In the YA novel Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu, Vivian Carter seems like your average teen. She lives in East Rockport, Texas with her single mom who works as a nurse (Viv’s dad died when she was an infant), and she’s close to her grandparents who live next door. She’s a good student and a good girl. And she’s also really pissed off.
East Rockport High School is run by the football players, namely Mitchell Wilson who is also the principal’s son. For one thing, the football team gets most of the district’s money, leaving other school activities begging for crumbs.
Beyond that, nay of these jocks are beyond obnoxious. They wear t-shirts with sexist and offensive sayings. They harass the girls in class and accost them in the halls. And the powers that be just write it off as “boys will be boys.”
Viv has had enough, and she suspects so have many other girls at East Rockport. Viv knows she has to do something, but what?
Back in the 1990s, Viv’s mom was a riot grrrl, a rocking time of Generation X- 3rd wave feminism. She even has a box of riot grrrl memories called “My Misspent Youth.” Viv has perused this box on many occasions. And it inspires her to create a feminist zine called “Moxie.”
Viv anonymously distributes “Moxie” throughout the school. It captures the eyeballs and energy of her fellow female classmates. Before you can say “Kathleen Hanna,” “Moxie” and its mission take over East Rockport High School. Turns out Viv isn’t the only one who is pissed off.
Viv and many other girls start to stand up for themselves. They call out the boys for their sexist behavior and hold a bake sale to raise money for the girls’ soccer team.
But there are stumbling blocks in the way. The principal isn’t happy and threatens to expel the girls. And Viv’s mom is dating a man she isn’t too keen on (he’s a Republican).
But Viv gains more confidence in her “Moxie” endeavors and grows stronger. She becomes closer to her bestie, Claudia, and makes friends with a cool new girl named Lucy. Viv also starts dating a boy named Seth who is a welcome reprieve from all the jerky boys at school.
I loved how Vivian was so relatable, at first reserved to being quite the bad ass, believing in herself and the fight against misogyny.
The dialogue in Moxie in natural and conversational. All the relationship, familial, friendship, and romantic ring true. And I really appreciate how the girls supported each other and their for equality. Moxie is the anti-Mean Girls, and that’s what makes it so powerful whether you’re a member of Gen Z discovering feminism or a Gen X-er who gets misty-eyed listening to Bikini Kill.
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