BookTok has proclaimed that this summer is officially hot girl summer. However, not everyone is having a hot girl summer as planned. Today, we’re recommending some books if your hot girl summer is off to a rough start and you want some books that will get you into your feels.
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing is a coming-of-age story by Eimar McBride. Set in the 1980s and 1990s, the book tells the story and struggle of a young Irish girl’s home life. Her family—composed of an abusive single mother, a brother in need of care-taking, and a predatory uncle—all come together to interact with the unnamed narrator in their traditional Irish home. The narrator has a complex relationship with her family members whose false piety drives her to think deeper about what she wants in this world and, more specifically, who she wants in this world.
Eileen
You might know Ottessa Moshfegh from her other sad hot girl book, My Year of Rest and Relaxation. However, Eileen is her debut novel. In the story, Eileen Dunlap is a brooding 24-year-old woman who works at a prison for young boys. In the Winter of 1964, she spends her time doing mundane activities: caretaking her alcoholic father, stalking a coworker, and dreaming of moving to the city. One day, a bright and cheerful girl named Rebecca begins to work at the prison, and Eileen is instantly intrigued to begin a friendship. Their friendship leads to something much darker than ever imagined, leading her to leave her home with the intention of never looking back.
Writers and Lovers
Lily King is another author you probably know from her other popular book called Euphoria. But Writers and Lovers is another great book she has written that is perfect for this list. Casey Peabody is a woman who is experiencing a sudden surplus of grief and confusion. Her mother has died; she has been broken up with; and she is now waiting tables in Cambridge. As we all know, all hot people get broken up with. She ends up falling in love not once, but twice while also trying to make it in this world as an independent creative.
Daddy
Daddy is a collection of stories by Emma Cline published in 2021. This collection has ten stories that follow several storylines: a father who retrieves his son from boarding school following a violent attack, a woman who takes a dangerous route to make quick money, and a nanny to a celebrity family caught up in their scandal. Through the men in these stories, Daddy addresses the massive after-effects and underlying impacts of toxic masculinity.
Everything I Know About Love
Everything I Know About Love is an internationally bestselling memoir by Dolly Alderton. The book recounts her own journey through early adulthood and love. She discusses bad first dates, getting dumped, finding the right job, and, most importantly, finding oneself in the chaos of it all. This book is heartbreaking but in the best and most inspiring way for all of the hot sad people out there!
Hopefully, this last book can get you back on track for your hot girl summer!