Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl

3.47 of 5 stars 3.47 · rating details · 2,188 ratings · 207 reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Ever make a stupid comment or joke, or say something you obviously didn't mean? Of course you have -- we all have. Was it ever taken out of context? Written in the wake of some highly publicized school shootings, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl takes a look at the shock waves that emanate from an overheard comment muttered in sarcasm, and the overzea...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published April 29th 2003 by HarperTeen (first published January 1st 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Best Teen Books About Real Problems

153rd out of 1,146 books — 5,770 voters

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

The Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller

School Novels

26th out of 39 books — 43 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 12, 2008 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Valerie by: Kim

Shelves: young-adult

"Ugly Girl" is a high school student (aka Ursula Riggs) who has built up walls around herself. Walls that protect her from the insensitivity of others (including her own disinterested family), and from changes and emotions that she doesn't want to (or can't) deal with in her life. Ugly Girl isn't afraid of anyone, and doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. She has black or fiery moods, and depends on no one but herself. She's a Warrior.

"Big Mouth" is another high school student - a boy named...more "Ugly Girl" is a high school student (aka Ursula Riggs) who has built up walls around herself. Walls that protect her from the insensitivity of others (including her own disinterested family), and from changes and emotions that she doesn't want to (or can't) deal with in her life. Ugly Girl isn't afraid of anyone, and doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. She has black or fiery moods, and depends on no one but herself. She's a Warrior.

"Big Mouth" is another high school student - a boy named Matt Donaghy who talks too much, and sometimes says things that he shouldn't... words spill out of him without thinking.

When Big Mouth "innocently" jokes about bombing his school, he quickly learns the consequences of speaking without thinking, and sees his life turned upside-down as he's suspended from school and investigated by the police. He learns who his real friends are.

Strangely enough, one of them turns out to be Ugly Girl.

As she comes to his aid, they learn a lot from each other. Ursula, a loner, reaches out to Matt to do what she believes is right. And in turn, Matt reaches back and helps Ursula to reconnect with things and people that she's left behind.

In this novel - written for young adults by Joyce Carol Oates - everything extraneous is stripped away as two unlikely friends figure out what really matters, and they change from kids to young adults (and not the easy way).

I thought it was pretty well-written, although at times Oates' terminology and slang seemed more like how she thought high school students would act and speak rather than how they really would (sometimes the dialogue seemed a little stilted to me). Also, I found it a little lacking in depth, and the story-lines wrapped up somewhat tidily at the end. I think that in a really good young adult novel, these issues can be dealt with in a way that doesn't seem like the author is taking things down a notch for the audience (teens rather than adults) and I found this novel wasn't quite at that level. I also wish Matt's character had been better developed, because Ursula's character pretty much blew him out of the water.

There were definitely gems, though. I loved this part, by Ugly Girl:

Life consist of facts, and facts are of two kinds: Boring, and Crucial.

I figured this out for myself in eighth grade. Wish I could patent it!

A Boring Fact is virtually any fact that doesn't concern you. Or it's just trivial. A nothing fact. (Like the annual rainfall in, let's say, Bolivia. Crucial to the Bolivians, but Boring to everyone else.)

I know the Crucial Facts of Ugly Girl's life are Boring Facts to others. Yet, to Ugly Girl, they are Crucial.

There's one test of a Crucial Fact: It hurts.

All in all, a pretty good coming-of-age novel dealing with freedom (or the lack) of speech, and the ramifications of speaking carelessly in a world of zero-tolerance policies.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2008 Robert Beveridge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished, cle-pub-lib

Joyce Carol Oates, Big Mouth and Ugly Girl (Harper, 2002)

Okay, I admit it. I'm a sucker for books like this. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl into pickle. Boy gets girl out of pickle. Boy gets pickle into girl. They all live happily ever after.

Now turn that formula on its head.

Big Mouth is Matt Donaghy, class clown. Popular guy, suddenly arrested one afternoon as a suspect in a bomb scare. Ugly Girl is Ursula Riggs, captain of the basketball team, anything but popular, a witness to...more Joyce Carol Oates, Big Mouth and Ugly Girl (Harper, 2002)

Okay, I admit it. I'm a sucker for books like this. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl into pickle. Boy gets girl out of pickle. Boy gets pickle into girl. They all live happily ever after.

Now turn that formula on its head.

Big Mouth is Matt Donaghy, class clown. Popular guy, suddenly arrested one afternoon as a suspect in a bomb scare. Ugly Girl is Ursula Riggs, captain of the basketball team, anything but popular, a witness to the events surrounding Matt being a suspect. As with many high school kids, Ursula and Matt know each other by sight, but have never really talked. Still, Ursula feels compelled to go to Matt's defense, immediately sparking rumors that the two of them are an item. Which is ludicrous, right? Despite Ursula's growing feelings for Matt, that seem to be reciprocated when she can pull her head out of her posterior long enough to notice.

In other words, your basic coming of age novel. Which is all well and good but, well, this is Joyce Carol Oates we're talking about. And this is the first Oates novel I've read that's missing the common Oates (and Rosamond Smith, too) thread-the overwhelming sense of dread and despair that culminates in the horror of human tragedy. The house burning in Beasts. The child molestation in Cybele. The son killing his father in A Garden of Earthly Delights. Teddy Kennedy plunging off the Chappaquiddick bridge in Black Water. Oates novels end with a massive display of human-tragedy fireworks, don't they? Well, they all have up till now. Oates fans will be expecting the other shoe to drop, and will likely be sorely disappointed.

Not to say the ending that's here is bad, it's just, well, somewhat predictable.

What is classic Oates in this novel are the characters and their development. Oates is a master at subtleties of character, and Ursula Riggs is one of the most real high school students to come along in a novel in a very long time. She alone is worth the price of admission, all the other good stuff is just icing on the cake. *** (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Judy Schachter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Big Mouth is the name Matt gives himself due to getting in trouble from things he says. Ugly Girl is the name Ursula gives herself due to her height and strength which contrasts with her same-age friends and her younger ballerina sister. The story is about extraordinary bullying of Matt after rumors from the conversation he has with friends in the school cafeteria leads to a mad-dog mob reaction of him as a possible terrorist. He undergoes psychological bullying from the police and the school pr...more

like · see review

Nov 21, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Give this book to every tween and teen you know. Adults, you should read it too. It's a fast read, a day or two at most, and the pages are filled with a sparse, honest prose that creates two characters who somehow manage to be outcasts and everygirl/boy at the same time. You know that teenage experience of feeling totally alone and different from everyone around you but then as an adult you realize everyone was feeling that way and so you were all actually together in that aloneness? This book e...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 Filippa rated it 1 of 5 stars

So, I read this book quite a while ago, when I was around 12 years old. It's safe to say that it was the worst book I'd ever read, and probably still is. Maybe I was immature and literally oblivious, maybe I would have liked it had I read it a few years later -- I don't know. What I do know is that I remember hating every wretched part of the book, from the plot, to the characters and the dialogue and beyond. I also remember quite vividly a particular disliking to Ursula (for a whole lot of reas...more

like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Jennifer Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-book-assgn

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates follows the story of a joke gone horribly wrong. Matt Donaghy, who calls himself “Big Mouth,” jokes with his friends at lunch about blowing up the school. Two girls overheard him and report him to the principal’s office where the police and the media get involved. It all goes downhill from there, but Matt finds a friend in Ursula Riggs who calls herself “Ugly Girl,” an alternate personality, to help get over her large size and awkward personality.

The...more

like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Rizza rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Matthew Donaghy. He is just a normal teenage high school guy as you can see form the start. Who would have known he would want to blow the school up? Or massacre as much people as he can? Or are these rumours true? How would you know if you didn't hear? But, people who might be against you, tell lies to get you in trouble.

