Blog Tour: Like Other Girls Review and Giveaway

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LIKE OTHER GIRLS by Britta Lundin Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. LIKE OTHER GIRLS is one of those books that I just felt drawn to for some reason. From the first time that I saw the cover and read the summary, I knew that I wanted to read this book. I was going to wait until my library got the book, but I was lucky enough to get a copy by taking part in this book tour. My review is about halfway down the page. At the end of this post you will find a giveaway and the rest of the tour schedule.

     

About the Book

Title: LIKE OTHER GIRLS

Author: Britta Lundin

Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

"What if I played football?" I ask. As soon as it's out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I've overstepped some kind of invisible line we've all agreed not to discuss. We don't talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don't talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what's right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. "What do you think?"

"I think it's frickin' genius," he says.

After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that she never could have predicted.

Inspired by what they see as Mara's political statement, four other girls join the team. Now Mara's lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can't throw, can't kick, and doesn't know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara's crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara's nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara's preconceived notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.

Britta Lundin's sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them stand up and cheer.

Events

Tuesday, August 3
Like Other Girls 🎉 Launch Signing
Skylight Books
7-8:30pm
more details

Saturday, August 7
Like Other Girls 🎉Virtual Event
Britta Lundin in conversation with Carly Usdin (filmmaker, author The Avant Guards)
noon PT/3pm ET
register here to get the link

 

Review for Like Other Girls:

I worried at first about reading this book. First-person young adult books can be hit or miss for me. This one threw that out the window really quick. I was immediately drawn into the story, and I read this book in a few short hours. I was so excited to be reading it that I couldn’t bear to put it down. Plus, I read it as part of a readathon I did.

Mara is probably one of my favorite characters that I’ve ever read about. She’s not perfect, but she grows throughout the story. She has to deal with problems relating to her relationships and internalized feelings, but it makes her so much better in the end. She also finds herself a good support system even when parts of her old support system start failing her. Also, Mara was the kind of girl I wanted to be in high school.

The side characters in this book are honestly one of my favorite parts. From Mara’s teammates to her family to Jupiter. They lent something to this book that allowed for it to feel fully fleshed out while also allowing for Mara to grow. Jupiter was easily my favorite side character. Also, Mara meeting Jupiter felt so much like the song Ring of Keys that it was amazing. I remember those feelings and that draw to someone who is like you, who looks like you.

I really loved how this book handled internalized misogyny and the issues that can arise from having that mindset. Mara keeps trying to separate herself from the “other girls” because she doesn’t want to be lumped in with them. She’s “one of the boys” and not like them. Not like other girls is such a toxic mindset for girls to have and having a book where a character realizes that is amazing. It’s one of those topics that need to be addressed more for younger audiences, but it’s not often brought up in books. I thought it was handled beautifully and Mara gets a well-done development.

It also wasn’t heavily addressed but the book did make a point about being an unintended inspiration. Mara didn’t try out for the team hoping to inspire other girls to join the team, she just wanted to play. She even resists being part of the Elkhorn Five that’s trying to push the change. She didn’t want to be a symbol to everyone else, but in doing this she became one. I thought it was a great addition to this book. Not everyone intends to be a force for change, sometimes they just happen to become one.

I really loved this book. It was kind of amazing to me how much I got into this book. It was fun, but it also tackled (pun intended) some issues that needed discussing. There were healthy and unhealthy relationships presented. Nothing felt forced and there wasn’t any unnecessary drama. The only real issue that I had in this book is that it left me wanting more. More of Mara and the rest of the Elkhorn Five. Jupiter and Reese’s story. I just wanted more from this author and more with these characters.

 

About Britta Lundin:

Britta Lundin is a TV writer and author.

She’s written for shows such as Riverdale, Betty, and The Big Leap and is the author of the young adult novels Like Other Girls (out August 2021) and Ship It.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she lives with her wife, kid, and dog in Los Angeles.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of LIKE OTHER GIRLS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2021	Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews	Review
8/2/2021	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
8/3/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
8/4/2021	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt
8/5/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/6/2021	onemused	Review
8/7/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review

Week Two:

8/8/2021	EveryonesLibrarian	Review
8/9/2021	@curlygrannylovestoread	Review
8/10/2021	BRITTREADSALATTEBOOKS	IG Post
8/11/2021	A Bookish Dream	Review
8/12/2021	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review
8/13/2021	Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile	Review
8/14/2021	Fyrekatz Blog	Review

Week Three:

8/15/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
8/16/2021	Midnightbooklover	IG Post
8/17/2021	A Gingerly Review	Excerpt/IG post
8/18/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
8/19/2021	@drewsim12	Review
8/20/2021	Adrianna.reads	Review
8/21/2021	Mallory Books	Review

Week Four:

8/22/2021	GivernyReads	Review
8/23/2021	popthebutterfly	Review
8/24/2021	@pagesofyellow	Review
8/25/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review
8/26/2021	Perusewithcoffee	Review
8/27/2021	The Phantom Paragrapher	Review
8/28/2021	Eli to the nth	Review

Week Five:

8/29/2021	@fictitious.fox	Review
8/30/2021	Bibliosini	Review
8/31/2021	Two Points of Interest	Review