#honestly i have not gotten as attached to many fictional friendships as i have romances
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My Rating: ★★★★★
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Year: 2012
Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website
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“Taking care of yourself is one of the hardest jobs -- don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. It's much easier to take care of others.”
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Of the handful of friends I have outside of social media, only one of them has a love of books that is equal to mine - even if the types of books we enjoy are incredibly different. This friend gave me a copy of Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway that was an advanced reader’s copy from over five years ago. I don’t remember the story of how she got it - from another friend, I believe - but she said it had been collecting dust on her shelf and she gave it to me. In all honesty, I was a little wary of it because of the title alone; it sounds a little too teen magazine for my tastes. I’m glad I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised.
Dawn West is a recent college graduate trying to make it in New York City. Dawn dreams of being a writer but has only gotten as far as writing an online lawn care advice column. It seems like her dream is getting pushed further and further from her sights until - through a connection with an ex-boyfriend she can’t seem to shake - she lands a job for Charm. Dawn gets to hunt down past winners of a contest called “Ten Girls to Watch” that highlights amazing women and their accomplishments. She can’t believe her luck - getting paid to interview hundreds of women who are riveting beyond belief.
Honestly, there were so many things about Ten Girls to Watch that I absolutely adored, that kept me wanting to read and read until there was nothing left. Instead of listing every single reason I have, I’m only going to focus on two specific things for this review. First, everything about this book felt so real. The characters were unbelievably relatable, especially Dawn. At first, I kind of expected that Dawn was going to be the type of character that was basically handed everything in a completely unrealistic way. In reality, Dawn was a hot mess who just barely had a grasp on her life. Even though she technically had a little boost to land the job (from her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend), she worked so hard to prove that she was the one who deserved it. In so many ways, I saw myself in her. Holding on by a thread but still pushing forward.
Secondly, the plot was different than all of the ideas I had in my head when I first started reading. I was expecting piles and piles of cheese with a dash of cliches here and there. And while it did have it’s moments, this was a story about growth and the importance of self realization. And most importantly, it was a story about female relationships (which is my absolute weakness). Dawn wasn’t just a vehicle to tell the stories of the women she interviewed. She became friends with each and every one of them by being accepting, sincere and willing to learn from them. The friendships that were formed and showcased were probably my favourite part about the book.
Despite the questionable parts (that were decidedly sporadic), Ten Girls to Watch was an overall great read. It comes with a very high recommendation from me, especially for those of you who enjoy strong and multi-dimensional female characters as well as stories about personal growth. Once you get into it, you won’t be able to stop. You will find yourself feeling attached to each and every girl that is featured in the inserts or that Dawn takes the time to get to know and you won’t want to put it down. Those are the best kinds of books.
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