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Girl Trouble: An Illustrated Memoir
Bestselling memoirist and psychotherapist Kerry Cohen ( Loose A Memoir of Promiscuity ) explores complicated female friendships in Girl Trouble . Beginning with her relationship with her sister Tyler Cohen, who illustrates the memoir, Kerry examines the many ways female friendships can affect a girl’s life. From bullying and failed friendships to competition and painful break ups, Girl Trouble brings forth a story of how one girl learned to navigate the many difficulties of feminine friendships. Girls and women everywhere will relate to the confusion, the hurt feelings, and they will also learn along with Kerry how to make better choices over the years.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2016
101 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Cohen
21 books268 followersKerry Cohen is the author of Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity; Seeing Ezra: A Mother’s Story of Autism, Unconditional Love, and The Meaning of Normal; Dirty Little Secrets: Breaking the Silence on Teenage Girls and Promiscuity; as well as three young adult novels – Easy; The Good Girl; and It’s Not You, It’s Me. Her essays have been featured in The New York Times' "Modern Love" series, The Washington Post, Brevity, Literary Mama, and many other journals and anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 20, 2016
this book was so dang good. The author takes us through her life by introducing us to all her female friends (and sometimes frenemies) she's had throughout her life. This is such a great book about friendship and how friendships shape us as people.
October 31, 2016
An illustrated memoir that catalogs the author's complicated female friendships, starting with her older sister and up to the present day. The vast majority of these friendships are fleeting and fraught -- some are not really friendships at all (one girl is identified in another chapter as Cohen's bully in high school, for example). It's not entirely clear why the author chose to include them, other than to illustrate the many ways in which girls (and women) can be cruel to each other. There is an oddly aggrieved tone that permeates this book which I found off-putting; Cohen is quick to highlight when she has been victimized by other women, but has difficulty truly reckoning with her own casual cruelty to others. One example of this is the story about Chrissy, a girl that "wasn't who [Cohen] would have chosen" to be friends with. Chrissy is painfully uncool, and Cohen just hangs out with her until someone better comes along -- Chrissy is "a placeholder for [her] and nothing more." Yet despite acknowledging her selfish behavior, Cohen ultimately presents herself as the victim of this relationship because Chrissy called her fat, an insult that left a permanent scar. Cohen's fragility in this episode is writ large throughout the book itself, which sometimes feels like an adult slam book, trying to settle scores from years ago. If you want a deep and multifaceted rendering of the complexities of female friendships, you'd be better off reading "Cat's Eye" or "Ghost World" or "My Brilliant Friend."
January 7, 2017
I should have known better than to read a book by a self-described memoirist, but I was sucked in by the awesome premise and illustrations. Oof. The early parts of the book were pretty good, but by the end almost every chapter about a female friend was really about a guy, and I kept thinking, "Didn't you already write that book?"
July 16, 2025
i don’t really understand the point of this book. like ok so you’ve had a bunch of toxic relationships with other women. but what did you learn? where did you mess things up? why do you think these friendships keep happening to you? are you really the victim in every situation? it didn’t feel super honest to me. i liked the illustrations though
October 4, 2018
This was...not what I was expecting. The title + the blurbs about it being about female friendship and desire made me think it was going to be a book about queerness, which is what I thought I was signing up for. Turns out it's a book about female friendships and male desire, which like okay I can hang with the former all damn day. But idk, the vignettes about the author's different friends all felt pretty indistinguishable from the other and like there was never any resolution or growth? It was a lot of "ohhh I wish I had solid female friendships, but I'm not going to put the work in to do so and I'm going to be an asshole to my friends but call them the assholes and I don't understand why this keeps happening to me??"
November 4, 2019
This book was good! I read it for one of my classes. It made me feel a little bit uncomfortable, because I saw myself in quite a few of the stories. But it was really hard to put down, and made me feel like I wasn’t alone.
I feel like I could probably write a book like this. I have a lot of pent up feelings about past friendships I could write down.
I feel like I could probably write a book like this. I have a lot of pent up feelings about past friendships I could write down.
May 4, 2022
crying emoji. wonderful. women, amirite?
September 2, 2017
This was painful and beautiful to read, with excellent illustrations that gave the stories a little something extra.
