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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Being a Girl is a great book for teens who feel their PSHE is lacking in certain areas or just want an honest opinion on whether it’s OK not to shave. It preaches kindness and anti-douchebaggery whilst being amusing and informative on the subject of being a teenage girl.
It covers all the key areas of concern and potentially embarrassing questions of adolescence for girls; periods, boobs and bras, hair (both the kind you want and the kind you’d rather get rid of), spots, clothes, crushes, safe sex, bullying and most importantly having the confidence to be yourself.
It doesn’t shy away from the fact that teenage girls can be pretty mean to one another and peer pressure is a real thing that will have to be dealt with at some point. There’s a great section inspired by one of Hayley’s focus group who responded that girls were bitches, where she goes on to say how girls are much more like cats than dogs. Then there’s all the different types of cats you can be, complete with Gemma Correll’s illustrations of said cats.
Whilst there’s an element of entertainment value for any age, I think it’s most valuable to pre-teens and younger teens. When it comes to sex, drugs and alcohol, it’s about setting a good example. It doesn’t go into much detail about to do if things go wrong. There’s a tiny bit on the morning after pill and abortion, but nothing on sexual abuse or rape. It stops at telling girls if he pushes the subject, then he’s not worth dating. Good advice, but for older teens seeking guidance, it might come across as a bit I told you so.
I really wanted to be able to recommend this book to single fathers but there are occasions when instead of giving information, Hayley just says “ask your mum”. That’s not helpful to girls who are referring to this book because they don’t have a trusted older female in their life. Would it be so hard to have a little section about buying the right painkillers for your period pain rather than referring to mothers? Or is OTC medicine a taboo subject?
However it would be an excellent book to hand over to your daughter after having The Talk. There’s definitely things in there that would have cleared up some questions for me when I was that age. Of course, it’s good to encourage open discussion, but we all know it doesn’t usually happen that way.
Review copy provided by publsiher.
It covers all the key areas of concern and potentially embarrassing questions of adolescence for girls; periods, boobs and bras, hair (both the kind you want and the kind you’d rather get rid of), spots, clothes, crushes, safe sex, bullying and most importantly having the confidence to be yourself.
It doesn’t shy away from the fact that teenage girls can be pretty mean to one another and peer pressure is a real thing that will have to be dealt with at some point. There’s a great section inspired by one of Hayley’s focus group who responded that girls were bitches, where she goes on to say how girls are much more like cats than dogs. Then there’s all the different types of cats you can be, complete with Gemma Correll’s illustrations of said cats.
Whilst there’s an element of entertainment value for any age, I think it’s most valuable to pre-teens and younger teens. When it comes to sex, drugs and alcohol, it’s about setting a good example. It doesn’t go into much detail about to do if things go wrong. There’s a tiny bit on the morning after pill and abortion, but nothing on sexual abuse or rape. It stops at telling girls if he pushes the subject, then he’s not worth dating. Good advice, but for older teens seeking guidance, it might come across as a bit I told you so.
I really wanted to be able to recommend this book to single fathers but there are occasions when instead of giving information, Hayley just says “ask your mum”. That’s not helpful to girls who are referring to this book because they don’t have a trusted older female in their life. Would it be so hard to have a little section about buying the right painkillers for your period pain rather than referring to mothers? Or is OTC medicine a taboo subject?
However it would be an excellent book to hand over to your daughter after having The Talk. There’s definitely things in there that would have cleared up some questions for me when I was that age. Of course, it’s good to encourage open discussion, but we all know it doesn’t usually happen that way.
Review copy provided by publsiher.
fireth's review against another edition
4.0
If only I've a book like this while I'm a teenager. Will definitely get a copy for my niece when she reach her teen years.
rebeshelton's review against another edition
3.0
I read this on recommendation from a library training I took. Since I work with teens I am all the time searching for material that they will like and relate to.
This will definitely be a book that I recommend not only to the teens I work with but my own daughter when she grows up. There was a need for an updated "puberty book" in my opinion. I feel like all the ones out there are from the 90's or early 2000's when things like selfies and cyber-bullying didn't exist. This book did a fantastic job of touching on subjects that girls really need to know and understand. Although repetitive, I also loved that the author said how every girl is different. It may have been said over and over and over, but it's needed, especially in today's society.
