When I picked this book up I thought it was going to be more of a social commentary/social theory text. Instead, it turns out that this is a self-help book for teens. There's nothing wrong with that, but the content is overgeneralized and shallow.

Burton refers to things like "studies" or "people think" or "in the past" but doesn't cite her sources on any of these things. She does give additional resources in the back of the book, mostly about feminism and empowerment, which is great. But her credibility would greatly increase if she'd cited some sources.

Also, she says that "in the past" men would have more than one wife, leading to competition. She doesn't give any specific cultural background or a timeframe for this claim, and I think that sort of oversight is a huge flaw for a book like this. Almost every chapter could have been improved by more research and more context.

On the chapter of the different types of bullying, some of her explanations also sounded like an honest-to-god how to guide for bullies. It seemed a little weird to me.
(Review also posted on Goodreads) ( )

Girls Against Girls attacks the age old question of why are girls so mean to each other? It's crazy to think that one girl can ruin another's life without breaking a sweat. Tactics such as gossip, dumping, verbal abuse, and even the silent-treatment have become typical attacks in the high school environment and beyond. Severe cases leave young girls with life altering disabilities such as eating disorders, depression, paranoia, or one of many other mental diseases that carry on into adulthood. The question still stands: why do we do this to each other?

Author Bonnie Burton addresses the topic in a concise and straightforward manner. While I find it hard to believe that a teen girl would pick this book up on their own, I think that it would be a good resource for parents, teachers, and counselors to use to address the abuse that happens between girls. I believe this is a good book for parents to look at in order to gain a quick glance at some of the common problems among teenage girls today. A lot of the fighting between girls is overlooked because it is happening quietly or seen as a simple dispute between two people. It's not easy to gauge how bad the fight may be or how much damage it may be doing. In a way, guys have it easy: they yell, they punch, they forget....but women remember forever and man can they hold a grudge. ( )

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

Why are girls so mean to each other? Are they jealous? Intimidated? See other girls as competition? Whatever the reason, malicious gossiping, social shunning, vicious taunting, and cyber-bullying will often occur.

So how do we break the cycle? Through this book, girls will learn some of the reasoning behind why girls can be so vicious - and what they can do to make it stop.

The author takes a very balanced approach with this book. She not only addresses the victims, but the mean girls, as well. Her white space, layout, and illustrations are excellent and well-used. The information she presents is well-researched and takes a common-sense approach to breaking the cycle of meanness, envy, and passive-aggressive behaviors.

With quotes from famous artists and athletes and an easy-to-understand text that gives adolescents hope, GIRLS AGAINST GIRLS is a must-have for any teenage girl and school or library collection. ( )