I sadly can´t open the book. I downloaded it thinking I could open it on my phone but it isn´t possible for me since my phone is too old. I will try to get access to this book differently.

Publish Date: April 6, 2021

This is an informative and fun feminist book. The illustrations are excellent and I love the aesthetic of the whole thing. Given covers a number of topics in an inclusive way from the super serious to the mundane. She has a lively voice, one that's empowering and fresh. I look forward to following her work in the years to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

The books was stylish and presented in a fairly fun way but I’m not sure this book was for me.

The author is clearly someone attractive and young and talked about feminism from this perspective only. Black, fat, disabled perspectives were dropped in occasionally for good measure but little though to what happens to women who aren’t young pretty white and have economic privilege. It was good the author acknowledged her privilege but it’s very easy to have clear boundaries when you aren’t on minimum wage, in an abusive relationship, have a larger body or are from a minority background. I didn’t really get much from the content other than the pictures tbh.

Nice for young teens as a bit of an intro but little else

So inspiring. So much real talk here. Especially great for younger women who may need this wisdom. Even at 35, I needed to hear a lot of this. So good.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book, I think largely because it wasn’t what I had expected it to be. It covers many aspects of intersectional feminism briefly, with briefly being the operative word. I imagine this would be a good book for someone new to feminism, or perhaps for a teenager, but I think anyone who is not a straight cis man and who has been on the internet in recent years will have likely already come across all of the content of this book. Of course, these are important topics which can definitely stand to be reiterated, but I was still disappointed overall by the book’s simplicity.

I also hadn’t been expecting the self-help tone that much of the book was written in, which I found a bit strange. It fluctuates between being a self help/advice book, to memoir (and memoirs written by people in their twenties always make me cringe a bit - as someone in their twenties). Obviously using personal experiences can be a useful way to ground feminism and make it more easily understandable, but in this aspect I was almost left frustrated that Given didn’t commit fully to sharing more of her story in order to contextualise her points. *Obviously* this is not me saying that she is obliged to share her trauma for the benefit of readers, as she certainly isn’t, but the frequent allusions to the undisclosed trauma she has experienced made me wonder if this book would have been better fleshed out if she had perhaps interviewed other women and non-gender-conforming people in order to expand upon the topics she covers? Idk, just a thought.

Another gripe I had with this book was that the discussion of class was incredibly limited; whilst other forms of prejudice are discussed at length (as they should be), the discussion of class is pretty much limited to one page in one of the final chapters. This was disappointing as I personally feel that an understanding of class is crucial to intersectional feminism. Also, Given uses the word ‘abuse’ so frequently and to describe such a number of different things that it almost loses all meaning and significance. Obviously abuse can be all manner of things, and can differ depending on individual circumstance, but I just thought this messy application of the term ending up causing confusion about what Given considered to be abusive.

The art in this book is lovely, and so has bumped up my rating by one star. Overall this book does present important points about feminism, just don’t expect anything earth-shattering or revolutionary.

I love a self-help book that can teach a thing or two. This book was super eye-opening about gender inequality and feminism. My favorite aspect of the book was the section titled "Check Your Privilege." This contained checklists that you could look at to see if you experience privilege. It was really enlightening and gave me a new perspective on how lucky I am in so many ways.

Given's humor and honesty makes this a quick, fun read (even though she touches on a lot of really important issues, such as homophobia and sexual assault). I was shocked to learn she was only 21-years-old; I don't want to be ageist, but a lot of young people don't have this much insight and empathy. I also loved her artwork, which was edgy and fun. I'd definitely be interested to see what Givens writes next.

Women Don't Owe You Pretty provides an introduction to feminist perspectives on beauty and life as a woman navigating life in general. There wasn't a lot of originality, but important issues were covered nonetheless.

This felt a bit like self-help, but it was a kind of compilation of ideas and concepts I'd seen around for years. Maybe helpful for beginners.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing, beautiful, stunning visual primer on feminism! This book is easy to read, fun, but also thought-provoking.

You need to actually address the controversy of the plagiarism allegations.
Chidera wrote a book - not the first book on feminism. But the way the whole thing has been handled has been terrible.

Reach out to Chidera. Stop using her book to promote Florence's.

MAYBE I WOULD HAVE ENJOYED THIS IF I HAD BEEN NEW TO FEMINISM 🤷‍♀️🤔

But as it is, I am no - so I didn't enjoy this one bit. It just felt like an amalgamation of other feminist theories interspersed with 'feminist' self help tips. Nothing new or useful for me, but perhaps that's because I have spent years educating myself in this regard? Maybe, if I knew nothing about feminism, this would have appealed to me more? But as it is, that was not the case.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Unoriginal: This was just one big soup of everything slightly feminist. It really didn't bring anything new to the table. It drew on different theories, self-help tips and sayings. I think it was meant to be inspirational and eye opening - and it might have been. If I hadn't read all of this somewhere else (and better written at that, too).

Self-help: Honestly, this felt, most of all, like a self-help book. Meant to help you realise your full potential. Not a bad aim, sure. Just not what I wanted at all from this book. And it was not what I needed either, so it just didn't hit me in any profound way.

Repetitive: There were just too few points that were re-worded and repeated time and time again throughout this book. It felt like reading the same mantra over and over.

I couldn't spend any more time on this book unfortunately. The author makes comments about her own privilege but never really credits the correct people in the feminist movement. There are no new ideas from what I've read and from the introduction, where the author implies that "pretty" people are more likely to be sexually harassed, I just felt uncomfortable.

