It's 1992 and Athena Graves is figuring out who she is in her Baton Rouge, Louisiana Catholic high school.  She has feminist views, a love for punk rock, and an appreciation for the up-and-coming riot grrrl movement after hearing a Bikini Kill demo while visiting her mom in Washington state over the summer.

Athena is shocked to hear a rumor spreading that her younger pro-life sister Helen had an abortion over the summer.  While the sisters know it didn't happen, Helen is embarassed and stunned when the guidance counselor removes her from the clubs she participates in based on the accusation.  How can a girl be punished for a vicious rumor and zero proof?

The sisters work together, despite their different views on abortion, to fight the unfairness of the situation.  The title implies rebellion but these girls are not rule breakers and they're still young enough to fear consequences, even if they feel they're standing up for what's right.  They work within the boundaries of the school's rules to speak out against the injustice in vague but obvious ways while holding back anger against the authority figures who are allowing the problems to continue.  In other words, the characters are completely realistic.

"I knew what the riot grrrl ideals were. Support girls around you. Don't be jealous of other girls. Avoid competition with them. Being loud and crying in public were valid ways of being a girl. Being a girl didn't mean being weak or bad. Claiming your sexuality, no matter what that meant to you, was a good thing. And the revolution was open to anyone." *

The story is genuine and it will offer nostalgia for readers who grew up in the 90's.  The atmosphere was perfect for the time period and the events are historically accurate.

Rebel Girls is a YA novel that looks at both sides of the abortion debate within an ultra-conservative and religious state.  It does so in a way that will be highly relatable for teens because it focuses on peer reaction and makes an honest effort to fairly portray each side without being preachy or political.
While the guidance counselor and the main "mean girl" could at times be caricatures of the controvery, it didn't go completely overboard.  There is some romance that didn't add to but also didn't overshadow the story.  
My favorite thing about Rebel Girls, other than the copious amounts of riot grrrl references, is that it focuses on girls supporting girls.  We do not have to share the same beliefs in order to lift one another up and encourage each other.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary YA and feminism that looks at timely / controversial topics in fair and relatable ways.

Thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  Rebel Girls is scheduled for release on September 10, 2019.

*Quote included is from a digital advanced reader's copy and is subject to change upon final publication.

**Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy of Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan from Harlequin Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to them for the opportunity!

Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan is a contemporary historical fiction novel set in the early 90s in Louisiana. It comes out on September 10th, 2019. I gave it four stars on GoodReads, but it’s more of a 4.5 star read.

Here’s the summary from GoodReads:

In 1992 Baton Rouge, a single rumor has the power to change a girl’s life forever.
When it comes to being social, Athena Graves is far more comfortable creating a mixtape playlist than she is talking to cute boys—or anyone, for that matter. Plus her staunchly feminist views and love of punk rock aren’t exactly mainstream at St. Ann’s, her conservative Catholic high school.
Then a malicious rumor starts spreading through the halls…a rumor that her popular, pretty, pro-life sister had an abortion over the summer. A rumor that has the power to not only hurt Helen, but possibly see her expelled.
Despite their wildly contrasting views, Athena, Helen, and their friends must find a way to convince the student body and the administration that it doesn’t matter what Helen did or didn’t do…even if their riot grrrl protests result in the expulsion of their entire rebel girl gang.

This book was really cool! I found it on NetGalley because the cover caught my eye and I was really intrigued by it and the summary. When I started reading it, I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of it, because too be honest I had forgotten what it was about. It was fascinating how a novel set in the early 90s still contains such relevant issues to 2019. It was also really interesting to read a book set the year after I was born because I know surprisingly little about the early 90s.

The main character, Athena, was a very relatable protagonist. She wants to be a good feminist and identifies as a riotgrrl and pro choice despite the Catholic private school she attends. She struggles with trying to be positive with her thoughts when it comes to the other girls she interacts with despite some of them being truly awful. It’s something that I personally struggle with at times. I also related to her struggles about whether the guy she liked actually liked her or not.

