This was a sweet story about a young woman, Nell, who goes undercover to expose the treatment of factory workers at the encouragement of her new friend, Alice. Loosely based on real historical figures, Nell and Alice fall in love over their shared interest in telling stories through photographs and words.

Julie Robine beautifully illustrated this YA graphic novel. The story moved along at a good pace and the characters were well-developed. There was a time or two where parts felt repetitive, when Nell would experience something and then explain it in detail again to her friends. But overall, it was solid storytelling. It would be a great addition to a middle school curriculum studying the 18th century.

I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @littlebrownyoungreaders. The opinions are my own.

Renegade Girls will be released on April 1, 2025.

I really love the story and romance in this but I did think it was a little odd to only address gender roles and the abuse in the clothing industry but picks and choses with race, since there are women in the factory who do not speak English as a first language but there are wealthy black women perpetuating this in the background of this story and very little women of color in the factory. Not that it wasn't the case but it was less common during this time period but race and gender do intersect in the treatment and abuse of people especially 10-20 years post slavery.

Thanks must go to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for this review!

This quick read was powerful, informative, and downright ADORABLE .

First of all, I love historical fiction based on real courageous women-- one of whom is a lesbian icon I've never heard of! While not entirely historically accurate, the story still does an excellent job at highlighting one of my favorite aspects of one of my favorite eras of history: the fight for worker's rights at the beginning of the Progressive Era.

Neus expertly handles the intersections of gender, class, and freedom both by including a working-class Italian-American character, and forcing Nell to come face-to-face with the ways her family have benefited from the maltreatment of others. While Alice inspires rebellion in Nell, her best friend Lucia is there to humble her, reminding her of her relative privileges. Together, the three of them made a powerful team!

The only intersection not discussed was that of race. People of all races were equally represented in all echelons of society, and while that would have been nice, it was an odd illusion to throw into an otherwise historical work. Perhaps the author felt they had already taken liberties with the blending of lives and bending of history, so they felt a more diverse cast would be permissible. But what nuance could have been added by bringing in a discussion of the Chinese Exclusion Act (enacted 6 years earlier) and its ramifications for the textile industry instead of giving Alice a Chinese-American socialite friend? This is just a kid's book, with limited space, but I'm curious about the artistic choice to bend history a bit.

Anyways, I'm so looking forward to going to Alice Austin's home in Staten Island when I return to NYC !

I haven’t ever read a graphic novel centering queer feminist characters during this time period, and I loved this! Such a fun story with lots of character growth and some great historical detail.

Nell has always known she's a little bit different. She loves spending her summers with her aunt and uncle in New York City, even if she knows her mother sends her there to find a husband. But Nell would much rather spend time helping her best friend Lucia in the kitchen, which is definitely frowned upon by high society. When Nell gets the opportunity to go undercover in a textile factory and write about her experiences, she finally feels like she can use her reporting job to make a difference.

I adored this graphic novel that incorporates strong women, queer romance, and journalism. I think it's probably one that I can't purchase (just because of one panel!), but the story is solid and the graphic novel as a whole is a great read.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel and I am so glad I picked it up as my first read of 2025. Renegade Girls tells the story of Helena "Nell" Cusack, a semi-fictionalized take on a real life journalist in the 1880s. Nell becomes a stunt girl, or what we would now consider an undercover reporter. She decides to tell the story of the abuses and mistreatments of lower class women and children in the factories. The book also features a queer love story between Nell and Alice Austen (again, a semi fictionalized take) on the famous photographer from Staten Island, and an amazing friendship between Nell and Lucia, a maid in her family's home. The way the women support each other is such a great example of found family, and I love how the author was able to integrate that aspect into the wider story as a whole. The illustrations were also amazing, I absolutely loved the art style.
All in all this graphic novel blends real life history, romance, and friendship into a compelling story that kept me reading. I highly recommend!