Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls

A teenage girl “want[s] to scream.... A battle cry loud enough to shatter the glass above her and obliterate what tries to contain her,” according to this shortsighted debut guide to learning from and connecting with teen daughters. Academic tutor Goodan contends that teen girls are frequently silenced by society, and parents would do well to ask nonjudgmental questions (“How can I support you in this?”) that make space for emotions without trying to “solve” the issue at hand, thus allowing their daughters’ natural problem-solving skills to emerge. Unfortunately, Goodan undermines that helpful advice with some selective interpretations (selfies almost exclusively help girls empower themselves, she suggests, without adequately unpacking how posting such images in search of “likes” can create a harmful validation loop). In addition, parents will struggle to apply such vague lessons as “rather than working to prevent and judge teenage girls’ sexual choices, let’s work to create a world that thoroughly educates everyone on sexual responsibility and pleasure.” Despite the author’s good intentions, this stumbles. Agent: Karen Murgolo, Aevitas Creative Management. (Mar.)