Excellent book that I can put into the hands of every young adult in my library! I wish every high school had Moxie Girls!

This was a very good book! It is about a high school girl in Texas who is fed up with her high school and the way the boys are coddled and the girls must make things easy for them. She knows that her mom was rebellious in her younger years and it spurs her on to start Moxie - an anonymous ezine that challenges the practices at the school and allows the girls to "fight back". It really was good and while the school and administration was over the top and unbelievable - surely we don't have schools behaving that way in "real life" - It was a fun read and you just wanted to cheer for those girls. It comes out next week and I would recommend it.

Moxie was such an empowering YA book! I swear, this is a book all teenage girls should read! The way Jennifer Mathieu wrote it made me want to stand up and cheer! I definitely want my daughter to read it.

I really worried about whether or not the author would take the story to the extreme, and vilify two of the characters for not being exactly what Viv thought a ‘good person’ should be. You can show acceptance and still support women’s rights and equality.

Other than that, everything was pretty awesome! I loved Viv’s discovery of courage coming from a mindset of a Riot Girl. I thought it was awesome that she had to recognize that men can’t understand what it’s like to be a woman who exists in a world that wants to validate us as sexual beings first, but how their inability to get it doesn’t automatically make them sexist. They can still be one of the ‘good ones’.

Moxie was a book about starting a revolution! I’m all about girls fighting back! I’m all about our youth raising their voices and being heard.

I want a future of strong women! Moxie Girls Fight Back!

I wish this book had been around when I was growing up. It's a punch your fist in the air, fight the patriarchy, damn the man kind of book that made me cry happy tears at the end.
I'm going to force every teen and girl in my life to read this book and meet the Moxie Girls.

This novel is FANTASTIC! The timely topic of school dress codes, mansplaining, etc are done in a very readable way. I cannot wait to promote this in our library to every single teen AND adult reader!

A must purchase for my library. i think this book would work well for a book club/discussions and I hope it unites young women all over through the power of sisterhood.

Oh. My. Word. Please let the fact that I had to stay up until 12:30 to finish this in one sitting be testament to how wonderful this book is.

This hit all of the right buttons for me. I know that teen-Amy would have loved this, and adult-Amy loved it just as much. I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters. The growth of each character was incredible to navigate. Some gained bravery, some gained understanding, some gained friendship, and some gained much-needed humility. The characters felt so realistic and diverse.

+ The romance was actually adorable and added a lot to the plot. It was a great way to frame a discussion about male feminists.
+ The intersectionality (specifically for women of color) was done so well and so realistically. I appreciated that racial equality was brought up.
+ I loved how the stereotypes and archetypal characters were kind of twisted past what you normally see. Not even the antagonists felt cookie cutter.
+ The story balanced the Moxie-focused plot with other topics of dating, friendship, sexual assault


- The only thing that was a bit subpar was that the ending felt a bit too squeaky clean and easy. However, I enjoyed the blinding optimism that it brought, so I easily looked past it.

<b>trigger warnings for <spoilers>mentions of sexual assault (described) and attempted rape (not described)</spoilers></b>

<i>I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I finished this book and immediately started recommending it. I was so impressed, and honestly, when I first started hearing the hype around this book I was very skeptical, but it really is that fantastic and meaningful.
This story of a teenager in small town Texas having a feminist awakening was a fantastic reminder for me as an adult (and should be a great inspiration for the teenagers for which it's intended) of the strength that young adults hold. Young people are not voiceless, and when they find that out they can be incredibly powerful, particularly when they connect with each other as part of a movement.
I'm probably not really capable of talking about this book objectively, because a story about feminist high schoolers was incredibly personal for me, but I can't wait for this book to get into the hands of young people. I think the way it approaches feminism and activism is very approachable- Viv starts small, with a realization that something isn't ok and wanting to do something but not really knowing how to make a difference, but she takes the first step and finds ways to keep the ideas growing. This book also features many healthy relationships- between friends, between romantic partners, between family members, which is something that's often missing in YA.
Jennifer Mathieu created a character and a story that is memorable, inspiring and enjoyable, and is definitely going to be the book I'm telling everyone I know about for awhile.

I really wanted to like this one since it was highly recommended by Amy Poehler. I just did not enjoy this one. I had to force myself to read it. Hopefully others like it, though.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of Moxie. I loved watching Viv, the dependable, obedient, demure girl, find a way to fight back against the patriarchy in her small town that not only demeans women, but also condones violence against them. The Moxie girls find creative ways to find each other and support each other to affect change. Recommend to your feminists, wanna be feminists, and those who support them. Also recommend The Market, The Plain Janes, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Beauty Queens, and Dumplin' as other reads where girls take control of their situation.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YXXp...

East Rockport High is not a good place for it's female students. The football team gets away with whatever they want, girl's activities lack founding, and administration isn't willing to help. Vivian Carter has to do something. Vivian's mom was one of the Riot Grrrrls who stood up for women's rights in the 90s and they inspire Vivian to fight back. Vivian create Moxie, an underground zine that urges the female population of Wast Rockport High to fight back. But as Moxie evolves from zine to revolution Vivian must balance her friendships, her new boyfriend, and an unstoppable movement.

This is one of those books that feel perfectly timely. Mathieu has written a manifesto for young women about their rights and their worth and it was excellent. Vivian is one of those characters that is so easy for readers to relate to and her situations has elements that everyone has witnessed or experienced.

I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the book young women have been waiting for; I can already see it creating a cult following and being that one young women demand their friends read, gets brought up in high school/college classes, beg their libraries offer and turning Moxie into a revolution.

For those who get triggered easily be forewarned there is some issues with sexual harassment and implications of rape.

In an age when so many people feel like they aren’t heard Moxie reminds readers they have a voice that deserves to be heard and should be heard. I’m not sure there is a book more focused on feminism than this one as it’s all about girls supporting each other, creating common goals, learning what the movement means and why women should come together instead of tearing each other apart.

Mathieu created realistic characters that help deliver this story and turned it into something realistic and powerful. Seth was a surprising love interest that I wasn’t expecting considering the nature of the story yet because he has a great heart it helps balance some of the darker elements. His relationship with Viv sets the bar for what young romance should strive to mimic. Viv is this passionate fighter who isn’t as confident as she seems but can argue better than a politician; I can see her being a character many look to as a role model.

Male privilege is examined through the character of Seth and I can see it making some male readers uncomfortable but only because Mathieu does a great job of pointing out what most don’t want to admit. It also brings up the idea of ‘safe spaces’ in a roundabout way when Seth points out that Moxie should be a girls only space.

Another issue brought up between characters is how even though women in general have experienced sexism, the way it occurs to one race versus another varies so how a white woman experiences it will be different from a POC.

The setting is a small town in Texas so I felt the author did a good job staying true to the nature of where she placed her people. There isn’t a lot of diversity in some ways when it comes to POC or LGBTQ but I wouldn’t expect as much in this setting versus if it was some place like New York or even Austin/Houston which are far more liberal than the smaller more conservative parts of the state. If she was going to add more then she would’ve needed to move the setting to keep that realistic feel.

Overall this is such an emotionally powerful book that if you aren’t feeling your heart move in 20 different directions or have tears springing to your eyes you may need to have some deep inner conversations with your outlook on life.

Life at East Rockport High School isn't the easiest. And it's harder when you're a girl in a school run by football, where football jocks can get away with wearing sexist shirts, asking you to make a sandwich, and doing the bump-'n'grab (as repellant as it sounds), while girls get dress coded and put down at every opportunity. Vivian sees this inequality and it fills her with rage...but she doesn't want to stand out. She wants to be anonymous. After reading through her mother's old feminist zines and watching the principal's son verbally harass new student Lucy, Vivian decides to fight back. She creates her own zine and distributes it in the girls' bathrooms. And the Moxie girls are born. Their motto: Moxie girls fight back! But in this world of institutionalized male-dom, can Viv get her movement off the ground? Or will it just end up hurting her and her friends?

Any rational person who reads this book might initially think it's implausible. Boys don't get away with full sexual assault on a girl, they might scoff. Teachers would shut down sexist comments, they might remark. Dress codes ensure students look appropriate and not like little hookers. Principals don't get to run wild and discriminate based on gender.

Hate to break it to ya, but this happens. All. The. Time. Especially in small little towns like East Rockport, where football is KING. Not my town, you say? Look at the little, tiny amounts of inequality that sneak by, that you don't really notice until an outside points it out. I thought the examples might be stretching it at first, but then I started thinking. Maybe not everything happens all at once. Maybe only parts occur. But they occur. And they happen because the situation is allowed to happen, by adults who tacitly or explicitly condone it.

This book is a shoutout and call to action for the unrelenting fairness of the expectations placed on girls and the passes boys get because they're boys (especially if they're athletic stars). For the excused of "boys will be boys," or the idea that girls must police themselves in their actions, speech and dress because boys are wild animals who can't control their raging lusts (an insult to boys and girls). And for the institutionalized sexism in a dress code system that punishes girls: forcing them to stand up in class and be objectified, forcing them to wear "scarlet letter" cover-ups, telling them that their education is less important than their male counterparts.

Kudos to the author for also including WOC in the Moxie Girls, and male allies. And double kudos for the feminist resources in the back of the book that are carefully selected for their inclusiveness (because white feminism ain't feminism).

Definitely a must read (view spoiler) for girls frustrated by the ridiculousness of high school, who are filled with anger that they just can't explain or justify.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

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 when she was young, her grandparents live next door, she has friends, life is pretty okay. Not so much at school. The school is run by the star football players and they get away with everything. Mitchell Wilson is the leader of the pack and his father is the Principle of the school, so he gets away with even more. The football team gets all the money while other parts of the school are in the dark ages.

But one day, Viv has had enough. When a new girl named Lucy is trying to answer a question in class and Mitchell makes a comment that sends Viv on a quest to end this crap.

Viv gets the idea to start a zine called Moxie from reading through her moms old stuff in a box. Her mom was pretty hard core when she was younger.

Viv designs pages and makes copies of them and puts them in the girls bathrooms. There are some cool pictures in the book but I won't share them until I get my physical copy when it comes out in case something changes.

Moxie slowly starts a revolution. A revolution of girls to not be shamed, or groped, or raped, or pushed to the side. This movement causes girls that would have never talked to each other to be friends and to stick up for one another. They even do bake sales and stuff so the girls soccer team can have new uniforms. It's so freaking uplifting that all I can say is read the book and find out for yourselves.

The idea of girls coming together as friends and not being jealous or petty is fantastic!

And in this small town having a movement like this and going against the higher ups in the school is something everyone should do if they are living in a corrupt area. A principle pushing attempted rape and other things aside like they are nothing is not something that needs to let go by the wayside.

The book made me feel good inside. And the author left some websites for people to look at for different groups. I love it!

There is also a love interest for Viv in the book. His name is Seth and even though some don't think this should be a book for romance I have to disagree. I loved Seth and I think the placement of a hot high school guy that doesn't think like the jerks was a great thing. It didn't take away from the book, it was just there along with the other norms of life.

Mel ♥

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Moxie is a powerhouse in so many ways. I haven’t read a book in such a short amount of time in quite a while. It was fast paced, relevant, and brought so many things home for me. Jennifer Mathieu did a wonderful job of portraying small town politics, feminism, and friendships among brave young women in this powerful YA Contemporary.
I also loved the dynamic that Vivian had with her family. I liked that they could trust each other and talk about anything. I enjoyed the people Vivian surrounds herself with because they all support her in her endeavor to show the world that girls do not have to sit back and take unfair treatment! I thought Mathieu did a great job at showing not only girls are involved with Moxie but some of the boys are too!

Awesome book by Jennifer Mathieu! So glad it's a YA novel because it's important for young women to read it. Even if the events in the book aren't your experience, they still happen and we must come together and fight. The main character Vivian secretly starts a zine called moxie which about feminism and fighting back against sexism. It spread rapidly and a group of women refers to themselves as Moxie...and together they stood up for what is right. Great story, I'm hoping it inspires many young women, and men.

Well written book with a great story. I loved the protagonist, Vivian. It was great how the book was able to approach feminist issues through her, while also showing the struggle teenage girls go through with peer pressure of wanting to fit in and not cause discord. It was great that images of the "zines" Vivian makes were also included. If I had read this as a teen, I could see it inspiring me to do something to try to reach out to others. I hope every teen girl out there gets a chance to read this book.

I vividly remember watching Wonder Woman this summer and quietly bawling through the fight scenes without really understanding why. I walked out of the theater awestruck and almost hungover with hope and euphoria (and apparently I wasn’t the only one). I felt this intense appreciation for finally having been given the chance to see a strong, kick-ass, unapologetic female superhero unfiltered on the big screen and it made me sob uncontrollably.

This is the feeling I was left with upon finishing Moxie at roughly 4:00 on a Thursday morning. I jolted up in bed after having stayed up all night reading, feeling empowered, unstoppable, and like I could dismantle the patriarchy right right then and there—and in my pajamas no less! There’s something so magical about finishing a book and knowing somewhere deep down that you were just meant to read it. I also may have cried once or twice…

In all seriousness though, this book is just fantastic. Moxie‘s characters are well-developed, diverse, and believable, and most teens will find something to relate to within its pages. So much growth and change surrounds Viv and her classmates, and it was refreshing to read YA lit that subverts stereotypes in the powerful way that Moxie does. Mathieu sets up pretty distinct expectations for each of her characters and then proceeds to completely shatter most, if not all, of them by the final page. She also handles issues like slut-shaming, sexism, rape culture and victim blaming, racism, and LGBT+ rights with unbelievable grace and wisdom.

Moxie is the feminist book I wanted to read as a teenager. Or, rather, it was the book that I needed to read. I want to see this book in the hands of every teenager in 2017 and I am definitely going to do my part to contribute to this cause.

Full review to come closer to release. Thank you Macmillan for this ARC.