Rating: 
Summary: Some Faulty Analyses
Review: It's a well written and important book, but she has an overly naive view of certain conditions such as anorexia. She places too much emphasis on the influence of culture, when in fact culture has a negligible effect on such a disorder. "The culture is bad" is the uneducated feminist stock answer to anorexia. It's a complex disorder involving primarily psychological factors. You would expect someone with a PhD in psychology to know this!
Rating: 
Summary: Have a Little Faith!
Review: If you are a parent who wishes to read this so you can understand your daughter, keep in mind what the author did not: these are exreme cases. Have a little faith in your daughter; the author seems to have little in the female sex as a whole. Most teenage girls, at least none of the ones I know, are weak, desperate, and easily manipulated. In the book, even intelligent girls cannot remain strong enough to withstand peer pressure or the evil media. Girls are "walking targets" who have such low self-esteem that they will do virtually anything to be accepted. This book was written almost ten years ago, and maybe things have changed; there's a lot of evidence today that boys are the ones who are in trouble.Maybe the whole commercial "Girl Power" movement did the trick. As far as I can see, we weak, troubled, lonely, self-involved teenage girls seem to be doing just fine.
Rating:
Summary: Not as helpful as it could have been
Review: I'm an 18-year-old male who has two sisters. I read my mother's copy since I'll read anything in a pinch and this book hooked me from the very beginning. ***Warning! This review is over 500 words***Dr. Pipher is an interesting writer and all her case histories were fascinating reads that illuminated particular disorders and problems that young girls can have. I found these to be the most helpful part of the book. It was shocking to read about girls as young as 14 mutilating themselves and others threatening to commit suicide just because they didn't get a new car. But after I got over the shock value I realized how this book isn't truly representative of all girls. Reading this book would give an alien (outsider) the impression that all girls are suffering with disorders and the only real way to change that would be to change society. I do not believe that. The outside-in approach is too difficult and cumbersome to work; it takes way to long to change society so we must work with the FAMILY. This is the root of the problem; if you are a good parent you will work hard to make sure your children are protected and not exposed. This is not to mean that you won't have problems but t is up to you to save your daughters, not a psychologist, or a mental hospital or the government. You brought your child into the world and you must protect her. It is also important to be aware of what is going on in society. Most of the girls profiled in the book had mothers and fathers with big problems. For example, Gail was the oldest daughter of free spirited artists (not enough control), Margaret's parents were too out of touch, and a lot of the mothers were naive, materialistic or just plain stupid. So in order to fix these problems Dr Pipher wants the media to change? Does this add up? Why not change the family and let the media do what it will. Girls that understand the hidden messages are the ones most likely to ignore them and less intelligent woman won't get it all so often it's harmless. I'm not saying that the media isn't sexist but the media is far less of a problem then Dr. Pipher paints it out to be. Most of the girls my age who are in school are confident, respected and optimistic. Often they went through bleak periods, especially during adolescence, but not many needed a shrink or pills. They got by not because the media presented woman in a better light but because they were aided and supported by family and friends. And eventually Dr. Pipher's idea for societal revolution would bear fruit. Change the family, change the girl, girl goes to work at an add agency, makes different adds, little by little the world is better for females. As a guy I really didn't like the way my gender was portrayed. The message was that as guys we don't understand girls and that all we want to do is victimize them. Being a teenager is just as hard for us guys as it is for the girls: we just don't show it as much. In conclusion, this book is worth a read but I really couldn't agree with the author's idea for change. The book was unbalanced and biased and I felt like I was reading about another planet. Dr. Pipher shows us an epidemic that's worse than the reality. Make sure you read this with a critical eye. Thank you for listening to my crazy opinions. ;-)
Rating: 
Summary: Reviving Ophelia, Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
Review: I am a student at Macon State College. I enjoyed reading this book for my Education class. I recommend this book to anyone that will be involved with adolescent girls. Whether your a teacher, tutor, or maybe a peer conselor. The book helped me to realize that all girls are not the same. Every girl goes through their adolescent stages in different ways. This book kept me reading, involved, and I could even relate to some of their changes. I also recommend that parents should read it as well because it could give them some understanding, which would offer some compassion and help when needed.
Rating: 
Summary: The Book of the Century
Review: I am a college student majoring in education and I read this book for my class. Pipher did a wonderful job with this book. She touched base with every possible thing a young teenage girl could go through. Reviving Ophelia should be required for all parents to read. I think that if parents were to read this, they would understand their daughters a lot more. I would recommend this book to anyone who is female or a parent! I personally do not enjoy reading, but I could not put this book down. Pipher is a extrodinary woman and I wish that I would have had the opprotunity to read Reviving Ophelia when I was in high school. I would have understood myself more.
Rating:
Summary: An Enlightened College Student
Review: I am a college student and I read this for my education class. I truly enjoyed this book. After reading this book I feel I will be able to help my students who are dealing with these same problems. By reading this book it shows that communication is a major neccessity between parents and their kids. This book should be read by anyone who is involved with young adolescent children.
Rating:
Summary: An Enlightened Education Major Student
Review: I am a college student majoring in education and I read this book for class. I truly enjoyed this book. There were lots of ideas and topics I never truly understood before now. The age group of these girls have always interested me because I have been where most of these girls have been. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to teach in middle school area or anyone for that matter who deals with young adolescent children.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for parents.
Review: Perhaps only those of us women who had particularly rough experiences during our adolescence will truly understand the importance of this book. I hope not. Reviving Ophelia opens up the cloistered and torturous world of the teenage girl for all to see. Through many case studies and short discussions at the end of each chapter, Phipher shows what diversity of experiences girls encounter and how they deal with it. For those of us who have been through traumatic teen years, it is enlightening and provokes reflection. For those of us who also have daughters (and sons) approching this period of great change, it is more -- a wakeup call. I would encourage all parents of pre-teen girls AND boys (your boys will be interacting with these girls too) to read Ophelia.
Rating:
Summary: Not that great
Review: Dr Pipher's opinions are not referenced very well. Her stories are interesting and probably portray the lives of her clients accurately. I don't think that her presents an unbiased opinion anywhere in the book. I would balance this book with the rest of life.
Rating:
Summary: A Necessary Book for Adolescent Girls and Their Parents
Review: I wish that I could meet Mary Pipher and thank her for this awesome contribution to literature. This book not only made me seek a profession in Secondary Education (I am a college sophomore working on an education/english double major), but it also led me to several very startling realizations about my own adolescence. There is an entire generation of girls out there waiting to be heard, and Mary Pipher has given them the voice that they need. If you are a parent, pay careful attention to your girls, they need more than just love, they need acceptance. Read this book. Read it with your adolescents. Your whole outlook will change, and maybe you will get to know a whole new beautiful side of a teenage girl whose life means the world to you.
| 
