A year or so ago, I began to think I was possibly losing my mind. I was feeling anxious, tired, and finding that I was forgetting even the simplest of things - people's names, things I'd promised to do at work, something somebody had literally just told me. I started googling early onset dementia, but it was when I was chatting with another friend about the menopause that she mentioned early symptoms like brain fog and forgetfulness and suddenly all the clues started to point in that direction.
So anyway, I was really interested to read this book!

I think, first of all, you shouldn't read it the way I did, from start to finish. I got part way through and I felt so depressed at the prospect of the menopause, and all the many, many, MANY symptoms and conditions and bits of your body that fall apart (and fall out of your body...) that I could've quite cheerfully lobbed the book, and myself, through the window. I don't recommend that you read it in this way! Better to see it as a resource to come to, in bits and pieces. Start off at the beginning, but then leave out any parts which don't yet relate to you or just pop it on your shelf until you feel you might need to check it again. It is loaded with information, and thoughts and nurtitional tips and suggestions, and medical information, and arguments for HRT and clear explanations of why many doctors will tell you HRT is bad. But it was also confusing at times because so many of the symptoms are the same, but can mean a multitude of things. And, like I said, you can wind up feeling like the next 10 years of your life are going to be one sheer hell of uncontrollable rage and prolapsed lady gardens.

What I liked most was the supportive tone, the confirmation that women aren't going mad at this point in their lives, that it's okay to see the doctor, and it's okay to push for something better than 'you might need anti-depressants' as an answer.
What I liked least, I think, was the lack of other voices in the text. I would have liked smaller case studies, of what other women had specifically been through or experienced, told in their own way, because by the end I just felt like this author was dragging me towards a future of having an extremely limited diet, early bedtimes, and that everything was written from her own life point of view - which was interesting, but it would have been nice to hear how other women were coping, or not coping, and what that looked like for them.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

I rarely read non-fiction, but being a health librarian, when I became dimly aware I was perimenopausal a couple of years ago I started trying to research what I was going through. I was horrified by how little factual, unbiased, evidence-based information was out there. There's plenty of new-agey or militant feminist writing about the end of our fertile years, but actual facts rooted in research and lived experience? Not so much.

So when this book was highlighted on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to review it. And it's... OK. There is a lot of good explanation of the endocrinology of declining fertility and a clear outline of the different kinds of hormone therapies available, their appropriate use at different stages, and the benefits vs risks. This is all related to the symptoms may women will experience throughout perimenopause and postmenopause, and a lot of the time that understanding goes a long way towards managing and accepting the changes we experience. The author addresses in detail the findings and flaws of the two big studies into HRT that have led to so many unfounded fears and misconceptions about the risks of menopause hormone therapy. All this makes the book a useful and informative reference source to come back to and dip in and out of as needed. Given how poor a lot of GPs' knowledge of menopause is, this book is also invaluable in empowering us to have informed conversations about managing our symptoms, without being fobbed off by doctors who are not experts in the subject.

It's not a book to read cover to cover, as I did, but in doing so I found myself increasingly bothered by inconsistencies in the writing style and the incursion of personal biases on the author's part. Much of the content is presented factually and clearly in a popular science style, but these sections are interspersed with profanities (f**king is liberally used, quite unnecessarily - there are far more effective ways of creating emphasis), infantilised language (e.g. wee and poo instead of urine/urinate and faeces/defecate - seriously, what are we, 5 years old?) and little feminist diatribes against the patriarchy. While the last may be justified as a sentiment, it's not what I wanted from the book, which is subtitled 'Navigating your hormones on the journey to menopause'. I found it detracted from the strength of the book for me. The author is vastly in favour of going with a natural cycle and I found it odd that someone so pro MHT/HRT is so anti hormonal contraception - I didn't really see a good reason for this, other than an unreferenced statement that 'having a menstrual cycle is good for the heart, bone and breast health, and has many other benefits too'.

I also have to say that my big personal question went unanswered: should I be considering MHT/HRT if my symptoms are mild and manageable, for reasons such as bone health? All the information is given with the assumption that the starting point is having symptoms that are causing distress or interfering with daily life. But what about the health benefits of continuing to supplement oestrogen, regardless of symptoms? I didn't feel this question was addressed adequately.

