Customer Reviews

How to (Un)cage a Girl

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HOW TO UN(CAGE) A GIRL

FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

...choose to believe in your own myth

your own glamour

your own spell

a young woman who does this

(even if she is just pretending)

has everything....

This is just a taste of what awaits the reader in Francesca Lia Block's new collection of poetry that celebrates the journey of a girl growing up. Block's collection of poems is both powerful and moving. The words flow like magic, hitting a cord on emotions such as loss, growing up, and death of a father to cancer. The theme is universal and the voice is authentic and true.

I love Block's poetry. Her poems in this collection touched me; especially the one titled pain is like an onion. Who ever suffered a broken heart can relate with this message.

Not all of the poems deal with sad issues. There's also hope. Block talks about believing in yourself and your own beauty. Not what the world considers beautiful but the beauty that's within.

My only complaint is this book ended too soon. This slim poetry collection is a must have for fans of Block and those who love a good poetry book.

Francesca Lia Block is the author of many acclaimed and bestselling books, including WEETZIE BAT, DANGEROUS ANGELS, and PSYCHE IN A DRESS. You can find out more about her by visiting her website at www.francescaliablock.com

Kim

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

August 2008

How to (Un)cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block is a collection of poetry full of lush and lavish imagery. It reads almost like a memoir, an open letter to her friends, her children, and her many fans. I don't know enough about Block's life or history to know how much of these poems are confessional. It doesn't matter. The messages, if they are based on her individual experience, have a resonance. Any young girl struggling with body image will understand the narrator's anorexia even if the reader hasn't starved herself for beauty's sake.

I can't imagine any girl growing up in our nation not being compromised by body image issues.

If there is any doubt about why Block has a huge cadre of fans, reading this book will settle some of the misgivings to rest. Whether the poetry style appeals or not, the messages are ones that only an oblivious or vicious person would not agree is beneficial to young readers.

Block's collection of poetry almost reads like a narrative, opening the floodgates of adolescence with 120 pages of verse. Her style is confessional, raw, and at times racy, but ultimately her work is refreshing. It's not the pinnacle of the poetic tradition, and it's certainly gimmicky, but considering the audience, the gimmicks make the work more accessible for non-connoisseurs. How to Uncage a Girl is an enjoyable read, and current teenage girls will certainly find this tome a treat, as it was written just for them.

The first few poems focus on a teenage girl's life, beginning at age fourteen and continuing until age nineteen. Being a teenage girl, I can relate to the text on the paper. It wasn't too long ago that I had to deal with first getting my period, the urges and pressure to have sex, looking in the mirror and hating what I see, and losing a parent. The writing is honest and it seems to fit most kids' day to day lives.

The second set of poems focus on the pressure that the media has put on women. It's about jealousy and fear and expectancy. It's been put into our heads at a young age that we have to look or act a certain way or else we won't be pretty or desirable. Francesca captures that feeling perfectly, and I've dealt with a lot of that growing up.

The third- and largest- section of the book is called "love poems for girls". Don't let that fool you. It's not romantic or blissful. Nor is it naive. These poems are real. They fill you up with a sense of strength; no matter what, you can carry on with life and be happy.

Overall, this book of collected poems piece together to create one big picture that is called life. It's real and raw and there's no way you can deny that you haven't felt one of the many emotions held within the pages of this book.

Maybe it's because I'm not a teenager anymore, but this just didn't do it for me. Went on and on. Bland metaphors bored me. Girl Goddess #9, however, is a book of hers that I still enjoy.

I wish more school libraries made Francesca Lia Block available to students. While her work may not be appropriate for younger students, middle and high school students would definitely benefit from reading her works. Her vivid imagery and active verbs are excellent examples to use in language arts class, and the subject matter is something that girls can relate to.

If you were ever a young girl, growing up through adolescence, this book is for you. Francesca Lia Block lyrically address the ups and downs of being a teenager, and the things that we think about at that age. Some lives are broken, and some lives glitter, but every girl should know they have a voice. This book is one voice among the masses. If you adore Francesca, you know this has to be fantastic.

I love Francesca Lia Block, so really a book of poems about adolescence was a no-brainer for me to pick up. This one definitely did not disappoint. I had read it a few years ago when it first came out, and recently picked it up again to share at out libraries Poetry Night. All of Francesca's early works were written in the same seamless prose as these poems are, so it was such a joy reading these. I just love the magical world that Francesca Lia Block creates within our regular day-to-day lives. Some of these poems are heartbreaking, others uplifting, all of them are beautiful. I loved the poem 'forty-five thoughts for my daughter and my virtual daughters' I think it represents exactly what I hope every young girl gets to know. This poem starts:

"i always believed if i had blond hair, pixie face,

big breasts

everything would be all right

not realizing that culturally idolized beauty

is not only foolproof

but potentially dangerous"

I think this is a great little book to give as a gift, for yourself or for that young girl in your life.

First Line:

"i thought my teacher was a nazi"

Favorite Line:

"yxta and francesca decided to start a clique

for frail but surprisingly strong fairies who had lost

their way above ground

for burned mermaids and sick vampire girls

for wild wolfish women with sharp teeth and leaves

in their hair"

I read some of this in a 2008 Cosmo girl magazine and it was so inspirational! I thought that it really talked about the problems and self confidence issues that teenage girls have. I read one in which a girl was comparing herself to a popoular girl, and the things she talked about were so true. This book is so good and it forces you to realize and to imagine things you did not realize before. Its a great read for any teenage girl and if they're ready for it, any guy!!

HOW TO (UN)CAGE A GIRL is a short collection of poetry for and about girls. Told in three parts, these poems deal with many facets of life that women must deal with, from being a teen to becoming an adult. This is a book about life: the ups and downs, the pressure, the joys, the pain. This tiny book includes it all.

I enjoyed the book very much, and found the modern approach to poetry to be interesting and refreshing. It was a bit hard to understand at parts, but definitely enjoyable overall.

One of my favorite entries in this collection was one titled Media Queenz, which addresses all the singers and actresses that girls tend to idolize. I think the following line from this poem explains it best:

"where were our pradas? our pouts?

our captivating glances?

only later we would grow up

and realize that these women were just women"

This is a perfect novel for any girl who ever felt unworthy or like they didn't fit in. We are all our own people, and this book celebrates that.

With the holidays approaching, this small book would make a great stocking stuffer, as well!

Reviewed by: Lauren Ashley