brandinh's review against another edition
3.0
This collection of stories written by a diverse group of women features insights on the experience of living as a female in America. The majority of the stories included focus on facing discrimination in the workplace, very few address issues such as prescribed gender roles for fashion, outward appearance, emotional expression, etc. However, this is still a powerful resource for illustrating that girls can do anything they set their minds too. Several of the stories do highlight the intersectionality of the authors’ experiences. Bulleted lists of major accomplishments by females within each decade (beginning with the 1920s) serve as section breaks and add an extra element to the overall presentation. While I wish more stories were included that address rape culture, the #MeToo movement, gender norms, online harassment, and other pertinent issues, this is a worthy purchase for middle and high school libraries.
gmdudley4's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars. This seems like the exact type of book that I would love to read, but sadly this book did not deliver. I loved that the book was told in short vignettes that included a photograph, but the stories were not all cohesive. Sure, all of the stories were from women, but I don't think they all were explicit in how being a girl shaped their perspectives. since of the stories read like a resume sweep abd others were too vague to have much impact. I appreciate what the author was trying to do, but it just didn't come together for me in the end. Also, I was annoyed that on the fact sheet introducing each chapter anytime some referred to "wonen" broadly it typically meant white women. Perhaps this might be a good book for a pre-teen.
enne's review against another edition
3.0
So, this book sounds just like something I would enjoy, right? I mean a collection of short stories about women overcoming the challenges that are presented to them because of the fact that they are women. What’s there not to love about that? Turns out, there are things. First of all, the writing felt extremely childish, like the authors were talking down to the readers, which I was not a fan of, at all. The stories were also pretty short, and the writing was very basic in most of them. Libba Bray’s was the exception and was the one I really loved. Other than that, the message carried throughout the stories was nice, but the execution could have been better. A lot of the stuff the authors in the stories also felt a bit repetitive, but I don’t know, that might just be me.
kannolikitten's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book that is a bit harder for my to accurately review because there were so many different voices in it. A quick list is below of my general thoughts:
What I Liked:
-The concept: I love the idea of putting together a book of women who are sharing their experiences with overcoming sexism and celebrating womanhood.
-The format: Dividing the book into decades and giving a summary of each decade really helped to se how each generation of women continued to build on the successes of the women that came before them. Seeing the progress that was being made throughout the book was really cool.
-I also thought most of the stories were interesting, relevant, and inspiring
What I felt "meh" about:
-I wish there would have been more experiences from women of color earlier on in the book. It felt more inclusive as it progressed to more recent times. (I know that this is also due to white privilege, but I'm sure there were still some inspiring stories to tell).
-Towards the end, it felt like there was a general message of "thank you to everyone who came before me because sexism is basically gone!!". Obviously, it does not exist the same way it did 50 years ago, but it is still important to acknowledge the ways in which it is perpetuated today.
Overall, I think this is a great book that I would highly recommend (and probably buy myself).
What I Liked:
-The concept: I love the idea of putting together a book of women who are sharing their experiences with overcoming sexism and celebrating womanhood.
-The format: Dividing the book into decades and giving a summary of each decade really helped to se how each generation of women continued to build on the successes of the women that came before them. Seeing the progress that was being made throughout the book was really cool.
-I also thought most of the stories were interesting, relevant, and inspiring
What I felt "meh" about:
-I wish there would have been more experiences from women of color earlier on in the book. It felt more inclusive as it progressed to more recent times. (I know that this is also due to white privilege, but I'm sure there were still some inspiring stories to tell).
-Towards the end, it felt like there was a general message of "thank you to everyone who came before me because sexism is basically gone!!". Obviously, it does not exist the same way it did 50 years ago, but it is still important to acknowledge the ways in which it is perpetuated today.
Overall, I think this is a great book that I would highly recommend (and probably buy myself).
daniellepaige86's review against another edition
4.0
Every high school girl, actually girl or boy, should read this book.
angelamoon's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very inspirational, but did Melissa de la Cruz have to include herself and her daughter in it?
void_dad's review against another edition
4.0
TW: sexual harassment/abuse
super cute and inspiring. the only problem is that now I feel the need to be a better person and not procrastinate or laze about.
super cute and inspiring. the only problem is that now I feel the need to be a better person and not procrastinate or laze about.