Rating: 
Summary: BEEN THERE DONE THAT
Review: THIS BOOK IS SOOO REAL. I AM GLAD THAT IT IS OUT THERE. I AGREE
THAT IT IS NOT JUST BEHAVIOR LIMITED TO YOUNG GIRLS. I LIVE AMONGST SOME WOMEN WHO BEHAVE THE SAME WAY. I TOLD MY HUSBAND TO
READ IT AS HE WILL GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHY I AM ABLE TO
PICK THINGS UP THAT ARE OFF THE RADAR SCREEN. HE IS READING IT.
HOWEVER HE CAN ONLY READ ONE CHAPTER AT A TIME BEFORE HE HAS TO
PUT IT DOWN. HE SAYS IT'S ALMOST AS CHILLING AS ANY HOLOCAUST
BOOK HE HAS READ. WOULD ALSO LIKE FOLLOW UP BOOK AS TO HOW
OTHERS HAVE SURVIVED AND THRIVED.
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Summary: An Eye Opener
Review: This is a teriffic book, well-researched and quite readable. I am the father of an 11-year old daughter who has faced incessant harrassment from a group of girls in school and during school-related social activities. The book is full of situations that I could relate to as a parent, but probably never fully understood. Time and time again, I found myself reading passages that replayed nearly word for word episodes that we've experienced as parents. Reading it has given me significant insight into the issues my daughter has dealt with in her social relationships since first grade.
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Summary: Absolutely Ground-Breaking!! A must read for all women!!
Review: This book is filled with stories and life lessons that all women can learn from. Starting from the first pages, you will relate to the stories told. This book will change your perceptions and the way you relate to other women in your life. Do yourself a favor, buy this book. Buy a copy for those you love (and maybe those you don't necessarily like, too). If you want to have an emotional healing, start with this book. It's a journey of emotional, defining moments in our lives and how those moments have affected who we are. It's absolutely engaging.
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful, subjective, eye-opening
Review: I have a few criticisms of this book. First, I felt it was overloaded with "case studies", where she tells you stories of bullies/victims and girls turning on each other. It was like mini soap operas. I found it tedious, though I'm sure many people will appreciate those parts because they can identify with them, validating their own experiences.
Secondly, the book paints a very nasty picture of girls - as conniving, manipulative, petty, vindictive witches. Backstabbers that won't hesitate to cut down a friend for mere popularity or social acceptance. (Interestingly, she lauds males as being simple, honest, straight-forward, forgiving, and loyal). She also hypothesizes on how girls in various roles (victim, bullier, deserter) fare later in life in business and social situations. I found these parts intriguing.
I feel the most valuable part of the book is the last chapter and the conclusion, where she gives advice on how to deal with this kind of situation, and how to avoid the situation, from the perspectives of girl, mother, and teacher. I think this could be very helpful for those despairing of "alternative aggression" circumstances.
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Summary: Review of Odd Girl Out
Review: As as former junior high teacher and now a school counselor and psychologist, I plan to use this book in my parent and teacher workshops. It is one you can't put down. Every teacher in junior and high school needs to read this to learn about the way girls show aggression in a covert way. I learned to read signs, which I missed before, to assist young girls who are ridiculed and shunned by others. Rachel Simmons researches this topic and has really conducted in-depth research and case studies which are easy to read and relate to. This will definitely help me to work with girls who would otherwise be ignored.
I will give this book to my fellow counselors and place one in the parent library.
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Summary: At what age do women outgrow these destructive behaviors?
Review: While this excellent book focuses on adolescent bullying, my experience has been that "girls" of all ages continue to behave in the same manner. The playing field changes but the rules remain the same. The workplace is no different from the schoolyard except for the fact that the workplace bullies have had years to hone their devious skills. I would like to think that sooner or later I & my "sisters" could evolve beyond this sugar on the outside, venom on the inside persona but I am a 40-something year old woman & have seen no evidence of it yet. I would like to say that I have never victimized other women but that would not be honest. I learned the "rules" well before adolescence. I was content take the path of least resistance as a teenager & was rewarded by being a popular girl with popular friends. As an adult I became more inclined to deal with people in a more direct & honest fashion, however that behavior is seldom rewarded in the workplace or in my personal life. While I fared well in high school society, I have had the experience of being the "odd girl" in the workplace. By my own choice I have very few female friends & much prefer the company of men. On the job I supervise several women & have to be constantly on guard lest the popular bully that I was in high school resurface. One woman in particular causes this aspect of my personality to emerge. She was the opposite of everything that I was in high school, she wasn't popular, wasn't attractive, & didn't distinguish herself academically. As an adult she is still the same. It would be interesting if the author wrote her next book based on the life experiences of 30 to 50 year old "odd girls". Some insight from the supposedly grown up "bullies" would also be interesting but alas most do not recognize themselves! I hope many parents read this book & discuss it with their daughters.
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Summary: All teenagers should read this book!
Review: I wish I had read this book as a teenager. It teaches the reader to demand respect, be respectful, and speak up instead of going along to get along. It's okay to be different. It tells the reader to love themselves. A related book is In-Law Drama where the main character goes through the heartache of being left out, but comes out all the better.
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Summary: From A Bullied Teens Point Of View
Review: For years girls have been bullied and kept quiet about it. Not knowing what their parents, teachers, or peers will say or do. Finally someone has taken it upon themselves to reveal the aggression girls have, and that someone is Rachel Simmons.This book deals with bullying. Why kids do it, where it originates from, why kids who are bullied keep quiet about it, and so on. This book answers questions that only a bullied child can answer, and also gives tips on how teachers and parents can help stop it, and children can learn to speak about it. This is a must read book for any teacher, parent, or even bullied child.
Rating:
Summary: I wish this had been written ten years ago.
Review: I happened upon this book in Costco and immediately snapped it up. After three years of the torture and abuse by other girls my age in middle school, I left with panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia, and depression. That was eighth grade and I was not yet thirteen. I am now twenty and still struggling just to drive to a local university each day because I cannot cope with leaving for a better school with the major I want. I still leave near in the same neighbourhood and literally gag when I see the girls who tortured me. This book finally shows that the school itself-- not just the students, but the teachers and administration-- are at fault for letting us 'Odd Girls' (or as singer/songwriter Tori Amos refers to us 'Raisin Girls') fall through the cracks and sometimes become cracked ourselves. Perhaps we will not be the only ones to peruse this book, but those who can help us-- from teachers to psychiatrists. It's time to realise that hitting is NOT the only way someone can end up bruised.
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Summary: From a teacher's viewpoint
Review: I saw the Dateline interview with Rachel Simmons and knew I had to get this book. As a fourth grade teacher I have been a witness to a variety of aggressions demonstrated by girls in my classes and at our school, so this book became my first choice for summer reading (not exactly my usual mindless novel to unwind with!). It was with great interest that I read the stories related by the girls and mothers, thankful that my own 11-year-old daughter has not yet been caught up in the maelstrom of hidden aggression. As interesting and heartbreaking as the stories were, many of them hitting very close to home, I was nevertheless somewhat disappointed with the attitude Simmons had toward teachers. First of all, I do agree that much of the aggression that is demonstrated in elementary school is below the radar line but it is not invisible to a teacher with her eyes and ears open. True, most of us are not trained to deal with the hidden aggressions demonstrated by girls but the compassionate and empathetic teacher knows what is going on. At this age (9 to 10 year olds) there is still a lot of tattling and teachers are called on to "fix" the problems. Reading between the lines we see the relational problems facing these girls but honestly, what can we do to help? As Simmons suggests, calling parents generally would not work; The bully's parents do not want to hear about it and the victims's parents expect me to wave a magic wand. I have started addressing these types of issues in my class by instituting class meetings, where my students can feel safe discussing anything and also brainstorming together to come up with workable solutions. But that is definitely not enough. Like parents, teachers want answers, too. We want help, guidelines, suggestions - we want our students to be comfortable coming to school and realize that teachers can have a major role in helping that to become a reality. I kept reading, hoping for more guidance and direction from Simmons as to how educators can help alleviate this major problem but was disappointed to find only two pages that directly addressed the role we can play. Also, this is not something we can pass off to our school counselors - the problem is too widespread and the solution need to involve everyone: parents, teachers, school and professional counselors alike. I am grateful to Simmons for addressing this hidden problem but for now I will have to continue casting about for ways to deal with it, through class meetings, character education, and heavy doses of empathy.
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