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Girls Like Us
Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy.
Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.
Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future.
Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.
Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2019
About the author
Randi Pink
4 books215 followersRandi Pink grew up in the South and attended a mostly white high school. She lives with her husband and their two rescue dogs in Birmingham, Alabama, where she works for a branch of National Public Radio. Into White is her fiction debut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
June 17, 2019
3 stars.
I guess this just....wasn't what I wanted/was expecting.
I thought this book was going to focus on abortion, since the synopsis says that it's so timely, but its hardly spoken about? It says that it's about woman's right to choose her future, but the majority of the characters ended up doing what's expected of them and nothing against "the norm".
Idk, I just wish this took place now vs the 70s, I think it would have done a lot better in that timeline.
I guess this just....wasn't what I wanted/was expecting.
I thought this book was going to focus on abortion, since the synopsis says that it's so timely, but its hardly spoken about? It says that it's about woman's right to choose her future, but the majority of the characters ended up doing what's expected of them and nothing against "the norm".
Idk, I just wish this took place now vs the 70s, I think it would have done a lot better in that timeline.
October 31, 2019
Update! Here’s my full review: https://bookishrealmreviews.blogspot....
Damn....
Damn....
April 7, 2020
Oh my god. This is the historical fiction to end all historical fictions. When three girls fall pregnant, their lives are turned upside down. Ola relies on her younger sister, Izella, in hopes to find an abortion--and to not tell their mother, Evangelist. Missippi is fourteen and doesn't quite know the extent of her predicament--not only is she pregnant, but her father wants to know who did this to her even though she promised her rapist she'd never tell. Susan is of another world entirely--she's a young teenage activist whose father is an anti-abortion law-maker who will stop at nothing to make sure his reputation isn't tarnished.
The four come together in an unexpected way, though all four never meet. Ola, Izella, and Missippi are neighbors, and Evangelist is disappointed with Missippi's wanton ways. But how is she supposed to know--it's not like she has a mother. Ola and Izella's relationship is forever broken, even as Izella still tries to find a potion or a cure for Ola's pregnancy. Missippi and Sue meet at a sort of halfway house where pregnant girls are sent to carry their pregnancies to term.
There is safety, there is fear, there is acceptance, and there is harm. It is everywhere at once, but it's not always easy to get to or to run away from. Yet these girls--as well as the others we meet along the way--are the epitome of strength, using the resources they have to survive a world in which abortion is still illegal. Some use backdoor measures while others are forced into a life of wifehood and motherhood they absolutely don't want. Just how did they do it? Though this book is fiction, it's all too real. I'm lucky enough to have lived on the west coast and in New England, and have known my entire life that I have options to look to in case I ever needed them. This book reminded me of my privilege and humbled me.
I honestly thought this was going to be a difficult read--after all, it's pretty thick, and it's about four girls and a terrible predicament. But the characters come to life with their innocence and their lies and their anger and sadness. They're almost real, and it made me just want to hold them and tell them that everything will be all right.
At the end, I especially enjoyed the flash-forward into the future where a young girl goes to a clinic to get an abortion but as she settles into the stirrups discovers that abortion has been made illegal in her state, and she can no longer be helped (legally). So who does she turn to? Our beloved characters, of course. She briefly feels betrayed that they know this intense and extremely personal information about her, but she realizes--and we realize--that this problem is one that women have always faced, and that there are ways to overcome it, to live, to move on regardless of what happens.
It's a beautiful book, a timely book, and one that I think every girl should read.
Review cross-listed here!
The four come together in an unexpected way, though all four never meet. Ola, Izella, and Missippi are neighbors, and Evangelist is disappointed with Missippi's wanton ways. But how is she supposed to know--it's not like she has a mother. Ola and Izella's relationship is forever broken, even as Izella still tries to find a potion or a cure for Ola's pregnancy. Missippi and Sue meet at a sort of halfway house where pregnant girls are sent to carry their pregnancies to term.
There is safety, there is fear, there is acceptance, and there is harm. It is everywhere at once, but it's not always easy to get to or to run away from. Yet these girls--as well as the others we meet along the way--are the epitome of strength, using the resources they have to survive a world in which abortion is still illegal. Some use backdoor measures while others are forced into a life of wifehood and motherhood they absolutely don't want. Just how did they do it? Though this book is fiction, it's all too real. I'm lucky enough to have lived on the west coast and in New England, and have known my entire life that I have options to look to in case I ever needed them. This book reminded me of my privilege and humbled me.
I honestly thought this was going to be a difficult read--after all, it's pretty thick, and it's about four girls and a terrible predicament. But the characters come to life with their innocence and their lies and their anger and sadness. They're almost real, and it made me just want to hold them and tell them that everything will be all right.
At the end, I especially enjoyed the flash-forward into the future where a young girl goes to a clinic to get an abortion but as she settles into the stirrups discovers that abortion has been made illegal in her state, and she can no longer be helped (legally). So who does she turn to? Our beloved characters, of course. She briefly feels betrayed that they know this intense and extremely personal information about her, but she realizes--and we realize--that this problem is one that women have always faced, and that there are ways to overcome it, to live, to move on regardless of what happens.