This will definitely be a book that I recommend not only to the teens I work with but my own daughter when she grows up. There was a need for an updated "puberty book" in my opinion. I feel like all the ones out there are from the 90's or early 2000's when things like selfies and cyber-bullying didn't exist. This book did a fantastic job of touching on subjects that girls really need to know and understand. Although repetitive, I also loved that the author said how every girl is different. It may have been said over and over and over, but it's needed, especially in today's society.
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
4.0
Overall it was a pretty sweet book, not overly condescending and it had a lot of really good and important information that I think young girls should have. It made real attempts to be inclusive as far as sexuality and gender go, but didn’t do quite enough in my opinion. It definitely focused on cis gender and heterosexual as the norm, but at least acknowledged that that isn’t for everyone and did have a general message of, be whoever you are, there’s plenty of room in the world for all of us.
The chapter on sex was actually mostly sweet and I thought well-handled, though her information on the morning after pill is outdated, at least in Florida, by this time (though I had an ARC). It doesn’t require a medical visit or prescription for anyone over 15. I think the information was smart but I don’t want it to be a scare tactic to girls who need the morning after pill. I actually really loved the little safe sex game/riddle break in the chapter, I don’t know if that makes me really lame but it was a fun way to make your mind start working while also thinking about the possible consequences of unsafe sex.
I’ve never read a book geared toward teen girls that talked about sexism or called gender inequality by name rather than just base examples of it, so that was impressive. I loved the chapter on becoming a woman, about struggle being a part of life, and working hard on the “training ground” of adolescence to put effort into the person you someday want to be!
The text and the style of writing and formatting made it a quick and easy to read and digest. There could be some improvements, but it was a solid book and I’d consider buying it for some younger (maybe 10-13) girls in my life.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The chapter on sex was actually mostly sweet and I thought well-handled, though her information on the morning after pill is outdated, at least in Florida, by this time (though I had an ARC). It doesn’t require a medical visit or prescription for anyone over 15. I think the information was smart but I don’t want it to be a scare tactic to girls who need the morning after pill. I actually really loved the little safe sex game/riddle break in the chapter, I don’t know if that makes me really lame but it was a fun way to make your mind start working while also thinking about the possible consequences of unsafe sex.
I’ve never read a book geared toward teen girls that talked about sexism or called gender inequality by name rather than just base examples of it, so that was impressive. I loved the chapter on becoming a woman, about struggle being a part of life, and working hard on the “training ground” of adolescence to put effort into the person you someday want to be!
The text and the style of writing and formatting made it a quick and easy to read and digest. There could be some improvements, but it was a solid book and I’d consider buying it for some younger (maybe 10-13) girls in my life.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
cat_thecatlady's review against another edition
4.0
this was a nice little read. definitely more fitting for younger audiences. loved the humour and little drawings! herstory was by far my favourite thing about this book!
recommended read for your younger sisters, nieces, cousins, daughters of friends, etc!
full review here: https://catshelf.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/book-review-102-being-a-girl-by-hayley-long/
recommended read for your younger sisters, nieces, cousins, daughters of friends, etc!
full review here: https://catshelf.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/book-review-102-being-a-girl-by-hayley-long/
annebennett1957's review against another edition
4.0
I love this book and tone in which Ms. Long wrote it. I just wish that I had had this book when my girls were young teenagers. I think they would have liked getting advice from a book rather than good-old-mom all the time.
I can't figure out the target age for this book. In the beginning it seemed like ti was talking to Tweens. Then it mentioned 13-year-olds and later there is advice about STIs, contraceptives, and sex. I would pick the perfect target to be somewhere in Junior High.
The illustrations and use of script fonts was very appealing. I didn't need to read every word to know that this book is a winner.
I can't figure out the target age for this book. In the beginning it seemed like ti was talking to Tweens. Then it mentioned 13-year-olds and later there is advice about STIs, contraceptives, and sex. I would pick the perfect target to be somewhere in Junior High.
The illustrations and use of script fonts was very appealing. I didn't need to read every word to know that this book is a winner.
reviewsfromabookworm's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book where Hayley Long's wicked sense of humour really gets to shine through. This book had me in stitches the whole time I was reading it, which is quite embarrassing when you're reading a book on a packed train. This is a book that I feel every young girl should read, and I wish it had been here when I was younger.
This book is not only funny, it's incredibly informative too and a read I think every young girl needs to read. It has chapters on sex, periods, hair and so much more, everything you could need from the book is in there. My favourite chapter was probably Herstory, where Long looks at the amazing women throughout history - I learnt quite a bit myself whilst reading that one. I think this is a book that every girl should read, and every boy too, because they can learn a lot from it. It's a book that should definitely be on the shelves of the school libraries, and readily made available to anyone who needs it.
This book is not only funny, it's incredibly informative too and a read I think every young girl needs to read. It has chapters on sex, periods, hair and so much more, everything you could need from the book is in there. My favourite chapter was probably Herstory, where Long looks at the amazing women throughout history - I learnt quite a bit myself whilst reading that one. I think this is a book that every girl should read, and every boy too, because they can learn a lot from it. It's a book that should definitely be on the shelves of the school libraries, and readily made available to anyone who needs it.
jodyladuemcgrath's review against another edition
5.0
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
This book was one of the best books I have ever read for preteen to teen girls. It was completely informative, easy to read, humerous, open-minded, and nonjudgmental. It started off with the basics, like how your body is going to change and what is normal and what is not. She also stresses that everyone is different and there are absolutely no absolutes. She also addresses make-up, hair, crushes (both straight and gay), dating, sex, and becoming a woman. It was a great book.
There are a lot of books similar to this one out there, but this one was so reader friendly and nonjudgmental that I would recommend it to moms, aunts, big sisters, librarians, doctors, or even girls themselves to buy. A+!
This book was one of the best books I have ever read for preteen to teen girls. It was completely informative, easy to read, humerous, open-minded, and nonjudgmental. It started off with the basics, like how your body is going to change and what is normal and what is not. She also stresses that everyone is different and there are absolutely no absolutes. She also addresses make-up, hair, crushes (both straight and gay), dating, sex, and becoming a woman. It was a great book.
There are a lot of books similar to this one out there, but this one was so reader friendly and nonjudgmental that I would recommend it to moms, aunts, big sisters, librarians, doctors, or even girls themselves to buy. A+!
lenni_kara's review against another edition
5.0
Love love love! Such a refreshing, wonderful take on growing up a girl. Inclusive, contemporary and to the point. I utterly admire Hayley Long for writing such a great book that is so needed amongst others of its kind.
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
5.0
As a post menopausal woman, you would think that all the things brought up in this book would be a distant memory, but being a teenager, and going through puberty is not something you easily forget. Having said this, this book would have been perfect for me to have had when I would have needed it.
The author has a good sense of humor, and well informed, straight-forward way of presenting information that every teenage girl needs to know. The chapters are broken out into sections, from periods, hair, dating and sex, with advice thrown in throughout. This also does not assume that all girls are straight, nor does it assume that all girls will follow the crowd, or even should. When she gets to the section on hair and shaving, she actually says:
Cute illustrations throughout.
I think this should be a handbook handled to all girls as they reach puberty.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The author has a good sense of humor, and well informed, straight-forward way of presenting information that every teenage girl needs to know. The chapters are broken out into sections, from periods, hair, dating and sex, with advice thrown in throughout. This also does not assume that all girls are straight, nor does it assume that all girls will follow the crowd, or even should. When she gets to the section on hair and shaving, she actually says:
Choose your battles wisely. Your right to have hair under your arms may seem like a big, important issue, or it may not. But let those tufts be seen in public and I can pretty much guarantee that it'll be a big deal to some other snarky people. If that this doesn't faze you and you want to fight for your right to be hairy, good luck-I salute you. Of you go now and wait for me at the next chapter.
Cute illustrations throughout.
I think this should be a handbook handled to all girls as they reach puberty.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.