Girl Up

Kick Ass, Claim Your Woman Card, and Crush Everyday Sexism

Already an international bestseller, this empowering survival guide provides no-nonsense advice on sex, social media, mental health, and sexism that young women face in their everyday life—from one of the emerging leaders in the feminist movement.

They told you that you need to be thin and beautiful.

They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night, and move in groups—never accept drinks from a stranger, and wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels.

They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to reveal too much.

They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you’ll be shrill, bossy, a ballbreaker. Of course it’s fine for the boys, but you should know your place.

They told you “that’s not for girls”—“take it as a compliment”—“don’t rock the boat”—“that’ll go straight to your hips.”

They told you “beauty is on the inside,” but you knew they didn’t really mean it.

Well, screw that. Laura Bates is here to tell you something else.

Hilarious, bold, and unapologetic, Girl Up exposes the truth about the pressures surrounding body image, the false representations in media, the complexities of sex and relationships, the trials of social media, and all the other lies society has told us.

Praise for Girl Up

“In Girl Up, Laura Bates has given women of every age a fast, frank, seductively readable guide to surviving in the time of social media, impossible body images, feminist hopes, internalizing fault, standing up for ourselves and each other, and yes, confronting Donald Trump. She leaves no doubt about what consent is, where the clitoris is, what our rights are, and what our hopes could be. This is an owner’s guide to our world and our bodies. It will definitely save sanity, and might save lives.” —Gloria Steinem

“Girl Up is an essential compendium of wit, wisdom, advice, and straight-talk. They should give out copies in the delivery room every time another girl enters the world. Or a boy, for that matter—they ought to be reading Girl Up too.” —Sarah Knight, bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck

"This is the book young women need—one that teaches them about the anatomy of their vulva instead of how to impress their crush. While many of the topics covered are still relevant to me now, I really wish I'd had this book as a young adult.” —Beth Newell, editor/cofounder of Reductress