Reviewed by Jessica Turetz

“Even a woman who appears together on the outside will admit that her life has not always been perfect,” writes Allison James in the introduction to her new book, The 10 Women You'll Be Before 35.

You thought you had grown out of phases when you gave up your Goth hair dye or stepped away from the cheerleader pom-poms. Turns out, those phases were just the PSAT version of your post-college life. According to James, the phases we face as young women, on our path from graduate to grown-up, are far more subtle than the obvious tomboy-type phases of our earlier years.

James’ book expertly guides us through the ‘quarter life crisis,’ that most of us know all too well. The post-college years are a time of confusion and, oftentimes, overwhelming choices. But with fun asides and thought provoking quotes, James outlines what she sees as the 10 life phases on the way to becoming the woman you were meant to be: “The New Graduate,” “The Dollarless Diva,” “The Worker Bee,” “The Party Girl,” “The Body-Conscious Babe,” “The Chameleon,” “The Crisis Chick,” “Ms. Independence,” “The Wirl” (half woman/half girl) and, finally, “The True You,” the mid-thirties, real you who is oozing with confidence.

Each chapter in James’ book examines a different stage and begins with an at-a-glance list of identifying factors. The Crisis Chick can be spotted by her penchant for “slow, sappy love songs,” and use of the catch phrase, “Ugh, what am I going to do with my life?” while The Party Girl is “ready to air-kiss at a moment’s notice” and shrieks, “You look absolutely fabulous,” with abandon. And, life goals range from running “the New York, Boston, and London marathons in under three hours” (The Body-Conscious Babe) to being able to “buy enough clothes to go a full work week without repeating outfits” (The Dollarless Diva).