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Hello Girls
Best friends are forged by fire. For Winona Olsen and Lucille Pryce, that fire happened the night they met outside the police station—both deciding whether to turn their families in.
Winona has been starving for life in the seemingly perfect home that she shares with her seemingly perfect father, celebrity weatherman Stormy Olsen. No one knows that he locks the pantry door to control her eating and leaves bruises where no one can see them.
Lucille has been suffocating beneath the needs of her mother and her drug-dealing brother, wondering if there’s more out there for her than disappearing waitress tips and generations of barely getting by.
One harrowing night, Winona and Lucille realize they can’t wait until graduation to start their new lives. They need out. Now. All they need is three grand, fast. And really, a stolen convertible to take them from Michigan to Las Vegas can’t hurt.
Winona has been starving for life in the seemingly perfect home that she shares with her seemingly perfect father, celebrity weatherman Stormy Olsen. No one knows that he locks the pantry door to control her eating and leaves bruises where no one can see them.
Lucille has been suffocating beneath the needs of her mother and her drug-dealing brother, wondering if there’s more out there for her than disappearing waitress tips and generations of barely getting by.
One harrowing night, Winona and Lucille realize they can’t wait until graduation to start their new lives. They need out. Now. All they need is three grand, fast. And really, a stolen convertible to take them from Michigan to Las Vegas can’t hurt.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2019
About the author
Brittany Cavallaro
17 books2,891 followersBrittany Cavallaro is a poet, fiction writer, and old school Sherlockian. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Charlotte Holmes novels from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, including A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE, THE LAST OF AUGUST, THE CASE FOR JAMIE, and A QUESTION OF HOLMES. She's also the author of the poetry collections GIRL-KING and UNHISTORICAL (University of Akron) and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. She earned her BA in literature from Middlebury College and her MFA in poetry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in Michigan with her husband, cat, dog, and collection of deerstalker caps.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 865 reviews
April 1, 2019
Video review - https://youtu.be/w9617uq7Kk0?t=73
This was such a quick read but unfortunately it wasn’t really for me. I was totally engrossed in the story because I had no clue where it was going but then when I got to probably 70% of the way through, I just started losing interest. I was so far in that I sped through the rest of it so I could finish.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review by HarperCollins Frenzy*
This was such a quick read but unfortunately it wasn’t really for me. I was totally engrossed in the story because I had no clue where it was going but then when I got to probably 70% of the way through, I just started losing interest. I was so far in that I sped through the rest of it so I could finish.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review by HarperCollins Frenzy*
October 25, 2019
I am so mad at myself for putting this off for so long because I FUCKING LOVED THIS. WOW.
Shelved as 'maybe'
December 12, 2017*slides $10* make them gay
January 22, 2020
I have a new favorite subgenre.
It’s called “quick, men-are-trash contemporaries,” and while up until recently I did not know it existed, this book indicates that it does and I, for one, am quite pleased to learn about it.
Unfortunately, this was just a liiiiittle too quick of a read.
This is a Thelma-and-Louise type situation where these two BFFs with bad home lives flee away on a light crime spree across the country to find the Thelma’s lost mother and get into many hijinks and malfeasance along the way.
It sounds like a dream. It is a little bit of a bummer.
While I loved Lucille (the Louise character), I did not love Winona. Perhaps this is to be expected, because 1) Louise > Thelma forever and 2) I would bet one million American dollars Lucille was written by Emily Henry, my favorite human in the world, but still. If you’re reading a book from two perspectives and you only like one of the perspectives, then you dislike 50% of the book.
FURTHERMORE. I feel...clickbaited.
Because at one point, it’s lowkey implied that Lucille has a crush on Winona (to which I say YES!!!!)...but that’s it and it’s dropped and it goes away forever (to which I must yell BOO!!! for a least one thousand years).
Why do you do this to me. Why are you giving me blah whatever boring friendship when you could give me GIRLFRIEND PARTNERS IN CRIME.
The ending also felt…….a nice way of putting it is Very Extremely Rushed.
I guess what it comes down to is this: I either wanted an emotional, game-changing read or a fun fluffy one. I got an in between read and it left me UNSATISFIED.
But this was not a bad book. It was fun at many points and I loved the overall idea of it and I do love friendship, just not as much as I love girlfriends.
I wish it was 100 pages longer and contained 25% more Emily Henry dialogue.
(Okay, really 200%.)
Bottom line: More men are trash contemporaries please! But put girlfriends in them this time.
--------------
this might not be worth much, because i could never get enough emily henry...
but this wasn't enough emily henry.
review to come / 3 stars
--------------
better late than never!!!
--------------
this book came out......and i didn't even notice.
and i have the nerve to call myself an emily henry stan.
(i'm still going to call myself an emily henry stan.)
--------------
best friends? runaways? revenge? contemporary?
EMILY HENRY?????????
RELEASE DATE IN 2019????????????????
cruel, cruel, cruel world.
just give me ittttttt
It’s called “quick, men-are-trash contemporaries,” and while up until recently I did not know it existed, this book indicates that it does and I, for one, am quite pleased to learn about it.
Unfortunately, this was just a liiiiittle too quick of a read.
This is a Thelma-and-Louise type situation where these two BFFs with bad home lives flee away on a light crime spree across the country to find the Thelma’s lost mother and get into many hijinks and malfeasance along the way.
It sounds like a dream. It is a little bit of a bummer.
While I loved Lucille (the Louise character), I did not love Winona. Perhaps this is to be expected, because 1) Louise > Thelma forever and 2) I would bet one million American dollars Lucille was written by Emily Henry, my favorite human in the world, but still. If you’re reading a book from two perspectives and you only like one of the perspectives, then you dislike 50% of the book.
FURTHERMORE. I feel...clickbaited.
Because at one point, it’s lowkey implied that Lucille has a crush on Winona (to which I say YES!!!!)...but that’s it and it’s dropped and it goes away forever (to which I must yell BOO!!! for a least one thousand years).
Why do you do this to me. Why are you giving me blah whatever boring friendship when you could give me GIRLFRIEND PARTNERS IN CRIME.
