Caitlin Moran

Soon to be a motion picture! The New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the UK’s answer to Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, and Lena Dunham all rolled into one” (Marie Claire) makes her fiction debut with a hilarious yet deeply moving coming of age novel. What do you do in your teenage years when you realize what your parents taught you wasn’t enough? You must go out and find books and poetry and pop songs and bad heroes—and build yourself. It’s 1990. Johanna Morrigan, fourteen, has shamed herself so badly on local TV that she decides that there’s no point in being Johanna anymore and reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde—fast-talking, hard-drinking Gothic hero and full-time Lady Sex Adventurer. She will save her poverty-stricken Bohemian family by becoming a writer—like Jo in Little Women, or the Bröntes—but without the dying young bit. By sixteen, she’s smoking cigarettes, getting drunk and working for a music paper. She’s writing pornographic letters to rock-stars, having all the kinds of sex with all kinds of men, and eviscerating bands in reviews of 600 words or less. But what happens when Johanna realizes she’s built Dolly with a fatal flaw? Is a box full of records, a wall full of posters, and a head full of paperbacks, enough to build a girl after all? Imagine The Bell Jar written by Rizzo from Grease. How to Build a Girl is a funny, poignant, and heartbreakingly evocative story of self-discovery and invention, as only Caitlin Moran could tell it.

A Novel

How to Build a Girl

Natalia Hernandez

Ok, I'm not really finished but I can't keep reading. It's not the book, it's me. Well, it's not me, it's the dad. I can't stand him, I can't read/watch/listen to people like him. Can't.

Sabina 

I…. cannot cope with this book. The entire book starts with the character masturbating next to her six year old brother, which made me say “nah eff this.” 

then, the first sentence of part two: “I am thrilled by the idea of killing myself.” Ok? Bye Caitlin Moran.

Could not have disliked this more.

Jeff Brown 

** spoiler alert **
           I've been stretching myself in the last year reading books that aren't war-related, or loner dudes in their jobs or in life, or non-fiction epics. Reading mainly female writers.

I think I found my excess point haha.

I really loved the Dolly Wilde persona, especially after she needed to re-reinvent herself. Regarding the re-reinventing period, I wish I had done a bit something like her moving forward myself at that age instead of moving on to college like it was 13th grade.

Johanna, I didn't like, but being a person of above-average size, maybe it reached a little too close to home. She had much more difficulty in her family life, so I won't judge her too harshly.

The Dolly--John Kite relationship: I just kept waiting for the bottom to fall out. For the worst to happen. But as messed up as he was, he had morals and did the right thing -- be a mentor for someone who badly needed it.

It took a bit to read the book, because it wasn't the easiest for me, and for a while I wondered how I could give a positive review or rating. But, man, it finished strong. An odd book, but once you get past the obviousness of a young teenage girl, there is a lot of poignant areas that I feel a lot of people can relate to at some part of their life -- male or female. 

And the 90's English stuff was fun!

Now, when's the next Jack Reacher book coming out??!?? :) :)

Cola

It took me forever to finish this. I was on a roll right out of the gate but quickly got a little frustrated with the main character. I might be past the age where I enjoy teen coming of age novels. Or more likely she probably reminded me too much of myself at the time. Insecure about everything and trying so hard to put up a brave front. Fake it till you make it. I did enjoy this book though it probably cut me too close to the bone.

Alexandra Gillgrass

Having heard really good things about Caitlin Moran's books I was really excited to pick this one up.

It's pretty much exactly what I expected in a coming of age novel. 

The only thing that really prevented me giving this book a solid three stars was the brilliant writing. Obviously, there are many people who are able to write incredibly well but there's something different and very unique in the way Moran writes. There is a great deal of heart and emotion behind every sentence which is I think, ultimately, the saving grace for this book. The dialogue is very sharp and witty and Johanna/ Dolly's character really shines through the pages. 

For me, I wasn't a massive fan of the storyline. And when I say storyline I mean the general direction the book took i.e. the music aspect. At points I did find myself scanning the lengthy paragraphs that were heavily infused with bands and journalist and so on. But, despite this I stuck with it, and I'm really glad I did as the book continues it goes from strength to strength. 

I feel like this will be a really relatable story for the majority of people. That need to want to re-invent yourself is becoming more and more prevalent and this book is pure proof of that. 

On the surface, this book appears to be a light read; and for the most part it is. But there are moments in this book that will take you by suprirse and really do make you think and reflect on maybe your own life or someone close to you. There are lines in this book that I will want to remember forever and there is the proof of Moran's incredible talent for creating a story worthy of reading. 

A strong start, average middle and extraordinary ending. 

Well worth a read.

