Review: Not That Kind of Girl

Hello. So let me start off by saying how proud I am of all our followers! I remember when we had ten followers and I was going around begging goodreads friends to follow. Now look at us! At the time of this review, there are 99 followers!

Secondly, let me just say how hetic things are! April is extremely right about school. Considering how I'm supposed to be studying for finals and instead spent three hours last night/this morning (it was about 3 am when I finished it...) reading this book, I can safely say I am dedicated to this blog and its followers by reading and posting a review. Or I'm insane. Either one works great.

So enough of this rambling, on with the review!

Title: Not That Kind of Girl
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Pages: 322
Publisher: Push, hardcover

Goodreads Summary:
Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.

But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you wants to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

My Review:

I found it funny how, while reading this book in the early moments of the day, I could hear this little voice telling me to stop and go back to my studies. Oddly enough, the little voice sounded extremly close to the voice that I had given this books protagonist, Natalie Sterling. Because what I was doing was something she would not approve of.

I also found it interseting how this YA book presented issues such as sexuality and feminism. I never would have thought those issues would have played such an important role in the book, considering the cover and title. (Before I go much further I have to say that yes, I did choose the book because of the cover.) I was looking for a light, nice romantic read to distract me from my studies, but instead I got a nice book that got me thinking. I love it when that happens.

I enjoyed how the problem presented at the beginning of the book did not belong to the protagonist, instead to Natalie's best friend. I've read too many books where the main character is portrayed weak, emotionally fragile yet mentally courageous girl. Insetad, Siobhan Vivian's main character is a strong feminist, who works hard to show that women can be strong emotionally and mentally and does not need a man to help her.

But Natalie's streangths also become her flaws when an old friend with different view points renters her life and starts making Natalie doubt everything she believes in. Is sexuality not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength and power? Can she really have something right now, just for that moment, if it won't go anywhere? If it won't help her in her paln for the future? And when her views start interfering with her friendship with best friend Autumn, start conflicting with her role modle Ms. Bee and keep her confused about football player Connor, Natalie's world starts breaking at its seams.

Needless to say, this book deals with relationships between girlfriends, best friends and with yourself. Sadly though, it was also a little bit black and white. There wasn't a real median between being totally into your sensuality, or being totally against it.

I also couldn't decide if I like the characters or not. Either Natalie's character was totally believeable, or she and Spencer were totally flat. Autumn had the potential of being a good character, but her story was confusing and how she resolved it seemed too simple or just not realistic.

Overall, I really liked the book. But once you start thinking about its messages and read deeper, its confusing and unclear.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Karina