I have devoured this novel - not quite in one sitting, but that was because I had to go to work. Marin is a likeable character who has to endure something we all hope we / our daughters will never have to go through. We then see society's reaction to this and at times it is heart-breaking. There are glimmers of hope however the book was engaging and kept me guessing until the very last pages. Well-written, full of warmth and something everyone over the age of about 15 should read.

Marin is an intelligent A-grade student, co-editor of the school newspaper with eyes on getting into a prestigious college to study journalism. Her relationship with her best friend is great, her boyfriend is in the popular sporty crowd. Their English teacher, Mr Beckett, is young and is supportive of the school newspaper and enjoys discussing a wide range of books with all students. But one day, having accepted a lift from him Marin finds he steps over the line. She stops him and leaves, but she then finds navigating a new narrative uncomfortable. Should she tell someone? Should she avoid him? Was it her fault? She does tell Chloe her best friend expecting shock and some advice, but finds Chloe’s incredulous reaction difficult to comprehend. But when prompted to report Mr Beckett after an unjust grade on an essay Marin also finds other adults and pupils including her boyfriend do not believe her either. To try to express her frustration Marin writes ‘Rules for being a girl’ about the everyday sexism girls face and starts a feminist bookclub.
Matters get worse when Mr Becket takes his strategy of interfering with Marin’s future career further. Although Marin has the support of her parents, she doesn’t involve them to take a great injustice forward. However, she does find her own way to expose the truth. Although I wanted Marin to expose Mr Beckett earlier, trying to deal with the situation herself is something many young people will do.
Marin doesn’t always get things right, but this realism makes her a more fully rounded character. This novel raises the question of victim blaming, questions of double standards, of women v men which starts at an early age and are unusually completely overlooked by those institutions who should be educating everyone equally. It raises many valid points to think about for someone coming to read what they thought would be an enjoyable YA school/romance. For discussion it has endless possibilities and should be in every school library.

Sex and the city was one of my favourite TV series. I would be lying if that wasn't one of the major draw cards attracting me to this book. But this book has a tone of its own. It uses the young adult genre to tackle topics of stereotyping and gender inequality. Marin is the stereotypical good-girl. Her life is on track, accompanied with good grades and a cute boyfriend. Until her teacher hits on her. It makes her very uncomfortable and she is left with questions of whether she asked for it.
The event itself felt undramatic but it had a big impact on Marin and how those close to her responded to the situation, which in turn opened her eyes to other inequalities. A solid storyline that kept me engaged, while also covering bigger issues including are girls and boys held to the same standard.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

Very interesting read, deals with relevant issues facing teens today and how typical a teenager might deal with them. I found this book funny and would recommend it.

I *loved* this book! It's scathing, fierce, funny and truly enpowering. Marin is a superb character, whose journey into self-awareness and feminism was one I really enjoyed being a part of. When Bex, her English teacher, crosses the line in his interactions with her - Marian is shocked by the divided reaction of those around her. It makes her realise just how many rules there are for a being a girl - and she becomes determined to do all she can to prove that rules are there to be broken! A compulsive and binge-worthy read that I'm certain will be one of my favourites of 2020.

Thank you Net Galley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of this book.

This definitely feels like a YA read if you see what i mean, none of the issues are pressed too hard and there is a lot of naivety from the main character however i think that can be quite a good thing. Its ensuring that the message of the book is far more accessible that it would otherwise be and it targeting those that need this message the most.
The story is definitely compelling, as is the writing and i think this book would be enjoyed by many.

I really enjoyed this feminist rallying cry of a book. It's akin to Moxie, with elements of #MeToo and victim-blaming.

Marin has always been good at navigating these unspoken guidelines. A star student and editor of the school paper, she dreams of getting into Brown University. Marin’s future seems bright―and her young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to admire her writing and talk books with her.

But when “Bex” takes things too far and comes on to Marin, she’s shocked and horrified. Had she somehow led him on? Was it her fault?

When Marin works up the courage to tell the administration what happened, no one believes her. She’s forced to face Bex in class every day. Except now, he has an ax to grind.

But Marin isn’t about to back down. She uses the school newspaper to fight back and she starts a feminist book club at school. She finds allies in the most unexpected people, like “slutty” Gray Kendall, who she’d always dismissed as just another lacrosse bro. As things heat up at school and in her personal life, Marin must figure out how to take back the power and write her own rules.

I really liked Marin as a main character, as she was willing to grow and learn in her feminism, prompting some excellent discussion of intersectional feminism and white privilege. She is strong and brave, but still has vulnerable and self-doubting moments, showing her manipulation by Bex. This gaslighting and abuse of power is also shown throughout the book, leading to a twist near the end of the book that I must admit I saw coming, but was still powerful.

The way that Marin's narrative is questioned by most of those around her sadly reflects reality. The emphasis is put on her to prove the teacher's guilt. A lot of the story made me realise how much subtle sexism is seen as acceptable, creating the wider victim-blaming culture around assault and consent.

The writing was compelling and had such social awareness. I also enjoyed the romance aspect and how it didn't dominate Marin's story. She didn't need to be 'saved' by a male character, rather have a support network and mutually beneficial romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel!

I thought this was an interesting novel with a very timely premise. I think this is an issue which is appearing in more and more schools and the way the main character deals with it is an accurate depiction of how many would approach the issue.

However, I did not feel connected to the character. I did not empathize with the MC and therefore could not get into the novel as much as I wanted to. If the character was tightened up, I think this could be a great novel.

'Rules for Being A Girl' certainly strikes a cord for females (anyone identifying as female) of any age. We will in a society, where we are now being told that we can achieve all of our dreams and that gender should not be a barrier - however, as highschool student Marin discovers, the truth is not as clear cut. In her school, there is a clear division between the 'rules' for the female and male students. Surprisingly, the female characters seem fairly immune to these double standards, right up until Marin finds herself, in the middle of a traumatic and difficult situation; is she responsible for Bex kissing her? Did she lead him on? What should she do next?

The response from the (supposedly) responsible school seems minimal and is aimed towards protecting their own. There is little care for the teenager in the middle of this whirlwind. It comes with some relief to hear the reaction of Marin's own parents - they are the few adults of the book to appear with some sense of common sense and point out to Marin, that her teacher is responsible for setting the boundaries and that she is actually the child in the scenario. While Marin may have behaved in a naive manner, it is Bex who has acted wrongly not her. I feel that this aspect of the story needed to be reinforced more strenuously and was relieved at the end when Bex was finally disciplined for his behaviour.

Her experiences with Bex, have helped Marin to view life differently and see the situations around her, ie the 'rules' as never before. Ultimately, she begins to grow up in many ways and to fight against the different forms of prejudice in her school.

Throughout the book, it is easy to dismiss Marin for her naivety, towards Bex. But, the characters displays a impressive level of personal growth and discovery in the novel. By the end of the story, I'm found myself cheering, 'Go Marin!'. Absolutely worth.

I received a free copy of this book from HarperCollins Teen via NetGalley in return for an honest review.