It's a beautiful book, a timely book, and one that I think every girl should read.
Review cross-listed here!
July 25, 2020
Good book
November 3, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Teralyn Mitchell
Girls Like Us was a masterpiece that weaved the stories of four girls dealing with unexpected pregnancies in the summer of 1972. This story follows two sisters, Ola and Izella. and two strangers, Missippi and Sue, as they try to deal with matters that no teenager should ever have to deal with. This was such a moving and timely story that I read in one sitting as once I started reading, I could not put it down. This book sucks you in from the first page and the fact that it tells three different stories made me continue to read and wondering what was next for these characters. I liked the references to The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison since Girls Like Us was reminiscent of that book and explored some of the same topics.
Ola and Izella were sisters living in rural Georgia with their evangelist mother who ran a small church out of their house. Ola is sixteen and Izella is only fifteen, but seems to be the more mature one out of the two of them. When they find out Ola is pregnant, Izella seems to take it on her shoulders to figure out what to do and Ola is reliant on her. She wants to help her sister and doesn’t want their mother to find out about it. In that same town, a fourteen-year-old named Missippi is also pregnant but she doesn’t seem to understand the magnitude of that. She really is a sweet, innocent girl who is left home by herself entirely too often for how young she is. The last girl is seventeen-year-old Sue who is from an affluent family. She finds out she is pregnant and goes to her mother immediately who has a solution for how they will deal with it.
All these girls are understandably scared and in over their head with this problem. When Missippi’s father finds out she’s pregnant. she is sent to Chicago to live with a woman who takes in pregnant girls, taking care of them and helping them deliver when the time comes. Sue is sent to this same apartment by her mother. Sue and Missippi bond immediately and become fast friends, while for Izella and Ola, they figure out a way to take care of the pregnancy without their mother ever finding out. The story progresses from there giving background about how each of these girls ended up pregnant and the bonds that are formed during hard times.
Missippi was my absolutely favourite character. I thought her story was the most heartbreaking when first learning of it and how she became pregnant. She was the sweetest, innocent fourteen-year-old who you just wanted to wrap up in your arms and never let go. It was clear from the start that her story was tragic or that was the feeling I got when I started reading her chapter. She was such a pure character who still maintained her innocence despite the things she’d endured in her short life. She grew considerably after giving birth and I liked that as well. Sue was my next favourite character because she was outspoken and she did not take no crap from anybody. She knew what she wanted in her life and she stood for something even if it was contradictory to her senator father’s views. The way she took to Missippi endeared her to me even more. Ola and Izella… their story was very complicated. The pregnancy created a rift in their once close relationship and they were never able to repair it. They were both entirely too young to deal with something of this magnitude on their own but they did not realise that until it was too late.
The ending of this book was amazing and I loved seeing the ‘now’ with all the characters. It was great to see where the girls’ lives ended up after dealing with their pregnancies. Showing the great-granddaughter of one of the women and the ruling that was handed down in the beginning of that chapter, brought everything into prospective. Girls Like Us was so well written and had strong characters that you couldn’t help but connect, cry and hurt with.
Girls Like Us was powerful, heartbreaking, and a book that will always stick with me for the rest of my days. Randi Pink did a magnificent job of telling each girls’ story and making you see every angle and argument people may have about women’s rights to choose. It is a book that needed to be written and I am happy and honoured I was able to read and review a copy of this book.
Girls Like Us was a masterpiece that weaved the stories of four girls dealing with unexpected pregnancies in the summer of 1972. This story follows two sisters, Ola and Izella. and two strangers, Missippi and Sue, as they try to deal with matters that no teenager should ever have to deal with. This was such a moving and timely story that I read in one sitting as once I started reading, I could not put it down. This book sucks you in from the first page and the fact that it tells three different stories made me continue to read and wondering what was next for these characters. I liked the references to The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison since Girls Like Us was reminiscent of that book and explored some of the same topics.
Ola and Izella were sisters living in rural Georgia with their evangelist mother who ran a small church out of their house. Ola is sixteen and Izella is only fifteen, but seems to be the more mature one out of the two of them. When they find out Ola is pregnant, Izella seems to take it on her shoulders to figure out what to do and Ola is reliant on her. She wants to help her sister and doesn’t want their mother to find out about it. In that same town, a fourteen-year-old named Missippi is also pregnant but she doesn’t seem to understand the magnitude of that. She really is a sweet, innocent girl who is left home by herself entirely too often for how young she is. The last girl is seventeen-year-old Sue who is from an affluent family. She finds out she is pregnant and goes to her mother immediately who has a solution for how they will deal with it.
All these girls are understandably scared and in over their head with this problem. When Missippi’s father finds out she’s pregnant. she is sent to Chicago to live with a woman who takes in pregnant girls, taking care of them and helping them deliver when the time comes. Sue is sent to this same apartment by her mother. Sue and Missippi bond immediately and become fast friends, while for Izella and Ola, they figure out a way to take care of the pregnancy without their mother ever finding out. The story progresses from there giving background about how each of these girls ended up pregnant and the bonds that are formed during hard times.
