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- Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin.
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Working in a world where a college degree qualifies her to make photocopies and color-coordinate file folders, twenty-four-year-old Girl is struggling to keep up with the essential trinity of food, shelter, and student loans. So when she finally lands the job of her dreams she ignores her misgivings and concentrates on getting the job done Sharply observed and devastatingly funny, Citizen Girl captures with biting accuracy what it means to be young and female in the new economy.
A personal glimpse into an impersonal world, Citizen Girl is edgy and heartfelt, an entertaining read that is startlingly relevant. Your Cart items Cart total. Buy from another retailer. More remarkable is the subtlety with which Girl's story moves from the dreary-yet-familiar world of demanding bosses and unrewarding work into the realm of nightmares. The authors have conjured up a vision of America that's just this side of dystopian, and their funhouse-mirror worldview generates its own strange suspense.
And McLaughlin and Kraus should be lauded for creating an old-school feminist heroine who knows where to draw the line. It does this while being wickedly funny and well written but not dogmatic or finger wagging. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus strike paydirt with their girl-meets-big-city formula.
The authors use a light touch that still hightlights key issues for women in today's workplace do you have to look hot to get ahead? Kraus have created a readable, lively book Whether they're for profit or nonprofit, no one seems to know what they're doing. And they certainly can't communicate it to their underlings, much less the board of directors.
That bit of social commentary in itself makes this book a welcome addition to its genre: Funny that they're equally elusive. McLaughlin and Kraus keep us amused. Free eBook available to NEW subscribers only. Must redeem within 90 days. See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. What is your overall opinion of her?
That is a telling thing about our society, so I think that the writers putting that in a novel like this is a very gutsy thing for them to do.
I'm glad that they show that the main character learns from her misdeeds, but I worry that maybe her character learned too late. You would think that someone who considers herself to be of such learned and charitable stock would be able to realize before the last chapter that what she's doing is so far away from being the good little feminist that she makes herself out to be.
I guess that she's supposed to be as clueless about her hypocrisy as those people that she so willingly judges. The book could have been better written. I wish that it were better written, honestly. Maybe if the writers had better understood what they were aiming for or how to approach the topic, it would have been better. Since it isn't, I can just say that it is a fairly good book. And considering that it is just chick lit, I'm letting some of its issues slide and cutting the writers some slack for their mistakes.
Dec 20, Vanessa rated it did not like it. This book was a waste of my time. It really didn't have a point or purpose to it and then when it ended, it just basically stopped. I can't believe it took two authors to write a book this crappy.
Citizen Girl
I would not recommend this book to anyone. May 22, KP rated it it was ok. How did this book get published? If I could only give this book a ranking of 0, believe me I would. This has got to be the worst chick lit book I've read in quite a long time.
CITIZEN GIRL
I always try to give books a chance -- by actually finishing it -- but with this one, I just can't bring myself to do so. This time around, our heroine is Girl, a twentysomething women's studies major whose liberal arts How did this book get published? This time around, our heroine is Girl, a twentysomething women's studies major whose liberal arts education led her to believe that saving women from worldwide oppression was as easy as reporting for duty at her local feminist non-profit.
As Girl soon learns, no job is ever as it seems, and even the director of the Center for Equity in Community is not free from manipulating her staff in order to get ahead. I mean, c'mon, there's a drought of originality in coming up with the characters' names here! Add to this the peppering of swear words throughout the entire novel; it's all uncalled for and unnecessary in the plot. If you are curious to read this book, pm me, I'll give it to you for free. But if I happen to spot a trash can soon enough, then I'm defintely throwing this one away.
Nov 18, Anke rated it did not like it Shelves: I read The Nanny Diaries a few years ago and found them a quick, brainless read. So when I had a bit of a cold and saw this at the local library, I thought it would be good to read over the weekend while fighting some viruses and hanging out on my couch. Apparently this is a satire, and it is certainly exaggerated in all possible ways, but what exactly was this trying to tell me? Everyone in this book is meant to appear very archetypal by having names like "Girl", "G Um.
Everyone in this book is meant to appear very archetypal by having names like "Girl", "Guy", "The Bank", "My Company" etc. The only capable female manager is called Manley because I'm not sure why. The book keeps mentioning gender studies and feminism on every other page without ever lending these terms any kind of meaning beyond something like this: Old feminists get caught up in pointless rivalries that are unrelated to women's issues, and they are evil bosses who put down young feminists.
