You know when you start reading at 23.30pm & think “oh, I’ll just read a few chapters?” Well it’s now 3.30am and I read the whole book!

The Exact Opposite of Okay is absolutely brilliant.
Izzy’s blog posts details her actions of the infamous night, where she goes to a party, gets drunk and has sex with two different guys in the space of not very long at all. Both of these liaisons were consensual & all parties seemed to have a good time.
The problems came around when word got out that Izzy had hooked up with two guys in the same night and a website was created proclaiming her as a World Class Whore. There’s a photo of her having arc with one of the guys. As if that’s not bad enough, following this, a screenshot of her receiving a dick pic & her responding with a full length nude selfie gets uploaded to the site. 
The website goes viral and what happens after is written in Izzy’s blog and made me so bloody angry on her behalf. The book, and Izzy’s narration confronts so many issues; slut shaming, victim blaming, double standards, friend zones, trust issues, grief, love, loss, friendship and ultimately coming to terms with who you are as a person.

This sounds like it could be heavy or uncomfortable to read but it isn’t, it’s so funny in places I had so many bits highlighted I may as well have just highlighted the whole thing! Izzy’s use of humour throughout is clever, relatable and makes her seem so real to me. 

I loved her friendship with Ajita, and it was really interesting to see how her relationship with Danny progressed throughout the unfolding drama.
Betty and Mrs C were total legends too, I wanted to hug them both! 

The way the story ended felt very real to me, not everything was good and happy and perfect, but there are glimmers of hope, & rather I know that Izzy would kick ass at whatever she ends up doing!

I could quite easily spend three hours reviewing this, but would much rather just urge you all to go and read this!
If you’re fans of Moxie by Jennifer Matthieu, A Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake or anything by Holly Bourne or Louise O’Neill go and buy it immediately! 


Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book!

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.

I have received a digital version of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am one of the lucky ones who can read this book before the publication. I joined the street team of this author a while ago because the book appealed to me enormously and because she also comes to Yalfest! I started this book immediately after Moxie and I was a bit worried that this might influence my opinion because I liked that book so much.I didn't need to worry about this because this book is also very good.

It tells the story of Izzy who has to deal with a sex scandal, nude photos of her are shared. But not only from the boy to whom she sent it. It becomes painfully clear in this book how slutshaming works. Because where the boy doesn't get any negativity,  Izzy gets a whole box of shit over herself for the photos but also just about her whole behavior towards boys.

As I mentioned a little, this book has a bit of the same approach as Moxie since girls here stand up for themselves and the injustices that play here. But in a very different way, because you are really included in the story of Izzy through her blog. You read the whole story as if you read her blog and yes this was getting used to because this is not a storytelling device that I have often had to deal with. But it reads wonderfully smoothly, it actually feels more like sitting on the couch with her and her telling you her story in person.

Izzy was a character that I had to get used to, I did not like her right away. In comparison with most girls in these types of YA books, she is not at all so insecure about herself, and also simply assumes that she is sexually active. (Izzy is a little later in her teens, so not 14!) refreshing to read this, she is not an inexperienced girl and yet she decides to send that photo. I think it just shows that everyone sometimes thinks naive and just does something impulsive.

But as I read more of the story I felt a connection with Izzy. I started to understand her way of thinking and at that moment the story really clicked. I just knew that this would be a good book because it is actually about a topic that is very current now. I think the subject is really well chosen and also at the right time.

The book is emotional, kick-ass and a real must read even if you do not go to yalfest, read this book because this is a book that I hope will stir up a lot of dust. A book that encourages girls and women to support each other more instead of putting them down because that is necessary!

In short, pre-order this book and go and read it! And remember: Bitches bite back!

This has definitely been one of my favourite reads so far this year. 
As soon as I started reading I found myself identifying with the protagonist - the writing was something that every teen girl could relate with and could understand. Having had many similar conversations with my own friends I found I was getting sucked into the story. 

The writing style - in that of a blog was intriguing and I had previously thought I wouldn't enjoy reading in that style but I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying the writing style. 

Handling such a taboo subject - any taboo subject -  is always difficult but I found that Laura Steven did it in a way that was needed. Revenge porn and anything similar are subject that have been touched up on in the media in recent years and this was such an amazing way to show the victims side of things and how they would feel. 

I would highly reccomend this book to my friends without question and I am holding a belief that every teen girl should read this! 

5 out of 5 stars!!

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.

Let me start by saying that i received a copy of this book in advance from NetGalley. 

The main character Izzy is a 18 year old girl who is raised by her grandmother after the death of her parents when she was a child. She finds her reputation ruined after a party, the story follows her feeling the effects of this fallen reputation. 
 
I like Izzy, she is an interesting character to read; she has a quick wit and her sarcasm keeps the flow of the book going. I find that the style of writing (the blog posts) make the book harder to read though, it slows down the pace and hinders the story line as a result. 

The subject matter is dealt  with in a really pleasant way, i found the lack of care that her teacher was gay at the start to be particularly enlightened and a great way to start the book on a positive note.. 

The characters are realistic and you can recognise real people in them. 

Overall, the book wasn't my taste but i can see how other people would enjoy it more than i have.

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 .

18 year old Izzy O’Neill tells her story through a series blogs dripping with humour and sarcasm, that will have you laughing out loud. 
Izzy’s real story begins after a party where she has 2 one-night stands, this leads to a website being created, for the sole purpose of slut shaming her. 
Concentrating on the hot topics of online slut shaming and the legality of porn revenge; Izzy’s story does a great job highlighting the stark inequalities between men and women and the consequences they each face. A senators son pictured having sex with Izzy online goes on to receive entrance to Stanford University, whereas Izzy has her screenplay rejected from a competition because of the bad publicity she could bring to the organisation. A lot to think about. 
Despite the unimaginable humiliation and bullying Izzy is subjected to, she is incessantly funny throughout. I found myself shouting ‘fight for yourself’ at times, and of course she does. 
The characters had great depth, I especially loved Ajita and Betty-O. I was delighted to hear their will be a sequel next year

The Exact Opposite of Okay follows Izzy, a schoolgirl who is thrown into the public eye after a one night stand with a politician's son. We follow the story through the eyes of Izzy as she writes blog posts about the happenings in her town. What follows is an insightful look into the double standards that exist in society today. There are some fabulous characters in the book and the relationships between Izzy and her teacher and best friend, Ajita, are really lovely to see. I absolutely flew through this book, and would have loved for the story to continue further. It is a thoughtful commentary about sexism and white male privilege in society today and I would highly recommend it.

Izzy is a typical high schooler and budding comedienne. She goes to parties, drinks beer and makes out with boys – just like every other 18 year old. What’s different in Izzy’s case is that one night, she goes to a party, drinks beer, has sex… and ends up being at the centre of a sex scandal with a politicians’ son and the victim of a horrible slut shaming website.

I was excited for this book the minute I read the synopsis on Goodreads and I am over the moon that I managed to get a copy from Netgalley. This book deals with a multitude of issues including slut-shaming, revenge porn, coming out and the double standards that exist between men and women in terms of sexual behaviour. 

From the moment I started reading this book, Izzy reminded me of myself and maybe that’s what sucked me in even more. Sarcastic? Check. Lazy? Check. Blunt as hell. Check. Nachos and mac and cheese fiend? CHECK. CHECK. CHECK. Izzy tells her story through a series of blog posts which are drenched in her wit and sarcasm and she doesn’t mince her words about anything. What you see is what you get.

The story revolves around the slut-shaming website created after the party where she had sex with two boys and peoples responses to what was published online. It focuses on the double standard between men and women when it comes to their sexual behaviour and this is perfectly highlighted when Izzy is removed from the screenplay competition because there has been SO much negative press about the photo she sent, but the boy who sent her an unsolicited dick pic receives an offer from a prestigious college.

Another subject throughout was the notion of the ‘friend-zone’, or as Izzy described it,”a convenient social construct” for boys when they get rejected and their futile attempts at making you like them fail. 
HA. Finally. Someone said it. No, dude, we’re just not that into you and guess what, we have no obligation to be, no matter how many gifts you’d like to give us.
One of the best things about this book is the number of amazing characters. Her grandmother Betty is the sweetest, completely selfless, most understanding grandmother ever to exist ever and my heart melted for her throughout the novel as she had to deal with her granddaughters’ pain. Ms Crannon was the kind of teacher everybody needs when in secondary school (luckily I had one). From the start she had faith in Izzy’s work and provides her not only with the money for the competition, but with genuine support and honesty throughout the sex scandal ordeal. These two characters were superb, however I think Ajita takes the top place for me. She’s the fiercest, funniest and most loyal best friend out there. Throughout the whole thing. She takes all the humiliation and ridicule alongside Izzy and reciprocates her humour defence mechanism and everyone needs a best friend like Ajita.
The only slight issue that I had with this book (if I can even call it an issue) is that the book completely read like a British person. I get it, the author is British, America needed to be the setting for the premise of the book to work (revenge porn is illegal in the UK), but Izzy’s narration continuously uses typically British sayings and words. I dunno. Still loved it.
Overall, I’m extremely happy I was able to read this book ahead of publishing and urge everyone to read it at some point; I feel like everybody could learn a little something from this novel. I will be looking out for Laura Steven’s future work.

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

You don’t know you need a book in your life until you’ve read it. I recently saw someone I knew as a kid go through a similar situation to what Izzy goes through in this book and this book really makes me feel for them more on another level but also makes me damn better feminist. 

The story is told in a diary form and the story unfolds incredibly well with a diverse range of characters and a touch of reality that makes this story feel like it could happen, maybe somewhere it probably has, but probably not as humorously as this. Izzy’s quick wit and sarcasm flows through this book keeping you pulled in and making for such an awesome read. 

I’ve seen all these characters in real life, and it makes this book just too real, and to see a book about it that just delivers this as a story with such brilliance makes for such a good book. Izzy is a great lead character and the plot moves along fantastically. If there is a book you read in 2018, please make it this, you will not be let down by it. 

I love this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves humour, YA contemporary, and a confident, sassy  voice!

Let me just start off with last night I should have been revising but ended up staying up late to finish this book. Therefore, it is Laura Steven’s fault if I fail my exams! *I’m joking*. Anyway I’m not the best at writing reviews but this book really deserved one. I fell in love with the MC Izzy and all the quirky people that made up her life. I felt like it gave a realistic account of what teenage life is like now and it wasn’t outdated, which a lot of YA books are. It also tackled the issue of slut shaming and revenge porn very well and made me examine and question some of my own views. I think that all young women should read this book because even though it still has fun laugh out loud moments it is also very clear and insightful. So a massive thank you to NetGalley I’m extremely grateful.

This is the first book I read this year, and already it’s going to be tough to beat as my favourite of the year! Laura Steven has written an important, timely story and done so superbly.

The subject matter is dealt with really well, and there is plenty of humour throughout. The characters are brilliantly written, and so realistic (you will probably recognise a few people you grew up with!). Some you will love, and some you will hate (really really hate). I definitely shouted out loud at a few of them!

I highly recommend this book to everyone, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for Izzy in the sequel. (Personally I am hoping for more Meg and her badass quotes).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Ok, so this book wasn't exactly my thing. As much as I tried to like the main character, I just couldn't and that kind of made it difficult for me to like the book as a whole. While there were some good moments, I found that I just wasn't enjoying this book or the message it was sending.
Although it was well written, it just wasn't for me.

This is the most important, powerful YA book I've ever read. Never before have I read a book that so perfectly depicts the hipocrisy of our society which encourages women to be sexual and then unapologetically tries to destroy them if they dare to be proud of their sexuality and own it.

The Exact Opposite of Okay follows orphan and aspiring comic Izzy O'Neill as she becomes the centre of a national scandal after photos of her having sex with a politician's son are maliciously spread across the internet.

Izzy is a fanstastic role model for young women. Strong, hilarious and confident in herself, she is the kind of girl I always wanted to be as a teenager. If I'd had this book when I was 18 I would have completely fallen in love with her and I really think she would have inspired me to react to certain situations in my own life with more tenacity and confidence.

In the same way Louise Rennison's "Confessions of Georgia Nicolson" were the ultimate depiction of young teenage girls in their day (and it makes me feel about 100 to say that, because it was my day too!) Laura Steven has perfectly captured what it's like to be a young woman today. The friendship between Izzy and Ajita reminded me of my own friendships when I was 18. When you're a teenager and get to see your best mates every single day you develop a certain kind of closeness that you don't often get the opportunity to develop in your adult friendships. Izzy and Ajita's friendship reminded me of how much fun I had with my own best friends (and how we still revert back to our teenage selves whenever we're together.)

It's so refreshing to see a YA book not shy away from the topic of casual sex amongst teenagers and more importantly, it's vital for teens to know about revenge porn and learn early that it is not ok for people to try to shame them. I can honestly see this book becoming a classic for teenage girls to read, in the same way reading Forever by Judy Blume is a right of passage.

I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel.