by Holly Bourne
Publisher: Usborne
Release: 1st August 2016
Genre: Contemporary, UKYA, Feminism
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
"HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:
1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender
2. Don't call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe)
3. Always try to keep it funny
4. Don't let anything slide. Even when you start to break...
Lottie's determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas..."
Review
What’s a Girl Gotta Do? is the final book in Holly Bourne’s trailblazing feminist trilogy. It’s a strong series ender, driving home the overriding messages at the heart of this series about feminism, friendship and standing up for what you believe in as we follow Lottie and her campaign against sexism.
After being sexually harassed on her way to college one morning, something in Lottie snaps. She’s had enough of sexist comments and is tired of being at the brunt of them. Lottie decides that enough is enough and that it’s time to stand up for herself and women everywhere by calling out every instance of sexism that she encounters, filming her journey along the way. As the vagilante campaign goes viral, Lottie is attacked by online trolls trying to tear both her and feminism down. With her sanity and place at Cambridge on the line, Lottie has to decide, back down from the campaign just as it’s making an impact? Or stand up and fight for what she believes in?
I finished this book wishing that I could high five Lottie and applaud Holly Bourne. A book that tackles sexism and promotes feminism so unabashedly could easily be labelled as “preachy” but Holly goes for a show instead of tell approach which results in a true to life portrayal of everyday sexism and shows why more and more young women are turning to feminism.
Through Lottie’s experiences, Holly Bourne puts life as a young feminist under the microscope. I found myself relating so much to Lottie, easily recognising the instances of sexism as being similar to my own experiences. I think that any girl or woman who reads this book will find it scarily relatable too.
I love how What’s a Girl Gotta Do? shows how hard it can be to stay true to yourself and your beliefs, especially when other people are trying to bring you down. There’s a beautiful message in this book about staying strong in the face of adversity that is universal and timely.
Along the way we get to catch up with Evie and Amber, and find out what’s going on in their lives. At the end of this book there is a cliff-hanger as to how Lottie’s story concludes, but I actually didn’t mind it all that much because it seemed unimportant compared to the personal growth that Lottie goes through. There is going to be a spinster club novella released this November which made finishing this book a little bit easier!
Overall, What’s a Girl Gotta Do? is a thought-provoking, inspiring read that takes you on an emotional journey and makes you feel proud to be a girl.
