“Let’s draw the curtains and see who you really are,” Maldonado writes. While she draws on Jungian concepts and Eastern mysticism, Maldonado writes with the tone of a coach or confidant, offering practical advice and insights, anecdotes from her own journey, exercises and meditation prompts, plus much spirited encouragement. (“As you express true feminine power, you can inspire other women to speak up as well, feel more confident, and consciously create a new, more loving world.”) Even chapters addressing how to identify and “integrate” one’s “shadow” remain clear-eyed and persuasive, neither sinking into vagueness nor getting bogged down in Jungian complexities.
Some readers may find Maldonado’s breakdowns of “persona type”s (The Lover, The Mother, The Mystic) too generalized, though she takes care to note that these are most often facets of personalities rather than the totality. Throughout, she reminds readers that what matters most is what resonates with them, as we’re all unique and complex. The result is an inviting guide that makes complex ideas simple, relatable—and, most crucially—applicable to a broad range of readers who are open to its ideas.
Takeaway: This guide for women to seizing their power by revealing their core self is inviting and adaptable.
Great for fans of: Shainna Ali’s The Self-Love Workbook, Catherine A. Duca’s Unmasked.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
