Loved this book set in a backwater small town in East Texas. The main character comes into her own and brings her classmates along. Wonderful story of feminism, equality, and MOXIE! Highly recommended.

Vivian is so done with her school. The football players are treated like gods and they wear gross t-shirts and make even grosser comments. The officials almost condone it and the teachers all ignore it. So she creates Moxie, a feminist zine. And...it takes off.

I loved this book. It is smart and fun and funny and sweet and, best of all, unapologetically feminist. It is exactly the book I needed. (Moxie Girls Fight Back.)

This is a Daughters of Eve for this generation and I an absolutely on board. So if you want to know what feminism really is, read this. You'll love it.

Highly recommended.

This is a DNF for me.I got through the first 5 chapters or so, but it just didn't appeal to me. I feel like maybe I'm not a good feminist or something. The writing was super simple (which is great for young readers, so I can appreciate that), but it seemed like it was trying to be a life-altering book, which just didn't jive with me. But to be fair, I didn't like Difficult Women, couldn't get through Bad Feminist, or a handful of other books that everyone else seems to love. So, I think it's just me.

Great story, with a positive message for girls. I have ordered 3 copies for the library.

This book was amazing and I am so glad it was chosen for October's Teen Spotlight of the Month for Indigo. I know our store will be selling this book with passion. It had great characters, the artwork was amazing, and the message was so important. I loved that the message was delivered in a way that didn't call people out as "bad" for not being 100% committed to the idea or for not understanding it right away. I think this would be an important book to read at any time but right now, it feels very, very timely. Moxie Girls unite!

This was such a great read!!! The main character Viv, starts getting fed up with the sexist status quo at her Texas High School. Inspired by her Mom's Riot Grrrl days in the 80's she anonymously creates a Zine called Moxie and starts a movement. I love how this book show girls supporting each other and shines a light on the institutional sexism that I'm sure still exist across many small towns in America. It certainly did when I was in school. Moxie Girls Fight Back!

We are marching because those words deserve to be run over. Steam rolled. Flattened to dust. We are marching in our Converse and our candy-colored flip-flops and our kitten heels, too. Our legs are moving, our arms are swinging, our mouths are set in lines so straight and sharp you could cut yourself on them.

Maybe we hope you do.

Okay, guys, gather around, I have a book for you.

Don't give me that, I know, I know, I recommend books to you all the time and you're tired just sit down and listen, you can leave quickly when I'm done.

What? No, no, this one doesn't have dragons, or magic. You can rest easy.

Well, okay, I know *you* want dragons and magic, this doesn't have those, but it's still fantastic and you'll....yes, there's romance. No, wait, don't...get back in here...

Okay, would you just listen? No dragons! Sweet romance! Girl power! Damn the man, save the emp...okay, you won't get that reference.

This book, Moxie, is about Vivian, a high school junior who has always kept her head down and flown under the radar. She's not popular, but she's not unpopular. She exists, and she tolerates the awful status quo of her small town existence. Not just small town existence, but southern small town existence, which is a hell you can't know unless you've been there.

At her high school, there is a lot of gross unjustice. Things that are so normalized that men and women of all ages often don't even realize it's something they shouldn't have to find normal. And Vivian is beyond fed up.

Empowered by mementos from her mother's wayward youth, Vivian makes an underground zine*. And she starts a feminist revolution, which grows and blossoms into something she couldn't even begin to imagine.

I saw that. Are you rolling your eyes at the word zine, revolution, or feminism? I suspected. What's wrong with feminism?

No, it's not about hating men. You're right, it should be about everyone being equal. That's what feminism is all about. As the book points out, men are raised to normalize this behavior just as women are raised to feel they're supposed to tolerate it.

You don't need feminism. I understand. Let me ask a few questions. Ever been cat called? Or had a man follow you on the street? Ever been called names because you didn't accept a compliment the way the man intended? Ever been told your clothing is inappropriate because it's distracting to "other" students?

There are a thousand little, seemingly minuscule things that can happen in any given day that will wear a person down. This book talks about those things. This book will help you understand how to feel empowered in a world where often you may not feel that way.

Diverse characters? Yes, we have those! Male feminists**? See above re: romance. The romance is lovely, and three dimensional, which is something I need in any romantic storyline.

Hmm? No, this romance is not like Twilight. Come see me after we're done here.

LGBT characters?

Erm.

I'm not saying this book couldn't be improved upon. There's a certain level of Feminism 101 involved, but I like that aspect, especially for a YA age bracket. And the LGBT character scene is tossed away so quickly, if you blink too hard you'll miss it.

But with any revolution, there will always be errors that can be made up for later. No, I don't mean the author is going to write a sequel.

I mean the readers will.

Okay, I'm done. I have copies up here, everyone come get one if you're interested. Or if you're not interested.

Oh, and you, the Twilight reader?

Come get two.



* Ask your parents.

** If you're someone who believes that is possible. The question of whether it is or isn't possible is addressed here, though not "answered".

This is a great introduction to feminism for teens. The characters are likeable, but just a little too good to be true. I hope it will give people the strength to stand up for themselves and to recognize the many ways girls and women are encouraged to be good and stay well-behaved. My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really cute and well done book I enjoyed it a lot. I found the main character reasonably flawed but very realistic.

I went into this book knowing nothing about it. I didn't noticed the Blurb. I didn't read anyone's review on it. I didn't even read the synopsis about the book. I did notice all the activity going on around this book and seeing how I had an ARC I figured why not find out what it was about. It comes out in a few days as well.

"MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!"

This book was amazing. This book is about girls banning together to stick up for each other and all the BS boys and men put us through. Having been out of High School for 5 years now I can say reading this book reminds me of all the messed up stuff that I experienced during those years in school. I wish this book was real. I wished we, females, stuck up for each other more often instead of tearing each other down. I wish we stood up for the real issues not make believe ones in our heads. This book has made me want to go and stand up for the things I believe in. As soon as I finished this book my first thought was I hope this gets turned into a movie of tv show. That was everyone will know how awesome this book is. Even people who don't read. This book needs more recognition. This is the best book I have read in such a long time. It will be my new go to book to give people for recommendations!

I would say, for the most part, Moxie was a fun, insightful, and empowering read. My only criticism comes from the description of the school that Viv goes to... and honestly, it may be exactly as it is described, but if that is the case, holy cow... we have some work to do as a society.

I love the music references that Mathieu makes throughout the novel (although I would have loved to have seen an L7 reference, or some more 80's-90's, even modern, feminist punk band names show up in the book... Sleater Kinney?!) , but the music references were pretty cool... Even Viv and her mom and grandparents had a great relationship. The Moxie moves were cool and inspired, and I would love to see more of that take place, but like I said earlier, we have a lot to do in our world to make sure all woman, ALL woman, are treated equally and fairly.

I would love to use this novel in the classroom, but I don't think it's totally appropriate for all middle schoolers. Maybe advanced classes. However, I will definitely recommend this novel to readers who can handle, understand, and even add to the conversation that the novel bring up. It's a really good lesson, and a really fun read. I hate to think that such blatant sexism takes place in America, but I'm sure that it does. As the father of a young lady, I dream of a future where she can be who she wants to be without worry about being judged, assaulted, etc, and I think with books like Moxie, that future is more and more possible.

Moxie gives such a frustratingly accurate depiction of what women go through every single day. You can't help but cheer the Moxie girls on and become one of them in your own way while reading this novel.

3.5-4 stars.

From Goodreads:

I'm an Indigo Employee, and I received a galley of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

This book was cute and fun, and a great into to feminism, & throwback to the Riot grrl movement. Viv was fun and likeable, and it was cool to see her Feminist Journey ™ unfold. A lot of stuff in this book was super relatable and relevant, but I was ~ really ~ hoping for a bit more. To be frank, this book's feminism was largely White Feminism ™ - & even though Mathieu touches on things like White-centric beauty ideals, and queerness - they feel very much like afterthoughts; like the author had to check some boxes to prove that her feminism is for everyone. I like that this book made feminism accessible, but I felt like it simplified things a bit too much. The principal was almost cartoonishly & obviously "bad", and so were the football players. It would have been amazing to see more nuance explored in how misogyny presents itself.

I thought the issue addressed with the most complexity was how Viv's boyfriend didn't ~ really ~ get 'it'. It was cool to see a young feminist explore what a relationship with a dude means, and how they may want to understand you/what it means to be a feminist, but they will likely never quite understand what it means to be a woman.

This is definitely a good introduction to feminism, and a great book for any young adult, especially young women. I loved the callback to Riot Grrls, and I loved the inclusion of the zine within the book. It was fun and lighthearted, while providing a great look into how to start becoming a feminist, and what your feminism may look like. It was fun, and feisty, but I wish it had been more intersectional and more nuanced.

