Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging has had a full on sparkling feminist make over in this #MeToo inspired debut!

Taking the YA scene by a storm, Kate Weston has masterminded an utterly hilarious and courageously honest account of feminism and EVERYTHING in between.

From the opening page I was in hysterics when young Kat's attempt to spray paint #TimesUp on the school wall in an act of activism unwittingly ends in giving the class jerk unintended fame. And Weston doesn't hold back on the laugh out loud moments from here. Refreshingly bold in her diary written approach, Weston fearlessly navigates the highs and lows of a confused feminist teenager - from tampons to mooncups, mental health to Instagram likes, each page is a field of knowledge. With shout outs to some superstar names, including Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst and Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, along with some superb inspiring platforms like i_weigh, Free Periods, Feminists Don't Wear Pink and Laura Bates' Girl Up, Weston does a fantastic job of exploring what feminism means both historically and currently.

But from the witty and the cringy, Weston also tackles taboos surrounding teenage mental health. Anxiety, depression, body image and bullying are just a few of the issues Weston offers an inspiring yet sensitive insight into and for this alone, I wish this book was around when I was navigating my difficult teenage years, but even now in my mid 20s to was a joy to see just how much this book and its messages still resonated.

I found complete solace in 15-year-old Kat. Her heart and humour, insight and insecurities were refreshingly relatable, and her friendship with not just her best friends but also her parents was utterly heartwarming. Sisterhood and female support take on a powerful stance in Diary of a Confused Feminist, resulting in the ultimate feminist message. Rounded up perfectly with 10 brilliant reasons for 'How Not to be a Confused Feminist', this is definitely a must read for all budding feminists out there!

"Diary of a confused feminist" is a novel, about a young girl suffering from anxiety and depression. It was quite enjoyable and funny. I would rate this book 8 out of 10, to girls/feminists aged 13-17. A good representation of the teenage mind, and those living with undiagnosed mental disorders. Gripping: an emotional rollercoaster.
#funny #feminist #anxiety #depression #teenage #friendship #family

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

Kat wants to be a good feminist, but she isn't always sure about what that mean. She also wants to be a good writer, be with Hot Josh, win at her coursework and not make a total embarrassment of herself all the time.

But the path to true feminism is filled with mortifying incidents and when everything at school starts to be a bit too much, Kat knows that she has lost her way and the only way to move forward is to ask for help.

Diary of a Confused Feminist is a refreshing, hilarious and relatable book that I throughly enjoyed. It isn't often that I laugh out loud when reading this book but that made me laugh out loud a number of times. It was laughter I just couldn't hold in because this book is seriously hilarious. It is an incredibly relatable book for any teenager out there and it never felt like it was an adult trying to be a teenager. It just felt like reading an actual diary of a teenager.

This book tackles so many important topics. It is aimed at teenagers who are trying to figure out who they are and it fits that target audience perfectly. Even at the age of 22 I found this book hilarious and helpful and I could still connect to it and its story.

Kat, the main characters has to deal with the typical trails and tribulations of being a teenager. Ups and downs with her family, friends, school and her self image are just a few of the things that Kat has to deal with. This book also discusses anxiety, panic attacks and depression and it discusses it openly, honestly and amazingly. This is the first book I have read in a long time that I have felt has been so open with it's readers about all the issues so many people face in day-to-day life. This book also features Kat going to therapy and I appreciated those sections of the book so much.

Sometimes I felt that the drama in the book was a little bit petty and a little bit too dramatic for what was actually going on. This is just a personal opinion though and to a lot of people will not make any difference to their view of the book as a whole.

Every single character in this book is well-rounded and has so much heart. They felt like real people who I know whilst in high school myself. I love the role that both Kat's friends and family play throughout the book and loved how supportive they all were to Kat.

The feminism in this book is excellent. This book does an amazing job of exploring the thoughts and feelings most people have when they are starting to learn about feminism and becoming feminists. Even I learnt some things from this book that I will be using in my life from now on. I think this is an excellent book to help guide teenagers into the world of feminism.

Kate Weston has written an excellent novel and I cannot wait to see what else she writes in the future and I will certainly be following her for feminist advice.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and feel it could be read by anyone. It is hilarious, relatable and informative and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for excellent mental health representation and a book that openly discusses feminism and makes it very accessible. I am so glad I read this book!

I might not be the intended reader for this book (20-something, not very confused about feminism) but I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected.

Weston explores issues like #TimesUp, period poverty, and mental health in an amusing and sensitive way. All of the topics touched on within this book feel organic and the voice of Kat, our 15-year-old, "confused feminist" narrator feels natural. Likely due to my age, I found the book a little difficult to start with as I didn't understand why so much time was being devoted to Kat's yearning for a boy who didn't deserve her time but, as the story progressed, everything fit into place much smoother and I felt thoroughly satisfied by the conclusion.

This book is likely to be a big hit with younger readers!

Kat is approaching 16 and everyone seems to have a boyfriend but her even her two best friends. Plus she is trying really hard to be a feminist. Add into the mix that high school is never easy, and the most popular girl in school has a personal vendetta against Kat. There is a lot going on and Kat has all these thoughts in her head that make life feel harder and harder.
I love YA fiction. Its a transitional time of life where so much is changing. The book addresses it all in a subtle natural way, covering some big topics but never forgetting what its like to be a teenage girl who just wants to be like everyone else and to be liked. The dialogue of all the characters felt authentic and believable and I felt like Kat could have been me... a few years ago. IA really relatable read for all ages which covers many angles from mean girl, to peer pressure, to finding who you are.

Kat is a typical teenage girl, with typical teenage problems: she wants to be a good feminist, get together with ‘Hot Josh’ ace her coursework and not embarrass herself all the time. But being a true feminist is not as easy as she thought and when everything starts to become a bit too much to handle, she knows she needs to ask for help.

Diary of a Confused Feminist is an entertaining and positive look at the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl in today’s world. Told through 15 year old Kat’s diary entries, this book covers everything from social media to mental health, penis admin to the menstrual cup, in a sensitive but light hearted way.

The story is fantastically written and combines laugh out loud funny moments with emotional and serious topics such as bullying and anxiety. I love the positive message it is giving to young girls - be yourself, no one is perfect and there is no right way to be a good feminist!

Kat’s character was well written, and accurately portrays how many young girls feel in this social media centric world; where the pressure to look, act and be a certain way is worse than ever before. Although there were moments where Kat was insightful and confident, there were also moments where she was awkward and immature. What I liked about this book was that it said it’s okay to be all these things, because she’s young and still learning who she is. Because of these pressures Kat begins to struggle with her mental health. Personally I think Kat’s anxiety was an accurate representation. It expressed the all-encompassing nature of mental illness. The way it makes you question everything and leaves you feeling useless or worthless will likely feel relatable to anyone who has suffered from something similar.

I think it also demonstrated that the pressure to be a “good” feminist is real but that sometimes it can be confusing knowing what that looks like as it changes all the time. It’s okay to want equal opportunities but to think a boy is hot. It’s okay to not end up with the boy and accept yourself for who you are. The key message in this book is that feminism means different things to different people and that’s alright.

I don’t have a teenage girl but if I did I’d be telling her to read this book. Funny, insightful and honest.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Diary of a Confused Feminist is available from 6th February.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher (Hachette Children’s Group) for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly

Diary of a Confused Feminist is this generation's 'Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging'. Its so similar that I wouldn't be surprised if the author publically confirmed it to be set in the same universe starring the next generation down from Louise Rennison's beloved characters. There's even an older sister called Jas (Georgina's best friend in Angus) and a Comedy Phil (aka Dave the Laugh). What Weston does well which updates the novel for this generation is skillfully weaves in contemporary issues (feminism, #metoo and mental health) around the comedy. I really think this is well done and deft, and ideal for 2020 teenagers.

A YA novel in the vein of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging updated to include the #wetoo movement, dealing with anxiety issues, being targeted by the popular gang at school and of course feminism.

I was impressed at the heart and humour of our heroine Kat as she navigates growing pains with wit and insight and insecurity. It made me chuckle a few times and wince at others. (Who wants to remember how painful secondary school could be?!)

The story does follow a few well trodden plot paths, but I was pleasantly surprised at the outcomes of many of Kat's situations. The nuggets of feminism history and activism are nicely dropped into the story in a much less heavy handed way than other books from this genre and I learned some stuff I didn't know too. I also really appreciate YA novels set in the UK. When I was growing up, I was reliant on the brilliant Judy Blume and Paula Danziger books when I was an adolescent and had to transpose my growing pains through a US filter. I recommend this for any young budding feminists in your life (that includes boys as well as girls!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Children's Group for providing an ebook copy of Diary of a Confused Feminist.

I'm not usually a reader of YA texts but this one looked irresistible - I love a funny book and this one is written by a former stand up comedian. I was intrigued about the messages about feminism being given to teens too - I am way off being the target readership for this book but the topic and the humour appealed. Given the diary format, I was hoping for a female Adrian Mole for the new generation.

This is the diary of Kat, a 15 year old girl who is struggling with Year 11 at school. She wants to spread the feminist message, but worries that she isn't great at feminism as she thinks in distinctly unsisterly ways about the school bully and boyfriend-stealer, Trudy. Her two best friends both pair off with boyfriends, leaving Kat alone and depressed. As she struggles with her mental health, she learns a lot about herself, her place in the world and how she can really make a difference.

There's loads of great things about this book. The funny bits were really funny - I did laugh out loud a couple of times. The book also has lots of really positive messages for young women, especially about female solidarity, the value of support networks and the power of friendship. An interesting reading list of feminist texts emerges through Kat's own reading choices and there is also the promotion of a period poverty charity that Kat takes to heart. All good messages in my view. I also loved Kat's family - reading this as an older woman, I really hope that I'm walking the same fine line between supportive and loving and totally embarrassing to my own kids!

The book also deals unflinchingly with teenage mental health, something approached sensitively and in detail. For me, this was another positive message, although it did make the tone of the book slightly uneven - from the slapstick elements of the opening chapters to the depths of Kat's anxiety seemed a big swerve. I'm really pleased that it was included - anxiety affects lots of young women - but I was really there for the laughs. I hope the rest of Kate Weston's readers aren't as shallow as me!

Overall, this is a witty and engaging book that is packed full of positive messages for teen girls. I'll certainly be recommending it and will look for more books by this writer.

