A Girl Called Shamless (The Exact Opposite of Okay #2)
by Laura Steven
Publisher – Egmont UK
Release Date – 7th March 2019
Buy – Amazon | Book DepositoryFunnier. Ruder. Angrier. Izzy O’Neill is back in the hilarious sequel to The Exact Opposite of Okay.
It’s been two months since a leaked explicit photo got Izzy involved in a political sex scandal – and the aftershock is far from over. The Bitches Bite Back movement is gathering momentum as a forum for teenage feminists, and when a girl at another school has a sex tape shared online, once again Izzy leads the charge against the slut-shamer. This time she wants to change the state law on revenge porn.
Izzy and her best friend Ajita are as hilarious as ever, using comedy to fight back against whatever the world throws at them, but Izzy is still reeling from her slut-shaming ordeal, feeling angry beyond belief and wondering – can they really make a change?
This is a damn amazing sequel. “We fight as hard as we can. We are bitches. And bitches bite back.” Izzy O’Neil is back and more kick-ass, fiercer and stronger than when she takes on the politicians. Last year, The Exact opposite of Okay was one of my favourite books of the year. I also got to meet Laura at YaShot and she’s even more amazing and funny in real life. The sequel was one of my most anticipated this year and it didn’t disappoint, it triumphed! I raced through it and I couldn’t put it down aside from the fact I had to work, boo!
Izzy had a nude photo leaked of her having sex with he senator’s son. It ruined and hurt her, she didn’t know where to go, whether she was worthy of script editor or whether she was worthy of a relationship with another guy. But Izzy is the strongest and courageous person you will know and when another girl in her school goes through the same thing, Izzy and her band of bitches, Agita and Meg are brimming with anger and rage. Enough is enough! She wants it to stop, to show that girls do have rights and it shouldn’t be okay for people to judge them on that photos without their consent. After going through the worst ordeal , Izzy O’Neil is fighting back harder to change the world and taking politics by storm.
“We fight as hard as we can. We are bitches. And bitches bite back.”
I found this sequel to be even better than the first. It’s hard to believe, and very hard to come by where the second book in the series triumphs the first but it happened and I adore this book so much for that. Laura’s writing was both familiar and instantly hilarious the way she portrays Izzy’s narrative throughout the book. As soon as you turn a page your laughing so much. (Even on a train where everyone looks at you.) Izzy’s character is even more fierce, strong but also she has grown so much in herself. I felt that in AGCS, she really identifies with her querks and her awesomeness but she is also unafraid to admit to insecurities. Before she used to hide a lot of emotions with humour and comedy and she still does, but I felt since her scandal, she is feeling a lot of things, she’s more emotional. She much more sincere and considerate of others and I think she has Betty, Agita and new best friend Meg. She accepts her flaws and insecurities and uses that to fight for other girls like…
Laura also creates such a family of support in her books, this book even more so. We have the loveable Betty who is just Gran of inspiration. She is even more gloriously funny, slightly secretive and reclusive in this book and I love the mystery about her. I love her. She’s the best Gran of any YA book. Then we have Carson, the boyfriend, who stands by Izzy’s side no matter what and he simply an amazing boyfriend. Agita and Meg. I love these two, they not only are they part of the passionate, sharp, witty females that band together to create Bitches Bite Back and fight against the Senator, and Izzy’s best friends but they are adorable… (You can fill in the gap when you read it!)
Fierce feminists fighting against senators, to make a difference and to share Izzy’s story in a whole new light. All of this, plus the passion and joy that all of this that Laura has seamless brought together to create damn amazing sequel. This book is for the fans of Holly Bourne and Laura Bates. Read it, love it. There is no-one like Izzy O’Neil in YA.
Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Egmont/Electric Monkey for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
