Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls

Author: Mary Pipher
Published: 1994
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4

Summary
Everybody who has survived adolescence knows what a scary, tumultuous, exciting time it is. But if we use memories of our experiences to guide our understanding of what today's girls are living through, we make a serious mistake. Our daughters are living in a new world. Teenage girls today are having a harder time than ever before because of higher levels of violence and sexism. The current crises of adolescence - frequent suicide attempts, dropping out of school and running away from home, teenage pregnancies in unprecedented numbers, and an epidemic of eating disorders - are caused not so much by "dysfunctional families" or incorrect messages from parents as by our media-saturated, lookist, girl-destroying culture.

Today's teenagers face serious pressures at an earlier age than that at which teenagers in the past did. As they encounter situations that are simply too complex for them to handle, their self-esteem crumbles. The dangers young women face today can jeopardize their futures. It is critical that we understand the circumstances and take measures to correct them. We need to make that precious age of experimentation safe for adolescent girls.

Review

Although written in the mid 1990s, this book still feels relevent--perhaps even more so--to the challenges girls in our society face. A must-read for all mothers of teenage-aged girls! Note: Because the author authentically quotes some of her clients, there is some strong profanity in this book.