Review: Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Moxie

by Jennifer Mathieu

September 19, 2017

336 pages

Goodreads   Indigo

Goodreads Summary:
An unlikely teenager starts a feminist revolution at a small-town Texan high school in the new novel from Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth About Alice.

MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv's mom was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the '90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother's past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She's just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Moxie is a book about high school life that will make you wanna riot!
 

Review

I'm so thankful I got the chance to read Moxie because it's such an inspiring read. It packs a powerful message that will resonate not just with girls but with anyone who's ever experienced some form of oppression.

I read Moxie in one go. It's a book you simply can't put down once you've started. It's realistic, relatable and hopeful. It'll make you angry, want to cry but also laugh and yell in delight. Words don't do justice to how this book will make you feel.

Having to experience the nasty comments and actions of the mean boys at Vivian's high school was the worst. It appalled me to watch the young girls getting harassed. So frustrating to think anyone could condone the boys' behaviour but deep down I know it happens. I'm so glad Ms. Mathieu is writing about it and getting it out in the open.

The zines were a genius idea. Every other movement that followed was exciting and encouraging. Viv and her friends are lovely characters with a strong support system. Their creativity was the best. Despite some deterrents and hesitancies they stood tall in the end. I couldn't be happier to see the girls all come together and fight back.

It's also really wonderful to see Ms. Mathieu portray teenage life. While Viv's busy fighting for her, her friends' and her classmates' rights, we still get to see other normal teenage-y things happen to her. We see her struggle to be the good girl she is in her grandparents' eyes. We see her resent the guy her mom starts dating. We see her feel the distance grow between her and her mom. We even got to see her fall in love with the new boy at school (who provided another perspective to see from). Viv dealt with everything maturely.

Moxie is empowering and motivating. I hope it makes its way into more people's hands and into classrooms. People everywhere need this healthy dose of feminism- especially in the world today. Moxie Girls Fight Back!

 

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.