In summary, this is definitely a useful addition to the very few books that give facts and figures around the menopause years, as opposed to earth-mothery, new-agey, anti-male waffle (in my opinion), though these elements do try to creep in at times. Better dipped into than consumed in one sitting though.

Very interesting and informative book to read. I didn’t know much on this subject so was good to learn about it. It was well written. Easy to understand

Perimenopause Power is a book that every woman should have access to! I deliberately don't say "read" because, whilst I think that it does lend itself to being capable of being read cover to cover I think that its value lies in being able to dip in and out of the book to get an accessible steer on what you may expect or may be going through at any given stage.

This book is written in a very clear and conversational style making it very accessible. The first chapter, 'WTF is happening?' immediately sets the tone. Scientific language is explained and Maisie Hill manages to put an everyday spin on concepts. The author discusses a range of potential treatments for the various symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and in doing so accepts that their efficacy and suitability will vary from person to person. It is this approach that I think lends the book to a "dip in-dip out" style of reading. The work is clearly researched but if I were to criticise it would be that there are fewer personal anecdotes than I would have liked. The author acknowledges that she is not yet at this stage but I thought that it would have been helpful to have recorded some personal experiences of others.

Anything that encourages people to speak about this totally natural condition is welcomed and I feel that this book is a welcome addition to the growing menu of books on the subject.

This is an important book. I spotted it on Netgalley and requested it on a whim (Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the review copy). I'm very glad I did.

A couple of years ago, I had what I thought was a nervous breakdown. I honest felt like I was going mad. The NHS were helpful to an extent (they told me it definitely wasn't the menopause because my bloods were normal, so it must be my mental health generally). Talking about it on Twitter, I heard so many similar stories. SUrely, it can't be ALL of us going mad at around the same age.

This book helps clarify why the shift in hormones that occurs before the menopause (sometimes YEARS before) can cause us to have all these symptoms. It's quite technical at times - all useful information, I don't think I'd be able to retain it until I actually needed it - but interesting. Some of the stuff is quite scary, but Maisie Hill explains it well, with care, so that it isn't too terrifying. This is stuff we need to know so that we can have informed discussions with our doctors.

There are some changes you can make immediately and some that you may need to think about before you do anything. At least you have a full list of options in the book.
All in all a very useful book. I know I'll be dipping into it often as I get older.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

It's an informative book that anyone going through the menopause would find useful to read. There's unbiased information on HRT, dietary advice, and a lot of facts, some of it a bit overwhelming. But there are some really useful nuggets, and I think most women will learn new things about the menopause and what's happening to their bodies. I'd recommend it to anyone approaching that time of their life.

This book is a must read. As the writer points out we are not taught about menopause or peri menopause so it’s essential reading for anyone who could be affected by it. In the first 50 pages I learnt so much about my cycle and what the future could hold for it. Well written with medical evidence and theory. A great book that I’d highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an advance copy to review.

Finally!! There are not many books on the menopause, almost embarrassingly so, I was so utterly relieved to have this fall into my inbox, Maisie is a wonder, such a passionate, funny, compassionate writer, this book was flawlessly researched, such an interesting read on such an important subject.
Will definitely be hand selling this one all year and then forever more...

This isn't my typical book choice, but having recently discovered that I could be suffering from symptoms of Perimenopause I felt that I needed to inform myself about the condition. It is something that I have never heard of before which makes it even more important to have this book as a resource, and I really have a much better understanding now of what is involved. It was very informative with lots of facts but also elements of humour to keep the subject a little lighter. Definitely a book that more women should read.

A very informative book, written in a format that is easy to read. It is mixed with some humour which stops the book from being dry and boring. I learnt a lot, even within the first couple of chapters, but the book explains a lot further and helps the reader to understand the changes. I shared parts of the book with my husband as I reading it, and think it would be very useful for all family members to read. I would buy this book for my friends of a certain age!

I chose this book thinking I would learn more from women who were going through or had experienced perimenopause. There was a disappointing lack of this.

While the author states she's not at this stage of her life and gives arguments for why she's still in the best position to write this book, I feel the lack of personal insight didn't work for me.

This is a book jam packed full of biological facts. I found them often overwhelming to take on board and I'm an intelligent woman. If you want a book full of biology, this is excellent.

Some of the advice, particularly around diet and supplement isn't for me either. Little evidence to back it up.

Many women will enjoy the textbook nature of this book. Unfortunately it's not something I favour.