Missippi was my absolutely favourite character. I thought her story was the most heartbreaking when first learning of it and how she became pregnant. She was the sweetest, innocent fourteen-year-old who you just wanted to wrap up in your arms and never let go. It was clear from the start that her story was tragic or that was the feeling I got when I started reading her chapter. She was such a pure character who still maintained her innocence despite the things she’d endured in her short life. She grew considerably after giving birth and I liked that as well. Sue was my next favourite character because she was outspoken and she did not take no crap from anybody. She knew what she wanted in her life and she stood for something even if it was contradictory to her senator father’s views. The way she took to Missippi endeared her to me even more. Ola and Izella… their story was very complicated. The pregnancy created a rift in their once close relationship and they were never able to repair it. They were both entirely too young to deal with something of this magnitude on their own but they did not realise that until it was too late.
The ending of this book was amazing and I loved seeing the ‘now’ with all the characters. It was great to see where the girls’ lives ended up after dealing with their pregnancies. Showing the great-granddaughter of one of the women and the ruling that was handed down in the beginning of that chapter, brought everything into prospective. Girls Like Us was so well written and had strong characters that you couldn’t help but connect, cry and hurt with.
Girls Like Us was powerful, heartbreaking, and a book that will always stick with me for the rest of my days. Randi Pink did a magnificent job of telling each girls’ story and making you see every angle and argument people may have about women’s rights to choose. It is a book that needed to be written and I am happy and honoured I was able to read and review a copy of this book.
July 7, 2020
I didn't know anything going into this besides it revolving around teen pregnancy, so I was surprised to see exactly the direction this book took. For the most part, it was a pleasant surprise. I went through a lot of feelings as I read this. In the beginning, I felt it was hard to get into. Once I got a grasp on things I found it to be enjoyable enough. But then when we got to see the relationships between the characters I really found myself enjoying it. Really, it was almost a five star, but the ending kind of knocked it back down. It wasn't bad, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it.
Overall though, this was a solid story about a group of teen girls dealing with pregnancies in 70s when they had very little choices. The way the girls banned together was so heartwarming. The writing was quite nice as well, so I'll have to check out more Randi Pink in the future!
Overall though, this was a solid story about a group of teen girls dealing with pregnancies in 70s when they had very little choices. The way the girls banned together was so heartwarming. The writing was quite nice as well, so I'll have to check out more Randi Pink in the future!
May 18, 2021
This is a timely book to recommend to 8th-12th graders as the US Supreme Court sets out to outlaw abortion again. The story is at it's core about how choices, ANY choices made, about pregnancy have serious consequences, and a reminder of how when there is no access to safe medical ways to terminate pregnancy, women will find more dangerous ways. The characters fell a little flat for me, which is why it's only getting a 3 star review, but the plot was interesting and the friendships forged were sweet. Would definitely generate interesting discussions.
November 30, 2019
Welcome Back!
I know it's been a little while, I know what my posting goals were, however, I took a small break for a few reasons. First, due to mental health, I was feeling a bit down and I just needed some time to work through some things and second because of the holidays. So I took part of the week before Thanksgiving and the entire week of Thanksgiving to kind of collect myself and treat myself. I am in a much better headspace now and have been able to resolve the things that were bothering me most. Additionally, I also spent some quality time reading and that means as part of my Blogmas I will have lots of reviews going up! Now I may not stick to the normal reviewing schedule during blogmas because there are lots of different seasonal posts I have planned but I am hoping to still get my reviews posted and out there! During my break from blogging one of the books I was finally able to read was Girls Like Us. So without further ado let's talk about this awesome book.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Following four very different girls in the summer of 1972 we get to see each one's life experiencing and how they handle unplanned teenage pregnancy during a time when having a child out of wedlock was not socially accepted at all. We have Ola and Izella, sisters, and older sister Ola is expecting. She has a boyfriend, Walter, who is back from the war and a mother who is very dedicated to the church. Her sister Izella wants to try to help her out of this situation but they both know their mother can never find out. There is also a girl down the street who is much younger than the sisters, Missippi who is pregnant, her mother passed a long time ago and her father works on the road as a trucker coming home as much as he can. However, he has no idea who his daughter might have been seeing or how she could have become pregnant and she refuses to tell him. Missippi's father would like to do what is best for her so he sends her to Chicago to give birth to a woman who runs a home for young unwed pregnant women. Here she meets Susan, the daughter of a politician as well as many other girls. Here we learn more about Missippi's story as well as Susan's. Two girls who are very different but become fast best friends and have to make decisions about their lives that will last forever.
Honestly, I was surprised by how much I loved this story. I was so engaged and interested in each girl's story and wanting to see where each one of their lives was going to go. I think the author handled each individual story wonderfully and overall created a beautiful story. I loved Susan and Missippi's fast friendship and I loved Ola and Izella's story despite the immense amount of heartbreak it contains. I am giving this book 4.25 stars on Goodreads and I will definitely read it again.
**I was given an e-book ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I know it's been a little while, I know what my posting goals were, however, I took a small break for a few reasons. First, due to mental health, I was feeling a bit down and I just needed some time to work through some things and second because of the holidays. So I took part of the week before Thanksgiving and the entire week of Thanksgiving to kind of collect myself and treat myself. I am in a much better headspace now and have been able to resolve the things that were bothering me most. Additionally, I also spent some quality time reading and that means as part of my Blogmas I will have lots of reviews going up! Now I may not stick to the normal reviewing schedule during blogmas because there are lots of different seasonal posts I have planned but I am hoping to still get my reviews posted and out there! During my break from blogging one of the books I was finally able to read was Girls Like Us. So without further ado let's talk about this awesome book.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Following four very different girls in the summer of 1972 we get to see each one's life experiencing and how they handle unplanned teenage pregnancy during a time when having a child out of wedlock was not socially accepted at all. We have Ola and Izella, sisters, and older sister Ola is expecting. She has a boyfriend, Walter, who is back from the war and a mother who is very dedicated to the church. Her sister Izella wants to try to help her out of this situation but they both know their mother can never find out. There is also a girl down the street who is much younger than the sisters, Missippi who is pregnant, her mother passed a long time ago and her father works on the road as a trucker coming home as much as he can. However, he has no idea who his daughter might have been seeing or how she could have become pregnant and she refuses to tell him. Missippi's father would like to do what is best for her so he sends her to Chicago to give birth to a woman who runs a home for young unwed pregnant women. Here she meets Susan, the daughter of a politician as well as many other girls. Here we learn more about Missippi's story as well as Susan's. Two girls who are very different but become fast best friends and have to make decisions about their lives that will last forever.
Honestly, I was surprised by how much I loved this story. I was so engaged and interested in each girl's story and wanting to see where each one of their lives was going to go. I think the author handled each individual story wonderfully and overall created a beautiful story. I loved Susan and Missippi's fast friendship and I loved Ola and Izella's story despite the immense amount of heartbreak it contains. I am giving this book 4.25 stars on Goodreads and I will definitely read it again.
**I was given an e-book ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 6, 2019
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Feiwel & Friends, and RockStar Book Tours for this free copy.
So I read one of my friend’s reviews before I started this book, and she said that it was a pretty tough book emotionally to read. Not in those words specifically, but that’s pretty much the vibe I got from her review.
Well I wasn’t freaking ready for it.
This book really gave me similar feelings to what I had reading All the Bad Apples, but more instantly. From the get go, we know that this book deals with unplanned pregnancies, and from the get go, we know that not all of these girls are going to have a perfect ending to this journey. Now, this isn’t really a spoiler because of the time period that this book takes place in.
Not only does teenage pregnancy get an extremely bad rep during the 70’s, but abortion isn’t legal either. So unless a girl is able to find someone to give her an illegal and probably hella dangerous abortion without people finding out, then she either is shamed by society or sent to some hideaway house where she and a bunch of other girls will have to have their babies in secret. Clearly, this wasn’t only happening in the United States, because All the Bad Apples takes place in Ireland, and that was the same thing going on there.
Looking at the quote that I shared above, you would think that this would apply to sooooooo many people that can see that these girls need help. Need better help than what’s available. And not just our main girls, but so many girls and women during this time period that didn’t want to get pregnant, aren’t ready to be mothers, whatever the case may be. But it’s like that line supposedly only applies to people that are dealing with “noble” reasons, like losing their job because of the war, or whatever else is going on. A girl being pregnant? No, she’s a sinner and a whore and deserves to suffer. Because that’s okay, right?
Ugh this time period seriously pisses me off when it comes to these kinds of thought processes, and that’s why this book was so emotional to me. I could just imagine the women and girls living in the 70’s that risked their lives to get unsanctioned abortions, trying to get their lives back and still get shunned or abandoned by those that are supposed to love them no matter what. All of those feelings of anger, hurt, and frustration came back up while I was reading this, and books like these hurt to read so much because I start to identify with their situations and want to jump into the book and freaking HELP THEM. But I can’t!
This book just took a lot out of me, and I feel like every other page I was shaking my head with the pain that these girls had to go through, the criticism, and the heartache. While I did not enjoy this book in the traditional sense – meaning I wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows and smiling while I read this – I felt like this was such an important read, and one that I needed to have in my life. It really made me stop and think, think about the people my mom knew growing up that were in this same situation, what they had to go through, and what would have happened to me if I was in their shoes. How lucky my mom was that her family didn’t disown her, even though she was already 21 and about to graduate from college by the time I was born. She was still young, and that wasn’t something that her family was expecting at all.
This just really gave me a lot of feelings.
So I read one of my friend’s reviews before I started this book, and she said that it was a pretty tough book emotionally to read. Not in those words specifically, but that’s pretty much the vibe I got from her review.
Well I wasn’t freaking ready for it.
