YES! What's not to like: punk rock, girls' resistance, respectful relationships, hard-working single mom, sexist admin getting his in the end. I've been suggesting this to all my friends. A must read in this #metoo time.

Moxie girls fight back! I loved this book and feel it is so relevant for today's teenage girls. I hope it inspires some zine writers out there!

This was a strong book and it makes the reader want to get up and DO SOMETHING about it.
I loved the strong message that anyone can make a stand and do something.
Strong female empowerment themes and it acknowledges that the main character, a white teen, experience harassment and assault, but that the Latinx and African American characters get to have a voice and be acknowledged as part of the Moxie girl movement.

This book is set in a high school and there are representations of sexual harassment against the female students, as well as talk of a sexual assault for one character and accusation of attempted rape of another female student (aka we don’t see these events unfold on the page like the systematic sexual harassment, but I wanted to include a disclaimer that these sensitive topics are being discussed).

It's decent. There's a lot of girl power and feminist history which is all great. And it's in a convenient form to give to young girls in your life who you want to constructively teach about these things in an engaging novel fashion at their level.

Oy, this book. I am torn between wanting to give this 4-5 stars because I can see how it would be so, so important and good for a pre-teen or young teen girl to read, but it's not actually that well-written?

The fact that this is basically a baby feminist fairy tale is a feature, not a bug, and pointing this out makes me very much not the target audience. However, "Moxie" just barely skims the surface of the Riot Grrrl movement. Not to be a gatekeeper, but Bikini Kill and The Runaways (of all the bands! Not even Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers!) are name-checked just about every other page. Sleater-Kinney and Carrie Brownstein would've been easy cultural touchstones to make third-wave feminism and riot grrrl culture contemporary -- hell, Pussy Riot has been making headlines for the past couple of years. This movement is not a relic of the recent past, despite how it's being framed in "Moxie".

On the other hand, this is exactly what young girls need to read right now. They need stories that validate their anger, encourage them to raise their voices, and carve out a space for themselves in a world that is violently opposed to their very existence.

"Moxie" weaves a tale of seismic cultural change and toppling of a micro-patriarchy, borne of the bravery of teenager girls. It is not a perfect book, but it is an important one. We need more books like this, with more diverse characters, with more intersectional arguments. But for now, we have "Moxie". Dayenu.

I thought this book was a timely, much needed, and refreshing YA book. In a time when being politically minded is something that more and more young people are thinking about, this book encourages readers to think critically about their world and to take steps to enact change where they see issues...all it takes is a little moxie.

I've never considered myself a real feminist. In fact, as a teen I probably would have told you that we don't need feminists any more. I realize now how our culture inherently undervalues anything feminine. Now, are the examples in this book a bit extreme? Sure, but that's not uncommon in fiction. We exaggerate to make a point. And sadly, its only a mild exaggeration. We excuse sexual harassment as "boys will be boys" and girls who protest are being overly sensitive. I'd love to give this book to some teens and start a conversation.

I absolutely adored this book, which was both a bit of a delightful surprise and the first step in laying a foundation of affection for everything that comes after this!

I really like the nuanced relationships between our main character and her friends, family, and love interests. The story line definitely got me pumped for grrrl power and supporting the other females in my life.

Free copy given in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed immensely. I love how Mathieu did such a great job of telling an important, troubling story with such an interesting and dynamic main character. The story never felt heavy-handed and all of the great points and social commentary were balanced out by such interesting characters. Certainly one of my favorite books of 2017 and one I hope many people will enjoy and learn from.

Lawd.

This book brought my back to my youth. The days when I felt invincible. The days when I felt I could make a difference in the world. Not that I can't NOW, but back then, it felt like a guarantee. Something easy. But having read Moxie now I realize that was merely wishful thinking.

Making a difference, creating waves, is Hard. Yes, with a capital H.

But this book, it gave me hope. Because somewhere out there, baby feminists are starting their own revolutions. And little by little, I have to believe they'll pick up steam.

