Irreversible Damage: Teenage Girls and the Transgender Craze
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- Create Date：2021-07-15 20:30:58
- Update Date：2025-09-14
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- Author：Abigail Shrier
- ISBN：1800750366
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Reviews
Salpi
，
Not as bold as I hoped it would be yet its worth reading。
Fabian
，
Someone should send the author articles on the myth of the good 'old days。 So much yearning for simpler times， all based on the mistaken notion that things were better/easier back then。 They most certainly weren't， especially if you weren't a white cisgender man。There were many appeals to science and how science is being subverted， but little mention of how much science has to offer with respect to the vast nuances of sex and gender。 Things *are not* as simple as they seem。 Moreover， the claim t Someone should send the author articles on the myth of the good 'old days。 So much yearning for simpler times， all based on the mistaken notion that things were better/easier back then。 They most certainly weren't， especially if you weren't a white cisgender man。There were many appeals to science and how science is being subverted， but little mention of how much science has to offer with respect to the vast nuances of sex and gender。 Things *are not* as simple as they seem。 Moreover， the claim that girls are forming secret trans cabals is patently absurd。 Ironically， the author mentions the hysteria of the salem witch trial and other instances like that while failing to realize she is partaking in the same kind of hysterical fear mongering。There's no need to read about these soon to be outdated notions around gender other than as a footnote in history for how far we've come。 。。。more
Jude Weinstein-Jones
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How the fuckity fuck does this book have any stars？ In the first few pages the author manages to blatantly lie to the reader by promising a respectful， inoffensive discussion and then proceeding to misgender every trans person they ever encountered and insist that healthcare professionals using incorrect pronouns for their patients is “free speech”。 The plot twist， a few pages in， is that the “crazy” teenage girls in this book are actually non-binary， as evidenced by the fact that they don't dri How the fuckity fuck does this book have any stars？ In the first few pages the author manages to blatantly lie to the reader by promising a respectful， inoffensive discussion and then proceeding to misgender every trans person they ever encountered and insist that healthcare professionals using incorrect pronouns for their patients is “free speech”。 The plot twist， a few pages in， is that the “crazy” teenage girls in this book are actually non-binary， as evidenced by the fact that they don't drink beer or try to sleep with as many women as possible。 Amongst things that are apparently to blame for the “craze”， from the first chapter:1。 The Internet2。 Over-reliance on Experts 3。 The fact that teenagers no longer go to malls to hang out 4。 The fact that teenagers don't go out and do dangerous things like experiment with drugs much anymore more because if that didn't kill you it made you stronger 5。 Something else about the good old days that I forgetOn the next page she managed to find a lesbian couple who clearly have so much internalized homophobia that they call straight people "normal"， have zero queer friends， and assumed （and were relieved that） their daughter was straight because she was girlyAt this point I stopped reading the book because it’s trashHappy non-binary day， by the way。 。。。more
Adriana Miller
，
“Some might actually do the worst possible thing: read the book and evaluate its merits for themselves”It’s obvious that the one-star reviewers find merely the concept of this book offensive and haven’t bothered to even read a chapter with an open mind。 “Irreversible Damage” is necessary at this point in time。 It’s undoubtable the phenomena Shrier is highlighting， adolescent girls mistakenly labeling themselves as “transgender”， is real。 Keira Bell in only one notable example on the ever-growing “Some might actually do the worst possible thing: read the book and evaluate its merits for themselves”It’s obvious that the one-star reviewers find merely the concept of this book offensive and haven’t bothered to even read a chapter with an open mind。 “Irreversible Damage” is necessary at this point in time。 It’s undoubtable the phenomena Shrier is highlighting， adolescent girls mistakenly labeling themselves as “transgender”， is real。 Keira Bell in only one notable example on the ever-growing list of FTMTF detransitioners。 “They flee womanhood like a house on fire， their minds fixed on escape， not on any particular destination”The “affirmative-care” model Shrier criticizes would be far less concerning if it didn’t result in risky， irreversible body alterations for children and college-aged young women with undeveloped prefrontal cortices who can’t even legally drink。 