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Moxie

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu


Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes and hallway harassment. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.
Viv’s mom was a punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, so 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. Pretty soon Viv is forging friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, and she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.
Review
Where do I even start? I picked up this book while wandering around Waterstones while waiting for my train in London. I had heard of it before and my interest was piqued. I ended up reading this book in less than a day, on the flight home.

Basically, I loved it. It made me want to listen to all my punk music from my high school days and rebel against the system. Any system. It made me want to have a big party with all the women and girls that I know.

Here's the thing. I myself have first hand witnessed or experienced all the things that happen to the girls at East Rockport High. From having my bra strap snapped at school and getting in trouble for pushing the guy, or unfair dress code standards, or seeing girls being ignored when trying to report sexual assault (or being afraid to report it in the first place).

If I had read this book as a teen there are so many things I would have understood better about situations I saw and experienced. Mathieu shows what feminism is, and why we call it that. Plus she tackles rape culture, unfair dress codes and double standards, #notallmen, and basically everything else women have faced in their lives in this book, and does it in such a seamless and fierce way. Plus awesome girl power and friendship!!! And real talk too.

Vivian, the main character, is so well-written. We get that she's not exactly shy, but just doesn't like being in the spotlight. She has her group of friends, but doesn't really reach out to those around her. I loved her courage. She's afraid and second-guesses herself, but comes through in the end, and becomes stronger and more confident because of that. She also has a good romantic relationship and stays true to herself.

Again, I loved it, and I would HIGHLY recommend it! If you're like "meh, feminism, not for me" then you especially should read it.

MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!


Rating
I give this book 5 stars!


Details
Genre: YA, Contemporary.
Language: Some strong language.
Sex: There's talk about sex, and rape and groping, but there are no sex acts and nothing is graphically described.
Violence: Some mild violence.


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