Review: Dare to Be You by Matthew Syed

Author: Matthew Syed

Illustrator: Toby Triumph

Genre: Non-fiction

Rating out of 10: 8

Publisher: Wren and Rook

First Published: 2020 

Summary

From the bestselling author of You Are Awesome, this book is about following a path that’s right for you and not letting the theory of being “normal” stop you. It covers subjects such as how powerful believing in yourself is and why everyone works at a different pace in different ways. The pages are covered by fun pictures and inspirational quotes from people who have been successful by being themselves.

Text

The book is written in a light, humorous way and uses many references to the author’s personal experiences. This makes it a very enjoyable read.

Good things about the book

• There are plenty of funny parts which makes it a really entertaining read
• It draws on the author’s personal experiences
• There are fun illustrations and the overall layout is good
• It doesn’t drag or become boring- each chapter makes its point, maybe with some stories from the author’s or a celebrity’s life, then moves on

Things I didn’t like

• Occasionally when it goes off on tangents, you forget where you were when it comes back to the main story

Conclusion

For all of the reasons above, this book was an amusing and gratifying read. It changes how you thing about being “normal”, and spreads an important message.