Ursula Riggs. Not even a catchy name. Like that violet villain in The Little Mermaid. Well, not that much. She is one of the girls basketball team. Pierced, Boyish outfit. You...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 21, 2011 Gaby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl was a really interesting book..It took me a while to finish reading it .Its background is in high school ,and the problem is really major. I coulod not imagine myself in that kind of situation. All the problems start whith one specific person ,and it is unbelievable what someone could do to sink someone else. Luckily, a friend comes up and offers friendhship..A dog ends up being kidnapped, emailing is a way to communicate with eachother, friends start to dissapear, it is...more

like · see review

Feb 22, 2011 Sonam rated it 2 of 5 stars

It begins with the normal diary like entry of an unhappy, self conscious, outsider(Ursula Riggs).
The heroine of this book goes through great lengths to make herself the outsider in her family, her community, and her school. She was happy with her self entitled solitude, until she lays eyes on the big mouth(Matthew Donaghy).
The hero of this book makes the mistake of saying the wrong thing(blowing a specific place up), is caught and very severely punished for it.
Through that punishment, he becomes...more

like · see review

Jul 02, 2010 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: belovedbookshelf, ya

The first time I ever heard about BIG MOUTH & UGLY GIRL was on the lovely Shannon Hale's website a few years ago. I was browsing around and ran across a list of her book recommendations. This one was on the YA non-fantasy list and the title caught my eye. So I hunted down a copy at my local bookstore and went home with it. Something about her description of why she liked it made me certain it was worth buying sight unseen. I must have felt strongly because, let's be honest, I would never oth...more The first time I ever heard about BIG MOUTH & UGLY GIRL was on the lovely Shannon Hale's website a few years ago. I was browsing around and ran across a list of her book recommendations. This one was on the YA non-fantasy list and the title caught my eye. So I hunted down a copy at my local bookstore and went home with it. Something about her description of why she liked it made me certain it was worth buying sight unseen. I must have felt strongly because, let's be honest, I would never otherwise have purchased a book with this cover. I'm sorry, but it's horrendous. Sort of the definition of unappealing. Nothing that calls out to me in any way. And, as with so many other of my favorites, this story deserves a cover worthy of it. Not the drab, awkward ones it's gotten thus far. So I hope this review will appeal to some of you enough that you'll look past the puzzling, slightly garish cover and see the gold inside. Because it is most certainly gold and instantly went on my Beloved Bookshelf because of its honest and heartfelt approach to being a teen outsider and the often unfair and complicated ways in which others view you when you don't conform to their model of expectations.

It was an ordinary January afternoon, a Thursday, when they came for Matt Donaghy. They came for him during fifth period, which was Matt's study period, in room 220 of Rocky River High School, Westchester County.

These are the opening lines of the story of Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs. On that ordinary day in January the police come to arrest Matt Donaghy. To escort him from school and down to the station on charges that he was planning to blow up the school. Matt is speechless with confusion and fear. He had no such plans. He said no such thing. Or did he? It's impossible to remember. He might have joked about it. Not necessarily in so many words, but he might have. Matt is always joking. You might say he has a big mouth. Big enough, hopefully, to cover up for his shyness, his inability to blend in perfectly with his peers. Then there is Ursula Riggs. Tall, sturdy, with fierce eyes and an unyielding presence, she's on the edges of Rocky River High as well. Everybody knows of her but nobody really knows her. And in her head she is Ugly Girl. Too large and broad and forceful to be accepted, but sure of herself and determined not to be run over by anyone. But Ursula heard what Matt said that day in passing. And she decides she won't let him go to jail for a crime he didn't commit. But will the two outcasts together be able to stand against the fear and the mob mentality that arises in the wake of rumors of a crazy boy and a bomb?

