Caitlin Flanagan's essays about marriage, sex, and families have sparked national debates. Now she turns her attention to girls: the biological and...
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reviews
Feb 17, 2012
Brie
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I know that one of the complaints with this book is that the author is talking about the past. That is what makes this book interesting. It shows how far things have come since when the author was going through "girl land".
I think every woman who has a daughter that is about to turn into a teen needs to read this to refresh her memory of what her teenage years were like for her and how they were when she entered them. Then read the last chapter of this book to see how chang More...
I think every woman who has a daughter that is about to turn into a teen needs to read this to refresh her memory of what her teenage years were like for her and how they were when she entered them. Then read the last chapter of this book to see how chang More...
Feb 07, 2012
Cassandra
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A few years ago, I was about 24 at the time, I was walking on Lexington Avenue near 85th St, in the middle of the day. I over heard the teenage boy in front of me (couldn't have been more than 14) call the teenage girl next to him several names, including ho,bitch etc. What did she do? Shrug! I was stunned. Needless to say, I stopped the young "gentlemen" asked him to repeat himself and when he refused, told him he may never call women those names again ever! I then turned to the y
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Jan 26, 2012
Tami
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I enjoy reading essays, so I give this book its high rating based on the fact that the prose are well written. Finding it to be a perfect marriage of the personal essay to the book review, I enjoyed reading it straight through from start to finish without a break.
Having raised two daughters, now in their twenties, and being the grandma of three young granddaughters, I find Caitlin Flanagan's recently published book, Girl Land, particularly relevant to me. In comparing the teen scene More...
Having raised two daughters, now in their twenties, and being the grandma of three young granddaughters, I find Caitlin Flanagan's recently published book, Girl Land, particularly relevant to me. In comparing the teen scene More...
Jan 31, 2012
Digna
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Girl Land mostly encompasses Flanagan's spotlight view of affluent girls and women on the west coast and their twisted perceptions due to mainstream Hollywood.
I had mixed feelings about Girl Land and it was certainly not what I expected. Being the youngest daughter of seven children, three others of which were girls, I could relate to her during some instances in Girl Land. For example the catcalls from the boys and at first feelings of confusion then later when I got older sort of mis More...
I had mixed feelings about Girl Land and it was certainly not what I expected. Being the youngest daughter of seven children, three others of which were girls, I could relate to her during some instances in Girl Land. For example the catcalls from the boys and at first feelings of confusion then later when I got older sort of mis More...
Jan 29, 2012
Kristin
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I found the prose of this book to be engaging and conversational. I enjoyed the brief analyses of related literature (Are you there, God? it's Me, Margaret, Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, etc.) and many of the author's personal anecdotes. It didn't bother me so much that much of the discussion was about white, suburban, upper/middle-class and the author's own experiences because she freely and often admits this throughout. Even though I personally didn't relate to some of the chapters, espe
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Jan 17, 2012
I won this through First Reads. 30 pages in and I'm already annoyed with the author. Lots of hyperbole: "Every woman I know feels that..." Really? Every woman?
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Jan 14, 2012
Penelope
rated it: 
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
First of all, this book is a quick, engaging read. I finished it in a single afternoon. It is not academic in tone or content, and the intended audience appears to be parents of adolescent girls or soon-to-be adolescent girls (not quite what I was expecting). I found it incredibly difficult to relate to this book on all but a few points, as it is rife with stereotypes. I don't mean that the book merely describes stereotype More...
First of all, this book is a quick, engaging read. I finished it in a single afternoon. It is not academic in tone or content, and the intended audience appears to be parents of adolescent girls or soon-to-be adolescent girls (not quite what I was expecting). I found it incredibly difficult to relate to this book on all but a few points, as it is rife with stereotypes. I don't mean that the book merely describes stereotype More...
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Jan 23, 2012
Ashley
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I've never read anything by Caitlin Flanagan prior to receiving this book through First Reads and won't bother with her other books or articles in the future. Based on the intriguing cover and blurbs I was expecting a book with insightful and witty essays about girlhood, maybe some critical exploration of current culture and was more than disappointed.
