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Understanding (Post)feminist Girlhood through Young Adult Fantasy Literature by Elizabeth Little (review).

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Understanding (Post)feminist Girlhood through Young Adult Fantasy Literature by Elizabeth Little (review).
Authors: Perry, Ashley (AUTHOR)
Source: Children's Literature. 2026, Vol. 54, p172-175. 4p.
Subject Terms: *Young adult literature, *Adolescence, Postfeminism, Gender role, Women in mass media, Identity (Psychology), Intersectionality, Women's empowerment
Abstract: The main focus of the text is Elizabeth Little’s book *Understanding (Post)feminist Girlhood through Young Adult Fantasy Literature* (2025), which examines how postfeminist ideas shape constructions of girlhood in popular young adult (YA) fantasy novels and influence young female readers’ identities. Little analyzes series such as Sarah J. Maas’s *A Court of Thorns and Roses* and Victoria Aveyard’s *Red Queen*, arguing that these texts present female protagonists who simultaneously embody feminist empowerment and reinforce patriarchal norms, including acceptance of female submission and partner violence under a "girl power" guise. Using focus groups of adolescent girls, Little explores how readers interpret these narratives through postfeminist subjectivities, often overlooking systemic inequalities while embracing stereotypical femininity and constrained agency. Although the study contributes valuable insights into YA fantasy’s role in identity formation, it is limited by its narrow participant demographics and focus on predominantly white, Eurocentric texts, leaving broader intersectional perspectives underexplored. This interdisciplinary work is relevant for researchers in feminist cultural studies, children’s literature, and speculative fiction interested in the complex interplay between media, gender, and youth identity. [Extracted from the article]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:The main focus of the text is Elizabeth Little’s book *Understanding (Post)feminist Girlhood through Young Adult Fantasy Literature* (2025), which examines how postfeminist ideas shape constructions of girlhood in popular young adult (YA) fantasy novels and influence young female readers’ identities. Little analyzes series such as Sarah J. Maas’s *A Court of Thorns and Roses* and Victoria Aveyard’s *Red Queen*, arguing that these texts present female protagonists who simultaneously embody feminist empowerment and reinforce patriarchal norms, including acceptance of female submission and partner violence under a "girl power" guise. Using focus groups of adolescent girls, Little explores how readers interpret these narratives through postfeminist subjectivities, often overlooking systemic inequalities while embracing stereotypical femininity and constrained agency. Although the study contributes valuable insights into YA fantasy’s role in identity formation, it is limited by its narrow participant demographics and focus on predominantly white, Eurocentric texts, leaving broader intersectional perspectives underexplored. This interdisciplinary work is relevant for researchers in feminist cultural studies, children’s literature, and speculative fiction interested in the complex interplay between media, gender, and youth identity. [Extracted from the article]
ISSN:00928208