It’s terrifying to read about how unstructured and backwards the common approach to supposed “gender dysphoria” is for medical professionals today。 Someone needs to be asking the questions Shrier is asking。 We cannot progress if we’re not skeptical。 Why is there suddenly a dramatic increase in teenage girls identifying as transgender？ Why has a previously rare， male-dominated experience become overrun with entire friend groups of adolescent females？ Why has the age of onset increased？ Why are there more “trans boys” than lesbians at some high schools， though this statistically shouldn’t be the case？ What does the trans label offer that womanhood does not？ Are puberty blockers harmless pause buttons？ Do we truly believe children are capable of deciding to permanently alter their sexual and reproductive capabilities with as little as one therapy session （if any at all）？ If they truly are experiencing gender dysphoria， is medical transition always the only solution？ If gender affirming care is “life-saving”， why does the mental health of these teenagers worsen when receiving it？ How often do trans-identified teenagers desist or outgrow their dysphoria？ In failing to ask these questions， we’re failing our girls。 Shrier theorizes answers to these questions。 She ponders in depth how different cultural occurrences of our time could lead to these instances of rapid onset gender dysphoria （ROGD） in teenage girls: social media use in replace of real-life experience and connection， increased rates of mental illness， physic illness amongst teenage girls， a “quick fix” generation with a belief that there is a diagnosis and corresponding pill for everything， pathologizing the normal discomfort of puberty， a new form of teenage rebellion， emergence of a parenting style that panders to the whims of children， the newfound shame that accompanies belonging to an “oppressive” class and desire to opt into an oppressed identity， etc。 She frequently compares ROGD to anorexia， in how they spread amongst and why they manifest in teenage girls。 An attempt to gain control， uncomfortable with a changing body in a critical， misogynistic world。 It’s a fitting comparison， shedding light especially on how this “affirmative” treatment of supposed “dysphoria” would never be considered acceptable for mentally ill girls with anorexia。 They would not be affirmed in thinking something is wrong with their bodies， prescribed liposuction comparable to a double mastectomy。 Why are therapists now instructed to avoid asking questions to get to the root of this sudden dysphoria， which detransitioners themselves say was a symptom of a larger problem in which transitioning wasn’t the cure？“One side effect may be that the next generation is coming to see all human emotion as a sign of mental illness - something to medicate， curb， give therapy for， or otherwise blot out。。。 By the time they reach adolescence， self-focus and self-diagnosis had become an ingrained habit， a way to handle feelings that confused them。 With the rest of culture， they had been reared to participate in a therapy language game， in which everyone has some mental illness and the only question is what code to offer insurance。”It’s important to note that there is a difference between actual transgender men and confused pre-teen/teenage girls。 Granted， Shrier could have gone more in depth about the distinctions between these two groups。 At times she can be condescending to the experience of actual transgender adults as if they suffer the same helpless confusion as these teenage girls。 It would benefit her position to provide more information about how the experience of an actual transgender man differs from the craze we’re witnessing， but she doesn’t beyond simply stating that fact。 She does have an extremist and sensational way of writing， though it could be argued that such an absurd situation warrants that type of response。 I also find some of her arguments to be simplistic。 She speaks as if the old way is inherently better and needs no improvement。 She doesn’t consider the benefit of having parents that are more involved， or progressive in ideals， or in-tune with their children’s mental health。 She writes as if， because these things could contribute to the transgender craze in some instances， they are definitely negative and “worse” than previous models of parenting （“But it is worth noting that a generation ago， mothers’ reactions to their daughters’ anxiety would likely have been to ignore， dismiss， or perhaps admonish it”。。。 framed as if that’s the appropriate response）。 。。。more
Christopher Esget
，
Shrier’s work is thoroughly researched， with many interviews of parents， medical and mental health professionals， and those who identify as trans。 She is extremely thoughtful in her analysis， but keeps the book flowing with captivating writing。Anyone with a daughter must read this book immediately。 Teachers， counselors， and anyone who works with youth should also read this book and take seriously its findings。
