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

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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]
Copyright of Children's Literature is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 194429874
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: Understanding (Post)feminist Girlhood through Young Adult Fantasy Literature by Elizabeth Little (review).
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Perry%2C+Ashley%22">Perry, Ashley</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Children's+Literature%22">Children's Literature</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 54, p172-175. 4p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+adult+literature%22">Young adult literature</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescence%22">Adolescence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Postfeminism%22">Postfeminism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+role%22">Gender role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Women+in+mass+media%22">Women in mass media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Identity+%28Psychology%29%22">Identity (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intersectionality%22">Intersectionality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Women's+empowerment%22">Women's empowerment</searchLink>
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  Data: 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]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Children's Literature is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 4
        StartPage: 172
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Young adult literature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adolescence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Postfeminism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Women in mass media
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Identity (Psychology)
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      – SubjectFull: Intersectionality
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      – SubjectFull: Women's empowerment
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Understanding (Post)feminist Girlhood through Young Adult Fantasy Literature by Elizabeth Little (review).
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              Text: 2026
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              Y: 2026
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              Value: 54
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