Kenya Hunt is incredible! This book is gut-wrenching, incredibly powerful, and breathtakingly poignant in providing a collection of essays on black womanhood, racism, activism, stereotypes and reflections. I'd really, really recommend this book.

I reviewed this title as part of my January Reading Wrap Up https://youtu.be/5uG9gwnCC1M

The book was informative and compelling and I really appreciated hearing from Kenya's perspective. The comparisons between her experiences of racism in the US and the UK were particularly informative.

I enjoyed this set of essays especially the experience of being an American settling in the UK. The piece about women's health care was honest and searing and the one about the Black Church in the US fascinating. The extra essays by other people were interesting although placed a little randomly - I particularly liked Candice Carty-Williams' one about identity after writing Queenie.

Fully review on my blog: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2021/02/08/book-review-kenya-hunt-girl/

Girl

Girl by Kenya Hunt is a fantastic collection of essays with topics ranging from motherhood, baby loss, sisterhood, religion, the fashion industry and above all, what it means to be a Black Woman. 

I loved it. Kenya's writing style is so easy to follow. The essays are interesting. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, always honest and brilliantly written. I love being inside the mind of someone else. I love hearing about people's experiences, about their lives, especially when they are so different to mine.

 Sometimes it's hard being a woman in this world. I feel that. After reading Kenya's book I know no matter how hard it is to be a woman, it's so much harder being a Black Woman. One of the guest essays by Ebele Okobi sums it up when she says:

"We would joke about how when white parents considered where to live, they thought about school achievement measures, number of parks, existence of local libraries, yoga studios. Black parents like us thought about all of those things, and also about all of the ways that the neighbourhood could punish our children for being Black."


Reading that made me feel so angry. And sad.

All of the essays, including the guest essays, were just brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and it's one I'd definitely recommend if you're looking to learn a little bit more about what it's like to be a Black woman in the world today.

One of my favourite aspects about this book (among with many, many others) was that it was written in 2020 so you felt connected to the raw, intimate experience Kenya delivers at the start of the book about how Covid has created turmoil around the world and affected every single person individually. ⠀
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This was a stunning essay collection. Whilst mostly written by Kenya Hunt, there were other contributors such as the author of Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams. I loved reading about how Candice dealt with navigating book tours and public speaking as someone who would normally shy away from being in situations such as those. ⠀
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Through this collections of essays we see Kenya and others write about their intimate memories of what it means to be Black in modern Britain. Ranging from racism within Air Bnb, racism in childbirth and racism in the fashion industry. The way Kenya Hunt writes is unapologetic, unflinching and intimate. I couldn’t get enough of her words and would happily have read even more. Kenya has created an inspiring piece of work that I believe everyone should read to get a further understanding of how Britain remains racist in 2021. ⠀
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Thank you net galley for approving me a copy of this! I’ll definitely want to purchase a copy of it when it comes out in paperback!

I really enjoyed this collection of essays which ranged from what it means to be Black and female in the 21st century to the use of ‘woke’ in popular culture and the Wakanda effect. I particularly appreciated Hunt’s unique perspective as a Black American woman living in England and the razor-sharp critiques and observations she makes about race in the UK. She also gives space for other voices in this collection, which I found really powerful. There are essays written by Candice Carty-Williams, Jessica Horn, Ebele Okobi, Funmi Fetto and Freddie Harrel which added more depth and breadth of experience. A really powerful collection of essays.

This book was a wonderful insight into the experience of black women and girls. I thought the selection of essays and the selection of guest authors was good and, even though everyone had their own individual stories, they all fit in the book. I would highly recommend this if you are interested in learning more about black culture, black women, and black girlhood.

This book is exceptional and I genuinely hope Kenya Hunt receives the acclaim she deserves.
Illuminating the experiences and struggles of black women in a provocative and often humourous way. Loved the inclusion of Candice Carty-Williams. As a Queenie lover I was pleasantly surprised to see her essay!

GIRL, Kenya Hunt’s collection of essays, talking about her experience as a black woman. Thoughtful and heart-breaking, writer Hunt, along with guest authors, catalogues the experience of black womanhood in London. 

GIRL is set out as a collection of essays – a fact that came in useful as the implications of each piece of writing needed time to mull over, to learn, to realise.  From the experience of racism when attempting to book an AirBnB to the unsettling rise of Trumpism, via ‘wokeness’ and the multi-layered meanings of the word Girl, the collection is eye-opening and subtly urgent. Each essay is a good as the last.

The writing in GIRL is honest, factual, raw. Hunt’s unique insights as an American living in London bring the stark realities of racism in the UK to light. Racism as insidious, entrenched. For me, as a white woman in the UK, GIRL is a much-needed education on the lived experiences of black women. Read it!

