Backwards Beauty: How to Feel Ugly in 10 Simple Steps

Jessie Minassian

Mar 2016 · NavPress

About this ebook

If ten girls were asked to describe the “perfect” girl, they would likely rattle off an eerily similar list of qualities—from hair, skin, and weight to a cute button nose. That’s a problem, because God has given girls a desire to be desirable. If girls think that they will be most wanted if they fit a one-size-fits-all image of “perfection,” they will continually chase that proverbial carrot their entire lives.

Backwards Beauty examines ten cultural lies young women listen to regarding beauty to help them unpack how they’re looking at themselves through the wrong lens. The “tips to feel ugly” range from “compare yourself to every other girl” to “eat junk and diet, diet, diet.”

Reading a book by Jessie Minassian is like sitting down with a friend and talking about the hard things in life. Girls will be able to find freedom and hope in the midst of a culture that idolizes beauty.

Ratings and reviews

Very enlightening and illuminating book. I was listening to 99.1 one evening in my car and caught a snippet of an interview featuring, Jessie Minassian. I was completely intrigued by Jessie's words and wanted to hear more. I did some research and decided to read this book of hers. Even though this book was written chiefly for young women, I, being a young man, was curious to gain some perspective. I thought Jessie did a great job citing her work and connecting the Secular to Christian dots. Although, I wish that some matters discussed in the book were slightly more stressed and emphasized. Nevertheless, the book is worth the read.