The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven is an eye-opening look into people's capacity to destroy one another. It explores themes of revenge porn, friendship-zones, entitled boys, trust, victim blaming, slut shaming and so much more. I captures it so well, but it's not a heavy read, Izzy's narration is funny and this book had me laughing whilst I was angry on her behalf. I'm pretty sure most women reading this (and a lot of men) will relate to some aspects from their teenage years. 

I got to meet Laura at YALC 2017 and snap the pic below. She was SO sweet! I'm so glad I loved her book.











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Gosh I loved loved LOVED The Exact Opposite of Okay so much, five stars! I stayed up until 4am to finish it and I was reeling when I finished it. I really think this book is going to sing to a lot of people. In this day and age it's so easy for the things that happened to Izzie to happen to someone. We all have the capacity to do 'scandalous' things, but when we see someone else out in the open who's done something 'scandalous' we all get on our high horse and judge. It's ridiculous and damaging. How can we shame someone for something that's natural and that many people have also done?

This book also explores this ridiculous notion of the 'friend-zone'. Gah I hate that trope so much - butt hurt boys who can't take no for an answer. Who only want to be a part of our lives if they're in our pants. 

Real talk - I think when I was a teen, I was sometimes flirty with guys I wasn't interested in because I knew if they were solidly in the 'friend-zone' they'd drop me. That's sad. That's awful. But it was the way if I wanted to keep my friends. 









I love the structure of The Exact Opposite of Okay! It's told in a diary entry/blog post format, which was super interesting. It really puts you into the mind of Izzie. It made me a bit twitchy to think of how honest she is on her online blog - there's no way I'd have had the courage to do that. I'm always careful of what I say and I guess this book explores the reason for it, in a way.

It was fast paced and driven, making you desperate to find out what was happening and why. 







Usually I do a bit of a review of each character, but I really don't want to spoil any of this book. So I'm going to do a bit of an overview of the characters. 

They are well written, raw and relatable (most of them) and they develop as the book goes on. I'd like to think I was a bit like Izzie when I was younger, tenacious and funny - trying my hand at writing, but I could just be looking back with wishful thinking.

The friendships are real and difficult. They're not this farcical girly best friendship that we often seen in YA, it's difficult and they have to work to overcome it.

One of the best YA contemporaries I have ever read. Izzy is such a strong and complicated character, whose narrative voice really helps the reader connect and care for the story. Usually I do not care for a 'blog' format, however Laura Steven really makes it work with the expert combination of telling the story as well as Izzy's personal after thoughts.
I shall be pushing this book into the hands of so many teens!

I generally really enjoyed this, and it addressed some important issues too, but the one thing is that I wish there was more towards the end, with more of the feminism stuff

I really liked the layout, how it was written as blog entries mostly, it was really fun to read, especially with the narrator adding extra notes in every now and then from the present, looking back on everything that had happened

Izzy was such a great character, but I wish there was more of her standing up to the world about the feminist things, like slut shaming, and 'nice guys' , rather than it just being a few pages towards the end.

Mostly i enjoyed this book but there were a couple of things that really annoyed me. If not for the constant referencing to the dead parents this would have been a 4.5/5 book. It wanted to be a powerfully emotional story but it felt everything came back to the parents. The friends could have been written better as well.

Izzy O'Neill's life gets turned upside down when explicit photos of her appear online, and there's only so far that her natural optimism and wit can keep her going. However, the lads involved are left unscathed as Izzy is shamed for only doing what's natural at her age. The unfairness of it all, and the manner in which Izzy is treated is disgusting and really riles you up as you read it! I wouldn't call myself a feminist, but this book really does highlight a massive issue in the world regarding teens, gender equality and sex.

I absolutely adored The Exact Opposite of Okay and couldn't put it down! Izzy as a narrator was so entertaining whilst showing her vulnerability when her humour couldn't mask it. She was in essence a very typical teenage girl who you could relate to. A concept I really enjoyed as someone in my early twenties was the differences between all the guys in the book and how being a "nice guy" is very different to being a "good guy". This is an idea that's very accurate! 

