BRAVER, STRONGER, SMARTER

Braver, stronger, smarter?

This mix-up of intention and execution begins as the author vents about the many crafted narratives that accompany preternaturally happy-looking selfies on social media and their potential impact on one’s confidence—aka, everyone’s happy, and I’m not. The initial pitch encourages readers to acknowledge their own confidence by disconnecting from social media and utilizing more time for creativity. Amid puzzles, exhortations, and exercises such as creating your own song, crafting a haiku, or trying sudoku, the author contradicts the original message of avoiding social media by encouraging readers to create their own apps, which most likely would tempt them to venture back online. Another stumble is the haphazard selection of celebrity quotes that are peppered throughout the book, including from Richard Branson and Lady Gaga, two people the lower edge of the publisher’s targeted “8 & up” audience would probably be unfamiliar with, along with Miley Cyrus, and Zac Efron, two former Disney Channel stars who date back 15 years. The book is designed to be written and doodled in, marking it for personal use rather than lending.

A hodgepodge of self-help advice that loses its steam with its lack of focus and unfamiliarity with Gen Z icons.