This book came out in 2019 and is set in the 1990’s, but topic is incredibly relevant today, as well, tackling abortion rights and choice, as well as bullying.

I’ve read some reviews criticizing the level of “rebellion” exhibited by Athena and her friends, but I think that they are rebelling at a level that works for them. As evidenced by the current climate in the US, even small acts of resistance can be impactful. Also, these are high schoolers, ranging in age from 14-18, without a lot of experience with rebellion.

Now, what kind of school administration, whether it’s a religious school or public school, believes a rumor about at 14 year old girl brought to them by other students, without proof. And then, to punish said student even after their parent provides proof that it did not happen. Once Athena and Helen’s dad went to the school, Helen should have been reinstated into her extra-curriculars and that should have been it. The “guidance counselor” should not be working in any school, anywhere.

I was disappointed in Sean’s behavior towards Athena and Helen, especially since he had known them forever and He and Athena were best friends. I don’t know why he was dating Leah in the first place, but to take her side over Helen’s was pretty bad. I don’t know how I feel about they way things ended up for him, though I predicted it would happen.

Don’t get me started on Kyle. I have a lot of things to say about him, but it would reveal too many spoilers. I have a lot to say about Tripp too, but I’ll also keep that to myself.

Now for the girls, I loved that Athena was ready to stick up for her sister even though they weren’t close. And that their best friends (minus Sean), also stood behind Helen. They all learned so much about each other and had each other’s backs, even with differing opinions.

And while some of the teachers were against them, they had some administrative support, and the support of a lot of the student body.

I have mixed feelings about the ending. I celebrated parts of it, but feel like some people got off too lightly, and no major changes were made to the school policies. I would have liked a little more consequences for certain actions. I also wanted a HEA for Athena, with the right guy, though the ending does leave that as a possibility.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan is an engaging coming-of-age story set in the ‘90s, tackling feminism, friendship, and high school drama. The main character, Athena, is a punk rock feminist navigating a conservative Catholic school, which makes for an interesting and often funny clash of ideals. The book does a great job capturing the struggles of teenage activism and finding your voice, while still feeling relatable and real. If you love ‘90s nostalgia, strong female leads, and a bit of rebellion, this is a great read!

My teens will always remember the day we read Rhys! They loved it!!! Of course I did too and they will recommend

Rebel Girls
By Elizabeth Keenan
September 10, 2019

Rebel Girls is about Athena attending Catholic School in the 90s. When the rumors about Athena’s little sister start to fly, it’s hard for Athena to stay under the radar.

Rebel Girls is a blast from the past. My nephew says I need to get my head out of the 90s all the time and this novel just solidified my 90s obsession. Kids of today’s age just don’t understand.
Athena was such a down to earth girl, I could really relate to her. Helen was headstrong and had a lot of personality. Rebel Girls touches base with some pretty serious issues including bullying, racism, teen pregnancy, and abortion.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this e-copy for my honest opinions.

I wish I had liked this more, but sadly I didn't. Especially since I was a teen in the late 90's and was hoping to feel the nostalgia. But I can't rate a book on nostalgia alone. Everything else didn't really resonate with me.

I feel bad giving this book such a low rating considering the theme of the story but I cannot bring myself to like a story just because it has a good moral/meaning.

‘Rebel Girls’ by Elizabeth Keenan was nostalgic, empowering, brave, moving and honest. It was a great read and I highly recommend it.

It was cute, I see why it took me a while to get around to and I probably won't reread it, I got bored.

Firstly I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the type of book that is in my wheelhouse. It was a fun easy read.

I can't get into this one, unfortunately. It's just not for me so I won't be reviewing it on any platforms as I haven't been able to read enough of it to make a fair review. Thank you for your time.

When it comes to being social, Athena Graves is far more comfortable creating a mixtape playlist than she is talking to cute boys—or anyone, for that matter. Plus her staunchly feminist views and love of punk rock aren’t exactly mainstream at St. Ann’s, her conservative Catholic high school.

This book was like a trip down memory lane! The story was fun, characters were pretty great. I really enjoyed it! But then again, I too am a Rebel Girl!

Unfortunately, this book really just ended up being not for me. I had high hopes, but I just couldn't get into it.

Rebel Girls By: Elizabeth Keenan Athena Graves is way more comfortable creating mix tapes play lists than flirting with really hot guys, Her love of punk music and strong feminist beliefs have not endeared her to the administration at her all girls Catholic school- St. Ann's either. Then an ugly rumor begins to spread like wildfire throughout the school. The rumor is about her very pretty, very popular. pro-life sister. Helen. Soon everyone is whispering that her Helen had an abortion over the summer. Not only is this an ugly rumor it could get Helen expelled.
Athena, Helen and their friends have to find a way to work together to dispel this ugly rumor- regardless of their opposing beliefs. Read Rebel Girls By: Elizabeth Keenan and find out if the Rebel Girls are successful!

Athena and her sister Helen do NOT get along. They are total opposites; Athena the shy feminist punk rocker and Helen the popular pro-lifer. But when a vicious rumor starts at their conservative Catholic school that Helen had an abortion over the summer, Athena and Helen put their differences on hold to try to get to the bottom of the rumors and run damage control. Will they be able to set the record straight before Helen is expelled?
Keenan's decision of setting this book in the 90s was a good choice for the storyline. Having two sisters that were polar opposites was a great way to portray the opposing of the abortion arguments. I wish I had been able to read this book when I was a teenager and could have used the confused, yet tough example of Athena. I loved this book and would recommend without reserve.

A really great story about female empowerment and courage. Love the characters and the overall theme.

I did not finish Rebel Girls around the halfway mark. There was nothing catching my attention. With books like Foul is Fair abd Girls on the Verge, I was hoping Rebel Girls would be on par with those but I was wrong. The main character isn’t even who the story is about! It was just a choppy mess.

♀️ QOTD: Do you judge a book by its cover?

Let's be honest. Everyone does, right? This book has been on my radar for a while now and it's all because of the gorgeous cover art. It's a major bonus that the story sounded right up my alley too. I mean, it's YA, prochoice, and has all the teen angst you could ask for.

REBEL GIRLS | ELIZABETH KENNAN

SYNOPSIS: When it comes to being social, Athena Graves is far more comfortable creating a mixtape playlist than she is talking to cute boys—or anyone, for that matter. Plus her staunchly feminist views and love of punk rock aren’t exactly mainstream at St. Ann’s, her conservative Catholic high school. Then a malicious rumor starts spreading through the halls…a rumor that her popular, pretty, pro-life sister had an abortion over the summer. A rumor that has the power to not only hurt Helen, but possibly see her expelled. Despite their wildly contrasting views, Athena, Helen, and their friends must find a way to convince the student body and the administration that it doesn’t matter what Helen did or didn’t do…even if their riot grrrl protests result in the expulsion of their entire rebel girl gang.

#deweyrating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan.

I am really struggling to articulate why I was turned off by this novel, and did not finish.

I can see the attempts to create a "starter pack" of feminism in this YA novel by letting the protagonist grapple with her pro-choice stance in a staunchly pro-life religious school. The difficulty I had (and to be fair, this may have been addressed and I missed it), is that this is such a multi-layered, complex controversy that requires a lot of nuance and discussion. Plus, I don't think this novel was as "feminist" as the author hoped for it to be based on a lot of the "slut-shaming" and name calling I read in the first few chapters. Really, it felt more like a surface level YA romance that someone put a feminist pin on.

I was not able to fully get into this novel. I really did not enjoy the info dumping in the beginning and this read very weird to me. It most likely was just not for me so I will be giving this a fair rating of 3/5 stars! Keep writing loves <3

Not sure why this one remained on my Netgalley shelf for so long as it’s a wonderfully written YA feminist read tackling issues of activism and abortion. The title suggests slightly more rebellion the book actually offers but it enthusiastically introduces a new generation of readers to the Riot Grrrl movement.

Definitely worth more attention than it’s received since it’s Fall 2019 release.