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Cherished

Author:	Rachel Gardner
Published By:	IVP (Leicester)
Pages:	159
Price:	£6.99
ISBN:	978 1 84474 389 6

Reviewed by Amanda Wilson.

Familiar to some from the programme, ‘No sex please, we’re teenagers’, and creative director of ‘The Romance Academy’, Rachel Gardner’s book for teenage girls, Cherished is similarly rooted in the reality of the experience of young girls growing up in the UK today. While it is not primarily a book explaining about sex, it does contain no-nonsense explanations of sexual activities, and is to be welcomed as a useful book for girls of secondary school age.

I was delighted that Rachel steers away from the cloying anti-feminist American version of the purity movement, with all its talk of princesses, and instead emphasises self worth and a reflective approach to life as a person of value.

Each chapter has two sections at the end to encourage girls to engage with the material personally: ‘Wonderland’ and ‘My Sanctuary’, along with regular encouragement to find a ‘wise woman’ to help deal with the issues raised. The presentation, language and examples given are all spot on - a great little book.