Pretty good. Written with young adult women in mind. Not really the feminist manifesto I expected, but rather a girlfriends guide to gaining self awareness, and self confidence with a few older sister nuggets re: sex, boundaries and body positivity all with a feminist bent.

I'm pretty easy to please, but this was wholly unoriginal. I'm extremely disappointed, especially given the premise and the title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In this colorful and illustration-filled book that will appeal to the Instagram generation and those who love when an author gets to the point, Florence Given reminds the reader about what being feminist actually means. Through topic-specific chapters, she explores various aspects of feminism, including living your truth, checking your biases, and as suggested by the title, remembering that you do not owe anyone anything - especially not their perception of physical beauty.

While I didn't feel like the author was really saying anything new, I still enjoyed what she was saying. I can appreciate the information she shared and the reminders on how to be a better person, not just to others but for myself. On top of that, the illustrations were stunning! The style was unique, and I think it really added to the overall experience of reading this book in a great way.

This was an interesting read, but I couldn't help but think that I've seen these topics way too many times before. Slightly simpler than I thought it'd be, but I loved the artwork and the general aesthetic of it all.

Unfortunately the download link wouldn't work, but I have the hard copy so looking forward to reading it. I've heard amazing reviews about this on bookstagram, therefore I am giving the book 4 stars

The cover design of this book is a great way to pull in potential readers--I loved the font style combined with the modern layout and bright colors! That design made me want to check out this book to see what it's all about. It is filled with more brightly designed pages with modern designs and type as well as inspirational quotes on finding your power. This is a book for any woman who wants to tap into their definition of feminism. What does it mean to be feminist? How could your life change if you shifted your preconceived notions of yourself and what it means to be a powerful woman? With chapters such as 'How to Break Up with Yourself' & "Stop Scrolling in the Mornings,' Florence Given is giving a lot of us the wake-up call we need! It brings up some things that we may not have realized we needed to be focusing on and learning more about. I found the book to be really empowering and fiery. She doesn't mince words for us, and the illustrations are gritty to go along with that sentiment!

As a person who has already been introduced to feminist theory and thinking, I was disappointed by this collection. Women Don't Owe You Pretty is the watered-down, coffee table, self-help version of what feminist literature should be. While Florence Given's book is colorful and eye-catching, I felt myself wondering why the images were not used to enhance the written material. For example, Given refers several times to her life changing when she was able to give herself "earth-shattering organisms" with a vibrator. Why wasn't there a part of this book about sexual self-care, and models of vibrators and sex toys? Instead, at the end of each section was a similarly drawn woman and a new 70s-theme colors which serve as a hint the next chapter is starting. This is an incredibly wasted opportunity, especially as Given is an illustrator.

Throughout most of the book, I was confused on what made Florence Given the authority on certain aspects of feminism. Beyond knowing she is conventionally attractive and fairly popular on Instagram, I didn't know anything about Florence Given's experience with feminist theory. Because Women Don't Owe You Pretty takes a self-help angle, material is rarely cited. When it is, I found that the sources are almost always Black women who have a deep background in racial or feminist theory. While all women should be promoting inclusion and anti-racist thinking in their feminism, I found myself wishing that I had gotten an ARC of a Black Feminist's book over Given's. Given speaks a lot to the Black experience, but does not have that experience to share herself, as she is a white woman. At the end of the book, she has an acknowledgement section to the Black women who have helped educate her. While that is certainly a nice gesture, a better gesture would have been to use her Instagram base to uplift, advocate, and advertise those Black feminist writers' current feminist literature.

The best parts of Florence Given's book is in the center, where she speaks to her own experiences as a bisexual woman. As a bisexual woman myself, I related best to this section of the book, but still found it incredibly elementary. This book, despite it's go-getter presentation and almost angry energy, wasn't that liberating. The goal of this book is to be easily consumable, rather than provide any real depth. I was worried when so much of the book was centered around the cis-gender experience, but did find that there was a section of the book which touches on gender. These high points, while present, dim almost entirely when the worst parts of Given's book are considered.

The worst part of Women Don't Owe You Pretty is its blatant dishonesty. Florence Given cheers on its readers, stating that "no one has ever been successful by scrolling through social media all day," but Given herself has created an enormous lucrative base by tailoring social media to support her talents and commercial opportunities. While I agree whole-heartedly that social media is an addictive and unforgiving business, Given's failure to recognize her own experiences in a book about her experience was a very interesting choice. After reading, I came across claims of plagiarism from someone who Given had put in her own Acknowledgements page. Chidera "Slumflower" Eggerue, author of What a Time to Be Alone and How to Get Over a Boy is known for her uplifting work for the Black Feminist community. Disregarding the outcome of any plagiarism case that surfaces as a result of Given and Eggerue's books, it's important to recognize and take the claims made by Eggerue seriously. When Eggerue asked Given to donate part of Women Don't Owe You Pretty to Black Feminist charities, Given refused.

This book is receiving one star due to its lacking quality of content. This should be marked as a general self help book above cultural perspectives or feminist literature. In addition, my feelings about the lacking substance of the book is compounded by Given's refusal to use her money to uplift the very communities her audience is aimed towards. Finally, I am also disheartened to see the commercialized take on an important societal topic. The plagiarism claims made this book wholly unenjoyable for me, even for light junk reading.

A book that will give women a pep in their step and a boost of confidence, while paying homage in its own way to how far we’ve come.

An interesting and informative guide to embracing and incorporating feminism into our daily lives. I really liked how this encourages young people to communicate clearly and understand their worth. It's a little preachy at times, but pretty eye-opening and covers a huge variety of areas. I didn't love the format, but I'm a little older than the target demographic. I would have really enjoyed this guide as a high school/college student.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC.