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A Girl's Guide to Life: The Real Dish on Growing Up, Being True, and Making Your Teen Years Fabulous
Presents advice for teenage girls on how to improve body, mind, and soul as they grow into womanhood
- GenresNonfiction
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 14, 2010
A Girl's Guide to Life. Katie Meier. 2010. Thomas Nelson. 212 pages. ISBN 9781400315949.
A Girl's Guide to Life is exactly that - an extremely helpful guide geared toward teenage girls covering a variety of subjects from social networking to eating disorders to dating and relationships.
A Girl's Guide to Life charmingly begins with a history lesson about a woman's "role" in society dating back to the 1950s and how it has evolved over the decades to present time. Meier then segues into chapters on self-esteem, romance, and eventually my favorite chapter entitled "Going Online and the Digital You", which indirectly explains how to be tactful and appropriate when texting and using social media applications on the internet. Kudos to Meier for smartly approaching this subject which is so important to address in this day and age!
Throughout the book, Meier has sprinkled throughout each chapter some popular myths and their accurate truths; for example, on the subject of prejudice and perception, Meier says:
Big Myth: Stereotyping people isn't a big deal.
Real Deal: Stereotyping people leads to prejudice.
A Girl's Guide to Life is a refreshing and modern spin on all issues and obstacles teenagers face; definitely a must-read for young women who seek direction or just plain factual information. I think every woman has possessed a book like this at some point during their teenage years, and has proved vital to survival during that timeframe (at least for me!). I was happy to see A Girl's Guide to Life avoid the usually prevalent diagrams of male and female anatomy and lessons on reproduction. Ha!
Furthermore, although A Girl's Guide to Life is geared toward Christian teens, it will appeal to ANY young woman looking to preserve values no matter what her religion. I largely applaud Meier because toward the end of the book in the chapter on religion she describes and defines each religion factually with no speculation or opinion. Nicely and professionally done!
Katie Meier is also the author of Same God, Different Churches.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
A Girl's Guide to Life is exactly that - an extremely helpful guide geared toward teenage girls covering a variety of subjects from social networking to eating disorders to dating and relationships.
A Girl's Guide to Life charmingly begins with a history lesson about a woman's "role" in society dating back to the 1950s and how it has evolved over the decades to present time. Meier then segues into chapters on self-esteem, romance, and eventually my favorite chapter entitled "Going Online and the Digital You", which indirectly explains how to be tactful and appropriate when texting and using social media applications on the internet. Kudos to Meier for smartly approaching this subject which is so important to address in this day and age!
Throughout the book, Meier has sprinkled throughout each chapter some popular myths and their accurate truths; for example, on the subject of prejudice and perception, Meier says:
Big Myth: Stereotyping people isn't a big deal.
Real Deal: Stereotyping people leads to prejudice.
A Girl's Guide to Life is a refreshing and modern spin on all issues and obstacles teenagers face; definitely a must-read for young women who seek direction or just plain factual information. I think every woman has possessed a book like this at some point during their teenage years, and has proved vital to survival during that timeframe (at least for me!). I was happy to see A Girl's Guide to Life avoid the usually prevalent diagrams of male and female anatomy and lessons on reproduction. Ha!
Furthermore, although A Girl's Guide to Life is geared toward Christian teens, it will appeal to ANY young woman looking to preserve values no matter what her religion. I largely applaud Meier because toward the end of the book in the chapter on religion she describes and defines each religion factually with no speculation or opinion. Nicely and professionally done!
Katie Meier is also the author of Same God, Different Churches.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
December 5, 2011
Katie Meier plunges into the teenage female brain with the boldness of a runaway horse on a mission. Indeed, she does have a mission. A mission to dispel the lies girls so easily fall for and give them the truth they so desperately need. With a quirky, sitting-across-the-table-from-you-in-a-coffee-shop style, she digs deep into the questions all girls ask.
Packaged in an appealing cover, this book caught my attention and had me eagerly awaiting its arrival. Unfortunately, when I first opened it, it didn’t hold up to my expectations. Meier’s warm-hearted style was interesting and kept me reading. Her knowledge of the hearts of teenage girls was thorough, non-judgmental, and captivating. She made me think.
But I disagree with her.
The Soul section includes a chapter entitled Religion that encourages young girls to “work from their souls” and “look within.”
