How I Survived Being a Girl

Apparently this book is supposed to be about a young tomboy coming to terms with being a girl, but that part is so deeply hidden I have to wonder if it got left in the author's notes somewhere. It certainly never made it into the actual book. There are plenty of moments where Carolyn almost grapples with this concept, but then it gets lost in the simple advancement of the story, a brief look at her life.

Like I said, conceptually it's a fine idea, but to me the author doesn't quite get where she's trying to go. She's too bogged down in Carolyn's day-to-day life to actually come to the point she sets at the start, how a tomboy comes to terms with being a girl in a world full of rough and tumble boys. If the book had simply been presented show more as the simple narrative of a tomboy, without the attempt at a deeper meaning, it would be fine, but when you the author tells you that deeper meaning is meant to be there, and you can't find it, you just get put off the further you read.

Cute story, not as good as it could have been considering what the author wants it to be, but some young reader browsing my Little Free Library might enjoy it for what it is, six months in the life of this young tomboy getting into mischief. show less

I read this as as a younger tomboy, and I adored it. It provides insight into how it feels to be a kid again. It was never meant to come off as a deep philosophical novel, just small stories that are very relate-able and amusing to read and re-visit. The plot flows along as how a kid views life, its very well done, if not obvious on the surface. You don't read this book to analyze it, you must read it first to enjoy it.

This was anything but the "tomboy blossoming into a pretty feminine teen" story. This was a rough and tough tomboy tale, who can kick butt and is fine with being herself. It was not striving to be anything more.

Carolyn's tips for Keep your hair too short for ribbons.
Get a great dog.
Avoid girls who wear Mary Janes.
Spy on the neighbors.
Play in the mud.
Carolyn likes to break the rules. To her great surprise, it turns out that's what being a girl is all about.

Carolyn, a 12-year-old girl sandwiched between two rowdy brothers, wants to be strong, messy, and independent, but does it have to come at the cost of being a girl? This is the central question of Wendelin Van Draanen's How I Survived Being a Girl. Unfortunately, the answer is hidden away somewhere in this un-nuanced, unenlightening addition to the long tradition of tromboy-blossoms-into-a-'normal'-femme-at-puberty narratives. There is nothing new in teh book that sheds light on what it means to not fit in, or what it means to have an identity that challenges family or community beliefs. The writing is matter-of-fact and undecorated, but without the accompanying charm, wit, or insight that would make the book readable, if not enjoyable. show more All in all, the writing style gives the impression that Van Draanen wanted to write a memoir for an adult audience, but decided to work half as hard and publish it as a children's book instead. The characters are not compelling, the plot is unfocused, the setting is bland and vague, the themes unreflective. How I Survived Being a Girl is an affront to avid readers, and is less than likely to show non-readers the joy and wonder that might be gotten from a good book. show less