What do you do in your teenage years when you realize what your parents taught you wasn't enough? You must go out and find books and poetry and pop songs and bad heroes—and build yourself. It's 1990. Johanna Morrigan, fourteen, has shamed herself so badly on local TV that she decides that there's no point in being Johanna anymore and reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde—fast-talking, hard-drinking gothic hero and full-time Lady Sex Adventurer. She will save her poverty-stricken Bohemian family by becoming a writer—like Jo in Little Women, or the Brontës—but without the dying-young bit. By sixteen, she's smoking cigarettes, getting drunk, and working for a music paper. She's writing pornographic letters to rock stars, having all the kinds of sex with all the kinds of men, and eviscerating bands in reviews of 600 words or less. But what happens when Johanna realizes she's built Dolly with a fatal flaw? Is a box full of records, a wall full of posters, and a head full of paperbacks enough to build a girl after all? Imagine The Bell Jar—written by Rizzo from Grease. How to Build a Girl is a funny, poignant, and heartbreakingly evocative story of self-discovery and invention, as only Caitlin Moran could tell it.

Heather Harrington

It's 1990, and fourteen-year-old Johanna Morrigan has embarrassed herself so epically on television that she's decided she can't possibly be herself for one minute longer. Instead of being meek, mousy Johanna, she's reinventing herself as the crass, loudmouth, Dolly Wilde. Johanna dons her new personality and sets out to help her struggling family by becoming a music journalist. By the time she's sixteen, she's spending nights drinking, chain-smoking, and bedding as many rock stars as possible and then turning around and trashing their bands in her reviews by morning. Johanna fully embraces this new lifestyle she's built, but what happens when she realizes Dolly isn't who she wants to be anymore?

I'm a bit torn on this one because the bits I liked and the bits I didn't are pretty much equal. As someone who spent most of their high school/college career writing for music zines and interviewing bands, I loved that aspect. It was fun going along to shows with Johanna and watching her craft her reviews because that was the same thing I used to do on countless weekends. I know the thrill of being packed together in a dingy venue with lots of other people listening to a band play their hearts out, so it was relatable watching her go through all those emotions for the first time. Aside from that, I liked the dynamic between Johanna and her family, as well as her friendship with John Kite, and the nineties setting. My main issues were the fact that the writing was repetitive, and Johanna was so sex-crazed, and her exploits very detailed, which made it slightly uncomfortable to read at times. More power to her for being on this journey of self-discovery, but I didn't need a play-by-play. It was still a somewhat funny coming-of-age story, you just have to wade through some cringey second-hand embarrassment to get to the heart of it.

Zoe Smolen

This was like an X-rated Georgia Nicholson novel. I absolutely loved it.

b.andherbooks

What's an early 90s teenager to do when she embarrasses herself on national telly by reading a way sappy poem about her dog then cracking awful Scooby-Doo Jokes? Hit CTRL-ALT-DEL on your DOS machine and rebuild yourself as the foul-mouthed, chain smokin', gin drinkin', black eye-liner encrusted, up for anything Dolly Wilde. Fake it till you make it right? 

Through a series of ballsy ass moves, Dolly Wilde is able to land a job at a indie music 'zine trashing local bands, lose her virginity, and make a bit of money to help her on-the-dole family. But, what happens when you learn that the girl you built isn't making you happy?

Super fantastic and chock full of witty British-isms I could only dream about being cool enough to say. I also wish I was cool enough to understand all the 90s era British grunge music and British pop culture references.

Moran's style is hyper-kinetic, almost stream of conscious, and I loved how blunt she was about the trials and tribulations (and extreme awkwardness) of masturbation, sex, and relationships. I also adored that Moran didn't make her main character focused on finding love. Very refreshing.

Highly recommend.

Rachel

I can't decide between 3 stars or 4. So we'll say 3.5. I am unfamiliar with Caitlin Moran, I know the she wrote the book How to be a Woman and is somewhat a feminist activist. I wasn’t sure what to expect from How to Build a Girl, I thought it was biography/social science and it took me by surprise to actually be fiction. Johanna is from a poor family and trying to find herself, she also wants to get laid. She decides to try out a persona she calls Dolly Wilde, who is a cynic music critic and has outrageous conversations about sex.

I liked a lot about the book, the music mentioned, the attitude towards sex, and the overall coming of age story, but it felt unrealistic coming from a teenager perspective and that is because it isn’t. There are times in the story where Dolly/Johanna explain something and then mention how she sees it in hindsight, yet that isn’t part of the story. We are led to believe the perspective is being told by Johanna at the time it happens. So this just irritated me a bit. My second issue the absurd ideas Johanna has about her self and her role in sex. I get it can take people awhile to figure this out, but Caitlin went to the extreme. Everything else I loved, I laughed out loud at many parts. The plot has a good flow to it and it;s even though this is an extreme version of finding yourself it is relatable.

How to Build a Girl A Novel

Reviews