Geek Girls don’t cry, they get strong.
- Hardcover: 256 page
- Author: Andrea Towers
- Publisher: Sterling (7 Jun. 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1454933399
- ISBN-13: 978-1454933397
- Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 2.3 x 20.8 cm
- Price: £14.99
Geek Girls Don’t Cry – By Andrea Towers
The Blurb
What does it mean to be strong? Pop culture heroines are strong not just because they fight villains, but because they deal with the same issues we face in real life – addictions, fears, traumas, and other struggles. And with the help of these characters, fans can find inspirations to overcome their own problems and be brave. In this book, Andrea Towers outlines some of the primary traits heroic women can rely upon, like resilience, self-acceptance, and confidence. Also included are insights from psychologists and personal anecdotes from courageous real-life women involved in facets of pop culture.
About the Book
What does it mean for a woman to be strong? Especially in a world where our conception of a ‘hero’ is still heavily influenced by male characters like Batman, Spider-Man and Superman? Why do we know all about the depression Batman experiences after losing his parents but not Princess Leia’s grief after unexpectedly losing her home planet of Alderaan? Wh do we know about the alienation Superman Experienced after being sent away from his home planet of Krypton but not Supergirl’s trauma of which came from the same experience?
Geek Girls Don’t Cry explores the subject, offering advice tailor-made for fans of any age. Andrea Towers who works in public relations at Marvel Entertainment and has written about super heroines for outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, outlines some primary traits heroic women can call upon, like resilience, self-acceptance, and bravery. Not only does she pull in stories and advice from real-life women involved in all levels of pop culture – many of whom credit the characters they work with for helping them though hard times – but there is also insight provided by psychologists who have helped patients find light through figures from the pop -culture pantheon.
Looking at pop culture favourites from books, TV shows, movies and comic books (aka Geek Girls,) such as Hermione Granger, Bufffy the Vampire Slayer, Katniss Everdeen, Xena Warrior Princess and Marvel’s Black Widow and Jessica Jones, Towers examines how these women deal with topics like trauma, grief, depression, overcoming adversity and isolation. She also interviews the creators of our favourite fictional heroines, who discuss how they drew from their own experiences to develop these protagonists, and how, conversely, their own creations continue to inspire them.
Seeking comfort from fiction is a truly universal human attribute and Geek Girls Don’t cry serves as an understandable and relatable guide for people who want to overcome mental health issues and will appreciate the examples set by goddesses, mutants and superheroes. this is a book for those in search of mindfulness, but with a healthy infusion of pop culture, fun and feminism.
My Opinion
Let’s start with the introductory quote from the book;
This isn’t a question of what I’m not. This is a question of who I could be.
Captain Marvel
This book totally surprised me in a pleasant way. Intelligently written it gives a deep and insightful look into the lives and background of many familiar female characters. But not only that, it makes their struggles and successes relatable to all. It goes a long way to show that you can be strong and yet, still struggling. The book talks about so many issues we face during our lifetimes and how they are dealt with by fictional female characters. Notated throughout by psychologists, the book is trustworthy and helpful to all who may deal with the same kind of traumas no matter how big or small.I can‘t wait for my girls to get stuck into this book, I have learned from it and I’m sure they will too.
Disclosure: This book was sent to me for the purpose of my review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply