Book Review: Girls Our Age by Phoebe Thompson
I’ve had this book on my TBR list for a while, and I finally took the time to read it. It’s a book that focuses on female friendship and figuring your life out in your twenties. I really liked it because the main characters felt very realistic. I appreciated how even though the main characters are probably Gen Z, they felt very millenial. Haha. So keep reading for my full book review of Girls our Age by Phoebe Thompson.
What is Girls Our Age by Phoebe Thompson About?
Three women navigate their late twenties together in a bittersweet novel about female friendship, identity, and growing up—from the hope and promise of college to the realities that lie beyond.
Lily, Ana, and Margot have been best friends ever since Hawthorne Res Life assigned them as roommates during their first year of college.
Ten years later and Lily is planning her wedding to the endlessly supportive and entirely symmetrical Jack. Ana is a fourth-grade teacher at the prestigious Horizon Academy, alma mater of her long-term boyfriend, who’s finally asked her to move in. Margot is about to land a life-changing promotion at ad agency McQueen O’Doul.
It all looks good from here.
But when the three friends converge on Maine for the wedding, the real challenges they’ve been able to keep from each other begin to surface. It’s finally time to open up about the very private struggles they’ve hidden for too long and the risks they’ve taken to protect themselves, and those they love, from the truth. (from Amazon.com)
My First Thoughts
The very beginning of this story flashes back to when the main characters first met. Ana, Margot, and Lily were roommates during their freshman year at Hawthorne. They were different, and yet they immediately bonded and became best friends. But in chapter 1, we jump back to present day when the women are in their late twenties.
You don’t really realize it when it’s happening, but friendships change so much over the years. I was surprised by how much I liked all of the main characters. They’re flawed, but in ways that felt relatable.
What Did I Think of the Plot?
I liked the plot of this book a lot! We get to read the story from the perspective from each of the main characters. And each of the women is going through something on their own.
Lily is preparing for her wedding to her longtime boyfriend Jack. But with a lot on her plate and a stress causing relationship with her mother, she finds herself slipping back into her eating disorder.
Margot is a workaholic looking to jump up the corporate ladder at work. But she’s also trying to organize Lily’s bachelorette trip, as well as coming to terms with her own sexuality.
And then there’s Ana, who lives in San Francisco because of her longtime boyfriend. She realizes that the job she thought she wanted and the man she thought she wanted, might not be the things that make her happy.
But that’s the thing about your twenties. You’re not sure what you’re doing, and you make mistakes. But in the end, you might just figure out what you’ve been looking for.
The Structure
I liked the setup of this book. The different chapters are told from the different perspectives of Ana, Margot, and Lily. My only thought is that Margot’s story didn’t seem to get as much airtime as Lily’s or Ana’s. Maybe I’m just imagining things. I don’t know. But I would have liked for Margot to have more development to her story.
The Audiobook
I did listen to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. The book is narrated by Charlotte Lobdell and her voice is very pleasant to listen to. The audiobook of Girls our Age is 10 hours and 9 minutes, but I listened to it on 1.5 speed because I enjoy listening to a more fast paced story. Haha.
In Conclusion
Thanks so much for checking out my book review of Girls our Age!
Girls our Age by Phoebe Thompson is a comforting story about three young women finding what they truly want. It’s a plot that a lot of people will be able to relate to. It made me feel a lot of things, and made me think about things I haven’t thought about before. I like that it opened my eyes to new subjects and issues that women are facing.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Definitely.
It’s a story that is as thoughtful as it is entertaining! I was rooting for all of the characters to figure their s**t out and find what makes them happy. That’s all a person can hope for.
