Not That Kind of Girl
Dumb
Offensive

Not That Kind of Girl A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

Lena Dunham2014
The creator and star of HBO's Girls documents her coming-of-age in and out of the spotlight, recounting her experiences with everything from dieting and embarrassing sex to dirty old men and performing in less-than-ideal conditions. 250,000 first printing.
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Reviews

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Ashley shackelford@ashlizshack
2 stars
Apr 29, 2024

I really didn't think this was bad. At the beginning of the book I really enjoyed it. But as it went on I was unable to grasp how the author was jumping from topic to topic or story to story. I am sure to her it made sense, but to me not at all. I also was not able to connect to her character through the book. (This is nothing how I grew up) But I feel like I should have been able to connect to the character in some way. I don't know what it was about this (the writing, the somewhat absurdity of some of the stories, i just don't know. I have been interested in watching her TV show, after this I'm hoping that is much better than this book.

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Katherine @keccers
2 stars
Aug 12, 2023

just like girls if you have watched any of Lena Dunham's other work, such as Tiny Furniture or Girls--then don't bother with this book. A frustrating number of the stories in her book had already been brought to life through the movie/show.

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Joana da Silva@julesdsilva
3 stars
Mar 5, 2023

I like Lena Dunham. To be fair, I really like what she represents - achieving great things with her writing in her 20's. Most of all, I like that because it means that it's possible, you can succeed at a young age, which is something I strive to do myself. I read this book and binge-watched Girls at the same time (I watched seasons 3 to 6 in one weekend). I really wanted to read this book when it came out and I'm glad I didn't because I was around 18 at the time and highly impressionable. Almost-25-year-old me is much more capable of digesting this book. Do I relate to all her experiences? No, she was quite odd. But I do relate strongly with one of the experiences that most shaped her into the woman we know. She's an unreliable narrator (she says so herself) and it heavily shows throughout the book. It's a good collection of essays tho.

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Jeannette Ordas@kickpleat
3 stars
Jan 5, 2023

I had high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed. There's a lot of filler here and it was a revelation on just how much of her real life events are translated into Girls and Tiny Furniture. She doesn't really discuss feminism or her privilege, but I still liked her. Barely 3 stars.

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Dana Paduraru@danuta
3 stars
Dec 16, 2022

run away but always back to yourself and more

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Izza@m0thermayi
3 stars
Dec 9, 2022

Well, this was definitely an interesting read?! It's not really what I was expecting... Lena Dunham and I have absolutely nothing in common other than we're apparently both anxious messes at time, so it was pretty hard to relate to. The stories/anecdotes (because I don't think they were really essays) were pretty entertaining though and I love her sense of humour.

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Jude Moon@moonieing
4 stars
Nov 13, 2022

Este libro no ha sido para mí lo relatable que puede ser cuando lo lees siendo una mujer estadounidense de unos veintitantos, pero he rescatado ciertas frases y pensamientos que me han ayudado a comprender un poco mejor cosas de mí misma. Ese tipo de cosas son las que busco en libros de este tipo. Si me encuentro a mí misma completamente, me maravilla, pero si no, si sólo es una página con la que me identifico, o simplemente descubro diferentes pensamientos de gente muy distinta a mí, me siento satisfecha. 8/10

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Stephanie Honour@stephonour
4 stars
Nov 4, 2022

Such honesty and entertainment.

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ree@patrochilles
2 stars
Sep 12, 2022

insustancial, insulso, insípido. vaya libro más mediocre. solo habla de las veces que ha tenido sexo con tíos y es que no hace que sigas queriendo leer, básicamente porque me importa una mierda. ohhh qué me contará a continuación?? seguro que no es otra historia sobre cómo folló con un tío random! weehe! oh espera, que sí lo es.

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Rebeca Keren Nuñez@rebecanunez
3 stars
Jun 17, 2022

Me quede sorprendida por algunas cosas que la autora revela sobre sus experiencias y sobre sí misma y tengo que decir, que entiendo mucho más su trabajo después de esto. Es muy interesante lo biográfico del libro. Tengo que decir que es super honesto y es ágil de leer.

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Sarahi Flores@thrillerromance
1 star
May 19, 2022

Listened to the audio and I'm glad I didn't buy the book. Didn't really enjoy her story. Kinda depressing. Very depressing.

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Melanie Richards@melanierichards
4 stars
May 14, 2022

Dat last essay, tho.

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Chanel Kilian@breathofeyre
2 stars
Mar 2, 2022

If you aren't a fan of Girls, you will not enjoy this book. For fans, this book certainly explains many scenes in Girls as well as gives some insight into the origins of these scenes. This book is written as a series of nonlinear, non-chronological essays about various events in Lena Dunham's life.

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Sarah Vaughan@sarahlee1164
2 stars
Feb 17, 2022

I wanted to like this one. I really, really did. I think Lena Dunham is one of the most authentic, creative, intelligent, passionate, and endearing women in this entire world. This book didn't take away from that. And it was surprisingly well-written despite being a "celebrity memoir." Butttt...her humor is just a little too raunchy for me. Sorry Lena. Sorry Lena fans. I just couldn't wait to get through this one.