I would definitely recommend that all young girls/women read The Exact Opposite of Okay, especially fans of authors such as Holly Bourne and Sara Barnard. Laura Steven is an exciting new voice in YA and I can't wait to see what's to come next!

Laura Steven’s first novel is here…The Exact Opposite of Okay

Izzy is just your typical teenage girl, she’s not completely sure where she wants to be in life but one thing she does know is screenwriting should be part of her life. A few drunken mistakes becomes a ‘scandal’ involving a senators son which grows and grows, leaving Izzy to fend for herself at school with bullies all around her and her two best friends acting strangely. How will Izzy cope?

The book is said to be a ‘groundbreaking young adult novel for anyone who's ever called themselves a feminist' and I was so excited by that! In some ways, I understand why it was said but I don’t think it quite meets the mark. Yes, the book does explore points of gender inequality but how is it moving things forward? Talking about the subject I suppose but the change?

But let’s go back a bit, the beginning of the book was boring and slow. We didn’t really move anywhere, it was clearly a set up for the latter half of the book but that what it felt like and became really predictable. The latter half was better, but that predictability just stuck and wouldn’t let go.

So let’s talk topics, the book is excellent at highlighting the way males are treated compared to their feel female counterparts, with males getting the labels of ‘legends’ and females are shamed and made to feel they have done the wrong thing. I found the exploring of the so-called friend zone to be true to life and to be honest I think this was best-written part of the book, it shows the dilemma some women face now.

Two parts really show the authors lack of knowledge of some industries. Working alongside a local paper in my work lead me to be really irritated by the whole ‘local paper picks it up and now it’s a national scandal’, not a chance! As if journalists would stand outside a school of all places. The other thing that bugged me was the way a school was portrayed to handle the situation, it would never happen like that it’s not allowed.

I try to have a firm option on a book, but with this one I’ve got such mixed feelings. There are some excellent topics and the way they come across is great if a little naive, but the execution? Not what I wanted or needed.

A wonderfully witty story of teenage love and friendship that tackles slut shaming and the 'Nice Guy' phenomenon head on. I was sad, I was furious, and I was laughing through it all. Izzy has a very deadpan, sarcastic, self-deprecating humour. She handles the heartbreak and trauma of her situation with humour which leads to a wild read. She is such a fun, interesting character, and is backed up by two brilliant secondary characters in Ajita and Danny. This story is oh so relevant for current times and has the potential to be really powerful for some young readers.

It left me believing even more strongly then ever in this quote: "The way the world treats teenage girls - as sluts, as objects, as bitches - is not okay. It's the exact opposite of okay."

Recommended for all teenagers and feminists.

This was wonderful. Completely turning gender constructs on their heads and really looking at out dated modes of thought that need to be thrown out. Why is it legendary for a boy to have a sexual experience but for a girl it makes her a slut? Told through a series of whip smart blog posts from the MC’s pov, this is sharp, witty and pulls no punches. Exactly the sort of literature we need for YA readers and teens. Dump Asher’s disturbing ‘13 Reasons Why’ in the bin and pick up this gem instead. It does far more to deconstruct the double standard between sexes and the mindset behind rape culture.

I'm also incredibly lucky to be a part of the street team for this particular novel so expect to see it splashed across all of my social media. That aside this is simply a phenomenal book.

I cry at books all the time and films (Toy Story 3 I'm looking at you here) but it is very rare that I find myself laughing at a book. Sometimes I'll giggle a little, but no. The Exact Opposite of Okay had me cackling every other page. The humour Laura injected into the novel was incredible, it felt like it was aimed at me. As a character Izzy is so sarcastic and witty...which I like to think I am (but know I'm far from it). The pop culture references I loved, mainly because the vast majority of them were Harry Potter related. I mean a sausage dog called Dumbledore? Yes please.

Humour aside I was really impressed with how real each character felt. Izzy is a flawed human being, she's had an awful life but as a result uses humour as a defence mechanism. I've certainly met people who do that and across different forms of media its a recurring thing. She made mistakes, which everyone does and she acted like a teenager. God forbid some of us actually do (did I'm my case...21 is scary) that. Ajita is glorious. That is all. And I appreciate the diversity in this novel. There's POC characters, LGBTQ+ characters. But my favourite part. There isn't a song and dance about the race or the sexuality of the characters. They simply are and as a result I couldn't imagine them any other way. I sometimes find when its shouted about its a little like a ticking a metaphorical box. Also read the novel, I think everyone has had a Danny in their life at some point...

