Rating: 
Summary: Adults just don't understand
Review: Please, I am begging you. If you're an adult buy this book forthe teen girl in your life. If you're a teen girl right now buy thisbook now! Don't pay any attention to the ... adults who gave this book low ratings. They just don't understand! Yea, so there are stories of girls who expierment with sex and drugs, who hurt themselves and are depressed, but there is at least one story in here that you will be able to relate to. For all the adults who gave this book low rating I am digusted, you cannot judge this book because you're not a teenage girl growing up right now. I'm not saying all girls are despressed, suicidal, etc etc, but you cannot find one girl on the face of the earth who has not at least considered some of things in this book. It was a relief for me to find girls writing the very same things I have thought, but never expressed to a living soul. I read lots of these type of books and this is one of the best. I recommend it for any girl ages 13-18.
Rating: 
Summary: She sure speaks for me!
Review: When I first picked up Ophelia Speaks, I had just finished Reviving Ophelia. I expected this book to be even better since it is the voices of the teenage girls themselves. I was disappointed at first because Ophelia Speaks seemed to be one cliche after another (especially the eating disorder stuff). And the author's commentary seemed extremely unnecessary. But I kept reading. By the end, I thought all the pieces were good selections, and that Shandler's writing at the beginning of each chapter tied it all together nicely. I have infinite respect for her for putting this project together as a college student.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this what they really think?
Review: It seems that most of the essays written in this book were written by young drama queen girls who just wanted to be tortured souls. Yes, there were some valid essays that enlightened me, but some of them would have been better left in thier private journals where they can fantasize about all the pain and suffering they are enduring. Most of these girls need to learn about what it's really like being a woman-- a strong, independant woman.
Rating:
Summary: I can really relate to this book!
Review: when i first bought this book i started at the beginning and i couldnt put it down. the book is seperated into subjects and there were some sad stories but some were inspiring. sometimes when you think that your life is bad its good to be able to read about others lives who are actually bad and it really puts your thoughts into perspective. this book was really great. i recommend it to all teen girls.
Rating:
Summary: teens speak their heart.
Review: in ophelia speaks, the author, sarah shandler, does a wonderful job in expressing her feelings and also bringing in the feelings of other adolescent girls. each piece in this book tears at your heart, some making you cry. adolescents go through alot when they are changing from kids to adults, not always positive. this book brings out feelings from every kind of girl and every kind of feeling. i recommend this book to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Pure genius.
Review: Ophelia Speaks is without a doubt one of the greatest books ever written. When you open this book and begin reading, you are immediately exposed to the heartaches, hardships, joys, fears, smiles, and tears of hundreds of teenage girls from across North America. REAL teenage girls. Each and every story, poem, and experience shared in this book is honest, compassionate, moving, intimate, and most of all - REAL. There are so many feelings and emotions poured out onto this book's pages that I can relate to and share with the writers. Some of the things I read in this book...I thought no one else felt but me. It made me feel like I am not alone in my fears, self-judgments, wants, needs, and emotional ordeals. I recommend this book to every single teenage girl out there, and every single mother of a teenage girl. Thank you, Sara Shandler, for compiling such a masterpiece, and a shoulder to cry on. It is the most honest, heartfelt book ever written - BRILLIANT! I recommend buying it for yourself and your best friend today.
Rating:
Summary: It's About Time!
Review: It's about time! Why is it that men and women who grew up in a different era think they know what's going on with us today? The problems of thirty years ago are not the same problems of today. We teenage girls face a lot more serious issues than we used to. I am so very proud of those girls for telling the truth and enlightening all of us. I've grown up with a very sheltered lifestyle, but even I can relate and learn from what these girls are telling everyone. This book is full of true stories involving abuse, eating disorders, dating, rape and many more things a teenage girl must face. This might just be me, but whenever I see people trying to analize the female population to see what makes them tick and to try and figure out why we do what we do, I just want to throw up. No one has the right to decide what we are feeling unless they themselves have gone through it. If you wish to know why we're so messed up, ask us.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Why is it that women who grew up in a different generation, a different time period actually, think they know how we teens of today function? The trials of yesterday are not the same trials we go through today. I am so happy that teens has finally spoken up and decided to explain why we do the things we do and what is actually going on inside our heads. This book was written by teenage girls, for the purpose of explaining what the media, peer pressure, family, and everyone's expectations have done to us. The stories are real and so never again can anyone say we have lead a sheltered life and that we don't know what goes on in the real world. I don't think I have the right words to explain what I feel and what I am trying to get across. Suffice it to say that women and men three times our age trying to explain to the world why we females are exploited and trying to explain how we feel about what happens to us is totally unacceptable. The only way to understand what troubles us, is to ask us.
Rating:
Summary: Random Slice of Life? Of course not!
Review: It's a little disconcerting to see people dismissing this book as "unbelievable" because "not all girls go through such deep problems". Well, of course not! The point of this book was not to give a bland, statistical overview of teenage girls today. The point of "Ophelia Speaks" is to allow teenage girls to speak about themselves. Just because there is much more to say about being anorexic than being happy with your weight should not cast unfavorable light on this book. It should be praised due to its acceptance of truth and reality.
Rating:
Summary: A good book to read - Ophelia Speaks
Review: Ophelia Speaks is a very interesting book. It is a collection of stories from different girls of different cultures, religion and from different areas in the country. These are articles written from the hearts of many girls who have written about issues in their lives. Good or bad, they've been able to let out what's inside them that they feel others should know about. This book has been divided into five parts, "The Body Under Assault", "Family Matters", "The Best and the Worst of Friends", "Touched by Desire", "Overcoming Obstacles and Coming into Our Own". The first part discusses issues on "media-fed images", which is when girls want to look like models on or in magazines or even actresses on T.V and in movies. It also discusses eating disorders and how girls have struggled through anorexia and bulimia. Another discussion is "self-inflicted wounds", which talks about razor cuts and girls trying to commit suicide. Then there is a section called "intoxication", which talks about drinking and drugs and finally, rape and sexual abuse, which is a plain self-explanatory title. The second part discusses what girls feel about their mothers and fathers. It also talks about the relationships and rivalries girls share with their sisters and brothers. It talks about disintegrating foundations, which is divorce and separation. "No Safe place" talks about the insecurity girls feel at home with their families. Finally, "death in the family" talks about how girls are able to cope with the death of a relative. The third part discusses how girls are able to go through tough situations and everyday situations with the support of their friends. It also discusses what friendships some girls once had but have now lost. Finally, this part discusses how some girls are able to cope with the death of their friends. The fourth part discusses "innocent attractions", which is when girls have crushes on someone. "Seduced by sex", discusses when girls regret why they had sex and wondering why they didn't wait for a more perfect time. In this section they discuss what they think. Diverse sexualities discusses girls trying to discover their sexuality. They also talk about being manipulated and controlled by boys and men. Finally, the part about broken-hearted independence talks about parental involvement in their daughters' break-ups. Finally, the fifth part discusses academic conflicts, depression and therapy. It also discusses problems that some girls have had with their race, identity and prejudice. Some girls are confused about their religion and that's why they question their faith. Finally the last section in this book is feminist pride which I think is a good way to finish off a book about adolescent girls. This section discusses what some girls think about feminism. In general terms, this book would be good for someone in search of oneself or for someone try to find out what some of the problems are that adolescent girls face. This book is also good for pleasure reading. I found it very interesting because the girls in here were honest and were just telling the truth about their life experiences.
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