Girl Talk by Christine Young

Girl Talk- Unsolicited Advice For Modern Ladies An Illustrated Guide by Christine Young is a new coffee table book that would make the perfect gift for a college roommate or best friend on her birthday.  This attractively packaged, sturdy, hardcover book, embossed with a pattern golden foil doodles and drawings, will capture the attention of any young, modern reading who is seeking out the perfect, yet casual gift for a friend.  This book would be especially suitable on the shelves in the gift sections of college book stores and greeting card stores.

The thick white card stock pages, and the doodle like illustrations and handwriting styled font, give this book an authentic scrapbook or journal type of feel.  Written as if it taken from the diary of a young woman in her early twenties, this book is a satirical compendium of modern, politically correct advice for other young women.

The explicit nature of some of the topics covered make this not a suitable choice for teenaged or younger readers.  I can imagine with the cheerful cover and friendly flower print end pages in aqua and white, many misinformed consumers may  choose this title for a gift for a younger girl such as a niece, or grand daughter. Unless you want your grand daughter, niece or other beloved girl in your life to read about adult topics on courtship, dating and other x rated unmentionables, this is not an appropriate book.   While the cover and interior may seem to draw in young girls, readers and consumers should be aware that this book is not intended for high school or junior high aged girls.  The "Modern Ladies" on the subtitle serves as a subtle hint that this book is for adults only. 

This book offers humor while touching on culturally relevant topics for hip, young people such as clothing, dining, dating friends and family.  Other issues and topics such as health, self esteem, money,job hunting and house hunting are addressed as well through the use of simple cartoon, illustrations and even diagrams. One especially funny diagram was based on the topic of determining the need for a roommate. After following a "flow chart" based on a few responses- the reader could determine if a roommate was an appropriate option.  For example if you answered that you were "over 30 years old" or "prefer nudity", then you, the reader are advised to "fly solo".  In other words, the suggestion is that you are better off living without a roommate.

Needless to say, this book is intended for a female who is single, and in her twenties- and into popular media, and consumerism.  Anyone who is overly literal, older, or who lives a spartan or humble lifestyle will not get anything out of this book.

In my opinion, the publishers should take the idea for this book and create a second volume with the same  high quality binding, cover, and cardstock interior- leave the pages blank and make a blank journal/ sketch book to allow the reader to fill in her own journal entries, photos and illustrations.  That would make this book more appealing to more than the niche readership that this book is marketed for.  As a blogger, I received a copy of this book published Potter Style, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC.