How to Build a Girl

Pretty good coming of age story.

Exactly my kind of book. Poignant and hilarious and one I couldn't put down.

My favourite line, whilst Johanna is deciding what to keep and what to get rid of when she reinvents herself for the 2nd time -

To Reject:
Self harm - the world will come at you with knives anyway. You do not need to beat them to it.

I really expected to like it so much more. I started reading it at the bookstore and got hooked - but it turns out after those first chapters I lost interest quickly.

I laughed and laughed and laughed and then the middle bits happened and maybe it all works out in the end? who knows right? she's only 17 at that point, lots of fucking up left to do.

More rude, clever and accurate tellings from Moran on being a female growing up - this time a fictitious account of Johanna, which self confessed follows some of the same routes as Moran's own life, but with a load more made up bits! It was a funny enjoyable read. I have to admit I enjoyed [b:How to Be a Woman 10600242 How to Be a Woman Caitlin Moran https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405909800s/10600242.jpg 15507935] more!

I loved this so much, and have already hunted down How To Be a Woman. Moran writes like the knife of truth.

I stalled a lot with this one. It's one of those books that's perfectly fine and enjoyable while you're reading it, but you never feel the need to pick it up again. Caitlin Moran is a really good writer, but I've enjoyed her non-fiction writing much more (strange because I usually prefer novels to non-fiction).

I've given this 5 stars for being the first book I've read this year that I literally couldn't put down. Not at first though, it took me a while to get into it but something clicked in the last 24 hours that made me devour the last 80% of the book.

I can only speak for myself but I think that building a girl never ends. I'm still trying to ‘fake it till I make it'. I think it takes a while to learn that what the world tells you you should be is frequently not at all what you should be!

As always I'm late to the party, but it is the likes of Caitlin Moran who have invited me in and helped me realise that instead of wishing I were a bloke because it would be easier, I want to be a strong, independent woman. One who might actually learn to like herself one of these days!