Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Friendly, positive relationship advice for teens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Lo Bosworth, made famous on MTV’s Laguna Beach and The Hills, shares her advice for finding – and landing – the perfect boyfriend. Geared toward teens and very young adults, she describes warning signs of bad relationships, encouraging signs of good ones, and discusses how both men and women can nurture or sabotage a relationship. Her essential message to be true to yourself, and true love will follow.
Is It Any Good?
Bosworth’s casual, intimate style comes across as a girlfriend trying to help a younger friend. Her advice is fairly conventional, but her strength is her understanding of how teen girls think and act (she published this at the ripe old age of 24). There are quizzes, recipes, and plenty of anecdotes to draw readers in. Bosworth even offers practical advice for dating in the age of social media, addressing texting and Facebook etiquette.
Even so, her values are more of the old-fashioned variety -- and she puts a lot of emphasis on being true to yourself. Bosworth uses puzzle pieces as a metaphor, arguing that only two pieces are an exact fit, and there's no point trying to force a match. Relationships require flexibility and work, she says, but girls shouldn't reinvent themselves or it won't work. Readers won't respond to everything in this book, but they will be encouraged by the overall message: Believe in yourself, and don't settle for a relationship that makes you doubt your worth.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the usefulness of an advice book such as this. Do you learn anything new, or does it reinforce what you already believed?
Families also can talk about what qualifies someone to give advice. Lo Bosworth became famous as a teen on a reality show. Do you think her advice, rooted in her experiences and those of her friends, is any more valid than that offered by your friends, your parents, or other people close to you?
Bosworth comes from a privileged background, but her advice is intended to apply to girls who don't share her upper-class Los Angeles background. Why do you think the book is subtitled Life and Love in the Hollywood Hills?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Advice
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster
- Publication date : January 11, 2011
- Number of pages : 256
- Last updated : June 19, 2019
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