MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK: MOXIE BOOK REVIEW
Moxie was released in 2017 and is labelled a Zoella Book Club 2017 Novel.
Vivian Carter is the dutiful daughter. Her life revolves around going to school, spending time with her small group of friends, staying silent, out of trouble and out of the spotlight.
Vivian Carter is also fed up with the sexism at her high school.
East Rockport High is ruled by the football team; the teachers think they can do no wrong. With the star player Mitchell Wilson being the son of the headmaster, the — mediocre at best — team gets all the attention, and are hailed as the golden boys of the town.
But the girls of East Rockport are fed up; fed up with sexist dress codes that “distract the boys”, fed up of the hallway harassment, and fed up with gross comments from guys during class.
This finally lights a silent fire in Viv’s heart. Inspired by her mother’s “misspent youth” as a punk rock Riot Grrrl in the 90s, Viv creates Moxie, a feminist zine she distributes secretly to the rest of the school. Slowly, the blaze begins to burn and Moxie spreads across East Rockport, with girls from all different cliques and race joining in the resistance.
This book is definitely for any fans of Holly Bourne’s Spinster Club trilogy. The book has a very “What’s A Girl Gotta Do?” feel, except it’s set in a high school in a small town in Texas, US.
Viv is quiet and doesn’t speak out of turn. Despite Viv having a punk rock mother for inspiration, as readers we’re instantly introduced to a character who is very shy and who keeps her opinions to herself, despite her intelligence and annoyance at the injustice at her school.
This is one of my favourite aspects of this book, as the character perfectly demonstrates how sexism can diminish and silence young women, particularly in the school environment.
When called on to share her opinions in class, Viv stays silent from the fear of the boys’ demeaning jeers of “make me a sandwich”.
Yeah…I think we’ve all had that one yelled at us in class, right girls?
The lack of reprimand from the teachers in the book makes things worse, reflecting on how these issues don’t really get addressed in real life schools either.
Another great aspect of the book is it’s exploration of sexual assault.
There’s been a great number of books dealing with rape and sexual assault, like Louise O’neil’s “Asking For It” and Courtney Summer’s “All The Rage”. These books dive deeply into the subject of brutal rapes of young girls.
However, Jennifer Mathieu takes a subtler approach, dissecting the everyday harassment many young girls face. Particularly how “jokes” like the bump & grab game that happens in the book (where the school boys bump into the young girls then quickly use the opportunity to inappropriately grope them) can have very serious effects for the girls and little punishment for the boys.
Although books like the aforementioned are amazing at raising more awareness on rape and sexual assault, Mathieu links how this toxic behaviour intertwine into the bigger picture of sexism and rape culture, and how things can quickly descend into more serious issues. The perpetuation of the sexism at the school, and the lack of reprimand the boys face for their behaviour, quickly creates a very dire atmosphere for the girls of East Rockport.
This also makes it a great book for younger teen readers. There are no explicit sexual acts or violent/gruesome incidents that may be considered too much for younger readers. However, the messages of the book are still prevalent and important for young girls (and boys!) to read, and Jennifer Mathieu provides a great novel for those ages to dive into the topics of sexism, sexual assault, and feminism.
Moxie is an inspiring read, holding a feminist message for anyone who has ever had to deal with #everydaysexism. It demonstrates that even if you feel your voice is too quiet to be heard, you can make a change somehow, even just by getting involved. It’s a lighthearted read that provides an alternative exploration into sexual assault, while still intwining in normal teen life dramas and romance throughout.
I highly recommend this book and would give it a 4 out of 5. It’s a great option as a beach read for the summer, especially if you’re like me and enjoy your literature to come with a social message, but still want something a little more lighthearted and easy going to read while you unwind.
Featured Novels: Highly Recommended
All The Rage: Courtney Summers
The Spinster Club Trilogy: Holly Bourne — Read why I think everyone needs to read Holly Bourne Here