All the characters in this book were fairly well developed. Athena was well rounded and dynamic, and I loved watching her relationship with her sister grow and develop. Her sister was also a well developed character and grew as a person over the course of the book. Obviously, not all the characters were round, but the side characters all served a purpose and there was no one that was really needlessly introduced.

The general girl power/girls supporting girls theme of this book was really well done and is still very relevant to today’s society. I know nothing about riotgrrls and that type of thing, but I found it really interesting to explore that through Athena and her best friend Melissa. Their friendship was a really strong feature of the book.

I won’t spoil the ending, but I felt that it was appropriate for a book about teenagers as there was a happy ending but not everything was perfectly resolved. It hinted towards a more positive future, and I think that’s the perfect way for a teen drama to end.

The discussion of abortion in this book was handled really well. The comparison of pro choice and pro life felt nuanced and in depth. There was a definite bias towards pro choice, which I personally appreciated, but the way certain characters expressed their views felt very realistic and Helen’s, Athena’s sister, growing understanding of the abortion debate was really interesting to watch.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it. So when September 10th rolls around, you should go check it out!

Enjoyable as an "issue book" (feminism, abortion), a nineties period piece, and a classic YA relationship book. I especially appreciated how realistically Athena and Helen's bond developed over the story, and how Athena's riot grrrl principles came in conflict with her more retiring personality. Recommended for fans of Amy Reed's The Nowhere Girls or Jennifer Mathieu's Moxie, or those who enjoyed The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how fiercely pro-choice it is despite being set in a time when being fiercely pro-choice was NOT the norm. I loved how it did all of this without being preachy, and through the use of such a relatable main character who was full of contradictions even while holding on to her convictions.

Rebel Girls really appealed to me based off the time that the book takes place in. The year is 1992 and I was in high school then. There were some definite reminders that felt accurate of the time period. Others not so much. Athena is the girl I wish I was. While I thought I was feminist and had some feminist views, I wasn't into punk yet, I obsessed too much over boys, and I very much cared what people thought of me. I wanted to fit in, not stand out. In some ways, I'm still like that. I don't like the focus or attention on me. I am now into punk. I now love the fun hair colors. I am married, but I do have my own life, too. But I do still want people to like me. So I guess I'm a bit Athena now and still a bit high school Kristi.



As you would expect when picking up this book based off the title and synopsis, Rebel Girls is feminist. Athena is into Riot Grrrl music and zines. She especially loves Bikini Kill and often wonders what Kathleen Hanna would think of her. In case you don't know what Riot Grrl is about, it's very feminist. It's all about body confidence and liking who you are. It's not conforming. It's about knowing who you are and being that person. It's about feminism. It's punk rock. Athena still struggled at times with these things. She did try to avoid bands once they became mainstream and popular. She was pro-choice and liberal in her conservative state.



The synopsis lets you know that this book focuses a lot on abortion and the choice of having one. Athena's younger sister, Helen, was just starting her freshman year. Helen is tall and gorgeous with plans to be a model. Because of this, she is a threat to the mean girls, specifically Leah. Leah is a junior and is exactly what you think of when you hear mean girl. At least from my time as a teen. She's beautiful, popular, and a cheerleader. She's also majorly bitchy and fake. Leah has Athena's best friend, Sean, wrapped around her finger. He won't believe anything negative. But Leah and her BFF, Aimee, spread rumors about people in school. The new one is that Helen slept with Drew Lambert, the school's most open racist, and had an abortion. Why is this a huge deal? Abortions happened in the 90's (quite a lot in my area). But these kids go to St. Ann's. This catholic school has a no abortion policy. If a girl gets pregnant, she either has the baby or puts the baby up for adoption. Either way, they don't get to attend the school. The town in Louisiana is very conservative and almost every one is pro life. Including Helen. She's the opposite of her liberal family.



Helen is a wreck. Athena and her other best friend, Melissa, decide that something needs to be done. No one does anything to Leah, the suck up. With the help of Helen's friends, Sara and Jennifer, they become the Gang of Five. The girls start a "so what" campaign that just barely fits into the school's standards. They hand out pins and patches and continue to find ways to get Helen's truth out there.



