Girl mans up
Description
Lambda Literary Award Winner! “Pen is an inspiration to anyone who’s struggled to be understood, and a vital addition to the growing world of genderqueer protagonists.” —New York Times Book Review
All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she’s always been. So why does everyone have a problem with it?
They think the way she looks and acts means she’s trying to be a boy—that she should quit trying to be something she’s not. If she dresses like a girl, and does what her folks want, it will show respect. If she takes orders and does what her friend Colby wants, it will show her loyalty.
But respect and loyalty, Pen discovers, are empty words. Old-world parents, disintegrating friendships, and strong feelings for other girls drive Pen to see the truth—that in order to be who she truly wants to be, she’ll have to man up.
M. E. Girard’s Girl Mans Up is perfect for fans of Meredith Russo, Becky Albertalli, Alex Sanchez, and Jaye Robin Brown!
Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2016 * Children’s Book Council Books Best Book of 2016 * Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Coming-of-Age Novel of 2016 and Best Teen Book of 2016 with Unforgettable Protagonists * Publishers Weekly Fall 2016 Flying Starts * William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
More Details
9780062404176
Subjects
Children of immigrants -- Juvenile fiction
Friendship -- Fiction
Friendship -- Juvenile fiction
Gender identity -- Fiction
Gender identity -- Juvenile fiction
Identity (Philosophical concept) -- Fiction
Identity (Philosophical concept) -- Juvenile fiction
Identity -- Fiction
Lesbian teenagers -- Juvenile fiction
Portuguese -- Canada -- Fiction
Portuguese -- Canada -- Juvenile fiction
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Published Reviews
Booklist Review
Playing video games and chasing girls with her all-boy crew that's a typical afternoon for Penelope Pen Oliveira. Beneath her tough facade, however, she's struggling to balance being queer, being a first-generation Portuguese immigrant, and being a loyal friend. That loyalty is tested when she discovers her best friend Colby's secret he's gotten a girl pregnant and is shirking responsibility. At the same time, Pen's relationship with her very traditional parents deteriorates when they find her kissing Blake, a fellow gamer girl. Pen decides that she needs to man up if she's going to survive. Pen's story is about struggling between worlds. She identifies with being a boy, yet knows she's a girl. She is Portuguese through and through, but also sees the world with American eyes. Despite a few characters who feel a bit strained, Girard shows tremendous skill in depicting multidimensional and empathetic characters. Books starring queer girls are still relatively few, so this is a fantastic addition to a steadily growing collection of strong YA narratives for queer youth.--Suarez, Reinhardt Copyright 2016 Booklist
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this powerful debut, Girard explores questions of family, friendship, loyalty, and identity through the voice of Pen Oliveira, a 16-year old girl who's "not into dudes," looks and dresses like a boy, and doesn't "get why it's such a big deal to people, the way I am." The second child of conservative Portuguese parents who immigrated to Ontario, Pen has long felt accepted and protected by her older brother, Johnny, and her childhood friend Colby, who treats her like one of the guys. With Colby increasingly acting like "an entitled jerk," especially toward girls, Pen confronts difficult choices about where her loyalty lies. New friendships with Colby's ex Olivia and a girl named Blake, who shares Pen's love of gaming and wants to be her girlfriend, make her reconsider the meaning of respect, which her parents have always demanded. Girard forcefully conveys the fear Pen lives with, having experienced frequent mockery and bullying, and her courage in aspiring to a safe, loving community for herself and her friends. Ages 14-up. Agent: Linda Epstein, Emerald City Literary. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-The expression man up refers to many things. It suggests that "real men" take responsibility for their actions. Real men act bravely in the face of adversity. For Pen (short for Penelope), 16, it is a little more complicated than that. She has a difficult time knowing how to man up when she cannot even classify her own gender identity. For her, the LGBTQ lexicon carries too much cultural baggage and too many expectations. Pen does not want to define herself too closely, especially when everything in her world seems to be crashing down around her. Her best friend Colby has recently become a terrible bully, her parents are more and more unsupportive, and her older brother has been kicked out of the house. On a positive note, her crush, Blake, has taken an interest in her. Pen tries to navigate all of this, while still figuring out who that person is staring back at her from the mirror. This is a fresh title in the growing sea of LGBTQ YA literature. Pen and her peers are neither quirky nor whimsical. They cuss, drink, smoke pot, hook up, and get into fights. There is no sugarcoating in this very real portrayal of an aspect of teen life that many experience. VERDICT Recommended for fans of YA urban fiction as well as those who prefer grittier LGBTQ lit.-Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Pen (short for Penelope) struggles to make sense of family pressures, turbulent friendships, and first romance in this slice-of-life coming-of-age novel from debut author Girard. As a girl whose gender expression does not fit into conventional categoriesher fauxhawk and boys clothes confuse peoplePen reflects, Im not a boy, but I dont want to be that girl either. I just want everyone tolet me do my own thing. Pens struggle for self-definition plays out in three braided plotlines: tensions rise between her and her traditional Portuguese-immigrant parents after her older brother, whom she idolizes, moves out. Her longtime friend Colby, who has served as a social shield for her at school, becomes controlling, cruel, and creepy when Pen starts to question his treatment of other girls (in a particularly uncomfortable scene, he pressures Pen for sex). Finally, Pen starts dating classmate Blake and helping her with a photography class project that also underlines many of the novels themes. Although Pens parents skate a bit too close to immigrant stereotypes, and Blakes character is somewhat generic, Girard nevertheless offers an original, impressively nuanced drama built on themes of identity, respect, and the desire to be recognized for who you are. claire e. gross (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Reviews
Playing video games and chasing girls with her all-boy crew—that's a typical afternoon for Penelope "Pen" Oliveira. Beneath her tough facade, however, she's struggling to balance being queer, being a first-generation Portuguese immigrant, and being a loyal friend. That loyalty is tested when she discovers her best friend Colby's secret—he's gotten a girl pregnant and is shirking responsibility. At the same time, Pen's relationship with her very traditional parents deteriorates when they find her kissing Blake, a fellow gamer girl. Pen decides that she needs to "man up" if she's going to survive. Pen's story is about struggling between worlds. She identifies with being a boy, yet knows she's a girl. She is Portuguese through and through, but also sees the world with American eyes. Despite a few characters who feel a bit strained, Girard shows tremendous skill in depicting multidimensional and empathetic characters. Books starring queer girls are still relatively few, so this is a fantastic addition to a steadily growing collection of strong YA narratives for queer youth. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
In this powerful debut, Girard explores questions of family, friendship, loyalty, and identity through the voice of Pen Oliveira, a 16-year old girl who's "not into dudes," looks and dresses like a boy, and doesn't "get why it's such a big deal to people, the way I am." The second child of conservative Portuguese parents who immigrated to Ontario, Pen has long felt accepted and protected by her older brother, Johnny, and her childhood friend Colby, who treats her like one of the guys. With Colby increasingly acting like "an entitled jerk," especially toward girls, Pen confronts difficult choices about where her loyalty lies. New friendships with Colby's ex Olivia and a girl named Blake, who shares Pen's love of gaming and wants to be her girlfriend, make her reconsider the meaning of respect, which her parents have always demanded. Girard forcefully conveys the fear Pen lives with, having experienced frequent mockery and bullying, and her courage in aspiring to a safe, loving community for herself and her friends. Ages 14–up. Agent: Linda Epstein, Emerald City Literary. (Sept.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2016 PWxyz LLCSchool Library Journal Reviews
Gr 9 Up—The expression man up refers to many things. It suggests that "real men" take responsibility for their actions. Real men act bravely in the face of adversity. For Pen (short for Penelope), 16, it is a little more complicated than that. She has a difficult time knowing how to man up when she cannot even classify her own gender identity. For her, the LGBTQ lexicon carries too much cultural baggage and too many expectations. Pen does not want to define herself too closely, especially when everything in her world seems to be crashing down around her. Her best friend Colby has recently become a terrible bully, her parents are more and more unsupportive, and her older brother has been kicked out of the house. On a positive note, her crush, Blake, has taken an interest in her. Pen tries to navigate all of this, while still figuring out who that person is staring back at her from the mirror. This is a fresh title in the growing sea of LGBTQ YA literature. Pen and her peers are neither quirky nor whimsical. They cuss, drink, smoke pot, hook up, and get into fights. There is no sugarcoating in this very real portrayal of an aspect of teen life that many experience. VERDICT Recommended for fans of YA urban fiction as well as those who prefer grittier LGBTQ lit.—Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS
[Page 82]. (c) Copyright 2016 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.