Moxie (novel)

Last updated

Moxie is a 2017 young adult novel by Jennifer Mathieu. It was published September 19, 2017 by Roaring Brook Press. [1] The book follows Vivian Carter, a high school student who discovers feminism and starts a zine at her school fighting for women's rights on campus. In 2021, a film based on the novel was released. [2]

Reception

Moxie was generally well-received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist [3] and Shelf Awareness . [4] Shelf Awareness said that "girl revolution reads true" and ultimately called the book "work of solidarity, a call for change and a righteously enjoyable story of grrrl power". [4] Booklist wrote,

The novel’s triumphs—and there are many—lie in the way the zine opens Vivian’s eyes to the way girls are treated, and to the additional roadblocks that her classmates of color face. Though the novel presents plenty of differing opinions, it never once pits girl against girl, and Vivian struggles with how to navigate a burgeoning relationship with a well-intentioned boy who doesn’t always understand what she’s fighting for. From an adult perspective, some of the ripped-from-the-headlines issues might seem like old news, but for teens like Vivian, who are just discovering how to stand up—and what to stand up for—this is an invaluable revelation. [3]

In their primarily negative review, Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Designed to empower, the novel occasionally fails to consider that changing a culture of misogyny requires educating and embracing support from members of all genders." They specifically highlighted "troubling moments when Vivian excludes willing male participants, seemingly suggesting that achieving female empowerment requires gender separation". Additionally, they noted that the book "moves dangerously toward vigilante justice when it’s used to accuse a student of attempted rape". According to Kirkus, this decision, among others, "fails to educate readers that qualified police investigators, not school officials, must be alerted in accusations of criminal behaviors". [1]

The audiobook also received positive reviews. School Library Journal "highly recommend[ed]" it. [5] Booklist's Becca Boland commented on Suzy Jackson's narration, saying she "excels in depicting the teen voices, male and female, and clearly differentiates among social groups." [6] She also noted that, despite the book being set in Texas, "there are very few Texas accents. ... The only accents are used for the principal and Viv’s grandparents, and they are used as a tool to emphasize an antiquated point of view." [6] Boland called this "an interesting vocal choice" that "helps to universalize the themes of feminism and equality throughout the narration." [6]

Moxie was nominated for several state-level awards, as well as the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction. [7] In 2017, NPR and the Los Angeles Public Library named Moxie one of the best books of the year. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Alexander</span> American writer of poetry and childrens fiction (born 1968)

Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Thomas</span> American author (born 1988)

Angie Thomas is an American young adult author, best known for writing The Hate U Give (2017). Her second young adult novel, On the Come Up, was released on February 25, 2019.

Brandy Colbert is an American author of young adult fiction and nonfiction.

<i>The Poet X</i> 2018 YA novel by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X, published March 6, 2018 by HarperTeen, is a young adult novel by Elizabeth Acevedo. Fifteen-year-old Xiomara, also known as "X" or "Xio," works through the tension and conflict in her family by writing poetry. The book, a New York Times bestseller, was well received and won multiple awards at the 2019 Youth Media Awards.

<i>Nightcrawling</i> 2022 novel by Leila Mottley

Nightcrawling is a 2022 novel by Leila Mottley. Along with other honors, the novel was longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, making Mottley the youngest author to have been nominated for the award.

<i>Moxie</i> (film) 2021 film by Amy Poehler

Moxie, stylized as MOXiE! is a 2021 American comedy-drama film directed by Amy Poehler. Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer adapted the screenplay from the 2017 novel of the same name by Jennifer Mathieu. It stars Hadley Robinson, Alycia Pascual-Peña, Lauren Tsai, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Nico Hiraga, and Poehler. The film focuses on 16-year-old Vivian, who starts a feminist zine to empower the young women in her high school, as they contend with bullying, sexual harassment, and rape. The film was released on March 3, 2021, by Netflix and received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Sadie</i> (novel) 2018 novel by Courtney Summers

Sadie is a novel written by Courtney Summers. The book was released on September 4, 2018, and is told from two perspectives: some chapters offering Sadie's point of view and some chapters being styled as transcripts from a podcast called "The Girls" hosted by a man named West McCray. The release of the book was accompanied by the release of a mock true-crime podcast titled The Girls: Find Sadie which is available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.

<i>Before the Ever After</i> 2020 novel by Jacqueline Woodson

Before the Ever After is a middle-grade novel in verse by Jacqueline Woodson, published September 1, 2020 by Nancy Paulsen Books.

<i>Wilder Girls</i> 2019 novel by Rory Power

Wilder Girls is a futuristic young adult horror novel by Rory Power, published July 9, 2019 by Delacorte Press. The book is a New York Times best seller.

<i>We Are Okay</i> 2017 young adult novel by Nina LaCour

We Are Okay is a young adult novel by Nina LaCour, published February 14, 2017 by Dutton Books for Young Readers.

<i>Patina</i> (novel) 2017 novel by Jason Reynolds

Patina is a young adult novel by Jason Reynolds, published August 29, 2017 by Atheneum. It is the second book in Reynold's Track series, preceded by Ghost (2016) and followed by Sunny (2018) and Lu (2018).

The Sea of Ink and Gold trilogy is a three-part young adult fantasy novel series written by Traci Chee, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. The trilogy includes the following books: The Reader (2016), The Speaker (2017), The Storyteller (2018).

<i>Punching the Air</i> 2020 novel by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Punching the Air is a young adult novel-in-verse by Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam, published September 1, 2020 by Balzer + Bray.

<i>The Sun Is Also a Star</i> (novel) 2016 young adult novel by Nicola Yoon

The Sun Is Also a Star is a young adult novel by American author Nicola Yoon, published November 1, 2016, by Delacorte Press. The book follows two characters, one of whom is about to be deported, and explores “the ways in which we are all connected and the ways in which people across all walks of life have much more in common than they think they do.”

<i>Concrete Rose</i> (novel) 2021 young adult novel by Angie Thomas

Concrete Rose is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas, published January 12, 2021, by Balzer + Bray.

<i>We Are the Ants</i> 2016 novel by Shaun David Hutchinson

We Are the Ants is a young adult science fiction novel by Shaun David Hutchinson, published January 19, 2016 by Simon Pulse with a 24-page companion story, "What We Pretend to Be", published on the publisher's website, Riveted, later that year.

Shaun David Hutchinson is an American author of young adult texts. His novels often "combine speculative elements with LGBT characters and themes."

<i>The Ogress and the Orphans</i> 2022 childrens book by Kelly Barnhill

The Ogress and the Orphans is a children's book by American writer Kelly Barnhill and published on March 8, 2022, by Algonquin Books. It counts the events of a small fictional town, where the library is burned down and an orphan goes missing, which leads to its citizen blaming an ogress who had just moved in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Zentner</span> American author

Jeff Zentner is an author of several young adult novels including The Serpent King and In The Wild Light. His adult novel Colton Gentry’s Third Act was on released April 30th, 2024.

The Schuyler Sisters novel series written by Beatriz Williams consists of three books: The Secret Life of Violet Grant (2014), Tiny Little Thing (2015), and Along the Infinite Sea (2015).

References

  1. 1 2 "Moxie". Kirkus Reviews. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  2. ↑ January 05, David Canfield; EST, 2021 at 03:44 PM. "EW's 2021 movie preview: 88 films we can't wait to see". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-11-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 Reagan, Maggie (August 2017). "Moxie". Booklist. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  4. 1 2 Gaetano, Siân (2017-09-26). "Moxie". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  5. ↑ Moody, Jessica. "Moxie". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  6. 1 2 3 Boland, Becca (2018-03-01). "Moxie (audio)". Booklist. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  7. ↑ "Moxie". Goodreads. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  8. ↑ "Moxie: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.