Format: Paperback, 364 pages
Published: 7 March 2019 by Electric Monkey
Genres: YA, contemporary
Rating: ★ ★ ★
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Synopsis
Funnier. Ruder. Angrier. Izzy O’Neill is back in the hilarious sequel to The Exact Opposite of Okay.
It’s been two months since a leaked explicit photo got Izzy involved in a political sex scandal – and the aftershock is far from over. The Bitches Bite Back movement is gathering momentum as a forum for teenage feminists, and when a girl at another school has a sex tape shared online, once again Izzy leads the charge against the slut-shamer. This time she wants to change the state law on revenge porn.
Izzy and her best friend Ajita are as hilarious as ever, using comedy to fight back against whatever the world throws at them, but Izzy is still reeling from her slut-shaming ordeal, feeling angry beyond belief and wondering – can they really make a change?
Review
I confess myself disappointed by this book. I absolutely loved the prequel, The Exact Opposite of Okay. Izzy is still as funny as ever, and there is still kickass feminism and diversity in this novel, which I loved about the prequel. In fairness to Steven, I think it’s tough to follow up such a good novel. I know a lot of my friends liked this one, but I just couldn’t get into it until about two-thirds of the way in.
He wants me to abandon my pain just to alleviate his own. He wants me to do what women have been forced to do for millenia: bury their own hopes and ambitions so the men can chase theirs. And I won’t do it. I won’t.
To me, this book seemed a bit OTT. I did love that it showed exactly what young people could do if they banded together, but all in all, it seemed a bit excessive to me. It just felt like a drawn-out version of the prequel. I also didn’t really know where it was going until a lot later.
So I guess you made me see it’s all life and death, and just because you care deeply about one issue don’t mean other issues can’t matter too.
Izzy’s struggle with Danny after the events of the first book was very realistic and touching. I was also moved by Izzy’s financial struggles and her dream of attending University, and how she navigates her own emotionality and relationships. These were maybe my favourite parts of the book.
I’m pretty sure if you listen closely enough, you’ll hear the sound of Ajita grinding her teeth down into bleeding stumps.
I appreciated the diversity, it was dealt with naturally. Although having an Asian best friend and constantly comparing her to a dog generally won’t go down well with the Asian community.
Beauty and the Bees 