My Life as a Girl

Jaime has just ended her life in Phoenix and has begun a new one in her new all-girl college, Bryn Mawr. She wanted to start over, forgetting about her past with Buddy, her father, and her life. She made too many mistakes for one life, and she thought that maybe she'd change in another. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as she thought when Buddy showed up one day. He didn't know what he was doing to Jaime: reminding her of her unforgetful past. With one glance at Buddy, she forgave everything he had done in her past, remembering how much she had loved him.Unlike most girls, maybe even some women, Jaime was so determined to go to Bryn Mawr that she had to handle two jobs. In the morning, she was a waitress at the All-American Diner, under the supervision of Kenny, who undoubtedly was quite attracted to Jaime. At night, she would serve appetizers, entrees, and desserts to the people of The Phoenix, the fanciest hotel in Arizona. Even with the trouble of balancing of these two jobs, she still found the time to fall in love with the son of one of her co-worker's son, Buddy. Buddy was all a girl could want, but Jaime realized that that summer with Buddy was when she had turned from girl to woman. She became a woman who had to control all the trouble that had happened, trouble with a capitalized "B".Although the book displayed so much love and affection, my favorite part would have to be when she was caught swimming in the pool of The Phoenix. Employees were not allowed to use the hotel pool. Jaime and Buddy had bought cheap blue towels from Walmart, hoping the faded color would match the royal blue of the hotel's towels. All went according to plan until Jaime dived into the pool. Her supervisor caught her and was quite appalled and furious for Jaime's actions. Luckily, Buddy rented a room in the hotel, which saved Jaime from getting fired. Although Buddy did do some pretty obnoxious things before, this was one event when he proved he was more than just a boy, he was indeed a man.

I thought this was a lovely, beautifully written coming of age book. Although it can certainly be enjoyed by the young adult crowd, I think that it is written on enough levels to be enjoyed by a more adult reader as well. While the protagonist is clearly the focus, some of the by-play occurring with her own mother, as well as Buddy's mother, is fascinating in its own right. And the ending was extremely realistic, in contrast to many books in this category. Kudos to the author.

Jaime is a brilliant, original first person narrator and the writing is just magical. I thought this especially true in the opening chapters in which Jaime's past--the life as a girl that she left behind at the end of the summer--catches up with her when she least expects it, when a red Mustang pulls up and parks illegally on a campus road at Bryn Mawr College and a loose end named Buddy gets out. Jaime wants to take control of her life, and she has. But sometimes she's taken by surprise--by life, or, astonishing to her, by her own feelings. She plans everything and watches everything, but sometimes she doesn't know what she's going to do until she watches herself do it. The writing is so good that the reader is there at each turn, gasping when she gasps, and laughing when she laughs. Jaime is not always likeable, but she is compellingly human. My Life as a Girl is billed as a book for "young adults," and seems to be marketed toward teenage girls and young women. I didn't see this as a sub-genre novel of limited appeal, though it did get a bit didactic at the very end. I was amazed by Ms. Mosier's power to say so much about the way women relate to each other, in so few words. Guys, when you get to the part where Amanda says, "I thought he had a white car," think about it. I would recommend this little book to anyone who likes great writing, often very funny, about what people are thinking and feeling. And, to any boy who has ever showed up unexpectedly at a Bryn Mawr dorm on a cold morning, perhaps pathetic, desperate, and undeserving, needing sleep, a change of clothes, a shower and a toothbrush, but hoping for . . . another chance. I hope that Ms. Mosier will let Jaime tell us much more about Bryn Mawr and her life as a woman. Some of us need the insights.

I go to Bryn Mawr, and it was wonderful to read a book based in a place so familiar to me. Even better that the book was good. Elizabeth Mosier really understands the perspective of a girl about to enter college and this book was quite engaging. Hearing Ms. Mosier read from it in the fall of 1999 was a great experience and her voice is very clear here. Thanks for a wonderful read!

I can't tell you how much this book made me reflect on what my last summer before college was like. Before coming to Bryn Mawr College myself, the summer of 1997 (or any summer for that matter!) was my last chance to live as a girl. Dar Williams sings, "Get your shirt... No way. It's the last time I'm not breaking any law... I was a boy too..." Jamie feels that this is her last chance to react by impulse and not by thought. College is her chance to be mature and and avoid making stupid mistakes as her father did. But just for this summer, it's okay to be wild.On a more personal note, the events that take place in Jaime's summer really remind me of my last summer before college. Like Jaime, I dated the biggest idiot, but I had fun. I got hurt, but because I was (and still am!) young, I can learn from my mistakes and get over it. How refreshing to have a book that clearly reflects a girl's life before she enters true womanhood. We're not all rich, blonde, and popular as "The Sweet Valley Twins" are, and Mosier finally writes from a true girl's perspective. There is a time for mistakes, but we must learn from them and not allow these mistakes to ruin our futures.