While I found certain anecdotes within the book interesting and engaging, overall the book was a miss for me. It could be because I don’t identify with the author at all, but I’ve thought critically about this and I think it’s more than that. The book is repetitive and she comes across as whiney about things that have little consequence and quickly glosses over things that she should whine about (ie sexual assault). Her explanations of things feel, at times, hokey. 

That being said I really feel for what she went through in the Navy. They chewed up someone who had amazing promise and wanted to give back to our country. These issues are systemic across careers in America but are magnified in a chauvinist male dominated career like the armed forces, and specifically fighter jets. I’m glad she was able to give some specific advice to her superiors before she left... hopefully we get a new POTUS in charge who would actually listen and attend to those criticism. 

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Jet Girl was a captivating memoir!

I read this one in about a day or two - after maybe 30 pages, the author really pulled me into her story. It wasn't what I was expecting; Johnson shared the good, the bad, and the ugly of her time as a jet girl. 

I wasn't necessarily surprised by anything I read, but I still appreciated all she shared. I was especially struck by just how important relationships and a solid support system were throughout. 

I couldn't always follow the timeline, but that didn't bother me. I think it was mostly chronological, with some flashbacks? It felt like grabbing coffee with a friend and her mostly telling a story in a logical order but also sometimes deviating from that order. (Which was fine! If it bothered me I could have sat down and taken some notes.)

I'm grateful to Johnson for all she shared, and share her hopes of a more inclusive environment for future fighter jets.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is, in short, an amazing book. Ms. Johnson's sharing her experiences in the U.S. Navy are smart, moving and eye opening. She broke ground for other female pilots and has the scars to prove it.  A must read. 

Thank you for your service, Ms. Johnson, and thank you for writing this book!

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. My gratitude to the author for her selfless service to our country and for her dedication to America.  This is the story of her own personal inspiring journey and a inside look at the life of a woman pilot .  

I enjoyed reading the author's account of her training, dedication and skills . She is to be commended as a outstanding example for all women in the military. 
She begins with her  active duty aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and her indoctrination into  various training facilities with the military.   She is phenomenal in how she preserved through ongoing sexually harassment and abuse  into a career  as a pilot with first hand dedication to her country.  This is brave of her to place the ongoing abuse of women in the military in the spotlight. Bravo to the author . Her strength and courage will pave the way hopefully to improve conditions for all women in our military. 
Caroline Johnson was the first US women to fly jets & drop bombs on ISIS.  She was driven to  achieve this measure of success.  She overcame extensive abuse to achieve her goals. This is to be respected as she rose to the top of her profession despite those who attempted to undermine her because she is a woman.  I was very impressed with how she rises above abuse to continue her training and reach her goals. She is a strong driven woman and a good example for all young women in the military.  She goes onto teach other pilots and that is a secondary measure of her success in how she is respected as a instructor.  A very exciting read and a great patriot.  Thank you for your dedication to. our great country.

This review is going to be split in two aspects. The first is on Caroline Johnson, the person. The second is on the story itself.

Caroline Johnson is an absolutely phenomenal woman. What she has achieved and accomplished in her life is nothing short of amazing. She has broken down walls, barriers and glass ceilings that women didn't think they would ever see the other side of. She is a hero to be admired. A woman to be respected. Someone that little girls everywhere should be proud to look up to as an example of what they can become, that literally the sky is the limit of who they can be. The evils she bravely stares down to protect this country should be honored. From that aspect, Caroline Johnson gets 10 plus stars!!! 

Where this book falls short for me is the telling of her story. I didn't like the structure of the book, it was very jumbled going back and forth between timelines and choppy in the manner it was written. I wanted more feeling, more emotion and not just in the form of 'what color her nails were painted'. Caroline Johnson has an incredible story but that didn't translate right onto the pages. Too much of the book was overly technical or detail driven. At times I felt like I was reading a flight manual or a textbook from the Naval Academy versus someone's life story. The other aspect that didn't sit well with me was I felt she was trying to overly impress how much of a "girlie girl" she is given her job. I can appreciate that she is a minority on the ship and most definitely in her role with the Navy. I don't feel that makes her any less woman or female than a woman in a more traditional female oriented job. 

Had the story been translated better and more cohesively, this would definitely be a book I would recommend. I would like to end by saying again that Caroline Johnson is an incredible woman and I am grateful for her service to this country.

My thanks to Caroline Johnson, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. 
I was excited to read this book about a woman flyer of jet aircraft in combat. 
The book starts out reading like it was written for young adults. As it proceeded to talk about 
combat and death, it felt more like it was written for adults. It was never very well written but 
it was interesting enough that I finished it and did learn a lot about women in the military.

I'm not usually one to read memoirs, I'm more the murder mystery sort of reader. However, I was absolutely captivated by Caroline Johnson's Jet Girl; what an extraordinary life.! I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this amazing memoir! I give Jet Girl my highest recommendation.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley, Caroline Johnson, and the publisher for the opportunity to read Jet Girl, by Caroline Johnson, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Wow, Jet Girl was easily one of the most addictive memoirs I have ever had the experience of reading. I have greatly enjoyed reading military books, including Lone Survivor, American Sniper, and even American Wife by Taya Kyle. Interestingly, most of the military books I’ve read, including this one, have centered around the Navy. I find it fascinating to learn about life in the military and in war from first-person accounts, without the filter of the news making stories safer for our sensitive civilian ears. Jet Girl did that and eons more. I found this to be an extremely important and educational read!

There were so many fascinating elements to this memoir — simply being able to learn a bit what military pilots and weapons system officers do was incredibly enlightening. The amount of education required and the level of intelligence these people possess amazed me! This career path is not for the faint of heart and it makes me thankful a few special folks have the ability to withstand the mental and physical taxing it takes to sit in the cockpits of these jets.

One of the things I always find interesting about military books is just how much red tape our military has to cut through just to do their jobs. They can be over 8,000 miles away from Washington, but people behind their safe desks still are somehow in the backseat. Thinking about how much cruelty our military witnessed at the hands of ISIS, including mass-drownings, beheadings, and killings of children, but were powerless to stop it because someone in Washington didn’t authorize it astounds me.

My only real complaint about this book was the constant switching between the past and present. I think it would have benefitted the storytelling to have been in chronological order. There were also a few times of technical talk or military-speak that wasn’t exactly explained, which was confusing.

One reviewer mentioned this book wouldn’t do much for the treatment of women in the military, but I vehemently disagree. I think Caroline Johnson’s (and the rest of the Jet Girls) whole career was a pioneering endeavor that produced changes in the thoughts and actions of many men in the military. A few scenes reflected such injustice, that I was fuming right along with Caroline. I imagine toeing the line between being respectful, as the military demands, and fighting for change was extremely difficult in many cases throughout her career. The final scene in the epilogue showed that some are determined to make the military a place that is truly equal for women, however. Unfortunately, there were a few instances, still, that came across as slightly over-the-top in negativity or even whiny about her treatment. I haven’t lived in her shoes, though, so I can imagine even the smallest amounts of unfairness would eventually build into something much more difficult to tackle daily.

Overall, I found Jet Girl to be completely thought-provoking, interesting, and informational. I read the majority of this book in one sitting, which is quite uncommon for me when diving into Nonfiction. I think civilians should consider reading this book or others like it to understand and develop a real appreciation for what our service members do for our country and our freedom.

The  book was enjoyable, the author explaining some of what she went through as a woman and being one of the few in the part of the armed forces she was in.  In this book, she was a vulnerable as she was allowed to be in a man's world.  

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great memoir.  I was very wrapped up in the story and found it very entertaining.  I never found the subject matter boring and even though there was a lot of aviation info it never felt over my head either.  

I thought Caroline did a great job of telling her story, struggles and celebrations. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. :-)

I really enjoyed this peek behind the curtain. The author did a great job of writing in an accessible way and humanizing the military. It was a bit odd to jump back and forth but it sort of made sense in how things circled back around. The story was so intriguing I found myself wanting more. It was  heartbreaking to see how our country's finest are treated by the military, even worse for females. Overall it was an empowering and insinghtful read into a rarely seen part of our armed forces

Alternating between her time in the Naval Academy and later flight school to her deployment, Caroline Johnson gives readers a glimpse at the rigorous mental and physical training that all pilots undergo with special emphasis on those that fly jets.