Mark Aasen
，
Must read for all parents。 Excellent book discussing the transgender craze…。。and no， it not transphobic or any other pejorative。 It is simply an honest look at what is going on with respect to adolescents。
Sue
，
I checked this book out of the library to see for myself if it was really as transphobic as reputed as to be worthy removal from library and book store shelves。 My take - a bit inflammatory， arrogant in parts and slightly insensitive， but definitely not going to set back progress for transgender rights， mostly because the book preaches to the proverbial choir。The author cites statistics that curiously show a significant uptick in females identifying as trans。 Her curiosity for the why for what a I checked this book out of the library to see for myself if it was really as transphobic as reputed as to be worthy removal from library and book store shelves。 My take - a bit inflammatory， arrogant in parts and slightly insensitive， but definitely not going to set back progress for transgender rights， mostly because the book preaches to the proverbial choir。The author cites statistics that curiously show a significant uptick in females identifying as trans。 Her curiosity for the why for what appears to be a statistical anomaly is valid。 However， it seemed like much of the evidence she offered to explain the "why" was anecdotal and cherry-picked。 For example， it's no surprise that she thought the trans people she found on YouTube and other social media were a little enthusiastic， too pushy in "selling" their decision to come out and embrace being transgender -- that's the nature of social media。 And yet， why DO tween and teen girls now far outnumber boys who identify as transgender when the numbers have always been reversed？ Is there a social contagion element to the increase in numbers？ Are teachers and therapists far too quick to accept a young person's identity questioning and pushing them towards an identity they're not yet ready to embrace for themselves？Still， the book is a little too one-sided in support of Shriver's theories （except for the chapter about Littman's research）。 I found it to be a a theory in search of evidence， not very scientific。 You will learn something if you read it， but won't regret not having found time to do so if you don't。 。。。more
Celeste Munoz
，
I finished this book in 2 days， it was so utterly engrossing。 Reading this book， I can definitely see the journalist in the writing style， which is always engaging。 I've had some concerns about things addressed in this book in recent years， but it's hard for me to put my exact concerns into words。 Shrier does it perfectly in this book。 She lets the families and patients speak here for themselves， as well as doctors， journalists， and trans people who themselves have concerns。 Even if you're a sta I finished this book in 2 days， it was so utterly engrossing。 Reading this book， I can definitely see the journalist in the writing style， which is always engaging。 I've had some concerns about things addressed in this book in recent years， but it's hard for me to put my exact concerns into words。 Shrier does it perfectly in this book。 She lets the families and patients speak here for themselves， as well as doctors， journalists， and trans people who themselves have concerns。 Even if you're a staunch supporter of trans rights， I think this book brings up some good points and information。 。。。more
Regina
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As the mother of a teenage daughter and an educator， this very well may have been the most important book I'll read all year。 I can only assume the negative reviews below are from people who didn't actually read the book and are simply giving an uneducated gut reaction。 If they had actually read the book they would see that not only has the author researched the topic thoroughly， but that the vast majority of her interviewed sources were left-leaning liberals。 But far be it for facts to get in t As the mother of a teenage daughter and an educator， this very well may have been the most important book I'll read all year。 I can only assume the negative reviews below are from people who didn't actually read the book and are simply giving an uneducated gut reaction。 If they had actually read the book they would see that not only has the author researched the topic thoroughly， but that the vast majority of her interviewed sources were left-leaning liberals。 But far be it for facts to get in the way of your pre-conceived notions。 Every parent and teacher needs to read this book。 It's horrifying but so vitally important to understand what is happening to our daughters。 Feminists should be all over this topic。 We are systematically erasing young girlhood， because why？ Boys are better？ No， because there is social currency in being a victim。 Since white people can't use our race for victim status， we have to turn to something else。 Mental illness is not a joke， nor should it be "affirmed。" It needs to be treated with compassion and truth。 Kudos to Ms。 Shrier for being so bold to say what needs to be said。 。。。more
