This is a fascinating view into what it's like to be a 18 year old girl throughout the world shown though the lens of a camera. Not only do we see girls from the US, but other parts of the world. Readers get glimpses of different cultures, but also how all the girls share similar wants, beliefs, fears, and desires.

Added plus, all the photos were taken by young women. Throughout this book are quotes, lists, and compilations of things that these girls enjoy such as different foods, hanging with friends, and even popular word choices.

The personal interviews are very insightful. Readers meet Thalia from Cuba who shares that she feels no different being 18. Madison from Mississippi who is a single mother and dreams of being able to finish school and get out of her town. Faiza from Ramallah, West Bank who survived three wars and wants to defend basic human rights and help those in need. Obdulia from Zacatecas, Mexico who is proud of her indigenous Wixarika heritage. Millie from Australia who worries about the fact that one woman a week is murdered by her current or past partner and that all her friends are so afraid to walk home alone. **When I was eighteen I shared this same fear.

There is a #ThisIs18 hashtag on Instagram where others, including myself, share advice on what they'd give their eighteen-year-old shelves.

Unique window into what it means to be a 18 told by numerous girls throughout the world. Sure to resonate with it's message of empowerment told by girls in their own words.