Abigail Shrier
Abigail Shrier is an American independent journalist and author. She became known for Irreversible Damage (2020), about the sharp increase in teenage girls identifying as transgender, and later wrote Bad Therapy (2024) about mental healthcare for children and young people.
More on this site: Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage and Abigail Shrier — Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up.
What you will find
Her website contains information about both books, a short biography, a form for lecture requests, and a link to her newsletter on Substack. The site is primarily a calling card; her current writing appears elsewhere.
Why it is included on this list
Irreversible Damage brought the idea of rapid-onset gender dysphoria to the attention of a broad audience. The book is controversial: critics argue that it relies on an unproven hypothesis and on parents' stories, while supporters see it as an early warning about healthcare for young people.
Career and recognition
According to her website, Shrier is a columnist at The Free Press and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. On the book's page, publisher Regnery introduces her as a writer for the Wall Street Journal. The website lists two awards: the Barbara Olson Award for Excellence and Independence in Journalism (2021) and the Samizdat Prize for Courageous Reporting and Analysis (2025). According to the same source, her books have been translated into more than 24 languages. Her newsletter on Substack is called The Truth Fairy.
The two books
Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters was published on June 30, 2020, by Regnery Publishing. For the book, Shrier spoke with girls, parents, doctors, and people who have reversed their transition. She describes the influence of social media and education, as well as medical interventions, and offers advice to parents. The publisher reports that The Economist named it a book of the year and that The Times and The Sunday Times included it among the best books of 2021. The book's page features recommendations from, among others, Ben Shapiro, Dennis Prager, and psychologist Kenneth Zucker. Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up was released by Sentinel on February 27, 2024.
How to weigh this source
The website and the book page are promotional materials. The praise was selected by the author and publisher themselves, and criticism of the book is not addressed. Irreversible Damage is journalism based on interviews, not scientific research. Shrier now publishes mainly with The Free Press. Those seeking context for stories about regret can find background information on detransition.