I thoroughly enjoyed Caroline’s story telling and watching hearing about her growth into an accomplished service member in spite of adversity. As a military spouse with girlfriends in the military, I have heard a number of stories that confirm the continued existence of the good ole boys club. I will say that as a spouse, I was horrified by the wives of her squadron mates behavior and by the end, Caroline was far more forgiving than I was but that is a soapbox for another day.

The only thing that kept this from being a five-star read was the heavy use of jargon. Admittedly, I don’t see how Caroline and Hof could have avoided it but it still made parts of the story difficult to follow. Regardless, Caroline is a natural storyteller and she had me laughing and crying as she took us on a tour of her time with the U.S. Navy.

Overall, this is a necessary start to a long-overdue conversation with the next generation of service members regarding equal treatment and opportunities for minorities in the U.S. military, with an emphasis on women. While Caroline’s story is limited to her time within the Navy, the issues discussed are hardly limited to this branch of the military and even extends into the civilian world as well. Bullying some random soldier, sailor, or what have you, into serving as an EO Rep isn’t fixing the pervasive issues within our ranks. I hope Caroline continues to advocate for changes in leadership as she continues on her journey in the private sector. Maybe one day we will all serve or work under exceptional leaders like Admiral Bullet.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*Review posted to Amazon (pending approval), B&N, Bookbub, Goodreads
*Long review will be posted to Dream Come Review 6 NOV

This book was fascinating to me. Reading about a female Navy jet pilot’s experieces (good and bad) was so eye opening to military life and the behind the scenes of the systems that keep this country safe. As someone was pretty in the dark about the training jet pilots receive, I am even more thankful for their service now.

I felt that this book was very honest and vunerable. Johnson leans into the hard times she experiences at the end of the book and I appreciated how she owned her mistakes and her feelings. If you are into learning more about bad-a women, I would recommend this one.

In her memoir, Caroline Johnson shares her climb to become a female fighter pilot in the United States Navy. As she and her fellow female pilots navigate the male dominated profession, Johnson unaplogetically discusses the training, the missions, and the complications of a life in today's Navy.

I wavered between a 2-3 star rating on this book, but have now reached the decision that a 3 star reading better represents my overall feelings of the book. There are some difficulties in the structure of the book's writing and occassionally I had to re-read a few sentences or even paragraphs to consider what or exactly Johnson was referring especially when it came to places that was trying to add dialogue.

Perhaps what bugged me the most and maybe it is more something I hope the editor or publisher takes into account is that it is 2019. As a female reader, I cringe when a woman is writing about stepping into a nontraditional role, but feels the need to assure us as a reader that they are still a "girly-girl" or "feminine" When relating the difficulties of long missions in the jet and having to take care of basic needs like going to the bathroom, Johnson doesn't refer just to her underwear, but her Victoria Secret panties. Seriously?? Also, she tends to stress wearing make-up, nail polish and her talent at decorating. I don't know, it just seems like a fairly narrow view of what a woman should be. I am a teacher( very traditional role for a female) who doesn't wear make up and I hate decorating unless it's a Christmas tree. Am I less of a woman? 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Of course not! So don't hijack the person telling their story by adding in such petty and irrelevant details!









Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.


Goodreads Review 03/11/19
Publication Date 05/11/19

As someone whose knowledge of the US Navy consists of futuristic space military novels, I clearly went into this book with no preconceived notions of such a career, aside from the assumption that Caroline would experience the same double standards and pressures placed on women in any traditionally gendered work environment. 

At first, it seemed like this was not the case. The first half of the book is very optimistic, almost as if, aside from working her ass off, Caroline had no real obstacles to hurdle. Though it was by no means incessant, there is a lot of talk about how feminine she really is, despite her profession, with mention of nail polish, shopping, and other stereotypical female interests (as well as a long-winded explanation of how hard it is to pee in a cockpit). So around 50% I started making notes about how this book was a little bit fluffy, lacked tension, and I wasn’t sure what the point was. 