Citizen Girl - Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus - Google Книги
So young feminists are better off working for men, all of whom are evil pigs, and porn is where the money is and deep down, all young feminists just dream of servicing men anyway, as long as it's marketed to them in the right way. She struggles with not being liked by everyone, and puts up with a crap boyfriend, and doesn't know what she's doing most of the time, and mysteriously, that makes her a feminist, according to this book. Mar 23, Rachel Warner rated it liked it. While this book's main character, Girl, didn't have the charm of Nanny from The Nanny Diaries , she did resonate with me in her frustration: Like The Nanny Diaries , Citizen Girl's readability comes from the reader's disgust with the supporting characters.
As you read, McLaughlin will have you screaming "What!? McLaughlin paints all the engrossing details she did with Nanny, but doesn't include the same quality of motivation for Girl. Several times during the book, I found myself unbelieving that anyone would go through these kinds of humiliation. I kept thinking, "If it were me, I would be gone. Maybe one of THE worst books I've ever read. I just kept going, hoping it would get better somehow.
But it never resolved into anything at all, and I am sorry I wasted the time. The characters were all entirely unsympathetic - the main character was whiny and I had so much trouble empathizing or feeling any sort of sorry for her. The storyline is a mushy, messy, unfollowable thread. None of the characters were understandable, nor predictable in any sense of the word - and not in the "this is real life, people are unpredictable" sort of way. They just were entirely irrational and unrealistic. Additionally, the book stressed me out more than anything else. At first I thought it might justify my feelings of trying to find a job in a terrible economy, but I don't think it even accomplished that simple task.
These authors simply should not have continued to pursue novel writing - they just don't seem to understand it. It appeared they had an interesting concept going into the book, but it was terribly executed. The only reason I gave it one star is because in one scene of the book, the main character prints out a mission statement, and is all gung-ho about it.
It actually motivated ME to print out my thesis and get cracking on that again. Jul 17, Robin Cicchetti rated it did not like it Shelves: Girl is a born and bred liberal feminist who wants to change the world, and also make a living wage. Set in NYC we follow her descent in the capitalist inferno, each twist becoming more bizarre than the last.
Witnessing the heroine justify that every compromise with her beliefs is somehow justified simply made me feel dirty. This writing team is very clever and often snicker-out-loud funny, as they proved with their entertaining bestseller The Nanny Diaries. While that book provided a few peeks Girl is a born and bred liberal feminist who wants to change the world, and also make a living wage.
While that book provided a few peeks into the seamy lifestyle of the rich and a little poor-little-me heroine making moral compromises, this book pulls back the pashmina wrap to reveal a maggoty Faustian trade-off. Pass on this one. Jan 02, Wendi rated it really liked it. Maybe you haven't been on the wrong side of the Want Ads, degree s in hand but no experience and really no clue what you want to do in life. So you take a job that looks good, you think will make you feel good, and if anything makes ends meet.
That's basically what Citizen Girl is about. I don't understand the low scoring on this book. I have always felt that this book was about me. Well, not entirely as I'm not in New York and don't have access to nearly as many crazy things as our heroine, bu Maybe you haven't been on the wrong side of the Want Ads, degree s in hand but no experience and really no clue what you want to do in life.
Well, not entirely as I'm not in New York and don't have access to nearly as many crazy things as our heroine, but I've been in several jobs in which my boss has just given me some bizarre directive and my single thought was "WTF? I think it's a great book.
December 2004
Hated it with every ounce of my soul. The moment I realized it was written by the Nanny Diaries ladies, I knew I was in trouble because I hated that too even though it was very popular. I spent hours of my day reading this today and by page of , I couldn't do it anymore- nothing made sense, nothing was happening, and it was just a hot mess. Skimmed to the final chapter which I never do , and sure enough, ending sucked as well.
What a waste of my day. Life is too short to read bad boo Hated it with every ounce of my soul. Life is too short to read bad books! Sep 23, Jeana rated it did not like it Shelves: There is absolutely nothing remarkable about this book. It reads sort of like a Devil Wears Prada without the humor or caring about the characters at all. I've had my share of bad bosses, so I could relate a bit to Girl's plight.
However, I didn't think she rang true as a feminist or a person to be quite honest. I didn't like her, I didn't feel bad for her, and the ending was a little too late for me to feel like she finally had some convictions. Stick with the Nanny Diaries, as least there wa There is absolutely nothing remarkable about this book. Stick with the Nanny Diaries, as least there was something fresh about that. Apr 03, Jenna rated it did not like it. The only thing I really have to say about this rather unremarkable book is this: And honestly, that was still too much.
