“You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness & Start Living An Awesome Life,” by Jen Sincero was on my Amazon Wish List and was purchased by my sister for Christmas. I dove right in and finished the book on a plane ride from Virginia to Florida. It had a lot of good nuggets of information, and, like many other self help books, weaved the theme of self-love through every chapter. In this narrative, the author concluded every chapter with the last line item always summarizing, “Love Yourself,” with some crafty little take-away. I also like that Jen Sincero introduced each new chapter theme with a relevant quote by someone noteworthy. For example:

Chapter 14: Gratitude: The Gateway Drug To Awesomeness
“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” -Anthony Robbins
Chapter 19: The Drama Of Overwhelm
“I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”- Mark Twain

Things I didn’t like: Her references that noted religion versus a more general spirituality. Her informal writing style, using words such as “lame-o” and “wuss:” The tone sometimes sounded somewhat cheesy . Some of her insights were drawn from personal experiences and seemed a little condescending at times.

However, I give this book a 3 out of 5 rating, because it still has a lot of good advice in it, and is broken out in a way that is digestible and can be chunked, referred to often. The interaction with Jen herself feels like a mediocre first date- she is captivating at times, tough to swallow in other instances. It’s a pick up- put down book that touches on the big self-help concepts in a more light-hearted way.

FINAL SCORE: 3
BEST FOR: Self- Help Beginners
NOT GOOD FOR: Grammar Police Officers & Self- Help Veterans
IF THIS BOOK/ AUTHOR WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STEREOTYPE: Jen Would Be The Know It All. I’d Love Chatting With Her, But Only Over A Single Cup Of Coffee.