“Moxie” — Book Review

Genre: Young Adult & Contemporary Fiction

Rating: 5 stars

“Moxie” by: Jennifer Mathieu tells an empowering and enriching story about young girls growing up in a town that has not yet realized the importance of their young women. As a teacher I automatically felt a connection to this story and upon finishing it I wanted nothing more than to make sure every student I teach reads this book.

“Moxie” is such an empowering story and follows the main character Vivian Carter as she struggles with life in her small Texas town and works to make herself as her fellow female classmates heard. The town is small and set in their ways and it becomes very clear very early on in the story that the town does not hold Vivian, her friends, or any of the other women in town in high regard. Upon finding a box with memories from her mother’s “mispent youth” Vivian decides it is time to fight back against those that would push her down.

Vivian creates a “zine” that she spreads across her high school and calls for the joined effort in uplifting and supporting the females in the school and in the town. Like any strong protagonist Vivian goes up against forces that would tear her down but in the end she never stops fighting.

This was an absolute gem of a book! I felt so empowered and ready to burn down the patriarchy but the time I was done reading it. I was so proud of the young women in this book and so disappointed in so many of the adults (especially the teachers) in this story. I absolutely loved how the story came to its climactic end and the entire wrap up was awesome and was exactly what Moxie Girls are all about. It’s important to empower the young women of our future and this book is such an amazing anthem for that.

Moxie girls fight back!!!!!!!!!