This was really good, and I thought the verse worked super well. I wish there'd been a more deeper apology from her mother because she really crushed Mimi to pieces for a time, but I was definitely glad to see all of the women of the family coming together at the end.

Lawless Spaces by Corey Ann Haydu was an interesting read. I feel the topic is an important topic and needs to be addressed more often in fiction. Haydu's approach was on the edge though, and I am not sure how well young people might relate to the story since it had a strong focus on the celebrity of the women. It made them seen less realistic or less able for one to relate to as a female. The second half of the book was easier for me to read than the first half.

Haydu deftly navigates complicated feelings about femininity and family relationships throughout the novel. Despite sometimes feeling a bit overdone, Haydu effectively communicates Mimi's fears surrounding her own body. The premise of journals from when the women in her family were 16 is an interesting premise and is played out well. Readers who enjoy Deb Caletti will definitely find something to love in this book, though it could also be a good recommendation for fans of complicated family dynamics, like King's Dig.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.

Mimi has a complicated relationship with her mother. Ever since a photo of Mimi leaked onto the internet casting her in a tole she wasn't prepared for, she's been on the losing side of her mother daughter relationship. On her sixteenth birthday, her mother gives her a notebook. Like all the women in her family, Mimi is told to journal and write poetry about how she's feeling and the secrets she keeps. One day, her mother becomes even more withdrawn when a sexual assault case comes on the news and rattles her. Now, Mimi goes to the attic to read the notebooks of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and finally her own mother. In these notebooks. Mimi realizes that being a woman and her mother's daughter, means more than what she thought. Each notebook takes Mimi to a past just as complicated and painful as her present.

Lawless Spaces is an emotional novel in verse that pulls at your heart. I had to take many breaks from the book just because of how heartbreaking each story is. The notebooks travel with each woman as they tell the story of being sixteen in a changing body that garners attention. The women in the notebooks give heart wrenching accounts of sexual assault, teenage pregnancy, and the pressure of being something and not knowing who you are yet.

This book is definitely recommended for all girls who feel like they gather more attention for their body than their mind, spirit, and personality. I hope everyone who reads this feels a new sense of purpose for telling your truth and being unequivocally yourself.

This was a lot for me. It was hard to read at times. A beautiful story just heavy. I’d still recommend.

As you can tell by the content warning, this book tackles some tough topics. Mimi is turning sixteen, and she's struggling. Her mom (Tiffany) is... okay look, her mom is absolute rubbish, frankly. I was going to say that she abandoned Mimi in favor of her boyfriend, but the truth is, it might have been better if she simply ignored Mimi. Instead, she treats her like crap, and is super toxic. On Mimi's sixteenth birthday, Dear Ol' mom yeets a journal at her and tells her basically "write your feelings here because I give zero fucks about them".

I was so full of rage, I cannot even explain. Full. Of. Rage. And the thing is, this kind of stuff truly does happen in life! Parents do this to their kids! I can't wrap my head around how, but here we are. Anyway, Mimi finds the box containing her mom's journal, and those of several generations before her too. Meanwhile, while all of this is happening, news comes out that Tiffany has accused a Shitty Famous Dude™ of sexual assault. And of course, as always, the media pounces on Tiffany and Mimi, dissecting their lives, their choices, and how they respond to the scrutiny.

I loved the trips back in time, seeing how the other women in Mimi's family struggled too. The one thing that bummed me out pretty hard was how much they all seemed to have failed their daughters. Obviously Tiffany didn't just randomly decide to dump her daughter for some gross dude. She's been through the ringer too. Not that it excuses her behavior to Mimi, not by a long shot, but it does explain some stuff.

There is also a bit of a weird issue I had with the book, though I really did enjoy it. Mimi (and her predecessors) say many times that because of their particular body type, they were harassed, treated poorly, etc. Nah, fam. It's all female bodies. All. Of. Them. No matter what your body is like, in this society, someone will have something to say about it.

Regardless, the writing is stunning, and the story is really quite beautiful as it all shakes out. The messages are obviously strong and tons of important topics are explored. There is even a great plot point about social media, and how we present ourselves in certain ways online versus how we present ourselves in our everyday lives.

Bottom Line: Beautifully written and extremely emotive, the stories of Mimi and those who came before her shouldn't be missed.

In Lawless Spaces, Corey Ann Haydu has written a powerful, important, necessary story for today. Sixteen-year-old Mimi Dovewick, only child, internet celebrity, quirky outsider, is learning to navigate life in the body she inherited from the women in her family. Noticeably petite, her large chest draws the wrong kind of attention, and her mother, who shares the same body type, has taught her to cover and hide her body, the lawless space that will only get her into trouble. When a photo of Mimi drunk and exposed at a party goes viral, her mother blames her, and their relationship begins to unravel. When her mother accuses a celebrity of sexual assault, Mimi learns of it from the news while her mother runs off with her boyfriend to leave Mimi to face the reporters, photographers, and scrutiny. Suddenly, the rift between them becomes a chasm. Searching for answers, encouragement, wisdom, anything, Mimi digs into the journals the women in her family have always kept, and in them, she finds what she needs: the knowledge that she is not alone, her body is not a lawless space for others to invade, and she and her mother are more alike that she knew.

Haydu has given readers a sharp, clear picture of the way appearance has been equated with personality throughout time, classing someone as a "good girl" or a "bad girl," regardless of behavior and intent. The poetry is crisp, blunt, and packed with layers of meaning, and the white spaces on each page give readers time to think, question, and process. The story triggers strong feelings about societal expectations, mother-daughter relationships, and the brave, messy way teenagers raise themselves when they aren't given the support they need from loving, attentive adults. The parallel stories of Mimi, her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother are told through their journal entries, so readers hear the pain of each generation as they see how society has both changed and remained the same.

The story contains harsh language at times, but it is used effectively. Some readers may be troubled by the profanity, but it captures the raw emotion of the plot rather than being used gratuitously or without thought. In addition, the descriptions of sexual assault, both within relationships and with strangers, are heavy and genuine, but they are written so carefully and thoughtfully, they suggest the pain and trauma without sinking into specific detail. Corey Ann Haydu has grappled with the painful, traumatic reality of sexual assault in a gentle and kind a manner that leaves all readers feeling informed and empathetic. For readers who have experienced sexual assault, I think her story would feel like confirmation, validation, and comfort.

I was sorry to see the political references, both in the dedication and in the plot, because sexual assault is a topic that is neither conservative nor liberal, neither democrat nor republican. By referencing political figures, conflicts, and figureheads, Haydu risks alienating some readers, and all readers need to read her story. It is an important, timeless story that victims and perpetrators need to read. Girls who dodged the dangers and attention need to read it to stand with their friends who endured the dangers and attention. Boys who respect girls' and their bodies and opinions and intellect need to read it, as well as they boys who don't. And parents, parents need to read it too, to understand the waters their daughters and sons tread every day, to see the courage and strength they show, even while trying to understand where and how they fit.

I appreciate the candor and gentleness Haydu brought to this story and this topic, and I encourage older young adult and new adult readers to read it slowly, patiently, thoughtfully, regardless of the political references and alignment. Haydu has given us a beautiful, powerful story or resilience and strength.