Moxie: Jennifer Mathieu || Review

"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."

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Release Date: September 19th, 2017

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Preorder/Purchase: Amazon// Barnes and Noble// Book Depository
MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!
Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules. Viv's mom was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the '90s, and 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. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an e-arc via Netgalley! This in no way influenced my review, and all thoughts are my own.

TW: (Mention of) Rape, Sexual harassment

I don't even know what to do with myself right now. I feel like I could crush the patriarchy in one French-tipped hand while clutching a champagne glass in the other and leaving red lipstick stains on the rim while my ladies-in-arms stand by my side. This is the Young-Adult feminist book I've clamored for for years. 

I'll be honest, I didn't really have high hopes for this one. I'd never read a Young-Adult book centrally focused around feminism that either a.) did it well, b.) didn't contradict itself, or c.) didn't include some form of horrible man-hate. But Netgalley sent me an email saying Moxie could be read instantly, and I thought what the hell and downloaded it.

And hello yes, welcome to my review space where for the next 20 years you're going to hear me talk about nothing but this book for hours on end !!

Seriously though, I can't even shriek about this one enough. Moxie follows the story of Vivian who is heavily influenced by the 80's Riot Grrrl movement and decides to take it upon herself to tackle the crippling misogyny in her small-town Texan school. The school essentially hardcore worships the football team and lets the players get away with a ton of crude stuff, both the classic "make me a sandwich!!"-esque phrases, and shirts with logos that ooze sexism. Every action they took incited rage in me, and likewise, Vivian. 

I absolutely adored Vivian's character and the arc she took as she went about not only trying to change the ways of those around her, but learning more about feminism at the same time. She was a quiet, introverted character, and while she came out of her shell a bit in the process of her fight for equality, I appreciated the fact that she didn't have some drastic personality switch. There's always that misconception that strong women are the ones who are loud and extroverted and that quiet women are weak, and I'm so glad that the book threw that stereotype out the window.

Female character stereotypes were completely subverted in general. Character pigeonholes like the perfect blonde popular girl were flipped on their head and every character was so dimensional and reflective of real life ladies. There were black girls, latinx girls, bi and lesbian girls (!!); there was absolutely no shortage of diverse women throughout Moxie and the inclusion of so many different voices and perspectives was done with incredible care and tact. 

The whole book was so damn empowering and all the feminist points and messages throughout could not have made me happier like !! I'm still reeling y'all. So many common things were tackled (dress code, male privilege, white privilege, etc.) and then there were the more extreme things that were exclusive to the school's situation. The event at the end of the book was kind of how I imagine it would feel to have centuries worth of badass females' DNA, along with every feminist movement throughout history, injected into your bloodstream.

There were even points in the story where intersectional feminism took the spotlight, and Vivian learned more about the even harder struggle for her PoC sisters. There wasn't any nod to the issue of trans women (which I'm willing to let slide considering the conservative Texan setting), but this was truly the first time I'd ever seen a mention of intersectional feminism in a Young-Adult book, let alone in one where the main character is white. It was so fantastic to see Vivian learn about the multiple facets of feminism and acknowledge the fact that while her plight was valid and hard, there were other girls in the school who were discriminated against even more than she. 

The only big thing that I wasn't a fan of in Moxie was Viv's boyfriend and their relationship. I appreciated his perspective and effect on Viv, but he was kind of the walking epitome of "not all men!!1!" and it got tiring and slightly nauseating after a while. Near the end, he definitely put in more effort and support behind Vivian's actions, but it felt a bit too late for me. That said though, the romance in the novel was definitely a subplot, and I'm both appreciative of the fact that it was there (hooray for a book not trying to make an absurd statement that feminists hate men/don't want to be in relationships!) and not so overpowering that it distracted from the story. 

Of course, not every aspect of feminism could be tackled in a book like this, especially considering its length. But I think Moxie is absolutely revolutionary, and a gigantic leap forward in the realm of Young-Adult books. I'm so happy I had the chance to read an early copy of this, and lord knows I'll be hyping it up long after it's release date. Vivian's story touched my heart and gave me strength. I can only hope that it does the same for so many other women; younger girls and adults alike. 

*4.5 out of 5 stars*

★★★★★

LET'S CHAT! Doesn't this one just sound amazing? It is, I promise! Have you read any books with a big feminist theme? What is one of the most monumental books you've read this year? And who is your favorite badass female character?? TELL ME ALL THE THINGS.