Melissa de la Cruz makes a collection of various empowering women sharing their struggles through different aspects of life. All these women offer inspiring ways to run through hurdles to overcome feminist obstacles. These accomplished women all share their stories and how they faced them headstrong, which instills a sense of determination within any reader, young or old. The vast range of stories shows that adversity can be faced in any field, but there is always a way to remain strong.

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: N/A
Recommended: Yes
Level: Middle or High School

I really enjoyed this title, as I like hearing true stories from interesting and successful women. My only real issue is that each story was incredibly short, and left me wanting to know more about the life story of each woman featured in the book. In addition, the book was a quick read, which left me wanting to hear more stories from a wider variety of women. While this would be great for a reluctant reader in need of something fast-paced, I felt that the book was too short and needed more content. This, however, is my only complaint, as I enjoyed the stories being told and felt inspired by some of these awesome ladies (many of whom are YA authors I adore) while reading.

Because I Was A Girl features short reflections from a number of influential women from diverse backgrounds, including Holly Knight, Victoria Aveyard, and Quvenzhane Wallis. The ladies range in age from 88 to their early teens, and each comes from a very different and unique background. All are writing from the same basic premise, which makes up the title of the book: "Because I was a girl..." This sentence features heavily throughout every one of the stories, tying them together despite the diversity of each individual account. These stories chronicle the many challenges these women faced, while also sharing the many triumphs and obstacles each woman conquered to find success in a man's world. Written for girls of all ages, Because I Was A Girl is an anthology that reminds all girls of the power they have to make a difference in the world.

First of all, let me say that I think this is an absolutely brilliant idea, especially since I have a feeling it will empower and inspire a whole new generation of women to make meaningful change. The book is organized into different decades, with women who were born in each one giving accounts of what their life was like back when the rules of society were different than they are today. Each decade begins with a list of facts, chronicling the major advances or milestones made by women in that decade. My favorite part of this book was reading through each section and feeling a sense of how things were progressing from decade to decade, starting with women who were expected to be housewives and mothers, and ending with a young girl who had never been told she couldn't do something because she was a girl. I could easily imagine one of the older women reading her story and smiling, knowing that the battles they fought helped pave the way for younger generations.

Though I have also never been told I couldn't do something because I was a girl, I have seen evidence of sexism throughout my lifetime, from being told to "act more lady-like" to being hit on at work simply for being in a public service position. I have never been discriminated against, however, and never lost a job or scholarship simply because I was a woman. Things might not be perfect, but they are certainly much better than they were only a century ago. The shift in tone of these stories as the book progresses is proof that things are changing for the better, and I think they give young readers hope that the world will continue to embrace that change in the future.

And, though I wish there had been more variety in the professions each of these women, I have to admit that I loved hearing from some of my favorite female YA authors. Melissa De la Cruz, Libba Bray, Margaret Stohl, and Victoria Aveyard all make appearances, which is wonderful for teenage girls who might be fans of their work. To see an author whose work you admire encouraging you to fight for the things you want is incredibly inspiring, and I'm glad this book exists for today's generation of young teens to enjoy. I would honestly gladly read an anthology entirely comprised of female YA authors talking about their experiences, as I think writers have very interesting personal stories to tell. While I think it would be better as a separate anthology, I certainly didn't mind hearing from these ladies who have inspired me with their writing for many years.

Personal highlights from this book included Libba Bray, Victoria Aveyard, and Tillie Walden. Libba Bray's words were both powerful and poetic, and I forgot how much I loved her unique writing style. Victoria Aveyard wrote the Red Queen series, which remains one of my favorite YA series, and I geeked out a little bit reading her entry. Tillie Walden's stood out as being the only illustrated entry, making it fun to read as well. Again, my only complaint with this book was that I wanted more, as I was thoroughly enjoying hearing each of the stories from these awesome and powerful ladies.

I would highly recommend this book to any teenage girl in need of encouragement, especially one who has been bullied or feels ostracized for being different in some way. Included in these entries is a transgender woman, a devout Muslim, and women of many different races. Chances are, a young teen will find someone in this line-up whose struggles she can personally relate to, and I think it's both uplifting and empowering to see women in your situation who have succeeded in achieving their dreams. The stories are short, simple, and easy to read, and I found myself feeling inspired as a full-grown adult. I can only imagine the good this might do for a teen lacking confidence in herself (heck, it would've helped me a lot as a teen as well), and I think this is a worthy collection to any library's YA non-fiction collection. I can only hope that more books like this one will continue to be published in the future, as I know there are many more great and inspiring stories left out there to tell. ( )