You're crushing it: Positivity for living your REAL life by Lex Croucher

Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892473.
(Age:15+) Recommended. Lex Croucher is an English vlogger whose videos cover a range of topics including feminism and animal rights. She uses her influence to advocate for empowering women and girls.
In this book Lex makes use of her extensive experience with technology and social media to explore the nexus with real life for teenagers. Immediately relevant to young people are topics such as: family and friends and creating that team of supporters; relationships (familial, platonic, romantic, jealousy), body confidence (acceptance, self-care) and mental health (dealing with negativity, goals and asking for help). The writing avoids preachiness and provides a healthy insight into the pitfalls and pleasures of living in or through an online world. There is hope in this book. Lex reminds us all that the offshoots from the path we had mapped out can become the new map. These offshoots can lead to opportunities that were not dreamed of and yet are just right for you.
As a common sense guide to being comfortable in your own skin this book excels. The formatting, anecdotes and the humour will appeal to the teenage reader but it is the hope and positive examples of ways a young person might engage with real life that make this book an unexpected joy to read.
Linda Guthrie