Early DNF

The writing style is very chatty and in-your-face jokes and references. I thought that it would work for me, however, it was a bit too much for my personal taste so I DNF'd. Would recommend if you love '90s/2000s references and a very chatty writing style.

This was a really engaging read, that felt a lot like chatting to a friend. Bourdillon writes in a really clear and accessible way, that was conversational while still being able to discuss deeper and more nuanced topics.

I found a lot of this book very relatable! Bourdillon is older than me, but we’re close enough in age, upbringing, and life experiences, that I saw a lot of myself in the things she discussed. Particularly the way she talked about her (then closeted) queerness influencing her teenage years, her time at school, and her approach to feminism, all rang very true.

I also really liked how she drew on wider cultural moments to retrospectively put her experiences in context. Some of them were media related, such as the premiere of The L-Word, and some of them were political, such as Section 28. I thought it was really interesting how she looked back at the different things that had impacted her life, and really added to the story she was telling.

Overall this was a very enjoyable and relatable read, that will hit very close to home for many queer millennials!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this memoir from Roxy Bourdillion. I related to the 90s nostalgia, the wonderful relationship with her granny and the woe of being cursed genetically with big boobs that men have always assumed they can comment upon. I was horrified but unsurprised sadly to learn that the Conservative government under Thatcher introduced Section 28 forbidding schools to teach the acceptability of homosexuality….. just WHAT?! I’m glad Roxy seems to have found her happy ending and I’m grateful to her and others like her who campaign for the rights of marginalised groups, as a mother of two it’s reassuring to feel like my children won’t grow up in quiet such an indoctrinated society.