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Chicken Girl
Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she's having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2019
3 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
About the author
Heather Smith
14 books171 followersOriginally from Newfoundland, Heather Smith now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her Newfoundland roots inspire much of her writing.
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May 24, 2020
February 28, 2019
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Chicken Girl by Heather Smith is a book that will tug at your heart strings. There are quite a few issues the novel explores, most importantly the effects of online bullying. This contemporary is also one that has quite a few interesting characters that are enjoyable to read about.
❀ A GREAT MESSAGE
This is the first novel that I have read by Heather Smith and I am really blown away by her ability to write about human emotion. Poppy is such a fantastic character that really seems to grow from her experiences and interactions with her new friends. It is heartbreaking to think that a negative online experience can have such a profound effect on someone’s life. Also, there is a great message here about respect, both online and in the real world.
❀ ENTERTAINING CHARACTERS
There are quite a few side characters in the novel that are entertaining to read about. The eclectic cast gives a lot of spice to the novel. I fell in love with Lewis right away and I wish that the book was a bit longer so that more of his story could have been explored. At just over 200 pages, it doesn’t leave a lot of room to dive into the many subplots of the novel.
Chicken Girl is a short contemporary read that discusses some important issues in today’s society. It has some wonderful messages and interesting characters. Also, I wish that the book had been a bit longer to read. Perhaps Heather Smith will write a sequel that looks at some of the other issues addressed in greater detail.
Chicken Girl by Heather Smith is a book that will tug at your heart strings. There are quite a few issues the novel explores, most importantly the effects of online bullying. This contemporary is also one that has quite a few interesting characters that are enjoyable to read about.
❀ A GREAT MESSAGE
This is the first novel that I have read by Heather Smith and I am really blown away by her ability to write about human emotion. Poppy is such a fantastic character that really seems to grow from her experiences and interactions with her new friends. It is heartbreaking to think that a negative online experience can have such a profound effect on someone’s life. Also, there is a great message here about respect, both online and in the real world.
❀ ENTERTAINING CHARACTERS
There are quite a few side characters in the novel that are entertaining to read about. The eclectic cast gives a lot of spice to the novel. I fell in love with Lewis right away and I wish that the book was a bit longer so that more of his story could have been explored. At just over 200 pages, it doesn’t leave a lot of room to dive into the many subplots of the novel.
Chicken Girl is a short contemporary read that discusses some important issues in today’s society. It has some wonderful messages and interesting characters. Also, I wish that the book had been a bit longer to read. Perhaps Heather Smith will write a sequel that looks at some of the other issues addressed in greater detail.
June 14, 2019
ummmmm were there NO sensitivity readers for this book???? yikes
December 31, 2021
0.5 stars
CW:
Here are all the worst parts of Chicken Girl so you can train your gag reflex without reading the book...
"Are you sick?"
"Ha! Yeah. Sick of being trapped in the wrong body."
"What do you mean?"
"I’m hoping, someday, to get bottom surgery."
"What like butt implants?"
He laughed. "No."
"So what was your name before?" I asked.
He cringed. "That’s kind of a rude question."
"Is it?" I said. "I’m sorry."
"It’s just... it’s so irrelevant, you know? I’m Lewis now. That’s what matters."
I thought about that for a few seconds.
"I can see that," I said. "It’d be like if your dog died and you got a new one and everyone was like ‘Hey this dog sucks, your old one was way better.’"
He laughed. "Um. Actually no. It’s not like that at all."
"If you’re a boy who likes girls but you were born a girl, does that make you a lesbian even though in your head and heart you’re one hundred percent boy?"
He looked back at his reflection and continued shaving. "I think you just answered your own question. A transgender boy is one hundred percent boy and therefore is like anyone else- they’re either straight, into girls -or gay, into guys. Or they can fall anywhere in between... just like anyone else."
"That’s what I thought. It gets confusing sometimes."
"All those boxing lessons," I said. "Why didn’t you fight?"
Cam spun round. Raw anger flashed in his eyes. "Are you serious right now?"
"It’s just that you’re trained to fight..."
"Would it have been my fault if I hadn’t?"
"That’s not what I meant."
He glared at me before turning to face the ceiling.
I reached out, touched his arm. "Are you mad at me?"
He laughed. "It’s not always about you, Pops."
I was hurt and he was angry but I needed to know.
"Cam?" I asked. "How far did it go?"
He rolled over and faced the wall. "Far enough."
"Why don’t you give me a break, Lewis? I feel guilt enough as it is."
"I’m just making a point," he said. "There’s a while psychology around victim blaming. People want to believe the world is good, that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. When bad things happen to good people, it feels as though no one is safe, so they rationalise it to feel less vulnerable."
"You’re making me sound really selfish. My brother was assaulted and my heart is broken! And trust me, I know that bad things happen to good people. I watched a cat get put in a microwave and I am sure that cat was a good person!"
Lady and the Tramp appeared on the flat-screen TV. We sang the Siamese-cat song even though it felt racist
"I wish her mother would do a better job of keeping an eye on her," I said.
"It takes a village, Poppy Flower."
"Where’s the village when she’s down on James Street with the drug addicts and crazy people?"
"James Street is the village," he said. "Part of it anyway."
"James Street? A village?" I said. "Pfssh. More like a slum. If you ask me, that place needs cleaning up."
"It’s not cleaning it needs," said Mr Chen. "It’s fixing. I’ve been fighting for a long time for more services down there, to get the police focused on harm reduction, not law enforcement, to open more health clinics."
CW:
Here are all the worst parts of Chicken Girl so you can train your gag reflex without reading the book...
"Are you sick?"
"Ha! Yeah. Sick of being trapped in the wrong body."
"What do you mean?"
"I’m hoping, someday, to get bottom surgery."
"What like butt implants?"
He laughed. "No."
"So what was your name before?" I asked.
He cringed. "That’s kind of a rude question."
"Is it?" I said. "I’m sorry."
"It’s just... it’s so irrelevant, you know? I’m Lewis now. That’s what matters."
I thought about that for a few seconds.
"I can see that," I said. "It’d be like if your dog died and you got a new one and everyone was like ‘Hey this dog sucks, your old one was way better.’"
He laughed. "Um. Actually no. It’s not like that at all."
"If you’re a boy who likes girls but you were born a girl, does that make you a lesbian even though in your head and heart you’re one hundred percent boy?"
He looked back at his reflection and continued shaving. "I think you just answered your own question. A transgender boy is one hundred percent boy and therefore is like anyone else- they’re either straight, into girls -or gay, into guys. Or they can fall anywhere in between... just like anyone else."
"That’s what I thought. It gets confusing sometimes."
"All those boxing lessons," I said. "Why didn’t you fight?"
Cam spun round. Raw anger flashed in his eyes. "Are you serious right now?"
"It’s just that you’re trained to fight..."
"Would it have been my fault if I hadn’t?"
"That’s not what I meant."
He glared at me before turning to face the ceiling.
I reached out, touched his arm. "Are you mad at me?"
He laughed. "It’s not always about you, Pops."
I was hurt and he was angry but I needed to know.
"Cam?" I asked. "How far did it go?"
He rolled over and faced the wall. "Far enough."
"Why don’t you give me a break, Lewis? I feel guilt enough as it is."
"I’m just making a point," he said. "There’s a while psychology around victim blaming. People want to believe the world is good, that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. When bad things happen to good people, it feels as though no one is safe, so they rationalise it to feel less vulnerable."
"You’re making me sound really selfish. My brother was assaulted and my heart is broken! And trust me, I know that bad things happen to good people. I watched a cat get put in a microwave and I am sure that cat was a good person!"
Lady and the Tramp appeared on the flat-screen TV. We sang the Siamese-cat song even though it felt racist
"I wish her mother would do a better job of keeping an eye on her," I said.
"It takes a village, Poppy Flower."
"Where’s the village when she’s down on James Street with the drug addicts and crazy people?"
"James Street is the village," he said. "Part of it anyway."
"James Street? A village?" I said. "Pfssh. More like a slum. If you ask me, that place needs cleaning up."
"It’s not cleaning it needs," said Mr Chen. "It’s fixing. I’ve been fighting for a long time for more services down there, to get the police focused on harm reduction, not law enforcement, to open more health clinics."
September 11, 2019
I really can't say that I hated this book, but it definitely tested my patience. There were a couple of parts that were ok, but on the whole, this book needed a ton of work.
The premise is that the main character, Poppy, posts a picture of herself online as Rosie the Riveter and someone posts it to a subreddit for fat-shaming. The book starts after the photo has been posted and deals with her reaction to it.
