1.5* The title intrigued me. But what even was that. The story overall was interesting, but the characters made it very unrealistic. The main character should’ve been aged up, because it made no sense for her to be ten years old. The entire time i had to remind myself that shes not atleast a teenager. It was honestly uncomfortable to hear a CHILD talk about certain things in here

Wow ok so this was.. something... I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this book but whatever I was expecting was not what I got. This started out promising but started to become unraveled about halfway through. There's a lot happening and the book takes way too long to get to its purported central premise. The supernatural elements also seem painfully out of place with the rest of the story. While the writing style isn't bad per se, it's hard to stomach all the homophobic and ableist slurs, even if they are coming from the mind of a deeply troubled child. There doesn't seem to be any point to them other than to shock. While the right reader might get something out of this book, I myself cannot honestly recommend it to anyone.

I adored this book and following Molly during her chaotic and messy coming of age tale. Molly can see ghosts, is friends with an ex con, and lives an unconventional life for a 10 year old in the 90s who desperately wants to grow up. Raunchy and disturbing, Kittentits will have you laughing uncontrollably thinking to yourself "What in the world will happen next." This book is very similar to "Lullabies for Little Criminals."

Ten years-old and motherless Molly is home schooled, barely-scraping-by life with her sight-impaired father at a sort of halfway house for Quakers and young offenders. Not the best environment, but Molly has befriended a Goth librarian who allows her to watch a VHS recording of Chekov’s The Seagull performed at a local community college with her late mother in a leading role. It’s the only recording of her mother and Molly has learned all the lines by heart. This type of poignancy is interspersed with a ton of f-bombs as we learn about Molly’s unique ability to see and interact with ghosts. It’s set during the (never happened) 1992 Chicago World’s Fair when a new arrival at their home, a parolee and dirt biker who is a formerly conjoined twin, has the power to enthrall Molly and push her to great lengths to achieve her heart’s desire.
In short, a wild ride! The author created a vivid world with a bit of magical realism and a lot of urban tumult. Imagine a 10-year-old white girl taking mass transit to and searching Chicago’s nearly abandoned Robert Taylor Homes for her pen pal!? How she survives the period covered by this novel is nothing short of miraculous. Kittentits is one feisty pre-teen!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

Not going to lie, I requested this audiobook solely based on the title. I needed a laugh, and this provided it. One of the reviews called it unhinged and that is an apt description. One that could sound like a very somber tale of a child dealing with the trauma of loss and the neglect of a parent overwhelmed… Which is technically true, but enter a Quaker house that takes in recent paroles, a foul mouthed 10 year old looking for any and every way to be subversive, a pair of surgically separated conjoined twins, various ghosts, and an attempt at necromancy and the reader is in for a wild ride.

Set in 1992, this book is a time capsule of that time, with references that other young Gen X and old Millennials will love. This book also revels in the language of the day, which undoubtedly is sexist, racist and homophobic. Kittentits is one of the many nicknames given to our 10 year old protagonist who loves to find creative and often disturbing ways to interact with the world.

Stephanie Willing seems to really enjoy yelling out the strings of creative profanities of this book. I laughed. A lot. The kind of laughter that can only happen when watching a train-wreck of an interaction, but you know everyone will walk away at least okay.

This feels like someone who loathes human beings wrote a story set in the same universe as Napoleon Dynamite. It's quirky/gross but instead of being nostalgia-tinged and charming it's just off-putting. I selected this book because someone compared it to one of my favorites, Joy Williams, The Quick and the Dead, and I honestly don't get the comparison.

Maybe I’m not the intended audience, but I found the narrators voice annoying and the narrator herself irritating. It was hard to find anyone to root for. Like maybe it was too irreverent?

Sorry, not sorry but this was a miss for me. The story was way too jumbled and the 10 yr old protagonist clearly should’ve been presented older - at least 12 or 13! Her language was much to adult (although funny in parts, it got old fast).
I did like the narrator though - she’s probably the only reason I finished it - it was a close DNF by halfway.

Narrator did a good job. I could feel Molly’s emotions and everything she was going through. I did not think that her decisions were wise. And there were many absurd thoughts and conversations. I liked reading about losing a loved one from the perspective of a ten year old character. In the state of grief though, no one can make right decisions or could see through right and wrong. I deeply felt for Molly. I think this is a great debut, it’s coming of age and each character go through phases of grief. This book is about love, loss, grief, friendship and healing. I liked the paranormal elements in the story and how Jeanie’s character came out to be. This was a different read from my usual reads.