Then I hit the midpoint. Honestly, everything that takes places in the first half, including the non-chronological order of the chapters (which feel fragmented) made sense by 75%. Caroline has set it up in this way to prime us for her big reveal, which (while not surprising) is a tender and deeply frustrating account of her treatment in the military by her peers. Frankly, I think she couldn’t start the novel focusing on this, because we all know what happens when women speak out in media – a small (but weighty) contingent of butt-hurt dudes come rushing in to crush it to the ground with overly negative reviews. I mean, heaven forbid we criticize old ways of doing things that privilege one group over another! Starting the book off as pleasant and rather didactic felt like a political choice to me. I do think if the book followed a chronological order it might have built the tension better, but it’s not a novel – it’s an autobiography. 

She slowly builds on her ostracization by her squad, much in the way it would happen in real life. Ostracization, harassment, and gender-based discrimination are worse for her on the job than in training, which surprised me; I would have thought training would have been the hard part. Instead, this book shows not only why we need more women in the military, but in other male-dominated fields. This crap doesn’t just happen in the military, but police stations, firehouses, construction, law firms … granted, it’s likely getting better, but “old boys’ clubs” still pervade and women (and minorities) often don’t speak up because they are afraid of further persecution. This type of sexism is bad for everyone – men suffer under toxic masculinity that makes them believe a successful woman in a threat to them personally, and women must compete with one another rather than cooperate. Caroline shows how deep this tragic mentality runs. 

This important facet aside, the book is not all about that! It has many more aspects that make it worth reading as well. She writes with casual, easy prose that is part leadership book and part memoir. She provides explanations to those of us (myself especially) who know nothing about the field. She brings in her romantic relationships to a very minimal extent, which helps round her out but not take over the real story. And her descriptions of being in the jets are very exciting. 

Now, I’m not someone who blindly agrees with the US meddling in other wars, but I’m also from Canada, so I’m not part of the cultural milieu Caroline is (most likely) writing for. If you’re someone who is staunchly anti-war (or anti-military spending), you might find this book frustrating, but I doubt you’d pick it up anyway. 

Before I hit the halfway point, I was debating whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars, but since finishing it, my estimation has risen. And since I can’t give the novel 4.5 on this site or Goodreads, I’m bumping it to 5. You go, Caroline.

This coming-of-age book aims to inspire and attract the next generation of men and women to the military. I feel it should enlighten the general population’s ideals on the treatment of anyone that chooses to take an unconventional path in the military or life in general. 

Remember this is one person’s recollection.  It doesn’t make it right or wrong, it just tells it from her point of view.  

From this memoir; I can see that many things in the military haven’t changed since I was on active duty.  It is never easy trying to find your way and establishing yourself.  There will always be some supporters, many detractors and those that just want you to fail no matter what the costs.  I was fortunate to have a small strong support group.

Change is never easy.  Caroline Johnson should have been treated more fairly in the Blacklion squadron. Having said that, she should not have been surprised by the ill treatment from the squadron team. I find it hard to believe that academy life was all roses for her even though women have been at the academies since 1976. Also, Tail Hook was another indicator that people are not treated equally and at times not even as people within the military.

Her executive and commanding officers’ conduct was abysmal. I truly believe more change is needed in the military regarding discrimination of any kind.  Ask Senator McSally and many other veterans serving our nation.

I found this story informative. I learned about the Navy and procedures to become a pilot on the F/A-18 Super Hornet. I relished in the details about the jets and the process.
This story along with many others about women making their own way through the military is enlightening.  Each story is different yet similar on many levels.

I recommend this book.  If for nothing else, get a look into what it’s like to be someone other than a white male in the Navy.

This was a wonderful book that describes just what it's like to not only be a jet pilot in top form, but to be a woman in what is even today a male domnated business.  This book will have you standing on your chair cheering and when it's time to pee, laughing.

I appreciate the story CAROLINE JOHNSON is trying to tell.  She was definitely dealt a bad hand of cards, when she landed in the Blacklion squadron.  The treatment that she received from the squadron team as well as her executive and commanding officer was abysmal.  There is no doubt from her story that even more change is needed in the military regarding discrimination on the basis of sex.     

However, this will not be the book that effectuates that change.  The writing left much to be desired and the book’s organization made me feel as if I was on a ship in a hurricane. The tone runs the gamut of condescending and elitist, to immature and whining. 

