A Girl's Guide to Being Fearless: How to Find Your Brave

by Suzie Lavington, Andy Cope

Girls' Guide is the antidote to today's overwhelming world of altered photos, filters and fillers. With more than 1 in 3 teenage girls suffering from anxiety or depression as well as a huge rise in self harm and eating disorders, the need for a rock-solid wellbeing resource has never been more acute.

Self-esteem is such a brittle thing. Moreover, at a time when self-esteem in young girls has never been so low and the noise of 'social' can permeate every hour of their day, it's never been more important for them to understand that wellbeing is an inside job.

A Girls' Guide to Being Fearless is a book of our time, reflecting the world as it is. There's little value in telling girls to stop doing selfies or using Instagram filters, because these habits are ingrained in teenage culture. The value lies in teaching young women how to retain control of their wellbeing, knowing how to respond, developing strategies to bounce back, and learning to be their own bestie - and this book does just that!

It includes a host of practical exercises and do-able ideas to inspire young women to smash through self-limiting beliefs, lift themselves and each other up, love the skin they're in, exude confidence and be excited for their future.

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2021

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this during downtime at work for lack of anything better to do, and while I enjoyed the writing style, I found it a bit heavy on the "just CHOOSE to be happy and confident!" mentality. We all know how unrealistic that is, so I'm not sure how actually helpful this book might be for teenage girls who already struggle with confidence and self esteem issues. It was an entertaining enough way to pass the time, and I didn't feel like it was a waste, but if you're a parent thinking about buying this for your teen, I would recommend reading it yourself first.

[Pui Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was everything that I wished someone told me back when I was in the age range of 16-19 years-old and completely had no clue how to handle my life. I was constantly stressed to the point that I was anxious all the time. I lost confidence in myself because I seemed to keep facing so many challenges in terms of my studies. I also suffered terribly from constantly comparing myself to others, which just made my self-esteem plummet further. If you were/still feeling like this, I think you should give this book a try.

The tone of this book is never preachy or condescending; it feels like a best friend giving you advice. The advice and suggestions in the book are realistic and I honestly think that they do help. Especially the chapters on 'The Facts of Life' and 'Finding Your Brave'. I wasn't fully aware that it is normal to experience some stress and anxiety in everyday life. I thought something was wrong because I still felt a little anxious even when there was nothing important going on. If I knew about this earlier, I would not have spent so much time ruminating and worrying in the past.
I'd also like to add that I benefitted a lot from the 'Finding Your Brave' chapter. Giving the negative part of my brain a name definitely helped me to quiet the negativity.

[Beachbubblesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling all those with a tween or teenage girl in their lives...this book belongs on their shelves!

An upbeat manual on living your best life, A Girl's Guide to Being Fearless would have been a welcome companion in navigating my own high school days, more than a couple of pearls of wisdom gleaming bright for me as I read, despite those days now being long behind me. Positivity radiates from the pages as Suzie shares her insights on what it means to be a t(w)eenage girl in today's world, her language and tone perfectly pitched to appeal to the short attention spans of our internet generation.

Palpitating with energy and more than a sprinkle of sparkling wit, Suzie writes with the perfect blend of empathy and straight-talking honesty, and I particularly warmed to the focus on developing 'bounce-back-ability' and kindness being paramount. This truly is a wonderful gift for any girl, with plenty of tools, insights and prompts to help them conquer fears and anxieties and steer themselves towards more happiness.

Thank you Suzie for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this wonderful book!

[Evie Dunbabin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clinically underrated piece of non-fiction that aims itself at teenage girls, but can also be read by anyone else who does not fit this demographic. Unlike many other books of the genre, 'A Girl's Guide to Being Fearless' doesn't ever come across as patronising, condescending, or blameful. Instead, the author takes the conversational tone of being the readers 'best friend.' This mode of address makes you feel more understood and listened to, instead of being nagged at like other self-help books often do. As well as this, you get the sense that the author has really done their research in trying to understand the target audience, as the language is relatable and realistic. Ultimately, it was just the read I needed as an anxious teenage girl who has spent much of my life unable to stand up for myself. Something I would recommend every young woman to read.

[Barbara Band · Rating 4 out of 5]

With more than 1 in 3 teenage girls suffering from anxiety and depression, it is important that they have the skills to cope with the pressures of living in the 21st century such as learning to love yourself for who you are and behaving appropriately online. A Girls’ Guide to Being Fearless is a self-care book that will help them do this. Covering topics such as self-esteem, self-confidence, wellbeing and building resilience, there are practical tips and exercises to help manage challenges, resist peer pressure and deal with bullying. Written in an accessible style with facts and inspirational quotes, this is, perhaps, a book to dip in to rather than be read cover to cover but one that every teenage girl will find useful.

[Jane Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

My ridiculously talented friend Suzie wrote a book! And do you know what, she didn’t just write any old book – she put together this awesome guide to dealing with the madness, stress and pressures that come with life nowadays. The book is aimed at teenage girls, but is an excellent read for anyone who wants to overcome their fears, become the best version of themselves and make the most out of life!

It provides practical, easy-to-follow tips for dealing with issues such as bullying, feeling low, and spending too much time on your phone. It teaches you how to truly love and appreciate yourself for who you are, flaws and all, even in the face of constant bombardment with ‘perfection’ on social media. It includes exercises to help you to boost your self-esteem, and to help you figure out what you want from life.

It is *quite* a long time since I was a teenage girl, but I think that everyone could learn something from the ‘Finding your Brave’ chapter, in which Suzie and her co-author Dr Andy Cope provide a ten-step action plan for overcoming your fears. As something of a chronic scaredy cat, I will be applying it to my own life right away! The chapter ‘The Power of Now’ is also really thought-provoking, as it points out that a lot of us (myself included) are often waiting for a certain thing to make us happy (be it the weekend, the holidays, finding true love, whatever) whereas in reality, the present is all we have. It includes tips for learning to live in the moment and enjoying every day, which I am already trying to incorporate into my daily routine.

The tone is never preachy or condescending, and the advice and suggestions given are never complex or unrealistic – the book just sets out practical advice in a clear and comprehensible way (with the odd joke along the way!) and maps a route through many of the minefields faced by teenage girls (and others) today. An excellent read for young girls, and, indeed, anyone who wants to find their brave.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A generally good book, but I didn't realise it was aimed at teenagers!

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave it 5 stars but probably from 4.5-5. I haven't read many self help books but this one was so good and would recommend.

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, gave me some very good pointers on how to be a better person, gives very good advise and some very good tips for teen girls.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valid book 📚

[Ellie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a teenage girl, this book was aimed at me. I don’t really understand the genre of self-help books, nor have I ever found them particularly inspiring or helpful, but some interesting points were raised. I liked the idea of calling the negative voices in your head “Janet” and telling them to go away. I liked the counting down from five to motivate yourself.

It was a quick read, and mostly okay. Some of it was a bit patronising and the author seemed to be trying too hard to be cool or whatever, but I suppose to a younger girl it could have been more immersive with the complimentary addresses to the reader of “beautiful” or “gorgeous” which my Janet did not respond to at all very well.