I know the internet can be awful, but I really thought Poppy's response was over the top. I think the premise is interesting - when you go viral online for bad reasons - but a lot of it was in her head. There were nasty comments, but the photo was nowhere near as viral as most things are today. She had to go out of her way to show the photo to people, which kind of proves that she was making a bigger deal out of it than it was.
Also, obviously body image can be an issue for anyone, but Poppy does acknowledge that she's pretty in shape, with some build on her. I think it sends a mixed message that Poppy has a healthy body but is still so "ugly" - it could've been worked to show how everyone deals with self-consciousness, but it kind of came off like "she thinks she's ugly and we're going to focus on her instead of someone who's REALLY ugly," i.e., someone who definitely doesn't conform to societal beauty standards. It just felt like the story was really cheating when it came to the self-love issues.
The book has a fair amount of diverse characters, but it's really written not well at all. There are three supporting characters of color (one being a trans man) and one white gay character. The book primarily touches on LGBT issues and doesn't really mention race: Smith does the thing white authors do where she'll sneakily drop an "ethnic" last name or make a comment about the character and expect you to figure it out, but won't actually describe what the character looks like.
The LGBT characters aren't treated well, and the story acknowledges this, but also doesn't do anything about it. For example, Poppy asks about someone's deadname, and in response they say something like "that's not really appropriate to ask," and then it's completely dropped. She'd say really ignorant things that would be acknowledged as harmful, and then someone would say not to say that and then the story would move on while not talking about the fact that those ideas are harmful to marginalized people. I get that maybe Smith was trying to start a conversation without making the book entirely about LGBT issues, but it was super jarring to have these problematic ideas raised and then dropped like they're nothing.
The same thing came up for race, but less frequently. She talks about watching The Lady and the Tramp and singing along to the Siamese cat song "even though it feels racist," which is a wild cop-out between acknowledging that Poppy is passively racist and not mentioning the song at all. It really goes to show how she's very privileged and judgmental and the book wants you to know but it doesn't really want to challenge her on that.
At the heart of the book, this goes back to the fact that Poppy claims to love Rosie the Riveter and be a feminist, but she really isn't. She shames sex workers and thinks that girls can grow up to be whatever they want to be, unless it's something "degrading" like being a backup dancer. She literally says at one point that she was born in the wrong generation because morally, everything was so clear-cut under Hitler.
Poppy has the best intentions, but always ends up centering herself in the middle of whatever's happening. It's really gross that in a book with so many interesting characters, it focuses on the least interesting character of all.
The premise is that the main character, Poppy, posts a picture of herself online as Rosie the Riveter and someone posts it to a subreddit for fat-shaming. The book starts after the photo has been posted and deals with her reaction to it.
I know the internet can be awful, but I really thought Poppy's response was over the top. I think the premise is interesting - when you go viral online for bad reasons - but a lot of it was in her head. There were nasty comments, but the photo was nowhere near as viral as most things are today. She had to go out of her way to show the photo to people, which kind of proves that she was making a bigger deal out of it than it was.
Also, obviously body image can be an issue for anyone, but Poppy does acknowledge that she's pretty in shape, with some build on her. I think it sends a mixed message that Poppy has a healthy body but is still so "ugly" - it could've been worked to show how everyone deals with self-consciousness, but it kind of came off like "she thinks she's ugly and we're going to focus on her instead of someone who's REALLY ugly," i.e., someone who definitely doesn't conform to societal beauty standards. It just felt like the story was really cheating when it came to the self-love issues.
The book has a fair amount of diverse characters, but it's really written not well at all. There are three supporting characters of color (one being a trans man) and one white gay character. The book primarily touches on LGBT issues and doesn't really mention race: Smith does the thing white authors do where she'll sneakily drop an "ethnic" last name or make a comment about the character and expect you to figure it out, but won't actually describe what the character looks like.
The LGBT characters aren't treated well, and the story acknowledges this, but also doesn't do anything about it. For example, Poppy asks about someone's deadname, and in response they say something like "that's not really appropriate to ask," and then it's completely dropped. She'd say really ignorant things that would be acknowledged as harmful, and then someone would say not to say that and then the story would move on while not talking about the fact that those ideas are harmful to marginalized people. I get that maybe Smith was trying to start a conversation without making the book entirely about LGBT issues, but it was super jarring to have these problematic ideas raised and then dropped like they're nothing.
The same thing came up for race, but less frequently. She talks about watching The Lady and the Tramp and singing along to the Siamese cat song "even though it feels racist," which is a wild cop-out between acknowledging that Poppy is passively racist and not mentioning the song at all. It really goes to show how she's very privileged and judgmental and the book wants you to know but it doesn't really want to challenge her on that.
At the heart of the book, this goes back to the fact that Poppy claims to love Rosie the Riveter and be a feminist, but she really isn't. She shames sex workers and thinks that girls can grow up to be whatever they want to be, unless it's something "degrading" like being a backup dancer. She literally says at one point that she was born in the wrong generation because morally, everything was so clear-cut under Hitler.
Poppy has the best intentions, but always ends up centering herself in the middle of whatever's happening. It's really gross that in a book with so many interesting characters, it focuses on the least interesting character of all.
February 25, 2019
MY RATING: 3/5
I received an arc from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for a honest review.
Chicken Girl by Heather Smith follows the story of a modern day teenage girl named Poppy, who is victim of online bullying. Distressed, and heartbroken over her peers mockery, she tries her best to avoid most of the situation by focusing on what she knows best. This includes Poppy continuing her part-time job, wearing a chicken suit, and tossing and twirling a sign on the side of the street for a restaurant. Like Heather Smith's previous novel, The Agony of Bun O'Keefe, there are a central group of mismatched characters, each with their own unique back stories and their own problems to sort through.
The issues that I have that are similar to other reviewers include Poppy and Buck's relationship. Buck, on paper, didn't seem like the right match for Poppy. He was insulting and rude, no matter of his charming attitude or his British accent. It appears that others have issues with the sex scenes as they didn't practice safe-sex. There are also many trigger warnings in this novel including gruesome descriptive content from what Poppy watches online that readers should be warned and cautioned! I am starting to find that Heather Smith does not shy away from raw scenes.
However, Heather Smith is not afraid of always including a well represented cast of characters including Poppy's openly gay male brother that will make readers fall deeply in love with for his personality, wit, and strength.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Read more reviews to figure out if this book is right for you and if the triggers are something that you're sensitive too!
I received an arc from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for a honest review.
Chicken Girl by Heather Smith follows the story of a modern day teenage girl named Poppy, who is victim of online bullying. Distressed, and heartbroken over her peers mockery, she tries her best to avoid most of the situation by focusing on what she knows best. This includes Poppy continuing her part-time job, wearing a chicken suit, and tossing and twirling a sign on the side of the street for a restaurant. Like Heather Smith's previous novel, The Agony of Bun O'Keefe, there are a central group of mismatched characters, each with their own unique back stories and their own problems to sort through.
The issues that I have that are similar to other reviewers include Poppy and Buck's relationship. Buck, on paper, didn't seem like the right match for Poppy. He was insulting and rude, no matter of his charming attitude or his British accent. It appears that others have issues with the sex scenes as they didn't practice safe-sex. There are also many trigger warnings in this novel including gruesome descriptive content from what Poppy watches online that readers should be warned and cautioned! I am starting to find that Heather Smith does not shy away from raw scenes.
However, Heather Smith is not afraid of always including a well represented cast of characters including Poppy's openly gay male brother that will make readers fall deeply in love with for his personality, wit, and strength.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Read more reviews to figure out if this book is right for you and if the triggers are something that you're sensitive too!
May 28, 2019
"That's why I started wallowing- because being miserable when you're wallowing is way easier than being miserable while you're having fun."
I was sent this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
I do want to point out that the author had a few LGBT characters into this novel, and I was really excited to finally see an FTM character pop-up, however there were a few problems I had with the inclusion of LGBT characters. I didn't necessarily love the way Cam's gayness was approached by Poppy. Poppy and Cam are twins, and are very close to each other. When Cam came out, she claims to have been extremely supportive. However, when he starts to try out makeup and dressing in heels, she gets upset that he doesn't want to box anymore. Instead of just encouraging him to keep his old hobbies while also exploring himself through new ones, she kind of just pouts about him not wanting to "be himself anymore." At one point Poppy says, "My sweet Cam. He'd come out of the closet only to squish himself into a box. I hated that." While this is partly true, she doesn't encourage him to step out of a box, but instead wants to put him in the box of the person he always was. And she doesn't, at any point, see how this is a problem, so there is no growth in her character in this aspect.
One thing I did enjoy about the LGBT inclusion was this quote: "Cam couldn't see it, but he was being defined by his sexuality. It's like how gay characters on TV can't just happen to be gay - their homosexuality has to be part of some comedic shtick. Like that's all they're about as human beings." I felt that this quote called attention to a very real problem in books, one that has always bothered me. But, on the next page (and for the rest of the book), this book essentially does the same thing until the end, when Cam comes out wearing makeup and boxing gear. Poppy is then really happy that he has gotten back into boxing, but not so much the combination it seemed.
Having a trans boy in this book was refreshing. It's hard to find books that have trans characters in them. For the most part, I think Smith handled this really well. Lewis was well accepted by all, and was not made to seem like being trans was his only aspect. However, he ended up not being fleshed out very well and kind of came out flat.
Next, I want to address Poppy's attitude. Poppy is an extremely judgmental person; she just assumes she knows everything about everyone she meets. This is mentioned by a few characters, who get annoyed by how much she judges them. But, she never grows from this. She mentions a few times that maybe she does judge quickly, but she never makes an effort to fix it, and just continues to do it until the very end.
The way she reacts to the negative comments on her photos was also highly unrealistic. A few comments changed her entire personality. She went from being a really fun girl to giving up her passion for vintage clothes, giving up her love of roller-derby, and torturing herself by watching videos of horribly graphic things whenever she is sad. To me this screams that there is something more than a few negative comments going on, but this is never addressed. Within the last few pages, Lewis tells her how beautiful the picture that got negative comments is, and she just up and changes her life to go back to how she used to be.
I also want to talk about her relationship with Buck. She meets him on page 38 and is kissing him by page 45. After about five days of knowing him, and a few explosive arguments later, she is referring to him as her boyfriend. It just moved so fast, that it was entirely unrealistic. He mad so many negative comments about her weight, and she just treated it as if it was a normal fight within a relationship, but they were basically strangers. It made no sense that it would move so fast, or that she would let a stranger call her the Pillsbury Dough Boy and still thinks she loves him. Also, what kind of parents are okay with their 16 year-old daughter dating a 20 year old? That just seemed so stretched. There was no chemistry, and it was just not fun to read.
The last thing I want to mention is the sexual assault on Cam. I'm going to just ignore the way that Poppy handled it and made it about herself the whole time - because I would go on for way too long - and just address it in general. I wish it hadn't been included. It was not handled well and felt as though it was just thrown in there to create drama. I feel like writing about rape is important, as it draws attention to a serious issue that needs to be addressed. But this just added it as an afterthought to show how Poppy feels about her brother and to bring drama to the book. I just didn't like that at all.
Overall, I was really disappointed in this book. I was looking forward to a cute, quick contemporary novel, but instead I was just really not into it.
I was sent this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
I do want to point out that the author had a few LGBT characters into this novel, and I was really excited to finally see an FTM character pop-up, however there were a few problems I had with the inclusion of LGBT characters. I didn't necessarily love the way Cam's gayness was approached by Poppy. Poppy and Cam are twins, and are very close to each other. When Cam came out, she claims to have been extremely supportive. However, when he starts to try out makeup and dressing in heels, she gets upset that he doesn't want to box anymore. Instead of just encouraging him to keep his old hobbies while also exploring himself through new ones, she kind of just pouts about him not wanting to "be himself anymore." At one point Poppy says, "My sweet Cam. He'd come out of the closet only to squish himself into a box. I hated that." While this is partly true, she doesn't encourage him to step out of a box, but instead wants to put him in the box of the person he always was. And she doesn't, at any point, see how this is a problem, so there is no growth in her character in this aspect.
One thing I did enjoy about the LGBT inclusion was this quote: "Cam couldn't see it, but he was being defined by his sexuality. It's like how gay characters on TV can't just happen to be gay - their homosexuality has to be part of some comedic shtick. Like that's all they're about as human beings." I felt that this quote called attention to a very real problem in books, one that has always bothered me. But, on the next page (and for the rest of the book), this book essentially does the same thing until the end, when Cam comes out wearing makeup and boxing gear. Poppy is then really happy that he has gotten back into boxing, but not so much the combination it seemed.
Having a trans boy in this book was refreshing. It's hard to find books that have trans characters in them. For the most part, I think Smith handled this really well. Lewis was well accepted by all, and was not made to seem like being trans was his only aspect. However, he ended up not being fleshed out very well and kind of came out flat.
Next, I want to address Poppy's attitude. Poppy is an extremely judgmental person; she just assumes she knows everything about everyone she meets. This is mentioned by a few characters, who get annoyed by how much she judges them. But, she never grows from this. She mentions a few times that maybe she does judge quickly, but she never makes an effort to fix it, and just continues to do it until the very end.
The way she reacts to the negative comments on her photos was also highly unrealistic. A few comments changed her entire personality. She went from being a really fun girl to giving up her passion for vintage clothes, giving up her love of roller-derby, and torturing herself by watching videos of horribly graphic things whenever she is sad. To me this screams that there is something more than a few negative comments going on, but this is never addressed. Within the last few pages, Lewis tells her how beautiful the picture that got negative comments is, and she just up and changes her life to go back to how she used to be.
I also want to talk about her relationship with Buck. She meets him on page 38 and is kissing him by page 45. After about five days of knowing him, and a few explosive arguments later, she is referring to him as her boyfriend. It just moved so fast, that it was entirely unrealistic. He mad so many negative comments about her weight, and she just treated it as if it was a normal fight within a relationship, but they were basically strangers. It made no sense that it would move so fast, or that she would let a stranger call her the Pillsbury Dough Boy and still thinks she loves him. Also, what kind of parents are okay with their 16 year-old daughter dating a 20 year old? That just seemed so stretched. There was no chemistry, and it was just not fun to read.
The last thing I want to mention is the sexual assault on Cam. I'm going to just ignore the way that Poppy handled it and made it about herself the whole time - because I would go on for way too long - and just address it in general. I wish it hadn't been included. It was not handled well and felt as though it was just thrown in there to create drama. I feel like writing about rape is important, as it draws attention to a serious issue that needs to be addressed. But this just added it as an afterthought to show how Poppy feels about her brother and to bring drama to the book. I just didn't like that at all.
Overall, I was really disappointed in this book. I was looking forward to a cute, quick contemporary novel, but instead I was just really not into it.
November 24, 2019
I tend to write reviews that are wayyyy toooo loooong and take foreeeeveeeer to read. Out of respect for your valuable time, I'm going to keep this one short(er) and sweet ♥
5 Rosie-the-Riveter stars for Chicken Girl!!!!! I loved it! :D
Poppy is a 16-year-old girl who's obsessed with roller derby and vintage 1940s everything. She has an extra close relationship with her twin brother, Cam, who recently came out as gay (the LGBT+ rep in this book was great). Sadly, she's having trouble seeing the good in people, ever since she uploaded a photo of herself online (posing as Rosie the Riveter) and people started bullying her because of her weight. Now she spends her spare time working as a chicken mascot at a restaurant because she's depressed and just wants to hide away from the rest of the world.
Cam also goes through something traumatic in this novel and some reviewers criticized how that was handled, but I have to disagree. Poppy's reaction crossed a line into victim-blaming, but she was called out on it by another character.
There were a few minor things that I'd tweak because they bordered on being problematic but, to be honest, I can't remember what most of those things were (and I've returned the book to the library so I can't check), so they probably weren't that bad. One example was the discussion of contraceptives/STI protection that took place after two characters had already had sex. Maybe that was realistic (I hope not!)? but I think it could have been handled better.
The reason I'm still giving this YA contemporary novel 5 stars is because there's a much longer list of things that I did like. Overall, I enjoyed it immensely and the story will stay with me for a long time. I'm planning to buy myself a copy so that I can read it again in the future. The author, Heather Smith, is originally from Newfoundland (like me!), which is how I discovered her, and I'm so glad I did :)
First and foremost, I guess I didn't read the plot synopsis carefully enough because I had no idea going in to this that one of the main characters was a transgender man, and it was handled extremely well, in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by that and it's the main reason why I rewarded this with a 5-star rating. The world needs more books with transgender characters.
My second favourite thing about Chicken Girl was the portrayal of homeless people. It wasn't necessarily realistic (life on the streets is uglier, but this is a young adult book so I thought that was appropriate), but I appreciated how it didn't judge or blame people for being poor and not having a place to live. Poppy meets and befriends an eclectic group of homeless people from under the bridge who become her friends (Buck, Lewis, and Thumper), and she also starts dating one of them. They all look out for each other, and the author did an excellent job of showing that different people end up on the streets for different reasons, and that they're no less deserving of love and respect just because they're homeless. I thought that was an important message.
I also appreciated the parts about Poppy's addiction to depressing YouTube videos because I could relate to that. I've never looked up most of the awful things that she has (some of the things she looked up were so disturbing that I don't even want to mention them here because I don't want to upset people) but I could relate in a more general way because I sometimes get drawn into the darker side of YouTube. It's depressing and I don't recommend it.
There were a lot of puns/word-play jokes in the dialogue between Poppy and her brother that I absolutely ADORED. I groaned a bit and laughed out loud a lot, and that ended up being one of my favourite things about this book. I wish I could remember some of them (maybe I'll update this review with examples after I pick up my copy).
Last, but not least: Miracle ♥ the 6-year-old girl who first introduces Poppy to the people who live under the bridge, was my favourite character in the book. She worried me and tugged on my heart strings. I felt a powerful need to protect her from all the evils in this world.
This book exceeded my expectations ✯ I'm glad I read it :)
5 Rosie-the-Riveter stars for Chicken Girl!!!!! I loved it! :D
Poppy is a 16-year-old girl who's obsessed with roller derby and vintage 1940s everything. She has an extra close relationship with her twin brother, Cam, who recently came out as gay (the LGBT+ rep in this book was great). Sadly, she's having trouble seeing the good in people, ever since she uploaded a photo of herself online (posing as Rosie the Riveter) and people started bullying her because of her weight. Now she spends her spare time working as a chicken mascot at a restaurant because she's depressed and just wants to hide away from the rest of the world.
Cam also goes through something traumatic in this novel and some reviewers criticized how that was handled, but I have to disagree. Poppy's reaction crossed a line into victim-blaming, but she was called out on it by another character.
There were a few minor things that I'd tweak because they bordered on being problematic but, to be honest, I can't remember what most of those things were (and I've returned the book to the library so I can't check), so they probably weren't that bad. One example was the discussion of contraceptives/STI protection that took place after two characters had already had sex. Maybe that was realistic (I hope not!)? but I think it could have been handled better.
The reason I'm still giving this YA contemporary novel 5 stars is because there's a much longer list of things that I did like. Overall, I enjoyed it immensely and the story will stay with me for a long time. I'm planning to buy myself a copy so that I can read it again in the future. The author, Heather Smith, is originally from Newfoundland (like me!), which is how I discovered her, and I'm so glad I did :)
First and foremost, I guess I didn't read the plot synopsis carefully enough because I had no idea going in to this that one of the main characters was a transgender man, and it was handled extremely well, in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by that and it's the main reason why I rewarded this with a 5-star rating. The world needs more books with transgender characters.
My second favourite thing about Chicken Girl was the portrayal of homeless people. It wasn't necessarily realistic (life on the streets is uglier, but this is a young adult book so I thought that was appropriate), but I appreciated how it didn't judge or blame people for being poor and not having a place to live. Poppy meets and befriends an eclectic group of homeless people from under the bridge who become her friends (Buck, Lewis, and Thumper), and she also starts dating one of them. They all look out for each other, and the author did an excellent job of showing that different people end up on the streets for different reasons, and that they're no less deserving of love and respect just because they're homeless. I thought that was an important message.
I also appreciated the parts about Poppy's addiction to depressing YouTube videos because I could relate to that. I've never looked up most of the awful things that she has (some of the things she looked up were so disturbing that I don't even want to mention them here because I don't want to upset people) but I could relate in a more general way because I sometimes get drawn into the darker side of YouTube. It's depressing and I don't recommend it.
There were a lot of puns/word-play jokes in the dialogue between Poppy and her brother that I absolutely ADORED. I groaned a bit and laughed out loud a lot, and that ended up being one of my favourite things about this book. I wish I could remember some of them (maybe I'll update this review with examples after I pick up my copy).
Last, but not least: Miracle ♥ the 6-year-old girl who first introduces Poppy to the people who live under the bridge, was my favourite character in the book. She worried me and tugged on my heart strings. I felt a powerful need to protect her from all the evils in this world.
This book exceeded my expectations ✯ I'm glad I read it :)
February 26, 2019
3.5 STARS - Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Smith's earlier book The Agony of Bun O'Keefe and like that book, Chicken Girl dives into several big topics facing teens and has an assortment of unique secondary characters.
Poppy was an interesting main character but not one I warmed up to easily. She's got quite a dark side (the disturbing YouTube videos made me cringe) - she's often imperfect, sometimes selfish and usually unsure of herself. But its through her connection with her parents, her twin brother, Cam and an eccentric group of friends that we witness Poppy learn who she is and who she wants to be. The varied group of secondary characters also share parts of their own stories allowing Smith to introduce many important topics.
I love that Smith doesn't shy away from big teen topics - including fat shaming, drugs, sex, homelessness, rape and homophobia - just to name a few. There's a lot going on in this wee book so the topics are unfortunately not dealt with in a lot detail, but their inclusion will engage and promote important discussions.
Chicken Girl is a short but sweet story about the hardships of growing up, learning to love yourself and the immense power that inclusiveness has on the individual. Filled with heart, humour (how I loved Poppy and Cam's blended words!), heartbreak and a wonderfully diverse cast, Chicken Girl is the whole Teen Fiction enchilada.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with a complimentary copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Poppy was an interesting main character but not one I warmed up to easily. She's got quite a dark side (the disturbing YouTube videos made me cringe) - she's often imperfect, sometimes selfish and usually unsure of herself. But its through her connection with her parents, her twin brother, Cam and an eccentric group of friends that we witness Poppy learn who she is and who she wants to be. The varied group of secondary characters also share parts of their own stories allowing Smith to introduce many important topics.
I love that Smith doesn't shy away from big teen topics - including fat shaming, drugs, sex, homelessness, rape and homophobia - just to name a few. There's a lot going on in this wee book so the topics are unfortunately not dealt with in a lot detail, but their inclusion will engage and promote important discussions.
Chicken Girl is a short but sweet story about the hardships of growing up, learning to love yourself and the immense power that inclusiveness has on the individual. Filled with heart, humour (how I loved Poppy and Cam's blended words!), heartbreak and a wonderfully diverse cast, Chicken Girl is the whole Teen Fiction enchilada.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with a complimentary copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
May 7, 2019
♥ Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings
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Chicken Girl is the story of Poppy—a teen working at a summer job dressed as the chicken mascot for a local restaurant. Poppy used to be confident and love her body. She even participated in roller derby and was really good at it, but that was until a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter made it's way onto an online forum called “I see fat people” and was edited and mocked. Now she is more withdrawn, spends more time alone, and tries to hide herself inside her chicken suit. This is until a strange group of people come into her life, starting with 6-year-old Miracle.
Miracle is where the mismatched cast of characters comes in. Miracle is six years old, yet she hangs out with teens and adults alike. Her mother is a prostitute and they live in a very tiny, very crappy home. Miracle spends her days hanging out under a bridge with the homeless and troubled people of the city. Poppy is basically led to this ragtag group via Miracle. We also have Lewis, a female-to-male transgender teen who is saving up for bottom surgery while he also takes care of a dying relative all on his own. Then there is Buck... oh gosh, he is such a dickhead. The guy is supposed to be charming at first, but I found him irritating from the get-go, and he only gets worse as the story goes on. He's mean, gets drunk and then makes fun of his friends and puts them down at every turn, Poppy included. And she is supposed to be his girlfriend. This book lost a star for that. While Buck did do some redemptive things, he was still a shitty person overall, in my opinion. The book involves a twist when it comes to Buck, and it did knock me for a loop and add an interesting element to the story. Still didn't like the guy though. Other interesting characters include an ex-gang member with a racist past, a drag queen with a mental illness (I don't think the author said what it was, unless I missed it), and Poppy's cranky Chinese boss at the chicken joint.
Poppy also has a twin brother named Cam. He's newly out of the closet and is quite flamboyant. This is a struggle for Poppy as she believes he is only trying to fit into a sort of gay stereotype. The two teens are very close and it shows with their banter as well as their concern for each other and what they each deal with throughout the story's progression. Their bantering wordplay with each other brings a much needed lightness and vein of humor to an otherwise quite serious story.
This book covers quite an array of relevant topics. Feminism, at it's core, as well as sexual assault, queer issues, racism, the homeless population, being a plus sized person and being comfortable with that, the cons of drinking or taking drugs, as well as family issues and the possibility of CPS taking a child out of the home.
Overall, this book really highlights personal growth. Poppy and those closest to her are all coming to terms with their respective struggles and learning how to become better, how to overcome and still be on top. It's a story of acceptance and standing up for yourself; about making a place for yourself in the world and embracing your quirks and differences. I loved the characters (aside from Buck, ew) and I think they all made so much progress throughout such a short book (at 240 pages). I definitely recommend it! Do keep in mind that it does contain some more adult themes such as sex work, sexual assault, and drug use.
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Book source: Personal collection
Publisher: Penguin Teen
• For more of my reviews, check out my blog!
February 28, 2019
4.5
Huge Thank You to Penguin Canada for this ARC!
Chicken Girl is a tiny book with a big punch. The story involves Poppy and her brother Cam, as they navigate growing up. When a picture of Rosie the Riveter is posted online, Poppy feels shammed and can no longer see good in the world. Her twin brother, Cam, is learning to be "out" and Poppy wants to show her support. Poppy also meets six-year-old, Miracle, who shows her how wonderful the world can really be.
What I loved about this book is how it normalizes so many aspects of LGBTQIA culture. There's fantastic and frank discussion of what transgendered teens deal with, how homophobia comes in different (and awful) flavours, and how supportive people can be as well. Nothing in this book felt out of place and the conversations between characters felt so raw and true. My favourite parts were the interactions between Poppy and Cam, as well as Poppy and Miracle. I think these conversations about life, optimism, and finding strength will be so relevant to so many readers.
I think the only negative about this book for me, is that it's too short. Everything ties up a bit too nicely, and there is a huge part of me that wishes Smith had delved more into the characters further. That being said, I still think what we do know about the cast of characters is wonderful and heartfelt.
There is such an honesty in these pages, which is why I hope more people will pick up Chicken Girl. The story is well-paced, genuine and raw, and while it never goes to Baygirl (Smith's debut) levels of darkness, Chicken Girl offers readers a wonderful glimmer of hope that makes it a memorable read.
Huge Thank You to Penguin Canada for this ARC!
Chicken Girl is a tiny book with a big punch. The story involves Poppy and her brother Cam, as they navigate growing up. When a picture of Rosie the Riveter is posted online, Poppy feels shammed and can no longer see good in the world. Her twin brother, Cam, is learning to be "out" and Poppy wants to show her support. Poppy also meets six-year-old, Miracle, who shows her how wonderful the world can really be.
What I loved about this book is how it normalizes so many aspects of LGBTQIA culture. There's fantastic and frank discussion of what transgendered teens deal with, how homophobia comes in different (and awful) flavours, and how supportive people can be as well. Nothing in this book felt out of place and the conversations between characters felt so raw and true. My favourite parts were the interactions between Poppy and Cam, as well as Poppy and Miracle. I think these conversations about life, optimism, and finding strength will be so relevant to so many readers.
I think the only negative about this book for me, is that it's too short. Everything ties up a bit too nicely, and there is a huge part of me that wishes Smith had delved more into the characters further. That being said, I still think what we do know about the cast of characters is wonderful and heartfelt.
There is such an honesty in these pages, which is why I hope more people will pick up Chicken Girl. The story is well-paced, genuine and raw, and while it never goes to Baygirl (Smith's debut) levels of darkness, Chicken Girl offers readers a wonderful glimmer of hope that makes it a memorable read.
March 2, 2019
Everybody has a story that will break your heart; a poignant coming-of-age YA for fans of David Arnold, from the author of the acclaimed The Agony of Bun O'Keefe, a Kirkus Best of the Year selection.
Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she's having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
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I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book. Poppy is like everybody’s spirit animal who is literally the bestfriend I never knew I had. This book covered so many amazing topics that need to be talked about more and it really spoke to me and just wow. Heather Smith got me really in my own feels while reading this book.
You will meet Buck who you will hate, trust me, you just will. But then you meet Lewis and then life is all good again and you can gladly not want to kill Poppy anymore and slap the back of her hand for her stupid choices. I loved the witty humour and how relatable this book was, even though I’ve never been in a chicken costume, Poppy made me feel as if I were in that costume with her, dancing on the side of the street.
There is triggering topics so I would be mindful of these triggers but Smith plays them off so beautifully and gives the reader a real dive into the harsh world many girls face. While Poppy’s is a bit extreme, these things do happen everyday and it’s terrible but it’s great to know that we can read a book about it and act upon it.
I would recommend this book to literally everyone because I loved it that much. This will probably be one of my favourite books for a very long time because just wow. Smith really got to me and I now want to start a Poppy fan club!
Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she's having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
---
I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book. Poppy is like everybody’s spirit animal who is literally the bestfriend I never knew I had. This book covered so many amazing topics that need to be talked about more and it really spoke to me and just wow. Heather Smith got me really in my own feels while reading this book.
You will meet Buck who you will hate, trust me, you just will. But then you meet Lewis and then life is all good again and you can gladly not want to kill Poppy anymore and slap the back of her hand for her stupid choices. I loved the witty humour and how relatable this book was, even though I’ve never been in a chicken costume, Poppy made me feel as if I were in that costume with her, dancing on the side of the street.
There is triggering topics so I would be mindful of these triggers but Smith plays them off so beautifully and gives the reader a real dive into the harsh world many girls face. While Poppy’s is a bit extreme, these things do happen everyday and it’s terrible but it’s great to know that we can read a book about it and act upon it.
I would recommend this book to literally everyone because I loved it that much. This will probably be one of my favourite books for a very long time because just wow. Smith really got to me and I now want to start a Poppy fan club!
March 13, 2019
This is an amazingly powerful story.
This story was set in Canada. There was a reference to the restaurant Swiss Chalet, which I was so excited about! Swiss Chalet is a rotisserie chicken restaurant in Canada. Usually, there are references to Tim Horton’s which point to Canada, but that is kind of cliche nowadays. The mention of Swiss Chalet was way more accurate and original!
There is a lot of gender diversity in this story. Poppy’s twin brother is gay. She meets a group of homeless people who live under a bridge, which includes a transgender teenage boy. One thing I loved about this story is that Poppy made mistakes while talking to both boys. For example, she asked Lewis what his name was before he became a boy. He told her that was the wrong thing to ask. Most people who don’t have experience with trans people wouldn’t know that, and Poppy reflected that ignorance.
This is a character driven novel, which I don’t typically like, but these characters were so heartbreaking, I couldn’t help but feel for them. My favourite character was Miracle, a six year old girl whose mother was a prostitute. Miracle spends time with the homeless men under the bridge while her mother worked at night. She was so innocent and impressionable, and she was brutally honest at times. I just loved her!
I loved this amazing story! I’m looking forward to seeing the reception of this book, because I think it will become a modern classic.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This story was set in Canada. There was a reference to the restaurant Swiss Chalet, which I was so excited about! Swiss Chalet is a rotisserie chicken restaurant in Canada. Usually, there are references to Tim Horton’s which point to Canada, but that is kind of cliche nowadays. The mention of Swiss Chalet was way more accurate and original!
There is a lot of gender diversity in this story. Poppy’s twin brother is gay. She meets a group of homeless people who live under a bridge, which includes a transgender teenage boy. One thing I loved about this story is that Poppy made mistakes while talking to both boys. For example, she asked Lewis what his name was before he became a boy. He told her that was the wrong thing to ask. Most people who don’t have experience with trans people wouldn’t know that, and Poppy reflected that ignorance.
This is a character driven novel, which I don’t typically like, but these characters were so heartbreaking, I couldn’t help but feel for them. My favourite character was Miracle, a six year old girl whose mother was a prostitute. Miracle spends time with the homeless men under the bridge while her mother worked at night. She was so innocent and impressionable, and she was brutally honest at times. I just loved her!
I loved this amazing story! I’m looking forward to seeing the reception of this book, because I think it will become a modern classic.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2019
Actual Review - 4.75/5
I received a completed copy of this book from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this story. I was skeptical at first but after the first 50 pages, I was hooked. There were a couple of parts that were predictable and a few scenes I didn't necessarily like, but I definitely enjoyed this story.
Poppy is a very interesting character and she struggles with her mental health throughout the whole story, she watches some dark things and has some very worrisome behaviour at certain parts of the book! (Beware if you read to watch out for some triggering scenes) My favourite character was probably Lewis, I loved reading about his story and learning about his transition. It gave me a unique understanding of the possible mindset experienced by someone with gender dysphoria. (he's transgender)
I really enjoyed the discussions of Homelessness as well, I think this story gave a unique perspective on homelessness, one that might be tamer than others but still well written. (There's also a twist at the end that I didn't expect, which hooked me more)
I really enjoyed Heather's style of writing and the way she formed her characters. Every character in the story had personality and I could definitely sense that Heather spent lots of time developing these characters. I also really enjoyed reading a story that was based in Canada.
It took me a bit longer to read this as I was in the middle of exams, but I'm happy I finished! I definitely recommend this book.
I received a completed copy of this book from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this story. I was skeptical at first but after the first 50 pages, I was hooked. There were a couple of parts that were predictable and a few scenes I didn't necessarily like, but I definitely enjoyed this story.
