The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

The Adventures of Cinnamon Girl came out several years ago, and I’m sad to not have known about this masterpiece much earlier.

Who would’ve expected this book to be packed with such PERFECTION!? Feminism, body-positivity, honest friendships, awesome parents, etc. are only SOME of the things that made this book so wonderful to read.

This going to need to make a list because I need to explain every little detail.

1.) ALBA WEARS MAKEUP. And not just a little mascara, but like full on bold, red lipstick and winged liner! I’m all for going natural and feeling confident in your skin without makeup, but I also hate people who shame girls for wearing ’too much’. And there are way too many books where the girls describe their go-to makeup as ‘mascara and lip gloss’. I liked that this made Alba stand apart.

2.) TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. Another thing people are shamed about too much: not going to college. Obviously it is a wonderful thing to be able to attend college, but it is definitely not for everyone. And I loved how they talked about the different choices everyone had when it came to their future. Some went to college, some stayed home to work, others moved to work, etc. Basically- it was like real life.

3.) WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN. YA has been steering towards a great direction in the past year, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Many, many books continue to portray women in a negative light especially when it comes to how they treat each other. The girls in this book were always supportive, kind, and understanding of each other. Even when problems arose- they worked them out instead of throwing hurtful words at each other or looking for revenge.

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Also, as a big fan of romances- this one made me extremely happy because of how adorable Alba was with Grady. They have been best friends since they were young, and have become even closer as they’re grown. The way it develops it so heart-warming, a bit angsty [in the best ways], and so swoon-worthy!

I’ve said as much as I can without going into the plot because it’s a lot and everything could be considered a spoiler- but, I highly recommend this feminist, funny, and adorable story by Melissa Keil.