I'm definitely gonna recommend it - especially to younger readers, & people just starting to get interested in feminism.

I would give this book more stars if they were available! Reading about how Viv and the other Moxie grrrls fought back against the toxic masculinity in their school made me wish I had people like them in high school. This book couldn't be coming out at a better time and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone.

❝ Maybe my mother is right. Maybe I'll leave East Rockport one day. 

But first I need to set it on fire.❞

Moxie is such a powerful book and one of my favorites of this year. I think it had a really great, positive message for young women about what it means to respect yourself and others, and what it means to stand up for what you believe in. 

The story is pretty straightforward and begins with a really shy, quiet, and nearly-invisible Vivian being fed up with the situation at school. She's tired of football players getting away with everything and doing whatever they want just because of who they are (and it doesn't help that one of the boys' fathers is the principal of the school). Girls have to put up with stupid jokes, unfair dress codes, and constant sexual harassment. 

Eventually, it gets to a tipping point and Vivian decides to create Moxie, a series of zines/newsletters to reach out to other girls who feel the same. She's discouraged at first by the little attention it gets, but pretty soon Moxie is taking a life of its own. All kinds of girls take up the name Moxie to let the administration know that enough is enough.

❝ We keep marching, our feet trampled over Principal Wilson's threats and our teachers' warnings. We are marching because those words deserve to be run over. Steam rolled. Flattened to dust. We are marching in our Converse and our candy-colored heels, too. Our legs are moving, our arms are swinging, our mouths are set in lines so straight and sharp you could cut yourself on them. 

Maybe we hope you do.❞

One of the qualities of this book that I really enjoyed--and that I think made the story stronger--was that Moxie may have been started by Vivian, but it wasn't just hers. It became a part of every girl who wanted to take it up. I think it made it so much stronger to be leaderless and to let every girl add their own take and personality to the movement. 

I also think it was great of the book to use Seth as an example of a decent guy who wanted to be part of the movement but just wasn't sure how to show his support. I liked that we were reminded that Seth grew up differently and didn't have the same experience as the girls did. It was the girls who had to be patient and teach him how to be more supportive, but it was also the girls who had to learn to understand where he was coming from as well. 

Claudia was one of the only female characters that really bothered me. Of course, not all the girls jumped on the Moxie train right away. Some were hesitant, but with Claudia, it went beyond not being sure if she wanted to participate, or even declining to be a part of Moxie activities. She actually spoke out against it whenever Vivian and Lucy brought it up. She tried to discourage others and was always very judgemental. Because of this, I was pretty annoyed with Claudia for the longest time, although eventually, she was easier to deal with.

With that said, I would really encourage you guys to check out this book. It left me feeling really energized and positive. This lovely book comes out on September 19th so keep an eye out for it! <3

I loved this little book with every fiber of my being.

It's about girl power and teaching girls (and boys) to respect themselves, respect others, and stand up for themselves.

There's a little romance, but it's mostly about doing the right thing loudly, fiercely, and fearlessly.

My own daughter is a bit too young for the book, but I want her to read it when she's older. It's a good reminder that girls don't need to sit down and shut up simply because of their gender. It's also diversity positive, LBGTQ positive, and simply inspirational.

And above all? It's got a great story with characters I simply loved.

5 well deserved stars!

I want Moxie! As Vivian comes into her own by finding an appropriate, albeit secret, outlet to fight against the misogyny in a small Texas town, we also get to see a regular high school student. So many books today have something that is extremely unique about the protagonist from cancer to even proposagnosia. Moxie's girls, though, are unique in their commonality- they've never been kissed, they are girls who still do sleepovers, and they are nice. It's refreshing. And while it seems extreme to have the special attention of an administration devote most of its time to football, it would only work in Texas to be believable. My only problem with the book is that the students do not go to their parents for serious issues (sexual assault), or the police. In that, I wish alternative avenues could have been addressed somehow.

This is one of the best books I will read this year. Vivian is a high schooler who is just DONE. She lives in a small Texan town that lets the football team run wild. They get away with chauvinist garbage all day long, from wearing explicit t-shirts, to telling girls to "make me a sandwich", to groping in the hallways. The teachers - and the principal, whose son is the star player on the team - all dismiss the girls' concerns. They have routine clothing checks to make sure the girls' clothing doesn't "tempt" the guys. This, my friends, happens every day in schools all over the U.S.

Vivian has had enough. The daughter of a 90's Riot Grrl, she takes action by anonymously starting up a 'zine called Moxie; initially, the 'zine is her way of blowing off steam, but girls at school start responding. They answer Moxie's call, whether it's to identify one another by doodling stars on their hands, or showing up to protest dress code checks by wearing bathrobes and fuzzy slippers. Vivian isn't the only one sick of the old guard. The girls' soccer team has been wearing uniforms older than dirt, so Moxie Girls - as the girls name themselves - hold a bake sales and craft fairs to raise money for new uniforms. The girls at school unite thanks to Moxie, and before she realizes what's happened, Vivian finds herself leading a movement from within.

I ADORE this book. It's as empowering for women as it is for teens, who must read this book. I loved Viv's mom as much as I did Viv, because I get that mom. She keeps her Riot Grrl stuff in a box labeled, "My Misspent Youth"; she's working to pay the bills, relies on her parents probably a little more than she'd like, and she's just damned tired. Riot Grrls don't die; we're still here, we just have a lot of stuff to do, man. But look to our kids. Viv may be the "good girl" at school, but once she's fed up, she falls back on some solid third-wave feminism and makes a 'zine while listening to Bikini Kill. It's a call to action for every single person who picks up this book, and we're not leaving the boys out this time: Viv's boyfriend shows up for her, always supports her. But it's Viv who is the strong character here, making him understand that the "not all guys" thinking is a cop-out, or even holding her relationship at arm's length to figure things out.

Moxie is everything good and important about feminism and YA fiction, and if you haven't added it to your TBR yet, you need to go do that right now. Go make a 'zine while you wait; here's a link to my meager Pinterest board so far. And if you can't wait until Moxie hits shelves in a week, read an excerpt from feminist YA novel ‘Moxie’ from EW magazine. Amy Poehler's production company already has the film rights, so that should tell you volumes about the excitement behind this book.

Moxie is set in a small Texas town, with a strong Foot Ball Culture (FBC). That means that the football players are the school's top priority, and can get away with everything, including sexually harassing the girls. It reminds me of the high school that I attended, where I was frequently asked about my genitalia by strangers while walking down the hall, wearing loose jeans and a t-shirt. Where you learned to avoid sitting next to some boys because their hands would be aggressively grabby under the table. In science class. In health class. In any class with tables. Just saying, I get the atmosphere of this school. Foot Ball Players were never disciplined, and teachers made excuses for their behavior "He's all right, don't worry about him..."

Enter our heroine, Vivian. Her high school is heavy with FBC and drips with sexism. Vivian has subconsciously learned not to talk in class, to repress her opinions back, to expect to be groped in the halls, and to be singled out and shamed by the school's administration for random dress code violations. A dress code that ignores boys wearing shirts with sexually suggestive suggestions, and targets girls who are well endowed and wearing regular t-shirts.

"Each time a girl has been called out by an administrator,
she's been forced to stand up like some doll on display
as the administrator scans her carefully."

Vivian is slowly waking up to NOT being OK with the situation. In some ancient, pre-internet time in the 1990s, Vivian's mother was a Riot Grrrl. Taking inspiration from a shoe box of her mother's memories, Vivian creates a zine that addresses the issues at the school. She anonymously distributes them and calls for action to change the unequal situation.

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I liked the development of Vivian's relationships with her family, friends (old and new) and boyfriend. Her friends, and other girls at the school, have different feelings about the school's sexism, different ideas about how things should be. This is not about a group of cookie cutter women. The girls learn to appreciate and support each other's differences. And, quite realistically, her boyfriend, while sympathetic and supportive, is unable to fully understand what it feels like to be a girl in that environment.

"He'll never get how scary and crazy-making it is to feel like
you belong to some big Boy Monster that decides it can grab you
and touch you and rank you whenever and however it wants."

I liked the way that the girls united to resist being objectified, harassed, <spoiler> and towards the end of the book, assaulted. </spoiler>

This 'controversial' subject of inequality between genders was written about in a very honest, approachable way. I cannot understand why anyone would be against, or feel alienated by, the idea of gender equality. Moxie is an excellent read for all high school students.

Best YA book I've read all year and I read a lot!! This is a must read of any woman or any fan of YA lit. The lead, Vivivian is your normal teen girl who wakes up and ends up leading her schools feminist revolution. Reading her come into her own and finding herself as a feminist was incredible to read. I can imagine that most women can relate to the situations that Vivivian and friends find themselves in. 100% recommend.