Blueprints for Building Better Girls

Blueprints for Building Better Girls is a collection of eight interconnected short stories centered on female characters at different stages of life. The stories span multiple decades, from the 1970s through the early 2000s. The narratives follow women and girls as they navigate relationships, sexuality, motherhood, and identity. Characters appear and reappear throughout different stories, creating connections between seemingly separate lives and revealing how past experiences shape future choices. Each story focuses on a particular moment or period of transformation in its protagonist's life, from teenage experimentation to adult disillusionment. The settings move between New York City, small towns, and suburban environments. The collection examines societal expectations placed on women and girls, questioning the cultural scripts and advice passed down through generations. Through its linked structure, the book explores how women's roles and challenges both evolve and remain constant over time.

Readers found the interconnected stories realistic and relatable, particularly in portraying complex female relationships and life transitions. Many appreciated Schappell's dark humor and unflinching examination of difficult topics. Likes: - Sharp, natural dialogue - Authentic portrayal of mother-daughter dynamics - Complex female characters who defy stereotypes - Stories that connect in unexpected ways Dislikes: - Some found the tone too cynical - Several readers struggled with the non-linear timeline - Multiple reviewers wanted more resolution to certain storylines - Some felt the characters were hard to empathize with Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4/5 (50+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Raw and honest without being gratuitous" - Goodreads reviewer "The connections between stories reward careful reading" - Amazon reviewer "Too much focus on damaged characters" - LibraryThing reviewer

Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill Stories of women navigating relationships, sexuality, and power dynamics in New York City during the 1980s intersect to form a raw portrait of female experience.

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon Connected stories examine the lives of military wives at Fort Hood, Texas, revealing the complexities of marriage, motherhood, and sacrifice.

Birds of America by Lorrie Moore Women face loss, illness, and personal transformation through interconnected narratives that blend dark humor with sharp observations of modern life.

Self-Help by Lorrie Moore Stories written in second-person instructions chronicle women's lives through failed relationships, family tensions, and the search for identity.

Normal People Don't Live Like This by Dylan Landis Linked stories follow a group of teenage girls in 1970s New York as they navigate the boundaries between childhood and adulthood.

🔷 Elissa Schappell worked as a senior editor at The Paris Review and was a founding editor of Tin House magazine, two prestigious literary publications. 🔷 The book consists of eight interconnected stories featuring women characters who reappear throughout different narratives, creating a web of relationships across time and circumstances. 🔷 The title "Blueprints for Building Better Girls" is ironic, challenging societal expectations and stereotypes about how women should behave and what makes them "good." 🔷 Several stories in the collection deal with eating disorders, reflecting statistics showing that up to 10% of college-age women in America struggle with these conditions. 🔷 The book received the 2012 Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Fiction and was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle and Entertainment Weekly.