Trish at Between My Lines's Reviews > Girlhood

This review was originally posted on Between My Lines

I flat-out loved this book!  I savour book about friendship, and I adored how this book focused on the sisterhood theme, with no major romances thrown into steal the limelight.  Friendship deserves the spotlight and I’m so glad that it was centre stage in Girlhood by Cat Clarke.

First Line of Girlhood by Cat Clarke

“We always have a midnight feast on the first night back.”

5 things I Loved about Girlhood by Cat Clarke


Boarding School setting

I grew up on a staple reading diet of boarding school books.  From Malory Towers to St Clare’s; I gorged on every one that I could get my hands on.  It was so much fun to revisit this setting, but in a realistic contemporary world.  Plus, the boarding school element added so much intensity to the friendships as they were together 24/7.

Very Little Romance

OK, you can’t have a young adult book with zero romances, because that is just so unrealistic.  However I loved that the romances were just one element of their lives, and not the be all and end all of their focus and attention.

Single White Female element

There is a dark edge with a single white female angle.  Kirsty is the new girl at school, and comes across as needy and full of issues.  However I loved that we really got to understand her, and she wasn’t just a token villain to add suspense.

Mental Health issues:

There is a very authentic representation of a myriad of mental health issues.  I appreciated that they were tackled sensitively, and thoughtfully.  I loved that it captured what was important to these characters with zero condensation.  Unfortunately dealing with grief, hormones, self-esteem, longing for friendship, fear of the future and so much more is part of life.  This book captures all that perfectly.

Diversity:

I respected that diversity was represented naturally in the book.  Harper is bisexual, Ronan is a lesbian, but neither of these are major storylines.  It’s just who they are, it’s part of the friendship dynamic, and fully accepted by all.

The Bottom Line

I adored Girlhood, and it had the honour of being my first 5 star rating of 2017. So what if I had to wait half the year to get that, it was all the sweeter when it finally came.

Who should read Girlhood by Cat Clarke

This is a must-read book if you love contemporary young adult novels, and especially if you love boarding school settings, or character driven reads.  Fans of authors such as Holly Bourne, or Karen Gregory should also enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.