Review | Girl Crushed by Kate Heaney

Kate Heaney’s Girl Crushed offers a thoughtful and, at times, uneasy exploration of queer identity, heartbreak, and self-discovery during one of life’s most intense transitional periods: graduating high school.

In a way reminiscent of You Don’t Have a Shot, the novel grapples with the anxieties around college recruitment and future-planning. The narrative captures the pressure of being so focused on a goal for so long that the original desire becomes irrelevant - it's the persistence, not the purpose, that keeps you going. I was endlessly relieved to have avoided that kind of all-consuming planning.

The central relationship between Jamie and Quinn is one of the novel’s highlights. Their early dynamic as they navigate their recent breakup is hesitant, delicate, and full of emotional landmines. There's something quietly affecting about watching two people tiptoe around their feelings…

Another strength is the novel's recognition of the importance and fragility of queer spaces. The narrative dismantles the idea that these two girls are the “only gay ones” in subtle and satisfying ways. The “straight girls we wish weren’t” list, and the later realisation that two of them actually aren’t straight, is handled with a light touch that underscores the closeted nature of many high school identities. Jamie’s moment of recognition, seeing a queer poster and realising she wouldn’t have been brave enough to use the word “queer” herself, was quietly powerful.

However, not everything works seamlessly, particularly the character of Ruby. Initially, I didn’t read her as a problem, but after seeing online criticism, I started to view Ruby’s manic-pixie-dream-girl qualities, and her treatment within the narrative, in a different light. There's a question lingering over whether there’s actually any chemistry between her and Jamie, or whether Ruby is more of a narrative device than a person. That tension feels unresolved, and maybe not in a good way.

The ending caught me off guard (a pleasant surprise), and while I didn’t expect the direction it took, it left me with mixed feelings. There's also the lingering question of how much to factor in the author’s personal statements: do I subscribe to the death of the author? I’m not sure, but Girl Crushed certainly invites that kind of critical questioning.

Interested in other WLW YA and adult fiction? Check out my ultimate list of women's football books featuring wlw relationships.