First published in 2002, this is Joyce Carol Oates' first young adult novel and I was impressed to say the least. It reminded me of a more "American," if you will, version of Just in Case by Meg Rosoff. No less angst, but a little more hope. The two main characters, Matt and Ursula, develop alter egos (see title) which in turn enable them to cope with the shocking events of their junior year. The thing is you will like these two. You will like them from page one. Though skinny and geeky, and prone to skimming along under the radar, Matt is incredibly likable and funny. And Ursula. Well, as Matt would say, Ursula is "1 individual in 1 million." Often brash and abrupt and unconcerned with other people's feelings, she is actually an unusually straight arrow. And her insistence on justice and the perseverance of truth is doggone admirable. What these two accomplish together is heroic. Here is their first conversation:

Twice Matt dialed the number Ursula had given him and twice he hung up quickly before the phone could ring. So damned shy. The third time he dialed, he let the phone ring and it was answered at once. "Hello?" The girl's voice was husky, guarded.

"Hi, this is . . . Matt. Is this Ursula?"

"Yes."

"I . . . got your message."

Matt was speaking in a lowered, shaky voice. He was feeling a leap of irrational hope.

Ursula said, still guardedly, "You know me, I guess? From school?"

"Ursula, sure. Sure I know you."

As if they hadn't been going to the same schools most of their lives.

Ursula said, "This hasn't been such a . . . great day for you, I guess."

"No, but--" Matt paused. He wanted to say, At least I'm home, not in jail. But that wasn't much of a reason to be grateful, considering he hadn't done anything wrong. "--I'm alive, anyway."

Was that meant to be funny? Matt laughed, but Ursula remained silent.

Matt had begun to sweat, this conversation was so pained. He hated calling girls on the phone if he didn't know them really well and if it hadn't been understood, more or less, that he was going to call, and was expected. He was even uneasy sometimes calling his friends. Which was why he liked e-mail. Maybe Ursula Riggs was the same way? Her telephone voice was unexpectedly hesitant, diffident.

Or maybe she just didn't like Matt Donaghy, personally. But had to talk to him for some mysterious reason.

Ursula began speaking rapidly, as if her words were prepared. "Look, Matt. I heard what you said in the cafeteria today. I was walking past your table, and I heard. I know you were joking, and there's no way any intelligent person could misconstrue your words or gestures. If it's taken out of context, maybe, but there was a context. And I can be a witness for you. I'll go to Mr. Parrish first thing tomorrow and talk to him. Or the police, if necessary."

By the end of this speech, Ursula was speaking vehemently. Matt wasn't sure he'd heard right. Witness? He felt like a drowning swimmer whose flailing hand has been grabbed by someone, a stranger, whose face he can't see.

He said, stammering, "You . . . heard me? You know I didn't . . . wasn't . . ."

"A friend of mine, Eveann McDowd, was with me. She heard you, too. I'll talk to her."

"You'd--be a witness for me, Ursula? Gosh."

Ursula said quickly, "You've been falsely accused. I'd do it for anybody." She added," I mean--even somebody I didn't like."

Matt was too confused to absorb what Ursula Riggs seemed to be saying. That she liked him? All he could say was to repeat, "Thanks, Ursula. I--really appreciate it."

"You're the only person who's contacted me, Ursula," Matt added impulsively. "I'm a pariah, I guess--is that the word? Like leper. Outcast." When Ursula didn't reply, Matt said, "I've been suspended for 'at least three day.' Till they can investigate me."

"Investigate you? They're the ones who should be investigated."

Ursula Riggs spoke so heatedly, it was as if, suddenly, she was in Matt's room with him and Pumpkin.

