Not That Kind of Girl

August 30, 2010
High school senior and student council president Natalie Sterling believes she knows best about more or less everything (it’s nearly impossible not to picture her as Tracy Flick in Election). Over the past few years, Natalie and her best friend, Autumn, have bonded over a shared disgust of the male species, but even though Autumn’s stance shows signs of weakening, when Natalie starts hooking up with football player Connor, she still thinks she has to keep it a secret from Autumn and everyone else. Through Natalie and Spencer, a freshman girl Natalie used to babysit, Vivian (Same Difference) asks whether sex and sexiness empower girls; Natalie’s feelings about Spencer’s oversexed demeanor and provocative attire flip-flop between seeing her as a victim-in-the-making or as a liberated feminist. Natalie herself is definitely “not that kind of girl”; rather she’s the kind who constructs her own Amelia Earhart costume for Halloween and would rather restock ice in the coolers than dance at a party. Readers may not identify with Natalie’s emotionally remote and arrogant nature, but she is both empathetic and genuine, and her transformation is believable. Ages 14–up.

Starred review from September 1, 2010

Another powerful, involving exploration of teen girls' identities and relationships from the ever-improving Vivian (A Little Friendly Advice, 2008, Same Difference, 2009). Type-A super-achieving high-school senior Natalie Sterling has a foolproof plan: Win the Student Council presidency, ace the SATs, gain acceptance to her top-choice colleges and get out of Liberty River. Sure, she'll miss her best (OK, only) friend, Autumn, and yes, there's been no room for romance in her life to date, but Autumn's reputation-ruining freshman-year relationship taught Natalie that "trusting boys [is] just like drinking and driving"--not worth the risk. Enter Spencer, Natalie's former babysitting charge, all grown up and provocative as hell, and Connor, a cute football player with unexpected depth. Natalie finds her deeply held beliefs about feminism challenged, first by Spencer's half-baked assertions about female sexuality, then by Connor's wholehearted embrace of Natalie's strength and determination. Can teen girls own their sexuality and be taken seriously? It's rare to see second- and third-wave feminism square off in YA literature so successfully; don't miss this round. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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November 1, 2010

Gr 9 Up-Despite its chic-lit packaging, bubbly style, and sophomoric jokes, this is a smart feminist novel. The story sheds light on some unfinished business of the women's movement: where sex is concerned, girls are still either "good" or "bad," while boys are allowed more nuance. Outraged by these double standards, Natalie, president of the student council, organizes a Girl Summit, an "empowerment symposium" for female students. As she flounders in leadership, she wonders: Can I ask for help? From a cute boy, Connor? The quintessential "good girl," Natalie is more complex than she appears. Indeed, all of Vivian's characters are recognizable types and human at the same time. The dialogue and emotional honesty are pitch-perfect. Natalie and Connor's love scenes are as steamy and fraught as anything in Judy Blume's Forever (Bradbury, 1975). The overall message of the novel is that sex is joyful and should be embraced-but it is ever complicated. In Natalie's effort to be an independent woman who refuses to be used by a man, she inadvertently uses Connor. Clearly, gender relations have a long way to go-especially in high school. This protagonist is the perfect representation of a conflicted 21st-century feminist teen. Readers will cheer for her epiphany at the end: "I just needed to be okay with all the kinds of girl I was."-Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College Queens, Long Island City, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2010
Grades 9-12 Natalie is the kind of girl who is always in control, and her senior year at Ross Academy is going to be perfect. She has been elected student-council president. She has earned the respect of a teacher she admires. Her best friend, Autumn, is by her side. She doesnt need boys. Her poise is rattled when she meets Spencer, a freshman whose overt sexuality is opposite her own tightly buttoned approach to life. Spencer encourages other freshman girls to claim their sexual power, dubbing themselves Rosstitutes and hitting on seniors. Natalie is determined to correct Spencers demeaning behavioruntil she meets a bad boy who isnt so bad and finds out the hard way that she isnt always right. High school has never felt more authentic, and all of Vivians characters are nuanced but instantly recognizable. Natalie is ambitious, controlling, and rigid, but although readers may not like her, they will sympathize with her painful learning process. Vivian challenges the assumptions about sex being rampant in high school and sends a positive message about acceptance, forgiveness, and love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)