The Prettiest: The Psychological Pressure of Appearance on Young Girls

The Prettiest by Brigit Young

The Prettiest is an incredibly powerful read, it follows three characters, Nella, Sophie, and Eve and their middle school experiences after being ranked in a list of the top 50 prettiest girls in the Eighth Grade. It’s a list that ends up causing a wide spread spiral amongst the school, where young girls are made to feel like they are un-beautiful, or that all they are is a face or body.

Through themes of insecurity and growth The Prettiest by Bridget Young is a perfect example of the psychological pressures put on young girls to confine themselves to beauty standards.

These girls are all going through different experiences and all want different things, yet they are all put under psychological toll due to their appearance, whether they feel they are being objectified and dehumanised or whether they feel they are not “attractive” at all.

The quote “Pretty isn’t everything. But sometimes it feels like it is.” These themes are reflected. This line highlights the pressure these young girls are put through in order to be beautiful, despite it not being important. The use of the word “everything” shows how all consuming the pressure of appearance is.

To further cement this theme of psychological pressure on teen girls due to their appearance, according to BMC Women's Health young girls face  constant pressure to abide by strict stereotypes about looks and behaviours.

Through this book and research this book shows the audience the psychological pressure of appearance on young girls.

Manchester, U. of. (2025, March 11). Study reveals teenage girls’ own views on why low mood and anxiety is increasing. Study Reveals Teenage Girls’ Own Views on Why Low Mood and Anxiety Is Increasing ; University of Manchester. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/study-reveals-teenage-girls-own-views/

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