I'm going to be brutally honest here, nothing in this book was anything revolutionary. As a 20-something woman trying to navigate my way through adulthood, this gave me nothing new and nothing that hadn't already been said before.

This book had a chapter titled "the art of shampoo-ing your hair." how is that going to help me navigate adulthood? It's not like something like this can't be found on TikTok, instagram, or YouTube. They're a dime a dozen on there.

For me, this was a tough read because I genuinely couldn't bring myself to pick it up, I was bored out of my mind. I found myself wishing I could get more stories of Daisy's life as she grew up rather than the advice she was attempting to send through. I wanted to know more about Daisy in uni and Daisy in the work force, and Daisy dating rather than the advice we were getting. I don't know, I just wasn't connecting with the material all too well.

I didn't really like it. I have struggles being an adult, so I really wanted to love this book, but this book didn't meet my expectations at all. It all felt really basic and general, and nothing really useful. I love the cover and title and the idea of the book, but it just didn't work for me.

If you’ve got a 20-30s female in your life and they need a hug but you’re far away, then sending this book is the next best thing. Or indeed if you’re 20-30 and need a hug sometimes, then read this book. It’s a manual for life that covers everything from self care and confidence, through to money, jealousy and mental health. The book reads like a series of well-written essays, each chapter is a different topic. Buchanan’s writing style is enjoyable to read and contains wise advice dotted with cultural references and humour. Chapter 2 on Friendship is possibly the most beautiful book chapter I’ve ever read. Would recommend, especially for fans of Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Urano Publishing for an Advanced Read Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me realize I am doing better as an adult than I thought. Its a great self-help book. I just reviewed how to be a grown-up by Daisy Buchanan. #howtobeagrownup #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I was given a free e-copy of this by NetGalley, but sadly I am not able to read the copy as I can only download the first page of the book for some reason. A shame since I actually think this book sounded very interesting.

How to make small talk with a stranger has the most inane advice:

“Ask if she had far to come. It’s dull, but people love to whine about traffic jams and rail replacement buses, and you can use boring journey chat to segue into where she lives, does she like it, how long has she been there, what sort of dogs does she see in her nearest park...”

Hot to fall in love includes this tip which is horrendously inhumane and just downright cruel a way to treat another human being

“When I found myself on a bad date, I ran away. There is no greater thrill than realizing that if you don’t warm to someone after the first half hour, there is nothing to be gained by giving them a second one for luck. I’d excuse myself, always apologizing but never explaining, and run home and straight into my nicest pajamas. Ben & Jerry’s never tasted so sweet.”

How to love your body minimises the severity of anorexia and suggests all a person with a chronic mental health disorder needs is the love of a good man

“Anorexia is all consuming. Luckily, I reached a point where I had to choose between fun and calorie counting, and I chose fun. After going to that dance with my arsenal of awkward shirt compliments, I suddenly found myself with a real-life boyfriend. The joy and excitement that generated gave me the tools to build the ladder I needed to open the window and climb out of my own head.”

There is an entire chapter dedicated to “how to wash your hair”. I despair.

I just found daisy and her crew utterly insufferable. A whole book built on anecdotal evidence from someone without any underlying qualification bar working for a glossy mag. It’s basically an Instagram account in book form with comments from her pals, and I think she’s doing a disservice to young women to assume they’re as clueless as she seemingly was.