Another important title and on a subject rarely given book space. Practical information and vital knowledge for anyone facing perimenopause. This is a must-have book for anyone over 40!

As someone who prides themselves on their knowledge of menstrual health and even wrote an entire dissertation on periods I realised recently that while I may know a lot about menarche (first period) and everything that comes in between I don’t know a lot about the end of the cycle: menopause. I haven’t read any of Maisie Hill’s work previously but having seen the praise of Period Power everywhere I knew she would be a great place to start learning about the other significant change in every menstruator’s life. I will definitely be getting myself a copy of Period Power soon as Hill’s writing is packed full of key information and medical terms, but is still simple to understand and very engaging.

While I am hopefully quite a few years off menopause myself there are many women in my life who are about to go through, are going through, or have gone through this experience and the best way to support them is definitely by educating myself. Plus, as I was astounded to learn, there are choices I can make and things I can do right now which could affect my experience of menopause in years to come!

Right from the start of this book I began learning things about menopause that I would absolutely never be taught about in school, or possibly not even be told about by my doctor! For example, did you know that menopause is actually only one day long? Menopause is the term for the one year anniversary of your last menstrual cycle and it simply marks the difference between perimenopause, and post menopause. And HRT is definitely not the only treatment route available to you, nor is it as monstrous as the press might have you believe.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on weight and diet in menopause especially as I suffer with PCOS and a lot of the reasons for hormonal weight gain in menopause overlap with my condition. Some of the tips on which foods to eat or cut out, which forms of exercise to do, and which supplements can be helpful will definitely be useful on my current menstrual journey, not just when I reach perimenopause.

As someone who isn’t currently perimenopausal my biggest takeaway from this book is that education and representation is vital. If I want my experience of menopause to be as good as possible then people need to start talking more about their experiences so society’s views can change. A massive “13 million women in the UK are currently perimenopausal or postmenopausal” and “The British Menopause Society estimates that over one third of women will spend half their lives as postmenopausal women” and yet still the majority are suffering in silence when their symptoms could be easily improved if they spoke up and people willingly listened.

I found this book very informative and it's easy to understand. Would definitely recommend if you are perimenopausal or going through the menopause. Some things I found myself nodding my head about throughout the book. Excellent, would recommend.

I found the title of this to be a little misleading as it was more about the menopause than what comes before, but that not withstanding it does explain things very clearly.
At times the dietary advice became confusing, but on the whole this book was informative.

Perimenopause Power is a book that every woman should read! I really wanted to learn more about perimenopause as I am a woman in her early forties and all of my friends seem to be discussing it endlessly. There is so much misinformation out there and GPs don't seem to be particularly helpful about the subject. I was really pleased that I given access to Maisie Hill's book and immediately sat down to read through it.

This book is so accessible - the language is very clear and conversational. The first chapter is called 'WTF is happening?' which immediately sets a conversational tone. A later chapter is entitled 'Moody Bitches'... hilarious! The scientific terms are broken down and simplified - the hormones are even likened to celebrities (The Beyoncé, The Kirsten Stewart)! When discussing symptoms of perimenopause, Maisie Hill offers a range of potential treatments for each. These vary from medication to alternative therapies to psychological interventions. There really is something for everyone. And the author totally normalises all of these, empowering you to make an informed and rational decision about how you might want to approach treatment for perimenopause. She provides case studies detailing how she has worked with specific individuals.

Overall an excellent book and one I'll be recommending to all of my female friends.

Perimenopause Power by Maisie Hill is essential reading for all women and will be a manual for all women reaching the stage of their life where they may be entering perimenopause. I will refer to this book again and again and again. It is a straightforward explanation of every symptom that perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause may bring, the obstacles you may face as part of this, the impact these symptoms may have on your life and the tools, medication and other remedies you can use to try and ease the detrimental effects this change may have. The book is clearly heavily researched, is honest about the general lack of/dated research in this area and how women have been failed to date and is backed up with personal anecdotes as well as client case studies. It is clear that one size does not fit all and armours women with the knowledge required to find the solutions that may work for them. I love this book and will be recommending It to everyone I know.

A really helpful book, which explains how everything works on the way to menopause! No one ever explains what the menopause is all about, but this book explains it all thoroughly. I like the fact that it gives you natural alternatives to help with the issues that you can experience and that it answers questions that you may have thought aren’t to do with menopause and didn’t want to discuss.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.