Don't you want to stick with them and find out if she's right? If together they can face down The Man and win? This is a particularly timely tale, I think, with two painfully real protagonists that dare you to drift away and forget them after the story itself is over. Recommended for fans of Courtney Summers and Meg Rosoff.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 29, 2010 Cassandra McCracken rated it 3 of 5 stars

Written in two perspectives, those of Ursula Riggs and Matt Donaghy, two students at the same high school, the novel peers deep into the ideas of true friendship and self discovery. As the character describes in first person, Ursula Riggs comes from a wealthy, attractive, and popular family, but she is none of those things. When Ursula went through puberty she grew "big" and "ugly." When society began to reject her for these superficial subjects, she developed a second self - she called this "Ug...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 03, 2010 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Award-winning adult author Oates explores what could happen in post-Columbine era when it can be dangerous not to take every remark seriously. When the class clown jokingly says he wants to [destroy:] the school at lunch, someone reports him to the principal and suspension and media frenzy ensues. In spite of the fact that Matt is popular, not one of his friends stands up for him. One person does though - Ursula, a gangly and unattractive misfit basketball player who believes in justice. Their f...more

like · see review

Oct 29, 2012 Gabriella rated it 3 of 5 stars

I just finished my book, and I have to say, i feel like i was able to get to know my characters better. I feel that Ursula's main trait is that she is a disputer. She loves to argue and state her reasons why they should believe her. She is like a living essay, that goes around and every time she disagrees with something, she has to state WHY she believes so, she usually gets them to believe her too. I believe that Ursula is a disputer because on page 225, Ursula was talking to Matts mother about...more

like · see review

Nov 23, 2009 Claire rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: students, feminist

Soooo...Korean libraries and bookstores don't separate the YA out from the adult fiction. Read on the heels of the Twilight disaster, I had had enough of books for 12-year-olds. I actually think I really would have loved this book at that age with its outcast characters fighting injustice, winning, and then finding a perfect match in each other. But for my cynical adult self, everything worked out a little too well. However, comparing this to the love story of Twilight, I don't have a lot to com...more

like · see review

Jul 22, 2012 Medeia Sharif rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Matt has a big mouth and Ursula is considered an ugly girl who’s strong, tall, and athletic. They’re not friends and don’t really have anything in common, but the two of them come together during a time of difficulty for Matt. Something he says gets taken out of context and threatens to ruin his life.

In an immature fashion Matt jokes about weapons and bombing the school. Most people can see he doesn't mean anything by it, except for a few people who are within earshot and report him. Matt is tak...more

like · see review

Aug 24, 2009 Christin E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. summary.
The story starts when Matt Donaghy gets in trouble because some people accuse him of threatening to blow up the school. He was really just joking around and saying that he wouldn't. Ursula Riggs had heard him joking around and decides to tell the principal. She talks to him on the phone about getting him out of trouble. Then he tries to keep talking to her because none of his friends talk to him anymore. Ursula gets Matt out of trouble but she won't talk to him anymore. So eventually on...more summary.
The story starts when Matt Donaghy gets in trouble because some people accuse him of threatening to blow up the school. He was really just joking around and saying that he wouldn't. Ursula Riggs had heard him joking around and decides to tell the principal. She talks to him on the phone about getting him out of trouble. Then he tries to keep talking to her because none of his friends talk to him anymore. Ursula gets Matt out of trouble but she won't talk to him anymore. So eventually one day when Matt is taking his dog for a walk in the park and Ursula is in the same park, they run into each other. Ursula sees that Matt is about to jump off a high cliff where he was climbing and kill himself. Ursula coaxes him down the cliff and they walk together. They grow closer and eventually are boyfriend and girlfriend. Matt's friends still dont talk to him but in the end they are both happy.
review.
I like this book because of how unique the characters are. There just aren't many people like Ursula at all, and Matt is unique because he is a funny upbeat person that realizes as a teenager that he is sort of fake. I think a lot of people learn about themselves as teenagers but just don't want to change. Matt actually changes so that he is free to express himself by the end of the book. Ursula is her own person, she doesn't care at all about what people think of her. She lives her life the way she wants to, she does not really have much respect for other people, and she thinks about herself a lot. She dresses the way she wants, acts the way she wants and doesn't worry about having friends. Ursula is kind of a loner. She separates herself from other people more than they separate her, but other kids do think that she's strange, and nobody really messes with her. Matt and Ursula are two kids that no one would expect to be friends, and that's one thing I really like. It just shows that it doesn't matter how different or similar people's personalities are and that it doesn't effect your friendship. I think my favorite thing about the book is that I really got to know the characters, they seem like real people. It's one of those books that you miss the characters after it's over. This is a good book in my opinion, and I would recommend it to anybody.(less)

like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Eden Brush rated it 3 of 5 stars

