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Reviews
I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl by Alexis Jones
a56jml's review
2.0
I would have LOVED this book if I was in my early twenties but alas I am not and a lot of the recommendations are unrealistic. I support the idea of the book but it is not for me.
willwork4airfare's review
3.0
I really, truly liked this book at the beginning. I cried through parts of it. It was difficult to read at times about the author's life and how much love and support she obviously grew up with. The multiple perspectives was a very good idea, partly for that reason. A little hokey at times, but from the first chapter, I was reading things I really needed to hear, and the writing was strong and inspiring. But then...
I hate being lectured to exercise. I get it. And including a strongly worded section on fitness and exercise after another person's anecdote on weight and her struggle with bulimia, including the quote "nothing tastes better than fit feels" was really abrasive, especially since I've only ever heard the quote in the form "nothing tastes better than skinny feels" which felt more like the point.
By chapter six I felt shouted at! Used the "bootstraps" phrase which never leads anywhere good.
Contradicted herself constantly. I stopped being able to really relate to her comments at all and kept reading for the anecdotes/essays by other women. The book did inspire me to text a few of my girlfriends and I sent an email I'd been holding in my drafts for a few weeks. The last chapter on the making of "I Am That Girl" won me over a lot. For all its faults, her vision is one I believe in and feel good about.
She keeps using her success and hard work as an example and refers to losing sleep, but she literally almost killed herself with that lifestyle. Perpetuates the idea that romantic relationships should be superior to all else. Kind of uncomfortable commentary on the intern who didn't get hired for bad photos on Facebook. Questionable paragraph where at one point she suggests that readers follow "the hip hop rhythm inside your soul"??
This book is best suited for people who are inspired by things that are trying very hard to be inspiring, and don't require much depth. Lots of good quotes. Free on Kindle Unlimited.
I hate being lectured to exercise. I get it. And including a strongly worded section on fitness and exercise after another person's anecdote on weight and her struggle with bulimia, including the quote "nothing tastes better than fit feels" was really abrasive, especially since I've only ever heard the quote in the form "nothing tastes better than skinny feels" which felt more like the point.
By chapter six I felt shouted at! Used the "bootstraps" phrase which never leads anywhere good.
Contradicted herself constantly. I stopped being able to really relate to her comments at all and kept reading for the anecdotes/essays by other women. The book did inspire me to text a few of my girlfriends and I sent an email I'd been holding in my drafts for a few weeks. The last chapter on the making of "I Am That Girl" won me over a lot. For all its faults, her vision is one I believe in and feel good about.
She keeps using her success and hard work as an example and refers to losing sleep, but she literally almost killed herself with that lifestyle. Perpetuates the idea that romantic relationships should be superior to all else. Kind of uncomfortable commentary on the intern who didn't get hired for bad photos on Facebook. Questionable paragraph where at one point she suggests that readers follow "the hip hop rhythm inside your soul"??
This book is best suited for people who are inspired by things that are trying very hard to be inspiring, and don't require much depth. Lots of good quotes. Free on Kindle Unlimited.
jxg255's review
3.0
Empowering book to figure out and focus on your passion and how to make it happen.
klitanightfuryreads's review
I got to 25% of the book and decided is not for me. I did not care about how she talked about exercise and diet… almost like looking down on people and judging. Just not the book for me at all.
bookaddictlt's review
2.0
I had high hopes for this one. It is on all the lists. It does have some helpful perspectives and techniques to offer. It also perpetuates some problematic topics - mainly, toxic positivity and fatphobia. The book is full of contradictions about self-worth and what makes a person worthless (to be fair, Jones never says anyone is worthless). The whole book is, love yourself, but never be really satisfied with yourself. It also makes the assumption that “success” is based on career and - though not specified - wealth.
All that aside - there are some helpful, albeit basic, tips for learning to be your authentic self and helping a person narrow down and focus on what they want to do and what they need to do to get there. The book is not all bad. It is filled with anecdotes from other women who offer different perspectives on the topic being discussed - some more helpful than others.
I think, overall, this book could really help people if you read it aware that there are some very problematic viewpoints and some contradictions to the purpose. It should be noted that it was published in 2017 - at which point some of the things mentioned had not yet been broadly understood to be fatphobic or toxic. I can only hope that Jones has done some serious unlearning on these topics in the years since.
It isn’t a book I’d recommend, but I don’t warn against it either - if you can read it with a critical eye and only focus on what is helpful for you. Which- you should probably do with all personal development books anyway.
All that aside - there are some helpful, albeit basic, tips for learning to be your authentic self and helping a person narrow down and focus on what they want to do and what they need to do to get there. The book is not all bad. It is filled with anecdotes from other women who offer different perspectives on the topic being discussed - some more helpful than others.
I think, overall, this book could really help people if you read it aware that there are some very problematic viewpoints and some contradictions to the purpose. It should be noted that it was published in 2017 - at which point some of the things mentioned had not yet been broadly understood to be fatphobic or toxic. I can only hope that Jones has done some serious unlearning on these topics in the years since.
It isn’t a book I’d recommend, but I don’t warn against it either - if you can read it with a critical eye and only focus on what is helpful for you. Which- you should probably do with all personal development books anyway.
brinastewart's review
4.0
I found this was a good read to see that we women need to love ourselves and surround ourselves with supportive people that help us grow, love us, want the best for us, and are positive. Also, Jones talks about becoming supporters of each other and not competition. I think there needs to be more out there with this message and we should take initiative to make it happen. All of us have struggles and we glean so much from a community of support and camaraderie. I think there are people who picked up this book in hopes to find steps to follow such as a self-help outline but, Jones states in her introduction that this is not that kind of book. I would say this book is good to read to hear from someone's lessons in why it is important to learn and know yourself and try to figure out what works for you..., not following a laid out plan from someone else.