Poppy is a very interesting character and she struggles with her mental health throughout the whole story, she watches some dark things and has some very worrisome behaviour at certain parts of the book! (Beware if you read to watch out for some triggering scenes) My favourite character was probably Lewis, I loved reading about his story and learning about his transition. It gave me a unique understanding of the possible mindset experienced by someone with gender dysphoria. (he's transgender)
I really enjoyed the discussions of Homelessness as well, I think this story gave a unique perspective on homelessness, one that might be tamer than others but still well written. (There's also a twist at the end that I didn't expect, which hooked me more)
I really enjoyed Heather's style of writing and the way she formed her characters. Every character in the story had personality and I could definitely sense that Heather spent lots of time developing these characters. I also really enjoyed reading a story that was based in Canada.
It took me a bit longer to read this as I was in the middle of exams, but I'm happy I finished! I definitely recommend this book.
January 28, 2022
Yay Canadian writers! This delved into some important issues and the characters were great. I loved “built like a brick shithouse” Poppy and her fragile brother Cam, and their assorted friends, especially “more freckles than face” Eve. I did however have some problems with some of the action, and am mighty curious what actual teenaged readers would make of Poppy’s insta-lerv with the odious Buck, which didn’t feel realistic or likely (the snub tub was another odd choice.) It was a major irritant that There were also a few plot threads that could have been filled in, like MaJonna’s story. I’d read a sequel if it happened to magically appear.
April 3, 2019
I love this author. Each book is a gift of unique characters with stories only they can tell. Chicken Girl is gentle and gritty, it is poignant and far too real. These characters get under your skin but you'll have a hard time picking your favourite.
January 20, 2020
Started and finished this in a day. Wonderful quick read. Full review to come.
January 22, 2021
This book was sent to me by Penguin Random House Canada to review. This in no way alters my thoughts on the novel. The following review is a truthful representation of my opinions.
A forewarning before continuing this review: this book has a lot of scenes that are extremely triggering in different aspects. I advise a Trigger Warning for sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, and bullying/fat-shaming.
SYNOPSIS: 'Chicken Girl' features its narrator Poppy, who is a large teenager with a love for the 1940's era. Poppy decides to dress up like Rosie the Riveter, which makes her feel empowered and great! She takes a photo of herself and publishes this photo, which then gets posted on Reddit's platform. She is mocked for her size and Poppy's confidence becomes non-existent. Following this, Poppy takes refuge in her job; which just so happens to be dressing up in a chicken suit and attracting customers to the restaurant. She uses the chicken suit to hide from her life, which is now very sad. Poppy then meets a little girl named Miracle, who introduces her to her friends that live under a bridge. These people affect Poppy's life greatly.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I don't usually include spoilers to the books in my reviews; but 'Chicken Girl' had to be an exception. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the book, other than the one main issue I found within it. For me, this overshadowed every other thought I had.
I found a lot of things to be concerning with this book; all concerning controversial and serious topics. I was especially bothered by Cam, Poppy's twin brother, being raped. As if that weren't bad enough, Poppy blames Cam for his own assault, which disgusted me. In the end, Cam forgives his sister. But to me, the forgiveness seems very... sudden, and unwarranted.This issue was never fully resolved, while I feel like it deserved a lot of attention due to the nature of the topic. I understand that 'Chicken Girl' is a short novel, but I feel like a lot of the very serious topics within it could have been handled a bit better.
Overall, I am fond of Smith's writing. I read and reviewed her other novel, 'The Agony of Bun O'Keefe' and loved it. Read the review by clicking the link below!
lovelyliterary.weebly.com/reviews/rev...
What I am not fond of is the way that the topics in the story were executed. I feel like this novel had potential to be something powerful, but the only powerful thing about this novel were the insanely strong emotions of frustration I felt while reading certain scenes. I rate it 2/5 stars.
A forewarning before continuing this review: this book has a lot of scenes that are extremely triggering in different aspects. I advise a Trigger Warning for sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, and bullying/fat-shaming.
SYNOPSIS: 'Chicken Girl' features its narrator Poppy, who is a large teenager with a love for the 1940's era. Poppy decides to dress up like Rosie the Riveter, which makes her feel empowered and great! She takes a photo of herself and publishes this photo, which then gets posted on Reddit's platform. She is mocked for her size and Poppy's confidence becomes non-existent. Following this, Poppy takes refuge in her job; which just so happens to be dressing up in a chicken suit and attracting customers to the restaurant. She uses the chicken suit to hide from her life, which is now very sad. Poppy then meets a little girl named Miracle, who introduces her to her friends that live under a bridge. These people affect Poppy's life greatly.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I don't usually include spoilers to the books in my reviews; but 'Chicken Girl' had to be an exception. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the book, other than the one main issue I found within it. For me, this overshadowed every other thought I had.
I found a lot of things to be concerning with this book; all concerning controversial and serious topics. I was especially bothered by Cam, Poppy's twin brother, being raped. As if that weren't bad enough, Poppy blames Cam for his own assault, which disgusted me. In the end, Cam forgives his sister. But to me, the forgiveness seems very... sudden, and unwarranted.This issue was never fully resolved, while I feel like it deserved a lot of attention due to the nature of the topic. I understand that 'Chicken Girl' is a short novel, but I feel like a lot of the very serious topics within it could have been handled a bit better.
Overall, I am fond of Smith's writing. I read and reviewed her other novel, 'The Agony of Bun O'Keefe' and loved it. Read the review by clicking the link below!
lovelyliterary.weebly.com/reviews/rev...
What I am not fond of is the way that the topics in the story were executed. I feel like this novel had potential to be something powerful, but the only powerful thing about this novel were the insanely strong emotions of frustration I felt while reading certain scenes. I rate it 2/5 stars.
July 27, 2019
A special thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Penguin Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Poppy has always been close to her twin brother, Cam, and the two share a fondness for blending words (clever writing on Smith's part). But lately they haven't been as close because they are each dealing with their own struggles. Cam has recently come out and is trying to adjust to life as an openly gay teen. Poppy used to be happy with her vintage style and curves until a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter eating a hamburger surfaces online and she is mocked for her size. Now she is unsure of herself and is struggling to see the good in things.
Deciding to be as invisible as possible, Poppy accepts a job at Chen Chicken restaurant where she dresses up as a chicken and waves a sign to attract customers. It is here where she meets a six-year-old girl, Miracle, who introduces her to a group of misfits living under a bridge: Buck, a cute British photographer who isn't very cute when he is drinking; Thumper, an elderly homeless man; and Lewis, a teen who is caring for his only living parent while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition.
But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
While there were some great passages, overall I was completely overwhelmed, and not in a good way. Poppy is not a character that readers will warm up to easily. There are parts of her personality that were completely cringeworthy (why does she watch those videos on YouTube?) and she's also selfish and judgemental. And while this is a coming-of-age story and part of her trajectory, there are just too many obstacles to make this plausible. I can't help but feel that Smith was trying to check too many boxes and the reader is left trying to unpack it all.
Heather Smith, I applaud you for writing marginalized characters and shining a light on some very real issues, but there's too much going on with not enough detail.
Poppy has always been close to her twin brother, Cam, and the two share a fondness for blending words (clever writing on Smith's part). But lately they haven't been as close because they are each dealing with their own struggles. Cam has recently come out and is trying to adjust to life as an openly gay teen. Poppy used to be happy with her vintage style and curves until a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter eating a hamburger surfaces online and she is mocked for her size. Now she is unsure of herself and is struggling to see the good in things.
Deciding to be as invisible as possible, Poppy accepts a job at Chen Chicken restaurant where she dresses up as a chicken and waves a sign to attract customers. It is here where she meets a six-year-old girl, Miracle, who introduces her to a group of misfits living under a bridge: Buck, a cute British photographer who isn't very cute when he is drinking; Thumper, an elderly homeless man; and Lewis, a teen who is caring for his only living parent while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition.
But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
While there were some great passages, overall I was completely overwhelmed, and not in a good way. Poppy is not a character that readers will warm up to easily. There are parts of her personality that were completely cringeworthy (why does she watch those videos on YouTube?) and she's also selfish and judgemental. And while this is a coming-of-age story and part of her trajectory, there are just too many obstacles to make this plausible. I can't help but feel that Smith was trying to check too many boxes and the reader is left trying to unpack it all.
Heather Smith, I applaud you for writing marginalized characters and shining a light on some very real issues, but there's too much going on with not enough detail.
November 4, 2018
The only reason I didn't devour this in one sitting was because I had to go to work (I read it within a 7 hour period, though!) There is so much happening in this little book. Poppy has been suffering emotionally after finding a photo of herself online, being made fun of for her weight. As she's processing the meaning of life and her identity, she befriends an eccentric group of people, each with a world of their own to tell-- There's Miracle, the six year old sweetheart who's mother is a sex worker; Lewis, a (mostly) post-op transgender man; Thumper, elderly and homeless by choice, with lots of wisdom and love to share; and Buck, a guy with the swoony English accent who does photography. Through them, as well as her family, longtime friends, and herself, she grows so much, examining life through new perspectives in a way that doesn't feel preachy. Though my time spent with them all was brief, this novel has left a lasting impact on me, as I'm sure it will for many.
