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Lies Young Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free

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You have been lied to! Have you been deceived? Through a nationwide survey and in-depth discussion groups, Nancy and Dannah have listened carefully to the heart of your generation. And here are some things they’ve heard: 
 
“I know God should be the only thing that satisfies, but if it could be Him and my friends, then I could be happy.”

"It seems like I have been struggling with depression forever. I always feel like I am not good enough.”

“I tell myself that I don’t really listen to the song lyrics, but once I hear a song a few times and start thinking about what they’re saying I realize that it's too late.  It's already stuck in my head."
 
"For me, the whole wife and mom thing is overrated. It isn’t cool to want a husband and a family.”

Maybe you can identify. Trying to listen to the right voices can be difficult. This book has been written by friends who will help you find the Truth. Maybe your heart is telling you that some things in your life are way off course. Certain habits and relationships have left you confused and lonely. This is not the way it’s supposed to be.

In this book, Nancy and Dannah expose 25 of the lies most commonly believed by your generation. They share real-life accounts from some of the young women they interviewed, along with honest stories about how they’ve overcome lies they believed themselves. They get down in the trenches of the battle with you. Best of all, they’ll show you how to be set free by the Truth.

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2018

245 people are currently reading
1575 people want to read

About the author

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

127 books446 followers
Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth also known as Nancy Leigh DeMoss is the host and teacher for Revive Our Hearts and Seeking Him, two nationally-syndicated programs heard each weekday on over 1,000 radio stations. She is a mentor and spiritual mother to thousands of women and a leader of the True Woman movement.

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5 stars
582 (44%)
4 stars
387 (29%)
3 stars
187 (14%)
2 stars
74 (5%)
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64 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
Profile Image for Cassidy.
184 reviews28 followers
October 13, 2015
While it had some good points, this book was very offensive to me. I have never read a more biased, homophobic, antifeminist book. I can understand why some Christians are so ignorant, but really, this is just another reason why I hate to call myself a Christian even though I follow Christ - I don't like the way "Christians" act. For example, trying to convince me that homosexuality is a sin and then saying, "Sin removes joy... Sin brings physical damage...Sin produces fear." Oh, really? I've never seen homosexuality do any of that - in fact, I'd say in most cases it does the opposite of all of those. To quote 1 John 4:8, "God is love." So why in the world are these authors so against love? Doesn't sound Christian to me.
Then there's the whole antifeminist chapter. Literally an entire chapter saying how, even though society is trying to make people believe that men and women should be equal... that's wrong? It tried to argue that, simply because Adam was made first, he was superior to Eve. I actually believe that, well, SOMEONE had to be made first. If it had been Eve, meninism would be a real thing, and feminism the joke.
After venting about this to my friend, they told me that they believed Adam to have been a woman originally, and that Eve, being made from Adam, is technically a clone of Adam and therefore could hardly be a different sex. I added that, before sin, there was no need for reproduction, because there was no death, so it's totally plausible. The rest could have been part of the curse. Not to mention, "Adam" is the Hebrew word for "human," genderlessly, so really, "Adam" may not be a name as much as it is a title, per se.
The worst part, though, is that these authors just think they're SO RIGHT about it on the flimsiest evidence. Bible verses that could be interpreted a hundred different ways and a little story that, for all we know, could have been fictional aren't convincing to me about something I believe with all my heart. And that is that God loves us all equally and sees the soul before he sees the gender he made us, and wants us to love each other like that, too. I believe God is a feminist. Not that he values people who are only wives and mothers and have no job. God calls us all different ways, so who's to say women shouldn't want a job? Too "manly?" I think that this aspect of the book is more influenced by the scum of the earth than I am by disagreeing and believing differently.
When I started typing this, I literally told myself I wouldn't go off and argue the whole book, because it was really only about 30% of the book I found offensive. Whoops. Maybe I just really want the authors to stop sounding so cocky about everything - the voice used in some of these chapters made me feel like you thought you were getting your words directly from Jesus, but I strongly disagree. Really, the only reason this book has more than one star is because it did have some good points about other things, like how wasted time could be used better or that having a "good life" isn't necessarily the best life to lead.
Good try, guys. But please, do some research next time you write a book. God bless you both. <3
Profile Image for Any Length.
2,183 reviews7 followers
July 22, 2018
I had to pray about writing this review because the book had made me say yes one minute and be angry about the closed mindedness the other.
What do I agree with:
1. Definitely do not think that you cannot live without your friends, current set or any other set. 2. Definitely do not think that you are nothing without your boyfriend
3. Definitely do not thing that you have to do what he asks for sexually if you want to wait for marriage before taking that step.
4. Definitely do not let peer pressure push you into anything that you find incompatible with your faith.
What I do NOT Agree with:
1. That practicing the exercises of yoga is a satanic or other faith practice. It's just exercise and you can connect with God this way just as well as through other ways.
2. That meditation practices are not good for Christians. If we meditate on bible verses what can be wrong about that?
AND the absolute worst one from this book:
That women have but one primary purpose to be a good wife and mother. That motherhood is their fulfillment. What a lot of baloney. I did not chose motherhood because I am not good mother material. I am glad God let me live in a time where contraception is possible and I did not have to have babies. (It would have been a sad life for them, indeed.) I am not a career woman who spends 60 hours a week working. But I do object to someone telling me that my only true calling was to get married and have kids. I don't even like kids, not yours and I am sure mine neither. The mere thought of having kids is awful to me. And don't someone write to me and tell me about the ticking clock. I have been on contraception for 38 years and am just about done with that kind of "fruitful" part of my life and I never once heard one single "tick" nor one single "tock" EVER! If God had made me to embrace motherhood He would have 1. given me a better mother, 2. given me the desire for kids, and 3. supplied the skills. He did none of that. So, regardless of what verse you want to toss my way, motherhood was NOT my calling. And there are plenty of other women who are in the same position. I chose not to have kids, I didn't want kids, I don't have kids, I don't like kids, I never wanted kids, from the very earliest thoughts I did not want kids. Ever.
Profile Image for Bella Putt.
51 reviews19 followers
September 6, 2021
5/5 stars

I forgot how amazing this book is. It's convicting, yet SO encouraging. I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Haley Annabelle.
362 reviews186 followers
March 14, 2023
This book was recommended to me by my ACBC supervisor for one of my counseling cases. Although it was useful for counseling, in bringing up many good conversations, I would not recommend it for many reasons:
- Nancy Leigh DeMoss is far from a solid reformed teacher. Although she made some good points, there was a lot of theology (hinted at) that I did not agree with. She mentioned Beth Moore as a friend once without any warnings about her theology.
- The audience of the book is all wrong. DeMoss wrote this to public school girls who end up in a "cool" youth group. Therefore, many of the topics touched on are so foreign to a homeschooled child brought up in a biblical church. Many of the examples fell flat or were easy to dismiss on the grounds of absurdity.
- So, so many references to sex and any temptations surrounding that that a worldly teenager might have. And here is where I really take issue with this book. I skipped the whole chapter on relationships with my counselee, as I did not feel it was appropriate. For a Biblical book, written to YOUNG GIRLS, I certainly do not condone having that wide a range of sexual sins listed.

In conclusion, I am very grateful for the many bible verses presented in here and the tough topics that it brought up. But there are many better books on the subject. I also appreciated their strong stance on yoga, divination, or anything else satanic. And their chapter on the future and the high calling of a wife and mother was very well done.

See:
Disciplines of a Godly Woman
Let The Women Be Women: God's Design for Womanhood and Marriage
Profile Image for Karyssa.
31 reviews14 followers
February 6, 2017
This book definitely deserves more than five stars. I went into this book knowing that the author was going to make a list of lies every girl and woman most likely believe(d) at some point in their life. And I already knew that there were lies I have believed, I just didn't know which ones. I really liked how they told the stories of other Christian girls, because a lot of times we think that we're the only ones that struggle, that all the other Christian girls have it all together. But it's not true, and I highly recommend this book. I strongly encourage every. single. girl. to read this. Boys may even want to read it. I think that some of these lies, even boys may tend to believe to.

But, in my opinion, the first step you need to take, before you read the book, is: Admit to yourself that there are lies that you believe, even though you may not know what they are. Yet.
Profile Image for Becca Amstutz.
75 reviews15 followers
May 26, 2022
Highly shame based. If you don’t desire to be a wife and mother than you are outside of God’s will according to the book. Desiring a career is contrary to God’s Will according to the book. Flirting is wrong according to the book. Dating a man and not marrying him is wrong according to this book. Impressionable young women could potentially be destroyed by this book
Profile Image for Katherine Forster.
12 reviews40 followers
May 11, 2025
Edit: I read this as a teenager, when some of the more disturbing beliefs and positions in this book (e.g., a woman's highest calling is to be a wife and mother, you can cure your mental illness with better beliefs) were very normalized for me. While the authors make good points, I wouldn't recommend this book at all. There are simply better books that make the same points without the bad teaching mixed in. Even better, instead of giving teenage girls "devotional books," teach them to study the Bible itself. Let the truth actually set them free.

Original Review:
I confess that I wasn't too sure about this book to begin with. A book about lies doesn't necessarily sound like the greatest read, haha! But it pretty quickly put my fears to rest. Nancy and Dannah provide a great rundown not only of the lies we so often choose to believe, but also of the truth that has the power to overcome them. A main focus was on getting God's word into your heart, which I loved! My only main concern was that certain illustrations and sections dealt with issues that might not be appropriate for middle school age and younger. Overall, this was a good book and one I'd recommend!
Profile Image for Jupiter (God’s Version ✝️).
50 reviews11 followers
July 22, 2025
i recommend this to everyone. and if you aren't a young woman, then there is another book for you by the same author. go read them
763 reviews13 followers
March 26, 2018
What a frustrating read.

Putting aside my personal thoughts on religion, the authors promote behavior that I think is illogical and alienating. Consider yourself gender-fluid, trans, gay, lesbian, or bi? Want to explore sexual experiences while you're young? Believe that women can have a say in decisions during a marriage and don't have to be mothers to live fulfilling lives? Enjoy doing yoga? Like movies, music, or literature that has any scene with sex, violence, or illicit behavior? Curious about your horoscope, zodiac, tarot cards, or palm readings? Then you are one of many being "tricked" in our "fallen world" of human emotions. Never mind that many modern laws, inventions, movements, and so on that we may take for granted were created precisely because people are driven by emotional experiences. Yikes.

And there's no consideration whatsoever for anyone who may be seriously ill or suffering any sort of physical disability. Depression, obsessions, and suicidal thoughts get mild mentions, but that's about it for tackling mental health issues. The idea that anyone outside of the Midwest U.S. community doesn't even register a footnote for a book that claims to be understanding for younger women is also terrifying.

At times, the authors give advice I can agree with ("your happiness shouldn't be judged entirely by your accomplishments", "treasure inner beauty first within yourself and others", "reach out to others less fortunate than you") before it crash lands by promoting extrinsic dependency or by contradicting themselves within the same page (or paragraph sometimes). Because God is stated to be an entity outside of you, and the only one worthy of your absolute love, obedience, and loyalty. It's probably not intentional, but carrying that kind of mindset dilutes any encouragement to learn from personal experiences to me. And implies that punishment and conditioning works for all, which may actually drive people further apart than the authors intended.

I appreciate that the authors are reporting success stories for women turning their lives around with their support. Bravo. But this book is not one that I would feel comfortable recommending to anyone outside of educational or critical-thinking debates.

I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Profile Image for Kate Schartel.
6 reviews4 followers
November 4, 2017
Extreme