The ending also felt…….a nice way of putting it is Very Extremely Rushed.
I guess what it comes down to is this: I either wanted an emotional, game-changing read or a fun fluffy one. I got an in between read and it left me UNSATISFIED.
But this was not a bad book. It was fun at many points and I loved the overall idea of it and I do love friendship, just not as much as I love girlfriends.
I wish it was 100 pages longer and contained 25% more Emily Henry dialogue.
(Okay, really 200%.)
Bottom line: More men are trash contemporaries please! But put girlfriends in them this time.
--------------
this might not be worth much, because i could never get enough emily henry...
but this wasn't enough emily henry.
review to come / 3 stars
--------------
better late than never!!!
--------------
this book came out......and i didn't even notice.
and i have the nerve to call myself an emily henry stan.
(i'm still going to call myself an emily henry stan.)
--------------
best friends? runaways? revenge? contemporary?
EMILY HENRY?????????
RELEASE DATE IN 2019????????????????
cruel, cruel, cruel world.
just give me ittttttt
Read
November 14, 2017a good book full of very bad ideas
August 6, 2019
I am deeply fortunate to have gotten to read this as a manuscript.
HELLO GIRLS is a razor-sharp union of sidesplitting dark comedy, fierce feminism, and poignant friendship, paced like an Alfa-Romeo at full throttle, and written in gleaming, perfect, gutpunch sentences.
One of the sharpest, funniest, and most perfectly written books I’ve ever read. This story of two best friends on the lam will have you alternating between rolling with laughter and picking your jaw up off the floor in wonder.
Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry have worked magic on the pages of HELLO GIRLS.
HELLO GIRLS is a razor-sharp union of sidesplitting dark comedy, fierce feminism, and poignant friendship, paced like an Alfa-Romeo at full throttle, and written in gleaming, perfect, gutpunch sentences.
One of the sharpest, funniest, and most perfectly written books I’ve ever read. This story of two best friends on the lam will have you alternating between rolling with laughter and picking your jaw up off the floor in wonder.
Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry have worked magic on the pages of HELLO GIRLS.
July 25, 2019
was not expecting to love this. BUT I DID. what a wild ride.
August 8, 2019
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink as part of the Hello Girls blog tour.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
content warnings: drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse, parental abuse, disordered eating, gambling, murder, violence, mentions of prostitution
Having read and loved books by both Cavallaro and Henry, I went into Hello Girls fully expecting to enjoy it, and it did not disappoint. It’s a story of unlikely friendships, revenge, road trips, rebelling against the patriarchy, and ruthless women. (So, pretty much all my favorite things.)
The plot of this book is nothing revolutionary– it’s a YA road trip powered by revenge, of which I’ve read several– but what makes Hello Girls shine, in my eyes, is our two main characters. Winona and Lucille represent two of the myriad ways society attempts to pin women down, to keep them quiet, to force them into prescribed roles, to trap them. The two come from vastly different circumstances, but they’re united in their desire for more. They want better for themselves, and they’re not afraid to take matters into their own hands to get it. At its heart, Hello Girls is a story of friendship, the kind of pure friendship that means you would do anything for the other person. (There are also heavy hints that their friendship has the potential to bloom into a romantic relationship, but there’s no confirmation of this, nor is there any explicit queer rep in the book.)
It’s this friendship that drives the plot of Hello Girls. It’s your classic running-from-the-law-and-their-past road trip journey– complete with robberies, murders, slights of hand, and more!– but Lucille and Winona’s friendship is the driving force behind it all. The beautiful friendship dynamic provided an excellent reprieve from the often-dark subject matter. I wouldn’t say this is the most suspenseful story I’ve ever read, but it kept me on the edge of my seat enough that I never wanted to stop reading. This is absolutely one of those books to devour in one sitting.
I would be remiss not to mention that this book deals with some pretty heavy subject matter, so please use caution and check the content warnings before going in. The two girls are fleeing Winona’s abusive local-celebrity father, Lucille’s manipulative and thieving drug-dealer brother, and in general, the expectations that society, especially men, places upon young women (namely the expectation to follow orders, stay silent and docile, and take whatever is dealt to you by people in positions of power). Though Winona and Lucille don’t necessarily deal with their trauma in healthy ways in this book, the authors never sensationalized or trivialized it, which I really appreciated. Hello Girls often touches on the pervasiveness of misogyny, and it shows up on pretty much every step of Winona and Lucille’s journey. It’s a book that makes explicitly clear something we already know– men are trash. Anyone who knows me knows I loved this theme, lol.
And I’ll be vague to avoid spoilers, but though a bit predictable, I will say that I enjoyed the ending– although I think it’s going to be a polarizing one. Overall, I thought Hello Girls was a fun ride from beginning to end, with the added bonus of lovable-but-flawed characters and a pleasantly surprising undercurrent of friendship throughout. It’s the perfect book to savor during these last few weeks of summer.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
content warnings: drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse, parental abuse, disordered eating, gambling, murder, violence, mentions of prostitution
Having read and loved books by both Cavallaro and Henry, I went into Hello Girls fully expecting to enjoy it, and it did not disappoint. It’s a story of unlikely friendships, revenge, road trips, rebelling against the patriarchy, and ruthless women. (So, pretty much all my favorite things.)
“Why did people lie ? With their words, with their voices, with their bodies, with their beautiful houses and beautiful clothes and sometimes even their faces ? Why couldn’t everyone just be what they were ? Monsters should look like monsters.”
The plot of this book is nothing revolutionary– it’s a YA road trip powered by revenge, of which I’ve read several– but what makes Hello Girls shine, in my eyes, is our two main characters. Winona and Lucille represent two of the myriad ways society attempts to pin women down, to keep them quiet, to force them into prescribed roles, to trap them. The two come from vastly different circumstances, but they’re united in their desire for more. They want better for themselves, and they’re not afraid to take matters into their own hands to get it. At its heart, Hello Girls is a story of friendship, the kind of pure friendship that means you would do anything for the other person. (There are also heavy hints that their friendship has the potential to bloom into a romantic relationship, but there’s no confirmation of this, nor is there any explicit queer rep in the book.)
It’s this friendship that drives the plot of Hello Girls. It’s your classic running-from-the-law-and-their-past road trip journey– complete with robberies, murders, slights of hand, and more!– but Lucille and Winona’s friendship is the driving force behind it all. The beautiful friendship dynamic provided an excellent reprieve from the often-dark subject matter. I wouldn’t say this is the most suspenseful story I’ve ever read, but it kept me on the edge of my seat enough that I never wanted to stop reading. This is absolutely one of those books to devour in one sitting.
I would be remiss not to mention that this book deals with some pretty heavy subject matter, so please use caution and check the content warnings before going in. The two girls are fleeing Winona’s abusive local-celebrity father, Lucille’s manipulative and thieving drug-dealer brother, and in general, the expectations that society, especially men, places upon young women (namely the expectation to follow orders, stay silent and docile, and take whatever is dealt to you by people in positions of power). Though Winona and Lucille don’t necessarily deal with their trauma in healthy ways in this book, the authors never sensationalized or trivialized it, which I really appreciated. Hello Girls often touches on the pervasiveness of misogyny, and it shows up on pretty much every step of Winona and Lucille’s journey. It’s a book that makes explicitly clear something we already know– men are trash. Anyone who knows me knows I loved this theme, lol.
“Despite the way the world had seen them, despite what it had demanded of them, the lies it had told and the love it had taken away, the insistence that they be both more and less than who they were, despite the rent they had to pay, the utility bills, the days in line waiting for them at the DMV, the interviews for jobs, the meals they would have to make and the floors they would have to clean and the windows they would have to close against the night sky–
Lucille had the confused sense that they were still girls.
At least today.
At least right now.”
And I’ll be vague to avoid spoilers, but though a bit predictable, I will say that I enjoyed the ending– although I think it’s going to be a polarizing one. Overall, I thought Hello Girls was a fun ride from beginning to end, with the added bonus of lovable-but-flawed characters and a pleasantly surprising undercurrent of friendship throughout. It’s the perfect book to savor during these last few weeks of summer.
August 1, 2019
Reading vlogs: https://youtu.be/nWW4KiQLFqA & https://youtu.be/DG0ZQnYj7yY
August 1, 2019
despite the way the world had seen them, despite what it had demanded of them, the lies it had told and the love it had taken away, the insistence that they be both more and less than who they were, despite the rent they had to pay, the utility bills, the days in line waiting for them at the dmv, the interviews for jobs, the meals they would have to make and the floors they would have to clean and the windows they would have to close against the night sky –
lucille had the confused sense that they were still girls.
at least today.
at least right now.
*takes deep breath* oh my gosh, this book made me feel so many emotions. my mind is a complete mess – i need some time to organize my thoughts.
hello girls was not what i expected. i dived in expecting a fluffy road trip adventure – two best friends having the time of their lives, with the abuse and drug dealing as part of the backstory. domestic violence and drug trafficking turned out to be two main themes of the novel, and although it was not what i had in mind, i really liked how the problems were addressed in the book – i liked that instead of prettifying them, the authors let the characters seek solace in each other.
it took a while for me to actually get into the story. it was like i was thrown and stumbled into a random day in someone’s life with no prior knowledge of who they are. the multiple povs just made it even more complicated.
but after a while, when i got to the part where the two girls meet, things
winona did not look like a young audrey. she looked like a thumb. like a not-hot tom hiddleston. this was all wrong.
emily henry described this as “a good book with very bad ideas”, and i wholeheartedly agree. the storyline itself is good, but the ideas the girls come up with… are not. i wouldn’t say they’re immature (“reckless” would be a better word, maybe…?), but they plan the worst schemes. robbing a gas station and sleeping (literally) with a con man are just two of the many dumb things they did. but i totally understand – it’s not like they have a lot of choice – after all, they are two broke girls on the run. and, to be honest – bad decisions make good stories. i cracked up so hard reading the parts where they make (not necessarily legal) plans. these bad ideas are a reminder that the characters have flaws, and that made everything more three-dimensional and realistic.
although hello girls has its flaws, it’s a very impressive book overall (so much happened – i never got bored + the dark stuff was balanced out by winona and lucille’s amazing friendship) and i would highly recommend it. (also, i really need to give brittany cavallaro’s individual works a try sometime. i heard the charlotte holmes books are pretty good.)
trigger warnings: drugs, domestic abuse, gambling, murder, violence
my blog:
http://marshmallowpudding.home.blog
August 14, 2019
This was just okay for me. I was interested in where the story was going but around 60% it started to go flat for me.
The idea was good but it never felt fully formed and the girls didn't jump off the page. There were some good moments sprinkled throughout and some of the humor was okay. *shrugs* That's about it really.
A few times I thought I sense a different vibe between the girls but the authors didn't see how to go about it? Maybe? Could be just me.
Not a bad summer read, not a standout.
Writing was decent though.
The idea was good but it never felt fully formed and the girls didn't jump off the page. There were some good moments sprinkled throughout and some of the humor was okay. *shrugs* That's about it really.
A few times I thought I sense a different vibe between the girls but the authors didn't see how to go about it? Maybe? Could be just me.
Not a bad summer read, not a standout.
Writing was decent though.
August 20, 2019
this was really really really really really really really good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
there are so many great things about this book, but can i just say a few:
💋 the BEST FRIENDSHIP between winona and lucille was absolute GOALS and so so amazing !! the whole book is literally girls supporting girls and best girlfriends roadtripping across the country, robbing gas stations, and drugging men who buy pills to drug young women. absolutely badass, fun, and a little insane. i LOVE it. non and lucy always have each other’s backs and they look out for one another; they’re also gorging on gummy bears, taking a million selfies, or getting sweet revenge on an ex. it’s exactly what having a soul mate best friend is like, and i love how perfectly the authors captured that.
💋 i have never read a book by henry, but i loooove cavallaro’s charlotte holmes series. that’s the main reason why i picked this book up. in brittany’s writing, generally there’s a strong main plot that’s exciting and captivating, but it’s served with some serious themes on the side. in the charlotte holmes series, it’s topics like rape/sexual assault, addiction, ptsd & anger issues. in hello girls, there’s themes of domestic violence and abuse. i love that she includes topics like this; i think it’s really important to address these issues in literature, especially young adult, even when it’s not the main focus of the book. it adds depth to the story and also serves as a way to speak out about things like this. KUDOS !!!!!!
💋 lovable and relatable characters !! just yes !!!!!!!!!
💋 THIS COVER GOSH DARN 💓💕💓💕💓💕💓
i recommend this to anyone!! there aren’t that many ya books out there solely about unbreakable bonds between best friends, and this one is so empowering. L O V E !!!!
////
um hello girls yes
there are so many great things about this book, but can i just say a few:
💋 the BEST FRIENDSHIP between winona and lucille was absolute GOALS and so so amazing !! the whole book is literally girls supporting girls and best girlfriends roadtripping across the country, robbing gas stations, and drugging men who buy pills to drug young women. absolutely badass, fun, and a little insane. i LOVE it. non and lucy always have each other’s backs and they look out for one another; they’re also gorging on gummy bears, taking a million selfies, or getting sweet revenge on an ex. it’s exactly what having a soul mate best friend is like, and i love how perfectly the authors captured that.
💋 i have never read a book by henry, but i loooove cavallaro’s charlotte holmes series. that’s the main reason why i picked this book up. in brittany’s writing, generally there’s a strong main plot that’s exciting and captivating, but it’s served with some serious themes on the side. in the charlotte holmes series, it’s topics like rape/sexual assault, addiction, ptsd & anger issues. in hello girls, there’s themes of domestic violence and abuse. i love that she includes topics like this; i think it’s really important to address these issues in literature, especially young adult, even when it’s not the main focus of the book. it adds depth to the story and also serves as a way to speak out about things like this. KUDOS !!!!!!
💋 lovable and relatable characters !! just yes !!!!!!!!!
💋 THIS COVER GOSH DARN 💓💕💓💕💓💕💓
i recommend this to anyone!! there aren’t that many ya books out there solely about unbreakable bonds between best friends, and this one is so empowering. L O V E !!!!
////
um hello girls yes
July 30, 2019
I was completely sold on the idea of a Thelma and Louise story. I didn’t even need to know more than that.
I loved Winona and Lucille. They’re similar and entirely different and I really enjoyed seeing how they became friends. Nearly every man in this story is a d-bag, yet it was so accurate at the same time.
Plot wise, it’s sort of a roller coaster. There’s a bit of a slow start as we get the back story of the two of them, but when the bang hits, it doesn’t let go. The ending didn’t go in the direction I was expecting and it was better. At the same, I would have liked a bit more...
Overall, Winona and Lucille were characters that I was instantly rooting for and I would happily hang out with them. Excluding all of the illegal activity, of course.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Winona and Lucille. They’re similar and entirely different and I really enjoyed seeing how they became friends. Nearly every man in this story is a d-bag, yet it was so accurate at the same time.
Plot wise, it’s sort of a roller coaster. There’s a bit of a slow start as we get the back story of the two of them, but when the bang hits, it doesn’t let go. The ending didn’t go in the direction I was expecting and it was better. At the same, I would have liked a bit more...
Overall, Winona and Lucille were characters that I was instantly rooting for and I would happily hang out with them. Excluding all of the illegal activity, of course.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books for providing the arc free of charge**
July 28, 2019
Tw : physical abuse, manipulation
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
“Why did people lie ? With their words, with their voices, with their bodies, with their beautiful houses and beautiful clothes and sometimes even their faces ? Why couldn’t everyone just be what they were ? Monsters should look like monsters.”
Between the ages of 12 and 15, I dreamt of running away in a Thelma and Louise way (not because my life was horrible, but because of imagination and vicariously living through movies and books). Now that I think of it, if I had had to actually think a plan through… I would’ve been found dead somewhere (and not even in a ditch, probably just because I choked on a piece of broccoli. That didn’t make any sense, I don’t even like broccoli but it’s out there now).
The story follows Lucille and Winona, two seniors in high school, as they run away from their hometown.
Winona and Lucille do have very distinct backgrounds but are united by their profound friendship and their love for each other. Friendship Can Save Your Life and in that way, this book celebrates this type of friendship (which I love to read about) which is a pure-hearted, complete love for each other (and reminded me although the stories have nothing in common, about the way Blue describes her friendship with the Raven Boys).
While I enjoyed the premise of the story a lot, I thought that the two main characters weren’t distinguishable enough in the narrative. I liked the writing style despite that fact. Some parts I thought were predictable This book talks about the male gaze and how crushing it is which I thought was very well put. The ending was okay but left me unsatisfied.
Here’s what I disliked : the story felt like it was building towards a climactic point (I mean, there IS a murder at some point) except there was none. The girls go through a lot of dark stuff but it felt like the stakes were completely overlooked ? They did all these things but there were no consequences ? And so all of this happens and then… nothing, it’s the end. Which left me disappointed. Obviously I didn’t want them to end up in prison nor die a very tragic Thelma and Louise’ death but I wanted at least, something to happen.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
“Why did people lie ? With their words, with their voices, with their bodies, with their beautiful houses and beautiful clothes and sometimes even their faces ? Why couldn’t everyone just be what they were ? Monsters should look like monsters.”
Between the ages of 12 and 15, I dreamt of running away in a Thelma and Louise way (not because my life was horrible, but because of imagination and vicariously living through movies and books). Now that I think of it, if I had had to actually think a plan through… I would’ve been found dead somewhere (and not even in a ditch, probably just because I choked on a piece of broccoli. That didn’t make any sense, I don’t even like broccoli but it’s out there now).
The story follows Lucille and Winona, two seniors in high school, as they run away from their hometown.
Winona and Lucille do have very distinct backgrounds but are united by their profound friendship and their love for each other. Friendship Can Save Your Life and in that way, this book celebrates this type of friendship (which I love to read about) which is a pure-hearted, complete love for each other (and reminded me although the stories have nothing in common, about the way Blue describes her friendship with the Raven Boys).
