Thursday, June 7, 2018

Book Review: The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life by Erica & Jonathan Catherman


Purchase HERE

Title: The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life

Author: Erica & Jonathan Catherman

Series: Standalone

Genre: Self-Help/Non-fiction

Audience: Young Teen/Young Adult

ABOUT THE BOOK

There's a lot a girl needs to know as she grows up and makes her way in the world. Having a reference guide of practical how-to life skills and character traits can empower her to become a confident and capable woman. Coauthors Erica and Jonathan Catherman offer this collection of step-by-step instructions on 100 things girls need to succeed, including how to

- introduce yourself
- change a flat tire
- respectfully break up with a guy
- leave a tip
- apply for a job
- ask for a promotion
- behave during a police stop
- create a personal budget
- calculate square footage
- wash your face
- clear a clogged drain
- iron a shirt
- wear a scarf
- shoot a basketball
- sharpen kitchen knives
- and much more

In fact, if it's in here, it's an important skill or character trait practiced by capable and confident women. With great illustrations and sidebars of advice from world-class experts, this all-in-one reference tool for young women in the making is the perfect gift for birthdays, graduations, or any occasion.

~ MY REVIEW ~
**2.5 stars**

I picked up The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life because I was curious. I wondered if it might have some helpful information and be something I could recommend to my younger sisters and other girls. Well, it did have some neat tips, but on a whole, I was disappointed.

How this book is laid out is kind of nice. From page to page, it has a new subject and how-to steps. So it makes for a pretty easy read. And would probably be easy to reference back to.

I'm not sure what age group it's geared toward ... ? The beginning felt really juvenile. Like young teens? Other parts felt like they were for older teens or even college-age girls. Some of the information was really, really basic while others were things I wouldn't think a teenage girl really needs to know. So it didn't feel as structured as I perhaps expected.

There were some great skills discussed. Cooking skills? Yes, ma'am. My mom cooks and bakes, and taught me from a young age, but a whole lot of girls haven't the slightest idea how to make a nice, homemade meal. So for the girls who's parents can't/don't teach them these things, this book would be pretty helpful!

The car maintenance was also cool. My parents maybe forgot that I didn't automatically know everything about cars and how to take care of them, so I rather struggled as a new drive! I got some helpful tidbits from this book, actually - such as, you should check the oil when the car is cooled as to get an accurate reading.

The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life's dating guide? I wasn't impressed. It felt like it was talking to young teens (um, why do they need to know dating tips?), and, worst, it basically bashed masculinity and femininity and God's natural design for the man to lead ... calling chivalry and such "outdated" or "ancient".

I was just getting too many vibes of feminism and "girl power" from this book. It had some good tips, but it also had ones that you don't actually really need to thrive.

And though it's from a Christian publisher, it talked about all surface-y stuff. There was nothing about having quiet time with God, guarding your heart, seeking wisdom, getting involved in your church, choosing your friends wisely, giving some serious thought to who you date/how you date, living gracefully and joyfully with your parents & siblings ... none of these things that would make up a great book about conquering life!

So it had some nice tips. And I might keep it just the find those if ever I need. But overall it wasn't the book for me.

I received a copy of The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

4 comments:

  1. Not the kind of book I would typically read, but the car tips sounds nice.

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    1. My thoughts too, Skye! Always good to know a little what you're doing when it comes to cars! :)

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  2. I feel the same way about the book! It's helpful in some ways, and not so much in others, but hey, at least it can appeal to a large group of girls!

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    1. Yes, I'm glad it at least had some helpful tips for me! :)

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