Thank you to Zando, Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I DNF at 29% as the character of Molly was very unrealistic and unlikeable. I also didn't like the writing which was very chaotic and didn't really see what the point of the book was.

Won't be rating this book outside of NetGalley not to lower its ratings.

I tried really hard to get into this one, but I just wasn't able to. I am still really thankful to the publisher, author, and netgalley for granting me advanced access to this digital collection before publication day.

I really expected to love this quirky book, but, sadly, that was not the case. It had an intriguing premise, and was wildly inventive, but unfortunately, it wandered all over the place, in and out of reality to the point where I couldn't tell who was real and who was a ghost, and finally . . . I just stopped caring.

This book is undoubtedly a unique reading experience. Molly takes the reader on a wild ride while she deals with grief in incredibly unconventional ways.

I enjoyed the book and laughed out loud several times. However the book also includes slurs that I found offensive and unnecessary for the story. I can't recommend this book to other readers due to this content.

Thank you, NetGalley and Zando, Gillian Flynn books for this advanced reader’s copy. Molly’s mother died when she was young and she is tired of living with her half-blind father and annoying step-mother. When Jeannie moves in, 10 year old Molly wants to be her best friend and be just like her, even though Jeannie is 23 years old and she treats her like crap. The story takes an endearing turn when Molly befriends a ghost at a seance, runs away from home, and decides she is going to figure out how to summon her mother’s ghost. This book is a bit irreverent and Molly is quite the little character, but overall the ending is very sweet.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Kittentits follows ten year old spitfire Molly as she befriends 23 year old ex-con Jeanie.

This is one of those books that is not going to be for everyone, and that's because it's an adult fiction novel starring a ten year old who curses like a sailor. The experience of reading this book as an adult felt similar to when I was a young teen reading Catcher in the Rye for the first time; once I got over the initial pearl-clutching shock driven by my Southern Christian Raised sensibilities, this book was an absolute riot to read, and I was pleasantly surprised by its handful of moments of emotional richness. Molly is crass, and Molly is so ridiculous I cannot even articulate it in this review, but she also feels so authentic to the kind of kid who's so desperate to grow up, she'll act like an adult any way she can think of. The adults in Molly's life just happen to generally suck at being adults. As the story unfolded, my annoyance with her gave way to a strange endearment; the more I learned about her, the more I learned how to root for her.

The plot itself is in some ways all over the place, and certainly exists at a level of ridiculousness that's often difficult to buy into. There are ghosts, thought-forms, there's necromancy, hot air balloon accidents, bra shopping at JC Penney's, and so much more. I like a book that will take me for a ride, and this one most certainly did. But I think what makes this book special, what makes it a masterful execution of this kind of story, is that it still managed to draw out rich and relatable themes that will leave me thinking about this book for a long time. In particular, the seance in which Molly and her friend Demarcus attempt to reconnect with their mothers was a moment that tugged my heartstrings in all kinds of directions. This moment was one of bittersweet transformation that will stick with me for awhile.

I think the thing that sets this book apart for me the most is that it made me want to revisit my high school (or college, given Molly's vocabulary) English Lit classroom and dig into this text with my peers. There's so much richness to unearth, I'm certain the discussions would go on for hours.

Like I said, this book won't be fore everyone. It may not even be for most people. But the readers who can dig through the over-the-top crassness that is Molly will unearth a genuinely beautiful, touching, and memorable story that I cannot recommend enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zando, and Dreamscape_Media, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this, and everything about its premise and look really caught my attention. And when I started, I thought it might be one of my favorites of the year. But unfortunately, it quickly fell off for me.

Its about a foul-mouthed 10 year old named Molly who can see ghosts. She latches on to some problematic people as she seeks love and approval, while also denouncing the need for either.

Truthfully, its hard to sum up the rest of what happens because I had such a hard time keeping up with the book. The writing is very confusing and not straightforward at all. It's hard to keep track of what's going on.

I thought I might enjoy her irreverance, but Molly quickly became one of the moat obnoxious and annoying characters I have ever come across in a book. Hollly Wilson is probably going for something reflective and insightful with Molly's view on the world. However, Molly's racism and use of different slurs, especially the r-slur really just rubbed me the wrong way. And it doesnt feel like shes ever really confronted or called out on it, regardless of the 90s time setting. These aspects never really sit right with me.

I committed myself and pushed through, using a combination of the ebook and audiobook, but it wasn't very enjoyable. Unfortunately, it's hard to recommend.

"Kittentits" by Holly Wilson is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve read a lot of odd books. The protagonist, Molly, is a riot—think a 10-year-old female Kenny Powers dropped into "Welcome to the Dollhouse" with a side trip through "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Her blunt, hilarious observations had me saving quotes like a prepubescent girl stuffing her bra.

This tale dives into grief, freedom, friendship, family, and being unapologetically badass. Molly's wild escapades make you question her reliability as a narrator, but honestly, who cares? It's just so imaginative and entertaining. The chaos she describes is so vivid and bizarre that you can't help but be pulled into her world.

Fire, blood, ghosts, boobs, and 90s vibes—this book has it all. Every page is a trip, delivered with a sharp wit that keeps you laughing and slightly bewildered. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and outrageous scenarios, but at its core, it’s about staying true to yourself. If you’re in the market for a read that’s bold, unique, and thoroughly entertaining, "Kittentits" is the ticket. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.

