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Girl Up: Kick Ass, Claim Your Woman Card, and Crush Everyday Sexism
Already an international bestseller, this empowering survival guide provides no-nonsense advice on sex, social media, mental health, and sexism that young women face in their everyday life from one of the emerging leaders in the feminist movement.
They told you that you need to be thin and beautiful.
They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night and to move in groups, to never accept drinks from a stranger, and to wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels.
They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to reveal too much.
They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you ll be shrill, bossy, a ball-breaker. Of course it's fine for the boys, but you should know your place.
They told you “that’s not for girls”; “take it as a compliment”; “don’t rock the boat”; “that’ll go straight to your hips.”
They told you “beauty is on the inside,” but you knew they didn’t really mean it.
Well, screw that. Laura Bates is here to tell you something else. Hilarious, bold, and unapologetic, Girl Up exposes the truth about the pressures surrounding body image, the false representations in media, the complexities of sex and relationships, the trials of social media, and all the other lies society tells.
They told you that you need to be thin and beautiful.
They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night and to move in groups, to never accept drinks from a stranger, and to wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels.
They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to reveal too much.
They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you ll be shrill, bossy, a ball-breaker. Of course it's fine for the boys, but you should know your place.
They told you “that’s not for girls”; “take it as a compliment”; “don’t rock the boat”; “that’ll go straight to your hips.”
They told you “beauty is on the inside,” but you knew they didn’t really mean it.
Well, screw that. Laura Bates is here to tell you something else. Hilarious, bold, and unapologetic, Girl Up exposes the truth about the pressures surrounding body image, the false representations in media, the complexities of sex and relationships, the trials of social media, and all the other lies society tells.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2016
225 people are currently reading
9043 people want to read
About the author
Laura Bates
21 books2,312 followersLaura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, an ever-increasing collection of over 100,000 testimonies of gender inequality, with branches in 25 countries worldwide. She works closely with politicians, businesses, schools, police forces and organisations from the Council of Europe to the United Nations to tackle gender inequality. She was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to gender equality in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2015 and has been named a woman of the year by Cosmopolitan, Red Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine.
Laura is the author of Everyday Sexism, the Sunday Times bestseller Girl Up, and Misogynation. Her first novel, The Burning, was published in 2019. She co-wrote Letters to the Future with Owen Sheers. Laura writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Times and others and won a British Press Award in 2015. She has been a judge for the Women's Prize, the YA Book Prize and the BBC Young Writers Award and part of the committee selecting the 2020 Children's Laureate. In 2019 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Laura is a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project tackling rape in conflict worldwide and she is patron of SARSAS, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and was awarded the Internet and Society Award by the Oxford Internet Institute alongside Sir Tim Berners Lee.
Laura is the author of Everyday Sexism, the Sunday Times bestseller Girl Up, and Misogynation. Her first novel, The Burning, was published in 2019. She co-wrote Letters to the Future with Owen Sheers. Laura writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Times and others and won a British Press Award in 2015. She has been a judge for the Women's Prize, the YA Book Prize and the BBC Young Writers Award and part of the committee selecting the 2020 Children's Laureate. In 2019 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Laura is a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project tackling rape in conflict worldwide and she is patron of SARSAS, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and was awarded the Internet and Society Award by the Oxford Internet Institute alongside Sir Tim Berners Lee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 575 reviews
March 30, 2017
I'm not the intended audience for this book, it's meant for much younger people (didn't realize it when I picked it up), but If I had read this 10 years earlier I would have benefited quite a lot from it.
May 5, 2016
You know those scoff worthy puberty guides you were given in high school that glossed over tackling serious issues and just gave very basic and limited information? Well this book shits all over those! From page one I wanted to thrust this into every teenage girls hands but also into the hands of her parents and her male friends and every teacher that thought the Sex Ed that they were teaching was good enough. Laura Bates highlighted all the important lessons that young people should be being taught that they are so often not, it was inclusive of nearly all on the gender and sexuality spectrums and she was refreshingly honest and hilarious in her approach. This book should be mandatory for all high schools and the much needed inclusion of feminist issues inside the text was so well done. Buy this book for your daughters and cousins and sons and brothers and sisters, for your mothers and fathers and grandparents too. This is Sex Ed and social understanding the way it should be taught.
