Real Girl/Real World: Tools for Finding Your Real Self

Flip through any of the numerous magazines geared to adolescent girls and you will find many conflicting messages. One article will preach girl power, instructing girls to be proud of themselves, their minds, and their bodies. On the next page will be an ad for a diet, guaranteeing you popularity and attention from the opposite sex. Unfortunately, the article proclaiming girl power is a more abstract message, a sort of easier-said-than-done idea. The message behind the diet ad, however, which no doubt features a picture of a young, attractive female, is easier to grasp—a good body equals happiness and success.

Real Girl/Real World, by Heather M. Gray and Samantha Phillips, addresses this paradox and other issues that today's teenage girls face. The clichéd "girl power" message simply doesn't cut it anymore. Girls on the verge of being young women need answers, or at least direction. We cannot be asked to be strong and to hold onto our self-esteem and self-confidence when we are constantly bombarded with images of beauty and normalcy that do not fit with our own lives.

This book recognizes the innumerable definitions of beauty and normalcy and assures us that all of them are okay. The authors also deal with sensitive issues like sexuality, our complex female anatomy, and eating disorders in an informative and comprehensive manner. The writing is clear and engaging, and the authors make their points without preaching. The quotes taken from "real" girls represent diverse opinions and beliefs, adding to the honest feel of this book.

Real Girl/Real World goes beyond providing a simple positive message. It illustrates the many ways we can express our femininity, our opinions, and ourselves, and do so with confidence.