I like all of the historical graphic novels that are coming out so far. It's interesting to understand history through another lens that didn't show up in texts as often. The character design was great as well as the use of color. I felt like I was sucked into New York City, or could at least imagine what it was like back then. I also loved the focus on journalism and stunt girl reporters in the era! I had never heard of stunt girl reporters before reading this book, but now it makes me interested in hearing more of their stories.

"Renegade Girls" by Nora Neus was a pleasant read. The art style was adorable and I loved the relationship between Nell and Alice. However, I found myself being more interested in the aspect of Nell's reporting than the relationships. I'm not an expert on history so I'm unable to say what was or wasn't historically accurate in this book. Overall, this was a fun book and I would definitely read something from Neus again.

(3.75/5 stars) Renegade Girls is a historical fiction graphic novel set in 1880s New York, and based on real life women. It follows Nell as a stunt girl - a reporter going undercover - as well as her friend Lucia who becomes her research and reporting partner, and her love interest Alice, who does photography for Nell's articles. I was so excited to read this book to learn about the real life women these characters were inspired by, especially considering I'd not heard of stunt girls before!

I feel like the story is developed well and at a good pace. Nell and Lucia's friendship develops alongside Nell and Alice's romantic relationship, and neither is left behind by the other. I loved getting to see Nell exploring her rebellious side by meeting Alice's friends, who break numerous societal expectations and even partake in crossdressing. Without spoiling too much, I'll say that I love how the author included some plot regarding class and how higher classes often profit off of the labour of lower classes to continue getting richer.

The one part that felt lacking to this story is the inclusion of people of colour. There are characters in Renegade Girls who wealthy and Black, and there is some discussion of immigrant workers in factories, however I find it odd that this was not really a big part of the plot or of Nell's reporting. Instead, there was just a focus on the exploitation of child labor, without exploring the intersection of race, class, and other factors.

Overall, this is a great book to add to school libraries for the historical element, and a good read in general if you enjoy women's history, queer romance, and graphic novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the eARC!

"Renegade Girls" is a young adult historical fiction graphic novel written by Nora Neus and illustrated by Julie Robine. The story is based off of the lives of reporting stunt girl Nell Nelson and photographer Alice Austen. Nell is spending the summer in NYC with her upper class uncle and aunt who would like her to marry a man so that she can stay in the city. Nell also wants to stay in NY, but does not want to marry a man. Nell bump into Alice at a society get-together and they hit it off.
Nell has a job at the newspaper for the society section, but wants to be a stunt girl, reporting on serious and dangerous topics. When she learns that her friend, who works for a garment factory is injured, Nell goes undercover to expose the dangerous working conditions.
A fun and informational queer romance, this is a suggested purchase for young adult graphic novel collections. Historical notes are included in the back as well as information from the author.

Renegade Girls is a fantastic historical fiction graphic novel! Following Nell Nelson a reporter who shines a light on a sweatshop in her city. The illustrations are absolutely adorable, and the bubbly queer romance made this a delight to read! Definitely check this one out to learn a little history (although this is heavy on the fiction side of historical fiction) and enjoy the cute vibes!

Thanks to NetGalley, Nora Neus, and Little, Brown Books for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

This was a queer fictionalization of the lives of Nell Cusack (a stunt girl) and Alice Austen (a street photographer). Before reading this, I had never heard of stunt girls. They’re basically women who went undercover as investigative reporters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They reported on topics such as abortion clinics, factory working conditions, and the abuse of patients with mental illness at asylums. Obviously given the time periods, stunt girls were not respected by their peers.

The story itself is really interesting. The main character, Nell, was being forced into society by her mother under the watchful eyes of her rich aunt and uncle but when she uncovers her uncle’s secrets she
displays bravery and morality that would be rare even today among the elite.

I loved the rag tag girl gang Nell fell into. They were so fun and rebellious.

I really liked the art in this book. At first, the particular twists on proportions for the body felt a little bit jarring but I soon got used to it. The colors are what drew my attention most because they're really beautiful, I loved the close-ups on faces, especially on the panels with dramatic lighting as they were so vivid.

As for the story itself, I found it a bit lacking and it didn't exactly match my expectations.

The part about the workers felt a little bit too underdeveloped. I didn't feel like there was sufficient outrages about the situation of those workers and especially for the children. At many points, I felt like the children were too much treated like "normal" workers even by the main characters and even though it does become one of the main points to which change is brought, I just feel like it was an approach a bit too lighthearted for something important and objectively heavy. It also didn't explore the intersection of race in this exploitation at all.

I did appreciate the romance, Alice and Nell are just really cute together and I feel like that bit was really well developed. Their relationship is really well written and I love that it put emphasis on ways that queer women have built space for community, safety and joy for the exploration of their queerness. The panels about crossdressing were so touching.

In the end, I feel like this book maybe just wasn't quite intended for me but it would be a good fit for an audience just beginning to learn about women's struggles in the past.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the e-ARC of Renegade Girls!
4 / 5 ⭐


Renegade Girls is a queer romance loosely based on historical figures set in the 1880s. Nell, our protagonist, goes undercover in garment factories to spread light on the harsh conditions and child labor prevalent at the time. During this process, she is confronted with startling truths about herself - and those she holds dear. When her convictions are tested, she has to weigh justice and love.

“Renegade Girls” is a wonderful and informative fictionalized account of the stunt girl reporting phenomenon of the mid-19th century. Readers will gain insight into the conditions of factory work during this time, as well as the challenges faced by women in journalism—many of which persist to this day. Contrary to the cover, the book’s romantic aspects are not the sole focus of the story. The book excels in giving a voice to the factory workers who were so unfairly treated during this period. The graphic novel’s vibrant artwork and multi-layered, engaging story make it a wonderful addition to any teen library and hold immense potential to be used as a read-along in history curricula.

This was a sweet story about a young woman, Nell, who goes undercover to expose the treatment of factory workers at the encouragement of her new friend, Alice. Loosely based on real historical figures, Nell and Alice fall in love over their shared interest in telling stories through photographs and words.

Julie Robine beautifully illustrated this YA graphic novel. The story moved along at a good pace and the characters were well-developed. There was a time or two where parts felt repetitive, when Nell would experience something and then explain it in detail again to her friends. But overall, it was solid storytelling. It would be a great addition to a middle school curriculum studying the 18th century.

I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @littlebrownyoungreaders. The opinions are my own.

Renegade Girls will be released on April 1, 2025.

I really love the story and romance in this but I did think it was a little odd to only address gender roles and the abuse in the clothing industry but picks and choses with race, since there are women in the factory who do not speak English as a first language but there are wealthy black women perpetuating this in the background of this story and very little women of color in the factory. Not that it wasn't the case but it was less common during this time period but race and gender do intersect in the treatment and abuse of people especially 10-20 years post slavery.

Thanks must go to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for this review!

This quick read was powerful, informative, and downright ADORABLE .

First of all, I love historical fiction based on real courageous women-- one of whom is a lesbian icon I've never heard of! While not entirely historically accurate, the story still does an excellent job at highlighting one of my favorite aspects of one of my favorite eras of history: the fight for worker's rights at the beginning of the Progressive Era.

Neus expertly handles the intersections of gender, class, and freedom both by including a working-class Italian-American character, and forcing Nell to come face-to-face with the ways her family have benefited from the maltreatment of others. While Alice inspires rebellion in Nell, her best friend Lucia is there to humble her, reminding her of her relative privileges. Together, the three of them made a powerful team!

The only intersection not discussed was that of race. People of all races were equally represented in all echelons of society, and while that would have been nice, it was an odd illusion to throw into an otherwise historical work. Perhaps the author felt they had already taken liberties with the blending of lives and bending of history, so they felt a more diverse cast would be permissible. But what nuance could have been added by bringing in a discussion of the Chinese Exclusion Act (enacted 6 years earlier) and its ramifications for the textile industry instead of giving Alice a Chinese-American socialite friend? This is just a kid's book, with limited space, but I'm curious about the artistic choice to bend history a bit.

Anyways, I'm so looking forward to going to Alice Austin's home in Staten Island when I return to NYC !

I haven’t ever read a graphic novel centering queer feminist characters during this time period, and I loved this! Such a fun story with lots of character growth and some great historical detail.

Nell has always known she's a little bit different. She loves spending her summers with her aunt and uncle in New York City, even if she knows her mother sends her there to find a husband. But Nell would much rather spend time helping her best friend Lucia in the kitchen, which is definitely frowned upon by high society. When Nell gets the opportunity to go undercover in a textile factory and write about her experiences, she finally feels like she can use her reporting job to make a difference.

I adored this graphic novel that incorporates strong women, queer romance, and journalism. I think it's probably one that I can't purchase (just because of one panel!), but the story is solid and the graphic novel as a whole is a great read.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel and I am so glad I picked it up as my first read of 2025. Renegade Girls tells the story of Helena "Nell" Cusack, a semi-fictionalized take on a real life journalist in the 1880s. Nell becomes a stunt girl, or what we would now consider an undercover reporter. She decides to tell the story of the abuses and mistreatments of lower class women and children in the factories. The book also features a queer love story between Nell and Alice Austen (again, a semi fictionalized take) on the famous photographer from Staten Island, and an amazing friendship between Nell and Lucia, a maid in her family's home. The way the women support each other is such a great example of found family, and I love how the author was able to integrate that aspect into the wider story as a whole. The illustrations were also amazing, I absolutely loved the art style.
All in all this graphic novel blends real life history, romance, and friendship into a compelling story that kept me reading. I highly recommend!