Publishers Weekly
07/10/2017
At Viv’s Texas high school, no one stops the boys from wearing T-shirts that degrade women, while girls get sent home for minor dress code violations. Boys—mainly football jocks—harass girls in classes and corridors without consequence. Viv, a junior, is used to it, but one day she decides that enough is enough. Inspired by her mother’s days as a rebellious Riot Grrrl, Viv creates and circulates issues of Moxie, a girl-power zine, at school. More girls take Moxie-endorsed action with each issue, and because Viv hasn’t owned up to being behind it, other girls get into the act and things snowball. Mathieu (Afterward) isn’t going for nuance: the jocks are total jerks, the all-male administration is unfailingly sexist, and the Moxie spirit crosses cliques and racial boundaries with an intersectional ease that can be elusive in real life. But seeing the girls changing their definitions of what’s acceptable as they become radicalized is satisfying and moving, both for Viv and for readers. If it’s depressing that Viv has to reach back to the ’90s for models, perhaps this unapologetically feminist book will help change that. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"Moxie is sweet, funny, and fierce. Read this and then join the fight." —Amy Poehler
“With a story that’s equal parts heart and instruction manual, Mathieu has captured the movement of a generation—warts and all—and shone a light forward for the next one.” —E. K. Johnston, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Exit Pursued By a Bear
“Vivian Carter and Moxie are strong and smart and so, so inspiring. She is my new hero and this is my new favorite book. I’m proud to be a Moxie girl.” —Jennifer Niven, New York Times–bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe
“From its soul-deep girl friendships to its swoony love story to its smart, gutsy heroine, Moxie is a ferocious joy. I could feel my heart and my courage—getting bigger every time I turned the page." —Katie Cotugno, New York Times–bestselling author of 99 Days and How to Love
"Moxie is an anthem, a how-to guide, and that best friend who says, ‘You matter, too!’” —Sherri L. Smith, author of Pasadena and Flygirl
“Like the addictive riff of a punk rock song, Moxie will pull you in, inspire you, and kick you back out into the world with a burning desire to change it. Read this. Now.” —Jenny Torres Sanchez, author of Because of the Sun
"An invaluable revelation." —Booklist, starred review
"This novel is full of wit, insight, and moxie. . . . Highly recommended for all teens, but especially those who would enjoy realistic coming-of-age fiction with female empowerment." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Satisfying and moving." —Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
★ 07/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—This novel is full of wit, insight, and moxie. Vivian is the dutiful daughter of a former 1990s Riot Grrl. While her mom raged against the machine and published feminist zines in her youth, Viv prefers getting good grades and keeping a low profile. That is, until things at her small town's high school go too far. There are double standards for football players and everyone else, arbitrary dress code crackdowns that apply only to girls, and covered-up assaults happening right in the hallways. Vivian and her friends band together and decide they've had enough, but how can they push back without risking expulsion by a corrupt school administration? This is a fun, fresh, and inspiring read for anyone looking for a teenage take on modern feminism. Vivian gradually, and realistically, realizes how troubling sexism is, showing a great deal of introspection, which will likely appeal to readers who might not identify as feminists and those who already do. The author also takes care to include girls of color and boys in the novel's many conversations around the topic, emphasizing the importance of intersectional feminism. VERDICT Highly recommended for all teens, but especially those who would enjoy realistic coming-of-age fiction with female empowerment.—Emily Grace Le May, Providence Community Library
Kirkus Reviews
2017-06-14
Fed up by her high school's culture of misogyny, Vivian leads a feminist rebellion.Staff at Vivian's school conveniently overlook the demeaning remarks football players and their friends direct at girls, the ongoing hallway sexual harassment of "bump 'n' grab," and the annual tournament to identify the "most fuckable" girl on campus. Enraged by the toxic environment, and inspired by 1990s Riot Grrrl culture, Vivian creates an anonymous zine—Moxie—to empower girls. Some of Vivian's protest ideas are inspired, as when girls wear bathrobes to protest the unfair enforcement of the school's dress code. Soon Moxie supports such additional projects as girls' soccer fundraisers, successfully strengthening the school's sisterhood. But there are troubling moments when Vivian excludes willing male participants, seemingly suggesting that achieving female empowerment requires gender separation. And Moxie moves dangerously toward vigilante justice when it's used to accuse a student of attempted rape. Vivian's incensed reaction when her boyfriend suggests the anonymous accuser might be lying ignores the American judicial system's core tenet of due process. Further, the novel fails to educate readers that qualified police investigators, not school officials, must be alerted in accusations of criminal behaviors. Designed to empower, the novel occasionally fails to consider that changing a culture of misogyny requires educating and embracing support from members of all genders. (Fiction. 12-18)
