Overall I found this book really informative and ended up enjoying it. Initially, I found the first part of the book difficult to get through, but I found myself liking the book further on as it went. I thought the book was written very honestly and dealt with an honest account of what it's like to be in the horrible situation Marin ends up in. I loved the part where she decides to set up a feminist book club that was a great girl power moment. I loved the girl power solidarity moment at the end of the book and overall ended up enjoying it. I would recommend this book to any girl to read.

I feel like I’ve read several YA books like this one before. The protagonist who is the editor of her school magazine, has the most perfect set of parents and sibling(s), and is inspired to make better use of her platform to talk about gender injustice. The way the rest of the story progresses is also quite cliched.

Some parts are hard to believe. One, the parents’ lukewarm reaction when they find out their daughter has been sexually harassed. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing, but do parents in the US really leave their children to fight such battles all on their own? Second, is it likely that a teacher is hired by a school without checking his previous references?

The authors seem to use the word feminist more like a buzzword than as a tool to tell the story, which makes the attempt seem half-hearted and superficial. For instance, towards the end of the book Marin claims losing her boyfriend hurts more than losing her dream college. She doesn’t initiate any intimacy with her boyfriend - he is always the initiator. And the book ends not with the promise of a bright future for her in general but a promise that she’s going to reconcile with her boyfriend. To sum up, the book does not walk the talk.

Once I started this book I just couldn't stop. This book has a timely message, one which we all need to hear and yet it is all wrapped up in a storyline which is compelling, funny and often times just so relatable!



I really loved meeting Marin. I like how real she is. She doesn't have everything together, and why should she, she is just a senior in high school? And yet she knows about friendship and loyalty and she thinks she knows the rules. But this is when she discovers the unmistakable fact that the rules are very different fro her than they are for the males in her life. When it comes to uniform rules, when it comes to behaviors which is expected of them and of course when it comes to whether you are believed about someone violating a position of power.



Obviously this book does deal with some tough issues and I feel so sorry for Marin as a character because she is really put through the ringer in the book to show us all how different those societal rules are but she is unfortunately just another statistic that will probably get brushed under the carpet like the many many many cases in schools just like hers. I did find this difficult reading at points but I had to keep reading to find out what the result of the violation against Marin was going to be. Another reason I had to keep reading was because I loved watching how Marin handled the position that she was put in because I feel like she handled it in a way that I could totally identify with.



I finished this book feeling a little bit angry and a little bit sad, especially as a teacher reading about another teacher. Overall though I finished this book feeling very glad that it had been written. We all need to hear Marin's story. We need to know the massive ripple effect one moment that might not seem a lot to one person can have on another person. The emotional fallout and the way that a persons life can change in just one second. I highly recommend this book and I really hope more people are encouraged to speak up because of reading it.

A wonderful story from the perspective of a younger feminist character, dealing with discrimination based on gender, but also youth, not being believed and being betrayed. A really insightful story and it takes you through the whole range of emotions as you read, angry, sad, frustrated, ready to take on the system yourself. A wonderful YA feminist read and I’d encourage all YA to read this.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

What a great read!

Really enjoyed the teenage feminist perspective. The way it starts is so relatable and the disappointment is palpable when someone you trust let’s you down and it leads you to question the status quo.

Very much enjoyed it.

The blurb above is an excellent summary of the essential parts of this story. What it doesn't tell you is how well the authors portray Marin's fear, frustration and the questions she asks herself of how this happened and how to avoid making it worse. How the authorities assume she is lying because she's young and the teacher in question happens to be young and attractive. The sense of powerlessness this gives her takes her out of her comfort zone and shapes her into a stronger person whose eyes have been opened to the world. The article she writes in the school newspaper called 'Rules for Being a Girl' affected me deeply and I wish I could quote it in full here as it is such a perceptive description of the contradictory expectations on women and how most people subconsciously subscribe to them. The article highlighted some aspects of life which I hadn't realised were problematic until I read it and seeing them side by side you realise the mixed messages which are being given to women of all ages. Here is a short quote:

"Don't be one of those girls who can't eat pizza. You're getting the milk shake too? Whoa. Have you gained weight? Don't get so skinny your curves disappear. Don't get so curvy you aren't skinny. Don't take up too much space. It's just about your health."

This is such a powerful story and exposes the wide variety of reactions that you see in social media when someone says something happened to them and the affect that those reactions have on that individual.

I can't recommend this enough as a feminist young adult book, I think every teenager in the country should read it. I hope these authors write together again! I gave it 5 out of 5.

A brilliant and perceptive YA book. I devoured this in a couple of days. Easy to read and will be appealing to many readers. I really enjoyed it.

I was really, really impressed by this. Great characters, great message, easily accessible for all. A very quick read, but an important one no less.

What an eye opening read, I mean in some way you sort of know the rules for girls if you are indeed female, but at the same time I've never really thought about them at all.

What is for sure is that people's reactions to Marin's situation are shocking in this day and age but yet still all so believable I regret to say.

It is worrying how few people were happy to believe Marin, in something that should have been taken seriously. Yet from it, her life starts to change and I do feel possibly for the better. She becomes are more rounded character, and has some big opinions on things and isn't scared of challenging anyone for injustices.

This really is a book all about bringing back girl power, and Marin's editorial highlighting the insanity of the rules for girls is a real highlight of the story and I loved how things progressed from there.

I found this to be a quick and easy book to read, possibly because I'm above the target age range, but equally found it very enjoyable and kept me entertained on a sunny afternoon in the garden.

Always a delight to read a new book from Candace Bushnell, I just hope we don't have to wait as long for the next one.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is one very well written book that should be required reading for both male and female youths. While it is a story as old as time, it was told in such a way that fits with today’s society and I feel it would reach them in ways that are needed. It’s a tale of wanting, wanting someone to believe in you when your whole world has just been shifted and you need help righting it. You feel Marin’s loss of self and the isolation that comes from it. Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Strong, solid book! Wasn't expecting it to be this deep and poignant (was expecting more chick-lit/YA type vibes). Did find it a bit dragging, as much of the story is already given away in the blurb - you stay to read how it all happens, I suppose. But this was, again, a strong, solid read!

This is a book I wish was available to read as a teenager. I honestly think it should be on a required reading list because the message is so important.

Marin is a young girl with a bright future who finds herself in a situation where she then doubts herself and is then labelled as that girl who says things for attention, which is the vibe I was getting from the secondary characters.

It's disgusting that this is something that happens every single day and this is exactly the reaction you get from other people, the doubters.

This book was well written and it was hard not to feel sympathy for Marin with the additional weight she now has on her shoulders from this situation. I loved Gray as a character and I wish I knew more men like him

This is definitely one I will be recommending to as many people as possible. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a book I think all young women of a certain age should have access to reading.
It follows the story of Marin. a high school student at her prime, gearing up for college applications. She ends up developing a kind of friendship with an English teacher, Bex, that turns sour soon enough.
He takes advantage of opportunities presented to him, and when Merin finally finds the confidence to tell someone of authority, she is the one blackened, not him.
She loses friends, and more importantly, her best friend, and her self respect, for a while.
But there are people out there for her too...
A tale about trust, mistrust, abuse of power and belief in one's self.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rules For Being A Girl is a surprisingly heart wrenching story about a young woman put in an uncomfortable position by her teacher, and the ensuing scrutiny. This felt like an important story to tell, and I was impressed by the way that the authors have shared it.

Karin is a relatable character that I think most teenagers would be able to see parts of themselves in. Her behaviour is completely normal, and she never considers herself to be brave or revolutionary - just honest.

I think I half expected a book that was a little preachy, but actually it's a pretty real and low key story that raises questions about feminism and a woman's position in society without shoving it down your throat.

I was pretty blown away by this book, and wish I'd read it back when I was a teenager. An important read for all teens, I think - boys and girls.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

A book that all young women should read. About feminism. A good book which is well executed and written.
Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book

RULES FOR BEING A GIRL is a YA contemporary with themes of feminism woven throughout. It is the kind of book that I recommend reading the synopsis before you launch in because there are triggers and difficulties for some in the context. Even though nothing in this story triggered me, I still found the story direction hugely discomforting, probably because I’m a teacher and this got me so mad at the teacher in this book.

Marin, the protagonist was very likeable to me. She was just a genuine young woman, passionate, hard-working and fully taken advantage of. What I liked about Marin was how she went on to handle the events, she wasn’t a sudden explosion of anger, she was slower bubble of fury and injustice. Marin’s experiences opened her eyes to whole host of inequalities.

Now to the other characters in this book. Bex was vile, in fact, vile doesn’t quite suffice to describe him. On top of that, I was furious with Marin’s friend, even in the face of the unfurling of the storyline; I really struggled with this aspect of the story. Gray and Marin’s parents however, were highlights from a character perspective.

I definitely think there are life lessons for the YA age group in this story but I didn’t always love how the story played out. I did love the overall message and feminist themes.

Thank you to Macmillan Childrens/My Kind of Book for this early review copy.

I may not be a young adult however i still read this and am so glad that I did. This book should be read by all to highlight the many different standards that are applied to young women. The writing of Chloe and Marin’s story was so well done! Highly recommend!

In this book we follow teenager Marin, shes a good student, heading for university, her boyfriend is perfect and along with her bestie Chloe she co-edits the school paper. Both of them have a crush on their English teacher Bex. Hes younger than most teachers, more casual and also helps them with the paper.

Marin really ‘grows up’ over the course of the book and the message behind the story is important about speaking up. Acknowledging its not easy, people wont believe you, they will judge you – especially in highs school but learning to stand up for yourself is an important life lesson that is shared here.

After Marins teacher makes a move on her she wonders if she was partially to blame. She writes an editorial about the rules for being a girl in todays society. Whats expected of you and the unfairness of it all. This then becomes a feminist book club that really opens Marins eyes to some of the inequality in the world around her.
Gray is a great addition to the cast, a bad boy reputation that doesn’t quite match the support he gives Marin over the short space of time.

As characters most of them are likeable, Marin really grows as a person and the ending wasn’t what I expected and whilst I know we don’t all get our happy endings, I feel that the message here is almost like a warning (Spoiler ahead).

Be a good girl, don’t speak up and you get what you want.

Speak out, Rebel and you will be punished.

Personally I don’t like the fact that Marin doesn’t get her place at her university of choice. Shes been abused by her teacher, suspended because she acted out when no one believed her and the its acknowledged that said teacher is the reason she didn’t get in. That he had influence of the decision. So, when it comes out that she was not the only one, that other students at the school have suffered the same at Bex’s hand surely there should have been a communication with Brown? Even if in the end she decided not to go there.

The warning is there – speak up and lose the future you ve dreamt of through no fault of your own. The other section that’s not really addressed is that Bex was removed from his previous teaching post for the same reason. IF this is the case how did he get a job at Marins school?

Despite that – I did really enjoy the book. I read it in two sittings (a return train journey to Crewe that at the moment is so quiet you have your choice of seat and it feels like a mini secure reading haven) and the feminist side of it did linger in my brain.

This book made me so cross but it was an awesome read. I devoured it in a day. Very topical subject matter but it left me feeling like justice wasn't really done.

"Be flirty but not too flirty. Be confident but not aggressive. Be funny but in a low key quiet way. Eat cheeseburgers but don't get fat."

I wish I had read this book at 15, 17, 18, 21. It really smarty touches so many topics, including why feminism has to be intersectional which was really cool. Its informative and too the point without being condescending and all of these lessons are wrapped around a story that, while awful, is necessary. It's really good.

Its definitely YA but even at almost-30 I still enjoyed the entire thing and found it engaging and a really good book, it's basically the story of how Ezra and Aria's relationship in PLL should have been. I felt inspired and like I've learnt something and I've had a good few hours reading it. It's the type of book I want my niece to read when she's able. 5/5.