December 23, 2020
This is a book, that is essentially a guide for girls, and has gone on the complete assumption that you know nothing regarding the subjects of relationships, bodies, sex and sexism. So really, if you know all of this stuff, some women may find this pretty pointless to read, right? Wrong! This book was rather thought provoking, humorous, but all done in a simple manner, so it may be understood by anyone.
I found the chapters about feminism, our bodies and women's mental health the most interesting. Women's bodies are forever receiving criticism. We are criticised for being too fat, too thin, too small, too tall, too freckly, not wearing enough make up, wearing too much make up.. Etc etc. My answer to that kind of criticism is a simple one. "Fuck you!" At the end of the day, we don't exist to please others. Why does the media constantly throw around images of skinny, tall, big breasted models, sending out the incorrect message to girls, that they indeed should strive to look like that? Well, it's bullshit. Plus, being super skinny, doesn't necessarily mean a better quality of health. The average woman in the UK, is 5ft 3 inches tall, and a size 16. What makes me sad, is some girls worry themselves so much about how they look, when they should be enjoying their lives.
I feel this book would be particularly useful for a woman approaching adulthood.
I found the chapters about feminism, our bodies and women's mental health the most interesting. Women's bodies are forever receiving criticism. We are criticised for being too fat, too thin, too small, too tall, too freckly, not wearing enough make up, wearing too much make up.. Etc etc. My answer to that kind of criticism is a simple one. "Fuck you!" At the end of the day, we don't exist to please others. Why does the media constantly throw around images of skinny, tall, big breasted models, sending out the incorrect message to girls, that they indeed should strive to look like that? Well, it's bullshit. Plus, being super skinny, doesn't necessarily mean a better quality of health. The average woman in the UK, is 5ft 3 inches tall, and a size 16. What makes me sad, is some girls worry themselves so much about how they look, when they should be enjoying their lives.
I feel this book would be particularly useful for a woman approaching adulthood.
Read
October 17, 2025Every woman needs to read this. So brilliant.
Watch my video review of Girl Up here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WOx...
Watch my video review of Girl Up here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WOx...
June 30, 2016
I believe this book should be handed out to every teenager and young women.
Bates covers everything from career to sexism to sex
Very recommended
Bates covers everything from career to sexism to sex
Very recommended
June 28, 2016
She tries to be intersectional, although it seems more like an afterthought than at the centre of her feminism and experience. I don't think I'll be reading from Laura Bates again and I'm sick of her brand of feminism being labelled revolutionary. She's nothing new, just seems to produce more of the recycled 3rd wave typical stuff you can get on the internet. You can most definitely read more intersectional informative content from a more diverse range of opinions for free on the internet. If I read another mediocre white feminist's book I'm going to pull my hair out.
I am not really the intended audience for this book I acknowledge. This would probably be good for young teens but I found it patronising, as I expect most teens would.
I am not really the intended audience for this book I acknowledge. This would probably be good for young teens but I found it patronising, as I expect most teens would.
November 2, 2017
Perfect book to give girls a confidence boost and an ideal start to feminism 💜
May 1, 2017
First off, I think it should be made clear that this book is aimed at teenage girls. I wasn't clear on that when I initially downloaded it, so I wanted to make that clear in my review so that others reading it won't be surprised like I was.
Now, this isn't a criticism, I just think it needs to be clear who the target audience is because this book is divided into 12 chapters giving advice to teenage girls on how to deal with different things they will encounter as they grow up and enter society. There are chapters on porn, sex, careers, feminism, body image and social media among others, with tips and information about how to deal with these things, many of which can seem intimidating to any teenager. I think I would have really appreciated and benefited from this book if someone had given it to me 15 years ago, teenagers these days are lucky that these topics are less taboo and more widely discussed in mainstream media (although I have to say I do not envy teenagers now growing up with sexting and Snapchat. Ick. I now feel incredibly grateful that I didn't have my first mobile phone until I was 15!).
Reading this off the back of reading Everyday Sexism meant that small parts of this felt a tiny bit repetitive, but still felt relevant to include in the advice provided. I also thought the illustrations made it less heavy and the list of resources at the back of the book was a great idea.
Now, this isn't a criticism, I just think it needs to be clear who the target audience is because this book is divided into 12 chapters giving advice to teenage girls on how to deal with different things they will encounter as they grow up and enter society. There are chapters on porn, sex, careers, feminism, body image and social media among others, with tips and information about how to deal with these things, many of which can seem intimidating to any teenager. I think I would have really appreciated and benefited from this book if someone had given it to me 15 years ago, teenagers these days are lucky that these topics are less taboo and more widely discussed in mainstream media (although I have to say I do not envy teenagers now growing up with sexting and Snapchat. Ick. I now feel incredibly grateful that I didn't have my first mobile phone until I was 15!).
Reading this off the back of reading Everyday Sexism meant that small parts of this felt a tiny bit repetitive, but still felt relevant to include in the advice provided. I also thought the illustrations made it less heavy and the list of resources at the back of the book was a great idea.
December 31, 2016
They told you you need to be thin and beautiful.
They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night and move in groups - never accept drinks from a stranger, and wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels.
They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to be too tarty.
They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you'll be shrill, bossy, a ballbreaker. Of course it's fine for the boys, but you should know your place.
They told you 'that's not for girls' - 'take it as a compliment' - 'don't rock the boat' - 'that'll go straight to your hips'.
They told you 'beauty is on the inside', but you knew they didn't really mean it.
Well, fuck that. I'm here to tell you something different.
This is the book fourteen-year-old-me really needed. Younger Me never really understood why things were different if you were a boy, why society told me that I had to dress sexy but in the same breath told me to cover up in case I got raped, why when boys argued back they were ‘making a point’ but when me and my friends did we were ‘being shrill’, why boys were assumed to have had lots of sexual partners but not girls. Who were these guys all doing it with? All the same few girls? Those girls must have been sore.
2017’s teenage girls have it worse than my friends and I did in some respects. The slut-shaming and victim-blaming isn’t confined to the school canteen or the local ice rink any more; we now have the whole of the internet as a platform for making girls feel bad about themselves.
Luckily for this year’s teens, though, they also have Laura Bates on their side, pushing a pin in society’s skewed expectations and showing them ways to challenge accepted norms and jolly well fight back.
Girl Up is completely unapologetic. Either you’re a feminist or an arsehole. She’s right, too. If you think that women shouldn’t get the same pay as men, you’re an arsehole. If you think that rape is ever the victim’s fault, you’re an arsehole. If you think that anyone else should have a say over what happens to a girl’s body other than the girl herself, you’re an arsehole.
This book isn’t just for teen girls, although that’s obviously who it is geared towards and who will get the most out of it. It’s equally as useful for parents who want to broach talks about sex and attitudes but who don’t know where to start, or just if parents want to know the pressures that their daughters are under.
Girl Up isn’t always an easy read - it challenges everything we’ve ever been told about ourselves, so why would it be? It’s super sweary (fine by me) and deals with topics that as a society we tend to giggle about, like sex, masturbation and what to call our genitals. It is also full of compassion and humour (dancing vaginas, anyone?) and zero patronisation.
This is an absolute gem of a book.
Read it. Read it now.
5 stars
They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night and move in groups - never accept drinks from a stranger, and wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels.
They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to be too tarty.
They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you'll be shrill, bossy, a ballbreaker. Of course it's fine for the boys, but you should know your place.
They told you 'that's not for girls' - 'take it as a compliment' - 'don't rock the boat' - 'that'll go straight to your hips'.
They told you 'beauty is on the inside', but you knew they didn't really mean it.
Well, fuck that. I'm here to tell you something different.
This is the book fourteen-year-old-me really needed. Younger Me never really understood why things were different if you were a boy, why society told me that I had to dress sexy but in the same breath told me to cover up in case I got raped, why when boys argued back they were ‘making a point’ but when me and my friends did we were ‘being shrill’, why boys were assumed to have had lots of sexual partners but not girls. Who were these guys all doing it with? All the same few girls? Those girls must have been sore.
2017’s teenage girls have it worse than my friends and I did in some respects. The slut-shaming and victim-blaming isn’t confined to the school canteen or the local ice rink any more; we now have the whole of the internet as a platform for making girls feel bad about themselves.
Luckily for this year’s teens, though, they also have Laura Bates on their side, pushing a pin in society’s skewed expectations and showing them ways to challenge accepted norms and jolly well fight back.
Girl Up is completely unapologetic. Either you’re a feminist or an arsehole. She’s right, too. If you think that women shouldn’t get the same pay as men, you’re an arsehole. If you think that rape is ever the victim’s fault, you’re an arsehole. If you think that anyone else should have a say over what happens to a girl’s body other than the girl herself, you’re an arsehole.
This book isn’t just for teen girls, although that’s obviously who it is geared towards and who will get the most out of it. It’s equally as useful for parents who want to broach talks about sex and attitudes but who don’t know where to start, or just if parents want to know the pressures that their daughters are under.
Girl Up isn’t always an easy read - it challenges everything we’ve ever been told about ourselves, so why would it be? It’s super sweary (fine by me) and deals with topics that as a society we tend to giggle about, like sex, masturbation and what to call our genitals. It is also full of compassion and humour (dancing vaginas, anyone?) and zero patronisation.
This is an absolute gem of a book.
Read it. Read it now.
5 stars
May 18, 2018
It took me a while, but I figured out why it took me so long to read this book: the typeface.
That might seem picky, or petty, but it's true. This small, heavyweight, sans serif typeface just did not appeal to me. I trucked on—because this book is definitely reading—but I did not, alas, enjoy the actual experience of reading it. Your mileage will probably vary, but typography is something I’m sensitive to.
Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. The truth is, Girl Up is quite fantastic. It’s kind of a massive pep talk in book form, principally aimed at teenage girls but really directed to anyone who, you know, has a brain and lives in our patriarchal society. That’s principally Laura Bates’ aim here: smash the patriarchy, or at least crack the window and let the readers do the rest. Bates offers up a crash course in feminism and an antidote to some of the most noxious media messages about “the right way” to be a girl/woman. She covers some fairly heavy topics but in a way that tries to be a little more fun or accessible than your typical, more serious type of feminist primer. I’m not trying to say that’s better, mind you—because the last thing we need to do is start pitting feminist books against each other like we pit women against each other—but that there is room for a diverse set of approaches when it comes to educating adolescents about feminism.
This book got me on board early: on page xiv of the introduction, “Buckle Up”, Bates asserts intersectionality early on. She asserts that woman ≠ vagina, but more notably from my personal positionality, she says, “Some people aren’t attracted to anyone at all” and then, later on the next page, reminds us that agender and asexual belong in the LGBT* (as she uses it) acronym (no mention of aromantic, alas). And indeed, at various points throughout the book, Bates reminds us of these things, mentioning that it’s OK to like sex, OK not to like sex, OK to want sex, OK to not want sex, OK to want sex but not be attracted, etc. I could have gone for an even more frank discussion of attraction and sexuality, but I appreciate that this book is not solely about that and Bates only had so much space to work with. Similarly, although the book by and large aims to be trans friendly, I think a more explicit discussion on transgender and nonbinary identities as they relate to being perceived as a woman might have been an interesting addition. Room for a sequel, maybe?
I mean, that’s kind of my takeaway from this book: Girl Up really just scratches the surface, and how could it do anything else? There is a lot to be learned!
Honestly, the style Bates uses with the lists, illustrations and little comic drawings interspersed throughout the text, etc., does not appeal to me—but I am not a younger reader, so I can’t say whether or not it would appeal to them. The book does seem to be going for a “look at me, I am cool and definitely not out of touch with the Youth” vibe, and I’m not entirely sure it succeeds at that. If you can get past that, however, there is so much valuable information in here. Moreover, the tone of this book is perfect. Bates doesn’t pull any punches. There is profanity. There is strong language, explicit descriptions of things—basically everything teens already read on the Internet, but in a book form, for when their WiFi isn’t working and they’ve run out of data.
One more critique: sometimes it seems like Bates is assuming an American audience and sometimes a British audience. She switches back and forth between talking about “states” and quoting US legislation, etc., but then she mentions a few things that are more British. I’m not sure if other people will notice this (I am Canadian but lived in Britain for a couple of years), but it kind of threw me while I was reading.
So, yeah … definitely not the target audience of this one. That made me hesitate to actually read it. I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it, not because it was bad, but because of my age and gender, and then I would be loath to review it. Fortunately, I was wrong! I don’t think I got as much out of this as a younger reader would, especially a teenage girl, partly because of my different experiences but also just because I’m a little more steeped in other feminist reads. Still, I can totally see how this would be valuable to some readers, and it definitely fills a good niche.
That might seem picky, or petty, but it's true. This small, heavyweight, sans serif typeface just did not appeal to me. I trucked on—because this book is definitely reading—but I did not, alas, enjoy the actual experience of reading it. Your mileage will probably vary, but typography is something I’m sensitive to.
Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. The truth is, Girl Up is quite fantastic. It’s kind of a massive pep talk in book form, principally aimed at teenage girls but really directed to anyone who, you know, has a brain and lives in our patriarchal society. That’s principally Laura Bates’ aim here: smash the patriarchy, or at least crack the window and let the readers do the rest. Bates offers up a crash course in feminism and an antidote to some of the most noxious media messages about “the right way” to be a girl/woman. She covers some fairly heavy topics but in a way that tries to be a little more fun or accessible than your typical, more serious type of feminist primer. I’m not trying to say that’s better, mind you—because the last thing we need to do is start pitting feminist books against each other like we pit women against each other—but that there is room for a diverse set of approaches when it comes to educating adolescents about feminism.
This book got me on board early: on page xiv of the introduction, “Buckle Up”, Bates asserts intersectionality early on. She asserts that woman ≠ vagina, but more notably from my personal positionality, she says, “Some people aren’t attracted to anyone at all” and then, later on the next page, reminds us that agender and asexual belong in the LGBT* (as she uses it) acronym (no mention of aromantic, alas). And indeed, at various points throughout the book, Bates reminds us of these things, mentioning that it’s OK to like sex, OK not to like sex, OK to want sex, OK to not want sex, OK to want sex but not be attracted, etc. I could have gone for an even more frank discussion of attraction and sexuality, but I appreciate that this book is not solely about that and Bates only had so much space to work with. Similarly, although the book by and large aims to be trans friendly, I think a more explicit discussion on transgender and nonbinary identities as they relate to being perceived as a woman might have been an interesting addition. Room for a sequel, maybe?
I mean, that’s kind of my takeaway from this book: Girl Up really just scratches the surface, and how could it do anything else? There is a lot to be learned!
Honestly, the style Bates uses with the lists, illustrations and little comic drawings interspersed throughout the text, etc., does not appeal to me—but I am not a younger reader, so I can’t say whether or not it would appeal to them. The book does seem to be going for a “look at me, I am cool and definitely not out of touch with the Youth” vibe, and I’m not entirely sure it succeeds at that. If you can get past that, however, there is so much valuable information in here. Moreover, the tone of this book is perfect. Bates doesn’t pull any punches. There is profanity. There is strong language, explicit descriptions of things—basically everything teens already read on the Internet, but in a book form, for when their WiFi isn’t working and they’ve run out of data.
One more critique: sometimes it seems like Bates is assuming an American audience and sometimes a British audience. She switches back and forth between talking about “states” and quoting US legislation, etc., but then she mentions a few things that are more British. I’m not sure if other people will notice this (I am Canadian but lived in Britain for a couple of years), but it kind of threw me while I was reading.
So, yeah … definitely not the target audience of this one. That made me hesitate to actually read it. I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it, not because it was bad, but because of my age and gender, and then I would be loath to review it. Fortunately, I was wrong! I don’t think I got as much out of this as a younger reader would, especially a teenage girl, partly because of my different experiences but also just because I’m a little more steeped in other feminist reads. Still, I can totally see how this would be valuable to some readers, and it definitely fills a good niche.
March 28, 2017
So this is basically just an excellent and empowering guide to life for young women everywhere. Yes is has some swears, yes Bates talks about vaginas a lot, yes she tackles some really challenging and confronting topics. But also yes, she does all this in a respectful and hilarious way. This is exactly what we all need and I want to give it to every young woman I know. "When the going gets tough, the tough Girl Up."
November 17, 2017
If you've been following me on social medias you'd know how much I love Laura Bates & her Everyday Sexism project & how that book pretty much changed my life.
For someone that has read about feminism for years, it felt a bit redundant at times - but mainly because concepts like "no means no" are obvious things to me now. If you want to start reading about feminism, sexism, body image & sex in a positive way this is the right book for you.
For someone that has read about feminism for years, it felt a bit redundant at times - but mainly because concepts like "no means no" are obvious things to me now. If you want to start reading about feminism, sexism, body image & sex in a positive way this is the right book for you.
January 4, 2018
I've been reading this off and on with my little sister since we checked it out from the library about a week ago and we finally finished Girl Up this morning. I'm so glad I was able to read this with her because there were so many important things in this book that she needed to know but that I didn't have the words to accurately talk to her about, but this book helped me with that. Eye-opening and enchanting.
April 28, 2016
This is a fantastic book about how to deal with being a young girl/woman in the current climate. I laughed out loud several times at the hilarious comebacks/flow charts/illustrations but it also brought home to me how much further we have to go before we live in a more equal world.
