LibraryNinja Book Reviews

not a review but an observation- we all know elle kennedy is fabulous

(pulling in a post from my personal blog)

taking a break from my somber self to bang out a post about EVERYONE’S latest obsession- Elle Kennedy’s book series Off Campus and specifically, the series that’s made everyone swoon, cry, wish and remember what growing up was like. Most American women have seen the phenomenon by now and so many women my age are drawn to it despite the perplexed faces of our spouses so it seems like someone ought to jump out here and explain the blistering obvious parallels we so richly feel.

gen x women grew up a little differently than the gen x men did. While media portrayed men as they always have- with power, with energy, with attitude and with advantages, gen x women were just starting to evolve into the powerhouses we are today. Commercials showed us supermodels, luxury brands, and perfect figures- the likes of which we never could aspire to. They rarely showed us as curvy, spontaneous or in control of our own bodies or minds. Before the 80s, we didn’t have social media identities as teens- we relied on music, music videos, movies and books for that. Everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Madonna to Heart to Pat Benatar helped define what strong female artists could be.

And the strongest things we gravitated to involved great storytelling through community-oriented ensembles- everyone remembers the 80s Hollywood brat pack. But there are so many more book-to-movie stories that helped raise an entire generation of strong women: John Irving- Cider House Rules, Margaret Atwood- The Handmaid’s Tale, Alice Walker- The Color Purple, V.C Andrews- Flowers in the Attic (don’t eat the powdered sugar donuts).

All of these had one thing in common- community was the glue of the novel. And long before movies condensed books, books written by authors who understood the underlying key to success was not just in the heroine plotline, it was the supporting community that brought the reader back time and time again. Jackie Collins wrote an entire series about a woman becoming the head of a mob family in Las Vegas. V.C. Andrews wrote a deeply disturbing yet addictive story about a family with severe abuse generationally. Barbara Taylor Bradford wrote exquisitely about Women of Substance, Colleen McCullough wrote a sweeping saga about forbidden love between a priest and a teen girl. My favorite author of that generation wasn’t a woman- he was a catholic priest. Father Andrew M. Greeley wrote of an entire community on the southside of Chicago that intertwined families and neighborhoods seamlessly, and wrote them with sex, love, passion, fire, sin and obstacles. Don’t believe me- go find him on your library shelves and read them in order- tale after tale of generational family saga- the good, the bad and the ugly- all unfiltered.

But the ONE GUY that actually got gen x women at the time- John Hughes. And thank you world, for offering up the brilliance of his visions and movies that are currently resonating today with a whole new generation of women and men. He established the teen movie as a genre- but more importantly he actually portrayed life as we saw it when it was happening- almost in real time. Without cell phones, fancy computers, laptops, or social media. It’s incredible to think about his lasting impact 40+ years later- because John Hughes wrote and directed outstanding movies about real teen problems like bullying, cliques, outcasts- challenging us (the teen women at the time) to look beyond ourselves and define who we are.

Circle back 40+ years later to Elle Kennedy and dozens of strong, empowered women writing incredible stories that are complex, community-oriented, women-positive forward books- are they sexy? YES. Did you stay for the sex or for the community that’s created- whether its Kennedy’s Briar U universe, Adriana Locke’s family series like the Landrys or Charlotte Byrd’s Tell Me Series? Because the reason I go back time and time again is the community created by the authors- you can’t have the storylines without them. And whether you’re into mob fiction of Penelope Sky or Meghan Quinn’s Brentwood Boys baseball, you’re entering a world of community- where women and men can be equal- and women can have advantages in sexual relationships just like men. All these amazing authors write women as women are right now in the moment- not a decade later.

Off Campus isn’t just about hot hockey players- it portrays a complex universe that we hope responsible young men do because they were raised by GenX/GenY moms- trust and consent, not drugging drinks, not taking advantage, seeing women of all body types. We see parallels to the movies of John Hughes, who also elevated the conversation around teens and college. We hear musical icons like Billy Idol, Elton John, AC/DC and The Foundations that are instantly familiar and mesmerizing mixed with new artists like The Kid LAROI, Remi Wolf, and The Beaches. The draw in the first season may be Hannah and Garrett– but if you’ve read them all, then you know that they don’t exist in a vacuum. There are elevated conversations about sex, abuse, fear, friendships, crushes, binge eating a relationship ending, family discord, found family and mostly- there’s hope. And usually, a happy ending.

It won’t be for everyone- but there’s a reason its ALL OVER THE MEDIA. And now, you know. Go find your happy place and bask- there’s a book communityfor everyone everywhere.