I thought I was going to hate this when it first started, but I grew to love it pretty quickly. The needy preteen with the newly adult teen dynamic was pretty accurate and I love books that mix the paranormal in in a non-horror, non whimsical way. The ghosts are just other characters like it just is a natural thing happening. Thanks Dreamscape and NetGalley for the arc

I wanted to like this book because the title is hilarious. But I just couldn't connect to the main characters or the swearing. The narrator for the novel did a good job with the audiobook. Maybe this would be a better one to read vs. listening too.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but, if I'm honest with myself, I really didn't. There were definitely some parts that were entertaining but it was ultimately just brain rot. I was really interested in the beginning but by about 20% in it got boring really quick because it's basically just more of the same thing over and over. It gets better towards the last 20% of the book but by that point it didn't really change things for me. I found myself zoning out a lot during this audiobook and I didn't want to finish but forced myself. There is probably a target audience for this but I don't think it was me.

first, thank you netgalley for the copy

At this point I’m embarrassed. It’s not even the amount of cursed words because, yeah there’s A LOT of them. It’s the terms that the author use like lesbos, r-word… but when the n-word popped up I couldn’t listen to this book anymore. So this is a DNF at 70%.

The narrator perfectly encapsulates a ten year old without being as annoying as a ten year old HA. That giddy naive tone was great for the story.

For the first 25% I was convinced that I hated this book. But I couldn’t stop. At that point I decided to succumb to the chaos and I really kind of fell in love?? I told a friend it was like cheese. Really enjoyable yet kind of made my stomach and head hurt.

This was extremely abrasive and I know it will only be for a certain audience, but for that specific group it will be a big hit. Molly is not your typical 10 year old. I’m assuming a lot of that is due to her unresolved trauma and difficult family situation.

At the end, I was sad this was over. I’m so confused on how I feel, clearly.

I really wanted to love this, and everything about its premise and look really caught my attention. But unfortunately, it quickly fell off for me.

While the narrator was good and the writing style felt appropriate for the POV of a 10 year old, I struggled to look past the use of the term “tards” multiple times just within the first few chapters.

This book’s premise had so much promise, but it just didn’t live up to my expectations and I couldn’t look past the repeated use of “tard.”

A completely absurd (in the best way) coming of age debut set in the early 90s that follows Molly, a ten year old girl who can see ghosts, lives with her overly religious father, is grieving her dead mother and feels lonely living in an off the grid type Quaker commune.

Filled with a memorable cast of quirky side characters, stark humor and lots of emotional depth, Kittentits is definitely one I won't forget soon this year (I mean hello, that title and that cover alone!!). I also really enjoyed Molly's friendship with Jeanie and Demarcus and the way they each bond on completely different levels.

Great on audio narrated by Stephanie Willing, this book won't be for everyone but I liked it a lot and would recommend to fans of books like Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this. Molly was completely weird and trying so hard to be an adult. The shock value in this will make some laugh. But I totally get how this story isn’t for everyone. Also A+ for all the doom metal reference's.

Thanks for the arc

I had such a fun time listening to this novel! When I tell you I laughed out loud, I legitimately chuckled many times throughout this book. This book takes place in 1992 when Molly, a ten-year-old girl who is living with her father in the House of a Semi-Cooperative Living Community of Peace Faith(s) in Action. a new girl who is 23 named Jeanie moves in and Molly thinks she is the coolest girl ever. Molly has adventures of going to Chicago to find her pen pal Demarcus, and then again to find Jeanie when the 23-year-old fakes her own death. Molly can see ghosts and plans a seance with Demarcus (also a ghost) to bring back her mom. This book was such a wild ride and each scene had me cracking up. The dialogue is definitely a 10-year-old who is trying to act older and cooler, and I am here for it! The banter between Molly and Jeanie is hilarious! I recommend this book to anyone who needs a fun book with some paranormal elements and a lot of hilarious banter.

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. It just didn't 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.

A girl is an island.

I loved every second of this. I’m obsessed with weird little molly.

The audiobook is great! The narration really adds to the overall enjoyment! The voices and hearing Molly’s potty mouth for yourself is a great experience hahaha!

She uses wild profanity to feel more adult/ put up this wall to protect herself and takes on characteristics of wild people she connects with. All she wants is to be seen and to make a connection with someone. She’s a lil badass and needed to be grounded 100%.

The side characters are just as interesting and F up. I mean … ghost? A lady in an iron lung? A goth librarian? I mean iconic.

(I did have issues with some of the language in the novel… like using the R word over and over … but I think it’s used in a way to show how out of touch molly is she’s using it on purpose for shock value to seek attention)

BIGGEST and only complaint- Molly did not feel like a 10 year old girl. I don’t understand why that age. She felt more 13/14/15.

THANK you Netgalley for the Arc. Can’t wait to get myself a copy and reread this.