Not completely without merit otherwise I'd be writing that it should get zero stars; however, the majority of viewpoints in this book are far too extreme to be practical and every time I think I read a nice lovely sentiment that actually resonates with me, it is followed by extremist absurdity that just doesn't align with my faith.
232 reviews
June 21, 2009
I'm not the target age group for this book. I actually read it to see if I could recommend it to others. The message of the book is very good. It's honest, practical, and helpful. For any Christian girl in her teens who is immersed in today's culture and the typical church, it is a message that needs to be read and applied. For those who have lived sheltered lives, parts of it would be unnecessary and perhaps better skipped, though there's still an incredible amount of worthwhile material. The reader learns to take the Bible and apply it to real life clearly and practically. The part I don't like is the layout, extra page embellishments, sidebars... It's distracting, interrupting, and annoying. Maybe it appeals to the target group, but I don't need a lime-green header on each page, and I don't like interrupting the thought flow to read a definition in a circle or a side bar of practical ideas or illustration. I still managed to find the good things. If you find yourself plagued by depression, eating disorders, bad habits, sinful desires, and so many other things, you'll find help here. You'll find the solution, because the help comes from God's Word.
Profile Image for Sarah.
200 reviews13 followers
December 28, 2019
"The Enemy is constantly confronting us with his lies. In order to combat his deception, our minds and hearts must be filled with the Lord Jesus and saturated with His Word. But it's not enough to know the Truth. We must also surrender to it. That means we must be willing to change our thinking and our lifestyle in any area that is inconsistent with the Truth as it is revealed in the Word of God."

Fighting the lies in our lives is not just helpful it is absolutely vital.
This book is honest, encouraging, convicting and well written. The concern that these two ladies (Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh) have for young girls to realize the lies that they are believing is obvious throughout the book. This is my second time through this book and probably not my last!

Every girl should read this book and live it!
9 reviews
August 10, 2020
Nancy’s writing is harmful to women. It perpetuates lies invented by men to keep women filled with shame, silent, and doubting their ability to hear from the Holy Spirit and stand confidently in their own autonomy. In lieu of reading her work, please instead seek the writings of Dr Jackie Roese and Carolyn Custis James.
Profile Image for Laura.
45 reviews
September 6, 2014
Has great writings of how to counter lies with the Truth of what God says about us and life.
Profile Image for Natalie.
96 reviews
Read
October 17, 2020
First and foremost I believe every Christian teenager should check out what Nancy DeMoss has to offer. She wrote this with Dannah Gresh. This was so helpful and everyone can take something out of this. I fall into believing so many of these lies mentioned from time to time, and I constantly have to remind myself that, as a Christian, my worth is not determined by the things of the world. Oh how depressing that would be! I am valued by an omniscient, creator God who knows my name in the midst of every created thing in the universe. That’s pretty significant, right?
Profile Image for AlixJamie.
224 reviews31 followers
July 5, 2010
Though the subjects covered in this book were very relevant to most teenage girl's lives, my friends and I agreed that this book wasn't much help.
The lies were presented in a clear way and we knew we had believed several of them, but when it came to actually solving the problem, we found that there wasn't much help offered.
This is just our opinion, so please, if you think this book might help you, don't let this review warn you away. Different things work for different people.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
789 reviews5 followers
November 20, 2020
I read this with my 16 year old. I didn’t like it as much as the Women’s version. Many of the issues that the authors brought up were not relatable to our lives (yay for homeschooling!). But overall there was plenty to glean and I especially loved the concise list at the back with scripture references. Anyone would benefit from the reminders of lies we frequently believe and the Truth that sets us free.
Profile Image for Heaven Adore.
146 reviews
March 8, 2022
This was better than I thought! Although I there were some sections that didn't apply to me, I love how with everything they backed it up with Scripture. They did not water-down anything as if to belittle the audience since it's for teenage girls. This book is perfect for girls at any phase in their walk with God!
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
6 reviews
Read
July 30, 2013
Not sure what the bad comments are about. I'm approximately 1/3 or maybe more through the book and enjoying it so far. My teen pastor gave it to me and I trust that he wouldn't give me a book to read that didn't line up with the scripture. So very much enjoying it so far. :)
Profile Image for Clare.
1,460 reviews311 followers
November 25, 2012
This book's excellent title appears to introduce a very helpful topic: that there are many lies told to young women today which they would do well to question. What is not so apparent from the title is that the lies dealt with here are not those generally formed in society, but those which could plague young Christians specifically about the practice of their faith and how it impacts their personal lives. The solutions it offers therefore are possibly not quite as attractive to a general audience as to a young Christian audience.

The initial 'test' it proposes to readers to discern whether or not they are in the grip of the lies which will be explored contains some suggestions which could be generally helpful, and others which are more directly Christian. It asks whether you are 'Happy to be single' or 'Gotta have a guy'; 'Happy with what you've got' or 'Ugly'; 'Content with what you've got' or 'Must shop now'; 'The real deal' or 'Different depending on whom I'm with' etc. The more specifically Christian considerations include 'Forgiven' or 'Guilty'; 'Walking in victory' or 'Unable to overcome certain sins' and 'Confident of God's protection' or 'Afraid of Satan'. The substantial Bible Christian theology throughout offers a particular interpretation of Scripture and Church teaching that may not concord with those of other denominations.

As often found in spiritual personal development books aimed at young adults, many of the examples given are quite drastic, including a romantic relationship between a father and daughter which also involves drug use, models starving themselves, children who were abused, Satanic worship in Africa etc. Many others are about experiences in Christian youth groups, both spiritual and general in friendships and romantic relationships.

The first section of lies dealt with in the book is directly about God, and the second is about Satan, following the strongly Christian tone of the book. Then it explores lies about myself, including my worth, my appearance and my performance. Then lies about guys: I need a boyfriend, it's ok to go out with a non-Christian, things that are 'not really sex', and the loneliness of staying pure. Then lies about relationships, lies about faith (including 'My youth pastor is my connection with God'), lies about sin, lies about media and wasting time, and finally lies about the 'lack of fulfilment' of living the role of a wife and mother without external employment. www.GoodReadingGuide.com
Profile Image for Gretchen Corn.
51 reviews3 followers
February 23, 2022
I was looking forward to going through this with my 13 year old daughter using the study guide. We haven’t done a study together before.
I love that it is well researched and uses the voices of young women. The authors encourage girls to reach out to their parents, wise older Christians and their youth leaders. They encourage hiding God’s word in their hearts as a way to combat lies.
Personally I don’t align as strongly with their views on some “slippery slope” moral issues. They take such a strong line against media with any hint of morality, against maturation all together and have a very negative view on the woman’s rights movement. They also suggestion yoga and meditation are gateways into darker things. So these are areas some believes disagree on. I’m happy to talk through those things with her though.
Profile Image for Erin.
337 reviews
February 17, 2022
Nothing in this devotional guide was earth-shatteringly new to me, but it was certainly good to hear all the same. These are the sorts of lies that you might know in your head not to believe, and yet find yourself acting on in the day-to-day moments.

The book is well-organized and frequently refers back to Scripture to support its points. It's helpful for not only recognizing the destructive lies, but also for reinforcing why we believe something different. I would recommend!
Profile Image for Jennalie.
18 reviews
April 3, 2023
I admit that this book had some good thoughts. However, there were so many other glaring issues that they made it hard to respect what Ms. DeMoss had to say.

Please don't. Don't give this to young girls. Young girls need to hear that they are respected and capable as they are, not that they are eternally subordinate to their future husbands. I guarantee that feminism is far less damaging than you think.
Profile Image for rachel ann.
118 reviews13 followers
March 14, 2023
i read this when i was probably 11 or 12. pretty good, albeit mature content — to be fair, their use of the phrase “young women” literally meant teenagers, not preteens.

that said, aiming this book towards teenagers also falls somewhat flat, as some of the situations, scenarios, and texting felt pretty unrealistic/juvenile.

BUT! fairly good book nonetheless. i’ve heard, recently, that it’s pretty closeminded in its theology, so maybe i’ll have to reread it and see what i think now.
Profile Image for Noel.
12 reviews8 followers
April 26, 2023
While some of the book was helpful for me, I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, PMDD, and Eating Disorder (Not Otherwise Specificied) in adulthood. When I was in high school, the school did this as a Bible study with all the teen girls. I thought that these symptoms I struggled with were completely sin issues. That was a heavy burden that my classmates and I should not have to carry 🥲
Profile Image for Brenna.
17 reviews
February 28, 2016
This book is great for middle schoolers to high schoolers. It was tough for me to get through, being college-aged, but it's good knowledge to have so I can help younger girls that may struggle with these lies.
Profile Image for Syd.
184 reviews2 followers
May 26, 2020
This book hits home more than I thought it would. Especially the technology chapter. It was a very good read that makes you think and ponder about the lies and truths in this world.

Recommended (for young women) ages 13\14 & up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews

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