This was just not for me. I did not like that it was the POV of a ten year old, which I didn't know this wouldn't work for me when I requested it. Thank you anyways for the ARC and I hope this finds its audience!

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando / Gillian Flynn Books for the advance egalley in exchange for my honest review.

For those looking for a quirky, zany, kind of random read with a dark undertone.

I honestly couldn’t get into it and I really wanted to. I think it’s something I need to come back to at another time.

oof! this one was equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and quietly tragic. while I sometimes found myself annoyed at Molly (aka Kittentits), I felt protective of her and like I just wanted her to end up okay. this story took so many unique twists n turns - truly a one of a kind story. there were times that the voice felt a little obnoxious which made this hard to read at times, but ultimately I had a really fun time.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

thanks netgalley and zando for the arc.

From page 1, Kittentits is a wild ride. We've got a 10 year old as our lead. A 10 year old who is desperate to be seen as an adult. A 10 year old who connects with a grown woman who fakes her own death. A 10 year old who runs away to meet her pen-pal. A 10 year old with the mouth of a sailor who is one of the wildest and most enduring characters since Scout Finch.

This is a story for the wild girls, for the free spirits and for the former 10 year olds who didn't like rules.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was born in 1973 so I clearly remember this time period. People did talk this way, kids swore constantly, called each other names, punched one another and so on. I felt Molly was a real and true person, reminding me of some of my friends, and parts of myself. I loved the fact that she was able to see ghosts, that was a very nice element of surprise. I loved the whole Jeanie and Mombie conjoined twin narrative as well. This book was definitely unique, fun and sad. I loved it and will be looking forward to (hopefully) reading more from this talented author with such a unique voice.

Absurdist novels apparently are not my cup of tea. This felt like I had a kid following me around and telling these inane stories. Which seems to resonate with some people, just not me. I kept wishing it would pull itself together and it didn't.

Thank you Netgalley, Holly Wilson, and Zando Publishing for the ARC!

As soon as I started reading the crass, almost surrealist style narration from the 10-year old protagonist Molly, I knew I was going to like this book. Granted, I may be biased because I can't help but love most coming of age novels with weird, grimy, and freakish girl characters. At the same time, there's SO MUCH going on in this book that I'm not sure if it would scratch the same itch for everyone that it did for me. I seriously could not stop reading because I couldn't at all predict what may happen next. Between the bizarre ghosts, wax museums, and séances there were actually really profound passages about grief, abandonment, and friendship. Each character was completely unique and described so incredibly vividly by Molly that I felt like I knew them. I know I'm being a little skimpy with the details of the actual story though because I feel like summarizing it would make me sound insane. It's truly one of those stories you'd just have to jump headfirst into. I personally will be buying a physical copy when it comes out for weird girl summer 2024.

I had a really hard time with this arc, and not because of anything to do with the story. Unfortunately, my arc/ ebook had a lot of issues and was extremely difficult to read. I almost had to dnf it, but instead took a long break. It was hard to figure out what was a programming mistake in the ebook- and what was supposed to be the style of the book.
Anyway, I loved our protagonist! I loved her voice, and how unruly she was! I found the first half and the second half to almost be two different stories. I feel if I read a corrected version of the text, this could’ve been a 4 for me. It was just so hard for me to get through :(

It takes a lot to surprise me in a book and I was hooked from the first paragraph. What a strange ride from start to finish. Expect nothing. Just hold on tight and let this story unfold.

I'm not sure what I just read, or how to put it into words, but this is how I felt: its the best nostalgic feeling like I cannot explain, it's childhood, it's bittersweet, it's so tender and full of grace despite all the swearing. But the swearing makes complete sense and sets the tone for who Molly is and the environment she's in. I didn't expect to enjoy this book this much! I was pleasantly surprised at every turn. I truly don't think I've ever read anything like this before. It's such a unique exploration on innocence and grief.

Seriously what just happened! I think I love it!

While I appreciated the style - it's cute - I completely disagree with underlying ideology reflected in individual dealing with grief and trauma. Instead of being a class critique, the novel is just - cute.

big thank you to netgalley and zando for the ARC!

kittentits was a lot of things—absurd, strange, unsavory, gross, offensive, scabby kneed and unwashed. but also charming, unputdownable, surprisingly moving. there are a lot of grimy layers to scrub through to get to heart of the thing; there's goldfish swimming in toilet bowls filled with vomit and cowgirls in iron lungs and ghosts with artist dens under the kitchen sink. there's 10-year-old molly with the mouth of a sailor and a rebel's spirit, there's badass, dirt bike riding, cig smoking ex-con jeanie and her evil (ex-)siamese twin sister mombie. there are flames, death, rebirth, and an unexpectedly emotional conclusion that left me wishing i could stay, please, for just a little longer, please. and when you finally get there, to the heart of it, !!!!!!!! it's like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can see why people wouldn't like this—it's not for the faint of heart, it is spit in your face rude and unforgiving but it is so full of Life! grief and loneliness and love and reckoning and coming of age and life after death. an entire universe of down and dirty, real-life Stuff. i'm being intentionally vague because kittentits is the kind of story where you just have to dive in and see for yourself. cannot wait to read more from holly wilson