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl was a the book I chose off of a requirement list for a 9th grade honors Language Arts class. Personally, it was definitely not my favorite book, but I can see how some people might enjoy it. What I really liked about it was that it was a fast read. I read through it with ease and surprisingly didnt dread reading it. I liked the way the author just simply told you how things are in a common community and didn't hold back. She almost told the story flawlessly... I think it...more

like · see review

May 05, 2010 Winddancer rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book really surprised me. At first I thought the title was describing one person. I liked how the novel didn't read in a linear, chronological fashion. I also liked how it kept switching point of view. It kept things interesting, not that this story needed livening up. I completely identified with Ursula and “Ugly Girl” and was quite satisfied as a reader to watch, through the course of the novel, how Ursula mastered Ugly Girl and was able to use her to make situations better for those arou...more

like · see review

Dec 15, 2012 Matti Karjalainen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2000-luku, koulumaailma, nuoret-aikuiset, nuoret, tytöt, pojat, growin-up, realismi, ongelmat, usa-kans

Joyce Carol Oatesin ensimmäisen nuorille kirjoittaman romaanin "Syntipukin" (Otava, 2002) alku on mitä tehokkain: siviilipukuiset poliisit käyvät noutamassa lukion kolmatta luokkaa käyvän Matt Donaghyn mukaansa, eikä suuresta suustaan tunnetulla nuorukaisella ole aavistustakaan minkä vuoksi. Jotain pahaa on kuitenkin tapahtunut.

Ja sen jälkeenpä kaikki onkin alamäkeä, kirjallisessa mielessä siis. "Syntipukin" keskiössä on ensisijaisesti kahden erilaisen ja hyljeksityn nuoren välinen suhde, joka s...more

like · see review

Sep 23, 2011 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2015-challenge

Have you ever made a joke that got you into a lot of trouble? It's seems funny as it's coming out of your mouth, but when an unintended person overhears the joke, you realize that you've gone too far? That's what happens to Matt, one of the main characters in Big Mouth & Ugly Girl. Matt makes a joke that actually gets him arrested by the police (you'll have to read to find out what the joke is). After the joke his life starts to fall apart, when all of the guys he thought were his friends s...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 23, 2010 Clover (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, ya

I really enjoyed Big Mouth and Ugly Girl. I picked it up, kind of on a whim after reading another of Joyce Carol Oates' YA novels last year, After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, And Flew Away.

Ursula and Matt are two very different people but seem to be on a collision course towards each other. Matt's very jokey and likes to make people laugh. Which is why it comes as such a shock to him when someone takes what his joke about blowing up the school seriously and reports him. Soon...more I really enjoyed Big Mouth and Ugly Girl. I picked it up, kind of on a whim after reading another of Joyce Carol Oates' YA novels last year, After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, And Flew Away.

Ursula and Matt are two very different people but seem to be on a collision course towards each other. Matt's very jokey and likes to make people laugh. Which is why it comes as such a shock to him when someone takes what his joke about blowing up the school seriously and reports him. Soon, everything changes as his big mouth gets him in trouble. His friends avoid and ignore him, his teachers and everyone else are starting to treat him differently. If it weren't for Ursula standing up for him and telling the truth about what happened, Matt would have gotten into a lot more trouble. As it is, he's already on the brink of doing something drastic.

Ursula, on the other hand, is a very strong girl. She's big and tall and knows her own mind. She doesn't mind doing things that are different from other girls her age, she doesn't mind, really, that nobody likes her. She's Ugly Girl after all, star basketball player. She isn't going to change her ways for anyone. Her height and her attitude make her stand out, and that's OK. Because she can handle it. But she can see how her little sister Lisa is struggling with the pressures of being a ballerina and her weight and Ursula needs to be strong for Lisa, set a good example.

