Mindy McGinnis's How Girls Are Made is a stone cold chiller without a Freddy Krueger, a Jason, a Pennywise, or any other antagonist acting with malice and forethought. No malignant entity lurking in basement, abandoned house, or deep thorny woods. The suspense builds as three teenager girls make choices and decisions in a world more complexly perilous than the one I grew up in or even the one my kids grew up in.
"...It's not the first time I've had a smashed nose, not the first time I've heard my own bones break, and certainly not the first time my blood has escaped my veins, flowing down my skin. I've been hit a hundred times by just as many people, taking my licks and delivering my own.
But I've never been punched by my boyfriend."
Shelby is a fighter on top of her game. She has a private coach, an agent, and a publicist. She's at least locally well known. When her boyfriend assaults her at school, breaking her nose, she's mandated to attend therapy for victims of domestic violence. She thinks that's bullshit. She's too strong to be traumatized. She's already over Jayden...
...but how she experiences and acts in her next relationship really makes this premise dubious.
"My eyebrows are higher, my cheekbones more pronounced. My ears are smaller and my jawline is a straight, slicing plane. My lips are full and pouty, my nose perfectly shaped and positioned, my forehead no longer a broad eye-drawing mesa. Everything about me heartbreakingly gorgeous."
Jobie lives on social media, addicted to the rush provided by likes and and comments. The problem is that she doesn't get enough. She has only 2,461 followers, 3,00 of whom are probably bots. She considers herself boring, bland, and basic and resents being cute instead of hot. A computer generated picture shows her the difference a whole lot of plastic surgery could make...
...It would cost $75,000. Seems like she'll do just about anything to get her hands on that money.
"I look at my sister, whose face still holds a little bit of baby fat, thirteen years of life not melting it away yet. I'd seen her getting curious about shirtless boys at the public swimming pool this past summer, and if her official "talk" with mom and dad is anything like mine, it'll consist of them handing off an old romance novel and telling Farrah to let them know if she has any questions."
Fallon also doesn't have much faith that what passes for sex education in the local schools to do much good. With good reason. She doesn't want Farrah and her peers to be confronted with risky situations they have no clue how to handle. So she, Shelby, and Jobie create spaces for candid discussions off and online with the best of intentions...
...only to quickly find that they're way over their heads. They might find themselves headed to prison instead of college...
...or dead.
With it's truly engaging plot and tackling of very relevant issues I'd recommend How Girls Are Made to its target demographic and way beyond--like parents, high school teachers, and guidance counselors.
On a purrrsonal note, today is one of my favorite days of the year. It's my son Adam's birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊. He is such a good man. His dad and I are so proud of him. I'll celebrate by trying sugar free pecan delights.
I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. It's the student organizational fair. I want to get more groups to sign up for Operation 💝. We currently have 20. And I'm super looking forward to Saturday when we'll finally have Eugene's twice postponed birthday lunch and I'll get to see all my kids.
A great big shout out goes out to Adam, the most wonderful son a mother could have.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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