August 1, 2018
I read Kerry Cohen's "Loose Girl" a few years ago, so I decided to see what this book was about. This is a memoir that chronicles the author's very complex relationships with women, beginning with her older sister, continuing throughout her childhood, and to the present day. Each relationship is presented vignette-style, with illustrations of several of the characters included within. Some of the relationships Cohen discusses are friendships, others describe a situation in which the author was bullied by another girl, other girls are passing acquaintances.
I certainly understand Cohen's reason for writing this book. It seems that she wanted to not just talk about girl relationships but to examine the many, many ways in which women can be cruel to one another. There are problems with this, however. One of the main problems here I noticed was that the author seems quick to discuss the many times in which she has been ostracized by girls and women, yet has some degree of difficulty in coming to terms with the ways in which she was equally cruel as well. Case in point: an episode in which she writes that she slept with a friend's boyfriend. She meets the friend years later after she writes about it in her first book and tries to explain, yet her tone here is not of contrition (after all, she did go and write a book about it) but one of slight indignation, as if the friend just should have gotten over it already.
There's other layers here of meaning I could talk about here, but it's repetitive. After a while each "friend" and each "boy" all seemed the same and reading this became tiresome. And the illustrations, while good, didn't really add anything to the book. Picture here, more words. Picture there, more words. Next...
Even though I get the point, I can't help but to feel that this is essentially the same book as "Loose Girl," only with a slightly different focus. Many of the same incidents from that book are retold here. No mas.
Two stars.
I certainly understand Cohen's reason for writing this book. It seems that she wanted to not just talk about girl relationships but to examine the many, many ways in which women can be cruel to one another. There are problems with this, however. One of the main problems here I noticed was that the author seems quick to discuss the many times in which she has been ostracized by girls and women, yet has some degree of difficulty in coming to terms with the ways in which she was equally cruel as well. Case in point: an episode in which she writes that she slept with a friend's boyfriend. She meets the friend years later after she writes about it in her first book and tries to explain, yet her tone here is not of contrition (after all, she did go and write a book about it) but one of slight indignation, as if the friend just should have gotten over it already.
There's other layers here of meaning I could talk about here, but it's repetitive. After a while each "friend" and each "boy" all seemed the same and reading this became tiresome. And the illustrations, while good, didn't really add anything to the book. Picture here, more words. Picture there, more words. Next...
Even though I get the point, I can't help but to feel that this is essentially the same book as "Loose Girl," only with a slightly different focus. Many of the same incidents from that book are retold here. No mas.
Two stars.
June 15, 2018
honestly I could not relate to Kerry’s views on friendship and I know that if she had told me these stories to my face I would have thought she was an attention grabber who never learned what the words “friends” and “love” mean. It was a story of the common confusion between sex and love and ultimately what makes us worthy of attention and I just couldn’t allow myself to indulge in the reading or connect myself to her stories. It was extremely repetitive- every “friend” and every boy in each story melted together and I honestly felt like I was just reading the same story just different versions of it for 129 pages. I do not recommend to young women because I did not find a solid feministic theme or lesson that should be passed on to any other female generation. Instead, Kerry refuses to understand that she was not the only victim in every single one of her stories of “friendship”. If she has learned anything about friends she should know that a friendship is two-sided and she has done just as much harm as all her ex-friends did to her. I mean, she even wrote a book to provide short recollections (from only her perspective) where she attempts to portray herself as a victim who was left hurt and feeling unworthy of acceptance and attention from boys and men. She is hurting all these people who she thinks victimized her by publishing a book where she even names each person except for one (yes, she doesn’t include last names, but if anyone she knew was reading this memoir then they may or may not know exactly who she is talking about and it just seems unfair).
January 3, 2017
I really wanted to like this book more. I love the idea of it: Cohen essentially catalogs and examines her female friendships throughout the ages. But, mostly, I was left feeling as though this memoir only skimmed the surface of what could have been a very revealing read. Too often, I was left feeling as though Cohen was leaving out key details and even though she doesn't necessarily shy away from including moments that reveal her in a less-than-flattering light, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about her relationships. Perhaps those moments are too private but if that's the case why bother writing this book at all? Finally the illustrations, while good, don't really add anything to the narrative but instead feel like a wasted device.
January 20, 2017
What's that saying? If you meet one jerk in the morning, you met a jerk. If all you meet all day are jerks, the only jerk is you?
That's this book.
That's this book.