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This book isn't worth the paper it was printed on. Jun 29, Lala rated it it was ok Recommends it for: I am curious why a fiction book of chick lit variety would need two authors and I'm going to find out despite the dire warnings from people who love me. Sep 25, Nicole Chin rated it it was ok.
Unrealistic plot and a really naive and weak main character. Also, the authors really screwed up with the names of the characters. Jan 03, Jennifer rated it did not like it. This was the worst book that I have ever read. The men were loathesome. The protaganist was pathetic. And the plot was both ridiculous and offensive. I'm throwing the book in the trash after writing this review in an effort to distance myself from it.
Jul 16, Ashley rated it did not like it. Not a very helpful review but I can't spend anymore time on this book. Jun 17, Anna rated it did not like it. I really need to get to a point where I can allow myself to not finish a book I knew 3 pages in that I was going to hate this book but tortured myself by finishing it anyway. There was literally nothing I liked about this book, the characters were horrible and the plot was pointless and absurd.
The publishing company who printed this must be as corrupt and poorly run as the My Company, Inc that the main character works for in the book. Jul 12, Jeanie T rated it liked it. I like the philosophical question of the situation, how much sacrifice will you make on behalf of others, and how much personal gain will you accept at the expense of others?
These questions are explored through a whole bunch of really stressful scenarios. Read this a chapter at a time, it'll give you an ulcer if you read it all at once. Aug 24, Laura Ghory rated it did not like it Shelves: Couldn't get very far in this book. The dialog was awful and boring. I read this book only because I needed to read an unpopular book for the Summer Reading Challenge and this was the most appealing choice on the list. I don't know if my awareness of the fact that so many others hated it colored my impression of the story or not, but I tried to go into it with an open mind despite that.
In an attempt to try to make the best of it, I purposely did not read Nanny Diaries so that I wouldn't have the high expectations that book apparently set for so many readers. Now I read this book only because I needed to read an unpopular book for the Summer Reading Challenge and this was the most appealing choice on the list.
Now I find myself wondering if I might have liked it better if I had read Nanny Diaries, as I would of at least had a positive experience to spring board off of. Throughout the story I found myself wondering how on earth this drivel ever got published. This must have had to go through an editor, and I can not believe that any self-respecing publishing company would want to put their name on this incredibly uncreative, uninspiring, stereotypical crap. I tried throughout the story to find some redeeming quality that would make me feel at least a little bit better about having wasted my time on this book, but the authors just kept throwing in more and more unbelieveable crap - all the way through to the very end.
I realize that this was supposed to be a satire on the foibles of working in Corporate America, and having been there I can appreciate their attempt. It was just the amount of extremes and the lack of any relatable characters that made this book so hard to swallow. This book had a lot of potential and some good editing could have saved this book from it's well deserved place on the unpopular list. Unfortunately this one must have skipped the editors' desk Aug 29, Mari added it. The blurb is good -- "satire This is "sophomoric" in that it's the authors' second book they also wrote "Nanny Diaries" and that it's just so dumb.
The main character's "name" is Girl, and other characters are called by descriptive words instead of traditional names. It took me a few chapters to realize that was her name and it wasn't just someone being awful and referring to her as "Girl" to be dismissive. The workplace scenes were unrealistic, which I guess is expected because it's "satire" and trying to push things farther than reality to make a point? But the point wasn't taken and the plot, such that it was, fell flat for me. I also didn't care for the inappropriate transportation around Manhattan.
Maybe part of my dislike stems from missing New York. Otherwise, a fast read with some parts that made me uncomfortable, mostly because it was just so unbelievable and awful work situations. There's also a little bit of high horse feminism that didn't make a lot of sense, even though it's kind of underlying to the message they seemed to be trying to make. Everything just seemed disjointed. Don't really recommend and I'm not sure what to do with this copy. You know how I always refer to the lead in the book as Girl and the future love interest as Dude? I do that mainly because I am always behind on the reviews and I can't remember the names of anyone.
This book pretty much did that throughout the whole book and it was super super annoying. Everything was rreferred to something super generic and while it kept everything straight, I was kind of annoyed by it. Girl works for some rah-rah women's organization whose head is insane and she is fired.
Half You know how I always refer to the lead in the book as Girl and the future love interest as Dude? Half the book is spent her trying to look for another job that fits her perfectly. So bloody east-coast way of thinking. Only goes after what fits her perfectly, not willing to settle for whatever.