Review by Booklist Review
Frankie is a bright, friendly physics aficionada who is obsessed with astronomy the way her girlfriends are with boys. Her best friend, Harriet (Harry) loves to tease Frankie's lack of interest in romance by calling her a nun, which their other friends laugh off. When Frankie takes up with Benjamin, engages in her first sexual experience, and discovers her menstrual blood on his fingers, she is embarrassed despite Benjamin taking it in stride. Then memes about Frankie, sex, and her period go viral, making her the victim of slut shaming. She can only imagine Benjamin is the culprit, because no one else knows what happened. Frankie's life goes to hell, and only after she gathers the courage to talk with her parents about the incident does she reclaim power over it, propelling her to discover who was behind the memes, fight back, and regain her good name. Many important issues are addressed in this novel-in-verse, and each is tackled with honesty and without sensationalism: the complexities of friendships, maturity, and solid parental support; the painful toxicity of cyberbullying and slut shaming; the thrill of one's first boyfriend and first sexual experience. This is, at its core, a must-read novel of empowerment that attempts to normalize periods and offer strength to the innocent who find themselves the center of viral humiliation.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Though Frankie and Harriet have been best friends forever, Frankie feels like they're growing apart. Frankie loves astronomy, but all Harriet seems to care about is boys ("Does she actually like him/ or does she just like flirting?"), while Harriet thinks Frankie "can be/ such a nun." By the time Frankie gets together with fellow science lover Benjamin Jones, she and Harriet aren't speaking. When someone creates a meme about Frankie getting her period during a moment of intimacy with Benjamin, it's easy for Frankie to blame Harriet--and Benjamin, of course, since he is the only one who knew that it happened. Feeling betrayed and utterly alone, Frankie must find a way to persevere as the internet piles on to shame her. In her debut novel, Cuthew flips a horror story about toxic masculinity and internet-enabled misogyny into a tale of empowerment as Frankie begins to see she's not in the wrong, and she and her friends reclaim each other and the narrative. The plot holds few surprises, especially around the meme maker's identity, but Cuthew's verse is sensitively written, enlivened by hashtags and typographical flourishes that successfully convey Frankie's feelings. Ages 14--up. Agent: Rachel Mann, Jo Unwin Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Harriet and Frankie have been best friends forever. They share a tree house, along with a passion for astronomy and photography. After Harriet sends a racy photo to their physics teacher, the girls fight and break off their friendship. Life goes from bad to worse when Frankie's period starts during an intimate moment with Benjamin, her maybe-boyfriend. She is horrified when the incident is spread around their high school, then turned into an internet meme which leads to harassing messages and the potential loss of an internship. Frankie suspects Harriet or Benjamin might be the ones behind the meme. Terrified by the viral meme, and isolated and shamed by fellow students, Frankie isn't sure who to trust and is too mortified to tell her parents. Slowly, the truth is revealed, and Frankie comes up with a #MeToo plan to reclaim her power, even if it means being expelled. Written in verse with bits of concrete poetry, this book captures the joy of a crush, the despair of a lost friend, and the humiliation of being "that girl" on the internet. The need to normalize young women's body functions and desires is woven throughout. VERDICT An excellent examination of young women's friendships and desires set against the misogyny of their society. A great first purchase.--Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Lib., WA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Frankie struggles with the fallout after a meme about her awkward first sexual experience goes viral. Frankie and Harriet have been best friends forever. They share a treehouse with a telescope and a passion for astronomy and photography. But Frankie becomes annoyed as Harriet becomes more boy-obsessed, and Harriet thinks Frankie is prudish and judgmental. But there is a boy Frankie secretly likes--in sweet Benjamin, she finds her science geek equal. After Frankie and Harriet have a blowup, Frankie and Benjamin share a sexual experience, her first, during which she gets her period. Initially, the couple are able to move past the awkwardness good-naturedly. But the next day at school, everyone's buzzing about what happened, and a nasty meme about it goes viral. As the online response to the meme grows increasingly violent and terrifying, Frankie's fear and shame are compounded by the seeming betrayal of people she trusted. This beautifully written novel in verse is equal parts tender and tough, covering a broad swath of adolescent concerns, from orgasms to the dark side of the internet. Cuthew's depiction of online bullying and harassment is graphic and spot-on; funny dialogue helps to lighten the intensity. All characters seem to be white. A powerful, fiercely feminist novel that normalizes menstruation and confronts destructive cyberculture. (Verse novel. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
