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Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers
"You’d think a Miss America swimsuit winner would feel completely confident about her body, right? Not always! So I decided to write the book I wish I’d had as a teen and in college—an honest, funny, practical, medically accurate, totally reassuring guide to how women’s bodies actually look, smell, feel, behave, and change. Alongside real-deal photographs of women just like you and me (no airbrushing, no supermodels, no kidding) you’ll find medical pictures of things you need to be able to recognize, true confessions by yours truly, and the encouragement you need to appreciate the uniqueness, strength, and beauty of your body. What are you waiting for?"—Nancy Redd
From fashion magazines to taboo Web sites, curious young women have access to tons of old wives' tales about and thousands of airbrushed and inaccurate images of the female body—misinformation and harmful portrayals that can lead to low self-esteem, self-destructive acts, or even disturbing plastic surgery procedures. Teaming up with a leading physician specializing in adolescent health issues, Harvard graduate and former Miss Virginia Nancy Redd now offers a down-to-earth, healing, and reassuring response to those damaging myths. In Body Drama , Redd gives girls insight into the issues they're often too ashamed to raise with a doctor or parent. She also reveals her own experiences with the culture of "American beauty," and shows readers all the many versions of "normal." From body hair and bras, to acne and weight issues, along with crucial issues such as the importance of a healthy self image, Body Drama is a groundbreaking book packed with informative fast facts, FYIs, how-tos, and moving personal anecdotes as well as hundreds of un-retouched photographs. A highly visual book, it’s the first of its kind for filled with real information and real photographs of real bodies, to celebrate all our different shapes and sizes.
Named by Glamour magazine as one of America’s top-ten college women "most likely to succeed—at anything," Redd has spent the most recent years of her life on a mission to tackle the issues least discussed but most significant in young women’s lives. Celebrating the many versions of "normal," and replacing seriously erroneous information with the honest, medically proven truth in a language all girls can understand, Body Drama dares to empower a new generation—with facts instead of fantasies, and the priceless gift of self-knowledge.
From fashion magazines to taboo Web sites, curious young women have access to tons of old wives' tales about and thousands of airbrushed and inaccurate images of the female body—misinformation and harmful portrayals that can lead to low self-esteem, self-destructive acts, or even disturbing plastic surgery procedures. Teaming up with a leading physician specializing in adolescent health issues, Harvard graduate and former Miss Virginia Nancy Redd now offers a down-to-earth, healing, and reassuring response to those damaging myths. In Body Drama , Redd gives girls insight into the issues they're often too ashamed to raise with a doctor or parent. She also reveals her own experiences with the culture of "American beauty," and shows readers all the many versions of "normal." From body hair and bras, to acne and weight issues, along with crucial issues such as the importance of a healthy self image, Body Drama is a groundbreaking book packed with informative fast facts, FYIs, how-tos, and moving personal anecdotes as well as hundreds of un-retouched photographs. A highly visual book, it’s the first of its kind for filled with real information and real photographs of real bodies, to celebrate all our different shapes and sizes.
Named by Glamour magazine as one of America’s top-ten college women "most likely to succeed—at anything," Redd has spent the most recent years of her life on a mission to tackle the issues least discussed but most significant in young women’s lives. Celebrating the many versions of "normal," and replacing seriously erroneous information with the honest, medically proven truth in a language all girls can understand, Body Drama dares to empower a new generation—with facts instead of fantasies, and the priceless gift of self-knowledge.
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2007
12 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
July 3, 2008
Yeah, its 'graphic' but I hope that's not the only thing people take from this book. When I shared it with some people the reactions went from revulsion, to refusal to look at it. These reactions, as well as some of the reviews written right here on Goodreads, prove the necessity of the book!
Why should girls be ashamed to be naked? Plus, just because some teenage(or otherwise) boy is bound to pick it up and use it for his 'purposes' doesn't mean the book shouldn't exist! I don't think this argument would be around if the tables were turned and this was a guide for boys. So, just because some guys will have a self control problem shouldn't mean girls miss out on needed information.
Why should girls be ashamed to be naked? Plus, just because some teenage(or otherwise) boy is bound to pick it up and use it for his 'purposes' doesn't mean the book shouldn't exist! I don't think this argument would be around if the tables were turned and this was a guide for boys. So, just because some guys will have a self control problem shouldn't mean girls miss out on needed information.
January 6, 2008
I loved Our Bodies, Ourselves when my mother bought it for me in the early '70s. So I bought an updated edition for my own daughter a year or two ago. I don't think she's opened it, not even once.
Here comes Body Drama by Nancy Redd, which is SO different. It's all about the body, designed (and illustrated) to show that all bodies are different and normal. Pictures galore. I told my daughter she would get the book after mom read it first. This mom has learned a few things she didn't know. Highly recommended for girls of all ages.
Here comes Body Drama by Nancy Redd, which is SO different. It's all about the body, designed (and illustrated) to show that all bodies are different and normal. Pictures galore. I told my daughter she would get the book after mom read it first. This mom has learned a few things she didn't know. Highly recommended for girls of all ages.
January 3, 2009
This is one of the best, most accessible, most interesting books on body stuff for young women that I’ve read. Be prepared for graphic photos of *real* bodies – skin, pimples, hair, lice, stretch marks, breasts, buttocks, vulvas, and more (is there more?) – this book has it all. Nancy Redd explains that she wrote this book to help reassure girls that what they’ve got going on with their bodies is normal (in most cases) and the pictures are there not to titillate, but to show them what real women look like. She even includes a section that shows how models are airbrushed to eliminate all of their flaws and turn them into perfect examples of the female form – something most women are well-trained to aspire to, but almost always fall short of. With amusing section headings like “boobs” and “down there,” and lots of helpful health and body information, this is sure to appeal to lots of young women who have been wondering, “Am I normal?” While some folks may gape at the explicit photos and gasp at the frank explanations, revelations, and information, this book takes an important stab at demystifying the female body and allows girls and women an opportunity to get more comfortable with and knowledgeable about their own bodies.
March 22, 2008
I. Love. This. Book. Nancy Redd has written a book with "Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues & Real Answers" as it says on the front cover. The book is divided into five sections: shape, skin, down there, boobs, hair and nails. Each chapter covers several different "dramas" such as "My face is a zit factory" or "It's bumpy or lumpy down there."
Aside from very informative text, there are also photos. Many photos of actual women. In the back there is a two-page layout of front and back naked views of several different women. There is also a spread (hee hee) of 24 different women's vulvas. Nothing is airbrushed, and the constant message is that your natural body is wonderful. It's like a more direct "Our bodies, ourselves," but with pictures.
I'm pretty savvy in the body department, but I learned a lot too. Third nipples? There is a picture and explanation. Pubic lice? Yep. Stretch marks? Picture. The pictures were my favorite part though I also enjoyed the true confessions from the author. Now that I've devoured this book, I'm waiting for the boy's version.
Aside from very informative text, there are also photos. Many photos of actual women. In the back there is a two-page layout of front and back naked views of several different women. There is also a spread (hee hee) of 24 different women's vulvas. Nothing is airbrushed, and the constant message is that your natural body is wonderful. It's like a more direct "Our bodies, ourselves," but with pictures.
I'm pretty savvy in the body department, but I learned a lot too. Third nipples? There is a picture and explanation. Pubic lice? Yep. Stretch marks? Picture. The pictures were my favorite part though I also enjoyed the true confessions from the author. Now that I've devoured this book, I'm waiting for the boy's version.
July 16, 2008
I saw this book, and I must admit, the title and cover pictures intrigued me. This book had good advice in it, from the practical to the mundane and even a couple hints I didn't know. Nancy offers suggestions and tells you some of her humorous stories about growing up.
Overall I thought this was a really good book, if you are confused about certain parts of your body and want to know what "normal" is then you should definitely read this book. Nancy points out health pitfalls you can avoid through simple things like diet and exercise and I liked how well she covered all the general stuff as well as the tough stuff, like diseases.
I must warn you though, there are Real pictures of body parts in here. Some pictures are even pretty gross (extreme acne and other unwanted pests) I wouldn't let this book hang out anywhere, if someone else in your family, say your dad or brother were to randomly pick it up and flip through it - they'd probably be in for the shock of their lives!
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
Overall I thought this was a really good book, if you are confused about certain parts of your body and want to know what "normal" is then you should definitely read this book. Nancy points out health pitfalls you can avoid through simple things like diet and exercise and I liked how well she covered all the general stuff as well as the tough stuff, like diseases.
I must warn you though, there are Real pictures of body parts in here. Some pictures are even pretty gross (extreme acne and other unwanted pests) I wouldn't let this book hang out anywhere, if someone else in your family, say your dad or brother were to randomly pick it up and flip through it - they'd probably be in for the shock of their lives!
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
February 25, 2008
This book is being heralded by print press as being an amazing "hand-book" for teenage girls confused and embarrassed by their bodies. It's supposed to upfront, hip and friendly to teen-angst. I had to pick it up and see if the Ivy League schooled author was on to something worth all the accolades. I'm still on the fence about it. Once I process, I'll get back to you. But, I do have to say that the book is highly informative and dispels a lot of misinformation that teens seem to thread through the rumor mills. And you know what I'm talking about. Shit like "If I have sex in a pool, I can't get pregnant." Oh, teens today. Them and their rock music.
February 23, 2008
Amazing. Wish I had this going through puberty, but there's enough in here to last a lifetime, no matter the age.
The author is a Harvard grad with a mission to unveil the not so lady-like things that can go on/with/in a woman's bod. She is hilarious, and made me feel 100% better about my woo-hoo.
I will probably send this book to at least 3 of my friends.
I highly recommend this book for women of all ages.
The author is a Harvard grad with a mission to unveil the not so lady-like things that can go on/with/in a woman's bod. She is hilarious, and made me feel 100% better about my woo-hoo.
I will probably send this book to at least 3 of my friends.
I highly recommend this book for women of all ages.
May 13, 2008
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Since I started this job of reviewing about a year and a half ago, I've had the privilege of reading a number of self-help type books geared towards girls and women and their bodies. I have to admit that none have been as comprehensive, helpful, and realistic as BODY DRAMA. This is a book that leaves nothing to the imagination, states complete truths instead of half-truths and myths, and answers the types of questions that many females, regardless of age, are sometimes too embarrassed to ask -- even in the company of their doctors. As an adult, and a married woman with two children, I still found this book to be extremely helpful, and even discovered information that I hadn't previously known.
From your face to your skin, from your hair and nails to your reproductive organs, from skin problems to disease, from the natural shape of your body to the sometimes strange things that happen to said body, Ms. Redd covers them all -- and in detail. There's no hesitation here, and there's definitely no embarrassment. There are only real answers to real questions that everyone, at one time or another, has wondered about. And if you haven't wondered about it yet, believe me, you will!
BODY DRAMA is filled with "fast facts," drama scenarios, "how do I deal?" answers, and full-color photographs. This is a book that younger kids might giggle over, but that older teens will appreciate for its frankness. This is also a book that, once you get your copy, you won't want to part with it. Share it with your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your friend. Don't be ashamed of the body you were born with. Get the answers you need to be healthy and happy.
Kudos to Ms. Redd for such an informative read. This one is a winner!
Since I started this job of reviewing about a year and a half ago, I've had the privilege of reading a number of self-help type books geared towards girls and women and their bodies. I have to admit that none have been as comprehensive, helpful, and realistic as BODY DRAMA. This is a book that leaves nothing to the imagination, states complete truths instead of half-truths and myths, and answers the types of questions that many females, regardless of age, are sometimes too embarrassed to ask -- even in the company of their doctors. As an adult, and a married woman with two children, I still found this book to be extremely helpful, and even discovered information that I hadn't previously known.
From your face to your skin, from your hair and nails to your reproductive organs, from skin problems to disease, from the natural shape of your body to the sometimes strange things that happen to said body, Ms. Redd covers them all -- and in detail. There's no hesitation here, and there's definitely no embarrassment. There are only real answers to real questions that everyone, at one time or another, has wondered about. And if you haven't wondered about it yet, believe me, you will!
BODY DRAMA is filled with "fast facts," drama scenarios, "how do I deal?" answers, and full-color photographs. This is a book that younger kids might giggle over, but that older teens will appreciate for its frankness. This is also a book that, once you get your copy, you won't want to part with it. Share it with your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your friend. Don't be ashamed of the body you were born with. Get the answers you need to be healthy and happy.
Kudos to Ms. Redd for such an informative read. This one is a winner!
April 3, 2008
A much-needed companion book to "Our Bodies Our Selves." Wish I had this as a teen.
December 5, 2021
I wish I had this book when I was an adolescent. I like to think of this book as an encyclopedia that saw the ways that schools and families overwhelmingly undereducate young women especially about their bodies and decided to fix that.
This beautiful, accessible, and accurate guide intentionally uses untouched photos of real women when discussing all the big questions about mental health and physical health, including skin, boobs, vulvas, depression, overtanning, undereating, piercings, tattoos, and more. It doesn't shy away from hard topics, like sex, shitty periods, and STIs, even including images of various vulvas to show how many ways normal can look and images of what bumps and sores are benign and which should warrant a doctor visit.
Coming from a fundamentalist household, this is all information that my family and my public school sex ed failed to cover and left me finding out from friends, urban dictionary, and Google. I wish every girl had such a valuable and thorough resource and highly recommend it to parents and teachers of young and adolescent girls. There is no need for women to be unfamiliar with the workings of their own bodies and their own health in this day and age and this book is helping to make that happen.
This beautiful, accessible, and accurate guide intentionally uses untouched photos of real women when discussing all the big questions about mental health and physical health, including skin, boobs, vulvas, depression, overtanning, undereating, piercings, tattoos, and more. It doesn't shy away from hard topics, like sex, shitty periods, and STIs, even including images of various vulvas to show how many ways normal can look and images of what bumps and sores are benign and which should warrant a doctor visit.
Coming from a fundamentalist household, this is all information that my family and my public school sex ed failed to cover and left me finding out from friends, urban dictionary, and Google. I wish every girl had such a valuable and thorough resource and highly recommend it to parents and teachers of young and adolescent girls. There is no need for women to be unfamiliar with the workings of their own bodies and their own health in this day and age and this book is helping to make that happen.
March 18, 2022
This is an absolutely wonderful book and I'm so glad I came across it. It's full of great advice on topics that are probably always going to be relevant, and photos of normal young women. There is one section that demonstrates airbrushing versus normal photography, which is incredibly valuable psychologically. I -adored- that the final chapter was a self-esteem booster. I hope this continues to be widely read.
March 19, 2010
Non-Fiction. A guide to some of the weird shit that happens to female bodies, with an emphasis on health and knowing what's normal/average and what's cause for concern. This is geared towards teens and is written in that Seventeen style where it's obvious that no one near the age of seventeen was involved in the process, but it's not overly condescending and I found it pretty readable. Nancy Amanda Redd, Harvard graduate and former Miss Virginia, is open and friendly and makes the information accessible.
The book is bright and glossy and has pictures of real, non-airbrushed women in lots of different shapes and colors. The information is good -- stuff I know I didn't learn in health class -- and I think would give girls a real sense of what to expect from their bodies and help ward off undue oh-my-god-wtf-is-this type panic.
Chapters cover skin, boobs, mouth & hair & nails, "down there," and shape, with some weird subject drift in each. For instance, the shape chapter also talks about depression and self-harm. It needed to be said, but maybe a mental health chapter was in order.
There are some other missteps. Poor word choice in places, advice that's inaccurate (tattoo aftercare) or incomplete (latex condoms: some people are allergic to them), and a lack of parity in the body acceptance message. There's an "I feel fat" section, but no corresponding "I feel (too) thin" section, implying yet again that there is no such thing. It also makes some assumptions about the reader's sexuality. I'm sure you can guess which. However, it does get points for consistently mentioning anal sex along with the other more socially palatable sexes (vaginal, oral).
Three stars. It's got a positive message and the topics it covers are broad, but not very deep. Good for browsing or reading straight through.
The book is bright and glossy and has pictures of real, non-airbrushed women in lots of different shapes and colors. The information is good -- stuff I know I didn't learn in health class -- and I think would give girls a real sense of what to expect from their bodies and help ward off undue oh-my-god-wtf-is-this type panic.
Chapters cover skin, boobs, mouth & hair & nails, "down there," and shape, with some weird subject drift in each. For instance, the shape chapter also talks about depression and self-harm. It needed to be said, but maybe a mental health chapter was in order.
There are some other missteps. Poor word choice in places, advice that's inaccurate (tattoo aftercare) or incomplete (latex condoms: some people are allergic to them), and a lack of parity in the body acceptance message. There's an "I feel fat" section, but no corresponding "I feel (too) thin" section, implying yet again that there is no such thing. It also makes some assumptions about the reader's sexuality. I'm sure you can guess which. However, it does get points for consistently mentioning anal sex along with the other more socially palatable sexes (vaginal, oral).
Three stars. It's got a positive message and the topics it covers are broad, but not very deep. Good for browsing or reading straight through.
September 22, 2012
The best part of reading this book was realizing I'm too old for it, and that being this age has a clear upside. But if I had a teenage daughter, I would get Body Drama for her. I think, depending on the maturity of the girl, this could work for anyone from junior high to college.
If I have one quibble it's with the section on birth control. I wish she had given more attention to fertility, in general, and how it works. At some point, her readers might like to reverse engineer the process and have children. There's also some information that I consider incorrect and I think other organizations would as well.
It's a smart book, so I'm not sure why there's so much dumb alliteration. It's an annoying stylistic tic -- damaged hair is "stressed strands," skin damage "tarnishes our treasured skin" unless you're "zealous" about your "zigzags." It's also a smart enough book to be explicit about the double standard of telling girls to love their bodies as they are, and then telling girls how to fix their bodies. By and large, this book walks that line really well, focusing on health and self esteem and on how misleading and potentially damaging advertising can be. The section on air brushing is really good. Still, I wish NR had specifically addressed the issue of how conflicting the messages girls are given can be, and not just the messsages that come from "evil" sources like fashion magazines and shows on the CW.
If I have one quibble it's with the section on birth control. I wish she had given more attention to fertility, in general, and how it works. At some point, her readers might like to reverse engineer the process and have children. There's also some information that I consider incorrect and I think other organizations would as well.
It's a smart book, so I'm not sure why there's so much dumb alliteration. It's an annoying stylistic tic -- damaged hair is "stressed strands," skin damage "tarnishes our treasured skin" unless you're "zealous" about your "zigzags." It's also a smart enough book to be explicit about the double standard of telling girls to love their bodies as they are, and then telling girls how to fix their bodies. By and large, this book walks that line really well, focusing on health and self esteem and on how misleading and potentially damaging advertising can be. The section on air brushing is really good. Still, I wish NR had specifically addressed the issue of how conflicting the messages girls are given can be, and not just the messsages that come from "evil" sources like fashion magazines and shows on the CW.
May 21, 2009
A self-help book of sexuality for teens, featured last year on the Oprah show, Body Drama was written to address a teen’s inferiority complex engendered by airbrushed images found in the media. The introduction, “No Body’s Perfect” sets the theme and states, “I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been curious to know what other women’s bodies really look like underneath their clothes. Not sexually, but in a ‘is my body as hideously deformed as I think it is?’ kind of way” and lays out “the ABCs of basic body smarts.” The chapter on skin deals with pimples, dandruff, ashy skin, and stinky sweat, and there’s even a how-to on giving oneself a facial and getting rid of acne on butt and back. Facts, details, and advice are dispensed without judgment, and photographs of real bodies of real females abound. Humor is injected into the book in such lists as “99 Nicknames for Boobs” which addresses every girl’s curiosity about lopsided breasts, hard nipples or an extra one. To address the drama about more traumatic issues about vaginas and sexually transmitted diseases, the book also contains explicit pictures of vulvas and delivers information menstruation, virginity, urinary and bowel movement problems, hair on every part of the body including “down there” and on breasts, and finally shape to convince girls about “the many faces of normal.”
May 14, 2008
I actually got this book for my office [I'm an OB/GYN]. My plan is to use for some of the patients that come in with complaints about things that are actually normal. It has a lot of good info in it and a lot of great photos - actual photos of different variations of normal in terms of anatomy as well as stds and other problems. I think it would be really good for girls before puberty to know what to expect. As well as for any woman with a concern about her body. The book is very easy to read and for the most part is medically accurate - I only saw one or two items in it that I disagreed with. My favorite part of the book is the photos of normal vulvas - and telling women that they do not have to remove all the hair from their vulva! I could not even count the number of women that come into my office on a daily basis saying they are embrassed because they didn't get a chance to shave that day! Who cares?!?!? Hair is supposed to grow on our vulvas and legs - why would a doctor care if it is there or not!
October 13, 2009
Product Description
“You’d think a Miss America swimsuit winner would feel completely confident about her body, right? Not always! So I decided to write the book I wish I’d had as a teen and in college— an honest, funny, practical, medically accurate, totally reassuring guide to how women’s bodies actually look, smell, feel, behave, and change. Alongside real-deal photographs of women just like you and me (no airbrushing, no supermodels, no kidding) you’ll find medical pictures of things you need to be able to recognize, true confessions by yours truly, and the encouragement you need to appreciate the uniqueness, strength, and beauty of your body. What are you waiting for?” –Nancy Redd
I enjoyed this book and found it very interesting and informative. The pictures were great and there could have been more of them - pictures of real people of different shapes and sizes and colors. Definitely a recommended read to any female who wants to know if what her body is doing is normal or not.
“You’d think a Miss America swimsuit winner would feel completely confident about her body, right? Not always! So I decided to write the book I wish I’d had as a teen and in college— an honest, funny, practical, medically accurate, totally reassuring guide to how women’s bodies actually look, smell, feel, behave, and change. Alongside real-deal photographs of women just like you and me (no airbrushing, no supermodels, no kidding) you’ll find medical pictures of things you need to be able to recognize, true confessions by yours truly, and the encouragement you need to appreciate the uniqueness, strength, and beauty of your body. What are you waiting for?” –Nancy Redd
I enjoyed this book and found it very interesting and informative. The pictures were great and there could have been more of them - pictures of real people of different shapes and sizes and colors. Definitely a recommended read to any female who wants to know if what her body is doing is normal or not.
March 9, 2008
This isn't something I meant to read cover to cover--I meant to skim it, to see if it was something we should shelve in the Teen area or Adult. Ultimately, I'm coming down on the side of Teen, despite the many photographs, and we'll see how it goes from there.
This really is a fantastic book when it comes to teen girls' questions about their bodies--am I too big/small/lopsided, I'm Completely Abnormal, etc. In a conversational tone, it's very reassuring about the different kinds of normal (and that's where the photographs come in). This is the kind of book I wish I'd known about at 15 (or even in college), to see the wide range of what normal looks like. While I wouldn't necessarily hand it to 11-year-olds who are just hitting puberty, this is an excellent resource for high school girls and older.
This really is a fantastic book when it comes to teen girls' questions about their bodies--am I too big/small/lopsided, I'm Completely Abnormal, etc. In a conversational tone, it's very reassuring about the different kinds of normal (and that's where the photographs come in). This is the kind of book I wish I'd known about at 15 (or even in college), to see the wide range of what normal looks like. While I wouldn't necessarily hand it to 11-year-olds who are just hitting puberty, this is an excellent resource for high school girls and older.
April 23, 2008
This book rocks! I wish I had had it when I was 11-15 somewhere in there. It's all about girls' bodies and all the cool and weird things that goes on in them, on them and around them. But more importantly, it shows girls' bodies of all colors, shapes and sizes - this is something young girls (or older women for that matter!) never see in the media and you grow up, easily thinking there's something wrong with your body because you've never seen it represented anywhere. I'm buying it for my 13 year old niece in the hopes that it'll convince her to ditch the boys' sweatshirts and flaunt her gorgeous bod! (in a non-slutty way, of course!)
April 21, 2009
i wish this book had been out when i was in high school. nancy redd, a harvard grad who also did pageants, writes frankly and helpfully about the female bod and all the bizarre things it can do in the teen years. there are fun tidbits too, like silly facts and lists of all the different words that mean "vagina." AND there are pictures. real, untouched pictures of everything from third nipples to pubic lice to cellulite. ("baby, come here!" i yelled to my husband while he was cooking dinner. "this is what genital herpes looks like!!" needless to say, he was thrilled.) highly recommended for teen non-fiction collections, or your favorite adolescent girl.
September 30, 2009
I really think this book would be good to lead discussion with a group of girls, like some sort of after-school program through a YMCA or community center. The book addresses questions and concerns (and air-brushing) that girls have about their bodies but might be too afraid to talk or ask about. I think mothers should go through this book with their daughters because it could be a great segue into deeper discussions. I applaud Nandy Redd for putting this book out there and not being afraid to talk about poop, bad breath, and lop-sided boobs. I also applaud all the REAL models used in the book for not being afraid to show their acne, cellulite, and vulvas. (Yes, vulvas!!)
January 3, 2009
In a straightforward, conversational tone Nancy Amanda Redd presents physician-backed information about girls' bodies. Photos of real girls accompany the text and show that many, many different body types are perfectly normal and beautiful. Ms. Redd also points out which differences are normal and which merit a call to your doctor. Be warned: girls bare it all in this book, which may make some parents uncomfortable, but I think the photos are invaluable. This should be required reading for all young women who are curious about their bodies.
Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...
Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...
July 24, 2009
I like this book and I think it's really valuable. I don't know that teens who are too timid to talk about such matters are likely to pick up this title though. I also didn't like the emphasis on BMI as a way to gauge healthy weight because, frankly, BMI is bogus. According to BMI some famous basketball players are obese. It took years to convince myself that the BMI was wrong and I was not obese so it's hard to get behind a book where that's the go-to weight guide. Would probably like this book more if I could ensure that everyone reading it also saw the BMI project here: http://kateharding.net/bmi-illustrated/
February 27, 2018
There wasn't any new information for me in this book, but I really admire what it set out to do. There are questions that young women have about their bodies that are taboo to ask- too gross, too personal, or just too much information. So we don't realize that there are others with the same issues and dealing with them in different ways. So I thought it was great- she wrote the book honestly and I really appreciated the use of "real" women in the photos.
I was surprised to see the two pages of fully nude women in the back, but once again, I love what she was trying to do. Sometimes we need to see that our size is fine, or our breasts are normal, and this was great.
