Book Review | Rules for Being a Girl

⭐️ Release day review! ⭐️⁣⁣

“It doesn’t exactly win me any points as an authority figure, that’s for sure. But I don’t know, you just kind of seem, like…older than other girls in your grade. Has anybody ever told you that?”⁣⁣⁣⁣

Marin is a senior at school, starting to sweat about university entrance essays, and the millions of other things girls her age stress about on an hourly basis. She gets great grades, edits the school paper with her best friend Chloe, and by all accounts she’s on her way to Brown. All her hard work is paying off. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

Until something happens that brings it all crashing down. A young charismatic teacher who is well loved makes a pass at her. When she comes forward thinking she’s doing the right thing, she realises that sometimes the rules aren’t there to protect her, but rather to protect the fragile layers that underpin our society. However, Marin is a strong role model, and the barbs serve only to ignite a fire within her. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

This is a great YA read that touches on aspects of gender roles, sexual harassment and everyday sexism. The casual barbs that we just come to anticipate as girls, usually thrown around in a jokey manner. It did feel stereotypical and predictable at times, but it’s obviously still very relevant today, because the same old comments still get thrown around. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

At times this book made my blood boil. It made me angry about sending my girls out into a world that still has preconceived notions of how they should be, what they can achieve, what people feel they have a right to comment on, even before they speak! 🤯An eye opener of a book, which I believe would start some very useful conversations with younger readers.

Thanks very much to Pan Macmillan Aus for sending this my way!