In this historical YA graphic novel, a young woman with aspirations of becoming a stunt reporter teams up with her best friend who works as a servant and factory girl and an enterprising young photographer to expose the horrific working conditions in clothing factories. All three girls are based on real historical figures to some degree and the story is based on real reporting and conditions at the time. The girls defiant spirit and perseverance in the face of challenges is something young readers will find both relatable and inspiring, I think. And the representation of immigrants, poverty, and the lives of LGBTQ people provide great insight into the historical experience sof those communities. I particularly appreciated the author's note on how historical queer people were not always met with homophobia in their times if they adhered to gender norms, because intimate same-sex "friendships" were not viewed in the same way that they are today. I think teens will find this story as fun as it is informative!

Renegade Girls is based on the true stories of "stunt girl" reporters from the late 1800s. These women risked their lives to report on the working conditions of women and children who labored in factories. The characters, based on real people, show how women would have to get hired into these factories and report on the abuse of the staff, from long hours to dangerous working conditions that routinely lead to serious accidents. It is also a story of friendship and burgeoning love between two women at a time when that was scandalous. Renegade Girls is a fun, interesting read that may lead readers to want to know more about this time in history.

I started this story originally as an ARC before it was released in April 2025! Finishing this story in the start of Pride Month felt like it was meant to be!

Seeing the world through the lives of Nell Nelson and Alice Austen is astonishing! Although the story is only based on the lives of these women, they truly made a difference in the USA at a time where women weren’t able to as easily. Renegade Girls is an inspiring and moving story about standing up for what you believe in and never letting anyone tell you who you can or can’t love!

10/10 would recommend and will definitely read again!

Absolutely amazing story. I love Nell and her circle of friends. She was so strong, just like her real life counterpart.

Very modern values in a historical setting. I found it rather lecture-y and not particularly involving. When it became clear that the young women were going to be shown as always right, I lost interest. Rather dogmatic.

Renegade Girls was a fun easy read. The relationships are sweet and sincere and the characters are fun. It works slightly less as a historical novel, as it feels unlikely that things would work out as easily as they did. However, giving a historical figure an inner life is a way that authors have frequently used to humanize and build likeability. I appreciate seeing many sides of life in New York during this time period, including the garment workers and their families.

This graphic novel is full of heart. Readers get to meet powerful young women, who are based on real people, who push past their fear to do what is right. With a charming romance, beautiful art, and a powerful message about using your voice and finding your own path, I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone, but especially to young women.

This is a really delightful queer historical fiction graphic novel. I appreciated the author's notes at the end.

This is a comic that is a perfect thing to read during the times that are happening right now. It made me feel hopeful. These girls do everything in their power to tell the truth. The one thing that is going to combat misinformation and false ideas is to be dedicated to expressing and presenting the truth.

I thought the romance was adorable and being true to who they are I feel emboldened them to do what was necessary to expose the mail-practices that were happening in the factories. Fighting for rights is a difficult battle and it can require us to do things that are uncomfortable, but those things are necessary in the name of truth and progress.

I feel like this comic is an absolute must read. It is an inspiring call to action and an all around delightful read!

What a fun book! I loved the historical setting and the focus on “stunt girl” reporting. I think the adaptation to graphic novel worked well here, though it meant that some scenes needed to be simplified. The story was very cohesive and the characters felt very real.

As a person with Italian immigrant ancestors, I loved that this is something Neus included in the book, too. It definitely left me feeling with a little more of a personal connection with the story. My great-grandmother worked in a factory during the 1930s/40s after her husband passed away, which is later than when this story is written, but it gave me a chance to reflect on that part of her life a little bit.

The main characters in the book are inspired by real people, though Neus takes some artistic liberty with some elements. The book includes a detailed author’s note that explains which elements are historically accurate.

All in all, I had a great time reading this book, and I would love to see more graphic novels like this one. (Another historical graphic novel on my reading list is I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner.)

Renegade Girls by Nora Neus is a fierce, inspiring graphic novel that celebrates rebellious women and girls who defied expectations and fought for change. With bold artwork and sharp storytelling, Neus brings to life historical and modern figures, from suffragettes to punk activists, who challenged injustice with courage and wit. Both educational and entertaining, this book is perfect for anyone who loves feminist history, dynamic visuals, and stories of unapologetic defiance. A must-read for young rebels and dreamers!

I loved this!!!! Everything about it! It was a fast read but I will be buying it when it comes out!!!

