characters who move through it. The writing is sharp but never cruel, poetic without feeling self-indulgent.
At its heart, Some Girls Do is a novel about connection. The friendships between these women feel lived-in and authentic, shaped by loyalty, jealousy, tenderness, and shared survival. McWhirter captures the way young adulthood can feel like a series of almost-decisions, moments where life could tip in any direction. There is beauty in that uncertainty, and the novel treats it with a surprising gentleness.
This book will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate literary fiction that prioritizes voice, mood, and emotional truth over neat plotlines. Some Girls Do is not about easy answers; it’s about witnessing lives in motion. By the final pages, I felt as though I had walked alongside these women, and I wanted to stay with them longer. It’s a brave, resonant debut that lingers long after it ends.
What impressed me most is how McWhirter allows her characters to exist without apology. These women are not striving for conventional success, and the novel never scolds them for that. Instead, it asks the reader to sit with their drift, their friendships, their hunger for sensation and meaning. The city itself becomes a living presence, gritty, seductive, and unforgiving, mirroring the inner lives of the characters who move through it. The writing is sharp but never cruel, poetic without feeling self-indulgent.
At its heart, Some Girls Do is a novel about connection. The friendships between these women feel lived-in and authentic, shaped by loyalty, jealousy, tenderness, and shared survival. McWhirter captures the way young adulthood can feel like a series of almost-decisions, moments where life could tip in any direction. There is beauty in that uncertainty, and the novel treats it with a surprising gentleness.
This book will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate literary fiction that prioritizes voice, mood, and emotional truth over neat plotlines. Some Girls Do is not about easy answers; it’s about witnessing lives in motion. By the final pages, I felt as though I had walked alongside these women, and I wanted to stay with them longer. It’s a brave, resonant debut that lingers long after it ends.
January 21, 2026
Some Girls Do is a powerful exploration of modern urban womanhood that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. Teresa McWhirter writes with an observational precision that makes every scene feel immediate and alive. Her characters are complicated, flawed, and achingly human, and the novel’s refusal to simplify their lives is one of its greatest strengths. This is a book that trusts its readers, inviting them into a world that is messy, intense, and emotionally rich.
The prose is one of the standout elements of the novel. McWhirter has an ear for rhythm that mirrors the pulse of city life, blending grit and lyricism in a way that feels effortless. The language reflects the inner landscapes of the characters, sometimes sharp, sometimes drifting, often tender in unexpected places. There is a strong sense that the author understands these women not as concepts, but as people shaped by their environments and relationships.
Rather than focusing on traditional markers of success, the novel examines what it means to simply exist in a world that demands ambition and certainty. Lily, Jezebel, Hannah, Carrotgirl, Em, and Blue are at a crossroads, and the novel honors that liminal space with care. Their friendships form the emotional backbone of the story, offering moments of warmth and solidarity that counterbalance the harsher edges of urban life.
This is a book for readers who appreciate literary fiction that feels authentic and emotionally intelligent. Some Girls Do captures a specific moment in life with remarkable clarity, and in doing so, speaks to something universal. It’s a novel that doesn’t shout for attention, but once you’re immersed in it, it’s impossible to look away.
The prose is one of the standout elements of the novel. McWhirter has an ear for rhythm that mirrors the pulse of city life, blending grit and lyricism in a way that feels effortless. The language reflects the inner landscapes of the characters, sometimes sharp, sometimes drifting, often tender in unexpected places. There is a strong sense that the author understands these women not as concepts, but as people shaped by their environments and relationships.
Rather than focusing on traditional markers of success, the novel examines what it means to simply exist in a world that demands ambition and certainty. Lily, Jezebel, Hannah, Carrotgirl, Em, and Blue are at a crossroads, and the novel honors that liminal space with care. Their friendships form the emotional backbone of the story, offering moments of warmth and solidarity that counterbalance the harsher edges of urban life.
This is a book for readers who appreciate literary fiction that feels authentic and emotionally intelligent. Some Girls Do captures a specific moment in life with remarkable clarity, and in doing so, speaks to something universal. It’s a novel that doesn’t shout for attention, but once you’re immersed in it, it’s impossible to look away.
January 21, 2026
Teresa McWhirter’s Some Girls Do offers a refreshing and deeply empathetic look at young women living on the margins of expectation. The novel is unafraid to dwell in uncertainty, and that courage gives it an emotional honesty that is rare. From the outset, McWhirter establishes a voice that is confident, observant, and quietly compassionate, drawing the reader into a world that feels intensely real.
