All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she’s always been. So why does everyone have a problem with it?
They think the way she looks and acts means she’s trying to be a boy—that she should quit trying to be something she’s not. If she dresses like a girl, and does what her folks want, it will show respect. If she takes orders and does what her friend Colby wants, it will show her loyalty.
But respect and loyalty, Pen discovers, are empty words. Old-world parents, disintegrating friendships, and strong feelings for other girls drive Pen to see the truth—that in order to be who she truly wants to be, she’ll have to man up.
Good: basically enjoyable read
Bad:
- characters often talk like they are written by an older person trying and failing to sound young.
- sometimes it seems like the main character has to be stupid for the plot to follow the lines it does
This was one of the best books I've read this year. "Girl Mans Up" by ME Girard. Pen is such a vivid, believable character. She refuses to accept any labels and can't understand why people insist on trying to fit her into their limited categories. She's figuring out who she is, not just in terms of gender identity, but also in relation to her friends, her parents, her brother. Her best friend Colby is a bit of an asshole, but she's loyal to him because he accepts her just as she is. Or that's how it seems at first. But as Pen becomes gradually more confident in herself, she has to turn her disconcertingly honest gaze on the people around her, and decide who they are.