*4.5 Stars*
This was a hilarious, refreshing, and relatable book that follows our main character Kat, who just wants to be a good feminist. Entering her GCSE year in school (important exams you take at 16 in the UK) Kat is feeling confident, she has her two best friends, supportive parents, plans for activism, and a love for writing. But as the year goes on, and her friends start getting boyfriends, and she's feeling left behind by family friends, and like she's just not clever or feminist enough, her life starts spiralling.
What I Liked:
-The writing. I don't think I've ever laughed out loud at a book, like ever. But I laughed out loud continuously throughout this book, without it feeling forced or unnatural. This was a genuinely relatable book, that never felt like it was an adult trying to write as a teenager, but just a teenagers thoughts and feelings.
-The subject matter. This book is aimed at girls from 15 to 16 and I think it hits the target market perfectly. But even at 20 I found this book to mirror my experiences and I could still connect with it. The trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl I think are pretty universal, and the ups and downs she has with her friends, family, school, and her self image were all extremely relatable. This also discusses anxiety, panic attacks, and depression which felt pretty accurate as someone who suffers with all of those. And I was thrilled that this book actually contained Kat going to therapy. The reason I gave this 4.5 Stars was because I did feel like some of the drama was petty and wasn't nearly as dramatic as it was made out to be, but I have had a very different life experience to Kat and most teenagers thanks to chronic illness, so I think that was more of a me thing than a fault of this book.
-The characters. Each character had such heart and soul in this book and they felt like completely real people. I loved Kats friends and her family as well as pretty much the whole supporting cast. I loved how supportive her family was and that her parents took her mental illness seriously. I also love how much her friends loved her and how much she loved her friends. It was so lovely to see the support Kat received and each character really jumped out from the page.
-The feminism. I think this book did a fantastic job at exploring the thoughts and feelings most people have when they start learning about feminism and become feminists. It's a total learning experience, and this book really conveyed that it's a process and no one does it perfectly. I think it will be really comforting to teenagers just entering the feminist space, and I loved everything Kate Weston had to say on feminism.
What I Didn't Like:
-Like I said, really the only thing I didn't like is at times it felt a bit too dramatic. But I had a very different high school and life experience, so I do think that it was almost certainly just a me thing. But it did take away a bit of the enjoyment for me because I did get a bit frustrated with it. I just have a very different perspective.
Overall, this is a must read book for literally anyone. I would highly recommend it to fans of Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, either the movie or book series, because it definitely had that vibe and sense of humour. I would also recommend it to anyone looking for good mental health rep, or books that discuss feminism in a very accessible way. This was such a pleasant surprise and I hope everyone picks it up.

I didn’t realise when I requested this title that the author previously was a stand up comic. That shines through in this book which is hilarious, naughty and close to the edge at times!
She writes as a teenage girl who has all the usual anxieties and pressures - however, she thinks she knows what she wants to be when she leaves school. She is also enamoured by Josh who is very attractive...

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, which looked like a YA that wants to walk the line between empathizing with and understanding feminism and the teen comedy of confusion that comes from trying to nagivate a space fraught with various social labels and associated stigmata/expectations. The opening page looked like a bingo -- that's it, that's the feminist Adrian Mole girl book! Or so I hoped. I was disappointed as soon as actual character interaction kicked in: whenever the book stepped away from the format of funny textposts, and had to move actual characters along, it became a comedy that was falling flat on its face (sometimes literally). It gave me honest-to-god second hand embarrassment. I tried to stick along for longer in hopes that there will be some genuineness to this "how do I feminism" ironic self-questioning, but alas. More stick figure slapstick, more cringe.

This was a very funny book. From the very start I found myself chuckling at the escapades of Kat and her two best friends Sam and Millie. I also loved the 'voice' of Kat - she is so astute and unique that she comes across loud and clear. I definitely would have wanted a friend like her in school!

What I loved about the book was that it brought up mental health and the issues young people face now - particularly anxieties which are aggravated or created through social media.
It felt a little too 'perfect' in that she had a supportive and open family and any issues she had with her friends seemed to resolve themselves much quicker than I felt was realistic (working in an all girls school myself means I see some serious grudges but Kat and her friends seem much more mature than maybe their ages suggest). I also think that more often than not teenagers would be far less open about their mental health struggles.
However, by portraying an open dynamic I think it models excellent behaviour and would encourage young readers to do the same.

Kat was definitely a confused feminist as she seemed to misunderstand that it is about equality but aligned it with notions such as not being able to think about a boy she liked as it made her a bad feminist. It was lovely to see her journey into a greater understanding not only of feminism but of herself.

I have already pre-ordered a copy for my school library.

Thanks to Hodder Children's and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Whilst I’m a couple of decades above the target teenage audience for this book, I did enjoy it. It shows the importance of friendship and the difficulties we all encounter in growing up and working out who we are, and what our place in the world is. Social media now has a huge part to play in this, and this book shows how that can have positive and negative consequences. I did laugh out loud at a few places, and would recommend it to teenage readers.

Kat and her friends are working their way through a school year, who will get a boyfriend? Will Kat manage to ask about her Friday feminist report for the school paper? Who is Josh? Why is Trudy so mean?

If you want to know the answers to these questions and have a giggle or two on the way then give this book a go.

I adored Diary of a Confused Feminist! It has the perfect tone for young women struggling to come to terms with who they are - a good balance of serious stuff and some fab laughs throughout.
My only (sort of) negative is that Kat’s clumsiness is a bit full on at the beginning and then just disappears altogether? It would’ve been good to have seen that element still in play throughout the book and seeing her handle it better because of the steps she had taken.

To be honest, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. From the blurb, I was a little concerned that Diary of a Confused Feminist was going to be one of those YAs, using 'feminism' as little more than a buzzword because being woke is so in right now.

The first few chapters are a little awkward and far from subtle, but thankfully Weston soon finds her stride and Kat's story develops into a hilarious and heart-breaking tale of embarrassment, friendship and self-confidence. Don't get me wrong, this is not a book without flaws - some of the prose (especially the dialogue) is a little clunky and expositional, and a few of the slapstick moments were all too predictable - but there's a lot to be said for a book that can make you feel quite as much as this one. It's hilarious and highly relatable, featuring one of the most engaging representations of anxiety I've seen in YA lately.

I laughed, I cried - Diary of a Confused Feminist is a hell of a ride, a book I'd highly recommend.

I liked the idea of this book, but felt a bit underwhelmed by it to begin with. Klutzy girl repeatedly embarrasses herself heinously in front of boy she fancies - yeah, whatever. Fifteen year old Kat lurches from embarrassment to embarrassment with a bit of feminist anxiety overlaid on top: lots of falling over and period/boob related awkward incidents. I feel this sort of thing has been done a LOT. Also, gay male best friend: check. Main character making lists of things she doesn’t like about her appearance: check. Friends getting boyfriends while she’s left out in the cold: check.

As the book goes on Kat struggles with her mental health and self image in a way which I’m sure will be relatable for many, and tries to understand what being a feminist really means for her. The mental health stuff is quite well done - Kat is fortunate to be well supported by (most of) those around her and as compulsive behaviours go, hers is pretty mild, but that’s not meant to devalue the difficulties she experiences.

We have a likeable gay character in neighbour Matt, but any queer female representation or even acknowledgement is absent, which is a shame. (There’s one glancing reference very near the end, as if the author suddenly realised this.)

I think as a teenager I would have longed for and loved this book; I’m far too old for the target market, but I did enjoy it.

I'm not the target audience for this book as I was a teenager a long time ago but wanted to read it to see how feminism and growing up in a digital world is dealt with in YA literature.
I sincerely hope most books are like this one; Ms Weston manages to be warm and wise with her writing, and adds a lot of humour which made me laugh out loud! I will be recommending it to all the teenagers I know.
Thank you to netgalley and Hachette children's group for an advance copy of this book.

It’s not often you read a book that includes the phrase, ‘You never know what’s going on in someone’s pants.’ However, Kate Weston has done it, so brava Kate Weston.

Now I’ve made you all want to read it, there’s a lot of other stuff to love about Diary of a Confused Feminist. The heroine, Kat, lives with her successful scientist mum (nice to see a bit of a change to the usual tropes there) her Dad, a comedy writer who appears to specialise in Dad jokes, her bathroom-hogging little brother Freddie and an adorable labrador called Bea. She also has anxiety and depression and is struggling to stay on top of her GCSE English coursework as well as her feminist activism while dreaming of becoming a top journalist. She’s worried about being single and maintaining her friendships with Sam and Millie who seem to be maturing faster than her.

This is a lovely and important book that’s a bit like Jacqueline Wilson’s Girls in Trouble series and a bit more like Ros Asquith’s bestselling Teenage Worrier series from the 80s and 90s, with a much-needed 2020s reboot. Buy it for your teenage feminists immediately.