This review should've been here a long time ago. So get ready, because this review is going to be chock-full of my own opinions. And I'm going to say this outright: I don't like this book. And perhaps my unnecessary bias against those pesky "self help" books comes into play here, but one can also argue that Sean Covey did nothing to sway that bias. And I've been described as quite the pushover. Now that you're aware of my highly opinionated review (and the fact I'll be cursing a little because this book ultimately deserves a few words here and there), let's get started.
First of all, I'd like to mention I read this two or three years ago (I was, what, 11?). And I really have to question how 11-year-old me could stand reading through this. Sean Covey is pompous, arrogant. And the words he spouts are overly optimistic, something my pessimistic self can't read without cringing. It doesn't help that my fault my brand of humor is the cynical, sarcastic kind. And this particular author sings praises of positive thinking and sheer willpower. That's just not realistic enough, when you have people who can't think all sunshine and rainbow-y because of a mental condition, not because they're realists. I understand what Covey's trying to preach, the magic that is positivity and saying "I CAN do it". But c'mon, have you had depression yet? Lived in a conservative household? Suffered abuse? I don't think so. Maybe I'm not in the position to bring up these points, but I will. Because, hey, these things exist. Teenage suicides exist. Teens get kicked out of families just for liking girls instead of boys or vice versa. Don't tell me to grab life and swing it around, because that's far beyond my capabilities. This 13-year-old knows enough about my current situation (read: America and how wretched the schooling system can be) to see past the sort of perfect, life-can-be-good-if-you-let-it-be façade some might weave. I might be getting a little dramatic, but don't let that deter you. Just a teenage girl too high on her own passive-aggressiveness to fully understand the consequences of a poorly worded review on Goodreads.
I'm making the same points here, just like (gasp) Covey! Yes, I'm continuing the other paragraph because it got too long. But my point still stands; don't tell me about your effective positivity over and over again. Hell, even the LGBTQ community isn't even brought up once. Don't tell me about how your childhood was perfect; talk more about sexuality and gender dysphoria. That's certainly an issue for teens today, especially since homophobia is still alive and well, amongst sexism, racism, and other forms of prejudice. Or maybe gun control's more up your alley? I'm a teen and I'm terrified of the lack of gun control. Care to talk about that? Or maybe go into detail about sex, and the consequences that follow. Isn't that a problem nowadays, teen pregnancies? But golly gosh gee, I'm too young to even begin to consider that, huh?
And finally, I'm still (justifiably) upset about the whole "positivity" thing. Tell me how you've experienced being a closeted teenager, or had depression or some sort of mental condition, or how your life wasn't perfect. Don't tell me about how "great" your silly optimism is. Goddamnit, Covey, let me be with my self-deprecating humor and macabre coping mechanisms. For the love of whatever god there might be, consider how mind-numbingly cliché this advice given is, how so much of it borders on common sense. I learned about growth mindset in the beginning of eighth grade. Don't make me relive how useless it can be in the mind of someone who isn't always happy. Have I been repeating myself? Good. This review might as well be a parody of the book, then.
In conclusion, I can say that I find Sean Covey and his book to be annoying pompous and his words reminiscent of the overly cliché self help posters you find unhelpfully hanging on high school walls in an attempt to curb suicide rates to give the school a better image. Helpful? I hope so.