Catherine Mcmahon
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The pace and depth of this book is excellent。 I found the research with interviews and cited references harrowing to be honest。 A must read for anyone interested in this topic。
Thea Keuning
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Controversial but worth it
Anna T
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Selle raamatu kaanekujundus on lausa hämmastavalt halb， aga teos ise ootamatult hea！Soovahetuse teemaga polnud ma rohkemat kokku puutunud kui ainult endamisi imestanud， et kuidas küll tänapäeval enda vales kehas tundmine korraga nii popiks on läinud？Raamat kinnitab sama - olenevalt riigist on soovahetuse soovijate hulk kasvanud kohati lausa 1000-4000% Kuni lähiminevikuni esines enda vales kehas tundmist väga väikesel protsendil elanikkonnast; peaaegu kõik neist olid mehed， kes soovisid elada nai Selle raamatu kaanekujundus on lausa hämmastavalt halb， aga teos ise ootamatult hea！Soovahetuse teemaga polnud ma rohkemat kokku puutunud kui ainult endamisi imestanud， et kuidas küll tänapäeval enda vales kehas tundmine korraga nii popiks on läinud？Raamat kinnitab sama - olenevalt riigist on soovahetuse soovijate hulk kasvanud kohati lausa 1000-4000% Kuni lähiminevikuni esines enda vales kehas tundmist väga väikesel protsendil elanikkonnast; peaaegu kõik neist olid mehed， kes soovisid elada naisena ning peaaegu eranditult väljendus see soov juba väikelapse-east saadik。 Nad mängisid nukkudega， tahtsid pikki juukseid ja kandsid kleiti。Mis aga iseloomustab neid inimesi， peamiselt teismelisi， kes tänapäeval soovivad sugu vahetada - need on peaaegu eranditult naised， kes soovivad saada meheks; nende "vales kehas elamine" ei ole endast märku andnud enne puberteeti ning tihtipeale hakkab ühest sõprusseltskonnast mitu inimest samal ajal end "vales kehas tundma"。 Soovahetusest on saanud aga teema， mida ei tohi üldse torkida ja väidetavalt võtavad nii koolid kui terapeudid selle lähenemise， et kui "noor nii tunneb， siis järelikult nii ongi"。 Vanematele antakse vähe sõnaõigust ja hormoonraviga alustavad paljud lapsed juba enne kui nad omadega puberteetigi on jõudnud。。。。mille kohta toob raamat hea näite， et kui terapeudi juurde ilmub silmnähtavalt anorektiline tütarlaps ning teatab， et ta tunneb end paksuna， siis ei saadeta teda ju kaalulangetajate gruppi põhjendusega "kui inimene end nii tunneb， siis järelikult nii ka on"！ Ja kui keegi on suitsidaalne， ei patsuta me heakskiitvalt õlale， et kui nii， siis nii， kas aitan sul köie või relva hankida？Aga soovahetuse soovi taha justkui ei tohigi enam vaadata ja vanematel on selles osas veel eriti vähe õigust kaasa rääkida， kas nende alaealine alustab hormoonasendusravi ja laseb rinnad ära lõigata。 Ja kui soovahetus nad lõpuks õnnelikuks teeks， oleks ju kõik okei， aga uuringud näitavad， et nad maadlevad edaspidi veel rohkemate probleemidega kui neid enne oli。 Mis on kurb。Igatahes tasub seda raamatut silmaringi avardamise mõttes kindlasti lugeda。 。。。more
Rebecca
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Well researched and written with sincere kindness and intellectual curiosity。
Monica Williams
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I ordered this book months ago， mainly because Target and Amazon stopped selling it and I *hate* being told I shouldn’t read something。 I had no burning desire to read it。 When it finally arrived in my mailbox I flipped through it idly， and blink， 2 days later I’ve finished it。As a mom of a tween girl and my bachelors degree in psychology， I found myself horrified and fascinated by the information in this book。
Tony Teri
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Tremendous and educationalSo well done。 The references are quantified。 The author identifies the lack of proper therapy on teenagers and what we are showing。
Megan Powell
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This is not a book against the transgender community’s a whole but a book asking the questions， why now， why girls when traditionally boys， why in puberty /teen and why in friend groups。 Very informative and factual。 If I could I would have every mon of girls read this book。 Very eye opening。
Mary Ronan Drew
