Big Mouth and Ugly Girl

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

Matt Donaghy is a big mouth. His mouth, in fact, is so big that it lands him as a prime suspect in a major crime scene. “Big Mouth” has been accused of threatening to bomb the school, and massacre hundreds of students and faculty.

Ursula Riggs is an ugly girl. She addresses this as a fact and is not one bit ashamed.  She lays low, participates in sports, and as little social interaction as possible. “Ugly Girl” knows that the accusation is false.

What the two have in common is a high school, where they both are eager to leave, but content in staying for a couple more years. Joyce Carol Oates takes two personalities soaked in teen-angst and establishes a phenomenal story. 

One dreadfully regular day turns into a nightmare when Matt is pulled out of his study hall for interrogation. Unnamed witnesses reported him for rumors of a school shooting and bomb threat. Matt had never been violent, never fought with his peers, and had only had detentions for tardies before- so an accusation like this was ridiculous! He had done nothing wrong and nobody wanted to believe him! An entire town goes into an outrage about their high school students being unsafe in their learning environment. Matt is constantly questioned and never trusted! Everything could change when one witness: Ugly Girl herself stands up for a practical stranger in his time of need.

This novel is full of drama, excitement, and intriguing details that will get you hooked from the moment you pick it up! I highly recommend Big Mouth and Ugly Girl to anyone who likes a quirky twist in their reading agenda. I really recommend anything by Joyce Carol Oates, she displays a unique style of writing, and is one of my all-time favorite authors!

Book Review by Maddie J.