I Was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block

I Was a Teenage Fairy Reviews

• 
  Christina

  2019 Reread: This is one of my most read books, and every time I return to it I get more from the story. It's amazing that this book was written over 20 years ago, but deals with so many topics that people praise today in YA literature. Somehow, I was reading these diverse books growing up without realizing how much they were shaping me as a person. Perhaps this story helped me become a better ally from the start. Trigger warnings for most things are in this book.
  
  ___________________
  
  
  
  I Was a Teenage Fairy means a lot to me. I'll never forget when I first discovered it at the library. I must have been somewhere between grades five and eight, but I'm not really sure. I grabbed it from the "young adult" section in the children's room. I remember feeling like I read a scandalous, hidden treasure. The content was a bit too racy for me to even understand at the time, and I think that's what makes this book mean even more to me today.
  
  I eventually purchased the book. I'm not sure how many times I've read it, but a few days ago I decided that it didn't matter how much schoolwork I had, I just had to read a book for fun. When I saw I Was a Teenage Fairy on my shelf, I knew it would comfort me. And that it did. No, this is not a literary masterpiece, but it does deal with real life issues. A mother who pushes her daughter to model to fulfill her own flopped career. Parents that don't make it. Child molestation. And none of these mentions are enough to be marked as spoilers.
  
  This story is magical. It reminds me of growing up, and each time I read it I understand it more. I highly recommend this book. It's a short read, and you can finish it in a few hours if you just sit down and read. I know that for a while, I'll forget this book. But I'm sure I'll read it again one day, and it will be another amazing experience.
• 
  Kristen

  I have a soft spot for FLB's book for some reason, so my reviews of her are probably not always the most objective. I just love her writing style and magical realism. But I *really* loved this book. It was so sad and yet hopeful in the end. The way Mab cared for Barbie, even if she was mean at times, and the way she helped other children who'd been abused was very well done. I like the idea that all kids who need one have a Mab of their own to help them grow into functional adults. It was sad but appealing how some people forgot their Mabs as they got older, and got little bits of memory jogged loose once in a while throughout their lives.
  
  This book was another terrific example of FLB's interesting, vivid lyric prose. She is able to take so many things about the world that are commonplace, or bad, or uninteresting on their own, and make them into something special. This book actually made me cry. That's quite hard to do, in fact.
  
  Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys lyric prose, magical realism or who knows absolutely that Mabs are real.
• 
  Carissa

  This book was fustrating until the end, then it became slightly less fustrating. I enjoyed the concept of Mab and was disappointed that she was merely a coping mechanism. When I think of Mab, I think of Queen of the Fairies, not a little minor fairy that hangs out in a doll house. I was also upset with the way Barbie and Griffin's emotions were written. It just seemed to skim the surface of their anger, confusion, and numbness. That kind of situation would leave a lot more emotional residue than, "Waverly makes me feel sick. Oh look! A plant!" By the time I can finally start really feeling their anger and resentment, the book was over in the next few pages. I didn't understand the point in putting the dad in the story at all. You'd think a psychatrist father would realize his daughter has suffered some sort of trauma. Again, it's not until near the very end that Barbie finally says that her dad upset her. I think the topic was a great idea. I think the use of Mab was a great vehicle for some of the harder concepts although it could've been executed better. I just think that such a serious topic shouldn't have been met with so much shallowness.
• 
  ♠ TABI⁷ ♠

  Well, this was . . .
  
  
  
  Okay, it had all the elements for a fascinating story. But there's just something about Block's writing style and story elements that leave me with a weird, spinning sensation in my head. Like reading her books gets me a high I absolutely DO NOT WANT (like I'd ever want to be high in the first place; caffeine gives me the only rush I want/need/enjoy) and wondering why I ever thought this would be worth the time it took for me to read it.
  
  Seriously. I appreciated the idea behind this book (much like I appreciated the ideas behind the ill-fated, tangled mess that is her
  Love in the Time of Global Warming series) but the development and layout of said idea???
  
  
  
  I did find a tiny bit of enjoyment in the metaphors and descriptions, but that was always, quickly overwhelmed by the disjointed, off feel to the writing. Sure, maybe that was to add to the disjointed, off kind of story. And sometimes, if it's done just right, I like those kind of stories—a lot, usually. It's probably why I keep coming back to Block's writing from time to time, to see if it's just me and not her style.
  
  Maybe it is just me. But at least it's consistently me, and her style consistently turns me off. Plus, not the greatest fan of the content sprinkled so casually in her stories. So, maybe you'll love this mild addition to modern faerie lore.
  
  Me? I'll stick with Holly Black as the queen of modern faeries, thanks.
• 
  Kristi

  THE FAERYS VIEW
  
  I read this story on a whim as I'm a lover of all things Fey. To say it wasn't what I expected is an understatement! Ms. Block takes a serious look at a sensitive issue-child molestation and throws a few other wrenches in as well.
  
  Barbie, a child model molested by a photographer at age 11 discovers she has the ability to see Mab, a small fairy that only appears to her. Barbie develops a relationship with Griffin at age 16, both sharing the same experience with the same photographer. The parents of these children live vicariously through their kids achievements not caring of the cost it takes out of their souls.
  
  Ms. Block does a great job bringing to light a young girls method of coping in a cruel world with nobody to turn to. In the end, I was left wondering if Mab was indeed real or if she was a figment of Barbie's imagination - with Mab being the only support system she has and the only way that Barbie knows how to cope with the sexual abuse and pressure that her mother consistantly piles on her. It's up to the reader to decide for themselves but one thing is for certain, I Was a Teenage Fairy is a quality read that left me wondering just how many child models go through similar circumstances or worse.
  
  3.5 stars
  
  THE FAERY SAYS THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS BOOK!
• 
  rose

  transports you to a new world of faeries, bubble gum and happy-ever-afters in teeny bopper LA. one of those books that leaves you different than before.
• 
  Jessica

  Wasn't one of my favourite Block books, but it was lovely.
• 
  sophie

  weirdly wonderful…
• 
  Marie

  More like 3.5. I'm a sucker for an L.A. setting, that's for sure. Would've liked to give it another half star but had a problem with the end. But wanting a realistic ending on a book with a fairy is a bit unreasonable, I guess. ;-)
• 
  Laurie (barksbooks)

  This book is about a young girl named Barbie blessed (or cursed) with beauty and forced into modeling by her controlling mom (an ex-model herself, living vicariously through her child). When she's 11 she meets Mab, a sarcastic fairy, who almost reluctantly becomes Barbie's friend. During this same time she's molested by a lecherous photographer. Her mother tells her not to cry, that life is full of problems and she had just better learn to deal with them.
  
  Fast forward 5 years and Barbie's a rail thin, jaded model. Mab is still part of her life, encouraging her to have sex which I found bizarre seeing as she's only 16 . . .
  
  This book was just "eh, so what" for me. I didn't connect with the character and the sparse writing style left me cold. The issues of molestation, teen sex, drugs, homosexuality, etc. seemed to be very glossed over but I guess that couldn't be helped seeing as the book was so short. Maybe I'm just getting too old for this stuff? Nah, that can't be it.
• 
  Bree Mclaren

  Mab was funny I will admit, but the writting was trashy to me. The book was essentially pointless with random sex scenes, it was lik porn hidden behind a fairytale title. I read this book and was going to get rid of it. However, I felt that passing on this trashy story with immature writing technique would be inflicting torturous stupidity on others. So, thinking of the well being of mankind (and lets not forget the children) I threw this exactly where it belonged...in a dumpster.
• 
  Vanessa

  That stuff about there being better times to read things or times that things will impact you more applies so much to this. When I was thirteen-ish, this was the first time I really ever saw writing like this, what with the style, magical realism, and [gasps] sex. (but mostly the style, which obviously made a huge impression on me if my writing from the era is any indication).
• 
  reem

  this is one of the most beautiful things i have ever read. it makes me cry every time. its like it leaves you feeling desperate and sad but in a way where everything will be okay.
• 
  Rachel

  this reminds me of the song Lullaby by Shawn Mullins. it has stuck in my mind for years now. it's the kind of book you don't forget
• 
  Jennifer

  This was really different. The closest I can think it coming to is Judy Blume with a talking Fairy and more sinister overtones.
  
  
• 
  Jennifer

  This book changed my life. I am the person I am today because of this book, and all of Francesca Lia Block's books.
• 
  Laura

  Excellent book! Does need a trigger warning for themes of childhood trauma/assault though. I suggest parents, educators, and counselors remain open to talking about this book with their children to help them understand and process some of the heavy content.
  
  I first read this book when I was 11 years old. I have fond memories of it. It was one of my all time favorites as a youth!
  
  Now 23 years latter I felt I needed to revisit this book. It moved me in a whole new way, because I picked up on some of the edgy, racy content that I didn't fully understand as a child. As an adult this book only improved because I was able to connect to the transformations of the characters. I actually found it very healing to read, and I suspect it was for 11 year old me as well.
  
  Excellent, moving and with lots of unique vivid descriptions. Highly recommend for both adults and youth.
• 
  Daniel Johnson

  What a fantastic book! Written about trauma and it's effects on survivors, this was definitely an intense read. However, it did bring tenderness and compassion about the subject, and a sense of hope as well for the characters (and readers).
• 
  Zero

  I only read through it because I wanted to know wether or not Mab was real and it’s unclear. The book is slightly unrealistic but has a good message behind it.
• 
  𝐿𝑒𝑜𝓃𝒾𝑒

  Wtf?
• 
  Jessica McKenna

  This one wasn't for me. I can absolutely see where it might help people through certain types of trauma, particularly sexual trauma. But having picked it up for a quick fantasy read, it was not what I was looking for, and I don't think it really ever will be.
• 
  Leigha

  Child me: 3 stars
  Adult me: 3 stars
  
  *For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
  
  --
  
  There are parts I like, and parts I did not like. I was confused a lot of the time, but maybe it was the writing style. I want Mab to be real, in fact, I am going to say she IS real. I am really unsure how I would have rated this as a child/teen. I think my rating would be similar to my rating now.
• 
  Natalie Jenkins

  I have read this book five times. Five wonderful, fantastical, intoxicating times. It is the story of a girl in her early teens named Barbie, who longs to be as different as possible from the plastic doll that she is named after. It is the story about Griffin - a boy so androgenously beautiful that boys and girls alike fall in love with him. And, of course, it is the story of Mab - a punky pinkie-sized fairy that helps Barbie learn to stand up for herself in a world full of abuse and sadness. Barbie is being forced into the modeling business by her overbearing mother, when all she wants to do is be the one behind the camera, capturing those with real star quality, like Mab, in their best moments. The photographer has a sick obsession with his young models, and before he knows it, he is threatening them to keep things to themselves so he will not lose everything. Mab helps Barbie overcome the terrible hardship of bearing such a painful secret. While the themes in this story are deep and meaningful, they are not the part of the book that altered my core. The language that Block uses is some of the most visual and imaginative language I have ever seen. Consistently, in all of her books, she transports me into a world so vivid and alive it is as though her story is being acted around me rather than in front of me on the pages. This novel inspired me at such a young age to be a writer and to attempt to create a world as beautiful as Block's. I recommend this book to any young writer interested in vivid and beautiful language.
• 
  Kaycee

  Summary: Barbie has not lived up to her fellow doll's name or her mother's expectations as a model. She is thrown into the career by the crocodile at a very young age. She is left with a photographer where you are left to assume what happens behind the closed door... It skips to Barbie being 16 and effed up. She is now the most famous model out there but basically drifts through the days in her mind. Barbie likely would not have survived childhood and beyond if it was not for Mab, a tiny and fiesty fairy friend of Barbies'. Mab helps her stick up for herself as well as saving Griffin from hurting himself. Griffin is a fellow model who was also left behind closed doors with the same photographer. Barbie, Griffin, Mab, and Todd (currently the hottest actor) help each other overcome the issues of now and the past.
  
  Recommendation: It is a very interesting and easy read. Not much of an in-depth story line, but it was a good story. I recommend it for people who like the teen semi-hollywood scene with a mystical edge.
• 
  Alicia Evans

  Barbie's mother is obsessed with the need for her daughter to have the modeling career that she always wanted. Her mother pushes her so hard that Barbie loses touch with others and awful things happen to her. Barbie's only friend is a fairy named Mab who visits when things get rough. But what is Mab really? Barbie is unsure if Mab is real or if Mab is an imaginary friend but she doesn't care as long as they're together.
  
  This book was interesting because it was unclear how Mab was to be interpreted. Usually the fantastical realism is seamless in Block's books, but this one was more disjointed. In a way, it was frustrating because it made me believe in Mab less, but in another way, it worked to illustrate the confusion that Barbie was facing. SPOILER! This book could be a trigger because it deals with molestation and the parents in this book are awful. However, there aren't graphic depictions but there are mentions. Looking at some other books that deal with the topic, this one is tamer and can be used to introduce the topic.
• 
  Allison Floyd

  I'm on a Francesca Lia Block kick and rapidly coming to the conclusion that anything she writes is worth reading for the writing alone.
  
  This is a good story and everything--surprise!--turns out fine. I'm still not convinced that being a beautiful butterfly pinned to the corkboard of life is the cruelest fate that can visit a teenage girl, and I'm still not convinced this subject hasn't been done to death, maybe because I was a teenage changeling and have difficulty relating. And I'm really not sure what Mab's appeal was for the young Barbie--I get that she could be seen as symbolic of the id, etc., but still, when Mab's not being deeply unpleasant, she's being nasty, and she's always annoying. And the happy ending is as pat as butter on toast.
  
  The writing, though, is beautiful and makes up for a host of faults (obviously "faults" is highly subjective).
  
• 
  Ana

  I read this several years ago and just barely remember it. I do remember thinking that
  Francesca Lia Blockhas the ability to perfectly attune to the sentiments of your average teenager.
  
  The main character feels put-upon by the world and the struggles she's had to face so Mab (real or imagined) is there to spar with her and encourage her when there is no one else she feels she can trust.
  
  And come on, what teenage girl didn't wish at some point that there was a special fairy or guardian angel to keep her company and watch over her?
• 
  Jess

  This little novel reminded me of why I love Francesca Lia Block. It's pretty, short, and full of Los Angeles imagery that I can only get through Block and Janet Fitch. I love how Block's novels always read like children's fantasy stories but are really about things that affect teenagers all over the world- beauty standards, sexuality crises, and being molested as a child, to name a few.
  
  I loved how this book was the perfect mix of sweet and sour and how everyone got a happy ending.