GIRL is an engaging, well-paced, and candidly informative set of essays on the experience of Black womanhood. Kenya Hunt writes with warmth and intelligence, and the guest contributions from Candice Carty-Williams and Ebele Okobi, amongst others

This is a beautifully written, engaging exploration into Black womanhood. It touches on the political, social landscape as well as the minutiae of everyday life. Playing homage to relationships, especially female friendships, and the importance of cultivating and treasuring these.

This is definitely an emotional read, but it's one I tore through. It's interesting, it's sad, it's funny, it's informative. Most of all though, it just feels honest. 

Kenya isn't afraid to offer real and genuine insight into her life and thoughts. She doesn't become preachy or judgemental at any point, which is a relief. Instead she uses humour to shed light on topics which are not discussed openly

Girl is a bold, honest and striking collection of essays by Kenya Hunt. Kenya’s observations as a Black American woman living in Britain were fascinating to me, as the insight came from a unique perspective. I was stunned by the conversations with London taxi drivers and long mulled over Kenya’s analysis that Britain and America were ‘two different sides of the same coin.’ I highlighted so many passages from the essay ‘Sally Hemings and Hidden Figures’, and the essay on beauty standards was compelling given Kenya’s own career in the industry – I would honestly read an entire book on the subject if she wrote one! 

An excellent collection and one of my favourite books this year.

With contributions from authors including Candice Carty-Williams, Ebele Okobi and Freddie Harrel, this sharp, witty, insightful and essential book of essays is required reading over the end-of-year break. An American now based in London, Hunt started writing Girl while on maternity leave with her second son, and finished it during lockdown earlier in 2020: she’s a truly gifted writer who’s worked at Jane, Elle, and is currently Fashion Director at Grazia. The essays adeptly and neatly draw allusions between global topics and personal experiences, as the best essays do: segueing from London taxi rides to Trump’s inauguration, from Sally Hemings to #Megxit, and the importance of community whether online or IRL – reminding us that even in the midst of chaos and despair, there is love, hope, perseverance and opportunities for growth. As the second essay, Notes on Woke puts it: wake up – and then stay that way.

Cambridge Edition December https://online.bright-publishing.com/view/113857/22/

BOOK REVIEW 

GIRL: Essays on womanhood and belonging in the age of Black girl magic by Kenya Hunt 
Rating: 4.5*

Black women have never been more visible or more publicly celebrated than now. Girl illuminates the current cultural movement and celebrates womanhood, feminism, blackness and the possibilities they contain. It reflects what it is like to be living as a black woman and is a true celebration of black girl magic. Kenya Hunt is an American journalist who has been living and working in London and it currently a fashion editor at Elle. Girl explains how it is to be a black woman in modern times 

These essays are provocative, humorous and heart-breaking at times and well worth the read. Like all essay collections you have your favourites but there wasn’t one I disliked. I particularly enjoyed the essays Wakanda Forever, Motherhood and On Queenie (by Candice Carty-Williams talking about her mental health and how she struggles with face-to-face interviews as people just assume that Queenie is autobiographical when it isn’t). I enjoyed the pop culture references to Childish Gambino’s Redbone and This is America Video, and Black Panther. The essays weren’t too long and I liked the honesty of them. 

She talks about what it means to be woke and how it can be a burden at times, the inequalities that exist when it comes to maternal healthcare for black women and the racialising of pregnancy, respectability politics, the celebrated features of beauty and so much more. 

It’s incredibly interesting and I read it in a day. She writes as if she is talking to a friend and it feels extremely current because of the cultural references made, but also the mention of the current pandemic, Kamala Harris, the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd. I LOVED that Candice Carty-Williams was one of the featured authors because she’s amazing.

Even though it is a collection of essays, they wouldn’t work on their own if that makes sense? The power of the book comes from the sum of the essays together. I am not a black woman; however, I could still relate to some of the sentiments, and when I couldn’t it creates a space for listening, learning and appreciating. Her writing is accessible, honest and funny and this book has something for everyone.

This is such an important read and I’d definitely recommend it! A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

GIRL is a provocative, humorous, and, at times, heartbreaking collection of essays on what it means to be black, a woman, a mother, and a global citizen in today's ever-changing world. Black women have never been more visible or more publicly celebrated than they are now. But for every new milestone, every magazine cover, every box office record smashed, every new face elected to public office, the reality of everyday life for black women remains a complex, conflicted, contradiction-laden experience. An American journalist who has been living and working in London for a decade, Kenya Hunt has made a career of distilling moments, movements, and cultural moods into words.

