i feel like every single person needs to read this at least once in their lives. this was such a powerful and important read. i highly highly recommend reading this xx

This is an easy to approach, excellent beginner guide on what feminism actually looks like from a lived-in human body. I particularly appreciate both the nods that even wanting to "feel pretty" is a cultural construct as well as the reminder that, due to prejudices, many women *need* to perform femininity for their own safety. The reminders that not only are we all on different feminist paths but that people who are at the same place as us may have different needs is great. This book would be particularly well suited for individuals who are still finding themselves, as there is a sizeable amount of dating advice that can be boiled down to "take care of yourself first, figure out yourself first".

A gorgeous book filled with lovely illustrations and artwork with he most amazing amount of affirmations!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

When I saw this on Netgalley I was already aware of the controversy between Floss and The Slumflower. I chose to pick it up and read this free copy because I knew I would never purchase this book knowing the accusations, but I was also intrigued and wanted to see what this book is all about. I should also add that I hadn't read What a Time To Be Alone yet, so I won't make any comparisons.

This is very light feminism 101 meets self-help for the instagram age. I found it quite compelling until the moment when the author says "I'm 21 at the time of writing". At that moment I thought, why am I reading an advice book from a 21-year-old who admittedly is "white, thin, cis-gender, conventionally pretty and wealthy"? Maybe thinking this is a form of ageism in and of itself, but it made me want to put this book down and go and read someone like Gloria Steinem or Roxane Gay.

I will though credit this book for making feminism palatable for a younger generation!

This book is extremely similar to Chidera Eggerue's book. It is so similar that I found myself opening Chidera's book while reading this one and finding paragraphs and pages that could be direct quotes. I find that reprehensible. This aside, I wasn't into this book one bit. It was full of nice, big broad ideas and nothing specific. The imagery and text were way too much, as if by assaulting our eyes with ugly and somewhat steretypical imagery and generalized words, the author believed readers would join the feminist fight. Nothing in this book was new. All the ideas have been written before and it all felt so repetitive. I do not recommend this one.

I totally misunderstood this book. What I thought to be a nonfiction discussing beauty standards and feminism, turned out to be a self help boo, discussing feminism, but mainly relationships. I don't do self help books and relationship books seem to say the same thing. I guess this book is a decent introduction for young readers grappling with their sexuality, society's standards, self perception and other topics, but I had an idea already of everything in the book, and it didn't add much. I wanted more of a discussion book, but this was more of a list-of-things-to-do in regards to beauty standards and relationships book. It isn't bad, but not something I like to read, and I pushed myself to get through with. I guess the colours and illustrations helped a bit

I thank Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for the digital ARC.

This book was amazing, it felt really empowering especially for someone like me who hasn't read a lot of feminist books. Because of that, I can only speak from my perspective and experience reading this book which may be completely different from someone who understands/has studied more the topic of feminism.
Women don't owe you pretty was very eye-wakening not only in terms of what being a woman means but also in terms of privileged within society even as a woman. I highly recommend this book, especially if you're just like me and has just started reading about feminism.

This book is like the advice I needed when I was much younger. I'm so glad there are books like this out there for young women and girls in today's day and age. I found myself nodding along and saying "yes" to so many passages, bookmarking them to go back to read later. It's like Florence Given is able to articulate the thoughts in my head that I can't quite put to paper or voice. It's truly inspiring that at the age of 21 she was able to write such a great and inspiring text. I look forward to reading more of her work. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title in exchange for an honest review.

On this International Womens Day I am sharing a book review on a new book about women empowerment! Author and artist Given has put together a book that is perfect for introducing people to feminism. This is the book that I would recommend to teens and young adults learning what it means for women to have boundaries, not just be a piece of Ass, do what speaks to them and not what society says, and to learn how to recognize oppression.

This book gives a little different insight as it has a few chapters on being queer and dating same sex while implementing feminism and fighting the patriarchy, how this affected the author and to be mindful to those who might be experiencing the same thing.

One thing that stood out to me though is her understanding that it is a privilege to be able to physically be able to alter ones body against societal norms safely.

“Performing feminity and desirability isn’t always a choice for marginalized women - it’s often an act of survival.”