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Meredith kirby@witchytrippin
3 stars
Feb 6, 2022

I really wanted to like this, I wanted to love it. I imagined myself falling in love with Not That Kind of Girl, just like I fell in love with Lena Dunham, sadly that didn't happen. It was all bad, I found myself dying with laughter at some points, reading passages to my husband and getting very weird looks in return, and embarrassingly I admit that I wondering if some of the stories were taken from my own life. Those moments just weren't enough for me, they were so short lived and so sparse in the book that I generally just found myself to be bored. I should probably be rating this lower, but my love for Lena is making me soft. I still love you Lena Dunham!

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Cola@theycallmecola
2 stars
Dec 17, 2021

Fucking yikes. I kept thinking throughout reading this, if I didn’t know who Lena Dunham was would I have still liked the book? And I kept saying “no.” Maybe because we are two very different types of New Yorkers and I just could not relate. What bugs me is that she never really acknowledges her privilege, but goes on talking about things that are supposedly be relatable? My parents did not attend art gallery openings. Aside from that it’s mostly a book of neurosis. I imagine Cazzie David’s book will read very similarly.

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Olivera Mitić@olyschka
2 stars
Nov 24, 2021

I sit here and wonder 'How on earth did this ever get published?' By no means do I want to be rude, I'm just trying to say that in here there were so many things that were either unnecessary or weird (not in the good way) or just way too random. For example, there were 11 pages full of lists of all the things she used to eat throughout a day and the number of calories they had. And yes, that was a part of the chapter in which she talks about diet, but seriously, did I need to know what you ate, woman? Most of the time, I didn't like Lena's tone at all. She was way too annoying, self absorbed and spoiled to some amount (I'm not saying that, in fact, Lena Dunham is all of that, but as someone who doesn't know her in person, I only got these vibes). The thing that bothered me the most was that there were only 2 sentences in which she even mentions her tv show (Girls, which I love, by the way). Instead of those 11 pages filled with listing food, there could have been just one, I'm only asking for one, in which she talks about her inspiration for the show or how she was even thrown into that crazy deal of getting your own show on HBO at just 25. On the other hand, I did enjoy most of the chapters in which she talks about her ex boyfriends. These were perhaps the only few parts of the book I liked. They had a more personal feeling to them and allowed me to relate a little bit here and there to the story she wanted to share with us. Lena used to be someone I looked up to quite a lot, but after reading this, I didn't know why I admired her at all. Girls was everything I ever wanted from tv and it had deep messages and undertones. Not That Kind of Girl had pages and pages of things that didn't evoke anything in me, except for maybe boredom. It felt like Lena, whom I considered to be extremely talented, had nothing left to say. If I didn't listen to this on audiobook I doubt I would have been able to finish it. I feel really sad now, so excuse me while I go and rewatch Girls while I grief in silence.

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Shelby Wideman@shelbyw
4 stars
Nov 21, 2021

it was alright.

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Georgia Nicholl@gorga812
0.5 stars
Nov 6, 2021

Bi and trans phobic. Literally just Dunham going on about how quirky and different she is and not like other girls. Terrible please do not read I’m going to burn this book

+2
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Ana Ignat@anaaa
1 star
Nov 2, 2021

I read about 30 pages and I didn't enjoy it so I put it down and into the to give pile....

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Rebeca Keren Nuñez@rebecanunez
3 stars
Oct 25, 2021

Me quede sorprendida por algunas cosas que la autora revela sobre sus experiencias y sobre sí misma y tengo que decir, que entiendo mucho más su trabajo después de esto. Es muy interesante lo biográfico del libro. Tengo que decir que es super honesto y es ágil de leer.

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Jessica @jessicabeckett
1 star
Aug 25, 2021

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | DNF @ 21% I know what you're asking yourself: Jessica, you don't like Lena Dunham, why are you reading her bloody book? Well, the answer is simple: there was a day this spring where my friend and I went in for half-off margaritas at lunch and suddenly thought heading off to a thrift shop was a good plan after consuming a few drinks. I spotted TWO COPIES of this book on a shelf and thought, eh, why not? Ah. It was not my finest moment but it was, at least, one of the tamer decision making moments after having a few drinks. My friend and I both tried to get into the book, but just couldn't. Dunham seems to always be consistently putting her foot in her mouth and this is from someone who, when Girls first premiered admired her to a degree. I'm not going to say that Not That Kind of Girl is just as bad as you've heard it was because if you're a fan of Dunham, the sentiment of that statement is no longer valid. That being said, taste is subjective. If you ARE a fan of Dunham, you'll gobble this up and ask for seconds. If you're not a fan, don't even bother picking this up-even in morbid curiosity.

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mar @thatprettystar
2.5 stars
Sep 4, 2024
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Ember Skies@emberexplores
1 star
Jul 24, 2024