I was surprised to see the two pages of fully nude women in the back, but once again, I love what she was trying to do. Sometimes we need to see that our size is fine, or our breasts are normal, and this was great.
January 9, 2021
i wish i had this book when i was a teen trying to figure all that body shit out. real pictures of real gals, tastefully done. topics like what are those bumps around my nipples? why does it look like someone sneezed in my underpants? why do i have a mustache? there's even a two page collage of vulvas. seeing these pictures of all the different ways they can look was reassuring, even at 32 years old. THIS is the book they should give all teenage girls. and maybe even boys so they learn that what they see in porn isn't how the rest of us look. they even have some before and after air brushed pictures to show how what we see in magazines and stuff isn't real.
March 15, 2017
This is young adult, but not too young. The information is fabulous and does a wonderful job of helping to explain things that young girls may be too embarrassed to ask about. There are pictures of all kinds of body parts and they are photographs of real people so it isn't a book you would leave laying around for your pre-school or elementary school age children to thumb through. Great for teens that are trying to figure out what is going on with their body. I wish there had been a book like this for me when I was a teen.
I read this when I took my YA lit class, but didn't add it to Goodreads then and I always forget the title so I am adding it now.
I read this when I took my YA lit class, but didn't add it to Goodreads then and I always forget the title so I am adding it now.
June 6, 2008
"I loved this book. As a mom, I will be sharing this with my daughter and I know it will provide some answers to questions she has! I also like the fact that it will help open lines of communication about things that maybe can be a little nerve0wrac...more I loved this book. As a mom, I will be sharing this with my daughter and I know it will provide some answers to questions she has! I also like the fact that it will help open lines of communication about things that maybe can be a little nerve-wracking for both parent and child to talk about!
October 22, 2009
Thumbed through this last night. It made YALSA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers Top 10 List last year and with good reason. It's filled with lots of good information girls might want to know about their bodies but are too afraid to ask. The information is accessible, well-researched, and is separated into chapters about skin, hair, breasts, and "down there". Nancy Amanda Redd is also very candid about her own experiences as a teen. I think every girl could benefit from having a copy of this book given to them at about age 13 or 14.
May 24, 2010
This book was so cool and it helped me feel so much better about myself. All of us girls know that we are self concious about something or another, but this book shows you how everyone looks so different so there is no right or wrong way to look. It shows how easily the media edits pictures and how they really are. It also talks about funny smells you may have and how to smell better down to good shaving techniques. It isa great book for any girl to read, you'll be surprised at it and feel much better after! READ READ READ!!!
July 12, 2012
This one really is one of my favourites - It's perfect for all those who have or are teenage daughters or feeling insecure about their own bodies at times.
BODY DRAMA by Nancy Amanda Redd is really awesome!
From "Is my bottom to big?" over "eek! - one of my breasts is bigger than the other!!" to "Is it okay how my pussy looks?" - it's all in there! The message: It's quite ok - every body is wonderful - no matter which size!
I ♥ it!! Every single woman in this world who now or then is not too sure about herself should at least peek in it! Believe me - YOU are just awesome!! :")
BODY DRAMA by Nancy Amanda Redd is really awesome!
From "Is my bottom to big?" over "eek! - one of my breasts is bigger than the other!!" to "Is it okay how my pussy looks?" - it's all in there! The message: It's quite ok - every body is wonderful - no matter which size!
I ♥ it!! Every single woman in this world who now or then is not too sure about herself should at least peek in it! Believe me - YOU are just awesome!! :")
February 20, 2008
This book, a self-proclaimed "medical textbook meets Seventeen" is informative without being preachy. The topics stay relatively objective but Redd injects the chapters with her own personal style and anecdotes. I especially like how the pictures of women in this book are "real", blemishes and all, showing girls that we are all normal, beautiful people and not to be ashamed of our bodies. This book is intended for the teen girl audience, but I even learned a few new things myself!
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