(Pub date 5/5/2026)
This book is eye-opening, distressing, and, if you’re reading it as a Gen X-er like myself, low-key terrifying. Girls digs into what it means to grow up female in a world where literally everything is for sale, including your identity, your image, and your sense of self. It’s not just about social media, but about the entire ecosystem built around it, including the constant self-surveillance, the branding of personality, and the way insecurity gets packaged and monetized.
India takes a hard look at girlhood, friendship, and the quiet erosion of authenticity, all under the glow of ring lights and curated feeds. There’s this unsettling thread running through the whole book that makes you stop and think, “Wait… is this actually normal now?” And even more worrisome, “How did it this way?”
It’s sharp without being preachy, personal without being indulgent, and quietly devastating in a way that sneaks up on you. Not a comfortable read, but definitely one that lingers. This one will make you ponder.
reviewed by April James