What impressed me the most was how Laura unapologetically went after the phrase slut shaming. The entire crux of the novel centres on one eighteen-year olds 'sexploits' (glorious word) being broadcast across the internet. Photos of her in compromising positions have been put onto a website labelling her a whore and then an intimate photo she sent was added to the mix. Izzy, aforementioned victim, then has to cope with backlash. Walking through the corridor and hearing disgusting slurs thrown her way, reporters hounding her at every chance. The worst part? She is the only person in the situation to be receiving this treatment. There were two other guys that were involved. One who had also shared an intimate picture but that was brushed under the carpet and forgotten. The final few pages of the novel really hits home what slut shaming essentially is. In essence, if you decide to take charge of your sexuality be it in the clothes you wear, your actions, anything. You're a slut. But my god is you refuse you get branded a tease, frigid. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

This YA novel takes to task the double standard with regards to sexuality and exposes it for how ludicrous it truly is, whilst being absolutely hilarious.

Out on the 8th March. Read it. If you're a guy, a girl, or NB I think you'll get something out of it. This is the sort of book I want to hand out of a pamphlet.

Unfortunately this book was not my style, after reading the tag line 'ground breaking young adult novel for anyone who's ever called themselves a feminist' I was expecting a book similar to Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu but was sorely disappointed. I was tempted at about half way through this book to give up on it and leave it unfinished, but I decided to plough on as I hate leaving books unfinished. I'm glad to say the story did start to pick up slightly in the second half. There were some character progression in the final few pages which contributed well to the story, it was just a shame it had taken so long to appear.

This review is difficult to write as the message from this book is so important, and I appreciate the taboo subjects that are discussed. This book focuses on the differentiation between the sexes, how guys are treated differently to girls. How a guys nightly conquests are a girls desperate downfall. That a girl with any interest in sex is a automatically a slut or a whore. I fully support the message in this book that slut shaming and degrading someone in regards to their personal life is NEVER okay, it is exactly the opposite of okay.

However I could not give this book more than 2 stars because of many reasons, this book is written in the form of blog posts, although this is an interesting concept it makes the book difficult to read and events become easily jumbled up in the various timescales. The MC isn't relatable at all, I could not for the life of me connect with Izzy, I could hardly even muster up much empathy for her situation. Izzy came across as a very arrogant young woman, she was crude and sarcastic on almost every page. But as soon as things went downhill she seemed to develop 2 personalities, she'd be outspoken and rude on one page then shy and demure on the next. It was difficult to relate to a character who was constantly changing.

How many times have you heard 'I use humour as a coping mechanism' ? I've heard it far too many times in YA novels already, I know plenty of young people with tragic childhoods who have never used offensive jokes as a coping mechanism. Offensive jokes aren't funny, they are always insulting to someone. This book is filled with sarcasm and over dramatic metaphors, as well as continuous swearing, which I don't appreciate in a good book.

As I said, I was expecting a novel dedicated to girl power, women standing side by side and fighting injustice together. So maybe this book was doomed to fail from the start as my expectations were too high. However if you enjoy a novel that discusses taboo topics, a dramatic character and an overuse of swearing, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

A timely read, that will provoke discussion if nothing else. I felt torn because it raises important questions, but I found it hard to feel much empathy with the character and there were too many strands to really help us focus on the key message of the story.

I just loved this. It was LOL-funny, whip smart and engaged with some seriously important social issues in such a powerful way. I loved our MC, Izzy, so so much. I also really enjoyed the intersectional feminism in this book, I loved the analysis of how being poor affected Izzy and her grandma, I adored how sex positive this book was. BASICALLY, this book was the best. If you read and loved MOXIE, you'll love this. (I've said 'love' FAR too many times in this, but I don't even care--this book was that good, and I...loved it!)

