Book Review: The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

In British YA book we use "A, B, C, D. All of Aboves" for everything.

Izzy O'Neill here! Impoverished orphan, aspiring comedian and Slut Extraordinaire, if the gossip sites are anything to go by . . .

Izzy never expected to be eighteen and internationally reviled. But when explicit photos involving her, a politician's son and a garden bench are published online, the trolls set out to take her apart. Armed with best friend Ajita and a metric ton of nachos, she tries to laugh it off - but as the daily slut-shaming intensifies, she soon learns the way the world treats teenage girls is not okay. It's the Exact Opposite of Okay.

This reminded me of another debut, in that a rumour in that book is actually true. The main character Izzy has actually done the deed of sex and is eighteen so it her legal choice to make. Lot of books that have slut shaming in it, dance around the act of sex as though it is something to be shamed off, which is not. Its normal and everyone wants to get down (unless you're asexual and just enjoy a fine friendship).

This is meant to be a memoir of sorts in the world of this novel. I don't buy that it would be published in that state due to legal issues mainly. I buy it as a first draft, before an editor steps in, to say we do not want to get sued. It was originally blog posts (a diary basically) with notes from a future Izzy. It's works okay, I buy it mostly as a diary.

Friendships play a lot in this book, basically it the actual plot of the book, so I'm hesitant to discuss in detail and spoil the book. Izzy has good; complicated and bad relationships through the books. I  think it done well and none of the characterisation feels for the sake of the plot.

An issue with the book is that Izzy's best friend, Ajita while being well rounded, is often referred to be being "Three Feet tall" and "a midget". The thing is I'm snot sure if this is true or not. It just that Lizzy and another character specifically said that she was three feet, whilst it never address in non-comic way and the way that Ajita is typically treated I think it's not true as if she was three feet tall then she would have to have a medical condition and her parents expectation would be different. This is a very normal way to mock ones friends and I often call my sister a "midget" with her medical condition that effected her height. Ajita's height is just brought up a lot for some reason. There was also a girl in wheelchair that's portrayed as the only nice one and feels very token. She just doesn't appear enough for her to be anything else and feels like the misfit with the heart of golden typical to teen media.

This is set in America and written by a British person. I get the choice to set in America as in Britain this was less likely take off as a scandal.(The website along could definitely been taken as a form of Cyberbullying and British School like to act as though they care because they feel like they're being publicly shamed). Slut shaming while being a thing in Britain, is less felt and more focus at sex workers, though nude pictures leaked is big thing everywhere for some reason for woman. Basically, unless she had did it with an actual MP, then this story would not be picked up the British Press. There is British-isms sprinkled throughout the novel. Like headteacher and prefects which is something I thought only private American school tend to have. Obviously, I'm not American and Americans do take from British culture, just every once and a while Lizzy went very British and besides Harry Potter doesn't have any interest in British Culture.

Lizzy is also a poor and the discussion about whether she can/should go to college is discussed a lot. She likes writing and making films. It fine background plot but it makes a good one. Though, I do feel like her YouTube (or whatever) channel should have blow up with everything that was happening at the time. Her Instagram does, so maybe she just has that thing hidden well.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for "The Feels". I liked the attempt mostly to discuss slut shaming and shine a light at the weird double standards that girls and woman have to live through while having jabs at unsavoury Journalist (which Britain publicly has. Why does Piers Morgan still get work?). It tries to do lot but is good attempt at debut. It just good to have a book like aimed at teens discussing this bull and I think it adds to that conversation well. Something could be improved, but as whole its a light and interesting read. (my version of light, what are other people's?)

 I got this book off NetGalley for Review. This book was published by Electric Monkey on 8th March 2018.

Book Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The truth is that she eats nothing but raspberries.

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.
But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car?
It's true. Ask ANYBODY.

Rumour has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the 'slut stall' in the girls' bathroom at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumours start to spiral out of control.
In this remarkable novel, four Healy High students - the party girl, the car accident survivor, the ex best friend and the boy next door - tell all they know.
But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

Jennifer Mathieu is the author of Moxie which has been talked about a lot. I thought this was the follow up but it's actually Mathieu's debut which makes sense because this does feel more like a debut, potential with room to grow. I think just never been published officially in the UK before, or maybe they have a re-go at it. It was originally published four years ago anyway.

This book is told in multiple points of view in first talking, each talking about what they know of Alice Franklin and their perspectives on the rumours about her. I think this works well and show the show spread of rumours. The characters are given motivates for doing what they do that makes them some what sympathetic sometimes but still pretty dislikeable. Some where rather samey.

I appreciate what this novel was going for. There's this big secret at one point, however, it in a way it supports slut shaming. I think it was meant to be question what you hear, except I don't think it does a good enough of job of saying that. I think would have been better as an obvious lie, or rumour that spread out of control.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for grilled cheeses. I do like this book and it pretty short (I apparently read it in three hours). I get what it was going for with the slut-shaming, it missed the mark somewhat. It does add and support narrative against slut shame, with the emphasis on small town rumours I get what it was meant to be. This was Mathieu debut and know her eventual follow-up Moxie is meant to be geniusly feminist (or something). I did enjoy the process of reading this book (I never know what to say about books with important messages) and if you like a book that tries then go for it.  

I got this book for review off NetGalley and is being published by Hodder Children's Books on 8th March 2018.

Book Review: Monster by C.J. Skuse

The real monster is Slut Shaming.


At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of prestigious boarding school Bathory would be the biggest battle she’d face. Until her brother’s disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory’s assorted misfits.
 
As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school’s hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory – a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school – run wild.
 
Yet when the girls’ Matron goes missing it’s clear that something altogether darker is to blame – and that they’ll have to stick together if they hope to survive.
 
This is the second book by C.J. Skuse I have had the pleasure to read (and reviewed). I like this book a lot better than Dead Romantic. The ideas are more interesting and the characters were somewhat better. Still flawed though.

I love the fact the chapter headings were horror films. It could be argue that these were used for overshadowing, but some were just distracting and kinda forced. Though, normally I don't sit analysing chapter titles.

The characters are mostly a diverse bunch of girls. They are kinda stereotypes: the stuck-up bitch, the rebel, the kid, the creepy weirdo and the proper pure protagonist. They feel okay as characters when reading it, but there's not much to them or their relationships with each other. There is almost something there, but not fully. 

The slut shaming and emphasis on the main character being virgin is problematic, especially with the ending. These are realistic issues that go on within groups of teenage girls, but its not addressed at all that's it a issue. Also the "slut" is presented as being unlikable and is also a sadist. Even if Skuse was mirroring the horror trope of the protagonist being a virgin, its just something that should be abandoned (unless virgin is in a recipe).

The plot is okay. There is the idea of what a monster is something I thought was good. The ending could have been better set up and loses all realism after a point. The bordering school in the middle of nowhere is a good horror setting, however, I found the complications of that to be too tedious especially as they are in walking distance of other people.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for priest holes. I enjoy reading this book, it wasn't that scary and I never felt any tension for the characters. It was still a decent idea and good light read.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and is being published on 24th September 2015.

Book Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

My friend group just had a straight friend.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of a man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff - the designated ugly fat friend - of her crew.

But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a secret enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. 

Until it all goes horribly wrong. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I read this book in one sitting. It was compelling to keep going, though I had already decided on all nighter because of reasons so it was good company. I heard that this book was good but no one ever say why? I'm going to tell you why.

The characters are realistic and I really liked the main characters Bianca, especially her cynical nature and her attitudes are appealing. The relationships were really good as well. The only thing I couldn't buy was someone having a bowl cut in 2010 (going off the year this book was originally published), those things are terrible looking.

This book deals with slut shaming and body image really well. It was definitely one of my favourite parts of the book and I would recommend it on this alone. Especially, since slut shaming is such a rampant problem in YA. It also has other things like divorce and alcoholism.

Overall, I gave this novel four of five stars for smashed pictures. This was a really great contemporary and definitely worth a read. It's real shame that they never actually made a film of this and just stole the idea of a duff from the book. Though, teens swearing, having sex and being complex are the things that terrify Hollywood. Back to the actual book, I would highly recommend this and it one of the few books I wish I had read sooner.

I got this for review off Netgalley and from Hodder Children's Books.