The complications of feminism and sexism are multitude and whilst she cannot comment on all of them, she does an excellent job at demonstrating what it’s really like to face this struggle as a woman, and particularly as a teenage girl. Michelle Quach tackles a lot of issues in one book. But she learns to let people in, and she learns that it’s okay to want to be liked, or to want to do her hair without adhering to the male gaze. The Eliza at the end of the novel is just as sure of who she is and who she wants to be, with all her fiery charm, as she was at the start. One of the most important choices Quach makes is to develop Eliza’s character but not to change her completely. I commend Quach’s writing here, which felt incredibly close to home and realistic. As Eliza and her friends learn more and more about feminism, they become more confused about the right course of action. Quach truly understands the struggle many girls and women face when they want to uphold their commitment to feminism, but realise it is not, and cannot be, black-and-white. Not Here to be Liked is a book about feminism, and about the difficulty of being a feminist, especially as a teenager at school. Unbeknownst to her, someone later finishes and publishes her article, calling out the Bugle staff, and the school as a whole, for their sexism.
So when an attractive, ex-baseball player with hardly a year’s experience beats her to the post, she rants out her feelings in a private article. She worked incredibly hard as the managing editor and she is, after all, the most qualified for the position. She is quick to point out that there is a level of sexism in the choice made by the paper’s staff. Suddenly, Eliza is forced to realise that her say-it-like-it-is personality and cold façade have made her unlikeable and have caused her to lose the thing she worked the hardest for.īut Eliza’s personality isn’t entirely to blame. Unfortunately, this is to her detriment when at the last second Len DiMartile puts his name forward in the running to be editor-in-chief of the Bugle. She is not afraid to be exactly who she is and doesn’t seek the approval of anyone else.
Right from the beginning of this novel, Eliza Quan is a force to be reckoned with. Shame it’s the boy standing in the way of her becoming editor-in-chief… Because while they may respect Eliza, they don’t particularly like her.Įliza is not here to be liked. Naturally, the staff picks Len to be their next leader.
Len DiMartile is an injured star baseball player who seems to have joined the paper just to have something to do. She works hard, she respects the facts and she has the most experience. Michelle Quach’s debut novel, Not Here to be Liked is an undeniable success that has made this fantasy lover desperate to pick up more contemporary YA.Įliza Quan fully expects to be voted the next editor-in-chief of her school paper.
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