“The bottom line is that you’re able to believe in religion because you want to.”
This sentence (and many others) raised red flags.
Religion may be man reaching up to heaven, but I believe that Christianity is God reaching down to man.
The grace of God plus nothing equals salvation. The saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross ushers us into a relationship with Almighty God. I don’t have to “look within,” all I have to do is look to God. He’s been looking to me since time began.
This book was fun to read. It was informative. It was no-nonsense. It was funny.
That’s exactly why I would and wouldn’t recommend it.
It’s appealing. The other sections hit hard and are enjoyable to read.
Therein lies the problem.
Girls may have a hard time differentiating between the truths conveyed in the first two-thirds of the book and the misaligned last few chapters.
* I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Packaged in an appealing cover, this book caught my attention and had me eagerly awaiting its arrival. Unfortunately, when I first opened it, it didn’t hold up to my expectations. Meier’s warm-hearted style was interesting and kept me reading. Her knowledge of the hearts of teenage girls was thorough, non-judgmental, and captivating. She made me think.
But I disagree with her.
The Soul section includes a chapter entitled Religion that encourages young girls to “work from their souls” and “look within.”
“The bottom line is that you’re able to believe in religion because you want to.”
This sentence (and many others) raised red flags.
Religion may be man reaching up to heaven, but I believe that Christianity is God reaching down to man.
The grace of God plus nothing equals salvation. The saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross ushers us into a relationship with Almighty God. I don’t have to “look within,” all I have to do is look to God. He’s been looking to me since time began.
This book was fun to read. It was informative. It was no-nonsense. It was funny.
That’s exactly why I would and wouldn’t recommend it.
It’s appealing. The other sections hit hard and are enjoyable to read.
Therein lies the problem.
Girls may have a hard time differentiating between the truths conveyed in the first two-thirds of the book and the misaligned last few chapters.
* I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 29, 2012
The real dish, my foot! The real dish if you are self-absorbed, have no godly parents, and want to be a shallow, surface-level "Christian." Rubbish!
August 12, 2010
Book Description:
A Girl’s Guide to Life offers girls a fun, healthy approach to facing their adolescent years. This complete resource helps teenage girls deal with all the traumas, dramas, and triumphs in their lives. The book is divided into Body, Mind, and Soul sections to address the relevant issues in each area of a young woman’s life. It’s “the” book for any girl wondering what’s happening to her body, soul, and mind during these crazy years.
Revised and updated to include information on texting, sexting, and the viral cultural in which teens live, this book will help girls navigate their way through what can be a very tumultuous time in life.
With conversations with real teen girls, a foundation on God and the Bible, and helpful tips and questions for the reader, girls will gain an encouraging and fresh perspective on their lives.
A Girl’s Guide to Life offers teen girls a new approach to facing their adolescent years.
I wanted to review this book because I thought it would be great to pass on to my nieces who are at just the right age for the information “A Girl’s Guide to Life” offers. As a teenager I had a rough go of it as I struggled with church and the groups of kids that pulled me in the other direction. I had questions and no one to answer them. This book really is a guide to try and help answer some of those questions and it’s backed up with biblical references and scripture to help make the right choices and decisions. I think this would be a great reference book for churches to hand out to tween girls in the youth groups. It touches on subjects like peer pressure and sex – topics young girls might find hard to discuss but would really like answers to. They can get their answers along with some good, strong Christ centered advice, that will hopefully help keep them on the right path.
A great book with a lot of great advice. I found it to be a very interesting read even at my age!
A Girl’s Guide to Life offers girls a fun, healthy approach to facing their adolescent years. This complete resource helps teenage girls deal with all the traumas, dramas, and triumphs in their lives. The book is divided into Body, Mind, and Soul sections to address the relevant issues in each area of a young woman’s life. It’s “the” book for any girl wondering what’s happening to her body, soul, and mind during these crazy years.
Revised and updated to include information on texting, sexting, and the viral cultural in which teens live, this book will help girls navigate their way through what can be a very tumultuous time in life.
With conversations with real teen girls, a foundation on God and the Bible, and helpful tips and questions for the reader, girls will gain an encouraging and fresh perspective on their lives.
A Girl’s Guide to Life offers teen girls a new approach to facing their adolescent years.
