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.

I could not finish this book, I had read about 60% of it before I had to add it to the DNF grouping. This book is a great introduction to the basis of feminism, it includes the basics in one place and helps give an understanding of the impacts on how women appear, behave, and even include mental health and internalized misogyny that may be present and not many realize that's what it is. I have had time invested into learning more about feminism prior to this read, I found it simply restating many things that's already been repeated 100 times in many other places, causing the book to seem bland and boring to me at times when it is covering the bigger picture. The artwork in this book is beautiful and i love the quotes on certain pages, it adds a colourful change to the book to make it more appealing and had been used to cover big points about the chapter it was placed in. Overall, I personally did not enjoy this book much, but I am certain it could be a 5 star read that is very informative for many others.

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!

This book was very empowering and a overall good read. Florence Given talks about lots of things I needed more information on and was very helpful.

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.

I found this book a really interesting stepping stone into an array of social and political issues that I am familiar with but have done little research. Some parts of this book were quite eye opening for me due to the fact that I am uneducated in the intricacies of sex, gender and queer topics. It was very interesting to read this book.

This was such a powerful, inspirational, impactful, and important read. If you haven’t already read this book I would recommend doing so. There are definitely going to be some changes in my life due to this book, and I deeply appreciate that.

While this was pretty and designed well and had some great quotes...it kept rubbing me the wrong way and I couldn't articulate why at first as I kept reading.

I had to sit with my thoughts for awhile and really reflect on why this book just didn't jibe well with me once I finished reading it.

Upon reflecting, I realized that it felt like reading a simplified book on feminism and it felt very dumbed down.

There wasn't anything ground breaking or unique. It felt dull at times and rage fueled at others, but not in an inspirational way so much as a sort of pitiful way. Very dismissive of others to the point of if you didn't agree with the author, she was basically saying go f*ck yourself. Like, this woman probably doesn't have healthy friendships in her life and exists in an echo chamber. That was the vibe I got.

Maybe the author didn't realize while writing this, but it seems like she just sort of dumped all the basic ideas of feminism into a pretty format without diving into much beyond that and sprinkled in a lot of her own personal outlooks on life while borderline, if not outright, bashing anything "traditional". 

"Issues" aren't as all or nothing as she made them out to be. Life is much more nuanced than she made it out to be.

I could see maybe someone just starting to get into feminist ideas possibly gaining something here, but it just wasn't for me and I didn't enjoy my time reading it. 

This was a miss for me and I won't think anymore about it once this review is posted.

"Up until now we have been bombarded with the same stories that either make us subconsciously hate ourselves or hate others. It’s time to change the narrative, and the power lies in your hands."

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it had some good quotes and illustrations that I enjoyed. On the other hand, the content wasn't anything revolutionary or ground-breaking. 

I'm generally not a fan of self-help books as they come off as quite preachy to me. If you enjoy self-help books or want to go for a light & motivational reading, then you'd enjoy this book. I think I might go back to some quotes, but all in all, it was an average book for me. Perhaps the 12-year-old me would have enjoyed this much more.

"Don't f*** with people that have such a fragile sense of self that your achievements make them uncomfortable".

This book is a feminist manifesto.
I was super excited to get my hands on this one after seeing it catch fire in the UK after it's release there last year. I love the groovy colors and drawings/quote pages inside. 

But at the ripe old age of 26 I feel like I'm past a lot of these things and have figured myself/my relationships out already... so this would be better for someone in high-school or college who is still exploring. A lot of this advice just didn't really apply to me at this stage of my life (relationship stuff, sexuality, female empowerment, knowing myself, marriage etc.). Things that do apply: understanding privilege, microaggressions etc. It also isn't as profound in 2021 as it would've been 5 or 10 years earlier and there's certain things I personally don't agree with. 

As with most self-help books, I find myself rolling my eyes - It's very much 'i'm a cool girl let me cuss and talk about sex a lot'.... but there are some great nuggets of knowledge and this could really help a lot of people too. 

* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review*.

Florence Given is a breath of fresh air and a promise that a new generation of female voices are coming - and they aren't taking any misogynistic BS. This should be mandatory reading for all women (and men) alike.

I flew through this book in just a day! If you're looking for peer-reviewed research on feminism, this is not that. If you're looking for a succinct, fun, at times heartbreaking (and don't forget aesthetically beautiful) book about how feminism is going to ruin your life in the best way possible, this is for you. I loved how conversational this book was and found myself pausing to take pictures or write down quotes that really resonated with me throughout each chapter. Plus, the artwork is stunning! I thoroughly enjoyed this and may even read it again.

In Women Don't Owe You Pretty, Florence Given talks about the out-dated narratives supplied to us by the patriarchy. I really enjoyed it. I learnt a lot about where my own boundaries are and that in the past people have not always respected them. I read this book at a great time in my life where I could really reflect on some of my past experiences and learn how to be better to myself.

I think this is a perfect book if you are new(ish) to feminism and learning about some of the narratives the patriarchy, racism and capitalism are trying to sell to us.