What makes this book so compelling is its refusal to moralize. The characters are not framed as cautionary tales or aspirational figures; they are simply allowed to be. Their choices, contradictions, and moments of stillness are treated with respect, creating a sense of intimacy between reader and text. The city setting is rendered with vivid detail, serving as both backdrop and catalyst for the characters’ inner lives.
The relationships between the women are particularly well drawn. McWhirter captures the way friendships in your twenties can feel like lifelines, fragile, intense, and absolutely essential. There is humor here, as well as melancholy, and the balance between the two feels authentic. The novel understands that tenderness can exist even in the grittiest circumstances.
Some Girls Do is a novel that rewards patience and attentiveness. It’s less concerned with plot than with atmosphere and emotional resonance, and readers who appreciate character-driven fiction will find much to admire. By the end, the book leaves you with a sense of having witnessed something true and quietly profound.
What makes this book so compelling is its refusal to moralize. The characters are not framed as cautionary tales or aspirational figures; they are simply allowed to be. Their choices, contradictions, and moments of stillness are treated with respect, creating a sense of intimacy between reader and text. The city setting is rendered with vivid detail, serving as both backdrop and catalyst for the characters’ inner lives.
The relationships between the women are particularly well drawn. McWhirter captures the way friendships in your twenties can feel like lifelines, fragile, intense, and absolutely essential. There is humor here, as well as melancholy, and the balance between the two feels authentic. The novel understands that tenderness can exist even in the grittiest circumstances.
Some Girls Do is a novel that rewards patience and attentiveness. It’s less concerned with plot than with atmosphere and emotional resonance, and readers who appreciate character-driven fiction will find much to admire. By the end, the book leaves you with a sense of having witnessed something true and quietly profound.
July 13, 2022
I quite enjoyed this book. It wasn’t astounding but I’d recommend it for a good read.
It’s not like anything I’ve read before, which is why I was intrigued. Lots of other reviews call it boring and confusing- the latter may be true, it did flick around quite a bit but boring? I don’t think so. It’s about the lives of a group of lost people living in a dark and dingy city, finding their own way in the madness of it all. Young adults trapped in their lives of drugs and drunken fogginess, romantic entanglements and a changing world. It may be mundane but that isn’t boring. To me anyway.
It had some really enjoyable storylines and lovable (and hate-able) characters, (Hannah, Em, Carrotgirl and Franky in particular were my favourites) it all just felt very real. Which was cool to read.
It’s not like anything I’ve read before, which is why I was intrigued. Lots of other reviews call it boring and confusing- the latter may be true, it did flick around quite a bit but boring? I don’t think so. It’s about the lives of a group of lost people living in a dark and dingy city, finding their own way in the madness of it all. Young adults trapped in their lives of drugs and drunken fogginess, romantic entanglements and a changing world. It may be mundane but that isn’t boring. To me anyway.
It had some really enjoyable storylines and lovable (and hate-able) characters, (Hannah, Em, Carrotgirl and Franky in particular were my favourites) it all just felt very real. Which was cool to read.
February 2, 2010
I don't really know if I liked this book or not. It wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't say it was that good either. I started reading it at work and was interrupted a bit, so I thought that was why the book didn't seem to make much sense. It's just written very choppy. It jumps from one subject to the other, one person to the next. I guess considering all the characters where either stoned or drunk throughout the book, that can explain the reason it's written the way it is? The part I actually enjoyed the most was the chapter called "A Girl & Her Farther. It was a sad story and was written without any interruptions from other characters. Interesting book I guess, maybe I just don't get it.
January 29, 2010
So, it's a cute little story. It's by no means terribly original or terribly great, but it's enjoyable. Probably could have dealt with a few less main characters since given the length you never quite get into anyone's stories enough as you want to. In all fairness, I probably would have LOVED it when I was 15 though.
June 4, 2007
Unexpectedly charming with interesting characters. Conclusion a little sloppy and anti-climatic, but kind of appropriate for a believable memoir.
July 24, 2010
Picked this up randomly from the outdoor shelves at the STrand. Fun and worth a read.
June 12, 2013
An interesting look into lives that no one sees. This is worth a look if you ever wondered where you would have ended up if you married that guy that lived in his mom's basement.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews