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Moxie

Jennifer Mathieu (Goodreads Author)

4.29 · Rating details · 16,612 ratings · 3,781 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 330 pages

Published September 19th 2017 by Roaring Brook Press

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· 16,612 ratings · 3,781 reviews

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Jun 28, 2017 Emma Giordano rated it it was amazing

I’m going to be very transparent in the fact that I am never going to stop obsessing over this book. So be prepared, especially in the coming months of Moxie’s release, I ain’t shutting up about it.

I absolutely LOVED this book, way more than I anticipated. I originally wasn’t sure when I’d get to it, it just wasn’t high on my TBR, but after a sexist review, I knew I had to make it a priority and boy, did I make the right decision.

I do want to place a content warning for sexual harassment and tal I’m going to be very transparent in the fact that I am never going to stop obsessing over this book. So be prepared, especially in the coming months of Moxie’s release, I ain’t shutting up about it.

I absolutely LOVED this book, way more than I anticipated. I originally wasn’t sure when I’d get to it, it just wasn’t high on my TBR, but after a sexist review, I knew I had to make it a priority and boy, did I make the right decision.

I do want to place a content warning for sexual harassment and talk of rape/sexual assault (meaning we don’t necessarily see these events unfold like the sexual harassment spread throughout the book, but I still think it warrants a disclaimer that these sensitive topics are being discussed.)

Moxie is a book that all teens and young adults NEED to read. It should be discussed in academia, it is an extremely important book. I especially want to recommend it to teens looking for empowerment and encouragement to share their voice. This book is getting a lot of hype for being a “feminist YA novel” and while it is entirely true that this is prime feminist literature for teens, I think the ultimate take away is that your voice, no matter how small, no matter how many people you stand against or how powerless you may feel, your voice is stronger. And I think everyone can use that reminder.

I really loved Viv as a main character. I think she’s a very realistic and grounded character. She’s a fighter, she’s passionate, she always stands her ground on a topic she has feelings on, but she also deals with the insecurities of having friends that may not totally agree with you and not wanting to be labeled as someone who creates problems or goes against the group. She is articulate in her arguments, always able to get her point across in a non-patronizing, elegant way (I could learn a thing or two from her). I think she’s someone a lot of readers can look up to and strive towards. She definitely is fit to lead this feminist revolution at East Rockport High.

I also really enjoyed Seth, who is the new boy and love interest in this novel (I didn’t originally expect there to be a romance, but it is a very small part of the story and definitely does not overtake the main message.) Seth is a very understanding person, always willing to listen and do better. I think he and Viv have one of the healthiest YA relationships because even though they may argue and unintentionally hurt the other, they are willing to talk it out and do better in the future. Seth learns about Viv’s efforts to change the sexism in her school early on, and he really cares that it’s something she is passionate about! He definitely has his slip ups where he just doesn’t understand due to not experiencing the sexism that the girls in his classes have, but when Viv takes the time to explain, *he listens and learns.* This book definitely tackles male privilege and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my reading friends who are men are uncomfortable while reading this, but I think that’s why it’s so beneficial to a variety of populations. One of my favorite scenes is when Viv wants to help spread “Moxie” to the boys in their school, but he is actually the one to suggest that it should be a space just for girls, and he understands fully when Viv confirms it (Yes, Kirkus reviews, I AM looking dead at your for spreading a false narrative of men being excluded from the feminist efforts in this story, especially since they are important figures in this movement by the end.) In my opinion, Seth is a really good guy focused on learning more about other’s experiences

Of course, my favorite part of this novel was ALL THE FEMINISM. This book is full of girls supporting girls, girls of different cliques coming together for the same goals, girls learning more about what it means to be a feminist and why it is important to stand with each other instead of against. In saying this, I’m not trying to suggest that feminism is “only for women” (which I discuss below) but I’m so happy to have a novel of girls working with other girls that readers can look up to. Despite all the sexism and harassment in the book, I got nothing but fluffy feels from all the “Moxie” activities going on like tackling unfair dress codes, bake sales and art sales to raise funds for girls sports, and just generally seeing the spark ignite within all these teens.

I am also pleased that this book does tackle the privilege of white women regarding feminist issues. We do have a few POC who play a role in this movement (I think one is black and one is latinx if I am remembering correctly) and they definitely explain to Viv how even though she is experiencing sexism like them, it’s entirely different for her being a white girl. I really appreciate the efforts to make the distinction of how some women are at a greater disadvantage within the general sexism of society.

If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. It is a fast-paced, CRUCIAL read that I hope you all give a chance. When I get some extra cash, I definitely will be giving away some pre-orders because I want this book in your hands *that* much. I’d highly highly recommend it to readers of all ages who are looking to be represented, looking to learn, or looking to be empowered. I honestly feel this book has the power to change lives, and I know it has left an impact on mine. Moxie is out September 19th, so please either pre-order it or reserve it at your local library!

I received a copy of this book for free from Macmillan at Book Expo 2017. I had no> obligation to review this book and all opinions are my own. ...more

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Jan 02, 2017 Elle (ellexamines) rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: anyone looking for a fun feminist contemporary

Shelves: she-did-that, x-arcs, z-2017reads, contemporary, 4-star, y-2017releases, elle-recs-list

In light of Kirkus' gross review of this, an added paragraph. I do not at all agree that this book “drives away male allies.” Given the content of the book Kirkus was referring to, I am of the opinion that this is a really gross opinion. If you think “calling out a person who's victim-blaming a rape survivor” is the same as “driving away male allies”, please consider blocking me.

This isn't even an accurate concern. The dude we're referring too, the main character's boyfriend, is given a chance ...more

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Sep 03, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-all

UPDATE: $2.99 on kindle US today 6/27/20

This book was totally amazing! I was in tears near the end with all of the girls standing up together. They were there for each other, girls from all walks of life to stand up against those that try to make them something they are not, for trying to push them into corners to go along with things that shouldn't be. This book is all powerful in its own way.

Viv is a girl that goes to high school like your normal teen. She lives with her mom, her dad died whe ...more

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Jan 21, 2018 Caz (littlebookowl) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone! It is so empowering and heartwarming to see these high school girls banding together to fight back against the sexism they face on a daily basis.

MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!

Content warning: sexual assault, rape

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Aug 15, 2017 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, feminism, young-adult, review-copies, owned-ebooks

"This is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But a feminist. It's not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that's always finding ways to tell them they're not."

A book about a teen girl coming into her own as a feminist and learning how to fight back against the patriarchy and rape culture? ... do you think I could have clicked "re ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen) rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporaries, deserves-the-hype

4 Stars

“…a feminist. It’s not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that’s always finding ways to tell them they’re not.”

Okay, I’ll admit it. I was so nervous about reading this. I absolutely consider myself a feminist, but I also think writing a fiction book about a political/social movement is tricky. It’s very easy to lose focus on the characters and story—or e ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 may ➹ rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2018, contemporary, important-messages, young-adult, pov-female, pov-1st, buddy-reads, 3-star

super important messages, made me angry but also smile, & reminds everyone about the power of one girl’s voice against the patriarchy!!!

(also, this is my third YA book ever that I’ve read in one day. hell yeah)

// buddy read with birthday girl!!! 🎉

...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Raquel Brune rated it it was amazing

Un libro con un mensaje muy necesario. Da gusto leer novelas juveniles especialmente enfocadas a un público joven y femenino que en lugar de romantizar relaciones tóxicas cuenta la historia de un montón de chicas muy diferentes que se unen para luchar contra el machismo en su escuela. Es una novela muy ligera con una estructura muy cinematográfica (espero que hagan la peli pronto, esta podría ser la Mean Girls de nuestra generación). Leyendo Moxie he experimentado un dejavú a mis días de institu ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Tatiana rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: actual young teens or middle schoolers

Shelves: book-club, 2, starred-2017, ya, 2018

A little quiz.

1) A guy who repeatedly yells to you "Make me a sandwich!" and wears a t-shirt with the words "Nice legs, when do they open"? is:

a) bad
b) good
c) I don't know

2) Who should be punished for breaking school dress code: a girl who wears a scoop-neck shirt or a guy who wears a t-shirt with a big arrow pointing to bellow his waist and words "Free Breathalyzer Test Blow Here"?

a) boy
b) girl
c) I don't know

3) What should a high school principal do when a girl reports being sexually assaulted ...more

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Oct 20, 2017 Taneika rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5/5 stars!

I want to make it clear that I LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO MUCH.

Moxie is about Vivian, who is sick of the sexist shit that goes down at her high school and feeling inspired by her mum's 90's Riot Grrrl feminist zines, decides to make her own feminist zine to fight against the patriarchy and stand up for girls.

As a character, Viv is a bit shy, quiet and is scared of speaking out and getting caught making these zines in the first place. While she is quiet and a bit scared at first, she is a 4.5/5 stars!

I want to make it clear that I LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO MUCH.

Moxie is about Vivian, who is sick of the sexist shit that goes down at her high school and feeling inspired by her mum's 90's Riot Grrrl feminist zines, decides to make her own feminist zine to fight against the patriarchy and stand up for girls.

As a character, Viv is a bit shy, quiet and is scared of speaking out and getting caught making these zines in the first place. While she is quiet and a bit scared at first, she is also passionate and super realistic! In her journey of creating these zines and accidentally starting a movement, she comes across many people, including those who are close to her, who aren't necessarily on board with what she's doing (or what the "creator of Moxie" is doing). Viv doesn't want to be labelled as somebody who is different or as somebody who stands out, but she still fights for what she believes in which is something I absolutely adored.
Viv's relationship with her mum was SO-FREAKING-CUTE-I-LOVED-IT. It was SUCH a relief to see a protagonist who has a close relationship with their mother, and seeing their relationship throughout the novel was definitely one of my favourite aspects.

There is a tiny bit of romance in this book and Viv's boyfriend Seth is understanding, willing to learn and learning to work through things he doesn't quite understand as he doesn't know what it's like to be a girl. Whenever Seth slips up, Viv is quick to talk things out with him and he ACTUALLY LISTENS. He's such a good ally to the girls, and it was a joy to read about. My only gripe (and it's not even really a gripe), is that I also thought their relationship was a little unnecessary. While it didn't take away from the story or the themes, I felt like Seth was almost entirely used as a plot device to explain certain things about feminism. I think Seth as a boyfriend, could have easily been replaced with Seth as a best friend or Seth as a friend, and it would've had the same effect.

Naturally, my favourite part of this book was ALL THE FEMINISM. I found myself cheering Viv and the others on, I found myself getting angry (SO ANGRY) but overall I felt so empowered. Moxie honestly bought me back to when I first started learning what it means to be a feminist and I almost want to cry just thinking about how this might teach young people in school what it means to be a feminist and that it might encourage them to branch out and research more.
Moxie addresses things like dress code (which thankfully, isn't a HUGE thing in Australian public schools as most schools have a uniform), the "not all men" attitude and rape culture which was SO INCREDIBLY EXECUTED OMG.

While Moxie does have a few diverse characters (there is one black girl, a latina girl and we very briefly learn there are two closeted girls who like girls), I kind of wish there was a bit more intersectionationality. While the author talks about this in the Author Note and while the text does touch on intersectional feminism:

"The night we watched that documentary about Kathleen Hanna, my mom talked about how Riot Grrrl was mostly white girls, and she was sorry they weren't as welcoming to other girls as they could've been. That it was one of the few regrets she had about the whole thing. But that was as far as she'd gone. East Rockport High isn't just white girls, for sure. I glance over where Kiera and Amaya are sitting. I think about how in this one way, maybe Moxie could be even better than the Riot Grrrls. Even stronger"

I think the author did a good job of discussing it, but I think it just needed to be more present throughout the book to really push the important message across.

Despite having a few minor issues with side character development/depth and showing intersectionality in the text, I absolutely adored Moxie. The feminist issues it addressed were tackled brilliantly, Viv is an amazing and realistic protagonist, I loved the relationships and most of all I love the girl power. There was NO girl hate in this, even with different cliques in highschool, and I was living for it.

Definitely a must-read for girls, guys and non binary pals. Even if you learn nothing new about feminism after reading Moxie, at the very least, it'll make you happy, angry and feel empowered all at once. ...more

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Jul 17, 2017 Whitney Atkinson rated it really liked it

Shelves: feminism, read-in-2018, made-me-cry

This book was so touching. I love the fire and passion of all the characters about justice, and I think it's such an important narrative. The fact that the love interest identified as a feminist was enough to bring tears to my eyes. And I also love how this touches on the fact that feminism isn't perfect and people who try to help still makes mistakes. I wish 16 year old me could have read this and been inspired, so it's my only hope that girls that age will really internalize this.

My only two c ...more

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Feb 25, 2019 emma rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, ya, 3-stars, diverse, eh, reviewed

first half of this book: boring boring boring contemporary boring high school boring everything boring meh

second half of this book: FEMINIST CITY INTERSECTIONAL GLORY GIRLS BEING GIRLS TOGETHER AND BRINGING EACH OTHER UP FOR LIFE I LOVE IT ~~and also a fair bit more making out than is my ideal~~

Basically, if I could delete the first 150 pages of this and also the entire romance subplot from the whole thing, this would be a five star read. And also like 20 pages long. So as is, it's not perfect for m ...more

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Aug 02, 2017 Maddie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, stand-alones, favorites

This is my new favourite book. Full of feminism, girls supporting girls and taking action against injustice. Everything about this is just so powerful! It makes me want to stand up and cheer and fight back just like the Riot Grrrls would.

I loved how Viv didn't feel any ownership over the Moxie movement because in the end it belonged to all girls. I'd get so excited when a new girl was added to the team and the way the book spreads such a positive message about intersectional feminism. Viv, Luc ...more

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Oct 11, 2017 Joce (squibblesreads) rated it really liked it

3.75 stars (maybe 3.5 if I decide to weigh the issue I speak about more heavily)
I enjoyed this, and I wish there'd been more books like this when I was a teen!
My favorite parts were the shoutout to Roxane Gay (woohoo!), the depiction of the small town, and the portrayal of the different ways the adult men at the school were particularly shitty and how the power dynamic played into it. I also loved how Viv's relationship with her mom wasn't necessarily perfect, and that some things were out of he 3.75 stars (maybe 3.5 if I decide to weigh the issue I speak about more heavily)
I enjoyed this, and I wish there'd been more books like this when I was a teen!
My favorite parts were the shoutout to Roxane Gay (woohoo!), the depiction of the small town, and the portrayal of the different ways the adult men at the school were particularly shitty and how the power dynamic played into it. I also loved how Viv's relationship with her mom wasn't necessarily perfect, and that some things were out of her control, and how that affected her. Lucy is also a badass, and I'd love to have been a Lucy when I was in high school.
The critique I have is that even though I know it was set in a small town and there may not be much diversity in the population to begin with, there were some POC side characters that had very obvious "side character" roles, and I am pretty sure the protag is an allo cis het Caucasian girl. I would have loved for this story to center on a girl who was not entirely of the dominant discourse, and some more inclusion, particularly mention of disability, neurodiversity, gender identity, and sexuality.
The author mentioned that she wanted Moxie to be more inclusive than Riot Grrls, and mentioned intersectional feminism in her afterword and acknowledgements, so I know it is important to her and she is aware of it, but that inclusion would have been great to see within the book itself.
It seemed like the feminist issues discussed in the book were ONLY about gender, and not about the different ways that gender can interact with race, sexuality, disability, neurodiversity, etc. So while it did acknowledge the presence and weight of intersectionality, it did not incorporate it as much as necessary, or at all. There is never any situation where gender exists in a vacuum the way it seemed like it did in this book. Including POC as an entity by itself does not make the addressing of feminist issues intersectional at all; in fact I would argue that this engages in some erasure (albeit probably unintentionally) and was unsatisfying. I saw a quote once that asked “if feminism is not intersectional, is it really feminism?” and that is definitely a question I was asking for the duration of this book. ...more

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Dec 08, 2017 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I pretty much inhaled this book. What an amazing story on what it means to be a feminist. I loved that it surrounded young girls fighting for their rights. For equality. For calling bullshit on the status quo. For empowering themselves and others to speak up and beautifully supporting each other.

What's even better is that more and more YA books are coming out that speak on issues that matter. It teaches the reader a lot and they're such great stories to find inspiration from. Heck, I'm 26 and I ...more

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Jan 06, 2018 Tan Markovic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Reviews can be found at: www.booknerdtan.wordpress.com

Gutted I can only rate this 5/5 stars.
Wow. That book made me so happy.
The entire book was amazing, however, the last few chapters were SO powerful.
Did anyone else want to be a part of Moxie from start to finish and still do?

The book focuses on how powerful girls can be when they unite against the daily BULLSHIT girls have to go through rather than turn against each other and how you don't have to be loud to be heard. I'm glad the author didn' ...more

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Dec 03, 2017 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-reads, 5-stars, characters-i-loved, faves, stand-alone

Moxie Girls Fight Back! ALL OF THE STARS FOR YOU!

Really all it is, is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that's finding ways to tell them they're not.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

If I could just stand up and applaud this book. IT IS AMAZING. In the last 30 pages I could of cried at just how proud I am of all the girls (and some boys) at the awful awful school! I can safely say that I identify as a Feminist, and sometimes this word can be seen as ...more

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Jul 26, 2018 Emer (A Little Haze) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Young Teens learning about feminism for the first time

Recommended to Emer (A Little Haze) by: Aimee

Shelves: reviewed, challenge-sum2018, read2018, young-adult, 2stars, contemporary

I wasn't going to read Moxie. I got the vibe from it that it was sort of a book for the younger end of the YA spectrum and well... I'm a couple of decades past that *gulps*

But in my book group (currently recruiting new, interested members so hit me up for an invite 👍🏻)... Anyway we have this reading challenge this summer and basically we are all recommending different books to each other to read and discuss together. It's good fun!

So one of my friends in the group, Aimee *waves at Aimee* recomm ...more

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Jun 17, 2018 Yusra ✨ rated it it was ok

so i basically felt nothing but annoyed :)
rtc
—-
pre-reading:
ready to feel empowered, angry, and everything in between

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Jul 07, 2017 Jill rated it really liked it

I feel so honored that I have the ability to review this book early! I received this from my local bookstore and I could not be more grateful (:

YAY YAY YAY THIS BOOK PREACH IT! I haven't felt this empowered since I saw Wonder Woman xD

Ok let's start at the beginning of my journey with this book shall we? I was first exposed to Moxie when a firestorm of hype surrounded it because of a review calling this book anti male and all that. To be perfectly honest with you all, that made me slightly hesit I feel so honored that I have the ability to review this book early! I received this from my local bookstore and I could not be more grateful (:

YAY YAY YAY THIS BOOK PREACH IT! I haven't felt this empowered since I saw Wonder Woman xD

Ok let's start at the beginning of my journey with this book shall we? I was first exposed to Moxie when a firestorm of hype surrounded it because of a review calling this book anti male and all that. To be perfectly honest with you all, that made me slightly hesitant to pick up this book. I consider myself a feminist, but I didn't want to read anything... insane, you know?

Having read it I'd like to make a little PSA: THIS. BOOK. IS. NOT. ANTI. MALE!! How that was even interpreted... I have no idea...but I suppose everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This book actually deals with anti male thoughts and ideas VERY WELL. It was handled in a flawless, beautiful way. Were some guys looked down simply because they were guys? Yes... but the book explains why that is in a reasonable way and those negative male feelings are pretty much resolved by the end. To me, that is the opposite of anti male. But again, everyone is entitled to believe different things.

Okay, now that that mini rant is over let's get into more things I loved about this book. As I mentioned at the beginning. THIS BOOK WAS EMPOWERING AS HELL. I found myself wanting to stand up and protest right there in my living room. And I especially loved how the main characters in this book didn't start out being incredibly empowering. They slowly developed into kickass rebels and I loved that. As soon as I finished this book I ran and drew hearts and stars on my hands and it felt amazing (: (A form in which the girls protest at first).

I also thought this book was really realistic. The sexist things that happen to these girls are 100% real and watching people naturally push back against that was really great to see.

I think Moxie is such an important book in today's culture. It's extremely informative and deals with feminism in an excellent way. No matter who you are, whether you are a feminist or not, even if you are a girl or not, I strongly believe that everyone should read this book. I know many people who would run and hide at the word feminist but this story shines a light on the entire movement and explains alot. It makes the word feminist a lot less scary and a whole lot more badass.

Now, there were a few things that I didn't absolutely love about this (hence not a full 5 stars). For one, the story dragged a bit toward the middle and I found myself having to push to get over it. Also, the characters were not my absolute favs. I think if this book was a bit longer I could have connected better with the characters much more. But, as it was, they all were sorta eh for me. But that's mostly just a me thing!

Overall, Moxie made me laugh and tear up in joy and heartbreak and I think it will stick with me for quite sometime. What the story represents is incredibly important and I implore you to pick this one up come September. These words NEED to be read by everyone, regardless of who you are!

Let's start a revolution ;) ...more

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Mar 23, 2018 Kate (GirlReading) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

Moxie is a powerful story of feminism, girls supporting girls and standing up for yourself, your friends and those whose voices are hushed. It was a story full of badass, empowering, strong women and equally strong friendships pulling together to fight the good fight. The writing was easy to read, the characters were instantly likeable and the relationships, whether in a romantic, platonic or family sense, were wonderful to follow. My only criticism is that, although it is discussed in places an ...more

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Aug 13, 2017 Bee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: standalones

Well that was just all around fantastic, wasn't it.

Moxie is powerful and fun, with some seriously strong female friendships. I loved the coming together of the community, and how Viv was applying her feminism to her own relationship. I just wish more had happened between Viv and her mum, there were probably a couple of important conversations waiting to happen. But this book make me proud to be a girl, and I definitely need more Moxie girls in my life!
...more

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Sep 29, 2017 ambsreads rated it it was amazing

TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual assault, misogyny
REVIEW WARNING: it's a hell lot of babble

THIS REVIEW IS ALSO ON MY BLOG

R A M B L E

If you ever get one book recommendation from my blog make it Moxie. Honestly, this is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. Honestly. I wish I could make everyone I know read this book. It is valuable and it is powerful.

These days, the word feminist is seen as a dirty word by some. It means man-hater, it means unwashed, it means venomous. Many shy away from usin ...more

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Oct 06, 2018 Eli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, best-of-2018, favorites, read-2018

4.5* I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!
There are just some books out there that all people with (and without) a pulse should read, that would clear some massive problems! If I had a son I would shove it in his face and make him read it (but basically I did it with my boyfriend and he really loved this so yeah.. you don't always have to apply force I guess...)
As and english teacher I would put this on all the reading lists because even though I'm a few years older than those characters I loved the message and ...more

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Oct 04, 2018 Faye* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

YES TO THIS BOOK!

Sexism exists. Girls and women feel unsafe, belittled, objectified, and humiliated every day, even in so-called “first world” countries, where we’re supposedly so far ahead and women have exactly the same rights and opportunities as men.

+ I have lived a very sheltered life so far (and I’m very grateful for it, don’t worry). If there is one thing that this book accomplished it’s reminding me of how lucky I’ve been, and how different and how unfair the world is for so many other ...more

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Oct 27, 2017 Fafa's Book Corner rated it really liked it

Review posted on Fafa's Book Corner!

Beware spoilers ahead!

Trigger warning: Rape, blackmailing, harassment, bullying, slut shaming, mention of accident, sexism, misogyny, and mention of death.

Vivian is used to everything. She's used to behaviour of the boys. Used to all the sexist jokes, and the boy being able to get away with everything. Until Lucy transfers. Lucy is the new girl and the latest victim of Mitchell's harassment. Viv puts her foot down. Why should she and the rest of the girls ha ...more

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Sep 20, 2017 TJL rated it did not like it

Shelves: i-wanted-to-slap-the-main-character, irritating-sexism-preaching, preachy-af, characters-were-annoying, characters-you-love-to-hate, reviewed, i-am-actually-seething-with-rage, i-knew-it-would-piss-me-off, sexist-bullshit, this-book-made-me-angry

I knew exactly what I was getting into.

I knew that.

I knew this book was going to be "Why Feminism is DA BEST THING EVAR and Boys Are Icky Yucky Sexist Dudebro Pigs". I knew that.

So why did I decide to read it?

Fuck if I know. I guess I just like watching train-wrecks.

So let me just outline some highlights- in no particular order- with a reminder that I am a woman, and therefore are especially fucking bothered by some of this shit:

(view spoiler) I knew exactly what I was getting into.

I knew that.

I knew this book was going to be "Why Feminism is DA BEST THING EVAR and Boys Are Icky Yucky Sexist Dudebro Pigs". I knew that.

So why did I decide to read it?

Fuck if I know. I guess I just like watching train-wrecks.

So let me just outline some highlights- in no particular order- with a reminder that I am a woman, and therefore are especially fucking bothered by some of this shit:

(view spoiler) ...more

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Jun 18, 2017 Sophia rated it really liked it

i just wanna know...... how in the world do you get amy freaking poehler to blurb your book?

—

edit after reading:
moxie is such an inspiring, motivating book about real problems, real places, and real kickass women. is the discussion of feminism the most nuanced ever? no, but at this level, it doesn’t need to be. you have to build a strong foundation of what feminism is/why it’s necessary before you can dwell on the more niche branches of feminism. the message is powerful and beautiful and i was ...more

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Mar 15, 2019 Carole (Carole's Random Life in Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, ya, audio-book, 2019, 2019-netgalley-challenge, library, reviewed

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I really ended up enjoying this book! This was a review book that completely slipped through the cracks and was left to sit somewhat forgotten. By the time I pulled it out of the pile, I didn't completely remember why I had been drawn to it in the first place. I wasn't too far into the book when I realized just how good this story really was and I had a fantastic time with it.

It has been a long time since I was a teenager or went to This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I really ended up enjoying this book! This was a review book that completely slipped through the cracks and was left to sit somewhat forgotten. By the time I pulled it out of the pile, I didn't completely remember why I had been drawn to it in the first place. I wasn't too far into the book when I realized just how good this story really was and I had a fantastic time with it.

It has been a long time since I was a teenager or went to high school. A very long time. My youngest daughter is currently finishing up her final year of high school and my oldest is a young adult so I have lived with teenagers for quite a few years so I feel like I know what they are like and I thought that this book was filled with realistic teenagers which is one of the things that I really really enjoyed about it.

I wish that the things that happen at Vivian's high school during the course of this book didn't happen. I know that they happened when I was in school and I don't think it is too much of a stretch to think that they still happen quite often in certain areas. I was mad. I was disappointed. And I was disappointed. How could the adults let these things happen and not speak up? How was it that none of the parents of daughters from the school were demanding change? The one thing that I would have loved to see happen in this book would be for Vivian, or one of her friends, to tell the adult in their life exactly what was going on.

