Member Reviews

A stunning story which motivates and inspires women to be the best versions of themselves which was so good. The pictures throughout were also stunning!

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"Women Don't Owe You Pretty" is a bold and empowering manifesto that challenges societal norms and expectations placed upon women. Florence Given's unapologetic exploration of feminism and self-love offers a refreshing perspective, encouraging readers to embrace their authenticity and reject harmful beauty standards. Given's writing is impassioned and engaging, sparking important conversations about gender, sexuality, and body positivity. However, while the book succeeds in highlighting the importance of feminist ideology, it falls short in its depth of exploration and lacks the intersectionality needed to fully resonate with all readers.

Given's emphasis on self-empowerment and dismantling patriarchal structures is undeniably powerful, but the book occasionally lacks nuance in its approach. The focus on white, cisgender experiences overlooks the intersectional nature of feminism, failing to address the unique challenges faced by women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with intersecting identities. In today's increasingly diverse and inclusive society, a more nuanced examination of intersectionality would have strengthened the book's relevance and impact.

Overall, "Women Don't Owe You Pretty" serves as a provocative call to action for women to reclaim their autonomy and embrace their worth. While Given's passionate writing and feminist ideology are commendable, the book ultimately falls short in its depth of exploration and lack of intersectionality. Despite its limitations, it remains a valuable entry point for those new to feminist discourse, sparking important conversations about gender equality and self-acceptance.

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I'm an old feminist at this point (sigh) but this book is timely and relevant, and asbolutely a great read.

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Looking back to this title, it contained lots of strong and sensible advice and considered opinions, and is one I have since bought a physical copy of!

I really enjoyed how the illustrations and detail was adapted for the e-book version, and found it immensely readable, but also nuanced. Such an important text in the field of gender attitudes today.

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This is a colourful entry in the world of feminism. I absolutely loved all the full page art pieces within the book. The feminism within this book is very simple and entry level so good for those with limited or little knowledge of it. However, it is still enjoyable and refreshing for those with more knowledge.

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There are many good points made in this book but I think it would have been better and more helpful if I was younger when I read it. But I'm also not sure because if I was younger in the present time I'm not sure I would have needed this book to get this information.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐

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An interesting and modern read that gives you plenty to think about. It’s beautifully presented too.

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The design on this one is absolutely incredible. The big, bold colours. It's so eye-catching. A reasonable primer for young women looking to expand their analytical reading. Best to pair with other voices, too, I reckon.

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Firstly, I assumed this book would include critical essays and studies about pretty privilege and the male gaze, but what I expected only takes 5 to 10% of the book. I guess the lesson I got from this read is "DO NOT ASSUME SH*T"( like the title of one of the chapters ), especially when it comes to nonfiction.

Florence did mention and frequently said that she was inspired by Chidera Eggerue. But that does not excuse the fact that the whole book lacks credibility. She rarely explained from where she got these factual statements and almost never gave any real examples with reliable sources for her arguments. The only examples she used are from her own experience and traumas, which are not invalid, but still, not inclusive enough.

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Amazing! This book is an essential read for women of all ages. Women have lived under the pressure of being beautiful for far too long and it's time we unlearnt those toxic norms and started living on our own terms.

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This book was incredibly empowering and uplifting! I feel like this book would be great for someone in high school but also works for people up to their 30's like me! None of the ideas or information was very new to me but again I would have loved to have this book in high school or my early 20's.

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I found this book hard to get into. I appreciate what the author is doing but I don't think I'm her target audience. I probably would've loved this if I were a teenager!
I enjoyed the colourful layout and illustrations, which broke up the text really well. I would read other books by this author but this one missed the mark for me, unfortunately.

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I thought this book had a great take on modern feminism. Had a lot of great information all in one place, but I felt like many of the things brought up are things that I already knew or have learned other ways. It is thought provoking and i feel like many could benefit from it,

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I had hopes for this book, but fair to say I was disappointed. It's unoriginal, repetitive, scratches just the surface and doesn't bring anything new to the table. Also, if the rumors are true about Florence Given appropriating Chidera Eggerue’s book ‘What a Time to be Alone' in relation to this book, it gave me a foul taste in my mouth. I also strongly disagree that social media can be a substitute for formal education. Regardless, Women Don't Owe You Pretty is watered down feminism and in general a waste of time. There's way better books out there.

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I honestly just read the first 100 pages of this and decided to put it down afterwards. I really didn't enjoy my time with this one and it felt really banal and repetetive at times. If you've read books on feminsm before it might feel the same to you. And even though there is no need to reinvent the wheel, I was hoping for something different, something more deep and meaningful from this book. Plus, there is a huge controversy about this book being a plagiarism to 'What a time to be alone', which is a book on feminism by a Black woman, so please look into that before you decide to buy this book!

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3 stars.

This a non-fiction book about feminism, but a very introductory one. As the blurb says, it is "for the Instagram generation", women who learned about feminism on social media and haven't dived deeper into the conversation yet. It has good ideas and a powerful self-love message. The thing is, the self-helpy tone is not what I was expecting and it lacks on theoretical framework.

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I found this beautifully illustrated book very interesting and I learned a lot about feminism, as well as other topics. Although I am not really into labels, it was interesting to read about the labels that people like to put onto themselves. I liked the way the author, Florence, encourages us to accept ourselves, love ourselves, own our own power and be confident in our bodies and sexuality. She reminds us that we are all unique and valuable and that we don't owe anyone anything. We can be who we are and we don't need to go out of our way to make ourselves look more pretty or change ourselves in order to please others.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This could have potentially been considered ground-breaking in the early 2000s. As it is, in 2021, it just reads as regurgitated drivel. The author says a lot without actually saying anything, which some might consider an accomplishment in and of itself. On top of that, the author spends a lot of time talking down to the reader, presenting herself as the fount of all wisdom graciously sharing her knowledge with us little ignorant people. Needless to say that I gave up on this at about the 30% mark. And I feel like I deserve a medal for making it that far.

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Unfortunately I didn't particularly enjoy this book. All of the feminism contained in it is about a decade behind where we actually are. Sadly can't recommend

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This is a beautifully put together book, especially as a physical copy (I had a flip-through in store as well). The graphic design is beautiful—it's colourful, cohesive, the illustrations are lovely and the quotes highlighted work really well. I do think that this is very much a book for people starting out with feminism, and it would make an excellent gift for someone in that spot.

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