Truly felt empowered reading this and enjoyed every moment of reading.

Will recommend to friends who want to be bad bitches

This was a fun read. It was a little slow to start, but when it took off it really took off. I don't think this is appropriate to integrate into a classroom setting, but I would offer it on a recommended reading list for YA readers looking for new books aligned to their interests.

This is a good book for a young lady looking for guidance. It's something I probably would have enjoyed as a teenager.

I loved this book. As a woman in her late thirties, I wish I had this when I was younger. It still has many things in it for me to still refer to on a regular basis and remember. I will be going back to it often.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I needed this book in high school - it would have helped me learn much sooner that I don't have to apologize for taking up space in the world. With a tight edit and finished content (it was difficult on this ebook version to zoom in/see finer details), I would definitely recommend "How to Be a Difficult Bitch" to any pre-teens or teens in your life who need extra assistance being assertive and coming into their own power.

This is a perfect little book for girls needing guidance to deal with everyday life stresses, hiccups, and anxieties, as well as life in general. It's a book I wish I had had during my teens and twenties.

Well-written, graphic book about girl empowerment and inclusion. The artwork is fabulous. There is frank language but it is not offensive in the least.

I struggled with this one. Had to start and stop multiple times before I finally wrapped it up.
Probably would work for someone who likes a slower pace read but this one wasn’t for me.

The file was hard to read on this. It seemed to be feminist book about informing teens how to be independent in serveral different sections of their life. To be honest I don't like the term "difficult bitch" but maybe the title was trying to teach the reader that it's not a bad thing. It's hard to say because I couldn't read it very well.

This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like others who have reviewed this book, I found myself often wondering where this had been when I was a teenager - or even a younger adult. The illustrations definitely would have appealed to my alternative-loving past self, and the no-nonsense way Bondy and her contributors deal head-on with topics is refreshing; I'd imagine it is especially so when a teenager feels like everyone is talking around the issue rather than being straightforward with them.

Because I read an ebook copy of this book, I found the contributors' sections to be a little difficult to read; the typeface and typeface color choices had me squinting, and in some cases I gave up on reading them entirely because it made my eyes hurt. This may not be an issue with the print copy, but it hindered me a little from certain sections.

I'd recommend this for teenagers and for parents of teenagers; it's a fun read, and it deals with topics teens deal with on a daily basis in a way that meets them on their level.

I am not typically a fan of self help style books, but I really enjoyed this one. I wish I could have read How to Be a Difficult Bitch when I was a teenager. Though I'm not in the target demographic, the book still offers great information. In it, it teaches teens to get to know themselves, stand up for what they believe in, and to claim their power. All of this is SO important for teenage girls, as teen years are some of the most confusing and difficult times in life.

I particularly enjoyed the notes by Sharon, Mary, and Zara, who all provide different point of views that I, as a cis gendered white woman, may not have otherwise considered. I found these excerpts eye opening and educational.

Thank you to Netgalley, Halley Bondy; Mary C. Fernandez; Sharon Lynn Pruitt-Young; Zara Hanawalt, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! I was originally pretty startled to find this book under the Children's nonfiction section. It was really the title that drew me in, and I love how this reshapes the narrative and owns the title of being a "Difficult Bitch".

I really enjoyed how inclusive this book was, both by including people of all genders as well as via all of the diverse art and images that were scattered throughout. It really allows really anyone to be able to see themselves in the hypothetical situations that were described. It was also particularly enjoyable to see a bit of the authors' personality come through in some of the sections. Ultimately I believe that this is a must-read for people of all ages (well, maybe pre-teens and up)! It is definitely something that I would have really needed in high school.

Come for the evocative title, stay for the practical advice! This read is vital for young women coming into themselves. It evokes a similar energy to Queer by Belge and Bieschke. I find myself thinking of this book days later in my everyday interactions. This is one of those few books that has the possibility to change your outlook.

This is the type of book I wish I had as a teenager. It is filled with advice for girls (girls of color specifically) on how to stand up for yourself in a bunch of different situations. It gives good ideas of how to be firm, but not come off as the dreaded "b" word!

How to Be a Difficult Bitch is a very well written graphic novel collection on empowerment and inclusion by Halley Bondy and aimed at young people (~12+). Due out 5th April 2022 from Lerner on their Zest Books imprint, it's 152 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

The chapters are arranged thematically and cover social aspects of learning to be confident (but not -mean-) and strong in a lot of areas including financial strength, online safety and health (lots of good anti-bullying info here), as well as at school, mental and physical health, relationships, and most other aspects of life. This is a very empowering and accessibly written book, full of humor and important observations. It's well illustrated throughout and salient bullet point lists are highlighted in text boxes for emphasis.

Four stars. This would be a superlative choice for public or school libraries (potential warnings apply for frank language and concepts - I didn't find anything objectionable, but we're living in a world where school boards try to censor Maus).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I, unfortunately, didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping that I would but I would recommend this book for teens and young adults that are trying to find themselves and/or become more comfortable with themselves. This book does have some interesting sections but I personally just couldn't get into it the way that I wanted to.

I can now confidently say I know how to be a difficult bitch. I loved how there were different perspectives because there's more than one authors. I've learned how to be more direct and set boundaries from this book.

This book is directed at girls and women in their late teens and early twenties, would be perfect for a "new adult" section if your library has one. The content is all about knowing your own worth, being empowered, and speaking up for yourself, but also about being respectful and kind to others. There are multiple contributors in order to provided different points of view, particularly for those of color and who have disabilities or differences.

Content-wise, it is a pretty good book with great advice for young women, though I wish it had been written with a more sincere, less gimmicky tone. I have to admit I'm not crazy about the title and the endless repetition of variations of the term "difficult bitch" through the book. It is a cheap gimmick to attract attention and appeal to teens, but it gets annoying after a few times and detracts from the content. It definitely will be offensive to some people, and could make it more difficult for teens to have access to the book considering the wave of censorship sweeping across the country.

Also, in the very beginning, it talks about the word "bitch" and its various usages and connotations, and how the authors are reclaiming the word to refer to someone who is strong, empowered, and knows their worth, and that it should not be used as an insult or put-down to women or men, or to refer to someone behaving negatively, such as being rude, mean, selfish, inconsiderate, etc. But then within the next page or two, the author uses the word "dick" in exactly that way, which seems really hypocritical to me.

However, it does have some good content and positive messages; I just feel a little more editing is needed and I would reconsider the title.

[I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

I flipped through this and really enjoyed the information it shares. Really powerful stuff for our young people to learn from.

I have mixed feelings on this book, all around.

- laziness is an ableist concept in a society where productivity and hustle culture is of the utmost importance. Did not appreciate reference to laziness because it just perpetuates bad shit.

- equating the idea that if you don't own your power is altogether a bad, ableist move

- how is being a difficult bitch legit when you should also consider how your actions of not owning power make you appear "lazy" to other people? I'm autistic and frequently nonverbal, and this is not an easy feat for me. The examples given would have made me feel like complete shit if I were reading this as a teen

- despite being a 30yo person, I found the relationship chart helpful to determine whether a relationship in my life is actually a toxic one or in just being petty. It helped me to see that I'm just gaslighting myself and that this relative does, indeed, display toxic traits — especially since I'm frequently expected to do things for them despite having my own life. Just because they're busier because of the life they chose doesn't mean I can't have the boundary of not catering to their every whim.

- Was going fine until the Activist Bitch chapter. Lazy activism is NOT just reposting things, sharing links, and/or being a spectator. Not everyone has the energy/spoons to engage in heavy activism. Again, it's disappointing that a book about being a difficult bitch and supposedly being in on all the nuances of today's political climate would insist so much on the usage of the word "lazy" and other ableist concepts. Seriously.

There were some good parts. Generally speaking, this book is great for teens. Specifically speaking, it is an imperfect work at best that needs more perfecting and accessibility. It was obviously created with non-autistic people in mind by default.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. This is a fabulous guide to taking back the word "bitch" and learning how standing up for yourself and others is not being a "bitch." The authors focus on activism, extracurricular activities, education, and more. Definitely recommend for teens.