I read the fabulous 'Must Do Better' by Kate Weston straight after devouring the first book in the series 'Diary of a Confused Feminist'. Our protagonist Kat is once again navigating high school whilst trying to learn more about herself, relationships and, of course, feminism. I loved Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson books as a teenager and I can safely say that the hilarity, awkwardness and central exploration of female friendship comes alive again in Weston's writing - it is a real treat.

The story is structured once again as Kat's diary, a fast paced highlights reel of her days at school and home. Following her anxiety diagnosis in book 1, we see Kat attend therapy and begin to work through her issues. The 'touch of the light switch' hangs over Kat's head, a refreshing glimpse at a mental health issue which is complex in its portrayal and does not disappear within two chapters. I also liked the Kat's developing relationship with feminism as she increasingly learns about what it means to call herself a feminist and be an activist. The character arcs, particularly of Kat, has been wonderful to follow so far and I look forward to book 3! 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a teenager. As readers we are invited into Kat's World as she explores how to be a 'Good Feminist' while dealing with the usual high school dramas of finding love, bullying, managing family issues and mental health issues. The novel tackles big topics such as toxic masculinity and intersectional feminism but in a very easy to understand way, and we learn along with Kat about the power of finding your own voice and believing in yourself - even when other people tell you that you're wrong.
Funny, moving and all too relatable, Kate Weston's novel is a wonderful read for anyone who has ever felt like everyone else has life all figured out except for them.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hatchette Children's Group for the advance copy.

I loved "Diary of a Confused Feminist" and was waiting for this sequel with much trepidation. It did not disappoint. Kate Weston manages to strike the perfect balance between laugh-out loud funny and navigating tough themes that affect many teens today, such bullying, sexual assault, relationships and mental health. Kat is such a loveable character, flawed and full of self-doubt but with so much heart and good intentions. Her constant struggle to try to be a staunch feminist as well as a "regular" teen is so easy to relate to and I think young readers will find solace in the fact that they are not alone in trying to navigate what feel like contradictory emotions. By admitting that she doesn't know what terms such as "gaslighting" or "intersectional feminism" mean, Kat invites the reader to learn alongside her. Kate Weston's narratives, like Holly Bourne's, always aim to inform without a hint of didacticism, and young readers really appreciate that.
A genuinely funny, honest, book about the true meaning of feminism and finding one's voice.

Kat Evans is back for a new term and all is looking up as she starts her new school club to spread the good feminist word, she’s dealing with her anxiety issues and there’s a school trip to France to look forward to. For Kat however, nothing is ever simple least of all how to be a Good Feminist. As her friends get caught up in coupledom and their own problems Kat stars to feel like she’s being left behind. There’s also a new mean girl in school. Can you be a good feminist and still hate another girls guts?
There’s a lot going on for Kat this term and although this book doesn’t carry the emotional weight of the first one there are still plenty of issues being dealt with; bullying, sexuality, gaslighting, discrimination all that good stuff amongst others. But nothing keeps a good girl like Kat down for long now she has the tools to recognise and deal with her problems. Even the light switch gets a break.

I enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in a day! I LOVED Kat and think any feminist can relate to feeling like a guilty feminist and that they could do better. A great introduction to teens on the topics of feminism, intersectionality, upskirting, gaslighting, and believing in yourself and your own voice.

Wow what a book. Must Do Better is the Sequel to A Diary of a Confused Feminist, it is still full of humour, feminism, teenage issues and I absolutely loved it. Navigating mental health, relationships, identity and issues that can occur in school, many teenagers will be able to relate to this novel in some way. Full of mortifying realistic moments which just made me cringe (in a good way), this novel follows Kat Evans as she is determined to shout out about ‘Doing Good Feminism’ to everyone she knows, but it isn’t without some difficult and humiliating consequences.

A great sequel! I liked this one a lot more than the first book!

A realistic and modern take on the awfulness of school, and managing the world of toxic masculinity, sexual experiences, bullies, parental cringe, and friendship. I hope there's another - I would love to read more about Kat's feelings as she gets older.

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

After her sometimes disastrous, sometimes fantastic, first term of year 11, Kat Evans is ready to take on the rest of the year, especially when there's a trip to Paris planned. And though she and her friends had a good showing of the Feminist Club, when it's clear that there's a toxic culture at school, of upskirting, groping, slut shaming, and more, there's plenty more work to be done. Kat takes the issue to her headteacher, and posts a blog post about it all, but is shutdown at every turn, and even the people in charge of the school, who should protect the girls, are guilty of gas lighting. Kat is trying her best, but when things start to happen to make her reconsider all her previous plans, how is she going to manage the rest of the year?

I loved this! I started it as soon as I had finished book 1, and couldn't put it down until I was finished. Kat has grown so much since we first saw her. Now that she's aware of her mental health, and is seeing therapist Sarah regularly, she's really in a better place, and the love and support of her friends and family is phenomenal. I really appreciated how open she was, again, about her struggles, which included her sexuality too, and it also looked at how toxic some school environments can be for teenagers these days. The amount of sexist, and dangerous, behaviour which was occurring at her school may seem overstated, but the recent stories and testimonies made by Everyone's Invited prove that it's more widespread that you might think. I really hope there's another book in this series (but hope we don't have to wait so long for it)!

I can't *begin* to tell you how much I wish I'd had these books as a teen. 16-year-old Kat Evans may just be the most relatable protagonist I've ever come across in YA. She's got two fantastic friends, a lovingly quirky family and a desperate want to destroy the patriarchy. This sequel builds upon the first novel so brilliantly, particularly Kat's journey with mental health - how her anxiety and depression is realistically ever-present, but in ways that we don't often see reflected accurately in books/tv/film.
I binged this, desperate to find out how things were going to pan out. It made me cry a little, laugh a lot and had my heart soaring throughout.

Kate Weston has done it again. A hilarious book about fierce friendships and feminism (the inclusive kind!). The story touches on important and complex themes like mental health issues, toxic masculinity, gaslighting, and more with such skilful lightness that you can feel so strongly with Kat and her friends and want to smash the patriarchy to smithereens one second and snort-laugh the next! Very well done!

Arc received via netgalley.


Absolutely fantastic sequel to a great book. Filled with heart, warmth and love just like the first book this is filled with hilarious moments. Touching moments and some pretty serious topics. But done in a way where they are relatable instead of coming across as preachy like some books can.
The journey these girls go through in this book is beautiful to see come across and it’s perfect for all those preteens and teenagers alike.

Contents. Sexual assault. Gaslighting. Divorce. Bullying. Outing without permission


A fantastic read. A very high 4.5 stars

I didn’t realise this was book 2 when I requested it. Will have to find a copy of book one to read before I read this