Ask Elizabeth

Ask Elizabeth
by Elizabeth Berkley

Ask Elizabeth is the complete guide to teen life; the last and only self-help book they'll ever need. Inspired by the many workshops Elizabeth Berkley has conducted with over 30,000 teen girls across the country, Ask Elizabeth brings the spirit of these conversations to life on the page.

Much like a private diary, the book will be a personal resource that girls can turn to when they seek answers to teen life's toughest questions.

The content contains real and practical advice, anecdotes and wisdom in answer to the most asked questions from girls who participate in Elizabeth's workshops such as: what do you do when you look in the mirror and don't like what you see? or How do you get over a broken heart? Elizabeth, along with a panel of experts, and teen girls themselves advise readers in matters of body image, personal relationships, dating, and much more. (description taken from Amazon.com)

This is another one of those non-fiction books that I really wish had come out when I was still in my teen years. Elizabeth Berkley has managed to tackle a TON of topics that really affect teen girls in a very forthright and un-embarassing way. Part of what makes this such a unique reading experience and what really will draw a teen reader in is the formatting. The book is full of handwritten notes and letters from girls all over...sharing their experiences, their feelings, and the wisdom they have gleaned from their own life experiences. It's like having each of those girls writing directly to the reader...and it does not feel at all as if an adult just made these things up to tell readers what they should do or how they should feel.

Even as an adult reader, there were some great pieces of advice to internalize. It took me right back to my teen years and in some spots showed me that I still have a lot of the same insecurities. This is a book to flip through every once in awhile to just mull over again...and to see what things strike you at that moment. I have a feeling every reading will be just a little different as readers grow and change.