I loved it. I really did. I wasn't sure what to think from the start because Izzy hides her feelings behind jokes and I felt it would get tiring quite early, but as soon as the scandal starts, I could see the cracks in her armour. This new balance between humour and drama made her more human, more likeable and more relatable, which allowed me to laugh and cry with her. A lot.

I love the fact that she's poor. Let's face it, while most YA protagonists are supposed to be "middle-class", they usually have money. Izzy on the other hand, lives in a shoebox with her grandmother, had to pawn her camera to pay the bills and has absolutely zero chance to go to college because of how expensive it is (and believe me, I know. It took me a social grant and five years of flipping burgers to barely pay for mine, and I consider myself lucky). This is something that needs to be acknowledged. The world keeps telling high schoolers that to get to college, they need good grades. That's true, but does anyone mention the fat load of money they'll need as well? Like it or not, degrees come at a price, and a very expensive one at that. The other concerning thing that Izzy's situation puts into light is Betty, a senior well past the time she should have retired, forced to keep working because no one would hire Izzy for some reason and they need the money. Betty is obviously in pain and she has worked for so many years, yet she still can't retire. That's just wrong and this too needs to be addressed, so I'm glad it is, at least in this book.

From the moment Carson walked in, I was looking out for a love triangle. Carson, popular basket ball player interested in Izzy vs Danny, best friend since forever discovering his feelings. Lucky for me, Izzy shows no interest in Danny and a possible romantic relationship between them is never really in the realm of possible, which leaves us with cute and adorable Carson. But then, Vaughan shows up. I had trouble picturing Izzy sleeping with him (not a spoiler, it's in the blurb!) since she seems to despise him and his father at first, but then there's the party where he shows a different side of him, so okay. I would have liked to know a bit more about him since he's involved in the scandal, but okay. Anyway, no possible love triangle here either since it was just a one-night stand. So no love triangle at all and Carson remains the undisputed love interest. Great!

Slut shaming, and the so-called "friend zone", take a huge kick in the nuts, here. It's high time. There's a perfect quote about the friend zone in the book, actually: "And because he's spent enough money and inserted enough friendship tokens, the offer of sex and/or marriage should just fall out anytime now?". That's right. This nonsense that says that Nice Guys deserve a woman because they're nice to her is BS. A woman is not some loyalty prize you can get when you get enough niceness stamps on your card. I can't believe we have to say this but a woman is a PERSON whose choices are her own and if her choice is not to have sex with you, despite being showered in presents and attentions, it's hers to decide and you don't get to demand squat. And if you really think a woman should love/have sex with you because you got her a present and/or said nice things to her, you're not nice at all. You're a manipulative dirtbag pretending to be nice in order to get a reward for it. Huge difference. This "friend zone" nonsense is just a way to blame a woman for not being attracted to someone. And the vending machine is such an appropriate image: the man inserted his niceness coins for a relationship then got mad because said relationship was denied to him. So he blames the woman like he'd blame the vending machine. And he calls himself "nice".

I was SHOCKED by who turned out to be behind the website. I hope until the end it was a mistake, that another character had done it since a few clues pointed, at least in my opinion, to a different character, but no. I can't say too much about it here because of spoilers, but I was horrified that they even considered doing such a thing, and even worse, thought it was a good idea. The teachers also disgust me. That creep, oh my god! And the Christian teacher? Judging Izzy like that? Gosh, didn't Jesus or someone say "don't judge or you too will be judged"? Maybe she should read that part about Jesus telling his friends to repect Mary Magdalene again, she seems to have missed it. Practice the religion that you preach, lady.

I LOVED Ajita so much. She's so great. She's adorable and she'll fight you if you come for her bestie. I want a best friend like her. Everyone should have one. I also loved Meg, I wish she'd been featured a bit more but I'm sure I'll see more of her in the sequel. Which I'm very excited about, but you know what I'd love? An Ajita spin-off. Betty is perfect. Same for Ms Crannon. Also I have to say that the last page of the book had me crying and laughing in relief. Again, can't say why because spoilers, but gosh!

I just loved it. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I was shocked, I went through it all and I can't wait for more. I wish every school library would buy it, for the girls to know that being sexually active is nothing to be ashamed of, and for the boys to know that this friend zone nonsense is ridiculous, toxic even. 5 well deserved stars.

Thank you so much to Laura Steven, Egmont Publishing and NetGalley for making sure I got an ARC of this book. I can't wait to see it on bestsellers lists.

I’m not always crazy about Young Adult fiction for some reason. Perhaps it’s just me, but I think it often comes across as cheesy or preachy. However neither of these things are true in The Exact Opposite of Okay, I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed reading every single page, I loved the main character and I thought it spoke about some really important and timely issues without it ever feeling like that was the sole purpose of the book.
I immediately liked and rooted for Izzy, the main character, because she is so witty, clever and unapologetic about who she is and the way she acts. I adored how passionate Izzy was about her dreams of writing screenplays for a living, and I was saddened right along with her by the many barriers there are for people who are not wealthy and connected. Izzy was so relatable and has faults just like we all do. I found her character was so well developed and skilfully portrayed. In fact, all of the characters were really interesting and realistic. I thought Izzy’s friendship with her best friend Ajita was really believable and full of funny dialogue filled with sarcasm and affection. Izzy’s grandmother, Betty, is her guardian due to both her parents dying years earlier and they have a really sweet relationship. There is so much trust between them and so much love which is nice to read considering the horrific invasion of Izzy;s privacy that takes place. The fact that she always has her grandmother’s support no matter what is partly what gives her her strength which is what makes her able to live her life the way she wants. I also thought it was so great that we as the reader really got to know Izzy and spent a significant portion of the book with her before the main events of the book took place. This meant that the reader is so much more connected to her story and felt for her as things became increasingly difficult in her life due to the actions and judgements of others.
The story is told through Izzy’s blog posts which I really enjoyed. Telling the story this way could have been gimmicky but it was constructed beautifully and felt totally natural. The humour in the novel is also great, Izzy is so funny and quick-witted which makes what could have been a pretty intense read due to the issues discussed actually just purely enjoyable and fun. Steven’s writing is fantastic and flows beautifully. I loved her style and ability to create such great characters. I will definitely be reading her next piece of work, whatever it may be.
The main issue of this book is the slut-shaming and judgement put on young women when they behave in a way that society deems unacceptable. Izzy’s privacy is totally invaded and her world changed when an anonymous blog is posted online basically outlining the many ways Izzy is supposedly a ‘whore’. There is also intimate photographs of Izzy circulated, which she can do very little about due to the fact she is over 18 and therefore technically an adult despite not even having left high school yet. The book does such a phenomenal job of portraying Izzy’s shock, violation and unfortunately her shame. At first Izzy rightly refuses to feel ashamed of herself because she knows that she has done nothing wrong and certainly nothing that millions of teenage boys do with little to no judgement every day. However as the novel progresses and Izzy is continuously judged and shamed by her peers, the press and even some of her teachers she does start to feel a deep shame and embarrassment for things that are in no way her fault. It is so depressing that even though Izzy is a strong, pretty confident young woman society can still force that shame upon her. This book is so filled with great insight about the way women are treated when they behave in a certain manner, not just by society but even by people they think of as friends. The book showed the devastating effect things like slut-shaming and revenge porn can have on even a strong person and whilst obviously nothing changes overnight, I really hope that pieces of work like this great book can start to enact some changes about the treatment of women everywhere.

I really cannot recommend this book enough. There was practically nothing I disliked about it and I think its such a fun entertaining read that still manages to say a great deal about something so important without ever beating you over the head with it.

Hello humans! Today is another example of my forays out of the world of SFF and into contemporary YA. I've read some amazing examples of contemporary YA it's just not my preferred genre so I don't tend to gravitate towards it. But I'm so glad I requested this book because it is utterly phenomenal and I'm excited to tell you all about it.

Never before have I found a book that was so close to being written in my internal monologue than this one. I have a weird constantly flowing internal dialogue, I talk to myself, I make a lot of inappropriate jokes and I related hard to Izzy, so much so that it took me a while to properly understand that the book was set in the US because I had been reading it mentally in an English accent.