Laura Bates is a fantastic writer who backs her fantastically constructive opinions up with statistics and real life examples. A must read for everyone like her first novel.
Laura Bates is a fantastic writer who backs her fantastically constructive opinions up with statistics and real life examples. A must read for everyone like her first novel.
March 15, 2017
WHY DID THIS HAVE TO END?!
It has been a long time since I've felt this incensed and motivated. I've read a lot of feminist books in the last couple of years, but this is the most inspiring and definitely the most in-depth, tackling more topics than you'd imagine possible in 300 pages and delving deeply into each one.
If you're a feminist, read this book and feel justified.
If you're not a feminist, read this book, girl up and stop being an arsehole.
It has been a long time since I've felt this incensed and motivated. I've read a lot of feminist books in the last couple of years, but this is the most inspiring and definitely the most in-depth, tackling more topics than you'd imagine possible in 300 pages and delving deeply into each one.
If you're a feminist, read this book and feel justified.
If you're not a feminist, read this book, girl up and stop being an arsehole.
October 1, 2016
This book is the kick up the backside I needed. A frank, feminist read that tells it like it is. Highly readable and wholly empowering.
August 24, 2017
“Girl Up” is a fantastic, unapologetic book that, frankly, EVERYBODY needs to read. Laura Bates points out the difficulty of a young girl living in a very flawed patriarchal society. It is clearly aimed at young teenage girls who are dealing with trying to understand why being a boy is different, why society expects them to dress sexy but still cover up so they don’t get raped, why it’s okay for boys to sleep around but condemn woman who are comfortable with their sexuality, why taking control doesn’t make you a boss but instead a bitch, any many other double standards. That being said, this is something that every woman deals with regardless of her age and why it’s so important to read.
Yes, it dumbs it down a bit when speaking about sex and pornography, as it is explaining what certain things mean to young women, but it is still an empowering book. Bates challenges everything society has told girls in a funny, laugh out loud, make you giggle kind of way. I am still very amused by the dancing vaginas. P.S. there’s a bit of swearing but I loved it. It’s full of wisdom and compassion and doesn’t patronize anyone! A great pick me up!
“When the going gets tough, the tough Girl Up.”
Yes, it dumbs it down a bit when speaking about sex and pornography, as it is explaining what certain things mean to young women, but it is still an empowering book. Bates challenges everything society has told girls in a funny, laugh out loud, make you giggle kind of way. I am still very amused by the dancing vaginas. P.S. there’s a bit of swearing but I loved it. It’s full of wisdom and compassion and doesn’t patronize anyone! A great pick me up!
“When the going gets tough, the tough Girl Up.”
August 31, 2017
"The way you feel is not liked to the shape of your body."
These may seem like simple and obvious words, but still they were able to let me think about myself differently. Bates expertly adds these small pick-me ups throughout the book: there is one that hits home for every reader, I would think.
The book provides a 101 look at gender, feminism, sex, relationships (online and offline) and even though I've read my share of books on these topics, never have I found a book as simply-put and informative as this one. I would recommend this book to everyone, but maybe especially young girls.
These may seem like simple and obvious words, but still they were able to let me think about myself differently. Bates expertly adds these small pick-me ups throughout the book: there is one that hits home for every reader, I would think.
The book provides a 101 look at gender, feminism, sex, relationships (online and offline) and even though I've read my share of books on these topics, never have I found a book as simply-put and informative as this one. I would recommend this book to everyone, but maybe especially young girls.
May 1, 2016
The Young Persons Life Bible!
Superbly written. I only wish I had this fantastic book to read when I was in my teens. Every young person should be given this book. A fun and light hearted approach to deliver some extremely important messages. I have so much respect for Laura Bates and everything she has done to stand up to everyday sexism.
Superbly written. I only wish I had this fantastic book to read when I was in my teens. Every young person should be given this book. A fun and light hearted approach to deliver some extremely important messages. I have so much respect for Laura Bates and everything she has done to stand up to everyday sexism.
June 14, 2017
WHAT CAN WE EVEN SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK OTHER THAN WE ARE OBSESSED WITH IT!!! Dancing vaginas for everyone! (Literally though, the endpapers are illustrated tap-dancing vaginas). Check them out at girlupbook.com!
May 18, 2016
Controversy reigned within the school library as soon as Girl Up arrived in the post. Banned for review by all years groups except Year 13 who duly refused to have anything to do with it.
As you can appreciate Girl Up was instantly deemed unsuitable for distribution within the school library due to the satirical and outrageous delivery of the subject matter, pictures of dancing lady parts would not be accepted by the majority parents. However, as a parent of teenage girls myself, I can certainly commend the straightforward manner the subjects covered within Girl Up are delivered. I felt the contents where an important part of growing up and coming to terms with all aspects of your identity including sexuality and how today’s society regards women; although the significance of the content was outshone by the shock factor of the delivery.
Girl Up is the sort of book you can dip in and out of depending on your mood or the situation as it arises – Body Image, Social Media, Sexuality, Feminism – Girl Up has it covered. Laura Bates backs up all her advice/information with expert opinion, resources and ways to gain further information if required. Girl Up is the sort of book that SHOULD be read by all young women, it aids self-confidence and accepting yourself for who you are. Isn’t that what all parents want for their daughters – to be confident, happy, well rounded young women not afraid of who they are and not letting society define them based on their gender. However, I think the shock factor will be detrimental in reaching the majority of the target market.
Girl Up provides an invaluable resource for young women, putting aside the crudeness the information is fascinating. I do feel the book is more suited to young women rather than the teen market. Personally, I liked the sass and sarcasm of the narrative but could have done without the excessive cursing, but again that is personal choice. It does limit the target market, as I’ve already stated the book was banned from general access the moment it arrived in school.
As you can appreciate Girl Up was instantly deemed unsuitable for distribution within the school library due to the satirical and outrageous delivery of the subject matter, pictures of dancing lady parts would not be accepted by the majority parents. However, as a parent of teenage girls myself, I can certainly commend the straightforward manner the subjects covered within Girl Up are delivered. I felt the contents where an important part of growing up and coming to terms with all aspects of your identity including sexuality and how today’s society regards women; although the significance of the content was outshone by the shock factor of the delivery.
Girl Up is the sort of book you can dip in and out of depending on your mood or the situation as it arises – Body Image, Social Media, Sexuality, Feminism – Girl Up has it covered. Laura Bates backs up all her advice/information with expert opinion, resources and ways to gain further information if required. Girl Up is the sort of book that SHOULD be read by all young women, it aids self-confidence and accepting yourself for who you are. Isn’t that what all parents want for their daughters – to be confident, happy, well rounded young women not afraid of who they are and not letting society define them based on their gender. However, I think the shock factor will be detrimental in reaching the majority of the target market.
Girl Up provides an invaluable resource for young women, putting aside the crudeness the information is fascinating. I do feel the book is more suited to young women rather than the teen market. Personally, I liked the sass and sarcasm of the narrative but could have done without the excessive cursing, but again that is personal choice. It does limit the target market, as I’ve already stated the book was banned from general access the moment it arrived in school.
September 4, 2016
Oh lordy. Do I love this book? Yes, yes, yes I do! Laura Bates has written a diamond of a book and I salute her for EVERYTHING she has said here. From school uniform dress codes to porn - this book covers everything that girls and young women face today. And I must add that I myself, want my own 'sexist bullshit klaxon'
Although it touches on some very serious and hard topics (e.g consent and rape) Bates delivers with every chapter with a sprinkling of humour (occasionally in the form of dancing vaginas), allowing me to giggling aloud, alerting my parents. Parts of this novel made me want to immediately photocopy the page and give it to people I know whether it being about how the so-called 'friendzone' doesn't exist or that women can have successful careers no matter what the subject area is.
Although it predominantly focuses on the issues women face in today's society, I would by no means say this is a book for girls as 1) I would be going against everything the book has just told me and 2) Bates also acknowledges the issues that men faces regarding things from body image to emotions. It is a fantastic read to anyone, especially if you feel as if there's more you need to know regarding the struggles of people in the society we live in.
Girl Up is full of myth busting whether it be about feminism or sex, giving everything a realistic viewpoint on life. It also comes with a collection of support lines and legislation to help you know you're rights (however, a lot of the legislation is UK based, so if you're like me, you're lucky.)
As a big believer in finding out more about the world I live in, I feel like Girl Up is a great book for someone who wants to focus more on gender inequality and begin to make a difference.
All in all, I would say pick up Girl Up, regardless of your reasons, whether you consider yourself to be a feminist or you want to begin reading non-fiction books. Just READ IT!
