Great writing style for young teen audiences and chock full of ideas to reuse, recycle and reduce in order to be minimalist.

This was a simply review of minimalism that caters to younger people and teens. There wasn't anything revolutionary in it, but in a society that is so focused on material things, this was a fresh and welcome change. While everyone is very focused on hygge and knomari ing their spaces, this was a good introduction to this.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

While this was a good book, it was definitely aimed at those who had never really tried 'living simply.' I felt that a lot of assumptions were made about who exactly would be reading this by the author. A lot of things that McGraw talks about are things that I know that I, personally, couldn't have done as a teenager simply because I didn't have access to that type of thing. The content is more appropriate for college students than high schoolers, but the tone and word choice is the opposite.

Reading this book is, largely, a positive experience. Sometimes books about a lifestyle can be preachy or judgemental. Like "with all the vact's I've just presented you with how can you possibly continue living your old life". McGraw doesn't do that. THe tone here is factual and simple. It presents the definition of minimalism and some ways to live minimally. It talks a fair amount about ecology and the impact minimalism can have there but there's no judgement. A great resource for a school or library.

I've read a fair number of books about minimalism and simplicity so the content here wasn't anything I haven't seen elsewhere. So how does this book stand out from the rest? First, Living Simply is aimed at teenagers. I love that! The teen years are a perfect time to make decisions about how you want to live your life, before getting bogged down in all the stuff and bad habits. McGraw has done a nice job of covering the bases of living a simpler life, focusing not only on the physical "stuff" but also discussing the environmental and social impact of our daily choices, giving the reader a more global view of the part they play in the state of the world.

Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review will post to my blog at simplystashless.com on 2/28/2019

This was definitely informative and full of information about the importance of minimizing. I think the book did a great job outlining WHY it is important from various perspectives (environment, sustainability, happiness, etc.). It also contains some great starting ideas for those wishing to explore more minimalistic pathways.