I AM THAT GIRL

Debut memoir/self-help book designed to empower the women of Generation Y to discover and pursue their passions.

Jones found her calling to inspire girls while starring in Eve Ensler's feminist play The Vagina Monologues. A former contestant on Survivor, the author believes that "everything and everywhere is a stage," and she launched her nonprofit organization, I Am That Girl, to give girls a community to belong to that also reinforces what she says on stage and through social media. Her book offers simple but thorough advice for female readers on how to become their true selves. Jones' close friend Sophia Bush offers a gushing, enthusiastic foreword to the text, which is interspersed with personal revelations from other successful women, along with inspiration quotations from figures such as Kofi Annan and Harriet Tubman. "I owe it to myself to be remarkable," Jones quips, "so I am." Beautiful and poised, Jones fully embraces herself while admitting to her flaws and mistakes. She nudges readers toward the same level of self-acceptance through a variety of methods that range from self-care habits (exercise, healthful eating) to keeping a journal, being responsible for recognizing your feelings, voicing your needs, taking risks and embracing all of life with fearlessness. While many of the author’s suggestions are stale or cliché, on the whole, her writing avoids coming across as vapid or condescending due to its accepting, funny and relatable tone. Girls grappling with one or more of the issues covered here may find solace and support in these pages, and that's largely a credit to the book's many short, first-person accounts from women who have faced and, in some cases, are still facing similar struggles with relationships, work and self-confidence.

Encouraging and authentic.