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A frightening expose of the indoctrination public school children are exposed to from Kindergarten on。 The suspicion that a child is actually transgender has in the past been rare （0。01 percent） and almost entirely happens at about age 3 and solely to males。 Now the number of teenage girls who are declaring themselves trans-something and asking for hormones and surgery that are irreversible and often end up in sterility has increased as much at 4，000 percent in Britain。 There are schools where n A frightening expose of the indoctrination public school children are exposed to from Kindergarten on。 The suspicion that a child is actually transgender has in the past been rare （0。01 percent） and almost entirely happens at about age 3 and solely to males。 Now the number of teenage girls who are declaring themselves trans-something and asking for hormones and surgery that are irreversible and often end up in sterility has increased as much at 4，000 percent in Britain。 There are schools where nearly half the teenage girls consider themselves "trans。" It is clearly a fad， and the author sees it in the tradition of the Salem witch trials， 19th century hysteria， anorexia， bulimia， and cutting。 It's a frightening situation which academia and the mental health business have bought into。 Parents find they are kept in the dark regarding the decision of 12 and 13 year old girls to begin undertaking the "trans" process and can do little to stop it without being accused of child abuse。 It reminds me of the fad of false memory syndrome and the arrest and jailing of the owners of a California child care business who were jailed when the children accused them - with help from educators and mental health quacks - of abuse and related impossible tales of bestiality and other things that clearly never happened。 。。。more
Cami McIntosh
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Incredibly well researched， thought out， and written！ I learned a lot。 Before you judge this book to be anti trans you should really read it to understand why it was written: to shed light on the huge spike in numbers of trans adolescent girls in recent years。
Hutton Sharp
，
Irreversible Damage is meticulously-researched， well-argued， and spellbinding; it is the tale of a new social phenomenon of the skyrocketing rates of teenage girls who self-diagnose with gender dysphoria。 The historic rate of folks of either gender who struggle with gender dysphoria is 。01% （1 in 10，000 people）; today the rate is closer to 2% （1 in 50 people）。 （If you are upset that I said "either gender，" implying that there are only， in fact， two genders， please read Debra Soh's The End of Gen Irreversible Damage is meticulously-researched， well-argued， and spellbinding; it is the tale of a new social phenomenon of the skyrocketing rates of teenage girls who self-diagnose with gender dysphoria。 The historic rate of folks of either gender who struggle with gender dysphoria is 。01% （1 in 10，000 people）; today the rate is closer to 2% （1 in 50 people）。 （If you are upset that I said "either gender，" implying that there are only， in fact， two genders， please read Debra Soh's The End of Gender。） Today's epidemic of teenage girls self-diagnosing with gender dysphoria is happening despite the facts that they've never experienced typical gender dysphoria and that in the 100 years or so that we've known about gender dysphoria， the disorder has statistically affected overwhelmingly young boys and men， not teenage girls。 So why is this happening now， and why is it happening to teenage girls， historically one of our most vulnerable populations？ Abigail Shrier's book charts the course for a likely answer: trans "influencers" on social media combined with an alarming new movement in both medicine and education known as "gender-affirming" care。Here I should probably mention that I cannot stand provocateurs。 It does not take any effort at all to be purposely inflammatory。 Folks who do that drive me up a wall， not least because they very rarely have any sound and logical arguments to present。 （It's much easier to clang a gong in everyone's ears than it is to craft a logical argument。） However， I found this book to be compelling precisely because it does not seek to be provocative。 It is; I found my eyes widening and jaw dropping on almost every page。 But Shrier is so charitable， so nuanced， and so empathetic to the real struggles that these folks and their families are going through that I couldn't help but feel sorry for many of them， for how they'd been tricked， lied to， and manipulated into causing irreversible damage to themselves。 Almost as interesting as the book itself was the reaction it received， both before and after being published。 Shrier details a lot of this in the foreword， but to say that she and the book were targeted by some folks in the cancel culture movement would be a vast understatement。 Here's a brief overview: Amazon didn't run ads for the book; Target pulled it after two （yes， just two） complaints from folks on twitter; GoFundMe pulled a fundraiser to have billboards advertising the book; one scientist was kicked off a discussion forum for even mentioning the book; Joe Rogan butted heads with employees at Spotify after having Shrier on his show; one professor at a prominent university said， "I DO encourage followers to steal Abigail Shrier's book and burn it on a pyre;" and， perhaps my favorite， a high-ranking member of the ACLU said， "Stopping the circulation of this book and these ideas is 100% a hill I will die on。" I guess the forceful suppression of ideas now falls to the same folks who are supposed to protect our civil liberties。 