While I enjoyed the premise of the story a lot, I thought that the two main characters weren’t distinguishable enough in the narrative. I liked the writing style despite that fact. Some parts I thought were predictable This book talks about the male gaze and how crushing it is which I thought was very well put. The ending was okay but left me unsatisfied.
Here’s what I disliked : the story felt like it was building towards a climactic point (I mean, there IS a murder at some point) except there was none. The girls go through a lot of dark stuff but it felt like the stakes were completely overlooked ? They did all these things but there were no consequences ? And so all of this happens and then… nothing, it’s the end. Which left me disappointed. Obviously I didn’t want them to end up in prison nor die a very tragic Thelma and Louise’ death but I wanted at least, something to happen.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
October 27, 2019
This is exactly the feminist revenge story I wanted when it was announced. This is to say, I was not at all disappointed by this book.
Who doesn't love two BFFs robbing convenience stores and driving across the country on the run from abusive family members? I adore some good road trip stories, and this one may just top any others I've ever read.
The idea of these two authors coming together to write this was honestly one of the best ideas of our generation. This book is riddled with feminist quips and best friend inside jokes and an overwhelming anthem of "eat the rich," which of course, I'm obviously here for. And there are SO MANY times where one of the girls has a smart comeback about how men are just constantly using girls for their own gain and it's just honestly a book I really loved to read for all of those elements alone, not to mention the amazing, sarcastic and relatable characters, the realistic portrayals of abuse and poverty, and an overall badass female duo.
I loved the character development between the two characters, and I really liked the exploration of the two different worlds these two girls come from compared to the other and how that ties into their friendship. It takes a lot of unlearning internalized ableism on Winnona's part, and I just really loved their friendship. This entire book is basically centred around their friendship and it's just as enthralling, if not more, than the situations they get themselves in. I loved the almost romanticism the dynamic between them takes on, I like that their future and friendship, in general, is mostly open-ended, it leaves a lot of room for afterthought, and I gotta admit, this story did stay with me for quite a bit of time after I'd finished reading it.
I just really love reading about friendship between girls, and the lengths they'll go for each other and I love it even more when it involves theft and fleeing cross-country. This is like, one of the best feminist anthems I've read in a while.
Who doesn't love two BFFs robbing convenience stores and driving across the country on the run from abusive family members? I adore some good road trip stories, and this one may just top any others I've ever read.
The idea of these two authors coming together to write this was honestly one of the best ideas of our generation. This book is riddled with feminist quips and best friend inside jokes and an overwhelming anthem of "eat the rich," which of course, I'm obviously here for. And there are SO MANY times where one of the girls has a smart comeback about how men are just constantly using girls for their own gain and it's just honestly a book I really loved to read for all of those elements alone, not to mention the amazing, sarcastic and relatable characters, the realistic portrayals of abuse and poverty, and an overall badass female duo.
I loved the character development between the two characters, and I really liked the exploration of the two different worlds these two girls come from compared to the other and how that ties into their friendship. It takes a lot of unlearning internalized ableism on Winnona's part, and I just really loved their friendship. This entire book is basically centred around their friendship and it's just as enthralling, if not more, than the situations they get themselves in. I loved the almost romanticism the dynamic between them takes on, I like that their future and friendship, in general, is mostly open-ended, it leaves a lot of room for afterthought, and I gotta admit, this story did stay with me for quite a bit of time after I'd finished reading it.
I just really love reading about friendship between girls, and the lengths they'll go for each other and I love it even more when it involves theft and fleeing cross-country. This is like, one of the best feminist anthems I've read in a while.
August 6, 2019
★★☆☆☆
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I did not feel connected to this story at all. I mixed up the two characters all the time, even in the end. This story made me feel NOTHING, which is something that never happend to me before. I did not have high expectations but I thought that I atleast would enjoy it a little bit, my mistake.
To be honest, I don't remeber what the story were about. Two girls going on a roadtrip, kinda. I know that one of the girls wanted to get away from her dad but I don't remember why the other girl wanted to run away.
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Comforting, Kayla from Booksandala had simular thoughts as me towards this book.
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I did not feel connected to this story at all. I mixed up the two characters all the time, even in the end. This story made me feel NOTHING, which is something that never happend to me before. I did not have high expectations but I thought that I atleast would enjoy it a little bit, my mistake.
To be honest, I don't remeber what the story were about. Two girls going on a roadtrip, kinda. I know that one of the girls wanted to get away from her dad but I don't remember why the other girl wanted to run away.
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Comforting, Kayla from Booksandala had simular thoughts as me towards this book.
August 23, 2019
2.5/ 5 stars
Hello Girls is Young Adult contemporary fiction.
The narrators are 17 year olds Winona and Lucille (3rd person POVs).
The story is about two best friends who leave their awful family members behind. They go on a road trip Thelma & Louise style. The story is a bit dark.
I liked both girls. But I was very angry at both of their home situations. They both had male family members who were horrible people.
I liked the idea of this book. Two teens going on the road. I didn't mind some of the things that they had to do to make money (casino, pool hall stuff...). But I really wasn't a fan of most of the other stuff that they did. I don't think that it was necessary to have them do any of the more hardcore things.
Overall, the story was just much darker than I was expecting. And some of the things that happened towards the end were just too much for me.
Thanks to edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me to read this book.
Hello Girls is Young Adult contemporary fiction.
The narrators are 17 year olds Winona and Lucille (3rd person POVs).
The story is about two best friends who leave their awful family members behind. They go on a road trip Thelma & Louise style. The story is a bit dark.
I liked both girls. But I was very angry at both of their home situations. They both had male family members who were horrible people.
I liked the idea of this book. Two teens going on the road. I didn't mind some of the things that they had to do to make money (casino, pool hall stuff...). But I really wasn't a fan of most of the other stuff that they did. I don't think that it was necessary to have them do any of the more hardcore things.
Overall, the story was just much darker than I was expecting. And some of the things that happened towards the end were just too much for me.
Thanks to edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me to read this book.