I really loved both the characters. And at the time of reading it, I was absolutely dying during the long wait in the book for Matt and Ursula to finally connect with each other. It was done so well. Ursula's perception of herself as 'Ugly Girl' made my heart hurt. I loved the perspectives of both parents as they tried to protect their children throughout and do what they thought was right for each child. Joyce Carol Oates had a great message in this book about responsibility and friendship, image and standing up for what's right. She's a bit scathing in her attitude towards the huge proportions that a joke is blown up into (pun intended!) and I'm really glad that I read it.(less)

like · see review

Mar 18, 2009 Judie rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is the story of two highschool students: Ursula Riggs and Matt Donaghy. Matt is a confident and well-regarded aspiring writer. After making a seemingly harmless comment, he finds himself unexpectedly driven into the center of a controversy over safety within schools. His personal life is in turmoil when Usula, self-proclaimed ôUgly Girl,ö interjects her perspective into the debate and quells the legal persecutions against him with her testimony. Ursula is an athlete who thinks of herself as...more

like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, young-adult

Matt Donaghy is accused of threatening to blow up Rocky river High School. He is questioned by police and suspended from school. Ursula Riggs knows exactly what happened and ends up proving Matt's innocence. However, the damage has already been done. Matt loses all of his friends and popularity. He becomes depressed. Ursula who calls herself "Ugly Girl" ends up befriending Matt and soon they become inseparable. Together they stand up against bullies who even kidnap Matt's dog, Pumpkin.

This Young...more

like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Sarah Sheffield rated it 4 of 5 stars

I chose this book off of a list of books to read for my "Summer Reading". I adored this book. I read it in about a week (hey, it was summer....)and I actually looked forward to reading it at night. I liked the way they had nicknames, and how it was brutally honest about the way our society is today. I liked the way it simply told it how it really is, and the author wasn't afraid to tell the ups and downs. It made it easy to connect to the characters, and easy to enjoy. I loved the way it stuck t...more

like · see review

Sep 03, 2009 Sandra Strange rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

A boy says things in jest that are interpreted as (after Columbine) threats to the school. He is interrogated, and pilloried by rumor and innuendo; his “friends” desert him. He goes from being a class officer and popular writer to a misfit outcast. Meanwhile, the girl who keeps him from arrest is a girl “jock” outcast. What happens between the two and how both they and their families learn from their experiences make this novel a good story well told. A few incidents with profanity (including th...more

like · see review

Jul 18, 2009 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

After having read this book and Black Girl/White Girl in rapid succession, and having loved You Must Remember This years ago when I first read (and then reread) it, it finally hits me: Oates is brilliant at getting at the soul of teens and young adults, particularly, of course, "misfits." This is territory she knows intimately. It doesn't have to be Gothicized because, of course, adolescence already is.

There are flaws in this book, of course, but it's written for a YA audience, so it has to have...more

like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Sarahi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Big mouth and ugly girl is mostly about a boy and a girl. The boy's name is Matt Donaghy, who is one of the protagonists and the girl's name Ursula Riggs. Mathew has always had a BIG mouth! One day in his normal life two detectives escort him out of class for investigation. The charge is that Matt has been accused of threatening to blow up Rocky River High School, were he goes to school . Although he is innocent of the accusation, people ignore him, and many adults, including the principal of Ro...more