Johnson’s talk of her fingernail polish color, urinating on a jet and her decorating prowess aboard the USS George H.W. Bush may appeal to a young adult audience. But it will do little to change the way women are treated in the military, in fact just the opposite. 

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review of ‘Jet Girl’ by Caroline Johnson.
First and foremost I want to thank @jetgirlusa for sharing her story. Secondly, I would like to thank @stmartinspress @netgalley for the ARC.
👩🏻‍✈️
I loved this book and highly recommend for so many reasons: the book does a great job explaining life in the military, it highlights the hardships, emphasizes the importance of acceptance and friendship, and showcases the negative effects of harassment in the workplace. This book is relevant to 2019 and I’m sure many women (military or not) will be able to relate to the themes of sexism, gender roles, exclusion, and bullying. 👩🏻‍✈️
Having been in the military I can attest to the boys club mentality from only my slanted point of view. I will say that I was readily accepted into one squadron but I didn’t feel fully accepted in others. I always assumed it was just me, but reading Caroline’s story I realized it was probably the culture from the time period I served. 👩🏻‍✈️
Regardless, Jet Girl is a book of empowerment. Of women standing up for each other. For women to look out for one another. Be present, be aware, be there (my words y’all). As women, it’s our time to shine but in order to do so, we need to support one another. 👩🏻‍✈️
My favorite part of the entire book was learning about Navy call signs and peeing in a cockpit. 👩🏻‍✈️
#jetgirlusa #jetgirlbook #netgalley #stmartinspress #carolinejohnson #badassfemales #advancereadercopy #novemberrelease #goodreads #2019readingchallenge #justread #kindlepaperwhite #womeninthemilitary

Every time I’ve read a book about a navy seal I’ve marveled about the training it takes to be ranked among those with that title. I realize this book isn’t about a seal but an aviator. However, as I read I felt the same way. Whether man or woman, seal or aviator, the training involved to attain some ranks is staggering. And to think that it’s taken so many years for us as civilians to realize this and begin thanking our veterans for all they’ve endured for us is sad. (Or maybe this applies more to me than you.)

In the case of this book, I was able to see much of the training through a woman’s eyes. Again, rather naively, I had no idea what would be required of an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Officer. A title that Caroline Johnson worked extremely hard to achieve.

Her story begins in the early 2000s when she enters the academy and turns her life, a somewhat privileged Colorado debutante, over to the United States Navy. The reader follows her through her schooling and what is required. After graduating at the top of her flight school class, she is selected for the Blacklions, an elite fighter group based out of Virginia Beach, Va.  I probably should have mentioned earlier that the chapters switch occasionally from training, then up a few years to active duty.

It’s easy to pick up on her enthusiasm for what she is working on, and then when she does finally get to join a squadron. But at the same time, her thorough story shares the loneliness, harassment, and snubbing that she endures. Of course, not by all, but by many. But they are things that would send most of us racing back home. Yet, she keeps her eye single to her goal.

Be it right or wrong, I’m not involved in women’s liberation in any way. Yet, I tried to understand the issues she faced and I wanted to give each side a fair shake. The wives of the fighter pilots shunned her, no doubt not happy that this woman would be spending so much time with their husbands. But as a woman, it felt like they should have been singing her praises for achieving such a wonderful accomplishment. And the men . . . well, many were downright cruel to her. I guess trying to see it from their side, flying was intruding into their world.

This in-depth story covers so much: the rigorous training involved, friendships, mentors, boyfriends, trying to find her place in a squadron, handling sexism and exclusion from her squadron, and much more.

And finally, we learn how hard it is for her to acclimate to life when they aren’t on the carrier. Though she needs some space to regroup and call her own, she finds nearly complete alienation. Though perhaps partying would have helped her fit in. (I’m being facetious and at the same time truthful.)

This touching story takes the reader on a flight like no other.

What Concerned Me:
I wasn’t a fan of the chapters jumping from past to earlier, then back to past, etc.

What I Liked Most:
Though this is not a topic I would normally read, the journey she took was very interesting and informative.

I have absolutely nothing in common with her, but reading through her path from her first day at the naval academy to the day she dropped bombs on ISIS terrorists in Iraq to the days when she questioned her place in the Navy were so vividly retold that it felt like I was there.