During this time, Athena gets her first real boyfriend, the new guy at school. She struggles often with her Riot Grrrl ideals and wanting so much to have this boy adore her. Things seem odd at times, but she really falls for him.



I don't want to get into anything else so that some things are a surprise. I do need to give some warnings. Obviously this book is about teenage pregnancy and abortions. The school is pro life, as are most students, but the book also focuses on pro choice a bit more. They visit a clinic and Helen has some horrible fetus photos put up at school. Girls call each other bitch and slut fairly often. This was super common in my school, but Athena does try to correct people for the use. Melissa is super carefree and rebellious. She has flings with older boys so often that Athena doesn't even know their names. We don't know if she's having sex, but there is kissing between the junior girl and college boys that she meets at parties. There is bullying. There is racism. The town is mostly white and quite a few people are full on, openly racist. Athena's best friend and neighbor, Sean, is black. It is often brought up that racism is ok. But sadly, this is still a common thing in our country. As I'm writing this, the news of the day is showing me how bad things are. There are immature boys and talk of sex and alcohol. Maybe drugs, but I can't really remember if they were mentioned. I loved the homecoming dance with the songs popular when I was in school. But others may be uncomfortable with songs like "Me So Horny". I grew up in a school where we had a dance competition in 8th grade to "The Humpy Dance". Things have changed, at least in a lot of schools. But not all schools. High school kids went to college parties. There was also a part about fake ID's which were a lot more common before the ID's got harder to fake.
I'm sorry if I missed anything else.



I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy. I loved going back to high school, even if mine was public in a blue state.

A fun romp of a book that threw me right back to high school. All of the drama, all of the angst, all of the highs and lows that come with being a teen. The best part? It's set in 1992, complete with great pop culture references (including a Kids in the Hall reference - yes!) and appropriate clothing choices (Doc Martens anyone?).

Athena Graves attends a conservative Catholic private school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but her beliefs don't quite align with the school's. When her conservative, pro-life sister is the subject of a rumor that she had an abortion, Athena and her friends step in to help clear her name. In the process they learn a lot about love, friendship and just how far they're willing to go to fight injustice.

Although I loved how the book took me right back to high school, I'm not sure if that time period will ring true or just old for today's teens. There's no doubt that the subject matter - friendship, rebellion, finding your place in the world and, certainly, abortion - continues to be as fresh and important today as it was back then; I just hope that the references to bands and TV shows that are only vaguely familiar doesn't dull the sharp edge of these hugely important topics.

Looking forward to sharing this one when it comes out!

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC.

I was excited to read a story dealing with abortion in high school, and a Catholic school no less. Where I grew up, abortion wasn't extremely taboo and we were taught that we have autonomy over our own bodies and can make our own choices for what's best for us. While I couldn't really relate to the experiences in the book, the more stories about girls sticking together and fighting the system the better. However, I couldn't stand the writing. It was tiring to read the constant stream of minutiae. Character development was attempted through rote descriptions rather than actual actions or interactions.

This is a great book. Everyone ages 9 and up should have this put in their hands to read ASAP. When her anti-choice younger sister Helen is rumored to have had an abortion by their Catholic school's mean girls clique, her pro-choice, riot grrrl sister Athena and her friends build a campaign to counter the accusations and to make everyone rethink their positions on shame, privacy, and autonomy. Along the way, Athena, whose collections of zines and punk rock albums is a solid reading and playlist for anyone interested, deals with a romance with a jerk (her ultimate response to him is empowering, y'all. It's a terrific scene), her relationship with a black football player who's been admitted to the school for his athletic prowess and is the victim of blatant racism and manipulation, and the desire to become a stronger person (her mantra, "What Would Kathleen Hanna Do?," referencing the singer of Bikini Kill, is one I am totally adopting.) Keenan deals with difficult topics in a sophisticated way, captures the feeling of being a young woman in high school in the 90s, and the politics and behavior--and the fashion--of the time with aplomb. Go read it, give it to the kids in your life, recommend it to your library patrons, teach it in your classrooms. Go.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book but there were definitely some flaws here.

I loved the whole idea of the plot, two sisters go to a strict Catholic school and a rumor is started involving the youngest sister. I liked that it discussed a serious topics of abortion and bullying. I enjoyed the author weaving through some 90s music references and other references to 90s culture. I loved the feminist aspects in the story as well. Athena, the main character, was very true to trying to rise above getting even and taking the higher ground. She felt strongly about sticking together and raising other women up instead of bringing them down, despite differences they may have.

What fell flat for me was the writing and Athena as a character. There were times where there was just too much detail in things that didn't need to be expanded upon. While I liked the 90s music references sometimes it seemed like there were way too many, name dropping for the sake of name dropping. To me, the book felt like I was reading Athena's diary...which was fine but a little bland at times.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

“What would Kathleen Hanna do?”

** Trigger warning for depictions of misogyny, racism, and homophobia. **

“I knew what the Riot Grrrl ideals were: Support girls around you. Don’t be jealous of other girls. Avoid competition with them. Being loud and crying in public were valid ways of being a girl. Being a girl didn’t mean being weak or bad. Claiming your sexuality, no matter what that meant to you, was a good thing. And the revolution was open to anyone.”

“You can tell a lot about a person from how they act during group projects.”

The year is 1992, and Athena and Helen Graves are about to start their sophomore and freshman years at St. Ann’s Regional Diocesan Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It’s not that they come from a particularly religious home; their mom is an ultra-liberal Classics professor in Eugene, Oregon (soon to be NYC), and while their dad did attend a Jesuit school, he cares more about the social justice side of Roman Catholicisms than, say, slut shaming and lower taxes. But St. Ann’s – aka “the School that Suburban White Flight Built” – is arguably “better” than the local high school, so there you go.

Whereas Helen, with her wholesome good looks and active membership in the school’s pro-life club, fits right in at St. Ann’s, Athena and her bestie Melissa are more like unicorns: purple-haired, sparkly-maned, Riot Grrrl unicorns. Melissa sticks right the heck out, and it’s not just because she’s one of a handful of students of color (half-Cajun, half-Vietnamese, a rumor once circulated that “she was the daughter of a Vietnamese prostitute and an American G.I. who was then sold to her current parents for fifty dollars”). She’s an unapologetic feminist who’s vocal about her political beliefs…and to call them “unpopular” at St. Ann’s is the understatement of the year. Over the summer, when Operation Rescue descended upon Baton Rouge as part of its “Summer of Purpose” (fictional as far as I can tell, but firmly rooted in actual historical events), Melissa volunteered as a clinic escort. Athena is a little more low-key about her politics, but she tries to live by Riot Grrrl ideals.

A few weeks into the school year, Helen becomes the latest victim of St. Ann’s rumor mill. Supposedly she slept with an unabashedly racist MAGA prototype over the summer, became pregnant, and (*gasp*) had an abortion – with the help of Athena and Melissa, of course. Athena’s pretty sure she can trace this lie back to its source: Leah Sullivan, captain of the cheerleading squad, and girlfriend of her other BFF (well maybe scratch that second “F”), QB Sean Mitchell. Like all of Leah’s best lies, this one both plays to people’s preexisting prejudices, and contains a kernel of truth. It’s also designed to take all three of them down, especially considering the school’s strict pro-life policy. Never mind that Athena and Helen were both visiting their mom in Eugene all summer.

Even though she abhors Helen’s holier than though, extra-judgey politics, Athena wants to protect her sister. How can they – and the unexpected allies they eventually find at St. Ann’s – do this without leaning into the stigma surrounding abortion? Without sinking to Leah’s level? Without getting expelled from school?