This bodes well。 （Seriously， all these folks need are cool uniforms and flamethrowers and they would literally be the firemen from Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451。） This book hits close to home for me because I have a sister who is going into her first year of college。 My sister-in-law is going into her first year of high school。 I'm a high school teacher and a girls soccer coach。 I want young women to flourish and grow into who they are as women。 My fear is that this craze of gender dysphoria， and let's be honest， it is a craze， seduces women into believing that they are somehow inferior because they are women， and one solution， readily provided to them by trans influencers and activists as well as gender-affirming doctors and educators， is to become a man。 Perhaps we'd be better off celebrating what it means to be a woman rather than manipulating one of our most vulnerable populations， teenage girls， into becoming something that we all know they're not: men。Finally， I love social commentaries which address the role of technology in our cultural moment。 I don't think it's an understatement to say that nearly all of the families that have been affected by this gender dysphoria craze would not have undergone anything like it if it weren't for the prevalence of social media。 Maybe it's time for us to collectively reconsider our participation in the "attention economy" maintained by social media conglomerates。 The irony of writing this review on a social media platform does not escape me。 But there is very little irony when teenage girls， with no history of gender dysphoria， go to gender-affirming doctors， in many cases without parental consent， to start testosterone treatments， get "top" surgery， and come out on social media to be celebrated by online communities while at the same time destroying relationships with their biological families。 Here there is no irony; there is only devastation。 The lies must stop。 。。。more
Burt Schoeppe
，
I agree with the subject of the book。 There should be more sober thought about transitioning and I don't understand why it would be pushed to the extent it has been。The writing of the book is why I gave it a relatively low rating。 Shrier's obsession with the quality of schools is both tiring and contrived。 I get she wants to provide anonymity for the people she profiles with generic descriptions of the schools they attend。 Don't kids who attend schools that can't be described as posh/well-regard I agree with the subject of the book。 There should be more sober thought about transitioning and I don't understand why it would be pushed to the extent it has been。The writing of the book is why I gave it a relatively low rating。 Shrier's obsession with the quality of schools is both tiring and contrived。 I get she wants to provide anonymity for the people she profiles with generic descriptions of the schools they attend。 Don't kids who attend schools that can't be described as posh/well-regarded/best decide to transition？ One of the "best public art schools in Canada" is such a weird description。 It described where someone in Toronto went so could only be the Ontario College of Art and Design。 What was the point？I get this is an educational world she comes from， but it limits the audience and I'm not sure to what end。 。。。more
Kit
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Sometimes you read things because you want to be upset。 Most people can do this in short doses-- looking at Twitter or YouTube comments-- but I had to read this book， I guess。 The details of Shrier's argument against ftm or ftn transition often contradict one other， but the basic premise is that transgender identity among afab people is a social contagion akin to anorexia in both its breadth and severity。 She applies a "but the children！" argument to adults well into their twenties， bemoaning th Sometimes you read things because you want to be upset。 Most people can do this in short doses-- looking at Twitter or YouTube comments-- but I had to read this book， I guess。 The details of Shrier's argument against ftm or ftn transition often contradict one other， but the basic premise is that transgender identity among afab people is a social contagion akin to anorexia in both its breadth and severity。 She applies a "but the children！" argument to adults well into their twenties， bemoaning the spectre of transgender ideology that all but forced these impressionable youths to take hormones or undergo surgery。 This insulting and paternalistic argument belies the ideological conservatism that fuels interest in this book。 In Shrier's eyes， young adults experimenting with their identities can only be ruining their lives， not learning crucial lessons about how to make their way in the world as an adult （even if they "desist" in one sense or another）。I can't give this book more than one star because of my own ideological tendencies， but it was still fun to argue with her in my head。 。。。more
