I'll admit being intrigued about this book - how on earth can a whole book on periods be sustained. Surely there isn't that much to say?

Turns out I was wrong. There's a lot to say and Emma Barnett does a great job of it. From period poverty to period pain, menopause to cultural attitudes to menstruation, it's all here and presented in an engaging way. Barnett herself suffers from endometriosis, so some of the book is about the trial of her own experiences, but Barnett also believes that periods should be discussed more widely in society; currently, they are a taboo subject for many. This book aims to shine a light on a topic that affects 50% of the population yet is hardly a common occurrence in conversation.

The book is well written and thought-provoking, if slightly repetitive at times. The author is frank and honest and totally open about her own experiences, for which she should be applauded.

Barnett does raise some very important issues and I'm very glad this book exists for the sake of my daughter and other young women. Personally, I'm probably a bit too old to really get the full benefit of the advice!

I work in pre hospital medicine and recall an incident I was tasked to respond to, the information given was to a 12 year old female with abdominal pain, suffice to say this was the,onset of menarche for this individual, the call originated from the mother...... I had to tactfully explain to the 12 year old what was happening, I think books,like this (which by the way is excellent) should,be mandatory reading for all genders of all ages, the myths, mystery and misunderstanding around a normal biological event should not exist in a so called enlightened society in this age of available information

ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It's about bloody time.

Well I can start by saying that I enjoyed the liberal deployment of the word bloody (which was clearly used as much as humanly possible), and completely agree with the book's message - it is about time we talked about periods.

This book covered a variety of topics related to periods including religion, first periods, blood and sex, menopause, and a whole range besides. I was impressed by the book's thoroughness and inclusivity - its discussion of unwanted and wanted periods was sensitive and informative. It covered some FTM and MTF views of periods, as well as those who identify as cisgender women but are not able to have periods, which I found very illuminating.

The book walked that fine line of being humorous and informative. Quotes like
She deployed ye olde faithful technique of stuffing one's knickers with tissues and hoped for the best
ensured the book was hideously relatable. It also set out its Period Pride Manifesto - and I think at the bare minimum, the way I will talk about them from now on will be that bit more straightforward, and that bit less period shaming. I particularly enjoyed finding out about the battle for a period emoji (still ongoing!) which was fascinating.

In conclusion? A bloody brilliant book which would be valuable for everyone to read, regardless of gender or period-having status.

I've noticed more books recently aimed at teens and adults, trying to demystify and degross the topic of periods. This is an excellent one. Chatty, funny and very very honest, it's a wonderful starting off point for conversations that are increasingly important for people to have.

The only thing I didn't like was the author's continual insistence that all women prefer tampons over pads. I know plenty who prefer pads. Maybe I was reading it wrong, but I saw it in several places and I found it surprising in a book that otherwise champions the fact that women are different and they feel and experience things differently.

This is a great read for everyone, male and female, to read. Let's help make sure the next generation doesn't suffer the shame we have.