The Magical Girl's Guide to Life: Find Your Inner Power, Fight Everyday Evil, and Save the Day with Self-Care

by Jacque Aye

Transform into your most magical self with this one-of-a-kind, manga inspired self-care guide designed to help you discover and harness your inner power- anime style!

Inspired by the wand-wielding, crime-fighting magical girls in your favorite animes and mangas, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life teaches you how your self-care journey starts by uncovering the magical girl within.

With fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to know about your magical girl self, including your magical girl name, what type of power you possess, and what cute companion will perfectly complement your magical girl journey. Once your magical girl identity is locked in, you’ll learn how to take on the world and continue your self-growth


With gorgeous illustrations and entertaining animated characters, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life reveals how self-love, sisterhood, and magic go together. Perfect for fans of anime and manga like Sailor Moon , Cardcaptor Sakura , and more!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Art, Feminism, Pop Culture, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Hardcover

First published December 21, 2021

About the author

As a woman who suffers from depression and social anxiety, I’ve made it my mission to candidly share my experiences with the hopes of helping others dealing with the same. This extends into my fiction work, where I pen tales about woeful women trying their best, with a surrealist, magical touch. Inspired by surrealist authors like Haruki Murakami, Sayaka Murata, and Lemony Snicket, my stories are dark and humorous with a hint…well, a bunch…of absurdity.

Reviews

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life is a unique pocket sized book aimed at finding your inner magic and dispelling self-doubt.

I originally thought this was a middle grade book, just going by the manga style cover, however the book is geared toward a young adult and older readership.

Jacque Aye uses scenarios from her favourite anime shows, such as Sailor Moon, Winx Club and cardcaptor Sakura, and explains how these magical girls handled different situations.

There are lots of fun exercises, journal prompts and personality tests throughout the book and sections on making friends, expelling self-doubt, caring for yourself, finding love and how to survive a broken heart. I found the book helpful to read a bit at a time, having fun with the quizzes, and learning more about my inner power.

Author Jacque Aye is an advocate and vocal supporter of mental health awareness and self-care. The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life is a fun little book that will be especially loved by followers of anime and manga readers but will also find a special place on the shelf of any girl who wants their life to be a little less boring and a whole lot more magical.
*I received a review copy of this book

[Capri’sBookIsland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sailor Moon Meets Therapy & Journaling.

If you're looking for an adorable book with a mix of storytelling, beautiful art, mini quizzes (that lead you to build your own magical girl). And to walk away feeling a spark in creativity, nostalgia, and joy. This is definitely your book.

I really appreciate the dive into deeper topics, and struggles all young adults, and adults go through. Finding yourself, finding your people, losing friends, juggling jobs, feeling lost, feeling determined, feeling small. And finding ways to no longer cower were a few of many topics from the hand sized journal. Although its small, its mighty lol so what are you waiting on? Read it.

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author so I'm biased, haha. But I love everything about how this book came together. And everyone involved. So my rating is about the experience! I hope people read and love this book as much as I do :)

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This colourful guidebook talks about finding courage and how to deal with everyday issues, and also how to take care of ourselves.

The main highlights you can expect from the book:

💫 ten solid chapters/192 pages giving the most practical tips for young girls

💫 segments featuring manga/comics to illustrate and explain important details

💫 the illustrations in each chapter

💫 uplifting and easy to get into

💫 the practice questions and spaces for each part for the reader to fill up

Quite an interactive guidebook which I feel is just the perfect gift for any young girl to uplift their spirits and make them grow up stronger and braver.

[CozyWarm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tests were so insightful!

I got this book in exchange for an honest review. The book was so good! I recommend this book because I especially loved the helpful tests. My favorite part was figuring out my monsters and choosing my my magical weapon. It was really super insightful too. I seriously learned a lot from this book. Anyone who loves Sailor Moon, Totally Spies and Card Captor Sakura will love this manga inspired self-care book! So stop what you're doing, pick up this book and read it!!!

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved every reference in this novel and the author truly proved her Magical Girl powers! The illustrations are nothing short of adorable and fun. So glad I read this!

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life

Author: Jacque Aye

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Nigerian American narrator

Recommended For...: self-help, self-care, anime, nonfiction, self-growth

Publication Date: December 21, 2021

Genre: Self-Help

Age Relevance: 13+ (social anxiety, COVID, the murder of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor, suicidal ideation, weight loss, dieting)

Explanation of Above: Social anxiety is discussed a bit throughout the book and so are methods that one could use to perform self-care afterwards. There is a mention of COVID and the murders of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor. There’s also a mention of suicidal ideation. There’s a little section mentioning weight loss and dieting, but nothing that promotes it.

Publisher: Ulysses Press

Pages: 192

Synopsis: Inspired by the wand-wielding, crime-fighting magical girls in your favorite animes and mangas, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life teaches you how your self-care journey starts by uncovering the magical girl within.

With fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to know about your magical girl self, including your magical girl name, what type of power you possess, and what cute companion will perfectly complement your magical girl journey. Once your magical girl identity is locked in, you’ll learn how to take on the world and continue your self-growth by:
Discovering your magical girl gang Punching fear in the face/defining your monster Developing your magical girl beauty routine Finding love after fighting crime And more!

With gorgeous illustrations and entertaining animated characters, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life reveals how self-love, sisterhood, and magic go together. Perfect for fans of anime and manga like Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and more!

Review: Overall, I really loved this book. I thought that the premise was well done and I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved how the book was relatable to me, but also could be to anyone who is way younger than me as well. The book is also targeted to girls, but I feel like anyone would find comfort in this read. The book mainly focuses on uplifting the people who read the book and details a lot of self-care options in it, which I really enjoyed since the pandemic has left me with a lot of anxiety. I also really enjoyed how the author used Magical Girls in media to help convey her messages. And the artwork was just adorable as hell.

The only issue I had with the book is that it’s really short and I felt like there could be more said. I’d love to see this book expanded and have more artwork and/or more in it in general. It was just so good! Also, I find it a crime Totally Spies wasn’t mentioned that much (after Cardcaptor and Sailor Moon, this was a fave of mine!) but I did love seeing the compact they used in the cartoon.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

[myblackbookish_life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always admired Jacque and her brand and energy, back when I discovered her company Adorned by Chi in college. After following her insta, it was a little later when I found out that she too suffered from social anxiety and I just HAD to know how she managed to be her vibrant self while battling that other part of her. So I’m thankful for this book, all the tips and tricks and insight, the fun quizzes, all in the cute packaging of being a magical girl in the real world.

[Tsundoku By the Day 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I received a copy in exchange for a review!

The book is not short of cuteness. The cover is adorable and so are the illustrations inside. I loved the color scheme used throughout the book. It was very beautiful! As for the content, I liked that the author connected multiple Magical girls from famous shows like Sailor Moon, Steven Universe, Winx Club, etc. She even references pop culture content besides magical girls like Cirque du Freak and Power Rangers. The use of magical girls and pop culture as analogies is highly effective when explaining hard topics like anxiety and mental health.

I have mixed feelings the paper choice—it’s really smooth and I like that since it’s pretty—but it’s also the type of paper that isn’t that good for gel-like pens or pencils so that’s the downside. I have the patience to not write in the book and mentally think up some of the exercises but what of someone younger than me or even someone that needs to write it b/c of accessibility purposes?

Also, I thought the formatting could have been a little more consistent and organizes? (Not sure that’s the right way to word it…)For example, some pages started with a one or two line sentence and then had the title of a new section underneath it but that sentence could have easily been adjusted in the page before since there was a rather large, awkward gap…? Idk but other than that I thought everything else—as far as the journal—was fine and cute ☺️

Note: There are some anime/show references I’m unfamiliar with so I’m putting faith in the author and publisher that they have been fact checked and are all correct.

[Artemis Crescent · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I've been wanting my whole life.

This is the kind of self-help and self-care book for me.

'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life: Find Your Inner Power, Fight Everyday Evil, and Save the Day with Self-Care' is exactly what it sounds like.

