The gist: The world of little girls is a hot pink mess, thick with pink princessy frou-frou unlike anything parents have dealt with before. Is all this extreme girliness just a harmless phase, or is there something more sinister lurking behind all that pink?
What I Liked: The conversational tone and sense of humor made this an easy and enjoyable read, without skimping on the hard facts, and there are some surprising hard facts. Orenstein navigates this territory with honesty and hubris, dismantling the mighty pink monster in a way that enables you to see it clearly without completely admonishing it. She doesn't offer any concrete answers, but provides the reader enough information and space to decide whether those Disney Princesses are friends or foes.
What I Didn't Like: I got this feeling like I was a tiny post trying to protect my kids from a hurricane. More than once, I felt the urge to move to a cabin in the woods without electricity and pop culture, and I still don't know what to do about my daughter's insistence that she wear dresses in subzero temperatures so that she can be "pretty."
Should You Read It?
If you have any young girls in your life, yes, absolutely read it. At the very least, it will make you laugh.
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You might also like Can't Buy My Love by Jean Kilbourne and So Sexy So Soon by Diane E. Levin and Jean Kilbourne.
I love the title!
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