like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Carly Bauer

Shelves: eng-580, read-in-2013, young-adult

I’ve read novels and short stories by Joyce Carol Oates before, but I had no idea that she also authored Young Adult works including this gem, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl . Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs have gone to the same schools since the fifth grade, but they belong to different social circles and don’t know each other very well. Ursula—or Big Mouth, as she calls herself—is a talented athlete and an idealistic individual who adopts a steely demeanor to hide her vulnerabilities. Matt is a self...more I’ve read novels and short stories by Joyce Carol Oates before, but I had no idea that she also authored Young Adult works including this gem, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl . Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs have gone to the same schools since the fifth grade, but they belong to different social circles and don’t know each other very well. Ursula—or Big Mouth, as she calls herself—is a talented athlete and an idealistic individual who adopts a steely demeanor to hide her vulnerabilities. Matt is a self-conscious but popular jokester who worries about being liked more than the consequences of what he says. Matt’s big mouth gets him into serious trouble, though, when two of his classmates misinterpret one of his jokes and accuse him of threatening to “massacre” other students. Unfortunately, because of gossip and “suburban hysteria,” people don’t believe (or don’t want to believe) Matt’s side of the story, or they are afraid to get involved on Matt’s behalf out of concern for their reputations. Only Ursula comes forward as a witness, and thanks to her, Matt is officially cleared. However, despite this official exoneration, Matt still feels like a social pariah and a burden to his family, and trying to resume his former life leads only to disappointment and worsening depression. When Ursula comes to the rescue during another crisis, she and Matt find solace in each other’s company and become friends. As their relationship develops, Matt and Ursula must face their difficult and confusing feelings (e.g. of depression, shame, guilt, hope, disappointment, etc.) and the ugly aftermath of the accusation against Matt.

Like other works by Oates that I’ve read, this novel is a page-turner filled with believable characters, relevant social issues, and a good dose of captivating drama. Even though the novel ended a little too neatly and predictably for my taste, I thought that, on the whole, the story was compelling and fun to read. I became invested in the characters and their lives and interested in how the plot would unfold. Matt’s situation was haunting because, though unlikely, it could believably happen, given the current rhetoric on and instances of school violence that, rightly or wrongly, has undermined our sense of safety, security, and trust. I love books that present complex questions, ideas, and issues that problematize either-or thinking and black-and-white perspectives, and Big Mouth & Ugly Girl certainly falls into this category.

Although it brings up complex, multifaceted issues, Oates’s novel is very readable and is an excellent addition to middle and (early) high school libraries and classrooms. In addition to discussion-worthy issues and themes pertinent and interesting to readers of all ages, the novel’s formal features warrant consideration and discussion. Additionally, the novel offers “something for everyone,” so to say, incorporating elements and conventions from a variety of genres and modes, including teen romance, mystery, adventure, and more.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 06, 2011 Perla Ventura Ventura rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Dec 31, 2009 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-literature

I really enjoy Joyce Carol Oates. This is the second YA book I have read by her and I find it hard to believe it was in my middle school library. She writes about mature topics and doesn't shy away from the ugly things in life- which is good. I just don't know if a 6th grader is ready for that. I wasn't too interested in the book until the 2nd half.

Matt finds himself in trouble for jokingly saying that he is going to blow up the school. He gets suspended for 3 days and basically he and his fami...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (27)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

105 users

Academic > School

14 users

Realistic Fiction

12 users

Young Adult > Teen

12 users

Contemporary

10 users

Young Adult > High School

6 users

Academic > Read For School

5 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

5 users

Romance

4 users

Education

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This
by Jacqueline Woodson
Ironman
by Chris Crutcher
The Bell Bandit
by Jacqueline Davies
Saint Iggy
by K.L. Going
Whirligig
by Paul Fleischman

About Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction. She is also the recipient of the 2005 Prix Femina for The Falls. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University, and she has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978. Pseudonyms ... Rosamond Smith and Laure ...more

More about Joyce Carol Oates...

Books by Joyce Carol Oates

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Big Mouth and Ugl...

2 trivia questions
1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

“A hero can be fool, he's still a hero.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
avg rating	preview: Big Mouth and Ugly Girl Goodreads rating: 3.47 (2188 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240142.Big_Mouth_and_Ugly_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348005562l/240142.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240142.Big_Mouth_and_Ugly_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates[/url]

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website