One word could sum-up this well-intentioned book, and that word is meh.

I’m not sure what I expected when I picked up Queen Latifah’s Put on Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom. Though I’ve been a huge fan of both her films and music—I was a big Living Single fan in the ‘90s, if that tells you anything—I’ve always felt like the actress has always received the short end of the stick; that she’s so awesome, lovely, and talented, but she always ends up with roles that are way too small or, in my opinion, beneath her talents. I’ve never really read anything that she’s written, and figured I’d give her book a whirl.

It’s a nice little book—I say “little” to mean brief; it’s a very quick read—full of some interesting tidbits about Latifah’s life. The one thing that I really enjoyed throughout was that I could almost hear her voice telling me all of these personal stories; it had a definite genuine feel to it that I appreciated.

Beyond that, and learning a bit more about Latifah, however, I didn’t see how this was much of a self-help book (as it was described). I’m pretty sure it’s geared toward a young girl demographic, which is fine; most of the harsher topics were watered down enough to where I think most young teens could handle the material. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t find it as interesting myself—not that I wanted to listen to Latifah air her dirty laundry, mind you, but she did take a bit of a big sister/motherly approach fairly frequently throughout the book.

There really wasn’t much solid advice in the book, though. There were a few basic guidelines about staying away from the same things we’re warned to stay away from since we’re old enough to understand what they are, I suppose. There were also some comments about keeping an eye on your finances, and some points about being happy the way you are. That said, she did also mention exercising, using makeup to feel beautiful, and wearing clothing that many cannot afford to feel “beautiful.” And while exercising is important, for sure, I don’t think it ties in with accepting yourself the way you are—and wearing makeup most definitely does not.

I love that Latifah is a makeup spokesperson now—I love seeing her big, beautiful presence on those commercials rather than some little dwindle head. She makes me want to buy products that I don’t want in the first place! Which, of course, is my point: not only should women not need makeup to be beautiful or love themselves, but makeup itself can be harmful for us as well.

Most fans seem to enjoy the book, and it’s not dull or worthless, at any rate. It just doesn’t really offer anything new or any great tips on being a “queen.”