“Moxie is sweet, funny, and fierce. Read this and then join the fight.”–Amy PoehlerAn unlikely teenager starts a feminist revolution at a small-town Texan high school in the new novel from Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth About Alice.MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with an administration at her high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with … 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.
Moxie is a book about high school life that will make you wanna riot
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I listened to the book before watching the Netflix version. There are some differences between the two versions, but both are timely and empowering.
“Moxie” is beautifully subversive and timely. Frustration and anger, well-channeled, are powerful forces.
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu is a fabulous book. I am currently teaching this book to freshman girls at an all-girls Catholic high school in Northern California. I will admit that I was nervous about teaching a book about the topics of sexism, sexual harassment, and attempted rape experienced by girls in a public co-ed high school. Two major questions troubled my mind. Would my students be able to see past the negative connotations our modern world has placed on the word feminism and, most importantly, would they be able to relate to the characters and the story? The answer to the last question has been a resounding yes. The other question has made for incredible class discussions. The beauty of the novel is that it places an emphasis on inclusion when it comes to feminism. The book’s message is that all people, no matter their age, race or gender, should advocate for women’s equality. I will continue to use Moxie as a core text for my curriculum.
My first thought when I read the synopsis (the blurb) for Moxie, was “Wait, so are zines a thing again? Am I that old?” The answer is, zines never stopped being a thing, I just stopped making them, and yes, I am that old. As a 1989 baby, I grew up in the 90s, I didn’t really experience the Riot Grrrl movement since I was a member of the 10 & under crowd. I mean, we had zines as kids. Everybody got into zines in the 90s. I don’t think there was a kid in the 90s who couldn’t make a zine. I couldn’t make a friendship bracelet or braid hair until I was out of high school, but I could make a cootie catcher fortune teller and I could make a zine before I was 6. Because those were important skills to have for a lifetime, right? But for anybody who doesn’t really know what a zine is (because I’ve seen quite a few people who don’t actually know) or wants to know how to make one, here’s a quick little zine tutorial.
I enjoyed reading Moxie. I read it in one sitting and I own three copies of it. A physical copy, a Kindle copy, and an ebook copy. It has its flaws but I’ve yet to encounter a truly perfect book, not even a favourite book is perfect. I truly tried to keep this review short and sweet and still say everything that I wanted to say, but, three weeks later, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that that is not going to happen, y’all.
Moxie follows a high school junior named Vivian Carter around for a school year as she goes from being a self-described “good girl” who’s just trying to survive two more years of East Rockport High School’s brand of misogyny to the unmasked mysterious founder of the Moxie Girl rebellion of East Rockport High School. You will laugh, you will cry, you will probably look up Bikini Kill’s Rebel Girl before you finish this book. (Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.) Now, make sure you’re comfortable before reading further.
Viv was raised in East Rockport, Texas by her mother, Lisa, a former riot grrrl turned nurse after the death of Viv’s father. She grew up listening to her mom’s old music and making their cat, Joan Jett, dance around to bands like Bikini Kill and Heavens to Betsy. Viv and her mom live right next door to her maternal grandparents who repeatedly praise Viv for being such a ‘dutiful’ good girl – unlike her ‘rebellious’ mother who ‘was always looking for a fight’. Viv’s mom’s riot grrrl days are behind her, packed away in a shoebox in her closet labelled “My Misspent Youth”, and she’s just plain Nurse Lisa now, no signs of the blue-haired hardcore feminist to be seen – except hiding somewhere deep inside of her 16-year-old daughter as we’ll all soon discover.
“I believe with my wholeheartmindbody that girls constitute a revolutionary soul force that can, and will, change the world for real.”
– a Bikini Kill zine
Hi, I’ve apparently found the word capacity for BookBub and would like to invite you to finish reading this at https://www.onceuponatimeireadabook.com/2018/12/review-of-moxie-by-jennifer-mathieu.html
How a teenage girl in a football-crazy, male-dominated small Texas town almost by accident leads a feminist revolt. Highly recommended as a present for anyone with a teenager in his or her life. Book isn’t at all heavy handed — just about people who have had enough.
Vivian Carter and Lucy Hernandez are who my teenaged-self always wanted to be. Moxie Grrrls 4 eva!!