Review: Guy's Girl by Emma Noyes

Guy's Girl by Emma Noyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  I did end up listening to the final published version of the audiobook.

I don't know how to feel about this book.  This is certainly not the type of book I typically read.  When I initially read the synopsis, I thought it was a romcom or a YA romance, it is neither.  This is pretty heavy as it focuses on mental heath (anxiety and PTSD to be specific) and eating disorders.  It is not YA at all, there are some mature scenes.  It is very well written  as the author pulls from her own experiences and acknowledges that it may be triggering for some readers. 

Ginny has always felt more comfortable when surrounded by guys.  She has three brothers, and when she went to college she found herself three more of her choosing.  Ginny is a people pleaser and a rule follower, she lets people use her because she can't bear to tell people no in the event they might not like her.  She always does what is expected, but on the inside she is struggling with the consequences of always doing what other want, focusing on her weight and self acceptance.  She has body dysmorphia and struggles with her self-worth.  She is struggling in silence and hides that she is struggling first with anorexia and then bulimia.   Adrian is also struggling in silence.  His trauma occurred before he was born in Hungary.  His father was killed in a tragic car accident, and his loss has shaped his entire personality and view on relationships.  His mother was very depressed when his father died, and no one in his family really dealt with their grief.  Adrian grew up with a very skewed vision of love and relationships because of it.  

Adrian and Ginny knew each other in college, but it isn't until they reconnect after graduation that they have a spark.  They develop a friendship that turns into something more.  Unfortunately because they are both dealing with very real monsters that they aren't ready to face yet, their relationship isn't able to flourish.  Adrian doesn't know how to love anyone and continues to hurt Ginny.  Ginny continues to choose men who cannot give her the love she needs so much and equate their lack of reciprocation to her looks.  The author does an amazing job of describing how the brain works in mysterious ways and focuses on things that aren't related.  As an outsider looking in who has never experienced the trauma of either main character was hard for me to know if Ginny and Adrian were good for each other.  Their relationship seemed to be more damaging than healing, though it did pack an emotional punch.  

Overall I think this was well written and given the fact it was not at all what I anticipated it was a good read.  This was an emotional rollercoaster, and I think we need more books that talk about mental health.  

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