These girls didn't let others fight their battles though. Vivian sparks a movement that eventually works its way across her school. I was so happy to see these girls stand up and fight the things that were wrong together. It was a very uplifting message about how change can happen if you get enough people to stand up with you.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book which turned out to be a fantastic choice because Suzy Jackson did a wonderful job with the story. She really was the voice of Vivian and I thought that she did was able to bring this story to life. All of the character voices were really well done and I had no problems listening to this book for hours at a time.

I would recommend this book to others. I had a great time watching this wonderful group of characters fight for a cause that was easy to get behind. I look forward to reading more of Jennifer Mathieu's work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.

Initial Thoughts
Such a good story! This was a story about girls standing up for themselves, for what is right, and for each other. It makes me mad that we live in a world where treating certain people differently than others still happens but I love the fact that people are working to make a change. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with the story. ...more

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Jun 23, 2017 Aneta Bak rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

Moxie is a book that all young adults and teens should read, whether you’re male or female, this book needs to be shared to show everyone the right side of feminism. It gives us a good reminder, that no matter what the problem is, if we all stand together we can make a difference.

The boys at Vivan’s high school can get away with anything. Innapropriate comments, degrading games and touching girls without their permission, the worst part is that the administration totally doesn’t see anything wro Moxie is a book that all young adults and teens should read, whether you’re male or female, this book needs to be shared to show everyone the right side of feminism. It gives us a good reminder, that no matter what the problem is, if we all stand together we can make a difference.

The boys at Vivan’s high school can get away with anything. Innapropriate comments, degrading games and touching girls without their permission, the worst part is that the administration totally doesn’t see anything wrong with this, since they’re the star football players of the school. Vivian takes it upon herself to start an anonymous empowerment magazine, first starting off with small acts to group together and then leading to larger acts of empowerment.

Vivian was a lovely character. Her journey throughout this story is very beautiful and special.As one of the shy girls at school, Viv only hangs out with a few of her closest friends and tries to avoid standing out to the boys to make sure they don’t make fun of her. When Viv sees a girl in her class with her spirit totally destroyed after a boy makes fun of her in front of the whole class and a teacher does nothing about it, she decides to take action into her own hands and make a zine called Moxie. With inspiration from her mother’s own punk rock period in high school, Viv’s zine becomes a hit and empowers girls from all grades to stand together against the inequality in their school.
What Viv did was totally out of her comfort zone, but every change she made helped her come out of her shell and become the beautiful person she is. She stood up for what she thought was right and I admire her so much for that.

This book was so important to me. I’ve read a lot of books, and this is the first time I’m actually reading a book about female empowerment and feminism. Shocking right? You never notice how much our current libraries are lacking these sort of titles until you read one. The message that this book gives is so important, not only to young women who might be going through this type of thing, but also young men to show them that women should never be treated in such a manner and what repercussions it can have.

The one thing I didn’t like in the beginning of the book, was the romance that Viv had. Personally, I just wanted to focus on the plot of the story and what Vivan would do next. I found myself skimming the parts where she was talking about the love interest or scenes with them together. Fortunately by the end of the book I can see why the author decided to include the romance to the story, and while I appreciate what she did, I still believe that this book should have been romance free.

Overall, absolutely amazing book. I will be passing on my own copy to all the girls and guys I know who will want to read it. This is a book that I recommend buying because I’m 100% sure you will either love it, or it will change your outlook… or maybe even both.

Happy reading,
Aneta ...more

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About Jennifer Mathieu

Jennifer Mathieu

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I'm a high school English teacher, writer, wife, and mom who writes books for and about young adults. My novels include MOXIE, THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE, DEVOTED, and AFTERWARD.

My fifth novel, THE LIARS OF MARIPOSA ISLAND, will be out in September 2019.

My novel MOXIE will soon be a movie for Netflix directed by none other than Amy Poehler! It has a special Tumblr I adore that you can check out at www ...more

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Quotes from Moxie

“it occurs to me that this is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But a feminist. It’s not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that’s always finding ways to tell them they’re not.” — 71 likes

“Making girls monitor their behavior and their appearance because boys are supposedly unable to control themselves? That is one of the oldest fucking tricks in the book.” — 41 likes

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