The overall story here is extremely important, but I would have liked the notes on historical accuracy up front instead of at the end. It's always difficult to know what's too much historical liberty, but I find it more problematic in works aimed at younger audiences than older ones, and graphic audiences than written ones. There are also a <b>lot</b> of characters here, some of whom were similar enough in character design that they were difficult to tell apart, especially if the watermark for the ARC was across their faces 😅.

I did appreciate the realistic depiction of close female, and sometimes sapphic, friendship in the time period. I'm just not sure that I'm cool with moving two real people who had no real reason to know each other to the same city in order to facilitate it.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

And historians will call them close friends...

I loved this portrayal of a young muckraker reporting on the conditions of clothing factories in the late 1880s. The story is interesting, the girls are likable, and readers will want Helena to succeed in fighting against the oppressive industrial factories. Definitely pick it up!

Helena “Nell” Cusack always spent summers at her aunt & uncle’s house in NYC. Her mother wanted her to enter society and find a respectable man to marry, but she had another idea. The truth is, she knew that she’s never attracted to boys and men and never planned to marry. That summer, she wanted to secure an income as a reporter so she can support herself. But being a social reporter wasn’t enough, she wanted to be a stunt girl to expose injustice in everyday life.

This was empowering and brave. I love Nell’s strong determination and the way girls and women stick together. The queer romance was cute too. I thought this was completely fictional but apparently the 3 main characters were inspired by real persons and the author tried to weave historical facts about them and fictional story together. It was quite nice story.

This graphic novel is a great primer for kids on the issues of stunt girls and the different lives girls could live in the 1890s. The plot moved at a good clip and remained believable—even if the ending was optimistic for the girls in love. The one piece I felt less comfortable with was the invention of a love story between real people. The author wrote in her afterword that she felt comfortable with this and rationalized the real people would understand—I’m not sure I agree. Aren’t there real, documented sapphic relationships from history to write about for kids? If not, a wholly fictionalized set of characters might have been better than this halfway house of truth and fiction.

“The hard choice is almost always the right one.”

Helena “Nell” Cusack’s summers are spent in New York where she can spend time away from Chicago and the pressure of finding a husband. This summer, Nell finds herself working as a society reporter for the New York Chronicle and is unsatisfied with how all of her pieces criticizing society are altered beyond recognition. Making a deal with her boss that allows her to become more honest about society, Nell seeks a story worthy of a stunt girl, girls who go undercover for reporting assignments. When Nell’s best friend, Lucia, is injured while working in a factory, Nell is determined to uncover the horrors of the factory as her first stunt girl assignment along with the help of photographer Alice Austen. As their reporting gains popularity, Nell’s relationship with Alice grows deeper, leading to a summer full of romance and justice.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that all the characters in this book are inspired by real people. I honestly love stories with concepts like this that are rooted in the truth but take some creative liberties. Nell is a wonderful character, and it was fun to see which details Neus included were real and which were embellished. Lucia is such a sweet and supportive character, and I absolutely loved seeing Alice’s friend group and how they were so different from the other women in society seen earlier in the story. Despite this, there’s little doubt in my mind that my favorite character was Mr. Dixon, who was in charge of the paper. It was refreshing to see a male character that seemed to side with women, especially considering the time period this story takes place in. In terms of illustration, the art was beautifully done and stunning to look at. My main complaint was that it was occasionally hard to tell the difference between the two leading ladies, Nell and Alice. However, the way color was used throughout the story was so powerful and helped combat this issue. Nell is almost always wearing pink, while Alice is seen most often in orange. This was also so nice to see because pink and orange are the main colors of the lesbian pride flag, and I can only imagine choosing these colors for their wardrobes was intentional. I enjoyed Renegade Girls, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a feminist, queer romance.

I couldn't love RENEGADE GIRLS more if I tried because this graphic novel is entirely my jam. I love the mishmash of sapphic love, cross-dressing, women reporters in the vein of Torchy Blane and Brenda Starr, the gilded-era setting, and the just amazingly gorgeous illustrations. I love, love, loved this graphic novel and can't wait to share it with my library kiddos. This is perfect for HEARTSTOPPER fans who like the heartfelt, feel-good vibes of Alice Oseman's work and those who wish BRIDGERTON were gayer!

This graphic novel was super cute! It highlighted the issues of the time while taking a fictional view of Nell Nelson's personal life. I really enjoyed it, and think it is great for the middle-grade genre.

What is is like to be a women writer before women were encouraged? This story leads the reading through a journey of being a writer for a major news paper during a tumultuous time. Children, as young as 8, and women working in factors for pennies a day. Read and learn about history.