How to Build a Girl cover art

How to Build a Girl

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How to Build a Girl

By: Caitlin Moran
Narrated by: Louise Brealey
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A Number One Sunday Times bestseller, from the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of How to Be a Woman.

Now a major film directed by Coky Giedroyc and starring Ladybird's Beanie Feldstein as Johanna Morrigan and Game of Thrones's Alfie Allen as John Kite.

My name’s Johanna Morrigan. I’m fourteen, and I’ve just decided to kill myself.

I don’t really want to die, of course! I just need to kill Johanna, and build a new girl. Dolly Wilde will be everything I want to be, and more! But as with all the best coming-of-age stories, it doesn’t exactly go to plan…

©2014 Caitlin Moran (P)2014 Penguin Audio Literature & Fiction Funny Comedy Feel-Good Thought-Provoking Witty

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All stars
Most relevant
Very good read the narration was excellent. Only criticism is the fowl language used and the repetitive sex references but l wont be marking it down for that ....maybe lm just more prudish than the average listener but it would have been good to know before hand about the language.

Fly on the wall of a teenagers life.

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As a 44 year old man I consider the time I've spent digesting this book as a strange kind of cultural exchange exercise. Having recently become a dad to 2 daughters the title swung it for me but I have to be honest it's not exactly what I had in mind. On reflection this was even better than what I was expecting and if there's a moral to all this it's that boys and girls aren't so different. We all want to be loved, we all want to make our mark in the world and we all need to masterbate from time to time. Well performed, this is a fun and funny page turner. A real reminder how crap the teenage years actually are.

Cultural eye opener

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What a wonderful listen. Hilarious and delightful. Exquisitely written. Beautifully narrated. I love Jo-Hannah Morrigan

Hilarious and delightful

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Does exactly what it says on the cover. Brilliant observations from the midlands and the 80s and 90s music scene (the Phil Oakey one is my favourite of them all 😭) fantastically rude and genuinely laugh out loud (while out in public walking my dog 🤪) funny.

Louise Brealy gives so much to the narration, An amazing performance, and it’s great to see its being turned into a film this year.

Brilliant

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Over the top bad language and frequent sex references - but easy to follow and quite moving in places. I enjoyed it overall.

Interesting read.

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I loved this book, I loved the characters, the writing, the narrator, it made me laugh out loud a lot and cry a little. It’s simply brilliant.

Brilliant

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Where does How to Build a Girl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10

What was one of the most memorable moments of How to Build a Girl?

Dolly's graphic and hilarious description of having sex with "Big Cock Al".

Which character – as performed by Louise Brealey – was your favourite?

John Kite

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

A really great and amusing story, enhanced by the most wonderful narration by Louise Bradley.

WONDERFUL QUIRKY BOOK

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I listen to this almost everyday. It has absolutely everything a book needs and I would like to be Johanna & Dolly

The best book I've ever listened to/read

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A wonderful listen from start to finish. Have to admit I got mixed up at one point and thought it was an autobiography. Didn’t realise it wasn’t until I couldn’t find John Kite on Google.

Magic our Morris

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Caitlin Moran is a gift. This is one of those books I couldn't tear myself away from but was desperate not to finish. If I could give it six stars I would.

Wish I could have heard this story in my teens.

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