Such an interesting read on the life of Jane Birkin. Definitely for those who have followed her career. Her music and movies and modeling and just her ever presence in French culture and fashion. I’ve collected her and Serge’s records for years, so getting to dive deeper into how they came about was extremely special. I do wish there had been a few more personal accounts from Jane’s journals, maybe in long form rather than short quotes, just to really bring me in on that level. But even still, this was a very good weekend read that’s going to have me diving a little more into her film list.

I loved getting to know the inner workings of the fashion world’s most impactful stars. The influence of Jane Birkin on the cool girl aesthetic cannot be overstated. It feel that the last half of the book was harder to stay invested in. Birkin was prolific but her legacy feels unmoored. This is an attempt to firmly establish her as deserving more credit than she’s given. I can’t help but think that a documentary needs to accompany this title as there were some moments that lend themself more to film than the page. All in all I loved it

A intriguing, easy to read all in one lazy afternoon biography. I went in without much knowledge about Birkin's life apart from her fashion legacy. Fans of her movies, albums, and style will definitely enjoy this gossipy deep dive.

4.5 ⭐️ as a lifelong fan of Jane Birkin, I was very excited for this biography. The biography spans her entire life from childhood, which I personally knew the least about. I did find myself wishing it was more in depth at times in her adult years, there’s just so much to Jane and her life, but I specifically longed for more about her activism and passions for helping other. Overall it’s a fascinating story and I did really enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley, Marisa Meltzer, and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I’ve always been fascinated by Jane Birkin and I was so excited to see this one available to request. It’s a great biography and covers her life well, with an emphasis on how she became more true to herself as she aged. I loved learning about Jane Birkin the person and not just the style icon - although I do love her fashion too. If you’re interested in learning about an important historical figure from a feminist lens, be sure to check this one out! I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Meltzer in the future.

I enjoyed the book, finding out everything one need to know about Birkin, except how she actually sounds or sings, or looks in the intricately described outfits that are discussed in the book. It's a good biography, but would have been better served by illustrations/photos. There are so many outfits described that one is left to searching the web, after being intrigued, and also , the web is quite wanting, only serving up many of the same photos again and again. The difference between the "old Jane" and the "new Jane" are too dramatic to serve a purpose.. you cannot find photos of her growing maturity easily on the web. She is depicted as unsmiling model, vixen, "baby doll", as she puts it to a grinning glasses wearing matron in her later years, almost unrecognizable, even in interviews, with her later lower, slower voice. There is no middle road, and it doesn't help this book one iota. Better to have photos that actually showed her in her different decades and relationships to ground the reader a bit, rather than just taking the author's word that she was changing. She was an interesting celeb, but after searching the web in frustration, I found her less so than the author intended. There are also unnecessary repetitions of judgements/events about where she was at in certain periods of her life. Trust the reader to remember what you have already told him/her.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is “the first comprehensive biography of Jane Birkin” the style icon and namesake behind the most coveted handbag in the world…and I loved it! Serendipitously, I read this wonderful book in one sitting and was in tears by the end. Jane Birkin was so much more than just the name behind “the bag” and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thank you Marisa Meltzer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of It Girl.

This book is about much more than just hair and Hollywood. It’s about the machinery behind celebrity culture, the blurry lines between personal branding and authenticity, and the complicated dynamics of female friendship and business in the digital age. Meltzer doesn’t shy away from showing both the appealing and unsettling sides of hustle culture, especially in industries dominated by women but often judged through a harsher lens.

What really stands out is Meltzer’s voice—wry, candid, and at times self-deprecating—which makes this part memoir, part profile, part social critique feel intimate and engrossing. Whether you’re fascinated by beauty culture or just curious about the forces shaping modern fame, this book offers plenty of food for thought.

Highly recommended if you enjoy smart, pop-culture-infused nonfiction with a feminist edge.