Read
August 23, 2019Mehhhhh. I mean, I finished it, but I was bored. And I felt more connected the characters before they ran away than I did for the rest of the book. I just didn’t connect at all. And I guess it all felt unrealistic?
My biggest thing is this was just so white. So white feminist. They were killing and stealing and got away with everything and the ONLY reason why that happened is because they were two white girls and society looks at them like they cannot do wrong. There was a lot about patriarchy and misogyny in this, but it just sort of irritates me, because they were SO WHITE.
I guess I can’t fault the authors for writing based on their experiences, but I don’t have to like the book, either.
My biggest thing is this was just so white. So white feminist. They were killing and stealing and got away with everything and the ONLY reason why that happened is because they were two white girls and society looks at them like they cannot do wrong. There was a lot about patriarchy and misogyny in this, but it just sort of irritates me, because they were SO WHITE.
I guess I can’t fault the authors for writing based on their experiences, but I don’t have to like the book, either.
May 13, 2022
Un roman original, très addictif et assez sombre que j’ai bien aimé ! C’est un road trip déjanté et remplis de dangers, avec des rebondissements de tous les côtés ! Les personnages sont attachants, l’histoire touchante, mais j’avoue avoir eu du mal avec le style d’écriture : c’était un peu trop saccadé pour moi ? Je ne sais pas bien comment l’expliquer, en tout cas c’est ce qui a fait que c’est « juste » une bonne lecture alors que ça a clairement le potentiel d’être une très bonne lecture !
TW : relations toxiques et abusives, violence, drogues.
TW : relations toxiques et abusives, violence, drogues.
October 7, 2020
2.5 stars
winona olsen lives a supposedly blessed life; she is the daughter of stormy olsen, the meteorologist of the town of kingsville, known for his philanthropic efforts and his kind and loving nature. but other than him, only winona knows of the cigarette burn on her skin, the snipping of her beautiful auburn hair, and the locked keys of the pantry. only she knows of the monster that lurks behind the kind exterior of her father.
lucille pryce is done with living a half-life : she wants to provide her single mother with everything her estranged father could never give them. it doesn't help that her adult brother is a drug-dealer, with the most prominent drug he sells being 'roofies', also known as date rape drugs.
they meet at a police station one night; winona wanting to report her bruises and lucille, her black eye from a fight with her brother ( who also stole her money, that she had earned ). after ditching the idea for their own reasons, they head back, and in time, a powerful friendship blooms between them.
but one day, when they cannot bear any more of their respective 'homes', they decide that they can't wait until graduation to run away from their families forever. they need to get away, immediately. with some money, a car and their wits, they come across many obstacles, both outwitting others, as well as being outwitted themselves.
i'm in an actual dilemma trying to rate this book because in some other time i would have loved it more than i did when i read it now. i struggled to finish it off, because i wasn't being able to see the point some times.
in the beginning i felt like lucille would be yet another cliche pretty, blond white girl, but she really proved herself as the story progressed. and for that i liked lucille a lot more than winona, whom i didn't like much ?
the story was very predictable at times, too. i saw that ending coming, and if you read it, i know you did too. .
there definitely seemed to be something hinted between winona and lucille, but i'm still debating what the authors wanted us to perceive from these two. as much as i'm obsessed with flf stories ( not going to lie, i picked this one up expecting some flf content heh heh ), i wouldn't mind reading a story about two friends who have a very deep love for each other. it could've been made clear, is all i'm saying.
all of that being said, i did enjoy few bits of the story, for instance when they're both driving in the oldsmobile and winona's looking at lucille and realising how they're never going to have that moment again. i don't know, i just really loved how that scene was written ?
would recommend if you're looking for a road-trip YA novel about two girls who have the world when they're with each other. but be warned for the plot which sags in a few places.
rep for :
👩🏻i think it was implied that lucille was not heterosexual ? same for winona. they both were definitely sexually ( and in the case of winona, romantically as well ) attracted to boys. it's all very ambiguous and confusing
winona olsen lives a supposedly blessed life; she is the daughter of stormy olsen, the meteorologist of the town of kingsville, known for his philanthropic efforts and his kind and loving nature. but other than him, only winona knows of the cigarette burn on her skin, the snipping of her beautiful auburn hair, and the locked keys of the pantry. only she knows of the monster that lurks behind the kind exterior of her father.
lucille pryce is done with living a half-life : she wants to provide her single mother with everything her estranged father could never give them. it doesn't help that her adult brother is a drug-dealer, with the most prominent drug he sells being 'roofies', also known as date rape drugs.
they meet at a police station one night; winona wanting to report her bruises and lucille, her black eye from a fight with her brother ( who also stole her money, that she had earned ). after ditching the idea for their own reasons, they head back, and in time, a powerful friendship blooms between them.
but one day, when they cannot bear any more of their respective 'homes', they decide that they can't wait until graduation to run away from their families forever. they need to get away, immediately. with some money, a car and their wits, they come across many obstacles, both outwitting others, as well as being outwitted themselves.
i'm in an actual dilemma trying to rate this book because in some other time i would have loved it more than i did when i read it now. i struggled to finish it off, because i wasn't being able to see the point some times.
in the beginning i felt like lucille would be yet another cliche pretty, blond white girl, but she really proved herself as the story progressed. and for that i liked lucille a lot more than winona, whom i didn't like much ?
the story was very predictable at times, too. i saw that ending coming, and if you read it, i know you did too. .
there definitely seemed to be something hinted between winona and lucille, but i'm still debating what the authors wanted us to perceive from these two. as much as i'm obsessed with flf stories ( not going to lie, i picked this one up expecting some flf content heh heh ), i wouldn't mind reading a story about two friends who have a very deep love for each other. it could've been made clear, is all i'm saying.
all of that being said, i did enjoy few bits of the story, for instance when they're both driving in the oldsmobile and winona's looking at lucille and realising how they're never going to have that moment again. i don't know, i just really loved how that scene was written ?
would recommend if you're looking for a road-trip YA novel about two girls who have the world when they're with each other. but be warned for the plot which sags in a few places.
rep for :
👩🏻i think it was implied that lucille was not heterosexual ? same for winona. they both were definitely sexually ( and in the case of winona, romantically as well ) attracted to boys. it's all very ambiguous and confusing
December 8, 2020
This book is the equivalent of a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's hilarious at momments, caustic and sad in others, the situations, costumes, the way the action evolves it's high cinematic. The relationship between the two MC's is something to admire in real life, the strength and support they provide each other is astonishing.
Emily Henry has become one of my favorite authors (even though Beach Read was a total miss IMHO) and in this book she proves once again the diversity of her writting.
Emily Henry has become one of my favorite authors (even though Beach Read was a total miss IMHO) and in this book she proves once again the diversity of her writting.
Shelved as 'not-released-tbr'
May 24, 2020
March 12, 2021
*screams* I LOVE THIS BOOK! I LOVE THIS BOOK! I LOVE THIS BOOK!
OMG
alexa, play "no body, no crime" and "mad woman" by Taylor Swift right now!
i have at least fifteen different emotions in my heart right now and 4 of them are shouting: WINONA AND LUCILLE LOVE EACH OTHER! THEY WILL BE GIRLFRIENDS! THEY WILL THEY WILL THEY WILL!
a (sort of) win for wlw everywhere.
rtc!!!
OMG
alexa, play "no body, no crime" and "mad woman" by Taylor Swift right now!
i have at least fifteen different emotions in my heart right now and 4 of them are shouting: WINONA AND LUCILLE LOVE EACH OTHER! THEY WILL BE GIRLFRIENDS! THEY WILL THEY WILL THEY WILL!
a (sort of) win for wlw everywhere.
rtc!!!
November 8, 2020
Hello Girls follows the story of two best friends named Winona and Lucille on this epic road-trip to escape their toxic family lives, spreading its themes of friendship, feminism and crime one mile at a time. I really really wish I had enjoyed it, but to be honest giving this book three stars is honestly probably an overstatement. I genuinely did not enjoy it all that much.
- One of the few good things about this book is its "men are trash" feminist mantra it spreads on each page. Two girls dismantling the patriarchy will never get old and will never not bring me utmost joy even when the rest of the book is severely underwhelming.
- The book sure is eventful and crazy. I think with all the insane events going on, it could work really well as a movie. It will grasp your attention (though it can be fairly overwhelming at times and hard to follow) is full of action, dark, and not "boring" in any way.
- The girls' backstories are well fleshed out and unique and give a sense of motivation and depth to their characters and shape who they are and how they act across the road-trip. As much as the characters themselves are kind of poor, I felt this was something that was deliberately done and I think it worked fairly well.
- The friendship dynamic felt.. off. The book alludes to the fact that they met several months ago but their relationship doesn't feel that way? They're written as these epic inseparable "two peas in a pod" friendship, but the dynamic and chemistry felt way off. It was also the casual mentions that they both like each other somewhat, that felt a little icky-- it was not necessary to bring up casually and never to talk about it again, especially when I can't even see them remotely as friends to begin with so, to even consider themselves have romantic feelings for each other feels odd, if that makes any sense?
- The characters are horribly built. They are so similarly written and their own defining character trait is their backstories. As said before, I felt like that was a pro to the story but in all honesty, their voices were nearly identical and made the characters seem weak and rushed. Sometimes one would be the sassy, witty one and the other would be the calm, mild-mannered one bringing reason to the group, but with them switching all the time with no consistency, it really bugged me.
- The actual "point" of the book is horribly done. The two characters go on this road-trip for one sole reason, and how that reason is dealt with is so completely rushed, and then the book has three pages of forcing this feministic hopeful piece down our throats, that is not all that convincing. All in all, it wasn't that satisfying.
Overall, I think if you're looking for a feminist fast-paced road-trip novel, I would still recommend! But for me, it was a bit of a disappointment.
- One of the few good things about this book is its "men are trash" feminist mantra it spreads on each page. Two girls dismantling the patriarchy will never get old and will never not bring me utmost joy even when the rest of the book is severely underwhelming.
- The book sure is eventful and crazy. I think with all the insane events going on, it could work really well as a movie. It will grasp your attention (though it can be fairly overwhelming at times and hard to follow) is full of action, dark, and not "boring" in any way.
- The girls' backstories are well fleshed out and unique and give a sense of motivation and depth to their characters and shape who they are and how they act across the road-trip. As much as the characters themselves are kind of poor, I felt this was something that was deliberately done and I think it worked fairly well.
- The friendship dynamic felt.. off. The book alludes to the fact that they met several months ago but their relationship doesn't feel that way? They're written as these epic inseparable "two peas in a pod" friendship, but the dynamic and chemistry felt way off. It was also the casual mentions that they both like each other somewhat, that felt a little icky-- it was not necessary to bring up casually and never to talk about it again, especially when I can't even see them remotely as friends to begin with so, to even consider themselves have romantic feelings for each other feels odd, if that makes any sense?
- The characters are horribly built. They are so similarly written and their own defining character trait is their backstories. As said before, I felt like that was a pro to the story but in all honesty, their voices were nearly identical and made the characters seem weak and rushed. Sometimes one would be the sassy, witty one and the other would be the calm, mild-mannered one bringing reason to the group, but with them switching all the time with no consistency, it really bugged me.
- The actual "point" of the book is horribly done. The two characters go on this road-trip for one sole reason, and how that reason is dealt with is so completely rushed, and then the book has three pages of forcing this feministic hopeful piece down our throats, that is not all that convincing. All in all, it wasn't that satisfying.
Overall, I think if you're looking for a feminist fast-paced road-trip novel, I would still recommend! But for me, it was a bit of a disappointment.
February 14, 2019
This was sent to me by the publisher, in return for an honest review. Of course, all thoughts are my own.
3.5 stars.
I have incredibly mixed feelings about this book.
This seems to have been written for me. My favorite trope *ever* is vigilante teenage girls. I just find the entire trope so thrilling and impowering. While I loved that aspect of HELLO GIRLS, it's far from a perfect story.
First off, these girls are pretty dumb. I can't go into too much detail since the parts where their lack of thinking would be a spoiler, all I can say is that it was incredibly frustrating to see these girls make these terrible decisions and then act dumbfounded whenever it blew up in their faces, even though there was a much smarter solution, fifty pages beforehand.
On top of that, GIRLS suffers from way too much inner dialogue. I'm a reader who *loves* dialogue, so this is definitely a personal thing, but I found myself skimming a lot of what was going on in the girls' heads because it was just too drawn on.
Lastly for the negatives, I had a hard time telling the two girls apart. It's very similar to my experience with Albertalli & Silvera's WHAT IF IT'S US. These two authors' voices are just too similar for me to not constantly second guess who's head I was in, which led to me not connecting as much with the girls as I wanted to.
I know I seem pretty critical about this book, but it really is something I'll remember for awhile.
I LOVE how these girls didn't really give a shit about anyone else but them. They're definitely flawed characters and it was nice to see them not turn into these girls with an amazing moral compass.
It's so incredibly fun and the girls *do* get smart towards the end and I could seriously see this becoming a movie.
Overall, I recommend this for fans of GONE GIRL and BIG LITTLE LIES who may be looking for a younger version of these stories.
TW: domestic violence
3.5 stars.
I have incredibly mixed feelings about this book.
This seems to have been written for me. My favorite trope *ever* is vigilante teenage girls. I just find the entire trope so thrilling and impowering. While I loved that aspect of HELLO GIRLS, it's far from a perfect story.
First off, these girls are pretty dumb. I can't go into too much detail since the parts where their lack of thinking would be a spoiler, all I can say is that it was incredibly frustrating to see these girls make these terrible decisions and then act dumbfounded whenever it blew up in their faces, even though there was a much smarter solution, fifty pages beforehand.
On top of that, GIRLS suffers from way too much inner dialogue. I'm a reader who *loves* dialogue, so this is definitely a personal thing, but I found myself skimming a lot of what was going on in the girls' heads because it was just too drawn on.
Lastly for the negatives, I had a hard time telling the two girls apart. It's very similar to my experience with Albertalli & Silvera's WHAT IF IT'S US. These two authors' voices are just too similar for me to not constantly second guess who's head I was in, which led to me not connecting as much with the girls as I wanted to.
I know I seem pretty critical about this book, but it really is something I'll remember for awhile.
I LOVE how these girls didn't really give a shit about anyone else but them. They're definitely flawed characters and it was nice to see them not turn into these girls with an amazing moral compass.
It's so incredibly fun and the girls *do* get smart towards the end and I could seriously see this becoming a movie.
Overall, I recommend this for fans of GONE GIRL and BIG LITTLE LIES who may be looking for a younger version of these stories.
TW: domestic violence
August 7, 2019
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .
Parts of this book were super. Like a road trip! And two young women being completely over the patriarchy! And strong female friendships! But for whatever reason (and I can't fully articulate them which I realize makes me the worst), I just never fully connected to the characters, and by extension, the story.
Here's the thing: most of the people in this story are pure and total garbage. Not Lucille and Winona, they're just caught in the crosshairs of a lot of bad actors. Winona's dad is the trashiest garbage of them all, abusing his daughter every chance he gets. He's giving meteorologists everywhere a bad name, tbh. And I was glad as anything when Winona ran the hell away from him. And Lucille helping her? Yep, made me love her too.
Lucille isn't exactly doing great either. Mom's always working, and her brother is a drug dealer who stole all her money. So it's... depressing at best. And most of the people they encounter along the way are also pretty much human dumpsters. Maybe it's the hopelessness of the whole thing that made it hard for me to connect? I am not really sure.
For what it's worth, the road trip itself is fun, and the plot itself was entertaining enough to make me want to keep reading. I also liked the characters, but more at a surface level, if that makes sense? Regardless, it was all enough to be at least a worthwhile read!
Bottom Line: While I didn't love it quite as much as I'd hoped, I am always here for strong women taking control of their destinies. And also driving across the country.
Parts of this book were super. Like a road trip! And two young women being completely over the patriarchy! And strong female friendships! But for whatever reason (and I can't fully articulate them which I realize makes me the worst), I just never fully connected to the characters, and by extension, the story.
Here's the thing: most of the people in this story are pure and total garbage. Not Lucille and Winona, they're just caught in the crosshairs of a lot of bad actors. Winona's dad is the trashiest garbage of them all, abusing his daughter every chance he gets. He's giving meteorologists everywhere a bad name, tbh. And I was glad as anything when Winona ran the hell away from him. And Lucille helping her? Yep, made me love her too.
Lucille isn't exactly doing great either. Mom's always working, and her brother is a drug dealer who stole all her money. So it's... depressing at best. And most of the people they encounter along the way are also pretty much human dumpsters. Maybe it's the hopelessness of the whole thing that made it hard for me to connect? I am not really sure.
For what it's worth, the road trip itself is fun, and the plot itself was entertaining enough to make me want to keep reading. I also liked the characters, but more at a surface level, if that makes sense? Regardless, it was all enough to be at least a worthwhile read!
Bottom Line: While I didn't love it quite as much as I'd hoped, I am always here for strong women taking control of their destinies. And also driving across the country.
March 15, 2018
THIS IS MY EVERYTHING!!!!!!
December 17, 2018
This was such an amazing read! Girl power to the max; it was so funny and empowering!
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Harper Collins for the free ARC!
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Harper Collins for the free ARC!
January 15, 2020
Two best friends go on a road trip to get away from their shitty home life and wow what an intense book!
I really enjoyed reading this but it was pretty dark. Winona and Lucille can’t catch a break in life and it’s so sad too see them struggling to break free. The middle was a bit slow and I struggled to keep reading but it picks up at the end. The ending was very frustrating but overall not a terrible book.
-3.5 STARS-
*Definitely reminded me a lot of Thelma and Louise*
I really enjoyed reading this but it was pretty dark. Winona and Lucille can’t catch a break in life and it’s so sad too see them struggling to break free. The middle was a bit slow and I struggled to keep reading but it picks up at the end. The ending was very frustrating but overall not a terrible book.
-3.5 STARS-
*Definitely reminded me a lot of Thelma and Louise*
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