The Art of Being A Brilliant Teenager

by Andy Cope, Andy Whittaker, Darrell Woodman

The BESTSELLING book on BEING A TEEN, now updated into an all new edition. In a world where there’s a lot of talk about ‘living your best life’ and being your ‘best self’, The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager shows you how. The book has a strong academic underpinning (its DNA is taken from the author’s PhD) but is written in a fun and non-patronising way. The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager is a book that prepares young people for REAL life; addressing modern issues of screen time and social media, as well as the teenage perennials of confidence, positivity, motivation and relationships. The book is built on a rock-solid foundation of wellbeing and human flourishing but is quirky in tone and entertaining to read. Dr Andy Cope’s words are brilliantly brought to life by award winning illustrator, Amy Bradley. The book includes activities and thought-provoking questions that encourage the user to interact with the material. Reflecting and journalling helps make the messages stick. Learn how
The book has a deliberately light touch but is not light-weight. It doesn’t dodge the issues. In a world of rising anxiety, The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager provides a personal upgrade to ‘world class’. It shows young people how to let go of bad habits and develop positive traits that will fire up their future. It covers themes of resilience, values, consumerism, purpose and communication, in a page-turning way. The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager is THE go-to book to ease young people into adulthood.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Gethin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boom! Read in 1 day

[Charlotte Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager is an informational book that is really funny, eye opening and helpful. The book talks about how to get the best out of your teenage years and how to use them to help you become successful in life. It discusses how mindset, hard work and being impatient can actually help you have a better adulthood if you use them to your strengths. The book provides solutions on how to use these barriers to drive you further in life and work toward your future. The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager really shows how important your teenage years are, once you grow up and how shaping your attitude towards things now will benefit you in the long run.

The book although it isn’t a novel does somewhat feature stories from the authors lives, Andrew Cope, Derrell Woodman, Amy Bradley and Andy Whittaker. They talk about their experiences and how they used these barriers to push them forward which helped them succeed in life. In the first few pages of the book, one of the authors talks about their life growing up. They talk about having dreams and expectations for the future but having to wait for them. They talk about how frustrating that was, how it isolated them from their family in a sense and how when they got out of school, they just expected it to happen as a result of this. They then go on to talking about how when they left school it was just like the same thing again, stating, “I started work and it was equally grim. I was paid but my money didn’t last long.” P. X. They go on to talk about how they didn’t enjoy their job and ended up just getting by. How finally leaving school lead to basically the same thing, “And whomever had invented the week had mistakenly dived it into 5 working days and only 2 days off.” P. X.

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager talks about many topics including, the idea of ‘No’ that is drilled into our heads as our “first word”. Other topics covered in the book include, being who you truly are, making sure you make the most out of now, how to get over bad habbits and how to carry yourself. The book also contains quotes like, “I ordered a wakeup call the other day. The phone range and a women’s voice said, ‘What the hell are you doing with your life.’” – Demetri Martin P.23. The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager includes so many metaphors, insightful activities and funny quotes that really make the information stick and makes you look at it in a new way.

I really enjoyed The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager as I felt it gave me a new outlook on being a teenager and a new mindset on life. The authors have written this book really well to engage the teenage brain and make it easy to take the information in without losing interest. Every second page there is a quote joke or picture which helps keep the busy teenage mind intrigued. These quotes, jokes and pictures keep you inspired so that you want to keep reading and not put the book down. In addition, it also helps with making the information stick and for you to apply it to your daily life.

I would recommend this book to any teenager epically those who find frustration in the lack of events or the time they have to wait. I would also give this book to someone who is just entering their teenage years to help them make the most of them. For teenagers who prefer to get out and do things and find reading unproductive or a waste of time, I would also recommend this book because as you are reading it you are learning about how you can improve your life and become more successful. This was a really great book that I would recommend to any teenager I know.

[Amrit Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

If i had to sum this book up in 3 words they would be; Brilliant, engaging and inspiring.

I loved this book so so much!

Apperence: When i picked this book up i only read the title and the blurb. I thought it looked pretty to begin with but once i got home and started reading the book, i found their where so many illistations/doodles on every page which made the book extremely aesthetically pleasing. The overall look of the book was a 5/5

The content: I loved the simplicity of the writing and the jokes that came along side it, it really helped the reader to feel targeted and therefore as important as the author claimed.

The message of the book was so inspiring and motivational and it honesly caused me to open my eyes, i found myself agreeing with every page.

The only downside, however, was that i think they could of gone into more detail with the lessons and ideas(but im pretty sure thats my psychology and philosophy obssessed side speaking out)

Wonderful, wonderful book and i might just write the author a letter!

[Emilie Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a teenager and was given this as a gift from my dad for Christmas. I read it all in one day and, for the most part, enjoyed it. There were some lessons and advise in the book that I will follow but also some that I will not. There was some comments made that I disagreed with or that went against my view on the world, which is why my rating was only 3 stars, however I don't think this was a bad book - would recommend this to others.

