Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > Such a Pretty Girl

This book isn’t as disturbing as I thought it would be but is definitely sadder than I thought it would be. I knew going in I would feel a great deal of anger reading this book, with its themes of sexualizing females too young in advertising and movies and how show moms and momagers live their showbiz dreams vicariously through their daughters in some self-serving narcissist power trip. These themes always make me mad yet somehow I will keep reading about them because narcissistic moms are a thing I can relate to and somehow I can never turn away books that seriously tackle the issues surrounding the exploitation of children.

T. Greenwood doesn’t have the same gift of prose as some other writers in this genre or who have written books about this or similar topics, but she does have a great way with words when it comes to world building, setting the scene, and building her characters. Luckily, since this novel is partially set in 1970s New York, which is one of the most popular and well-documented eras for the city, Greenwood likely had a wealth of information at her fingertips with which to comb through while doing her research. But we all know that you can give someone eggs and that doesn’t mean they can make an omelet. Greenwood took all that information and she pulled out exactly what she needed and wanted in order to bring New York in the late 1970s to life. She also has a way with description and imagery, giving us enough of the picture so we can see what’s necessary to see and then letting us fill in the rest for ourselves. We can fill in the smells and colors of both New York in 2019 and the late ‘70s.

Greenwood’s characters don’t necessarily leap off the page; they’re not as vibrant as all that. Instead, they lure you in. This whole book brings you into it instead of springing up around you. I think that’s the sheer nostalgia and melancholia that saturates the book. This book is steeped in fear, anxiety, and flight. This book doesn’t want to be friends with you, it isn’t welcoming. Like the main character, who has spent 30 years hiding from her acting career and her past, this book sees you as a voyeur, looking into a private life that isn’t yours to consume.

I personally don’t give trigger warnings for books, but if you worry about being triggered while reading this book, then you should really look into seeing if you can find them somewhere, because while I wasn’t triggered while reading it, I can totally see where some people might be.

It’s a dark, dramatic, sad read, but I still highly recommend it for those who enjoy these types of books and don’t mind the content.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for granting me access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

File Under: Women’s Fiction/Psychological Fiction/General Fiction/Historical Fiction/Coming of Age Fiction