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Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher (by NotOphelia, 15)

"Well meaning, but inaccurate and sensational."

Book Rating: ** two stars (not bad but not good either)
Book Subcategory: Reference

Briefly tell us what this book is about (without giving away the ending, of course!).

Reviving Ophelia is a psychology study of different girls living in America.

How does the title relate to the storyline?

Mary Pipher says that girls in modern society are like the character Ophelia from "Hamlet". Ophelia tries to please her father and her lover, and ends up going insane and drowning. Pipher thinks girls are very helpless today and wants to "revive" the so called lost spirits of today's teenagers...but most teenage girls are take-charge, confident Lady Macbeths; or go-with-the-flow, independent Violas; or passionate, free spirited Juliets.

Is there something interesting that the author does to present the story?

Mary Pipher tells the stories of different girls she has had appointments with. However, she talks as if all girls are very troubled and only shows scenarios of girls with traumatic pasts, addictions, or identity problems. These girls sometimes have really interesting or sad stories, and Pipher relates this to society and history, which can be interesting. But she blames the media way too much for girls' problems.

If you could rewrite the story, what would you change to make it better?

I think I would make it less sensational--Ms Pipher means well and is probably very nice. However, the media is not evil and will not endanger a girls' sexual or mental health, make them alcoholic, turn them bulimic, or send them into depression. Also I might tell more of the girls' stories and include girls from more backgrounds (religious, geographic, ethnic) [editor's note: consider reading 'Ophelia Speaks', which is a teenager's response to 'Reviving Ophelia' and includes submissions by the teens who are dealing with these issues themselves]. Lastly, sometimes the conversations with the girls seemed patronizing.

Why would you recommend (or not recommend) this book to a friend?

I would recommend this to a friend because even though it had many problems, but it was still interesting to see how adults view teens.

Why did you choose to read this particular book?

I had heard of it and wanted to know what it was like, because I'm a teenage girl and that's what the book's about.

Complete this sentence:

When I finished reading the last page of this book, I felt... Upset, I was expecting the book to be better.

What type of reader do you think this book is appropriate for?

Teenagers could read this book... maybe 12 and up depending on how mature you are. I think a teenager would get more out of it than an adult, even though I think it was marketed towards grown-ups (in the library it was in the YA section).

Give at least one example of a memorable quote, moment, or theme from the book.

I thought it was interesting when Mary Pipher talked about when she was a teenager.

Would you ever read another book by this author?

Yes

In your overall opinion, this book is...

A nice escape.

About the Reviewer

What is your favorite book?

Weetzie Bat

If a book is turned into a movie, what are you most likely to do?

Read the book first and then see the movie.

What is your favorite movie?

Steel Magnolias

What color most describes your personality? Why?

Neon green because I'm one of a kind, don't match with everything, and love to have a lot of fun!