Although it touches on some very serious and hard topics (e.g consent and rape) Bates delivers with every chapter with a sprinkling of humour (occasionally in the form of dancing vaginas), allowing me to giggling aloud, alerting my parents. Parts of this novel made me want to immediately photocopy the page and give it to people I know whether it being about how the so-called 'friendzone' doesn't exist or that women can have successful careers no matter what the subject area is.
Although it predominantly focuses on the issues women face in today's society, I would by no means say this is a book for girls as 1) I would be going against everything the book has just told me and 2) Bates also acknowledges the issues that men faces regarding things from body image to emotions. It is a fantastic read to anyone, especially if you feel as if there's more you need to know regarding the struggles of people in the society we live in.
Girl Up is full of myth busting whether it be about feminism or sex, giving everything a realistic viewpoint on life. It also comes with a collection of support lines and legislation to help you know you're rights (however, a lot of the legislation is UK based, so if you're like me, you're lucky.)
As a big believer in finding out more about the world I live in, I feel like Girl Up is a great book for someone who wants to focus more on gender inequality and begin to make a difference.
All in all, I would say pick up Girl Up, regardless of your reasons, whether you consider yourself to be a feminist or you want to begin reading non-fiction books. Just READ IT!
September 26, 2016
Every teenage girl should read this. It's empowering, informative and hilarious. I loved the pictures, graphs and lists throughout the book. I loved the friendly nature of the writing, it felt like Laura Bates was having a conversation with me and the pop-culture references were brilliant and they backed up the points Laura was making perfectly. I loved the messages it was getting across and although it wasn't things I haven't heard before that didn't make it any less important. These include feminism is not about hating men, sex without consent is rape, cat-calling is not flirting and 'sluts' do not exist. Serious topics are covered in a way that is fun and friendly. I ordered Laura Bates' other book Everyday Sexism straight after finishing this one, I would highly recommend it.
October 16, 2016
"If you try to challenge unfair or prejudiced authority and find that you aren’t successful, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve played a part in a revolution whose end just isn’t yet in sight. And even if you manage to make one person think differently, or change one single mind, you’ve taken a step towards a goal that will eventually be reached, thanks to your help. Winning isn’t everything. Making a difference is what matters."
Another book that fascinates me ❤
Another book that fascinates me ❤
Read
October 12, 2016YAAAAS LAURA BATES IS WRITING ANOTHER BOOK I AM EXCITED THIS SOUNDS GREAT
also this is the first review ever wow
EDIT AFTER READING
This is so good! It's inclusive, funny and addictive. I found it very informative and entertaining. People of all genders and experiences should definitely read this,
also this is the first review ever wow
EDIT AFTER READING
This is so good! It's inclusive, funny and addictive. I found it very informative and entertaining. People of all genders and experiences should definitely read this,
October 28, 2016
I am so unbelievably thrilled to bring this incredible book to the US!! I want every teenager to read this book. #girlUp
January 6, 2018
RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
If you loved Bates' Everyday Sexism you will like this one. I like the format - writing and images.
(Review Not on Blog)
If you loved Bates' Everyday Sexism you will like this one. I like the format - writing and images.
February 1, 2020
This was a really great book! Not everything applied to me, but I absolutely loved basically everything. From the witty writing style Bates uses to tell the stories of girls throughout the ages who decided to defy the sexism and double standards around them to how she totally calls out history, society, the media and entertainment industry and politics when it comes to those exact double standards. I also loved that she really carefully explains what things like sexism and feminism are and it's infuriating to realize how big of an issue this really is. Furthermore, when it comes to topics like sex, sexuality, body image and the ''how to be a girl'' expectations, she's like the big sister or cool teacher every young girl deserves. An absolute must-read for girls, whether they're in high school or college, to find their voice and their feminism, because really, we are all feminists. And when the going gets tough, the tough girl up. Loved it.
May 25, 2024
very cool, however ! „maria curie” triggered me - her name was maria SKŁODOWSKA-curie!!
May 24, 2021
ik wou dat ik dit boek had gelezen een paar jaar geleden toen ik in mijn awkward pre-teen phase zat. het boek educate ma toch op zo een leuke manier, ik heb me bij sommige hoofdstukken echt gewoon kapot gelachen. ook is de lay-out zo cute lol. moest elke 13-jarige dit boek lezen zou de wereld een utopie zijn istg
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