[Jane Branson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be on every teenager's (and every teenager's parent's) "read" list.

[17spanswickh064 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing read because it was fun to read but it also had reassuring messages in it and every time I laughed, it made me to read more. I also loved how there was quotes on almost every alternative page and my favourite quote was from Mae West it was ‘You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough’.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's definitely a book you'll need to read a few times so it sticks but I think it's helped a lot, it's an easy read and the authors really nailed the mind of a teen, you'll feel a lot better afterwards.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff, inspirational and inspiring throughout :)

[Mark Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? That is the question... I found it humorous in places, full of relevant information for those coming of age and entertaining- all good qualities for a full five stars. My only qualm was that it tried a bit too hard- it tried a bit too hard to be hip and funny. A totally minor fault. Four and a half stars.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tone is light-hearted and frequently irreverent, with a smattering of swearwords - nothing too bad, think along the lines of crap, effing, lazy buggers, arse and s**t (not sure why that last one is asterisked out when the others aren't !). It might offend a few parents (or grandparents, who may have bought the book as a "useful Christmas present" !) but trust me, I'm a teacher, the teens reading it won't even raise an eyebrow because they use these words, and many more that are much worse, as an integral part of their everyday vocabulary ! The book warns : "This book is as far removed from Shakespeare as you can get. Your English teacher will think this book is awful. At least, that's what we hope."

full review on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...

[Kitty · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book heavily stereotypes teenagers as lazy and hating anything remotely academic, assuming all teenagers hate their parents and teachers. The whole approach of the book is dated and far too simplistic to provide any useful advice to young people. This alongside the trivialisation of male rape, with reference to the "don't drop the soap"/"soap on a rope" joke, and of suicide referencing Kurt Cobain as "Dead lead singer of Nirvana, accidentally killed himself #notgood". Would not recommend giving this book to any teenager you intend to have a good relationship with. A patronising book trivialising serious issues as well as the difficulties of adolescence.

[Romeesa Reads ✮ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆｡°✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book when I was like 9 or at most 10,and have reread 2-3 times! Didn't pick out this book but I got it accidentally,and had no idea what I was going into.I wasn't even a teen then,and it took me a reread to actually understand and enjoy the content.My 13 year old self wouldn't rate this 5 stars but my 9-10 year old did in their 3 page first review.

+ reread it in a day, and now that I'm an actual teenager, I love it and actually really needed it and its as if someone's talking to me so I loved this book just the same.

[Marta Jokiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Although this book for sure has a lot of great advice, i will have to read it again, because I've read almost the entirety of this book half asleep or just distracted.
The writing is very easy to understand so no teenager should have trouble with understanding everything.
Overall a good book to get you out of a reading slump and make you think about your life a little

[Jericho Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is colourful, funny and so full of life. It makes self-help look less sad and it taught me a couple of things too

[Blind · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny, highly quotable and highlight-able, informal and honest, atheistic viewpoint.

[Fran · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was not my taste however it gives good advice I would reccomend for 11-13 year olds

[Mikki Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a parent of two teens and took a lot of notes to share with me and for myself. This books has many helpful tools to help all of us be our brilliant selves.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was mostly good. Read it to recommend to my students.

[One Wisteria · Rating 1 out of 5]

The quotes placed randomly in the middle of the text are extremely distracting. It would be better if the book were divided into chapters with proper indexing, and a single quote relevant to each chapter were placed at the beginning to set the tone, rather than appearing unpredictably and breaking the reading flow.

There is also a lack of cohesiveness between topics; the content feels disjointed.

The examples of negative thoughts are excessive and end up acting as filler. A whole page is unnecessary to convey the idea of negative thinking.

The message about being “positive and happy all the time” is unrealistic. I particularly disliked the Monday–Wednesday example; people naturally have down days and cannot be productive every single day.

People do not choose to remain sad. One cannot simply “decide” to be happy—processing sadness is important.

The book also feels extremely generic and does not add anything new to the oversaturated self-help genre. It fails to provide practical, real-life methods to tackle the situations it describes; everything remains abstract and arbitrary. For instance, it explains that teenagers feel anxiety because our “second ancestors” were more cautious than the first , yet it never offers tools on how to manage that anxiety. It tells us to bounce back from failure, tragedy, and depression, but never explains how to actually do that.

The section discussing women plucking their eyebrows, waxing, or bleaching “for reasons they haven’t fathomed” ignores the reality of pretty privilege and the pressure to conform to patriarchal beauty standards. Then it claims “the sexiest thing you can wear is a smile,” as if smiling is an obligation. Similarly, the anecdote about a girl who was “all made up” but had a scowl on her face comes off as unfair. Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe she dressed up for herself, or maybe she simply didn’t want to smile at strangers. Sometimes people are just existing.

The book also dismisses systemic issues, telling teenagers not to blame the economy or government for not finding their passion. It claims people hate their jobs only because they’re not doing what they love. As if passion alone pays bills. Society heavily favors passions that generate quick capital, and many people cannot afford to pursue something purely because they love it.

It even encourages boosting self-esteem by looking down on someone “below” you instead of feeling jealous of someone “above” you—essentially the idea of “if you want to feel attractive, have an ugly friend.” This mindset damages relationships, promotes classism, and fosters superiority complexes.

Another concerning example is the story of Darrell, who comes home exhausted on Friday and, instead of resting, forces himself to apply the “4-minute rule” to be the “best dad.” While it might work occasionally, constantly stretching yourself like this leads to burnout. Taking time for yourself does not make you a bad parent; you need to fill your own cup first.

The book also portrays being mediocre as a disaster and insists that all teenagers should strive for excellence, stretch themselves thin, and squeeze out every last drop of energy. This messaging is unhealthy.

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Things I liked

Encouraging teenagers to take charge of their lives and contribute to the community.

Emphasizing gratitude for what you currently have.

The idea that if you want people to care about you, you must care about them first.

The importance of keeping your word.

Encouraging people to compliment others.

Advising teenagers to be thoughtful about who they choose as their idols—not looking up to them blindly, but looking into them thoughtfully.

Finding happiness in the present moment.

Encouraging teenagers to question their existing thinking patterns and develop their own, instead of copying the beliefs of those around them.

[Alba · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having this book on my shelf for the entirety of my teenhood thus far, I decided I should probably read it.

The book sort of gives a bad first impression by spending the first 22 pages (a seventh of the whole length) trying to convince you that it's really very good and you should read it. Within that opening, it insults your parents and makes a joke at the expense of male rape victims (the classic "don't drop the soap" gag).

After this, though, I think it is a pretty good and quick-to-read self help book.

I appreciate that (except for some forced #hashtags - it was the mid 2010s, old people thought kids said hashtags out loud) it doesn't try to be too kiddy and treats the reader like a grown-up, joking about things like sex and not holding back on calling people stupid.
;
I also appreciate that it isn't the classic "As you grow big, you'll start to notice some changes in your body." Teenager guide. It doesn't make any reference to that at all, actually, and instead focuses on mindset.
;
Both of these things I'm very glad for, because if it was the other way round I'm sure almost any teenager would immediately drop the book.

A benifit is that it knows your parents bought it for you, but knows they didn't read it before hand, so it can do things like make fun of them buying the book for you and making jokes at a "mature" level that you'd be making at that age. It makes it feel like you've got one up on your parents, which will help any teenager bought it to actually read the rest of it. I probably just spoiled that for any prospective parent buyers, but honestly, your kid knows more than you think they know, I think it's a good thing.

It's not got the most ground-breaking ideas but, if read at the start or middle of teenhood, will probably be the first you hear of this kind of stuff. It's relatively funny and pretty helpful.

[Side note: the version I have is this really nice paperback with really think paper and card. It makes it feel very premium and the graphic design can really flourish.]

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous book, I read this before sharing with my daughter. Great information to share about positivity, how to be kind, considerate and find your passion.
Good for adults as well as kids.

The only reason I didn’t give a 5* is there is some body shaming included that goes against the theme of what this book is about. Being inclusive irrespective of shape, size, colour, ability etc should be encouraged.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really motivated me to have a better lifestyle, and all of the challenges and quotes help to keep me interested in being my best self. This book moved me out of the classic “school is rubbish” mindset that people have rubbed on to me and changed it into a “sometimes school is boring, but it is useful so I should put effort into it” mindset. I would recommend to anyone who thinks of tasks as a labour, I don’t even think you need to be a teenager to understand some of the messages.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Andy Cope is a professional trainer, teacher and author with a passion for motivation and positive psychology. Amy Bradley is an experienced illustrator of children’s and YA books. Brimming with positive messages, this is a useful guide for pre-teen readers on how to make the most of their teenage years and really encourages them to interact and make the most out of it (which the design of the book and illustrations facilitates).

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to have been gifted this book, and safe to say I have absolutely loved it!
It has made me so motivated to start studying again and make something out of my life!
I would highly recommend this to all teenagers - as it will be beneficial to everyone.
I read this in one day - and it was a very easy read, with jokes and information that keeps you hooked and wanting to learn more!

[Hadeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

got through this book super quick because it was very entertaining and amusing but most importantly it taught me a lot of important things about life.

if you’re a teenagers i would recommend this as your first self help book because it covers the basics, it’s not really self help but more like key life lessons, but either way i think it’s great as your first.

[Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good, especially for teenagers or children and early teenagers. I would really recommend this.This book has amazing quotes and the writing style is so good it feels like someone is talking to you!

[Devika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book every teenager must read.

[Rizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would definitely recommend reading this ......its so practical....

[Elijytem · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really is inspiring, and it makes me want to do something with my life for once😳😳

[Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book for my little sister, but had a read of it. Brilliant life lessons. Really informative and very true. Inspires teens to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.