According to author Chelsey Goodan, ‘… every single person on the planet is going through some type of struggle.’ Teenage girls have their own needs, and they sometimes want to scream!
Underestimated features hundreds of sparkling nuggets of wisdom and advice gleaned from interviews and interactions with teenage girls; their thoughts and authentic stories are collected and compiled into anticipated issues (feelings, sexuality, friends and identity) and more complex, nuanced subjects (perfection, radical honesty, fear and self-acceptance).
When developing the book, the author ensured teenage girls were across her drafts. The result is a warm, practical, easy-to-read guide that rings true. My favourite is the ‘feelings wheel’, which reimagines how feelings might be more accurately acknowledged and discussed. (For example, terms like ‘frustrated’ or ‘annoyed’ might describe a particular feeling more accurately than a big, broad term like ‘anger’.)
This book is an honest, collective truth that will resonate with many readers, including teenage girls themselves, teachers, parents, and other family and community members. The book uses simple and direct questions to understand (‘What are your thoughts on that?’, ‘How do you feel about that?’), empower (‘What do you think the solution is?’, ‘How would you like to handle this?’), and consolidate ideas (‘I’m hearing you say XYZ. Am I getting that right?’). They’re great for expanding conversations with any human being. You don’t have to endure this alone.
Reviewed by Mark Parry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nationally bestselling author Chelsey Goodan worked as an academic tutor and mentor for sixteen years, with a particular emphasis on the empowerment of teenage girls. She speaks regularly to audiences about gender justice, conducts workshops, and coaches parents on how to better understand and connect with their daughters. As a keynote speaker, Goodan teaches communication strategies that create psychological safety for everyone from teenage girls to CEOs.
She serves both on the board of the gender-based violence preventions, A Call to Men, and as the mentorship director of the nonprofit DemocraShe, which supports and guides girls from underserved communities into leadership positions. Featured on Today, NBC News, Oprah Daily, and Time, her thought leadership expands humanity’s potential for authenticity, liberation, and empowerment. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Goodan lives in Los Angeles.
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