November 10, 2018
The bizarre tale of a teenage girl employed by the owner of a local restaurant to dress as a chicken in order to attract customers. After her picture in which she has posed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked, her feathers are ruffled causing her to slide into a deep depression. When she meets Miracle, the seven-year-old daughter of a prostitute, she is introduced to a group of characters living beneath a bridge. A romance ensues, her flamboyant twin brother is assaulted, Miracle runs away, her "boyfriend" isn't who she thought he was, just everyday teenage drama.
Although the characters in this novel were certainly quirky enough to be interesting and the stage names of her fellow roller derby teammates clever, overall this was simply too odd for my liking. However, I throughly enjoyed the twins' penchant for blending words. Some of their combinations were rather brilliant.
By the way, this book takes place in Canada but there was no mention of maple syrup.
Although the characters in this novel were certainly quirky enough to be interesting and the stage names of her fellow roller derby teammates clever, overall this was simply too odd for my liking. However, I throughly enjoyed the twins' penchant for blending words. Some of their combinations were rather brilliant.
By the way, this book takes place in Canada but there was no mention of maple syrup.
June 3, 2019
This is fantastic! When I was a teenager I never came across a single book that explored LGBT issues, sexuality, tolerance, or drugs, even though I basically read the whole library. It's wonderful that such books exist now. This book is easy to read but hard to put down; well done Heather!
October 12, 2020
Meh. Some of the characters were interesting. Most of them were annoying and didn't make sense. Poppy is the most annoying person I've ever read in my life and I truly do not understand why all of her friends like her so much.
December 1, 2021
didn't enjoy it that much. the protagonist was a bit of an asshole but at least she gets called out on it
Read
June 11, 2019Stereotypes in fiction are weird. On the one hand, if someone meets certain stereotypes, it reinforces those and potentially harms the entire community. On the other hand, if you blanket ban any fictional characters meeting them, you can make the very real people who genuinely are like that feel like they're existing wrong. This is something I thought about a lot while reading this book, because Cam especially met a lot of common stereotypes, but it seemed to be part of a greater point about being yourself, whoever that is, rather than who people expect you to be. Still, there were times I was a little uncomfortable with certain aspects of it .
On a related note, one issue that's come up so often over the past few years is using the struggles of marginalized people to teach cis straight white people life lessons. This book absolutely does that. Poppy is a cis straight white girl who is almost unbelievably oblivious--for example, she romanticizes the 1940s as some perfect era, completely ignoring what it would've been like for her twin brother to live then. And yet, for the most part, it didn't feel like the people around her went through difficult times just for the sake of teaching her to be a better person. Most of it felt natural, rather than exploitative. Poppy spends a lot of time thinking about how she sees the world and makes progress herself--as a result of her interactions, yes, but she does a lot of the work on her own. One major exception (technically a spoiler, but I suggest reading it if you're at all sensitive to that sort of thing):
I don't quite know what to make of this book, to be honest. There were a lot of positive elements, but that last bit is a pretty major caveat, for a number of reasons (if you didn't read the spoiler, these also include sexual assault and victim blaming). The relationship between Poppy and Buck was also troubling. And it's true that it was supposed to be, but we're also supposed to see Buck as ultimately a good person, and...no? I mean, he does some good things--some really good things--but they don't make up for everything else. There is a line where Poppy asks him if it really counts if he wasn't sacrificing anything, which he completely doesn't get, but it's such an easy thing to miss and it's so important to the entire point of the character.
All of the other characters were pretty interesting, with a sold underlying idea that people are complicated and that no one is wholly unredeemable. Poppy judges people a lot, in a pretty realistic way, and is constantly shown to be wrong or, at the very least, overly simplistic. I wouldn't have thought the inclusion of a former white supremacist would've worked, but I'm okay with it, since they show deep remorse, fully acknowledge how and why they were wrong, and are clearly nothing like that now.
I think ultimately maybe the book was too simple. Not conceptually, but there were over half a dozen characters besides Poppy that we were supposed to see her change her view of, and I think it would've greatly benefited from more fluidly pacing what we learn about them alongside how Poppy changes, to directly confront our own implicit biases. It also would probably have been a really good candidate for multiple narrators, presumably Poppy and Cam, although there isn't much of an indication that what he was doing throughout would fit with the overall idea.
On a related note, one issue that's come up so often over the past few years is using the struggles of marginalized people to teach cis straight white people life lessons. This book absolutely does that. Poppy is a cis straight white girl who is almost unbelievably oblivious--for example, she romanticizes the 1940s as some perfect era, completely ignoring what it would've been like for her twin brother to live then. And yet, for the most part, it didn't feel like the people around her went through difficult times just for the sake of teaching her to be a better person. Most of it felt natural, rather than exploitative. Poppy spends a lot of time thinking about how she sees the world and makes progress herself--as a result of her interactions, yes, but she does a lot of the work on her own. One major exception (technically a spoiler, but I suggest reading it if you're at all sensitive to that sort of thing):
I don't quite know what to make of this book, to be honest. There were a lot of positive elements, but that last bit is a pretty major caveat, for a number of reasons (if you didn't read the spoiler, these also include sexual assault and victim blaming). The relationship between Poppy and Buck was also troubling. And it's true that it was supposed to be, but we're also supposed to see Buck as ultimately a good person, and...no? I mean, he does some good things--some really good things--but they don't make up for everything else. There is a line where Poppy asks him if it really counts if he wasn't sacrificing anything, which he completely doesn't get, but it's such an easy thing to miss and it's so important to the entire point of the character.
All of the other characters were pretty interesting, with a sold underlying idea that people are complicated and that no one is wholly unredeemable. Poppy judges people a lot, in a pretty realistic way, and is constantly shown to be wrong or, at the very least, overly simplistic. I wouldn't have thought the inclusion of a former white supremacist would've worked, but I'm okay with it, since they show deep remorse, fully acknowledge how and why they were wrong, and are clearly nothing like that now.
I think ultimately maybe the book was too simple. Not conceptually, but there were over half a dozen characters besides Poppy that we were supposed to see her change her view of, and I think it would've greatly benefited from more fluidly pacing what we learn about them alongside how Poppy changes, to directly confront our own implicit biases. It also would probably have been a really good candidate for multiple narrators, presumably Poppy and Cam, although there isn't much of an indication that what he was doing throughout would fit with the overall idea.
May 15, 2020
3.5 Stars
A lot of the topics explored in this book are extremely relevant to what we see in our society through the lens of Poppy, our main character who we learn has good intentions at heart, but is judgemental of others. The book centers around themes of self-acceptance and how society perceives people who are different. A simple concept, but well thought out.
There are a few concerns I have with this book.
.
A few things I did enjoy, include Miracle, the adorable 6-year-old girl who befriends Poppy and pretty much half the neighbourhood. Because of her, Poppy is able to grow a lot as a character which was great to see. I am not trans, however I thought that the trans representation in this book was very well done. I haven't read many books that include trans representation, but the representation in the book was fantastic in my opinion.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I think despite the concerns I have (and others as well) have with this book its still worth it to read. It really does make the reader aware of how we should handle and perceive complicated issues in our own lives.
A lot of the topics explored in this book are extremely relevant to what we see in our society through the lens of Poppy, our main character who we learn has good intentions at heart, but is judgemental of others. The book centers around themes of self-acceptance and how society perceives people who are different. A simple concept, but well thought out.
There are a few concerns I have with this book.
.
A few things I did enjoy, include Miracle, the adorable 6-year-old girl who befriends Poppy and pretty much half the neighbourhood. Because of her, Poppy is able to grow a lot as a character which was great to see. I am not trans, however I thought that the trans representation in this book was very well done. I haven't read many books that include trans representation, but the representation in the book was fantastic in my opinion.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I think despite the concerns I have (and others as well) have with this book its still worth it to read. It really does make the reader aware of how we should handle and perceive complicated issues in our own lives.
December 23, 2019
Heather Smith is such a versatile author. In the past few years she has written some incredible picture books, a critically acclaimed middle grade novel, and raw, honest young adult novels. Although all very different genres with very different audiences, the one element you can expect from all of her writing is honesty and courage.
