Four Reasons Why You Should Read Moxie
Hello hello, my lovely friends!
As you can tell from the title, today I’m going to be
sharing with you four reasons you should read Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu! This
was such a cute book and I highly recommend not only for you to read it, but
also for you to encourage others around you to read it. It has such a powerful
message and one worth sharing. And don't worry, it's spoiler free!
Trigger warning:
sexual harassment and attempted rape
Book: Moxie
About the book.
Book: Moxie
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Pages:330
Publication date: September 2017
Pages:330
Publication date: September 2017
Synopsis: Moxie girls fight back!
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. (source)
Genres: Contemporary, Feminism
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. (source)
Genres: Contemporary, Feminism
Recommended for: Anyone 13+
I was provided a copy for review by Date A Book however all thoughts and opinions are my own and this is an honest review.
Reasons To Read This Book!
#1. Girl Power!
The most obvious reason to read this is the amazing message
about girl power and feminism and female agency. I loved that Mathieu tackled
the topic of feminism from so many different ways, using throwbacks to the way
women movements happened without internet, to the misuse of the word feminism
and to the current happenings in the school.
The book had other elements such as friendship and romance,
but I liked how those didn’t overpower the underlying message of unity and girl
love. It focused on girls uplifting other girls and how appearances aren’t
everything and even the most popular and ‘untouchable’ girl in school can have
problems.
I also liked that the book was quite simple in its
exploration of feminism because it means I can recommend the book to younger
audiences as well who may need something easier to introduce them to the
concept of feminism. At the end of the book, Mathieu also provides a page of
resources readers can use to find out more about feminism, including websites
and books, which I thought was so, so fantastic to have!
#2. The characters
The characters in this are adorable and real. I relate to
Vivian so much because like me, she is quiet and not outspoken and unwilling to
shake the boat. I liked seeing how normal she was, and very much a teenager
with her insecurities and mistakes. The side characters felt very real in this,
mainly because they had their flaws and I liked how this was a YA book that had
a strong emphasis on family, especially parents. Most YA books don’t have
parents as part of the story at all, which is quite weird in my opinion as I’m
a teen and my parents are a huge part of my story and I liked seeing Vivan’s
relationship with her mother.
#3. Romance.
I quite liked that Mathieu included romance in this. Other
than thinking the romance was quite cute, I also thought it was used to a point
that those who believe in feminism aren’t saying ‘men are bad’ or ‘don’t be in
a relationship’ as it is often misunderstood. Mathieu made it clear that
feminism is for everyone, boys and girls alike and that it isn’t about one
gender being better than another or wanting superiority, it’s about equality.
#4. The use of
artwork within the book.
Maybe this is me, but I am SUCH a huge fan of artwork within
a book. It just adds so much to the book and I love the use of expression
through different mediums. The zines that Vivian, the main character creates,
are included in the book so readers can see what she said and what they look
like.
Overall, this is such a cute and enjoyable read with a very
powerful message.
OVERALL RATING:
★★★★
Have you read Moxie? What did you think?
5 happy thoughts
I've seen another review of this book and it was also a positive review. I'm so glad that there are well-written diverse books out there for people to read.
ReplyDeleteWebsite url: http://stuffedshelvesite.wordpress.com
Glad you enjoyed!
DeleteThis book sounds like it's full of empowerment and positivity! *adds to TBR*
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely review, Anisha! I am always drawn to books that explore feminism in a concrete & practical way, & it looks like this one does just that -- always such a wonderful thing to see. One of my favourite quotes is: "The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet." It is so important to experience books with those kinds of powerful & badass women... & I'm so glad this one was that for you. Thank you so much for sharing this book with me; I cannot wait to pick it up for myself <3
ReplyDeleteTopaz (Six Impossible Things)
I have honestly seen so many people talking about how incredible this book is and I think I may need to finally read it. I love that a YA book is tackling feminism in a contemporary way, and in a way that people who are first starting to learn about what it means can understand it, as well.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that the MC has a good relationship with her mother, which is EXCITING. I really love good mother/daughter relationships in books and we so need more of them in YA. And parents in general. Like you said, they can play a big part in the lives of teens so it's weird how often they are disregarded as insubstantial characters.
So glad you liked this one, Anisha! And thank you for the lovely review <3
Leave me a comment below! And feel free to leave your website URL so I can come visit!