And Viv! Sometimes it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Sometimes it's the quiet ones who get shit done. And that's what I loved best about this tale. The girl who was afraid to rock the boat. The girl who followed the rules. When she finally has had enough, that's when shit gets real. Some may say, "Big deal, she put out a few newsletters." They're zines, but whatever. But as history has shown, revolution begins with a spark. Something seemingly minor that catches fire and grows. Something to wake up those who have been brainwashed into thinking and seeing things a certain way. And that's the beauty of this little book.

It does that.

Also contained in this story is the importance of friendship amongst girls. I mean, yes, there are bits of romance included, but the bigger focus is girls' relationships with other girls. And how important it is to lift each other up instead of putting each other down. And that message comes through crystal clear in Moxie.

Moxie made me even more proud to be a girl. It shows that if we come together, we can change the world. Make it better. It truly does put the GRRRRRR in Girl Power. You don't have to be a feminist to enjoy this book. But I think after finishing it, you'll want to be. Or maybe, you won't even be able to help it. You'll just realize you always were.

There is nothing more empowering that girl power in the form of a book. Well unless its the Spice Girls and a ton of women supporting each other. Fixing crowns instead of knocking them down is my motto!

Jennifer gave me so much girl power in these pages and I couldn't have enjoyed it anymore than I did! With such a strong character leading the way there is no reason for women and girls not to feel empowered about who we are and what we can accomplish together!

Bravo Jennifer! YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB!

It may have taken me a while to get to this, but what an enjoyable, satisfying, and even inspiring read. I think if I had read this closer to when it came out, I might have considered this optimistic if a bit unrealistic. However, real teens are showing themselves to be amazing, so instead, I find this book to be optimistic and encouraging and representative of what good people can do when they work toward making the world a better, more equitable place.

I wholeheartedly loved this book! It was both enraging and empowering at the same time. It's a fun yet solid feminist novel for the younger crowd and I will be recommending this book left and right!

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about reading Moxie, but Mathieu manages to ride the fine line between being helpful and constructive versus being preachy. The story follows Viv as she has a very normal life. She is raised by a single mother who is well known in the town as having been the “wildchild” in her youth. Viv is seeing uneven punishment based on gender in her school and finally decides to do something about it. She creates a Zine called Moxie, based on what she found in her mothers’ memory box. I love that the book includes the zine because the reader feels like we’re included and not just being told about it.

Mathieu created other characters that shine a light on some of the issues that plague feminism. Her friend is reluctant to speak up because she fears backlash, and new addition to the school is outspoken and is quickly ridiculed for it. A love interest is introduced and is very open-minded but he doesn’t seem to know where he fits in the group. He tries but he often gets the words wrong and his meaning gets muddled. I think it was important for Mathieu to include these persectives because it added a realistic layer to the novel.

I enjoyed Moxie because even though its a fiction book, it felt very real. The characters could be any high school student who decides enough is enough and is ready to take a stand.

Things at VIvian's Texas high school are not created equally. Boys are allowed to do whatever they want while girls are subject to a sexist dress codes, harassment from boys in the hallways, and gross comments. Fed up with it, Vivian Carter starts a feminist zine anonymously. Soon, other girls are on board, friendships are forged, and a revolution begins. Will they manage to change the status quo?

Matthieu’s book is unique and engaging. The characters are well-developed and seem realistic for their ages. The author’s well-developed plot and strong female characters encourage girls to be strong and stand up for themselves. This book would be a great addition to any high school collection and even some middle schools.

Vivian, Viv to her friends, decides that she is finally fed up with "make me a sandwich" comments from boys at her school. These comments, the sexist slogans on t-shirts, and the groping in the hallways has got to go. Since these male high-schoolers are part of the football team, one even the son of the principal, they don't even get in trouble for their sexist remarks or actions. Viv gains inspiration from her a box of mementos from her mother's wild past. In this box, labeled My Misspent Youth, Viv finds miniature magazines, zines, printed and distributed to other girls to encourage and empower them to stand up for female rights and equal treatment. This inspiration leads Vivian to create her own zine, Moxie. Distributing them secretly, Viv's dream of creating change on her high school campus starts small with a call to draw hearts and stars on your hands and arms if you are fed up too. That passion ignites and spreads like wildfire and starts things in motion that Viv would never have imagined possible. Finding new friends and a boyfriend even along the way, Viv and the rest of the Moxie Girls try to campaign for change without their identities being discovered. The opposition is fierce, but if they stand together, perhaps they can make a real difference and effect real change.

Moxie is an interesting tale with some characters you will come to love... and some you will come to hate. It is a story about banding together to do what is right and to stand up for what is best. It is a story of courage and giving others a reason to hope. It is also a story about finding kindred spirits where you don't expect. The story is engaging and, unfortunately, real-to-life. I wouldn't recommend Moxie for everyone. The author, Jennifer Mathieu , writes in a straightforward, no-nonsense way about how the girls at this high school are treated. That part of the story isn't appropriate for a younger audience in my opinion. However, with mature readers, it could spark some very interesting and engaging discussions.... and perhaps bring a few new zines into existence.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Power Brook Press for providing a free e-Galley of this book for review. All opinions contained above are my own.

Girl Power! Yes, my female students will love this. Perfect!

Viva la revolution — aka how I felt the entire time I was reading Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. Friends, I 100% tore through this book. There’s just so much to like about it. For instance, the character development is on point. The feminism is legit — this makes a nice fictional intro. Basically, it boils down to that I can actually understand why Amy Poehler blurbed this book.

Moxie follows this girl named Vivian who goes to a small town Texas high school. At her school, the boys who play football are essentially untouchable. They are also massive douchebags. The boys just keep getting away with it though due to friends in high places, I suppose you could say. Well Vivian has had it up to here with the school’s shit and with the behavior of the boys. So, she is inspired by her mother’s Riot GRRL past and creates this zine that she distributes in all of the girls bathrooms. She basically starts a revolution and promotes female solidarity.

The kicker is that Vivian is not very likely to be the type to start a feminist revolution at school. She’s shy. She is dutiful. Vivian does not make waves nor does she get into trouble. Yet, she anonymously starts Moxie. This book, I would say, is really a story of Vivian finding her voice — eventually. So she starts the zine but then other girls pick it up and really run with the concept. Rather than be threatened by this or engaging in some girl hate, Vivian is cool with it and very encouraging. She also is challenged in her view of feminism throughout the book.

It is also kind of neat how this book has a romance — like it shows you can be a feminist but also find love. So, there’s a new guy at Vivian’s school named Seth. Seth is what the youths call “woke.” Like, he is into Moxie and supportive of it. He asks Viv for her consent before kissing her, etc. However, the relationship isn’t perfect and there are some growing pains. I love that Seth is also still learning about what it means to be a feminist and gets called out as well.

Overall, I am here for how empowering Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie is. This book is well paced. I never was bored or ready to just put it down and move onto the next book. There are scenes that are very empowering. There’s also parts that I can relate to all too well (why is it that barely competent assholes are given SO MUCH LEEWAY?). Either way, this book is fantastic and definitely one to pick up if you’re just starting out on your journey to feminism.

One of the most talked about books of 2018, it felt like everyone was talking about it at some point or another and with good reason, Moxie is the type of book that I needed to read at the end of the year to remind me that when women come together as friends and with a common goal we can do amazing things.

Reading about the school environment that Viv was immerse in was stressful to say the least, I could feel myself getting angry at the way girls were treated and also thinking that it probably happens a lot in real school across the world, things like that or worse. My hope is that when young girls/women read this book they feel like I felt, like not all is lost, like there is hope for us to feel safe in the places we spend our time, school, work, etc.