Girl Mans Up in Mock Printz 2026

Dec 30, 2016 Tatiana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2016, starred-2016, 3, morris

I am happy to see that a YA book like this exists and is getting considerable attention. It shows yet another facet of human sexuality and gender identity that I had though I had an understanding of, but clearly I didn't, until M-E Girard explained some things to me.

Even though I wasn't truly enchanted by the novel's pretty stock plot (bullying and difficulties of coming out to obtuse parents) and characters (they didn't have that X factor), I am glad I read it. ...more

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May 02, 2016 Justin rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, arc, realistic

This Canadian slice of teen life offers a portrayal I haven't seen much in YA: gender-fluidity. While there are a lot of good teen LGBTQ books and an increasing focus on making transgender and intersex characters more visible, Pen is harder to categorize. She's definitely a girl, but she doesn't at all feel "femme." She continually receives static from her traditional Portuguese family and from the usual window-lickers in her town about looking like a boy, and it's never been a secret that she's ...more

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Dec 23, 2016 Barbara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: character-building, gender, compassion, conflict, pregnancy, urban-life, drugs, jobs, faith, body-image

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a book that is very much needed since it explores in honest, almost gut-wrenching fashion the trials of Pen Oliveira, a Catholic school girl who defies quite a lot of stereotypes. Not only is she terrific at playing video games, but she considers herself to be one of the dudes with whom she hangs. It's not that she wants to be a guy, but she does want to be a girl on her own terms, which means short hair and wearing her older brother Johnny's shirts instead of the frilly dresses her moth This is a book that is very much needed since it explores in honest, almost gut-wrenching fashion the trials of Pen Oliveira, a Catholic school girl who defies quite a lot of stereotypes. Not only is she terrific at playing video games, but she considers herself to be one of the dudes with whom she hangs. It's not that she wants to be a guy, but she does want to be a girl on her own terms, which means short hair and wearing her older brother Johnny's shirts instead of the frilly dresses her mother would prefer. Her traditional Portuguese parents find it impossible to accept Pen as she is, and constantly remind her to be a good girl, whatever that might mean. For Pen, it means to conform to their ideas about what a girl should do, say, and wear, and has little to do with whom she is. Since Pen is often used as the wing "man" for her friend Colby when he's on the prowl for girls, she feels a certain amount of loyalty to him and considers that she matters to him. But after she realizes that he's treated one girl, Olivia, quite poorly, and has designs on Blake, the same girl Pen likes, Pen starts pulling back and seeing Colby and his other minions in their true light. Even while Olivia, Blake, and Pen become closer, Pen acknowledges that being a girl is even more complicated and yet simpler than what she has always thought. What I liked most about this story was how it depicts some of the males in her life in all their ugly glory even while portraying her wonderfully supportive brother with just the right touches of understanding and how Pen and Blake are so comfortable together. Once again, a YA title nudges its readers to adjust their assumptions about gender, sexuality, and family dynamics as well as what is meant by the word "respect." Ultimately, much as I hoped that Colby would turn out to have a heart and display some compassion, that hope was never realized, and he seems stuck in the same self-destructive patterns while Pen is moving on, trying to find her way in a world that judges anyone who deviates from the norm in the slightest. The author leaves her readers with quite a lot to consider. ...more

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Feb 09, 2017 Wendy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: immigration, we-need-diverse-books, bullying-unit-2014, glbqt, feminist-as-hell

Okay, first, I don't know if I've ever hated a character as much as I hate Colby, Pen's neighbor and "friend." He's almost comically evil, but we've all known guys like him, sadly enough.

Pen is adorable, although I think she'd be pissed at me for saying so. She is a girl who looks like a boy and who likes girls, but she's still a girl too. Her Portuguese immigrant parents are super freaked out by this, and spend a lot of time trying to heap guilt and shame on her. Her gamer friends are starting ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 Emily Rozmus rated it really liked it

Pen isn't sure what to call herself, and it doesn't really matter bc in the end, she knows what she feels. That's the great message in this book. ...more

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Mar 08, 2017 Shauna Yusko rated it liked it

Shelves: srp-2017, read-in-2017

Definitely an interesting book/character for the genre.

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Nov 25, 2016 elissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: youngadult, glbtq, my_10s_reads, capitol_choices_archives

Another one that's 3 1/2 stars for me. Main character and her girlfriend are both really well done. I enjoyed dropping in to Pen's life for a little bit, and found it all very believable. An interesting study of a high schooler's gender-fluidity, as she's working on figuring it out. I wonder if she will eventually use the pronouns they/them/their? ...more

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