October 26, 2017
I might have enjoyed it more if I'd spaced out my reading a little. She just came off as pretty needy and very whiny.
October 4, 2017
This is a memoir I randomly picked up off new-release shelf in library. The author, Kerry Cohen, writes raw accounts of each of her lifetime of friendships with girls/women. There were times when I was upset with her actions or wanted so badly for her to like herself more, but as I continued reading I grew to appreciate the unflinchingly honest account she delivered, what her real, unadulterated thoughts and self-beliefs were at those times. The joy and agony of friendship and all its facets and messiness. It is like some super real-life version of sex and the city.
January 1, 2023
Unusual approach of outlining a life with micro (none more than a few pages) profiles of girls and women that the author embraced from very young to more contemporary times. Often miserable, bullied, left out. Illustrations of the various people by sister Tyler Cohen.
December 28, 2016
An unflinching illustrated memoir of one woman's female friendships. Illustrated by her sister. Enjoyed the rawness of her stories, but would have like a lot more of her sisters illustrations...
January 5, 2022
Underrated asf!! It’s so good and the easiest read ever. Crazy what being motherless will do to a b*tch🤷♀️🤷♀️
April 26, 2022
I liked this book. It was a quick fun read. A lot of the girlfriends she writes about I could relate to.
December 3, 2016
3.5 stars
December 6, 2016
PLOT- In her memoir, Girl Trouble, Kerry Cohen explores her often difficult relationships with female friends. Girl Trouble is filled with illustrations by Cohen's sister, Tyler Cohen.
LIKE- Cohen titles each chapter with the name of a friend who, for better or worse, made an impact on her life. Cohen is speaking on the difficult and sticky subject of female relationships. I found her experience to ring true, it's unfortunate, but there is a steep learning curve when developing friendships with other women, and hurt feelings are common. I think it's because as children, we are told to be friends with everyone and to be careful not to exclude anyone. Although this is a nice sentiment, it's not a realistic way to form true friendships. Maybe it would be better to focus on being kind to everyone, but realize it's okay to not develop deep friendships with everyone you meet.
It's a stereotype, but I'll risk it, women tend to be more emotional in their relationships, which leads to higher drama and higher risk. Towards the end of Cohen's memoir, we see how she has learned to become more selective in her friendships and more protective of herself. This completely rings true and personally, I hope I've finally put behind investing in friendships that are destructive, and letting those friendships that are genuine flourish. I hope I've learned to be more discerning. Although this conclusion is hard earned (Cohen is just a little older than me), I feel that her book could be a good guide for younger female readers, in the sense that "it gets better". My experience has been that when female friendships dissolve, it's almost more heartbreaking than romantic break-ups, especially during that vulnerable period, high school- mid- 20's. It's tough.
Cohen as the protagonist is likable, and it's fascinating to watch her grow from a painfully awkward child to a strong and introspective adult.
DISLIKE- Some of the chapters were more interesting or affecting than others, but there isn't anything to truly dislike about Cohen's collection. It's a strong memoir.
RECOMMEND- Yes, enthusiastically! This is a must-read for women, who I suspect will all find aspects of, Girl Trouble, to be familiar. I think it's easy to push aside painful former friendships, but Cohen's story will force you to consider your own past and how these relationships shaped you. If you have any current toxic friendships, it might give you the courage to let them go.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
LIKE- Cohen titles each chapter with the name of a friend who, for better or worse, made an impact on her life. Cohen is speaking on the difficult and sticky subject of female relationships. I found her experience to ring true, it's unfortunate, but there is a steep learning curve when developing friendships with other women, and hurt feelings are common. I think it's because as children, we are told to be friends with everyone and to be careful not to exclude anyone. Although this is a nice sentiment, it's not a realistic way to form true friendships. Maybe it would be better to focus on being kind to everyone, but realize it's okay to not develop deep friendships with everyone you meet.
It's a stereotype, but I'll risk it, women tend to be more emotional in their relationships, which leads to higher drama and higher risk. Towards the end of Cohen's memoir, we see how she has learned to become more selective in her friendships and more protective of herself. This completely rings true and personally, I hope I've finally put behind investing in friendships that are destructive, and letting those friendships that are genuine flourish. I hope I've learned to be more discerning. Although this conclusion is hard earned (Cohen is just a little older than me), I feel that her book could be a good guide for younger female readers, in the sense that "it gets better". My experience has been that when female friendships dissolve, it's almost more heartbreaking than romantic break-ups, especially during that vulnerable period, high school- mid- 20's. It's tough.