REBEL GIRLS has a lot going on, and I loved like 97% of it. The ’90s setting – which makes this historical fiction, I guess, but having graduated in ’96, that term feels like a punch to the left boob – is rad and evokes all sorts of bittersweet nostalgic feels. (Even as I took umbrage to Athena’s dismissal of Prince as too middle grade, or Nirvana as too popular. Great things are great no matter how many people recognize their greatness!) Listening to Athena bemoan her lack of access to Bikini Kill cassettes, on the other hand, felt so adorably quaint and reaffirmed my appreciate for the internet, Facebook be darned. At times it felt like Keenan went a little heavy on the “What would Kathleen Hanna do?” notes, but those feels were few and far between.

Athena’s emphasis on taking the high road proved a little harder to swallow. It reminded me of Michelle Obama’s “when they go low, we go high” moment at the DNC…which was hecka inspiring, but has never really worked out for the left. I’m not saying you resort to slut shaming and misogyny to fight slut shaming and misogyny, but maybe rethink your blanket aversion to rolling around in dirt, especially if said dirt isn’t mired in any isms.

All the characters are well fleshed out – even villain Leah, whose possible motivations Keenan explores in detail. The relationship between Athena and Helen is complex and fraught, and it’s interesting to watch how it changes and evolves thanks to their involvement in the “Gang of Five.” Even though they attend a Catholic school, the teachers and staff are not caricatures, uniform in opinion; there’s a lot of nuance there as well. I especially loved Sister Catharine (no surprise there!). I also appreciated how Keenan couched this personal drama in historical political events; the girls’ protests become a flashpoint for a larger debate about abortion restrictions in Louisiana.
The subplots are all engaging too; in addition to abortion and sexism, Keenan addresses racism and homophobia as well.

REBEL GIRLS is a solid addition to the growing body of abortion fiction, not to mention nostalgic ’90s narratives.

Rebel Girls is an absolutely fierce feminist masterpiece that I wish existed when I was in high school. I want to give a copy of it to every teenaged girl I know.

Its main character Athena Graves is a fledgling Riot Grrl at an extremely conservative Catholic high school in 1992 Baton Rouge. Her pro-life little sister gets accused of having an abortion, which could get her kicked out of school. Their band of friends teams up to try to fight the injustice and consequences of the accusations, while defending the right to choose what’s right for yourself. They reiterate over and over again - so what if she did? So what if she didn’t?

This story was beautifully told. The characters are great, the relationships are amazing and three dimensional (friendships, family, nuns! What more could you want?!), and there are just enough excellent 90's references to leave you humming. (Bonus points for sweet romantic subplots that take a backseat to awesome female friendships!)

I could not be a bigger fan of this book. It is a great story with endearing characters that presents serious and large issues presented in an extremely accessible way. Five stars!

While I appreciate the attempt and idea behind this book, it just isn't it. Everything is so messy and I'm sorry to say even the writing wasn't good. This book is all about a girl whose sister ends up in the middle of a bad rumor that is ruining her life at their Catholic school in 1992 until she decides to fight back.

That's one of my issues though, a lot of this book is about other people doing things and not the MC Athena ever taking an active role. Even when she finally does, it is all because of her pro-choice and feminist best friend, not because of her own ideas and drive. I would have 100% liked this book more if it was from the best friend's POV. Also there were a lot of weird comments coming from Athena (and everyone else) talking about her sister Helen's body and how jealous she was... her sister is 14 and it weirded me out.

Athena's love life (or messy attempts at getting a boyfriend) took a weirdly large part of this book and I was just so uninterested in her going on about him. Even reading about their dates together where they were just listing bands back and forth was so boring to me. While I understand this book takes place in the '90s, I didn't need to be hit with references on the head every other page either.

As for the whole "feminist" aspect... yeah no. It was not done well at all. Helen is super pro-life despite her parents and sister being pro-choice. Why is Helen like this? No reason. The only time Helen learns that huh, telling other women how to live their lives is wrong is because she gets accused of having an abortion herself and the rumors hurt. ????

Athena also happens to spend the entire book hating on other girls. There is a little bit of girl power, teaming up for a cause but really it was so shallow when the book still had so much girl on girl hate. Also the evil teachers in this book were so bizarre and cartoony.

I think it just missed the mark.

I enjoyed this book! I like the way it depicts feminism/girl power for a girl in her teens who is still figuring it all out. She doesn't do it all perfectly, which feels realistic to the experience of figuring out yourself and your beliefs when you're young. I also liked the contrast between Athena's views and her younger sister's and how they still have a loving sister bond through their differences. Overall, I think this will be an enjoyable and thought-provoking read for young feminists (or soon-to-be feminists ;)).

This book shows you just how fast a rumor something that someone can make up about you will and can change your life. I love the sibling aspect and that the sister took up for her sister Helen when a rumor comes up about Helen getting an abortion this hits some heavy heavy topics but is still a quick read

This book was so freaking empowering and awesome! I knew it had feminist vibes but wasn't exactly sure what they were about. It ended up being about a girl who attends a catholic school in the deep south that has some pretty strong opinions about abortions. Athena is such a strong character and I loved her so much. She stood up for her sister Helen and I admired how she acted for her sister and for the girls in the school at large. I love the idea that one girl stands up and then everyone stands up around her and it's a whole female revolution that gives me chills. This book does show to what lengths some people might go to when discussing their personal opinions. It's extreme but sometimes we have to see extreme examples to recognize that a woman should be able to choose what she can do with her body, nobody else, and she shouldn't be shamed. I really need some of Athena's patches and buttons! This definitely had Moxie vibes, except with a focus on pro-life/pro-choice issues rather than misogyny.

It's not a dislike about the book, but I just really couldn't stand Mrs. Turner! I'm not a school counselor but I'm in the counseling field so her character made me so angry. She sucked and she was just plain unethical in the story with how she treated so many of the girls. I'm glad to see that she got what was coming to her (that isn't a spoiler per-say) and that there were some actually okay people who worked at that school.

First, off big thanks to you to Ink Yard Pres and Netgalley for giving me an arc to read and let me tell you I read. I binged. I finished this book at 3:27 AM because couldn't stop. There were so many things I liked about this book. Rebel girls are one of those books that have a great message for women everywhere.

something that I always look for in a good book is the story and this is such a good one. Heart-warming and inspiring, get you feeling the feels. The story does a good job of helping you relate and sympathizes with the charters which I think in turn. at least for me, was what made this book hard to put down.

Speaking of which the characters were so good. I love me mature characters who don't get blinded by drama or at the very least think through it. The arguments in this book were well written as both sides had some good points. The characters in this book were also real to me. Sister like Athena and Helen will fight, have their own lives, but will never abandon the other. romance at that age isn't something that's perfect. But most of all, the inner workings of having the courage to stand up.

The message that this book puts forth is also so important for young women to hear. That no matter who you are, your religion, or your ideas or opinion women should stand together. That just because a woman doesn't think like you or they believe in the things you believe in doesn't mean you should always be against them nor turn a blind when they are in need of love and support. and I love that message of spreading love instead of hate. Of standing together instead of remaining divided

This novel serves as a fun time capsule into the early 90s, with special attention paid to the Riot Grrl scene. I feel it takes a nuanced look at pro-life and pro-choice viewpoints, showcasing some of the more disgusting tactics as well as the justification of each belief. The romances are somewhat formulaic but that's fine, and no less satisfying in the end. Overall, I found the story to be engaging, though I wonder how into the setting many younger readers will be.

This book covers a wide range of topics that are all over the media these days. The fact that it is set in the 90s was eye opening in the sense that a lot of the issues are still being debated today. I was impressed with how eloquently the author handled these sorts of discussions, and I believe this book will enlighten a lot of readers of all ages.

I am definitely enjoying reading this book, it is very well written. And overall its a story about women supporting women so that's what hooked me. Instantly.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Clumsy. Our protagonist never seems to know what's going on, and is a histrionically terrible feminist. She spends over half of the book contemplating her relationship status and actively putting a boy before every other aspect of her life. The author relies heavily on that horrific plot device whereby the main character is about to learn something important, but becomes too upset to continue the conversation before any information is divulged. Also? Guidance counselors are rarely supervillains, but you wouldn't know it from reading Rebel Girls.