Hello Girls

“Deeper in or dead.”WOW this book surprised me. At first glance I thought this was going to be a more road trip, last shout of youth, healing type journey, and while it is part that, the other part is very much “our demons still haunt us”. The first ten or so chapters were difficult to get through, especially since I personally related to Lucille's home situation, but the authors treated these types of issues with the gravity they deserved. Stormy wasn't exactly everyone's picture of abuse but they still portrayed that abuse was exactly what he was doing, and they captured the complexities of having a relative who's an addict/involved with drugs in a way that I can confirm is accurate.

This book is just. Girlhood itself. Maybe held to higher stakes than most girlhood stories but the way that Lucille and Winona were both ready to just leave, with nothing but a car and some pocket money and each other. That's true friendship; putting your future into someone else's hands (even partially) and trusting them to help carry it through with you.

The journey these two go on was incredible to watch and Winona's progression itself was simultanously watching-between-your-fingers and SCREAMING to cheer her on. The end of her and Stormy's storyline was AMAZING to read and I was cheering for her the whole time.

I wish we had gotten more closure with Lucille's family (though I don't know how it would've been possible with them not in the same place), but I still really enjoyed the ending. It embodied just knowing you've found that person who is your ride or die.

I wish them nothing but the best. You can only aspire to have this level of friendship.