Funny and sensitively written, Kate Weston’s Diary of a Confused Feminist deals with mental health in a gentle way and also brings Louise Rennison to mind in the comic diary entries. An enjoyable read for the younger end of YA.

I really didn’t enjoy this book at all but I am clearly not the target audience. I don’t think it was made clear that it is teen fiction. I think maybe someone in their teens might enjoy it but it was not for me.

This young adult novel just wasn't for me unfortunately. I stopped reading about 40% in and couldn't bring myself to continue. The narrative voice sounded very young and I struggled to engage with the characters but I do think it covers some good topics which younger teenagers will benefit from reading.

Kat is your average teenage girl. Crushing on the hottest boy in school, muddling through coursework, surviving her annoying little brothers antics and of course, trying to become a good feminist.
The first half of the book reminded me a lot of the Georgia Nicholson books, my personal favourite reads as a preteen, the prose was quick witted and the characters bright but believable. The pace did slightly suffer due to this, meaning it took me a solid month to read the first half. However the book really took off once the more serious matters were addressed, making it much more of a compelling read. It was only in the last act of the book I felt genuine compassion for Kat and the things she was going through.
13 year old me would have LOVED this book and that's the real audience here, so I'm happy to give it a high rating even though I didn't love every moment.

Not what I expected and a pleasant surprise at the topics and how the author covered them. Amusing, and in diary format and honest - and takes me back to being a teenager, though I think it's much more complicated nowadays!

Sadly this was just not what I was expecting. The writing was choppy and felt more on the younger side of YA. I would recommend for younger teens transitioning from middle grade to young adult though.

3 Stars.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Diary of a Confused Feminist follows 15 year old Kat, who is trying to navigate her way through year 11, and her path towards feminism. With best friends Sam and Millie by her side, she stumbles through her campaign to promote feminism (with #Tim fail and through a menstrual cup at her crush being at the forefront). But as the mistakes grow, and the bullying by Trudy and the Bitches, Kat has more than just school to contend with, but also issues with her mental health, and self esteem. Can she make it to Christmas, and her birthday, or is this confused feminist going to need help?

I honestly was not expecting to love this book so much. It was hilarious at times, and really heartfelt at others, and I kind of wish I was 10 years younger, as this would've been perfect when I was 16. Kat was such a relatable character, who took the mick out of herself, and wasn't perfect in any way. She had best friends (Sam, Millie, and Matt) who loved her, and her family who were a little crazy at times, but hers. There were also the fact that she was so open about everything in her diary, and even the really difficult things - like her anxiety and depression - which were spoken about so honestly and openly. Really, I think this book is perfect for today's teenagers, who sometimes need to see that they don't need to be perfect all the time, and it's okay to not be okay. I loved the ending, and can't wait to read the sequel, Must Do Better, because I need more of Kat's hilarious life, and wonderful character.

A great book for young teens (or pre-teens) dealing sensitively with mental health issues such as anxiety and OCD.

I really enjoyed this book. It had so many relatable moments. This book made me feel a range of emotions and had me laughing out loud so many times.

This was fine -a simple and predictable modern YA novel about a teenage girl in modern times. Basic feminist leanings, unrealistic plot but a satisfying conclusion nevertheless. Reminded me a bit of a more ‘grown up’ (modern) version of the Girls series by Jacqueline Wilson - friendship and family relationships being the key and the nicest thing about the story.

Originally I mistook this one for a book of essays about feminism (don’t ask me why), but then, well… why not read it anyway?

Turns out the book had its good sides and a lot of less good sides. It does deal with themes that are familiar to a lot of teenagers (high school, stress, feeling left on the side while your friends get boy/girlfriends…) while also introducing “feminism” through Kat’s questioning and attempts at understanding what it is, what it entails, how to be a feminist, and so on. And I guess this can indeed lead a reader who’s interested in this to go and do their own research, using this basis as pointers. Not to mention that this novel also sends the message that it’s normal and OK to ask for help if you’re struggling with mental issues, which is something so many people need to hear. So not all is lost.

The problem(s) was that the story was both all over the place, trying to cram too much in too little space (feminism, boyfriends, problems with the Queen Bee, growing up, anxiety, depression) while at the same time being rather slow, with pretty much nothing noteworthy happening for at least half of it. Well, no, there -are- things that happen, but they’re slice-of-life things, not plot-things, and they’re also predictable and cliché. The most interesting ones, such as Kat’s anxiety and treatment, felt rushed in comparison, the same way the “activism” towards the end was rushed. It would’ve been more interesting to see more of this throughout the novel, rather than yet more boyfriend woes and teenager parties and the Mean Queen Bee we’ve seen so much we’ve stopped counting. Or maybe I’m just jaded after having read so many stories with the same plot elements in them?

Conclusion: Good messages when it comes to discovering feminism (for a girl, not for someone who already knows what it entails) and mental health awareness, but plot-wise, it’s nothing to write home about.

An enjoyable YA, with interesting characters. Was a bit of a slow burner to begin with but ones into it was thoughtly enjoyable.

I think I'm a bit older than the intended audience but I loved this! It is a book that addresses anxiety, feminism and the trials and traumas of wading through adolescence. A book I would love my daughter to read when she is older. Thank you netgalley!

This book felt a little too much of a copy of Angus Thongs & Full Frontal Snogging but without being as funny. I ended up DNF about 1/4 of the way through as it just felt to much like the same sort of thing that has been done before.

They're 15, about to turn 16, a tight group of friends, but boys are coming into the picture and it's all too easy to feel left behind. They're trying to be feminists and to work out their place in the world at a difficult time anyway.

While Kat's self-deprecating diary entries start off funny, they spiral into self-hatred and anxiety, and just when I was starting to find this a bit  distressing and depressing to read, we find out why, and it's all justified and cleverly done, as you almost don't see the gradual decline.

It's good on the pernicious influence of social media on especially teenagers and the need to check your phone constantly. It's also great at inserting interesting resources such as the "Girl Up" book and Instagram accounts and hashtags to follow and hopefully these will get followed up by readers who haven't come across them before.

Full review on my blog https://wp.me/p21YR4-3Jq

Funny but with an important message, this diary-style story is all about teenagers trying to navigate school, their friendships and relationships, and find their place in the world. And maybe even make an impact in the world, by understanding and living that perfect feminist life... only, Kat is really confused about what that actually means. A very good exploration of feminism, its history and its place in modern society, plus hilarious and heart-warming moments of balancing teenage live and upholding that feminist ideal.

Absolutely enjoyed from start to finish, u didn't want the book to end. Highly recommended, if you like books that brighten up your day!

This book explores what being a feminist actually means through the perspective of a 16 year old girl finding her place in the world. It was such a relatable read and I found myself getting really invested in the characters. A very informative but easily digestible YA book exploring feminism, mental health and coming-of-age. Highly recommended!

For the first 75% of this book absolutely nothing happened, I would liken this book to Louise Rennison's writing and I really just didn't enjoy this. The last 25% was an anxiety diagnosis, and what seemed to be a full recovery - nothing about this book felt even remotely realistic and I wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of 'Diary of a confused feminist' to review.

Having been compared to the books of Louise Rennison, which I used to love when I was younger, I jumped at the chance to give this book a try.

Whilst I am perhaps not the intended audience, no longer a teenager, I still found the book entertaining and educational.

I found the book really funny and enjoyed the diary format. I also really appreciated the take on important mental health issues that are so prevalent in teenagers today.

I would definitely be recommending this girls (and boys) of around 12 and up. Almost a Judy Blume of our time!