The newest of her young adult novels is Chicken Girl. Poppy is an optimistic hilarious sixteen year old girl with an affinity to anything from the second world war era, especially Rosie the Riveter. When the online trolls start mocking a picture of her in Reddit, her optimism drains, she loses her spark and takes a summer job as a restaurant mascot, dressed in a huge chicken costume. Soon she discovers a little Miracle which opens her eyes to the world around her and meets an incredible cast of characters who challenge her to accept the good in the world, even when faced with so much bad.
Heather Smith is truly writing for the new generation of teens and young adults. She is not afraid to tackle some of the most current and challenging topics young people face today. Her writing is honest and at times difficult but so incredibly necessary. Young people are bombarded with so many contradictory messages constantly through social media and are facing some of the highest levels of mental illness and anxiety in recent history. Books like Chicken Girl allow young people to see themselves, to face some of the huge questions face and to recognize some very hard truths. This story is one of redemption, of questioning long held beliefs and of challenging the status quo. Poppy is written in such an authentic way, saying all of the wrong things at times, holding some pretty interesting beliefs and just being a teenager still trying to figure out the world and her place in it. The other characters challenge Poppy and question all of the ideas she holds, making her a stronger person for it. The story is beautiful and funny and charming and heartbreaking all at the same time
The newest of her young adult novels is Chicken Girl. Poppy is an optimistic hilarious sixteen year old girl with an affinity to anything from the second world war era, especially Rosie the Riveter. When the online trolls start mocking a picture of her in Reddit, her optimism drains, she loses her spark and takes a summer job as a restaurant mascot, dressed in a huge chicken costume. Soon she discovers a little Miracle which opens her eyes to the world around her and meets an incredible cast of characters who challenge her to accept the good in the world, even when faced with so much bad.
Heather Smith is truly writing for the new generation of teens and young adults. She is not afraid to tackle some of the most current and challenging topics young people face today. Her writing is honest and at times difficult but so incredibly necessary. Young people are bombarded with so many contradictory messages constantly through social media and are facing some of the highest levels of mental illness and anxiety in recent history. Books like Chicken Girl allow young people to see themselves, to face some of the huge questions face and to recognize some very hard truths. This story is one of redemption, of questioning long held beliefs and of challenging the status quo. Poppy is written in such an authentic way, saying all of the wrong things at times, holding some pretty interesting beliefs and just being a teenager still trying to figure out the world and her place in it. The other characters challenge Poppy and question all of the ideas she holds, making her a stronger person for it. The story is beautiful and funny and charming and heartbreaking all at the same time
April 27, 2023
I don't want to be mean, but this book was hard to get through. Some parts made me feel sick, especially the descriptions of the dark web videos Poppy was obsessed with. This isn't a horror book and yet we read how she looks up and watches people dying violently to get her mind off of how she was cyber-bullied. That is just sick. Even if it was a horror book, why are you talking about watching a cat get put in the microwave?
Then there is the way heavy topics like rape are just kind of glossed over. Like it happens, a person is a bigot about it, the victim is upset that they are being overshadowed by Poppy's self-esteem issues,and then boom. Done. Now it's all okay. It's not.
Also, Poppy is a terrible person. Not even in an interesting way. She just sucks. I get that every teen makes mistakes, but she's beyond that. Most of the book, she doesn't care how her actions affect others, only how their actions make her feel. She makes a point to make herself as miserable as humanly possible, which she even admits to. Like girl, really? Someone said something mean about you and now you are going to push away all your friends, hobbies, ect? And especially so when everyone around you is so loving and supportive? Wow. I wish I had your problem as a kid. Bullying is terrible, but guess what? We've all been there! If we shut down every time someone was mean, we'd be in big trouble. Heck. It's not even the shutting down, but again, the constant need to look up disturbing videos to make her feel better about herself.
The only reason I give it 2 stars and not one is because the writing style was good. Some characters were enjoyable. Actually, this book would have been better if it was about literally any other character with the exclusion of Buck the pedo-shmuck.
Then there is the way heavy topics like rape are just kind of glossed over. Like it happens, a person is a bigot about it, the victim is upset that they are being overshadowed by Poppy's self-esteem issues,and then boom. Done. Now it's all okay. It's not.
Also, Poppy is a terrible person. Not even in an interesting way. She just sucks. I get that every teen makes mistakes, but she's beyond that. Most of the book, she doesn't care how her actions affect others, only how their actions make her feel. She makes a point to make herself as miserable as humanly possible, which she even admits to. Like girl, really? Someone said something mean about you and now you are going to push away all your friends, hobbies, ect? And especially so when everyone around you is so loving and supportive? Wow. I wish I had your problem as a kid. Bullying is terrible, but guess what? We've all been there! If we shut down every time someone was mean, we'd be in big trouble. Heck. It's not even the shutting down, but again, the constant need to look up disturbing videos to make her feel better about herself.
The only reason I give it 2 stars and not one is because the writing style was good. Some characters were enjoyable. Actually, this book would have been better if it was about literally any other character with the exclusion of Buck the pedo-shmuck.
February 18, 2019
“Life can be a tough egg to crack”.
You know that feeling when you’re listening to a song, looking at an art piece, watching a movie, or reading a book and your soul stirs, gently at first and then rapidly in continued waves? That intrinsic sense of recognition when the words on the page are speaking what you thought was your own unique language or perspective? This book was all that and more.
Chicken Girl”, by Canadian author Heather Smith, is a YA book that is certain to move readers in real and profound ways through engaging storytelling, diverse characters, and the often maligned truth that there is both good and bad in everyone, including ourselves.
However this book offers much more than just an emotion-inducing YA story with needed truths of ourselves and our society. “Chicken Girl” offers great moments of humour, witty dialogue, brilliant character development and showcases the positive and powerful impact an inclusive community can truly have. Heather Smith doesn’t sugarcoat her characters and the authentic flaws they carry. Protagonist Poppy is at once caring and selfish. She is imperfect and as the story progresses, these flaws remain offering both realistic and relatable conflict with her friends and family.
A bit of a love-song to the style and culture of the 1940s and a small glimpse into the world of roller derby, “Chicken Girl” is filled to the brim with memorable characters, diverse representation, and charismatic storytelling. This is a book you will not want to miss.
You know that feeling when you’re listening to a song, looking at an art piece, watching a movie, or reading a book and your soul stirs, gently at first and then rapidly in continued waves? That intrinsic sense of recognition when the words on the page are speaking what you thought was your own unique language or perspective? This book was all that and more.
Chicken Girl”, by Canadian author Heather Smith, is a YA book that is certain to move readers in real and profound ways through engaging storytelling, diverse characters, and the often maligned truth that there is both good and bad in everyone, including ourselves.
However this book offers much more than just an emotion-inducing YA story with needed truths of ourselves and our society. “Chicken Girl” offers great moments of humour, witty dialogue, brilliant character development and showcases the positive and powerful impact an inclusive community can truly have. Heather Smith doesn’t sugarcoat her characters and the authentic flaws they carry. Protagonist Poppy is at once caring and selfish. She is imperfect and as the story progresses, these flaws remain offering both realistic and relatable conflict with her friends and family.
A bit of a love-song to the style and culture of the 1940s and a small glimpse into the world of roller derby, “Chicken Girl” is filled to the brim with memorable characters, diverse representation, and charismatic storytelling. This is a book you will not want to miss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2019
Chicken Girl is a very engaging story and can be read very quickly. Poppy is the focus of the story, an overweight teen who escapes into the 1940s and loves the icon of Rosie the Riveter. Poppy likes hiding from the world in the Chicken costume that she wears during her part time job, I remember hiding in my bedroom at younger age because the fat shaming that I went through.
Poppy was very daring and but I did not like that that the author let her engage in unprotected sex, drink and smoke pot without being aware of the consequences.
Poppy had a negative view of life, she let herself get involved with a person who treated her very badly. Yet, I loved the character of Miracle. a young optimistic little girl that Poppy started to care deeply about. This book zips through a lot of heavy subjects, transsexualism, prostitution, being gay, sexual assault, fat shaming, lack of child care for the poor, you name it. The characters learn a learn from each other.
I do not think that this book is right for a preteen but could be very thought provoking for an older teen. The writing is good and I would like to read more by this author does not shy away from the grittier side of life.
I received a finished copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
Poppy was very daring and but I did not like that that the author let her engage in unprotected sex, drink and smoke pot without being aware of the consequences.
Poppy had a negative view of life, she let herself get involved with a person who treated her very badly. Yet, I loved the character of Miracle. a young optimistic little girl that Poppy started to care deeply about. This book zips through a lot of heavy subjects, transsexualism, prostitution, being gay, sexual assault, fat shaming, lack of child care for the poor, you name it. The characters learn a learn from each other.
I do not think that this book is right for a preteen but could be very thought provoking for an older teen. The writing is good and I would like to read more by this author does not shy away from the grittier side of life.
I received a finished copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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