Squishy Minnie Bookstore Squishy Minnie Bookstore
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Events
  • Storytime
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Shop

Take Three Girls – by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood

By Tahlia on 31/08/2017

Take Three Girls is the collaborative effort of YA writers Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood and Simone Howell. It follows the lives of three boarding school girls as they find themselves under attack from a cyber bullying presence and form an unlikely friendship.

`The novel covers all the intricacies of female friendships in a way that is too often overlooked in young adult books. It brings attention to fake friends and the dangers of competing with other girls so much that you lose sight of yourself, but it also celebrates the beauty of having friends who accept every part of you and support you when things look bleak.

The three protagonists have strong, well-defined voices that really helps to break the perception that all teenaged girls are a hivemind. Each girl has their own struggles that are handled tactfullyand gracefully intertwine with each other to form a complete narrative rather than three separate stories.

The love and friendship that the three girls show each other is a breath of fresh air compared to the typical female friendships in fiction, which usually revolve around men. Though Clem, Ady and Kate all have different interests, they embrace their differences and show each other unconditional love as they struggle through year 10.

Take Three Girls encourages us to look past the stereotypes we inadvertently place on people and find the good within them. It warns us of jealousy and the risks that come with first love. The girls face pressure from all sources, including their so-called friends, their family, their teachers and their partners, but by staying true to themselves they are able to help each other survive their hardships.

The message of the novel is overwhelmingly positive. It’s an honest and vulnerable portrayal of high school, friendship and family life, and it doesn’t shy away from sensitive topics like body issues, sexuality and substance abuse. It’s a reminder that in this digital age the ability to hurt people is more powerful than ever, but the ability to ease that pain and turn a bad experience into something positive is much more important.

book reviewbullyingcollaborationfriendshiphigh schoolteenage
Posted in Book Review.
Share

Categories

  • Book of the Week (0)
  • Book Review (54)
  • Books (5)
  • Culture (1)
  • In Store Events (12)
  • Inspiration (0)
  • Instagram (13)
  • Products (0)
  • Racism (0)

Archives

  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (2)
  • July 2020 (10)
  • June 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • March 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (6)
  • August 2019 (8)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (6)
  • January 2019 (2)
  • November 2018 (5)
  • August 2018 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • April 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • November 2017 (15)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • April 2017 (4)
  • February 2017 (4)
PreviousReena’s Rainbow School Holiday Workshop
NextLove Your Book Shop Day

Related Posts

  • 16/08/2019

    Book Review – Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

    Eoin Colfer’s bestselling middle-grade adventure mystery novels chronicle the lives of twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl. In the first Artemis Fowl novel, we meet our eponymous character, who is more devious and clever than most adults. The novel follows Fowl after he attempts to catch a fairy in order to obtain gold for ransom. His main motive …

  • 24/07/2020

    Book Review – The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs

    The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map of Days’–released as the fourth book in 2019–Jacob and his peculiar friends return to uncover the mystery surrounding their newest companion Noor, most namely piecing …

  • 29/04/2017

    Book Review – Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller

    Elizabeth Murmur is moving with her unusual friend Zenobia to Witheringe House, the place where her dad grew up with his sister Tourmaline. Zenobia loves it and is convinced that there is a Spirit Presence in the East Wing, where they are forbidden to go. She tries to contact it using a book on clairvoyance, …

  • 25/02/2020

    Book Review – The Golden Tower by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

    In the final novel from the Magisterium series by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, Callum Hunt is faced with the task of destroying Alex Strike and the chaos that followed in the wake of the events of the penultimate novel The Silver Mask. Callum Hunt is now entering his Gold Year, the final year of …

  • 03/08/2018

    Book Review – On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

    Melina Marchetta’s coming-of-age novel is a refreshingly mature young adult adventure that captures the feeling on the crux of growing up and watching all that was familiar with the world shift into something new. On the Jellicoe Road transports the reader to a world caught between the dreams of childhood and the horrors of reality, …

  • 15/02/2017

    Book Review – A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

    With the arrival of the new Netflix series, now is a perfect time to sink your teeth into Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. This series is unique and one of my favourites; Snicket’s narration is satirical, morbid and hilarious all at once, and although he will warn you many times that the books …

  • Terms & Conditions
  • © 2022 All content copyright Booruwa Creative Industries, ABN 44616524120
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Events
  • Storytime
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Shop