This book really gave me similar feelings to what I had reading All the Bad Apples, but more instantly. From the get go, we know that this book deals with unplanned pregnancies, and from the get go, we know that not all of these girls are going to have a perfect ending to this journey. Now, this isn’t really a spoiler because of the time period that this book takes place in.
Not only does teenage pregnancy get an extremely bad rep during the 70’s, but abortion isn’t legal either. So unless a girl is able to find someone to give her an illegal and probably hella dangerous abortion without people finding out, then she either is shamed by society or sent to some hideaway house where she and a bunch of other girls will have to have their babies in secret. Clearly, this wasn’t only happening in the United States, because All the Bad Apples takes place in Ireland, and that was the same thing going on there.
Looking at the quote that I shared above, you would think that this would apply to sooooooo many people that can see that these girls need help. Need better help than what’s available. And not just our main girls, but so many girls and women during this time period that didn’t want to get pregnant, aren’t ready to be mothers, whatever the case may be. But it’s like that line supposedly only applies to people that are dealing with “noble” reasons, like losing their job because of the war, or whatever else is going on. A girl being pregnant? No, she’s a sinner and a whore and deserves to suffer. Because that’s okay, right?
Ugh this time period seriously pisses me off when it comes to these kinds of thought processes, and that’s why this book was so emotional to me. I could just imagine the women and girls living in the 70’s that risked their lives to get unsanctioned abortions, trying to get their lives back and still get shunned or abandoned by those that are supposed to love them no matter what. All of those feelings of anger, hurt, and frustration came back up while I was reading this, and books like these hurt to read so much because I start to identify with their situations and want to jump into the book and freaking HELP THEM. But I can’t!
This book just took a lot out of me, and I feel like every other page I was shaking my head with the pain that these girls had to go through, the criticism, and the heartache. While I did not enjoy this book in the traditional sense – meaning I wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows and smiling while I read this – I felt like this was such an important read, and one that I needed to have in my life. It really made me stop and think, think about the people my mom knew growing up that were in this same situation, what they had to go through, and what would have happened to me if I was in their shoes. How lucky my mom was that her family didn’t disown her, even though she was already 21 and about to graduate from college by the time I was born. She was still young, and that wasn’t something that her family was expecting at all.
This just really gave me a lot of feelings.
December 4, 2019
I wanted to like this book, and I understand how she presented the options (with Ola and the juice she drank, and with Sue's family discussing adoption), but then they all just returned, with their babies, except for Ola, to continue their lives. I liked the characters and there were some sentences where I thought, "well, damn." But, I think my main problem with this book was that the synopsis is seemingly so far from what actually happens in the novel. The synopsis makes it sound like these four young women are going to be faced with unplanned pregnancies and then struggle to choose between abortion or adoption or becoming a mother, and the "timely" makes it sound like it's set in present day. (I also assumed Sue, the daughter of a conservative Senator, would end up pregnant and be forced to get an abortion by her father, going against what he preaches, which I thought was going to be interesting, though I liked Sue and LOVED her mother.) Instead, it's set in 1971 (except for the weird time jump ending which I will talk about more later) and the women are sent away to have their babies and then.... all return with them. Except for one. So I was set up for a story about young women having to make the hard decision about having a baby or not, and then it wasn't really that. I didn't love the third-person writing style, but it worked well switching perspectives, except one point (towards the end which is the only reason I kept reading after this) the author included the scene where Missippi's papa comes and talks to Ms. Pearline and the Jesse guy from Missippi's perspective and then, THE VERY NEXT CHAPTER, includes the EXACT SAME DIALOGUE from Sue's perspective for multiple pages just to say that Sue is amazed that fathers can be good and caring, like Missippi's. I almost had to put it down. One sentence would have sufficed for us to know that Sue felt that way. I didn't need to read the same thing, twice. With only a slightly different perspective.
The time jump was strange and rushed. It could've worked if it was more of the book, maybe, instead of just an epilogue for a chance to say how many more options women have but actually don't because it's set in a "present" where Roe v. Wade gets overturned, and one of their granddaughters was all set for an abortion (and, come on, it's not how laws work for the doctor to tell you THAT SAME DAY that you can no longer have an abortion the day the decision was made).
And I know it's not great to go into a book with whole bunch of assumptions, yet I wish the synopsis was written differently, cause then maybe I would've approached (and liked) the book more.
The time jump was strange and rushed. It could've worked if it was more of the book, maybe, instead of just an epilogue for a chance to say how many more options women have but actually don't because it's set in a "present" where Roe v. Wade gets overturned, and one of their granddaughters was all set for an abortion (and, come on, it's not how laws work for the doctor to tell you THAT SAME DAY that you can no longer have an abortion the day the decision was made).
And I know it's not great to go into a book with whole bunch of assumptions, yet I wish the synopsis was written differently, cause then maybe I would've approached (and liked) the book more.
February 4, 2021
Truly one of the most beautifully written and compelling stories I’ve read in a long time. Heartbreaking and sweet and poignant. Randi Pink is an absolute talent.