I want to acknowledge how true this can be. Meaning, not shaving, wearing cloths of another gender, shaving ones head, getting plastic surgery. These are all things privileged people can do “safely and without judgment” otherwise their safety or stability in society could be comprised. Makes one think about how one judges certain people.

I was hoping for this book to be more than what it was, I was excited to read the book because of the title, but found myself midway through wishing for it to end quickly because it was the same basic concept as in any other intro to feminism book. And again I see it more for the younger adult/teen readers. The book felt like it was in “cheerleader” mode, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just something to be mindful of.

Find this review on Instagram at:
Instagram.com/readingwithatherapist

And goodreads:
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I think the messages and the themes that this book talked about are incredibly important. My issue with this book arose from the controversy surrounding it in that the author of this book is a white woman and a lot of her book seemed to be copied (and profited off) from a women of color who wrote a very similar book a few years earlier. It's honestly really sad and unfortunate when white women especially go and take credit for things that are not their own, but then preach equality, feminism for all cultures, etc. I would just recommend finding the original author of this work and supporting her rather than this book.

This book was a (good) slap in the face. It's a journey to self-respect through feminism with absolutely stunning illustrations throughout. It's succinct yet personal and has wonderful tidbits of advice that feel like gold. The book has sections on desirability politics, privilege, abusive relationships, queerness, self-care and so much more. Given teachers the readers how to own their lives and free themselves from the patriarchy like a big sister; it's not overly academic but still teaches so much. I recommend it to all women and women adjacent people.

OMG such a good book. I feel everyone needs to read this. Sure, it’s mostly about feminism, but there’s so much more. It talks about taking care of yourself, being a better person, not letting anyone hold you back/down. I’m willing to say this will be my favorite book of the year and I’m definitely going to be rereading frequently. Plus the art is amazing

A great book. Read through it very quickly. Something everyone should read at some point as it highlights things women face every day such as self-esteem issues and body image.

I loved this book!! First of all despite the title this book is SO PRETTY! I love how it's laid out and the illustrations throughout are just beautiful. It is full of great quotes. I think every young woman should read this book. It is very important. I think it should be taught in schools honestly. Because it looks Instagram-worthy I think that young people would be more inclined to read it and pay it full attention.

This book is fantastic! the art style is so cool! it reminds me of illustrations from the seventies. the advice is really solid as well! i would buy it for any woman or femme in my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for the advanced copy.

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I found it to be juvenile and repetitive. I also had an issue with some uses and references to the LGBTQIA+ community. This might be fine for someone looking to break into a 'feminist" space, but I would be more likely to recommend other works on the subject before this one.

I would possibly recommend this book for younger people just getting into feminism, but not feminists if that makes sense. The text is very basic, feminism/woke 101 suggestions that most feminists would already be incorporating. I liked the general body positivity message, but it felt very long-winded and... aggressive? The book is also very social media-centric, which again makes more sense for a younger crowd. I liked the illustrations and graphics as well - the artwork made the book more interesting and made me want to keep reading.

An empowering little book for those who seek a first encounter with feminism. Nothing too special or mind-blowing and due to the controversy with Chidera Eggerue's book, "Women Don't Owe You Pretty" wouldn't be my first choice.

<i>"There is enough room for all women to be whole without tearing each other down."</i>

This book was a good reminder of many of the things I tend to forget. Although I knew a lot of it or it didn't apply, I think this book would be good for some that are younger (like the author's age). The fun cover and interesting storytelling style, I think it would work well for many that don't like "self help" or nonfiction books as much.

And I love the above line. I think we forget, often as people (but also as women), that we aren't in competition. My happy family doesn't reflect on you, your happy one doesn't reflect on me. It's something I'm constantly trying to remind myself and others. We live in weird times right now.

<i>Stop breaking yourself down into bite-sized pieces. Stay whole and let them choke."</i>

And we have to stop making ourselves small, to fit whatever space we're given. Be big, make them choke.

<i>Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with an Ebook via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

I had really been looking forward to this book but some parts were just a little too much. It was alright but nothing really stuck with me. I also became less interested when I realized how young she is...