I have mixed feelings about this one. It overuses the trope of the big city kid sent to live in rural place. She is very worldly, her peers fitting into very specific types. They are all pretty closed-minded, Sydney included. There is an excellent moment of reckoning where she is called out for her superior attitude that helps balance out that trope. And I like the messaging about the the impact of the individual.

Sydney Vicious Talcott is forced to move from her home in New York to a small town in the Appalachian mountains, leaving her friends and everything she knew behind. Struggling in her new school, Sydney finds herself struggling to find her place in the new school, and on top of it she is the victim of bullying. As if being the new kid isn't hard enough, she stands out in her way of speaking, how she dresses and her music taste.
Wanting to escape her tormentors, she takes refuge in the library, which eventually leads to her finding her new group of friends.
She soon discovers that her new home town is threatened by the corrupt dealings by the town mayor, and a toxic asphalt plant, she and her friends needs to fight back.


The book discusses a lot of political-. environmental-, racial and social issues as well of the importance of staying true to yourself. Even though this book is mainly directed towards middle-grade students, I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in any sort of activism, or environmental issues. It is also a great read in any school and classroom setting, as it is educational without being boring and opens up for a great discussion about race, privilege and environmentalism.


As my interest in music started with Sex Pistols, and being an animal right activist for several decades this was a very cute and heartwarming read. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Vicious is My Middle Name
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 11/15/22
Author: Kevin Dunn
Pages: 228
GR: 4.89

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and publisher and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This book touches a lot of societal issues, but does it in a beautiful and graceful way. It discusses both political and environmental issues. This book is geared toward middle grade students, but would be easily read by a YA or an adult reader. Sydney Vicious Talcott is a wonderful character, you could not help but want things to work out for her. She was uprooted from NY to NC, which is always hard for a middle schooler. Even though she stood out at first, she settles in with a good group of friends. The characters were well developed with depth, passion, and creative. The author’s writing style was creative, intriguing, and engaging. This would be an excellent resource for teachers and libraries to provoke discussion on political and environmental issues among middle schoolers. It could even bridge to high school students to open up dissuasions on equality.

First and foremost, I would love to thank NetGalley, the author, and publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Such a powerful book!. Recommended

Vicious Is My Middle Name by Kevin Dunn is a mid-grade masterpiece! This book was so relatable and had me smiling, gasping, and crying! The book is about Sydney Vicious, a punk rock enthusiast from New York who ends up in a small town in the Appalachian mountains. No stranger to heartbreak, Sydney is the victim of bullying and can't seem to find her place in her new school. That is until she finds a group of students and teachers who share her love of music and reading. When she discovers that her new home is at risk from the underhanded dealings of the powerful and corrupt family of her tormentor, Sydney decides to fight back in the most punk rock fashion ever. She creates a zine calling out "The Man" and throws an epic concert. This story had so many great elements, including the friendship of unlikely misfits, environmental protest, working through grief and loss, and how to stay true to your authentic self. I would recommend Vicious Is My Middle Name to any young reader who sees the oppression so rampant in our society and longs to stand up against it.

I'm a big fan of middle grade novels that have relevant themes and important lessons to learn, and this one had both. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC ahead of time.

Sydney Vicious Talcott is a wonderful character that I couldn't help but root for. 13 years old and a huge fan of punk rock, Sydney's life is uprooted when her mom moves them away from Rochester, NY to Beaver Dam, North Carolina. Sydney sticks out like a sore thumb - the way she looks, the way she talks, her hobbies and interests. She's such an interesting person! But of course interesting is not always appreciated in middle school, especially when you're different from everyone else.

Sydney finds herself a great group of friends and this is where the book really shines. The relationships she develops - whether its with fellow library lovers and school outcasts Shawn and Rita, her grandparents that she and her mother have moved in with, her idol from her favorite all-girl punk rock band who is also her pen pal, the school librarian who supports the causes she is passionate about, the music store owner, her English teacher who she feels is out to get her, and her older brother who is away at college but keeps tabs on her throughout the novel.

The main storyline has political and environmental ties. An asphalt plant is being built in Beaver Dam, right next to the school. Sydney starts researching the dangers of being right next to an asphalt plant, and is determined to prevent it from being built.

An excellent read for middle schoolers!

Be sure to check out the content warnings, which include bullying, death (off page), grief, and minor violence.

Sydney Vicious Talcott has recently moved in with her grandparents into a tiny NC mountain town. While struggling to find her place socially, she finds a mission in trying to prevent an asphalt plant from coming into the community. Beautifully written and so incredibly relevant to the world we live in books.

This review is based in an ARC and may not match the final version. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sydney Vicious Talcott (her dad was a big Punk fan-her brother is named Johnny Rotten Talcott) has recently moved in with her grandparents into a tiny NC mountain town. While struggling to find her place socially (and get a passing grade from her English teacher), she finds a mission in trying to prevent an asphalt plant from coming into the community.

This is an enjoyable book. Sydney is a relatable protagonist, and the plot moves at a good pace, with enough setbacks and loose ends to make it believable. As a music teacher, I loved the overlap between Punk, Appalachian folk, and bluegrass music, and that music lovers, coming together, were able to have a positive effect. I particularly appreciated that the English teacher was not painted as simply hating Sydney for no reason, and that while the school administration and local government officials were shown to be responding to outside influences in varied ways, so it wasn’t “they’re all against me”

I think this would be an appropriate book for classroom and school libraries and be a good discussion starter about racial and SES equity for high school age students, as well as providing a great entry to a range of music genres.

I'm usually stingy about giving out 5 star reviews, but OMG, this book was so good. I was in tears by the end. When a writer can make you cry, it's a real testament that they wrote about something moving and impactful.

There is so much going on in this book. It really touches on some fundamental issues in society. Instead of trying to address all of it, I've included some keywords/themes below that sum up the book.

Beautifully written and so incredibly relevant to the world we live in.

Keywords: environmental protection, feminism, bullying, punk rock, bluegrass, middle school, Black, Latinx, Appalachian, Affrilachian, corrupt politicians, cultural awareness, activism, book nerds.

P.S. Even though this is marketed as a middle grade book, due to the complexity of the issues addressed, this book is equally suited for YA and adult audiences.

Note: A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.