February 20, 2020
Powerful and timely.
No Spoilers
Young girls dealing with unexpected pregnancy prior to Roe vs Wade. A fast paced and emotional read with relatable characters.
No Spoilers
Young girls dealing with unexpected pregnancy prior to Roe vs Wade. A fast paced and emotional read with relatable characters.
July 3, 2020
(4.5) This book physically and narratively embodies the Shakespeare quote "though she be but little, she is fierce." It's short and concise but full of pain and joy and beauty as we read about these girls who face unwanted pregnancy in a country that criminalizes choice. Ms. Pearline is a true pearl that I will not soon forget. The bond forged between the girls is beautiful and longlasting, but it should never have had to happen the way it did. Supporting reproductive freedom = protecting lives of girls and women. Simple as that.
(The only thing that took me out of it was the large, loopy cursive font that Sue's mother's letters are formatted in--unnecessary and weird.)
(The only thing that took me out of it was the large, loopy cursive font that Sue's mother's letters are formatted in--unnecessary and weird.)
August 18, 2019
A timely novel, telling stories of young women who are victims of others, their own choices, and the times the live in. A deeply moving and appropriate book at a time when women’s bodies are being regulated.
Ola and Eliza live with their mother Evangeline who is religious and prides Hesiod in raising Christian girls who are prepared to be good wives. She does charity for anyone she can, feeds everyone, and even visits the girl that everyone else looks down upon, Mississippi. When younger Eliza realizes her Ola is pregnant by her veteran boyfriend, who is suffering from severe PTSD, she scrambles to save her sister from terrible future.
Mississippi is fourteen, pregnant, and lives in a small unkept home. She has a kind father who drives a truck and gone for weeks. She’s never had a mother to show her how to keep a home or even take care of herself. She is a true innocent who really couldn’t tell you how she is in this situation. She just lives for the days when Evangeline comes with cheese grits and she has something besides biscuits to eat.
Sue is heartfelt protestor of war and conflict. She is also the daughter of senator who supports Vietnam war. When she become pregnant by her privileged boyfriend, and comes home for solace, she discovers more to herself and where she comes from.
Ola and Eliza live with their mother Evangeline who is religious and prides Hesiod in raising Christian girls who are prepared to be good wives. She does charity for anyone she can, feeds everyone, and even visits the girl that everyone else looks down upon, Mississippi. When younger Eliza realizes her Ola is pregnant by her veteran boyfriend, who is suffering from severe PTSD, she scrambles to save her sister from terrible future.
Mississippi is fourteen, pregnant, and lives in a small unkept home. She has a kind father who drives a truck and gone for weeks. She’s never had a mother to show her how to keep a home or even take care of herself. She is a true innocent who really couldn’t tell you how she is in this situation. She just lives for the days when Evangeline comes with cheese grits and she has something besides biscuits to eat.
Sue is heartfelt protestor of war and conflict. She is also the daughter of senator who supports Vietnam war. When she become pregnant by her privileged boyfriend, and comes home for solace, she discovers more to herself and where she comes from.
November 28, 2019
this was good and also bad. the ending nearly brought it down to two stars for me but I did still enjoy this.
January 9, 2020
I sit here crying. This book feels like giving up.
November 3, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Randi Pink
Book Series: Standalone.
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Recommended Age: 16+ (pregnancy, sex)
Synopsis: Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy.
Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.
Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future.
Review: I loved the message that the book tried to present and I think the writing was really good. The book was good and the characters were enduring.
However, I didn't like that the girls didn't really do anything more than what was expected of them. I didn't like that not one of them defied the norm. The book is touching, but I expected better.
Verdict: It's good but I think they should have done better.
Author: Randi Pink
Book Series: Standalone.
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Recommended Age: 16+ (pregnancy, sex)
Synopsis: Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy.
Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that they’re dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.
Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story – as timely as ever – about a woman’s right to choose her future.
Review: I loved the message that the book tried to present and I think the writing was really good. The book was good and the characters were enduring.
However, I didn't like that the girls didn't really do anything more than what was expected of them. I didn't like that not one of them defied the norm. The book is touching, but I expected better.
Verdict: It's good but I think they should have done better.
March 23, 2020
A nice story, but nothing profound. I think what drew me away from this story is that I could feel that the author was going for profundity, and it came across pitifully. That sounds really harsh, and I don't mean for it to! I did like all of the girls (Except for the last, the modern, narrator; she was obnoxious) and I liked the different perspectives on the same issue--teen pregnancy. But at the end of the day, Girls Like Us didn't move or change me in any way. It is simply a good story, and nothing more profound than that.
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge: Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites, pt. 1 (Girls Like Us/ This Boy )
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge: Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites, pt. 1 (Girls Like Us/ This Boy )
February 7, 2020
This book was amazing! I loved how it captured the stories of different girls and never once got confusing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic stories of love and triumph.
June 4, 2022
Loved this book!!!!
March 14, 2023
a beautiful and captivating story! I loved how all the characters came together at the end. Even though the book dealt with many heavy themes, there were so many light and lovely moments in the book. a great historical fiction!