Flanagan's description of girlhood is nostalgic in the worst way and broadly assumes that all girls are insecure and weak and that boys More...
Flanagan's description of girlhood is nostalgic in the worst way and broadly assumes that all girls are insecure and weak and that boys More...
Feb 07, 2012
Lauren
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Unquestionably one of the most poorly-researched, poorly-argued, and deeply problematic books about girls that I've ever read - and seriously, there are a lot of sexist books about the mental development of young women, but Flanagan really hits it out of the park in the Sexism World Series here.
I can only link to this blog:http://bitchmagazine.org/post/10-quotes-from-girl-land-made-palatable-by-cat-photos-flanagan-feminism-lolcats, where the most offensive quotations are illustrated More...
I can only link to this blog:http://bitchmagazine.org/post/10-quotes-from-girl-land-made-palatable-by-cat-photos-flanagan-feminism-lolcats, where the most offensive quotations are illustrated More...
Feb 16, 2012
Katelin
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I won this book through Goodreads Giveaway, and I am so glad that I did. This book was more than just a trip down memory lane for me, but it is also a book that I will be able to use while raising my daughters. "Girl Land" is a book that takes every experience of that awkward time in every girls life and explains it to a point that it all makes perfect sense. Not only do I plan to allow my girls to read this somewhere around age 14 (due to the graphic sexual material) but I am also pus
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Feb 11, 2012
Karl
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Women are different from men. Don't let your teenage daughter surf porn in her room. There, that might save someone a few hours of reading. I was hoping for something a bit more insightful. But I'm not a woman, so I'm sure I'm missing the point. I guess I was expecting more of an examination of the pressures of growing up in todays world, and less of a historical romp of what Prom was like in the 20s.
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Feb 03, 2012
Ikoi
rated it:
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/10-quotes-...
Seriously, folks- finally, one of my least favorite writer's bullshit essays in one single volume! Her patriarchyftwsquee articles make my ovaries recoil in relentless horror.
If you liked this book, remove me from your friend list (here and on Facebook, Twitter, etc) ASAP. Thanks.
Seriously, folks- finally, one of my least favorite writer's bullshit essays in one single volume! Her patriarchyftwsquee articles make my ovaries recoil in relentless horror.
If you liked this book, remove me from your friend list (here and on Facebook, Twitter, etc) ASAP. Thanks.
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Feb 02, 2012
Bonnie
rated it:
Kind of sickening. The style of writing reminds me of Christian devotionals, which is fitting as the author fetishizes female adolescence as if it were a religion. I feel really bad for her sons. And myself because I paid to read this book.
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Feb 19, 2012
Amanda
rated it:
Way too many "every little girl," "every woman," "always" and "onlys" for me. Ick. I did enjoy reading the historical content in the book, but I was not convinced by some of the conclusions the author came to.
Jun 20, 2011
Finally, a book I didn't hear about on NPR (though I hope to). The author's articles in The Atlantic magazine are outstanding, I can only imagine her book is terrific. Due out next year.
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Jan 09, 2012
Maia
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Received this thru pub contacts and cant stop reading it--mostly, because I'm in thrall at how such an engagingly illustrative voice can pen such drivel!
Feb 01, 2012
I'm not going to lie, I want to read this just so that I can hate on it with a vengeance.
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Jan 31, 2012
Meghan
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I received this book as part of Goodreads First Reads.
I found many of the authors points to be interesting and thought provoking. The writing was very engaging and it was a quick read considering the topic being discussed. There were a few instances where I wish the author would have elaborated more, but I think that's due to personal preference.
It was a great read and I recommend it to all women to read whether they are 13, 30, or 83.
I found many of the authors points to be interesting and thought provoking. The writing was very engaging and it was a quick read considering the topic being discussed. There were a few instances where I wish the author would have elaborated more, but I think that's due to personal preference.
It was a great read and I recommend it to all women to read whether they are 13, 30, or 83.
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