Content warnings: Abusive relationships, sexual abuse, rape, victim blaming 

If I could rate Girl, Woman, Other more than five stars, I would. What an incredible, amazing book. I read this because as I’ve been getting into literary fiction, I wanted to see what kinds of books get shortlisted for and win literary prizes. Girl, Woman, Other caught my eye as it won the Booker Prize and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, though not much on what it’s actually like so I was still pleasantly surprised going into it. 

This book is actually written in a blend of prose and verse telling the story of twelve Black women living in Britain through different time periods. It has an unconventional style and as you read the book, you’ll see how it all ties together and how all of these women are connected to each other. I wish the book came with a character map, but it’s still easy to follow without one. Throughout the book, relationships between women, whether familial, friendly, or romantic are explored and you gain a glimpse into how they view each other and themselves. The relationships between all of these women are really great to explore and I loved each character despite their flaws. 

For a book which is essentially twelve short stories about twelve different women, Girl, Woman, Other is very concerned with interiority. Each woman not only lives a vivid external life, but also has a rich inner life we see glimpses of through their point of view. None of the women felt like characters in a book, each of them felt real, well-rounded, and flawed. No one character feels either likable or unlikable, as each of them grow throughout their stories, and we can even see them in others’ stories. They are messy, flawed, brilliant, and ultimately very human. 

Most of the characters are held together by a common thread, and I liked the setup of Amma’s play being a catalyst for most of them meeting again or reminiscing about their pasts, and seeing how it ties back to the other women in their lives. There’s this kind of setup where each chapter features a mother, a daughter, and a friend so wee see how these interconnected relationships affect each one. I really enjoyed this kind of structure as no one feels disconnected. 

Most of these women lived difficult lives in Britain. They’ve faced racism, discrimination, and abuse, yet managed to thrive. Throughout all of their stories, you can’t help but feel for the characters as they go through various hardships and root for them as they succeed. All of the women in this book are strong in their own way, not always amazing (one character in particular was uh, something) but always felt human. 

Overall, I highly recommend Girl, Woman, Other. It’s a highly interesting book that grabs you from the get-go and never lets up. This book is one of those books that make me want to rethink my rating system because it’s that good. It has kind of an experimental writing style, blends poetry and prose in the best way, and it has some of the most human characters I’ve seen in fiction.