May 12, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was by coincidence that I even picked it up, but I’m so happy that I did. This was so southern, from the conversations to the upbringing of the girls to the vernacular to the stereotypes. There’s this commonality of people from my generation saying that they don't always feel adult-like because of some of the things their parents or grandparents went through and I felt the same way reading this. These girls were 14-17 handling life way different than the way I would have. My heart broke for every one of these girls because I felt like a big theme in this book was loss. All of the girls lost something by going through with their pregnancy; Izella lost someone very close to her, Mississippi lost her innocence, Ola lost her sense of self, and Susan lost respect for people she thought she could trust. However, I’m glad they were able to gain perspective and friendship by the end of their journeys. The last chapter of the book was my least favorite although I get what the author was trying to do, but I think the poem gave it some redemption. I also would have really liked to explore Ms. Mac’s character more. All in all, this was a win for the historical fiction genre.
March 7, 2020
Full review to come. 4 stars for importance, 3 stars for enjoyment cuz this topic is personally difficult for me.
WASHYARG draft review
This book is a powerful testament to what unplanned pregnancies meant to women, specifically teen girls, prior to Roe vs. Wade. Taking place in 1972 in rural Georgia and Chicago, our four narrators, Ola (16), Izella (15), Missippi (14) and Sue (17) all have different circumstances surrounding their pregnancies, both in terms of partners, support, and prior sexual education. We also get to see how race and class interplay with these pregnancies. Told in an intense, nonlinear fashion, this book is an emotional ride. The teens confront rape, abortion, racism, anti-choice sentiments, lack of agency, and so much more. Through Miss. Pearlanne, an undercover midwife who regularly cares for pregnant teen girls until they give birth we see one of the ways women tried to address these institutional problems with very real, very person impacts. How Ola and Izella address Ola's pregnancy illustrates a different and very common, heart-wrenching approach that those who couldn't access an equivalent Miss. Pearlanne often had to pursue. Despite being set in the past, this novel is still timely. The right to choose is under increasing threat, both federally and in individual states. Books like this remind us of what life was like before Roe v. Wade, and what life is still like for those without true access to the benefits of Roe v. Wade. This story reads as a compelling, cautionary tale, encouraging us not to move backwards in time, and can be emotionally challenging to get through. Recommended for grades 9 and up, this book contains swearing, sex, rape, systemic and interpersonal violence (emotional and physical), and no drugs or drinking. Content warnings: rape, abortion, racism, sexism, and abuse.
WASHYARG draft review
This book is a powerful testament to what unplanned pregnancies meant to women, specifically teen girls, prior to Roe vs. Wade. Taking place in 1972 in rural Georgia and Chicago, our four narrators, Ola (16), Izella (15), Missippi (14) and Sue (17) all have different circumstances surrounding their pregnancies, both in terms of partners, support, and prior sexual education. We also get to see how race and class interplay with these pregnancies. Told in an intense, nonlinear fashion, this book is an emotional ride. The teens confront rape, abortion, racism, anti-choice sentiments, lack of agency, and so much more. Through Miss. Pearlanne, an undercover midwife who regularly cares for pregnant teen girls until they give birth we see one of the ways women tried to address these institutional problems with very real, very person impacts. How Ola and Izella address Ola's pregnancy illustrates a different and very common, heart-wrenching approach that those who couldn't access an equivalent Miss. Pearlanne often had to pursue. Despite being set in the past, this novel is still timely. The right to choose is under increasing threat, both federally and in individual states. Books like this remind us of what life was like before Roe v. Wade, and what life is still like for those without true access to the benefits of Roe v. Wade. This story reads as a compelling, cautionary tale, encouraging us not to move backwards in time, and can be emotionally challenging to get through. Recommended for grades 9 and up, this book contains swearing, sex, rape, systemic and interpersonal violence (emotional and physical), and no drugs or drinking. Content warnings: rape, abortion, racism, sexism, and abuse.
October 28, 2019
Netgalley provided me a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was beautiful and heartbreaking and paints a picture of the difficulties teen mothers faced in the 70's. Four young girls share their pregnancy stories (or in Izella's case, her sister's story). The girls come from different backgrounds and situations, and they are all looking for a little kindness, a little acceptance, and a way to move forward.
There are some fantastic side characters (a woman who houses teenage girls and helps them through pregnancy, Missippi's father, Sue's mother), and the cast is diverse. There some fairly graphic descriptions of pregnancy and birth which I think are important for girls to know about, and some pretty tough topics (abortion, reproductive rights) are tackled.
My only real complaint here is the final section, which takes place in a maybe-not-so-distant future where Roe vs. Wade has been overturned and a girl with a bright future suddenly has her right to choose taken away. While I don't dislike the section in and of itself, it just feels like a sudden jolt considering the historical setting of the rest of the book. Though the girl in the last section has connections to our characters in the past, it feels like an in-your-face political stance tacked on to a beautiful, subtle story.
