I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I appreciate the disclaimer at the beginning because it is important not to replace medical advice with books but they can be extremely helpful to manage conditions or make the first steps to a possible diagnosis. I appreciated that Dr Maschke provided her own site and instagram to get in touch with her for those who need it as getting a diagnosis as a female can be a difficult and frustrating process and having someone who you can feel is on your side can make all the difference. I like that this book addresses the gender health gap and appreciate the presence of a “what you will learn in this chapter” as it will make scanning back through to specific things in the future easier. I also liked the key takeaways at the end of each chapter and found the case studies helpful. Finally I appreciate the glossary as some complex terms were used and having the reference list separated by chapter makes it much easier to find the research I was looking for.

I'm incredibly excited to recommend this book to every fellow late-diagnosed ADHD woman.
(I got my diagnosis of ADHD and CPTSD in April at the age of almost 23! It has been a rollercoaster journey for me since then and I’m still navigating my way through it with the help of Therapy!)

It truly is a groundbreaking book that shares some great ideas and strategies for women with ADHD; to help navigate the many tricky challenges they face living in a world ill-equipped to understand them.

It is also wonderful and empowering for women who are often misunderstood and ignored as a result of biases from ADHD diagnosis, by their validation. In this book, Dr. Maschke delves into the many ways ADHD presents differently in women and covers themes of masking, anxiety, and the co-occurrence of ADHD with other mental health conditions.

The writing style is engaging and relatable, explaining even the most complex concepts in accessible terms. Rich in personal stories and real-life examples, this book is relatable. I especially liked the practical suggestions, exercises that provide strategies for managing ADHD symptoms and increasing our fitness.

If you are a woman with ADHD or someone who knows a girl/woman with ADHD, this book is an essential read. The book offers a full guide and toolkit for understanding the issue, but also much needed validation to women who often feel unseen and unheard. Releasing on 8th October!

Thank you to Dr. Janina Maschke and Watkins Publishing for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

I am not a reader who enjoys introductions that only tell me what I am going to read, but I can get past them and realize some readers appreciate them. However, when I subsequently tried to read chapters 2 and 3, I felt like it was more of the same. The chapters all felt like introductions telling me what they were going to tell me, telling me without much added information, and then mentioning strategies without giving any. I am sure those do come later in the book. But I lost the motivation to keep reading. People with ADHD (myself included) crave novelty and have great curiosity and low patience for slow pacing; it feels like this book was written for a different audience.

Release Date: 8th October 2024

An essential read for anyone with a female body who knows or thinks they have ADHD!

It is so refreshing to read how ADHD presents for females, which is different than males in a lot of ways, that made so much sense to me and helped me understand what I was experiencing with better clarity.

It feels like there is still a long way to go with understanding how conditions and neurodivergence presents and is different for females, but this definitely helps and gives me hope we will learn more, now these differences are becoming more commonly known.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Struggling through a late ADHD diagnosis has been an adventure I did not think I was going to experience in my late 30s. It was a great read to learn more about the feminist side and how different both the medical and everyday world treats woman with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed).

Full disclosure: I don’t have ADHD, or at least I haven’t been diagnosed. Based on everything I’ve read over the past year, along with the experiences of other women that resonate with my own life, I suspect I might have it. I’ve thought about seeking a diagnosis, but I know it can be difficult and expensive—resources I simply don’t have. It would be comforting to believe that there’s a reason behind my struggles, rather than feeling inherently faulty.

I’ve been reading about ADHD to better inform myself in case I decide to pursue a diagnosis. This book felt particularly relevant; I saw myself in many of the examples and descriptions, which was genuinely moving. While the advice—like the importance of exercise, sleep, and nutrition—isn’t groundbreaking, the specific tips tailored for those with ADHD provide a fresh perspective. These insights acknowledge the unique challenges that ADHD-ers face and offer practical strategies that might not apply to “ordinary” people. I found myself taking notes, knowing I would revisit this book rather than read it just once.

I genuinely enjoyed learning more about ADHD, particularly as it pertains to women. This book is a great resource for someone like me, though I can see it might be a bit basic for those who are further along in their ADHD journey.

I can’t help but feel my opinion might not carry much weight since I haven’t been diagnosed. While I suspect I have ADHD—especially given my brothers’ both have it, so did my mum—it feels presumptuous to evaluate the book’s effectiveness without a formal diagnosis. Yet, it’s also hard to dismiss the strong connection I felt with the material. Ultimately, I’m grateful for the insights it provided, and I look forward to using it as a starting point, should I choose to explore this path further.

this provides a solid foundational education on adhd as it manifests in women, as well as why it differs from men, why it happens, how to manage it, and other related resources / effects of adhd (depression, pregnancy, medications, eating disorders, etc.).

some of the management i found to be your typical wellness 101, but still true and effective - just not anything that was new to me. i think for someone who is newer to adhd and/or is questioning if they might have it, this would be a great read to learn more.

one thing i felt it lacked in was talking about handling ableism. while i agree it's important to advocate for yourself at work, home, school, etc. there's also the very real reality that many companies and schools are ableist and, esp in the case of work, needing accomodations might be used against you or not fully delivered on. i just wouldn't want anyone to have the expectation that we're in any place yet that everyone is very understanding of disability and has the education or emotional understanding to account for it.

overall, i still found it very helpful and validating and i would def want to keep the resources on hand.

an honest arc review ♡

I've read so many books on ADHD and this was one of the first that really felt like it was tailored to the experience of being a woman with ADHD, which was so much more personally applicable for me (and so much more approachable in general as a reader struggling with self-doubt). Grateful to have this as a resource and will definitely be recommending when it comes to the content I write about my experiences as an AuDHD travel writer!

