August 15, 2009 | Girl from Mars, reviews
Here are some of the reviews I missed when I didn’t have internet access. I’ll slash them a bit for my “Reviews” page, but you, my dear blog readers, will get longer versions because—well, because, damn it, it’s All About Me. And besides, I have to let Great-Uncle Dick know. Right, Dick?
Five Minutes’ Peace
We all know a good book can keep you awake until the small hours whilst you scramble to finish it. When you’ve been up since the crack and driven for miles with a baby and small boy yet still want to keep your eyes open to see how the book ends, the chances are that this is some kind of fabulous book. Girl From Mars by Julie Cohen is most definitely to blame for the bags under my eyes.
All About Romance
In my eyes, Julie Cohen manages to describe spot on what goes on inside a woman who really does not know how to be a woman, how to dress, to flirt or just to normally interact with strangers (the novel is written in the first person). I also loved the way that her relationship with Jim and Digger is described. They are in a rut indeed and need to get out of it, but there is a great deal of loyalty and sweetness there that is admirable and valuable, and although they are gently made fun of, they are also described with sensitivity and understanding.
I also loved reading about “Girl from Mars” and the whole artistic process that goes into creating a comic book. I really longed to read those comics myself! …What I loved best about the book is how Fil, and to some lesser extent, the other characters, develop: They grow, but they don’t abandon where they come from, tempering their individuality with some maturity instead.
(B+, strongly recommended)
Mrs Giggles
Girl From Mars is a pleasant read because it’s like an adult version of a movie by John Hughes. In fact, I can easily envision Molly Ringwald playing Fil, heh. As someone who adore the cheesy melodrama of those movies back in the 1980s, I find that there are much similar cheesy nerd angst here that I simply adore reading about. I can’t help experiencing a “been there, done that, here’s the T-shirt” feeling as I read this story because I can certainly relate to these characters. Nerd cliques aren’t solely about friendship – they also allow the members to use each other to validate their own existence. Losing a member of the clique to those people means that there is one less friend that a lonely social misfit can relate to, and also, it means that there has to be something wrong with the lonely social misfit if his or her friend can become “accepted” while he or she can’t. It’s more than friendship being on the line here, it’s also a blow to the self-esteem.
About Books—Especially Romances
Girl from Mars is a great book. Fil, her friends and Dan are great characters and I loved reading about Fil and Dan and how their relationship evolves. But I also enjoyed the platonic friendship between Fil and her male friends. I can absolutly understand why Fil is afraid of change and that’s why I love that in the end she understands that change can be positive and beautiful and is finally ready for it. I can sincerely recommend this awesome book about love and friendship to all fans of romances.
Jen Conner says:
Welcome back! Congratulations on the good reviews.
Julie says:
Thanks, Jen!