It is a treat for every fan of magical girls. It is all kinds of cute, colourful, Magical GirlTM fangirly and geeky goodness, that shines across the pop culture prism and spectrum. It is fun and lighthearted as well as therapeutic and life-affirming. It is a pocket-sized self-care friend.

Jacque Aye sounds like a wonderful person, and a (magical) girl-friend after my own heart. I want to thank her for creating 'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life', and her other passion projects; for making them exist and releasing them out into a world that needs them.

In 'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life', Aye writes (and draws) chapters such as 'What's your Magical Girl Power?' (I am Heart and Creativity), 'Choose Your Name' (goddesses, I can't decided - so many I could choose that suit me!), 'Choose Your Weapon' (maybe a pen for me, though I do love a good old traditional magical girl wand, rod or staff - the more girly the better!), 'Finding Your Familiar' (Cats. Always.), 'Your Magical Girl Gang', 'Define Your Monsters' (inner monsters, that is, such as your weaknesses being preyed on, your insecurities, and your triggers), 'Self-Care After Saving the Day', 'The Magical Girl's Beauty Regime' (a nice plus for me, especially nowadays), and 'Finding Love After Fighting Crime'. Aye writes about her own personal experiences throughout, like she really is divulging to a friend and fellow magical girl. Very helpful indeed, especially when she talks about social anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Being a magical girl is not all sweetness and sparkles, after all.

A lot is discussed concerning friendships and healthy relationships overall. It is a self-help book for adults, about adulting, too.

At the beginning, there is a list of 'Magical Girl Requirements (in no particular order)', and every single one of them applies to me personally. So there's that!

Also contains a Magical GirlTM manga segment in the middle of the life guidance counselling.

The Magical Girl Intermissions are helpful, needed, unintrusive and adorbs!

Aye makes many references to 'Sailor Moon' - the biggie, the standard Magical GirlTM influence over the decades, the number one nostalgic starlight and moonlight love, the awakening for pretty much every magical girl - and other Magical GirlTM pop culture properties, such as 'Cardcaptor Sakura', the 'Pretty Cure' anime series', 'Creamy Mami', 'Magic Knight Rayearth', 'Sugar Sugar Rune', and 'Kiki's Delivery Service' (it totally counts for the purposes of the book!). Magical girls are not limited to Japan, far from it, so western Magical GirlTM cartoons get referenced alongside anime, such as 'Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir', 'Winx Club', 'Steven Universe', and 'Bee and Puppycat'. Aye often uses these examples for real life comparatives - for the positive, though she is still boldly critical of the shows a few times, and is aware of their flaws and points them out when she needs to.

Being critical of the things you love is a sign of someone with their head firmly on their shoulders, and their heart on their sleeves and in the right place. It is a sign of someone who cares deeply.

Speaking of, one major flaw I will point out in 'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life' itself is a part in the beauty care regime chapter where Aye writes explicitly that it is important and attractive to smile all the time, as that alone will make you happy. It leans towards toxic positivity, and the idea that people who always seem to be smiling are in fact happy and trustworthy, and therefore attractive and worthy; worthy of everyone's attention. It is a shocking oversight on Aye's part, as a practicing therapist.

Another critique: I am surprised 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' isn't referenced in 'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life'. I mean, it's become almost as synonymous with magical girls as 'Sailor Moon', and in Aye's 'Magical Girls You Should Know' part of her 'Outro', she lists 'Sleepless Domain' as a recommendation, so it's not like she's averse to the darker Magical GirlTM titles.

Yes, Aye is well versed in even the most obscure Magical GirlTM stuff, including 'MagnifiqueNoir' (aka 'magnifiqueNOIR')! She truly is like my best friend. I would love to be part of her magical girl friendship gang.

However, to go back to her 'Madoka Magica' omission, I feel she missed something else: I would have referenced and recommended 'W.I.T.C.H.', to go with 'Winx Club'.

Magical girls = the power in the feminine. It is one of my core beliefs and philosophies. It is one of the reasons why I have adored magical girls since childhood, and have never "outgrown" them.