This was beautiful and heartbreaking and paints a picture of the difficulties teen mothers faced in the 70's. Four young girls share their pregnancy stories (or in Izella's case, her sister's story). The girls come from different backgrounds and situations, and they are all looking for a little kindness, a little acceptance, and a way to move forward.
There are some fantastic side characters (a woman who houses teenage girls and helps them through pregnancy, Missippi's father, Sue's mother), and the cast is diverse. There some fairly graphic descriptions of pregnancy and birth which I think are important for girls to know about, and some pretty tough topics (abortion, reproductive rights) are tackled.
My only real complaint here is the final section, which takes place in a maybe-not-so-distant future where Roe vs. Wade has been overturned and a girl with a bright future suddenly has her right to choose taken away. While I don't dislike the section in and of itself, it just feels like a sudden jolt considering the historical setting of the rest of the book. Though the girl in the last section has connections to our characters in the past, it feels like an in-your-face political stance tacked on to a beautiful, subtle story.
October 21, 2019
This book is about a woman’s right to choose, a timely issue that should be written about and discussed more. It follows the lives of different girls who are affected by unplanned pregnancies in 1972, and ends in the present day/future.
I wanted to like this book so much, but ultimately it didn’t read like YA. It didn’t have much dialogue and was pretty dry for teenage readers. It was also inconsistent, starting as a slow-paced historical fiction novel and ending dramatically and abruptly in the future/present-day. The chapters were long, but there were two supershort (less than one page) ones that felt awkwardly thrown together. There was also a plot line involving the character Mississippi that wasn’t fully addressed.
Overall, this book does show that a woman’s right to choose affects everyone, regardless of background. The storylines just weren’t properly executed.
Full disclosure- I received an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for honest review.
I wanted to like this book so much, but ultimately it didn’t read like YA. It didn’t have much dialogue and was pretty dry for teenage readers. It was also inconsistent, starting as a slow-paced historical fiction novel and ending dramatically and abruptly in the future/present-day. The chapters were long, but there were two supershort (less than one page) ones that felt awkwardly thrown together. There was also a plot line involving the character Mississippi that wasn’t fully addressed.
Overall, this book does show that a woman’s right to choose affects everyone, regardless of background. The storylines just weren’t properly executed.
Full disclosure- I received an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for honest review.
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October 11, 2022This is... not what I thought it would be. Am I dumb or did the summary make it sound like this was gonna be about abortion? It isn't lol as for this being a book about a group of teen girls pregnant in the 70s yeah it hit that spot on. This was all about a woman's right to choose but the majority was to give birth.
It was really nice how the girls banded together and their friendships were sweet. The beginning was SO hard to get into and I still didn't really care about the other characters besides how tragic things were for Missippi. She was such a sweet, pure character who didn't deserve any of this.
The ending was good enough and the book was fast at least.
It was really nice how the girls banded together and their friendships were sweet. The beginning was SO hard to get into and I still didn't really care about the other characters besides how tragic things were for Missippi. She was such a sweet, pure character who didn't deserve any of this.
The ending was good enough and the book was fast at least.
January 1, 2021
Absolutely Amazing
I loved this book so much. The story was haunting, yet inspiring. I became so invested in these girls and their lives. In the end, they all made me so proud. They were so strong and so brave. The writing was superb. I felt like I could see every chapter playing out right in front of me. I would love to see this turned into a movie, but a film couldn’t do it justice. This is a book that I know I’ll read again.
I loved this book so much. The story was haunting, yet inspiring. I became so invested in these girls and their lives. In the end, they all made me so proud. They were so strong and so brave. The writing was superb. I felt like I could see every chapter playing out right in front of me. I would love to see this turned into a movie, but a film couldn’t do it justice. This is a book that I know I’ll read again.
February 15, 2022
I basically devoured this book. Once I picked it up, I could barely put it down. I don't remember the last time I read a book so quickly. I will say I did not love the little fast-forward epilogue at the end; while I can see how it's supposed to show the cycle of life and give a bit of insight on the aftermath of what the four girls went through, it felt a little underdeveloped and just tacked on after a story that was wrapped up already. Besides that, though, it was a good, quick read.
July 20, 2022
I just finished this one and I have to say it was beautiful, powerful, sad, and motivating. I couldn't put it down. I just can't say enough good things about this book. I am AWESTRUCK.
This is a must read, especially with the recent news of Roe vs Wade.
The novel is set in 1972 and follows 4 teenage girls from different backgrounds, all dealing with pregnancy.
Easily one of my top reads of the year and now going on my all time favorites list.
This is a must read, especially with the recent news of Roe vs Wade.
The novel is set in 1972 and follows 4 teenage girls from different backgrounds, all dealing with pregnancy.
Easily one of my top reads of the year and now going on my all time favorites list.
May 28, 2023
Oh lord this book could have been put under the horror genre because of all the horrors these poor girls went through. Nothing is more scary then a teenage pregnancy. I’m glad they all found strength in each other and were able to persevere. I do wish they chose better options than just unwanted motherhood or death but ig the point of them choosing those options was to display the dire reality of their situations.
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