You Don't Understand Me: The Young Woman's Guide to Life - The Sunday Times bestseller

A must-have guide for girls, young women and their parents. Within these pages is the practical, professional and ultimately accessible wisdom gleaned from the distilled conversations with hundreds of young women who are juggling with the myriad issues, ancient and modern, that threaten to topple their mental health. It is beautifully written for and to these young women ….. and it is like having a conversation with your own private therapist who very much wants you to comprehend these challenges but more importantly, have the tools to overcome them and thrive ….not merely survive. It is compelling reading and I have recommended it to all my friends primarily to help their children, secondly to help them parent with more empathy and understanding and finally ….. as a key to unlock some of the things that happened to us when we were girls.

As soon as "You Don't Understand Me" was published I ordered two copies, one for myself and one for my 15 year old daughter. I urge you to do the same. In fact I strongly believe that this exceptional book should be made available to all teenage girls as part of the secondary school PSHE curriculum, well-thumbed and scribbled on and squashed in their backpack pocket! Given the shortfall in funding for adolescent mental health this book would go a long way to supporting young women and girls (and parents) - the benefits would far outweigh the costs to the Departments of Education/Health & Social Care/the NHS! If Tara Porter cannot take your daughter by the hand herself to guide her through this most challenging chapter of life then her book is the next best thing.

Although the early sections of this book feel somewhat heavy on parent-blaming, that might just be my perspective as a parent! On the whole, it's well-written (if not particularly well proofread) and the examples given are almost scarily relatable. I read this myself before giving it to my 13-year-old daughter, and she found it very helpful. It does feel a bit heavy going for it's intended audience (at least the younger end of the age range) but very worthwhile for those who make it through!

This book is simply incredible. It covers all topics a teen girl could need- including the ‘embarrassing’ or ‘taboo’ ones. I found it not only informative, but comforting and validating. I often find myself thinking back to things I read in the book in my day to day life, which helps me navigate the situation. All in all an amazing book

Really enjoyed this book. I recommend reading from cover to cover initially. But then can dip into different section’s easily enough. I’ve recommend this book to lots of parents but I haven’t actually given it to my 14 yr old yet. Though I’ve given her sections to read. But that’s only because she isn’t a natural ‘reader’ of books. For those girls who like reading it is an absolutely essential read.

What an amazing handbook for all teenage girls! Everything covered from body image to friendships to exam pressure to first love. Dr. Porter calls out all the issues that preoccupy teen girls and offers insightful, practical and reassuring advice to help guide them through these tricky years. Buy it for the teen girl in your life - the best gift EVER!

Really helpful in understanding and acknowledging issues that today’s girls face. Some really useful perspectives; already helps me deal with issues that my teenage girl faces.

This book makes sense.Which is unusual when you are talking about the mind of teenage girls in the current world of instagram, likes, partying and Snapchat. It has, I hope, helped me understand my girls a little better and the pressures they are subject to, so that I can therefore empathise more with the challenges experienced in their teenage years.