They are not silly and childish. They are powerful. They are important.

Aye even includes real life magical girl examples in her book, or they are magical beings according to her interpretation, such as Naomi Osaka, Wangari Maathai, Kizzmekia Corbett, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Serena Williams, Sha'Carri Richardson, Doja Cat, and Toni Morrison. Thank you for bringing these wonderful and inspirational WOC to my attention (including yourself), Jacque Aye!

An extra gold star for pointing out that anyone of any gender can be a magical girl or magical being! And for not assuming that everyone's true love has to be heterosexual. But what about acknowledging asexuality, and aroace people? This is another unfortunate oversight.

I am a magical girl, and thanks to Jacque Aye's 'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life: Find Your Inner Power, Fight Everyday Evil, and Save the Day with Self-Care', as well as looking up to so many different magical girls across the globe and the stars and the cosmos, I know I can be proud to be one. To act like one. It makes me happy, and feel I am glowing on the inside and outside.

I want to be feminine and strong. Those two traits are not mutually exclusive. I want to believe in love, care, empathy, and friendship.

I will be coming back to 'The Magical Girl's Guide to Life', always. I adore this beautiful, well written and put together little gem.

Jacque Aye, on the slim chance you are reading this, here are my Magical GirlTM recommendations to you: the 'W.I.T.C.H.' comics, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica', 'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power' (read here and here), 'Zodiac Starforce', 'A Magical Girl Retires', 'Flavor Girls', 'Meesh the Bad Demon', 'Magical Boy', 'Magica Riot', 'Hovergirls', 'Save Yourself!', 'Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.', 'Magic Girls: Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess', and 'Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe'.

Now to check out 'Adorned by Chi'.

In the name of love and the moon, this magical girl signs off!

Final Score: 4/5

[Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fully admit that I picked this one up solely because of the title and cover. Really for people who grew up watching 魔法少女 magical girl series - I was a Cardcaptor Sakura girl myself - who want to be more mindful about how they treat themselves and the people around them.

Throughout this entire reading journey I have learned that I really appreciate very important concepts like self-care and maintaining relationships being explained to me using anime references and as a society I think we really need more of those. Especially using shoujo/josei titles. The one Sugar Sugar Rune crystal heart reference near the end really stuck with me...

Overall a quick and fluffy read with just as much heart as there is sparkle in its pages.

Originally posted on TikTok.

[Reneé D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book out of curiosity, and also cause I love magical girl anime. While the title may sound like it's for young girls, I actually found it really useful even as a 30-something. It uses magical girl tropes to help you learn to love yourself, find your unique "magic," identify and fight your personal monsters, and find friends to support you, among other things. It has simple exercises and fun personality quizzes to help you along the way. Definitely would recommend!

[Whitney Terrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the pick-me-up that I didn't know I needed. I enjoyed this self-help book, and that the author used the magical girl genre to attract readers. I grew up with magical girl anime shows, and this was a good read. The author is also the creator of Adorned by Chi, and her artwork is featured in the book. I highly recommend this book.

[Lady Soulaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really glad that I got this book. Yes, when I was little I wanted to be a magical girl. I felt like this book was talking to me and my inner child. I look at my “monsters” differently and believe that I can defeat them. I learned at lot and now I’m a magical girl. This book has a loving and caring vibe. I just love it!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really cute - Aye combines self-help tips, her personal experience and pop culture analysis on the magical girl trope as one accessible guide. These blended really well and it was nice to have some variety to shake each chapter up.

[Jennifer]

This is a good one for introverts who feel like all the other girls have it figured out. Jacque Aye did figure it out and she is still proudly an introvert adult who likes fanciful things unashamedly.

[LilMacD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this little book!! It’s so relatable and well written and full of little gems! Plus the quizzes and question prompts are super fun and insightful!

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and playful way to help you sort out your shxt, gain some confidence, feel okay with where you're at in the world.

[Emanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore this book! Its a fun and interactive self care guide that helps you find the magic in the mundane while overcoming your everyday struggles.