I wanted to review this book because I thought it would be great to pass on to my nieces who are at just the right age for the information “A Girl’s Guide to Life” offers. As a teenager I had a rough go of it as I struggled with church and the groups of kids that pulled me in the other direction. I had questions and no one to answer them. This book really is a guide to try and help answer some of those questions and it’s backed up with biblical references and scripture to help make the right choices and decisions. I think this would be a great reference book for churches to hand out to tween girls in the youth groups. It touches on subjects like peer pressure and sex – topics young girls might find hard to discuss but would really like answers to. They can get their answers along with some good, strong Christ centered advice, that will hopefully help keep them on the right path.
A great book with a lot of great advice. I found it to be a very interesting read even at my age!
Read
July 15, 2010A couple of days ago, I received the book I requested from BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishing. It’s called A Girl’s Guide To Life written by Katie Meier, and it is intended to be a sort of guidebook for young teenage girls embarking on a new phase of their lives. The book is divided into three parts: Mind, Body, and Soul, and tackles each part with fresh insight without being too preachy.
Note, however, that A Girl’s Guide to Life is not your average teenage guidebook. It has a strong foundation in Christianity, and integrates where needed. I am not from that religion nor am I the intended target audience, but I found myself enjoying the book somehow, and I think I would have liked having this guidebook when I was twelve or thirteen. I am not Christian, but I did agree with most of the points raised regarding religion. I especially liked that a chapter was included regarding other faiths, and readers are encouraged to delve into them instead of discriminating against them.
The book makes a lot of sense, putting in things to remember when dealing with dating, internet safety, texting, even sexting. It deals with issues of sex very maturely, and provides a little guy guide as well.
All in all, I really did enjoy this book and would probably pass it on to a teenager I may know in the near future. I hope a similar guide book that would be non-denominational in nature would be published as well, since it is indeed very helpful and enlightening. Girls of other religions and cultures should read these kinds of books not only to enlighten themselves on their teenage years, but also to get a peek into how other faiths think.
Thank you, Thomas Nelson for the chance to review this book. :)
Note, however, that A Girl’s Guide to Life is not your average teenage guidebook. It has a strong foundation in Christianity, and integrates where needed. I am not from that religion nor am I the intended target audience, but I found myself enjoying the book somehow, and I think I would have liked having this guidebook when I was twelve or thirteen. I am not Christian, but I did agree with most of the points raised regarding religion. I especially liked that a chapter was included regarding other faiths, and readers are encouraged to delve into them instead of discriminating against them.
The book makes a lot of sense, putting in things to remember when dealing with dating, internet safety, texting, even sexting. It deals with issues of sex very maturely, and provides a little guy guide as well.
All in all, I really did enjoy this book and would probably pass it on to a teenager I may know in the near future. I hope a similar guide book that would be non-denominational in nature would be published as well, since it is indeed very helpful and enlightening. Girls of other religions and cultures should read these kinds of books not only to enlighten themselves on their teenage years, but also to get a peek into how other faiths think.
Thank you, Thomas Nelson for the chance to review this book. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2010
Review: A Girl's Guide to Life
Book Review: A Girl's Guide to Life: The truth on growing up, being true and making your teen years fabulous! By: Katie Meier
Going online, Guys-What's up with Them, Religion: These are just three of the chapter titles that Katie Meier covers in her book A Girl's Guide to Life.
With the use of stories, charts, Bible references Ms. Meier covers the many issues that a teenage girl will face. She gives advice on how to handle the situations in a contemporary way using things like family, church, the Bible and God as your guides.
In a very inciteful chapter she breaks down the different religious beliefs that a young person will encounter and states the truth behind all of them so the teen can make an informed decision on ways to handle situations that they will unlikely be presented with.
Unfortunately I can't quote the whole book for you here. You'll just have to take my word for it that it is a book every teenage girl and every parent of a teenage girl should have. I wish that I had had it when I was raising my older daughter, and you can be sure I will be using and recommending it to my nine year old when she reaches those delicate teenage years. (Hopefully sometime around 20 or 30.) This is a book every teenage girl should have in their library.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Book Review: A Girl's Guide to Life: The truth on growing up, being true and making your teen years fabulous! By: Katie Meier
Going online, Guys-What's up with Them, Religion: These are just three of the chapter titles that Katie Meier covers in her book A Girl's Guide to Life.
With the use of stories, charts, Bible references Ms. Meier covers the many issues that a teenage girl will face. She gives advice on how to handle the situations in a contemporary way using things like family, church, the Bible and God as your guides.
In a very inciteful chapter she breaks down the different religious beliefs that a young person will encounter and states the truth behind all of them so the teen can make an informed decision on ways to handle situations that they will unlikely be presented with.
Unfortunately I can't quote the whole book for you here. You'll just have to take my word for it that it is a book every teenage girl and every parent of a teenage girl should have. I wish that I had had it when I was raising my older daughter, and you can be sure I will be using and recommending it to my nine year old when she reaches those delicate teenage years. (Hopefully sometime around 20 or 30.) This is a book every teenage girl should have in their library.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 28, 2010
Once again Book Sneeze sends me another amazing book. A Girl’s Guide to Life by Katie Meiers. To start off I love the way the front cover of this books looks like. I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it was just a refresh cover page, that you just wanted to start reading.
I got to admit that the first page was an amazing exercise. It tells you to jot down things that you find yourself good at. I did skip that exercise and she got me by telling me to go back and really think about it. I find every single exercise in this book makes a girl/women think about how great of a person she is. This book really enlightened my day.
Katie is very up to date with the situations and challenges female teens and young women deal with. As a 23 year old woman, I can safely say that I found a lot of similarities of situations that I’ve been through and is going through those Katie addressers in her book.
I would also recommended parents to read this book, as it will give them an insight of what their daughters can be going through. As well as the young ladies who do not have someone to turn to or trust, this book would really help them with their self esteem and life in general.
If you are going to read this book, please do the exercises as they will make you realize how much of great women you are.
Thank You for taking the time in reading my review on A Girl’s Guide to Life by Katie Meiers.
I got to admit that the first page was an amazing exercise. It tells you to jot down things that you find yourself good at. I did skip that exercise and she got me by telling me to go back and really think about it. I find every single exercise in this book makes a girl/women think about how great of a person she is. This book really enlightened my day.
Katie is very up to date with the situations and challenges female teens and young women deal with. As a 23 year old woman, I can safely say that I found a lot of similarities of situations that I’ve been through and is going through those Katie addressers in her book.
I would also recommended parents to read this book, as it will give them an insight of what their daughters can be going through. As well as the young ladies who do not have someone to turn to or trust, this book would really help them with their self esteem and life in general.
If you are going to read this book, please do the exercises as they will make you realize how much of great women you are.
Thank You for taking the time in reading my review on A Girl’s Guide to Life by Katie Meiers.
April 13, 2012
I didn't like this book at all. I was really excited to read a book on growing from a Christian perspective, but I was so let down, I actually just stopped reading.
Miss Katie didn't mention God often. I don't mean His name has to be in every sentence because that would be ridiculous, but I guess I expected more because I knew she was a Christian author. When she did mention faith, I felt like she was very vague and wasn't serious about it.
When I got to the relationships part, that's when I stopped. She brought up these issues and I really believe that if a girl really followed her advice, they could compromise their purity. Katie was wishy-washy about certain things regarding purity and even talked about doing serious things with boys like it was normal. That's when I decided I should stop reading.
I guess, my main problem with this book is that it is labeled as a Christian book, but it doesn't really exercise Christian values.
Miss Katie didn't mention God often. I don't mean His name has to be in every sentence because that would be ridiculous, but I guess I expected more because I knew she was a Christian author. When she did mention faith, I felt like she was very vague and wasn't serious about it.
When I got to the relationships part, that's when I stopped. She brought up these issues and I really believe that if a girl really followed her advice, they could compromise their purity. Katie was wishy-washy about certain things regarding purity and even talked about doing serious things with boys like it was normal. That's when I decided I should stop reading.
I guess, my main problem with this book is that it is labeled as a Christian book, but it doesn't really exercise Christian values.
August 13, 2008
This was a really good book! It gives you real advice from Christian women, and how to navigate your teen years in a Christian way! Really good!
November 16, 2008
this book really helped me get through a lot
June 27, 2010
It was a pretty good book. A little more liberal then I would have liked.
I don't really need this kind of book, more for 12-13 year olds.
I don't really need this kind of book, more for 12-13 year olds.
June 7, 2014
Some people probably won't agree with it. But I like it :)
Read
January 5, 2015boring.
December 20, 2014
this book has helped me out when I was have trouble I just love this book
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews