Review: Perfect is Boring
Perfect is Boring: 10 Things My Crazy, Fierce Mama Taught Me About Beauty, Booty, and Being a Boss.
Tyra Banks and Carolyn London
Synopsis: Tyra Banks and her mother, Carolyn London, discuss modeling, puberty, sex, body image and more.
Rating: PG-13– Disclaimer: This is a difficult book to rate. There is sensitive subject matter including sex, puberty and menstruation. Every parent has to decide when the right time to talk with their children about these topics is. While I believe most of what is discussed in the book could be beneficial to young teens (girls in particular), I strongly recommend parents read the book first and decide for themselves whether or not it is appropriate for their child.
If you were wondering where Tyra Banks gets her “fierceness” from, I feel fairly confident saying you need look no further than her mother! These two are a dynamic mother/daughter duo that would have rivaled Joan and Melissa.
Reading this book is like having a conversation with your mom. She is going to tell it like it is, whether you like it or not. Sometimes she’s going to embarrass you, somethings she’s going to give you some hard truth, and sometimes, she’s just going to hold your hand and tell you it’s going to be alright. So many women did not have mothers who talked with them about sex, periods and puberty (among other things). For those women, I imagine reading Perfect is Boring would be like getting to have the conversations with mom that you didn’t get to have as a teenager.
There were times I felt Banks used this book as a way to defend herself on certain topics, and others where she came across slightly braggy. But the majority of the book is uplifting, funny, and honest. There is a great emphasis on positive body image that, even as an adult, I appreciated.
This is not a book for just one age range. Whether you are 15 or 50, Perfect is Boring has something for you. After all, who doesn’t need a cheerleader from time to time?