Her work takes the difficult and the indefinable and makes it accessible; it is razor sharp cultural observation threaded through evocative and relatable stories. Girl Gurl Grrrl both illuminates our current cultural moment and transcends it. Hunt captures the zeitgeist while also creating a timeless celebration of womanhood, of blackness, and the possibilities they both contain. She blends the popular and the personal, the frivolous and the momentous in a collection that truly reflects what it is to be living and thriving as a black woman today. A timely, necessary and eminently readable book filled to the brim with social commentary gems, heart wrenching stories and, ultimately, hope for the future by some of the most prominent black writers of our time. Highly recommended.

Kenya Hunt is a fantastic writer who engages her readers in a way that we're undeserving of. She's unapologetic, she's brash, she's sarky and she's snarky. GIRL is a collection of essays, with contributions from writers such as Candice Carty-Williams, Freddie Harrel and Funmi Fetto. These essays cover a wide range of topics including the racialisation of pregnancy when being Black, racism on the Air BnB platform, and naturally, the fashion industry (Hunt herself is highly respected and acclaimed in the fashion industry, having worked as a journalist and editor for publications such as Elle. She is currently the fashion director of Grazia UK). 

I found the collection to be incredibly insightful, and what I found most unique about the book is that the essays came from the sole perspective of the individual who wrote it, rather than it being a collective idea, as other non fiction books can be about. I'm learning and being informed about things that I hadn't considered before, such as the genocide in Rwanda. There are some great mini history lessons in here that are educating us but in a way that it doesn't ever come across like that. For example, in one essay it comes in the form of a conversation with someone else. 

In Candice Carty-William's essay, I found it to be highly relatable in the sense that she talks about having to forcefully adapt yourself according to the environment you are in (as I'm sure many people can relate to). Not only this, but her raw, honest thoughts were refreshing to read. At one point she says about helping other Black people, "I was willing and ready to do the work, I just wished there wasn't so much to do". This really resonated with me because it's something that many black women face, and it's something that they do, because no one else can or will do it. 

I appreciate how relevant the book is, discussing topics from this year which I feel made the book all the more timeless. 

This is definitely a book that people should buy if they enjoy essays on inclusive feminism.

Kenya Hunt’s ‘GIRL’ is a collection of essays which effectively convey the experience of black womanhood, feminism, motherhood and activism. For people like me, who have disabilities which affect cognitive function, the essay format makes it a much easier read, since you can read an essay at a time. Since the essays cover different subjects, it requires a bit less effort to concentrate since you don’t have to remember every detail from previous essays; therefore, if you’re looking for a nonfiction book around feminism and antiracism, this is a great option that should be accessible to most. 
This book is very effective- the short essays each manage to convey a broad amount of information and insight into the topics that are discussed. I found the first two essays, which look at how the words ‘girl’ and ‘woke’. The analysis looks at how our language is constantly evolving, particularly the effect that social media can have on the words we use. The essay about wokeness was incredibly interesting- it’s something that everyone will have a slightly different opinion on. Throughout the whole book, I really appreciate her analysis of activism- how today everyone can be an activist, but it’s harder than ever to identify those who are ‘doing the work’ and those who use wokeness and sharing a black box to confirm to themselves that they are a good person, and that they have done their bit. 
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for granting me early access to this book.
Some potentially triggering subjects are discussed; racism, the extremely publicised deaths of black people, miscarriage, and abortion. The essay which covers miscarriage and abortion was beautifully done. These are both subjects which are rarely discussed but experienced by so many women, and I thought the way that Kenya Hunt conveyed the emotional impact of both was excellent. In particular, her description of an abortion of life-saving (as in, saving her own life) was something I really appreciated, as well as her expression of relief following the abortion. It’s extremely rare that we see abortion spoken about in these terms and I hope that other women will read this essay and see themselves reflected in its words, and feel seen. 
Some of the essays are written by other contributors; black women, some who I had previously heard of, some that I had not, who are businesswomen, activists, writers, mothers, etc- but who are all connected by their experiences of being a black woman. I really loved how the vast experiences detailed in this collection add to the overall message; how each essay gives you another nugget of insight. My favourite among these, mainly because I really loved her book, was from Candice Carty-Williams, discussing the impact of her novel, Queenie, on her life and her identity. 
In summary, I’d recommend this book to anyone; males, females, and people of all colours and ethnicities, because I believe it has something for everyone. Kenya Hunt’s writing is accessible, managing to at times be extremely poignant and at other times to be lighthearted and convey joy.

GIRL by Kenya Hunt is a wonderful read particularly for black women. It was interesting for me as a black Brit to read from Kenya's perspective - a black American living in England. While Kenya had some unique insights, perhaps most interesting of all was discovering that American black women and British black women face many of the same challenges despite the ocean between us. 