Cohen as the protagonist is likable, and it's fascinating to watch her grow from a painfully awkward child to a strong and introspective adult.
DISLIKE- Some of the chapters were more interesting or affecting than others, but there isn't anything to truly dislike about Cohen's collection. It's a strong memoir.
RECOMMEND- Yes, enthusiastically! This is a must-read for women, who I suspect will all find aspects of, Girl Trouble, to be familiar. I think it's easy to push aside painful former friendships, but Cohen's story will force you to consider your own past and how these relationships shaped you. If you have any current toxic friendships, it might give you the courage to let them go.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
December 28, 2016
The brevity was the point, and the misremembering comes with age and hindsight and embarrassment can come calling at each and every point of your life.
February 14, 2017
I liked the memoir but it was quite depressing. Kerry spoke about each of her ex best friends and their experiences together also why they stopped being friends. She also mentioned her parents divorce, her distant mother and sister and father. Her life sounded lonely and sad, as a child, to a teen even into adulthood. she also mentioned her marriage and birth ofn her two sons . I would like to know more about Kerry's life and read more of her work. Her friendships and the endings were quite repetitive. They were mostly shallow and based on using on another. The book is a quick read and can be devoured in one sitting..I liked the format but I was expecting more of a narrative to bring all these girls together. The timeline is all over the place as well . I'm curious for more but I didn't love it.
October 25, 2016
3.5 stars. The "Girl Trouble" in the title of this book refers to the girl trouble that comes from navigating female friendships. Author Kerry Cohen lays out a lot of the friendships that she has had throughout her life. Some of the friendships are incredible and lifelong. Some of them are incredible and short-lived. So many of them are the kind that you wonder if they were simply put in front of you to learn something and grow from. Each chapter focuses on a different friend in Cohen's life and is illustrated in
There is nothing more magical than true friendship. This book reinforced the idea of how lucky I am to have the friends that I have carried with me for so many years (it is more like we've carried each other). It even made me thankful for the friendships that broke up (and thankfully there hasn't been many). It reiterated that even from bad things can come good. Sometimes it takes a bit of time and an extra dose of perspective to realize that. This is a great book for all women. The friendships we have with other females are so intricate and so important!
The writing of the book was good. Some of the stories to be more poignant or have more of a message or some sort of closure to them than others. There were a few that could have been stripped in order to give greater attention to the stories that really had major point or revelations.
There is nothing more magical than true friendship. This book reinforced the idea of how lucky I am to have the friends that I have carried with me for so many years (it is more like we've carried each other). It even made me thankful for the friendships that broke up (and thankfully there hasn't been many). It reiterated that even from bad things can come good. Sometimes it takes a bit of time and an extra dose of perspective to realize that. This is a great book for all women. The friendships we have with other females are so intricate and so important!
The writing of the book was good. Some of the stories to be more poignant or have more of a message or some sort of closure to them than others. There were a few that could have been stripped in order to give greater attention to the stories that really had major point or revelations.
January 20, 2017
What I really liked about this book is that I suddenly felt less alone in regards to what I have experienced in female friendships. What made me take this book home was, "I miss all my old friends. They are stamped onto my heart like old romances, lost loves." I often feel this way about old friendships that have long died out, but are never really forgotten.
January 22, 2017
Quick read, and a good one. These are more like illustrated vignettes, each exploring a complex aspect of a friendship. These reflections and explorations are honest, raw, insightful, and true. There were quite a few moments that felt so familiar to me and the girls I've been friends with throughout my life. This is probably one I will return to.
October 28, 2016
This book made me think of my own girlfriends at different stages in my life. I loved the honesty of her insecurity and the painfulness we all experience as we make our way in the world with our person baggage. Girl Trouble made me want to write about some of my own girlfriends.
November 7, 2016
I reviewed this for The F-Word: https://www.thefword.org.uk/2016/11/f...
November 9, 2016
I would've loved more illustration when it's described as an illustrated memoir, but it is a really nice collection of short essays on friendships (and the end of friendships) with women.
January 29, 2017
Sad but true. Cohens was more extreme.
April 8, 2017
100% relatable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews