Cute read. I think I was a bit too old for this book, but I see why it could be good for younger girls. I found the comics to be cute and fun for the most part. This book covers a lot of topics that I feel aren't covered at a younger age. I found that to be a nice change. I would rate this a 3.5.

This was a really really fun read. It was relatable, it made me laugh, it was educational. The artwork was fun. I highly suggest this for young teen girls.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I liked the conversational tone and the illustrations were cute but it felt quite disjointed at times.

Every once in a while, I am in the mood for something like this. Funny, relatable, and cute. And that's what I got from The Ultimate Survival Guide to Being a Girl. A quick break from the daily hustle for some fun.

I love comics and this one was so delightful. The Ultimate Survival Guide to Being a Girl gives a hilarious take on growing up female. From love to body image, this comic captures all the highs and lows and makes you laugh out loud as you relive them. I highly recommend this comic!

3.5 Stars

This was... fine. This was a cute read and based on the majority of the content and conversational tone I can see this being a nice book for younger girls just entering high school, but I don't see this being very useful if you're any older than that.
I had an ARC copy and a lot of the formatting got super messed up, but hopefully that was fixed by publication and I won't judge it on that.
My biggest problems with this is that the order of the topics within this. There was just no cohesiveness and the book would jump around from topic to topic with each section seeming to have nothing to do with each other. This does make the reading experience feel a bit off. Also De Witte can come off kind of preachy (everyone should go on a plant based diet?) and the last chapter on *diversity* could've probably expanded.

There's no shortage of puberty guides out there. MOst try really hard to reassure the reader that whatever they're experiencing, it's nothing weird. That everything you feel and wonder about is acceptable. It's nice to see a book address other issues beyond just biology. De Witte makes it a point to discuss social issues, even the social aspects of simple biological issues. Like shaving your legs. Most of the advice in this book takes the form of "You don't have to, but if you're going to, do it this way." Its conversational and stragithforward.

This book could most likely help a lot of girls out there. The author touched some topics really well and I was actually surprised by the range of topics and how current topics were picked up (How to be avoid being catfished, how to decide what to post on the internet, ...) but on the other hand most of the time it simply did not feel like a non-fiction book and it fell short touching some very important topics like sexism and racism. Some topics are touched on quite bluntly and might be a bit provocative (meat-free diet, tampons should be free, ...) - for my taste, the author put her personal opinion and point of view a bit too bluntly out there for a non-fiction book. Also for a non-fiction book this book to me lacked a clear structure - it felt more like somebody sitting down with me and preaching on one topic after the other. This might be considered relateable but it also could end up feeling overpowering.

Disclaimer: Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Ultimate Survival Guide to Being a Girl gave me some mixed feelings.

On the one hand, I'm always supportive of books that want to educate young women about their bodies. It was cool that De Witte mentioned tattoos, having online friends, and other topics that rarely get discussed straightforwardly with teens. However, it's important to note that a lot of the book read as opinion or anecdotal because of a lack of citations or outside examples.

There were a few patently false things described here (without any citations), like an anecdote where the author says her hair "grew back thicker and darker, and in a very odd pattern."

Hair that has been shaven does not grow back thicker or darker but does grow back with a blunted edge. Some may think the blunted edge makes the hair look thicker, but either way, it does not actually get any thicker or any darker, and certainly not more so each time it is shaved.

Also, the author mentioned teens should "call themselves out on being a Negative Nancy." I can't describe how many times in my teen years I was invalidated and pushed aside because I was written off as a 'Negative Nancy' instead of actually told that my feelings were valid and logical and I needed to work through them and understand how to understand them.

Every once in a while, De Witte also threw in a "Duh!" or similar note, which came off as a little condescending, implying the reader should already know the advice she just gave. It was a bit off-putting.

Overall, I'm concerned about the amount of "survival guide" type books for teen girls that perpetuate stereotypes like those outlined above. Also, coming out to friends and family is considered "breaking difficult news" which seems weird. Anyway, overall, I just have extremely mixed feelings!

I wish I had this as a teen to explain the things adults thought were too...."inappropriate"...for me to know, even in regards to my own body. LOVED all the little illustrations and how caring the author was when it came to thoroughly covering each topic....like self-care and body image. It doesn't preach or spout the usual advice that sounds like a broken record - it actively seeks to get teens to think about themselves as more of their own person, instead of an extension of what others want to see.

I loved this book. I wish I had a book like this growing up but I'm glad that exists for girls now. I can't wait to give this to my little cousins and other girls so they can enjoy this book as well.

This book is the perfect replacement or addition to the classic American Girl guide! De Witte gives practical and timely advice for teens about navigating society, their bodies, and their feelings without judgement.

This was a nice little self-help book for younger girls. Meaning girls in their teens. But I just wasn't the right audience for this so it got a bit weird when it talked about things that either happened to me like 5 years ago or things that never happened.

The Ultimate Guide to Being a Girl held so much potential yet fell kind of short. I had read this in hopes of handing it over to my daughter someday. However, I’m no longer quite comfortable with that. Even for girls in high school, I feel some content is inappropriate or not discussed well.

While I like that the author was unabashed in giving out a lot of advice, I feel like several things could have been left out. Do girls need to know about hygiene, proper bra fitting and how to handle sticky situations? Yes, absolutely. Do they need to be concerned with tattoos, or how to meet an online friend in real life? I say no.

The audience for this book has me confused. There is a significant chunch dedicated to girls getting ready to go through puberty while simultaneously using words like “bitchy” and talking about things that seem more mature than the age of girls who are going through the big change.

I’m on the fence, some may really like this brash, feminist, tell it like it is book, but I wouldn’t let my child read it.

I just could not get into this one. For some reason I thought it would be more of a humorous guide and it's really not. There are a few funny moments but I didn't finish it because it could not hold my interest. Even the advice it gave was not, in my opinion, the best.

I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Positives: The author has obviously done her research, and has written in a conversational, relatable tone that should appeal to teens. This “survival guide” covers a WIDE variety of topics and is incredibly inclusive.

Potential Drawbacks: Librarians shelving this book in conservative communities should be prepared for challenges as the author advocates for free menstrual hygiene products and vegetarianism/veganism in addition to the usual “target” issues (LGBTQ, feminism, etc). Be aware that the author does get a little “preachy” about such issues at times. The author’s unfortunate use of platitudes such as “time heals all wounds” detracts from her message. The author’s intended audience is a little murky since she spends a significant portion discussing puberty and the changing body (in a way that read as if intended for readers just starting this experience) and elsewhere discusses creating a resume. Overall, best suited for older teens. Some colorful language is interspersed throughout her commentary, including the use of the term “bitchy” which seems antithetical to her pro-feminism attitude.

Verdict: Recommended for large library collections looking to beef up their self-help section. Better offerings with a similar message are available.

*I was sent a e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Ultimate Survival Guide to Being a Girl is a book that I would recommend to any young girl or parent of a young girl. I found it overall informative and can see how it could be helpful to younger girls

I originally wanted this book for the comic strips because I’ve seen similar ones around social media and always enjoyed them. That being said, the book was over all good. The advice was solid, the personal stories were good and if I had a young girl in my life I would definitely recommend it to her. I just don’t think this book was exactly my personal cup of tea.

This little survival guide was absolutely spot-on. It’s honestly the perfect gift for a mom with a daughter going through puberty or starting high school. But, it is also good for older teen girls as well, dealing with image and anxiety.
Some sections that resonated well with me were:
- The art of (not) giving up
- Breaking through that comfort zone
- Social anxieties and how to deal with them
Any girl that picks up this book will be able to relate to most of it, if not the entirety.

It’s perfect because this book references and explains things that every girl has searched on google before, but never wants to admit it.

Also, the illustrations were adorable! And I loved the little add-ons like the detox smoothies or food recipes.

The author really took her time to make sure she executed each idea very thoroughly and didn’t leave anything out at all.

Every message that was sent in this book was important, like:
- Taking me time!
- Listening to your body
- Flaws=unique features

To me, this is a must read for girls going through puberty, or starting to be sexually active, or having trouble with self-image. (So basically I recommend this to every single girl out there)