This New York Times best-seller exposes the hidden culture of aggression in girls. Author Rachel Simmons interviewed 300 girls and dozens of grown women to uncover a startling truth: girls manifest their aggression through subtle but devastating behaviors that parents and teachers fail to notice or feel helpless to stop. Simmons examines the problem in this vitally important book.
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"This book really knew what it was talking about, and I experienced the same thing of a group of friends turning against me when I was in middle school. It's one reason I think I've gotten along better with guys since then. What's sad is that I still see women being passive-aggressive into their 20s and beyond. But an important point the author makes is that we did it to others too. Why can't females get together instead of forever being in competition?"
— Colette (4 out of 5 stars)
" I lived this book in high school. I was the odd girl out in an all girl school. Luckily, people grow up and life is so much more than what happens in high school. "
— Eclarep, 2/6/2014" Girls, and the women they become, are nuts. The things they value most are personal relationships, the things they fear most are losing personal relationships, and so the things they destroy are personal relationships. And apparently they do this because they lack the language to say how they feel, and the cultural permission to be angry. "
— William, 2/5/2014" Though I only got 1/2 way through this book, I really appreciated this uncommon discussion of the unique pressures and behaviors of young women. It made me want to revisit movies like Heathers or Mean Girls, now thinking more deeply about how society often allows girls to mistreat one another because it's more easily hidden. Before I give this back to my sister-in-law, I may pull a few passages out to discuss with my students. Anyone fascinated by adolescence, sociology and/or gender norms should check this out. "
— Diana, 1/23/2014" Girls are Bee-Atches! "
— Laura, 1/20/2014" a worthwhile, overdue analysis of patterns of high-school bullying. i've experienced it, and i'm glad someone has researched how & why this happens. "
— Lucy, 1/15/2014" Amazing analysis on being a girl. The sneaky fighting, the silent looks. Stories of real girls, and awful situations that are so common in girl world. "
— Beatriz, 1/12/2014" A must read for anyone who has a daughter. "
— Amy, 1/6/2014" Very disturbing how girls treat each other. Very interesting to look back and remember the girls that treated others this way when I was growing up....not alot has changed. "
— Angie, 12/2/2013" This was a fascinating book and gives some real insight into the behaviors of girls. "
— Mike, 11/1/2013" This book certainly brings back some bad childhood memories! Giving it 4 stars b/c I believe I will revisit this and find it useful when I have kids...at which point the bad childhood memories will be worth enduring in order to avoid the same for my children. "
— Renee, 10/13/2013" This book does a very good job of exposing a very unfortunate reality. Mrs. Rachel Simmons speaks honestly about what she thinks about the quieter form of harassment, and what she thinks should be done to combat it. "
— Maya, 4/3/2013" Interesting read though I already was aware of the problem the book covers. It was just nice to read validation of something that all women grow up with. "
— Brie, 1/24/2013" Must read for girls and parents and well, everyone. "
— Sarah, 1/5/2013" Not well written, overly anecdotal, but kinda like a train wreck...hard to look away. "
— Nathalie, 12/1/2012" Anyone who has a daughter should make this mandatory reading. The emotional damage inflicted by girls onto their "friends" makes boys' fist fights look like harmless play. "
— Missives, 9/22/2012" I love this book's thesis that girls aren't catty by nature, rather in a culture that doesn't allow girls to be assertive (and where aggression in girls is seen as completely abberant, whereas "boys will be boys") girls take their strong feelings underground. "
— Jeanne, 9/8/2012" This was very interesting and enlightening. Got most of the way through it before deciding to pull my daughter out of school, and then it was moot :). Worth reading if you have a girl in school. "
— Kirsten, 6/23/2012" CPYU recommended--pretty interesting. "
— Suz, 4/4/2012" Important topic that nevertheless bogs down because the text is extremely repetitious. "
— Jaime, 3/29/2012" This book applies to anybody who is conflict-avoidant, not just girls. "
— Abby, 5/30/2011" As I think the topic is very important, I found the book to drag. It could have been shorter with more succinct examples and explanations. "
— Jennifer, 4/25/2011" It is a great novel, especially for girls and parents of young girls in school.<br/>It exploits the the "secret" tension between middle school & high school girls "
— Ashley, 3/25/2011" helped me understand so much of what I see (or don't see) on a daily basis! "
— Denise, 3/20/2011" Interesting research with unexpected findings about hidden aggression and bullying in populations of white middle-class school-age girls... What I'm not at all sure about after reading this book is what to do about it if it happens and how to prevent it... "
— Katya, 2/27/2011" This is book is written for parents, so I'm really not sure why it was nominated for PPYA. Sure, it's full of interesting information, but it isn't something a teenager is going to read for fun. "
— Sarah, 2/4/2011" Invaluable insights for teachers, parents and anyone who works with kids today. "
— Jim, 12/31/2010" I really needed to read this book. My daughter has a few friends that are aggressive and I needed to know how to deal with it. It helped a lot. There is lots of bad language in it though because the author interviews these girls and printed it has she heard it. "
— Vickie, 10/29/2010" This is a very depressing book. Reading it as a father frightens me as I think about what my sweet daughter might have to endure (and in fact has already endured). So many frightening tales. "
— Jeffrey, 10/12/2010" An amazing book. It has showed me that my best friend is a bully and taught me ways to overcome it. I would recommend it to anyone that would listen. "
— Madeline, 10/2/2010Rachel Simmons is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence. Cofounder of Girls Leadership, a national nonprofit, she is a leadership development specialist at Smith College, and is the Girls Research Scholar in Residence at the Hewitt School in New York. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her daughter.
Ruth Ann Phimister has appeared off Broadway and in numerous regional productions, including Life with Father with Robert Reed. She has also worked in television, film, and commercial voice-over.