Hunt's collection feels current with references made to the pandemic and to Kamala Harris who was, at the time of writing, a nominee for VP and not VP-Elect as she is now; nevertheless even her being nominated was historic. 

Ultimately this collection is about voicing the frustrations that come with the stereotypes that are assigned to black women but it is also, purely through its existence, a step in the right direction towards a time when a collection like this won't need to exist. Interspersed throughout the collection are essays from guest contributors, one of my favourite being the one by Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie. Candice speaks of how draining she finds interviews being someone far more comfortable at home and away from the limelight. She also expressed fatigue from interviewers assuming Queenie is completely autobiographical even going as far as to her hairstyle in no way resembled the box braids featured on the book's iconic front cover. 
The idea that when a black story does break through into the mainstream it must be representative of all black women's experiences (including the author's) when the same assumption would not be made for a white woman is not new. It's as though because there are so few black female writers achieving commercial success, anything that does make the bestsellers list is given so much more weight with higher expectations placed on it than is proportionate. And yet, I left this collection feeling hopeful, Hunt writes: "to be woke is to long for a day when one doesn't have to stay woke" and having read and enjoyed this book I look forward to the day when black women can rest.

This is a well thought out and researched collection of essays, that all tie together brilliantly.  Of course, with every collection of this type, there are some elements that are better than others; however, there are no “bad” elements in this at all.

As a white woman, it was interesting to read more about the Black sisterhood, and the struggles women face when they become mothers, perhaps even more so in the USA.  As Kenya points out, there are some things other families do not have to consider – how many people have the State killed in the local neighbourhood, being just one.

It’s tempting to say that this is a timely publication, considering all that has happened in recent months (George Flloyd, the drama surrounding Meghan Markle, the BLM protests, the US election etc) however, these are issues that are always lurking below the surface.  It is only the front name that changes, the headline act that varies – the issues underpinning them are ever-present, and something we would all do well to pay more attention to and try to change, rather than simply virtue signalling our way out of the awkwardness.

The Stars
A strong collection of essays that will either have you nodding along, depending on your experiences, or may well make you open your eyes that little bit wider.

Girl is an incredibly timely collection of essays having been finished up during the pandemic and written in the build up to the US election. This means Kenya Hunt has been able to touch on some of the emotions and feelings of 2020, particularly in the wake of June 2020 and the prominence of the Black Lives Matter protests. However, the collection of essays is much bigger than the landscape of 2020.

It covers a vast array of topics from the broader themes of terminology we use, communities and identities, Black motherhood, Black trauma and loss. To more specific situations such as the drama surrounding the British Royal Family and the anti-blackness exhibited towards Meghan Markle. There are also several contributed essays from other Black women such as Candice Carty-Williams who discusses the fallout to her book Queenie and how it's changed people's interactions with her.

From my own personal perspective what I found most interesting is that Kenya Hunt is an American expat living in the UK. This means she has a real critical insight into both the US and the UK political, social and cultural scene. For those that often consider the UK to be "not as racist as the US" I think this really brings home some stark realities.

Other elements that I really appreciated in this collection, which felt very relevant as I was reading this as the US election results were being counted, was the devastation she felt and discussed in response to Trump's election in 2016. Her focus on the hidden efforts and power of Black women to drive change. And then finally, not related to politics, but I really enjoyed her discussions about the power of Black Panther and Wakanda for Black culture.

Overall this was a fantastic and timely collection of essays that gave me a lot to think about and I devoured the whole thing in a few sittings. The length of these essays makes them really great for when you have short amounts of time to read. Thanks to @hqreads and @netgalley. Out 26th Nov.

GIRL is an engaging, well-paced, and candidly informative set of essays on the experience of Black womanhood. Kenya Hunt writes with warmth and intelligence, and the guest contributions (from Candice Carty-Williams and Ebele Okobi, amongst others) were welcome throughout, only adding to the experience.

As with most essay collections, I'm sure you'll have your favourites, but I couldn't name you a single weak link in this one. Every one felt purposeful, all had something to say. With Black Lives Matter becoming forefront this year, with the racial disparities in Britain being put under the lens (hint: 'not the US' does not mean 'not a racist country'), this is an informative and ever-relevant look into the many facets that make up Black womanhood: the 'Black Girl Magic', the language, the social support, the racialisation of fashion and beauty and pregnancy.

This is definitely an emotional read, but it's one I tore through. It's interesting, it's sad, it's funny, it's informative. Most of all though, it just feels honest. This is definitely I'd recommend.

Big thanks to Kenya Hunt, to NetGalley, and to HQ for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This baby's due for publication on the 26/11/20 in the UK!