Jennifer Anthony
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A must read for all parents。
Samantha
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All women， mom's， mom's to be， or women who dream to be a mom。。。 Read this book。 The transgender craze is a satanic cult and complete child abuse。 It's starting when children go into preschool。 I will say some of the book has some explicit chapters so I wouldn't just hand this book over to your daughter to read， but there are certain chapters that would be wonderful discussions for mom's to have with their teenage daughters。 My heart broke so many times for these lost children， parents， and fami All women， mom's， mom's to be， or women who dream to be a mom。。。 Read this book。 The transgender craze is a satanic cult and complete child abuse。 It's starting when children go into preschool。 I will say some of the book has some explicit chapters so I wouldn't just hand this book over to your daughter to read， but there are certain chapters that would be wonderful discussions for mom's to have with their teenage daughters。 My heart broke so many times for these lost children， parents， and families。 Satan is working overtime， which makes me hope Jesus is coming soon。 Protect your children at all costs by getting involved in their school， homeschool if you can， and be the annoying strict parent who limits internet time/no Iphone！ Social media is harming kids！ The harm that transitioning does to anyone especially 10-16 year old girls cannot be reversible。 Children go through phases， and satan I truly believe attacks the ones that are already down whether that be abuse in the home， loneliness， or struggling with mental health。 The hormones and surgeries that they provide these kids without evening needing a therapist's note is insane。 The guilt medical professionals place on parents by saying "You will be the reason your child commits suicide" if they don't follow the child's lead on their pronouns and transitions is mind blowing。 These hormones given at such a young age is damaging them forever。 They cause severe heart problems， ruin internal organs， may cause cancer， and will cause girls to become infertile。 The world is so focused on feelings and behaviors that it's ruining kids just being kids。 If a girl is a tomboy or doesn't like the color pink。。。 she is still 100% a beautiful girl。 We don't have to fit into these little boxes society claims you have to check in order to identify what god already created you to be。 *Anyone reading this I promise you the Lord is absolutely perfect！ We are all beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image， he didn't make a single mistake when you were created and born the gender you are！！* :） 。。。more
Rhonda
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3。5 stars。 Good introduction to the topic; highly readable。 At times a bit annoyed with the snarky humour。 Gave it 4 stars because it’s more biographical and story based， the research has been in people， not in stats， so it holds its place。 With the read especially if you have girls， good for pastors to read too。
Rick Wilson
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Mostly fear mongering with a thin veneer of assumed reasonability。 Think “video games will make your boys violent” of the 2000’s， or “The communists are coming for you” during the red scare， but this book is for privileged suburban mothers and their daughters circa late 2010’s。 It’s hard to go wrong selling a book to parents that reaffirms that “they have done nothing wrong“ It’s society or “the Internet” that’s messed up。 The authors takeaway is “don’t let your kids have a cell phone。”There’s a Mostly fear mongering with a thin veneer of assumed reasonability。 Think “video games will make your boys violent” of the 2000’s， or “The communists are coming for you” during the red scare， but this book is for privileged suburban mothers and their daughters circa late 2010’s。 It’s hard to go wrong selling a book to parents that reaffirms that “they have done nothing wrong“ It’s society or “the Internet” that’s messed up。 The authors takeaway is “don’t let your kids have a cell phone。”There’s a nugget of truth buried within。 But it seems to be overly twisted to suit the authors agenda。 As I understood it， the authors main premise is that a lot of the people engaging in hormone therapy， gender reassignment surgery， and a suite of similar such operations or procedures can grow to regret it。 A phase， complete with all the “moooom it is not just a phase” drama， results in long term permanent changes to people’s bodies。 