This book is hilarious. I very rarely laugh out loud at books (usually because I'm reading them on the bus and I don't want to look odd) but in this instance, I just couldn't help it. Something about the pacing of these jokes and the way they are thrown into the story just tickles my funny bone - what can I say.

This is the book I needed to read when I was about sixteen. It's got likable characters, realistic talks about sex and what it is actually like to be a teenager/young adult and the potential repercussions of actions (without a whole schpiel about shame because that's not ok) along with a heavy dose of feminism thrown in. I feel like this book could start the kind of conversations people, particularly young women (and a lot of older women if I'm being honest) need to be having. I also think a lot of younger men would benefit from reading this. Basically, everyone would benefit from reading this.

If every YA contemporary novel was as good as this one I would have no problem picking them up more often. This is tackling incredibly complex and difficult issues, but instead of shrouding them in humour or cliché this book uses humour as a way of bringing those issues into the foreground.

I'm looking forward to this book shaping the YA scene for a while! Should you read this? Absolutely. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cry because you're laughing - and you just might learn something!

My rating: 5/5 stars

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ok let’s talk about this book I read. Hahaha. That’s hilarious. This is a book blog; how often is it that I talk about anything else?




Anyhow. The Exact Opposite of Okay is Laura Steven’s debut and it’s been getting a lot of attention, for more reasons I suspect than it’s incredibly lush cover. I mean sure, that’s what caught my eye but not everybody is as much of a book magpie as I am, I know this. The point is, this book has been generating a lot of buzz since last year and its not even published until March and hello this is me we’re talking about here: obviously I wanted to get right on that bandwagon.

I’m super glad that I did. For sure.


There’s a lot of YA out there at the moment that’s tackling The Bigger Things and I am so glad. Words are important and books are important and growing up can be hard guys and it’s so important to tell these kinds of stories, stories that are relatable to – that make you feel less alone – and that tackle things like racism and sexism and homophobia and all the other things that are wrong with this still ever so fucked up world (yikes, that’s swearing), stories that are diverse and relevant and that have a message that we need to think about and act upon. Let’s tell these stories where it counts you know – let’s aim them at the people wo really have a chance to make a difference to the future because they are the future (and also people like me who still unashamedly read all the YA fiction aged 34 and 9/12).



The Exact Opposite of Okay is one of those books. IT’S SO IMPORTANT GUYS, REALLY. & it’s relevant and yet relatable to also. It tackles slut-shaming and misogyny and revenge porn and victim-blaming and double standards and all of these things that really are not talked about enough, and you know what else it is? It is sex positive in a way I’m not sure I’ve seen before, not in books of this genre and perhaps not really ever and I loved that about it.


Let’s talk about how sex is a thing that it is absolutely ok to be having lots of if that’s what you want to be doing even if you are *gasp* a girl and if having sex is a thing you enjoy and a thing you do want to have lots of then *high five* and that is a thing that needs to be talked about because there’s still such a cloud over it, it’s still such a taboo and it is still – even when you’re grown up – very much seen as a Thing For Men, like being a girl that likes sex is a thing that shouldn’t be talked about.




The Exact Opposite of Okay turns all of that on its head and it made me happy.

It's been described as a feminist firecracker and I think it actually kind of might be.




So what exactly is it about you may ask.

I shall tell you.

It’s about Izzy. Izzy is a teenager. She wants to be a screenwriter, she lives with her Grandmother (her parents were both killed in an accident when she was small), and spends most of her time hanging out with her two best friends. And she likes sex.



When compromising photos of her are leaked, via a spiteful website set up anonymously, online, everything starts to fall apart – it is the exact opposite of okay and Izzy finds herself sort of caught: she’s not ashamed of who she is and what she does but that doesn’t mean she wants her naked photos on the internet either and it’s hard to be comfortable in your own skin when whispers of ‘whore’ follow you wherever you go. It’s ainful to read sometimes because IZZY HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG. She had sex with two boys – both of age and both consenting – and she placed her trust in the wrong place and in what world does that make her deserving of what follows? Well, in this world apparently and isn’t that just the worst?

Steven has done an excellent job in making Izzy funny and clever, headstrong and brave, awkward and loyal and vulnerable – she’s made her a regular teenager; I think everybody who reads this book will recognise a piece of themselves in Izzy and somehow that makes the injustices she faces hit harder. Izzy’s just a regular kid. It’s the very definition of unfair.
These things happen though don’t they? They happen every day and sure not always to these extremes , but still, girls all over will be called a slut and then have to watch as guys are fist-bumped and celebrated for the exact same things that they’re being bullied for; or they’ll be called a pricktease if they don’t want to go too far, or if they dress in a certain way and don’t want to do anything at all (damned if you do, damned if you don’t and ain’t that the truth because it seems to be an age old thing, it was the same when I was at school and it’s the same now – girls fall into one of two categories, you’re either a slut or you’re frigid and the real killer? Both of those things are derogatory); or they’ll get their bra straps pinged or boys will look up their skirts like it’s their right and they’ll be subjected to comment after comment based purely on their appearance and they’ll be forced to just accept it because that’s just how it is. Boys will be boys and we still live in the dark ages where people still act like all of this is okay.

Spoiler alert: no.



Laura Steven challenges all of this in a way that makes sense, in a way that makes you sit up and take note, in a way that makes you realise that whilst this is a work of fiction, this stuff is happening everywhere all of the time and it is the exact opposite of okay and I just think that is so so important. The Scarlet Letter was written in the 1800’s oh my God. How is this even still a thing?

It also really tackles the whole Entitled White Guy trope and the very idea of The Friend Zone. Seriously, it is such a long time since I felt such disdain for a character because there’s a boy in this book who is such an absolute asshat. Wow, I hate him so hard. So again with the not shying away from the important issues: everyone knows an entitled white guy amirite? That guy that thinks you owe him something because he was nice to you, or because you were nice to him. Everyone knows him, and everyone wants to tell him to do one and I love how this is handled in this book. I love it.

Also Izzy’s best friend Ajita? IS AMAZING. That is all.

The book is written as a series of blog posts by Izzy that she’s complied into a book after the fact, with little notes added by Izzy as she goes through afterwards and edits which I liked a lot for the most part and whilst it’s tackling some pretty heavy subjects, it never makes you feel bogged down. It’s refreshingly honest and it made me so angry and sometimes also pretty sad but you know another thing? It made me laugh. It would be good, I think, to get this book on school curriculums – this book has a message that needs spreading far and wide and it should be read, not just by girls so that they know that THEY DID NOTHING WRONG but also by boys, so they check themselves before they share that nude or throw a temper tantrum because that girl who’s being nice to them doesn’t actually want to have sex with them. It’s a conversation that should be had, I think, at that level and it would make for interesting classroom debate.

So, what did I not like? I pretty much liked it all actually, although, and I AM SO TOTALLY NIT PICKING HERE, the book is set in America but Laura Steven is a Brit and sometimes that felt pretty obvious. I mean I get it had to be set in America due to revenge porn being illegal in the UK, but still, Izzy felt British to me, there was dialogue and the odd turn of phrase and certain references that felt very English and at odds with the American setting and occasionally that jarred a little. I wonder if Americans reading the story would notice in the same way? Not a criticism as such, but an observation. I also maybe found Izzy’s constant humour a little too much sometimes, I get it’s who she is and I understand where it comes from but sometimes it didn’t ring true and certainly at the start of the book it felt a little try-hard. it did fade out a little as the story developed but you know, it was a thing that I noticed. Those are the most minor of things though in a book that I really hope is going to go places. It’s a strong debut and I liked it a whole lot.


It's published in March AND!!!!! Laura is offering an exclusive chapter to anybody who pre-orders soyou know, do yourself a favour and get on that.

Mix gender stereotypes with a funny heroine and a huge hot mess and BAM!! The Exact Opposite of Okay! Also, can we please just admire this gorgeous cover? It's the definition of love at first sight. I don't know if it has anything to do with the story, but you know what, beauty over practicality any day!

Double standards are the focus of this YA novel. Izzy, the main character's actions result in her being branded and labelled a 'slut', while the male counterparts involved in the same 'scandal' she was involved in are absolved completely of blame, and on the contrary praised. It is crazy to read about this because it really reflects the mess we are as a society, and I thank this book for being another new voice that is championing away this standard.

What I loved most about this book was that Izzy owned herself from the beginning, despite minor moments of doubt, which is beautiful. She never lost her whimsical narrative voice and I really enjoyed that. The book was also pretty easy to read, on account of the comic tone.

Laura Steven is definitely a debut author to watch out for! Her writing is effortlessly comical and pretty much never gets boring.

Unfortunately, there were some things lacking from this story. First of all, the writing was a bit cheesy and overdramatised. It just took away from the "this could happen in real life" element of the book. I definitely think the message of this book could've been more subtle. It felt like there was a lot of 'telling' rather than 'showing'. Unfortunately, it just deprives the reader of figuring out the implications of these stereotypes and the damage they can cause themselves. Additionally, the pacing was a bit lacking, it was pretty much always too fast or too slow.

I also would've liked more to happen with the side characters, especially since they all seemed to have some kind of interesting side story to explore.

Despite its faults, this book is a solid YA debut and I'm glad I read it!

Thanks,
Yomna

I first became aware of this book after seeing the hype surrounding it at YALC 2017 ( I was one of those who couldn’t make it so punished themselves by constantly stalking everyone on Twitter whilst silently crying). Once it became available on NetGalley I immediately requested it and soon after joined the Bitches Bite Back street team to promote the book. I’m already calling this as one of my favourite books of 2018 – I absolutely loved everything about it. Formatted as a series of blog entries being compiled into a book by the main character Izzy O’Neill after a sex scandal, it’s a fierce, no-holds-barred exploration of revenge porn, victim-blaming, and slut-shaming. Whilst these may seem like heavy topics, the book is absolutely hilarious from start to finish, effortlessly dismantling the patriarchy with its bold feminism.

The incredible main character of Izzy remained in my head long after finishing. Izzy might be a mess at times (who isn’t at 18?) but she has an inner confidence and a strong belief in her right to live her truth anyway she pleases. After naked photos of her are released, Izzy is adamant that she won’t be shamed for behaving like every other 18-year-old male is allowed and even encouraged to. The gender inequality that drives slut-shaming, and its use as a method of controlling women, is repeatedly questioned by Izzy and her best friend Ajita. Ajita is absolutely fierce and such a great friend, and I loved her dry humour. Danny, on the other hand, is a typical example of an entitled male trying to preserve his ‘Nice Guy’ image. His behaviour was so frustrating at times and his lack of insight was frighteningly realistic.

With the rise in public awareness of revenge porn and the myriad difficulties high-school girls have to navigate in contemporary society, The Exact Opposite of Okay is a timely and much-needed book. It should be mandatory in every school library as it could be exactly what a young person needs to read. It’s feminist main characters constantly question the status quo and encourage the reader to do the same and you finish the book wanting to actively change society. It’s a huge bonus that the author is a Northerner too and will be having the launch party at Waterstones Newcastle this March as I can’t wait to get a signed copy of this very special book.

Brilliant. Themes of feminism, privilege, slut-shaming, the 'friend-zone' with an AMAZING grandma, it's hilarious and light-hearted .

I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley.
Izzy is an 18 year old girl who lost her parents as a child and is raised by her grandmother, Betty. After a party, her reputation is ruined, a website dedicated to insulting and slut-shaming her appears online. The story follows the fallout of Frye website, with the effects on not just Izzy’s life, but her friends and families.
Izzy was written so well, a sarcastic witty teenager, taking on the world like every girl wishes she could have at 18. When in public she puts on a brave face, using her sense of humour to hide just how much the insults are affecting her. Izzy and her best friend, Ajita are Just what everyone needs in their life, sticking up for each other and not just lying down and accepting everything. Ajita’s storyline was interesting too, taking a backseat to Izzy’s as, obviously Izzy is the main character, but Laura Steven always made sure it wasn’t forgotten.
I loved how the book was written, being in the style of blog posts made it flow really well, most times the style of the narrator writing the story instead of telling it gets to me, I like the story telling style better, but it being blog style made a lot of sense, Izzy’s comments probably wouldn’t have been as funny and successful if it had been told in another style.

5/5 stars