Girlhood by Cat Clarke
| Girlhood by Cat Clarke | |
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| Category: General Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Megan Kenny
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| Summary: In Girlhood Cat Clarke has created a tightly woven sinuous narrative about the often suffocating relationships between young women, the confusing journey to adulthood and the toxic weight of secrets. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 384 | Date: May 2017 |
| Publisher: Quercus Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781784292737 | |
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Girlhood focuses on a group of friends; Harper, Rowan, Lily and Ama, who are fast approaching the end of term at an elite boarding school in the middle of nowhere. The arrival of Kirsty causes a seismic shift in this previously supportive friendship group and Harper soon finds herself caught between her old friends and the mysterious new girl who seems to have so much in common with her. But is Kirsty who she claims to be?
Girlhood is an interesting, intense tale about the complexities of female friendship, the often troubling and difficult transition into adulthood and the devastating impact of guilt and secrets. Clarke has taken on a number of challenging themes here and has dealt with them sensitively and with obvious insight. The characters are likeable, even when behaving badly and the story moves at a roaring pace (so much so that I finished it in one very intense afternoon!) until it reaches a thrilling and ultimately uplifting conclusion. Clarke has managed to eloquently express the feelings of isolation and guilt experienced by these characters and it is easy to empathise with, and probably remember your own experiences of, adolescent uncertainty and doubt about your place in the world around you. This is a well written and insightful book and Clarke has an engaging, entertaining writing style making this an easy book to get lost in.
For those interested in reading more by Cat Clarke you could try Torn, another tale of schoolgirl rivalry pushed to the limit, or A Kiss In The Dark which delves into an intense online relationship.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Girlhood by Cat Clarke at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Girlhood by Cat Clarke at Amazon.com.
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