Fair criticism， at 14 I wanted to be Chris McCandless。 The problem with the book however， is that it’s regularly engaging in fear mongering and changing the scale of problems that the author is talking about。 Straw men abound。 Numerous times the author mentions how “your daughter could be masquerading as a man right now and the school wouldn’t tell you” like Jesus Christ that’s a dark pattern。 Other claims made seem equally suspicious， in chapter 5 the author talks about how psychiatrists and therapists are forcing parents into following gender pronouns under the threat that their child would commit suicide if they didn’t。 Really？ The author makes it sound like a hostage negotiation and returns to that statement multiple times with nothing more than an anecdotal report。 I don’t know that there’s gonna be a lot of middleground on this one。 The language is polarizing and distinctly driven for emotional appeal。 For those that connect with the appeal， I can imagine them clutching their pearls and saying “I know they’re coming for our daughters。” For those who don’t， I can see how they could interpret this book as an attack。 I don’t think it really falls into either camp， a sort of mommy-fear-mongering with a few sparse valid points。 In my opinion it’s a middling book without much good research。 There’s a couple valid points about not committing to irrevocable medical procedures as a teen， caution against relying blindly on medical or therapeutic professionals。 I think any reasonable medical professional would agree。 And the author contradicts her own screed at times when describing how far some of these kids travel to find hormone replacements and other such。 When describing an “unnamed Ivy League” School she makes it seem as if there’s a testosterone vending machine on every corner。 The tone is as if there’s a giant conspiracy to turn your little girls into boys。 I think a more medically based book would have been a lot stronger。 The author danced around some coherent thoughts in regards to profit based medicine and the mixup of incentives around psychology。 Even though it may have still been controversial， it could have helped lend credibility to the authors position。 But instead of accurately portraying medical science many of the main points get lost in between these really warped examples the author dredges up。 At one point she compares hiding from the Nazis during WW2 to the emotional damage someone experiences if they change their pronouns unnecessarily。 I don’t know what logical fallacy “appeal to Naziism” is， but the author deserved a timeout after that one。 There’s a good blog post hidden here。 A compassionate counterbalance to the zeitgeist perhaps。 But as it stands this book was part screed， part pearl clutching， and a lot of badly organized thoughts without much substance to back up the claims。 。。。more
Scott Buchanan
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Heartbreaking。
Gianni Dewaele
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The book lays out a good case for RGD and it being a social contagion。 There's a lot people can learn from this book。 I would absolutely recommend it。 The book lays out a good case for RGD and it being a social contagion。 There's a lot people can learn from this book。 I would absolutely recommend it。 。。。more
Katia Palumbo
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I read this book with an open mind。 What an awful book。 Dangerous， hateful and just poorly argued。
Levi Gangi
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I enjoyed Shrier’s pacing through the book and introduction to this world I knew nothing about。 She gives plenty of references that provide the ability to deep-dive into research and further reading for those who are interested。 There is nothing “transphobic” about this book， and the author has high regard for those who have transitioned as adults or have wrestled with gender dysphoria。 She interviews many popular transgender figures。 It’s incredible to me as someone who works in the field of ps I enjoyed Shrier’s pacing through the book and introduction to this world I knew nothing about。 She gives plenty of references that provide the ability to deep-dive into research and further reading for those who are interested。 There is nothing “transphobic” about this book， and the author has high regard for those who have transitioned as adults or have wrestled with gender dysphoria。 She interviews many popular transgender figures。 It’s incredible to me as someone who works in the field of psychiatry that counselors so freely advocate for major biological changes without first exploring where these desires may be coming from。 However， even asking that question nowadays is dangerous if you want to keep your job。 I recommend this to anyone with daughters or who works in the medical field！ 。。。more
Natalie
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