As a female who was diagnosed with combined type ADHD at 19, this book was extremely insightful and validating. By reading, I was able to learn some new methods of taming the “dance party in my head.” I think this book is a great resource!

'A Feminist's Guide to ADHD' sheds light on the unique challenges women with ADHD face in a society that often overlooks their needs. Maschke's insightful analysis provides an honest, empowering perspective when considering the intersection of gender and neurodiversity. Through personal anecdotes and research, she guides readers to navigate the complexities of ADHD and reclaim their power.

I will say that this book is a helpful resource to have if you are looking at the possibility of an ADHD diagnosis, or dealing with a system that is very heavily geared towards male diagnosis and diagnosis in childhood. I do find that this book was broken down in a bit of an odd way, with some of the symptoms and management put together a bit oddly.

I did think that it was helpful to have a resource for women, although I wouldn't strictly call it a guide so much as an introduction. It is hard, however, to put together an exhaustive resource, so I appreciate the effort of the author in putting together a solid introductory resource.

This was a really interesting, thorough and well written book.
I don't have ADHD and I don't suspect I have it, I chose to read it to see If I could understand others a bit more and also to see the apparent differences between men and women. This is explained really well.
A few bits were quite scientific, but I still thought it was a great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ADHD is still largely seen as a diagnosis befitting fidgety (white) boys who struggle in remaining focused during the long hours of school. As a result, girls and women are grossly under-diagnosed and thus experience prolonged suffering. Dr. Janina Maschke details the different ways in which women might exhibit and experience symptoms of ADHD and helps to demystify the diagnosis. I'm not sure that I got any distinctly "feminist" vibes from the book, but I suppose in a patriarchal society, anything that centers girls/women can come across as feminist.

I think this book is good for those who are newly diagnosed. As discussed in the book, most of the research is focused on men so is hard for women to get diagnosed on time and the resources might be limited.

Overall I found this book to be well written, informative and an educational read. Provided some new ideas and insights. Worth picking up if the subject matter affects you. Recommend.

Since being diagnosed with adhd I have been searching for books and material that apply to me as a woman. This one is great. Thank you so much :)

As a feminist with ADHD I was incredibly eager to read this ARC. The conversation on pretty much all ADHD research having been based on men, while a lot of women suffer from it, is incredibly important to me. The more people read about this, the better! It is a good introduction to ADHD, to the problems women face with it, but not a guide perse. However it was way more detailed than I expected, written in a way that held my attention and it's a gorgeous cover, which will give you that dopamine rush when you buy it. I would be very open for a physical copy to share with all my friends.

This book is helpful in explaining ADHD, particularly as it impacts on women.
I was expecting a stronger feminist analysis. There is some talk of society and its impact, but this could have been expanded on.
However, there is lots in here that women with ADHD will find useful such as values exercise, the importance of positive psychology, the way our hormones can impact on how ADHD affects us.

For a feminist's guide to ADHD, I am surprised that it wasn't more gender-inclusive.
I feel like there could be a little inclusion about the gender language used in the book, or at least addressing the use of pronouns, as well as the preferred language throughout the book for people with female reproductive organs. Perhaps a distinction is that of sex, rather than gender? Other books have done this well, and it might be pertinent to expanding upon this or add a note about it. I would highly recommend the editors and author add something to address this because it shows humility and addresses how one wrote the book. Perhaps the author and editors did not think of this, but it's something that other books have done well and could be used here, especially for an author who is using 'feminist' in the title.

That aside, I like this as a quick and comprehensive guide to ADHD, and the fact that it urges readers to self-advocate and gives them the necessary information and tools to do so. Asking for accommodations, for instance, is a huge thing that many people in the workforce don't readily utilize-- even if they *do* have a documented disability. I like the amount of care that Maschke put in her book to address and suggest these crucial tips and tricks. If I had known or had this book earlier, I probably would have asked for similar accommodations while I was in university or grad school too.

Looking forward to seeing if they take my suggestions before publishing!

So I chose to read this because we think my 14yo daughter may have ADHD and we, like so many other parents/carers are struggling to get help. I thought this may help me to understand the condition more.

I thought this was a great book about females and ADHD and how, over the years, it has been massively overlooked in our sex compared to boys. It is so informative about absolutely everything surrounding the condition through a woman's life. It's also a bonus that the author has ADHD too.

Each chapter starts by explaining what it is going to be addressing, then at the end of each, it gives you key parts to take away and think about. The author does a good job of breaking everything down in an easy way, so as the reader, you fully understand what is being told to you. There are case studies throughout that help to understand the ways an ADHD person feels and goes about things.
Throughout this book, it covers how ADHD and hormones work with the condition. Periods, pregnancy, and even through to menopause are talked about.
The only part I struggled with was when it explained how an ADHD brain works, no fault of the author, I just found it a lot of scientific explanation that my own brain struggled to process. After a couple more times of reading this section, I would have a better understanding of it.
I loved all the coping techniques and self-help exercises there are in this book. There are so many to try if you find yourself struggling.

This is a perfect book for those who may think they either have Adhd or know someone who may have it. Or for those who have just gotten a diagnosis of the condition. It's a good starting book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for my advanced copy.
My opinions are my own.