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on 31 August 2015
I have never read any of Caitlin Moran's books but her articles were witty enough so when this was chosen by our book club I was pleased. It started off well and there were various laugh out moments and I settled down for a good read. But then it became dull, then it made me angry with how preposterous it was, then it just became OTT and tedious. I stayed to the end in the hope it would redeem itself, but it never did. This just didn't bore me, it angered me too. Clearly Ms Moran is more interested in making money than making any relevant, thought provoking or even just enjoyable points
on 30 June 2016
Weird book- Read the first few pages then gave up.
on 21 July 2014
Having read 'How to be a Woman' and publicly cried with laughter reading it on my daily commute, I pre-ordered 'How to build a girl' anticipating another great read from Caitlin Moran. However, I was bitterly disappointed. Whilst Moran states that this book is entirely fiction and the main character of Johanna is not based on herself, the similarities with descriptions of her own childhood are uncanny. The character essentially has exactly the same upbringing and early career as Moran and you can't help but think all the scenes are based on anecdotes from Moran's own wild lifestyle in the 90s music scene. This book seems lazy. There is nothing new here besides the over the top, unnecessarily descriptive accounts of a teenage girl's sex life which leave you feeling slightly uncomfortable and I'm not usually one to be prudish at all.
It seems to me that Moran lazily rushed out a book based on her own life which she has already written about rather than use her imagination to come up with a new story and littered it with vulgar scenes in order to be 'controversial' and 'shocking'. Perhaps she should stick to non-fiction. I can relate to that and it and has had me in tears both with laughter and anguish.
I cannot recommend this book but I strongly recommend you buy How to be a Woman instead as that is a book that truly touches the heart and changes how you feel about being a woman.
It seems to me that Moran lazily rushed out a book based on her own life which she has already written about rather than use her imagination to come up with a new story and littered it with vulgar scenes in order to be 'controversial' and 'shocking'. Perhaps she should stick to non-fiction. I can relate to that and it and has had me in tears both with laughter and anguish.
I cannot recommend this book but I strongly recommend you buy How to be a Woman instead as that is a book that truly touches the heart and changes how you feel about being a woman.
on 12 August 2014
Just a fictionalised account of her life which she wrote about far better in her autobiography. Not a great read. If you've read the earlier work, this book is likely to be a disappointment
on 15 July 2014
Really disappointing. I was hoping for a well-written, decent novel, as Moran's columns are always a great read, but this seemed to be written on a 'write-whatever-springs-to-mind-and-edit-it-later-oops-ran-out-of-time-so-it-didn't-get-edited' basis. Such a shame - I had been looking forward to it.
on 27 July 2014
Johanna Morrigan/Dolly Wylde is such a grotesque caricature that my eyes almost bled reading this. And as for the storyline, it would have been more realistic if the teenage hero ended the book by saying "and then, reader, I woke up and realised it was all a dream." Just to add to the astounding numbers of clichés therein. I do like Caitlin Moran's newspaper articles, but this just read like some very poorly tacked together drunken fumblings.
on 19 July 2014
Not worth reading, total waste of time. Was recommended on twitter by Nigella Lawson, who claimed it was so brilliant she read it one sitting, because it was too good to put down. Then Caitlin and Nigella verbally bum licked, said how each were so wonderful and promoted each other's work. Having read the book I can confirm that Nigella's book recommendations are totally over the top for her friends and for other writers who may comment on her books. So her book recommendations can't be trusted, as she is always reminding fellow authors about the importance of royalties. A book for fellow self-absorbed folk, maybe fellow journalists as they can relate to being so self-absorbed? It's a shame, I was really looking forward to a good read, but this was anything but. Fortunately I picked it up in the local library, so at least I didn't waste my money, as well as my time.
on 24 November 2015
My reading life is an extensive one but this book has achieved a first. It is the only time I have wanted a novel physically out of my house because it is so dreadful. I can only assume that the professional reviewers who thought it was "laugh-out-loud funny" and who found the novel "hilarious, wild, imaginative" had consumed unbelievable amounts of alcohol before they read it. It isn't funny - I didn't even smirk. It is self-indulgent clap-trap.
on 22 July 2015
Truly one of the worse books I have ever read. It is base and borderline offensive. I was once a 14year old girl too and I recognise nothing I experienced in this book. Am told it gets better but by chapter 6 I put it down as my time is worth more. Really awful. I should have known better as I bought the first one and hated that too but it was a book club recommendation
