For a novel which at first glance promises a fairly easy, unchallenging tale of teenage dramas and adolescent angst, Claire Hennessey's latest novel, "Like Other Girls" tackles some very serious issues and poses a lot of difficult questions.
For the novel's central protagonist, Lauren, the normal anxieties of a teenager are made still more complex by the fact that amongst her circle of friends, the whole concept of "normality" (being "like other girls"), has become highly problematic. With one friend undergoing the transition from female to male and others exploring same-sex relationships for the first time, the very last thing Lauren needs is an unwanted pregnancy. As if all this weren't enough to cope with, Lauren is forced to pose as a man in her school musical!
On one level, this is a sensitive and at times highly moving right-of-passage story, yet it also provides a challenging and (for me at any rate) deeply troubling insight into the pro-life / pro-choice debate in Ireland and its impact on the lives of so many women.
The only problem I had with this book was that if made me feel every one of my 49 years! Lauren occupies a world where social media means there is no hiding place and where gender has become a deeply problematic concept. It was hard at times for me to imagine myself living in Lauren's world and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure it's a place I would want to be.
For the novel's central protagonist, Lauren, the normal anxieties of a teenager are made still more complex by the fact that amongst her circle of friends, the whole concept of "normality" (being "like other girls"), has become highly problematic. With one friend undergoing the transition from female to male and others exploring same-sex relationships for the first time, the very last thing Lauren needs is an unwanted pregnancy. As if all this weren't enough to cope with, Lauren is forced to pose as a man in her school musical!
On one level, this is a sensitive and at times highly moving right-of-passage story, yet it also provides a challenging and (for me at any rate) deeply troubling insight into the pro-life / pro-choice debate in Ireland and its impact on the lives of so many women.
The only problem I had with this book was that if made me feel every one of my 49 years! Lauren occupies a world where social media means there is no hiding place and where gender has become a deeply problematic concept. It was hard at times for me to imagine myself living in Lauren's world and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure it's a place I would want to be.