YA readers such as myself have already learned to anticipate bildungsroman in novels. That is what we are here for, the ultimate twist, the big character development. Alex, being the picaro narrator of Bad Habits provides just that. As a character, despite being hilarious at times, she may not be my cup of tea. I certainly wasn’t rooting for her and it was difficult and tiresome to empathize with her objectives. However, reading between the lines, deciphering what she wants to say as opposed to how she delivers, I find that the novel has a good foundation. The presence of the other characters like the charismatic Pat, the cool-headed Katie Casey and the multi-faceted Mary Kate has made the entire novel entertaining and Alex’s epiphany worth the wait.

My only regret with this book is that I didn't pick it up sooner!!

One of my favourite films that just screams comfort to me is WILD CHILD and this books had all the vibes of that film. Perfect for fans of Moxie! This will be in my March Wrap Up Video!

Alex is a rebel and an outright one. Her idea of being a boarder isn’t something in sync with her school. She has her ways and her school has their ways. But nothing matches and it’s not going well for her. But, of course, she has to churn out a new plan.

Will Alex manage getting expelled from school?
Does boarding school really tick her off?
Does she have a new plan?
How does it all come together?

Rating – 5/5 Stars
Recommendation – Very High

Conclusion,

I loved this book right from the start. The character of Alex kept me hooked right from the beginning. There was not a dull moment in this brilliant book and I have laughed my heart out right from the start. Fabulous pace, this read was a great page turner.

Alex has tried everything she can think of to get herself expelled from St Mary’s, the strict Catholic boarding school that she has been attending for years. Her last resort is staging a production of The Vagina Monologues, which she is certain will cause major upset amongst students and staff. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this sassy feminist friendship story. The unique setting of a Catholic boarding school made a refreshing change from your typical YA novel, as it made room for very sheltered, prim characters that you wouldn’t necessarily see in a mainstream high school. The snarky tone of voice and wonderful, likeable characters made Bad Habits a fantastic breath of fresh air.

Bad Habits is definitely funny, bold and surprising, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I enjoyed the fact the main character fought for things like sex to be talked about at the Catholic boarding school she was at. The only problem is that I just didn’t connect with the main character at all and even though there were important messages and discussions I didn’t feel that much really happened. I have to say I did appreciate the growth and development at the end.

'Bad Habits' was an okay book that just wasn't for me I guess. I found the main character, Alex, to be incredibly unlikeable as she spent the whole book claiming she was a feminist but would then judge the girls around her because they wanted to have a boyfriend or wanted to wait to have sex until they were married. I guess the point was that at the end she would realise that her views were wrong and come to accept these other girls views but even when her best friend Mary-Kate told her that the way she judged other girls was wrong, she still continued to do so.

Mary-Kate was probably the best character in this book and she deserved a better friend than Alex, who would always ignore that Mary-Kate was having problems or needed her help and would instead focus on herself.

Maybe other people will like this book more than I did. I read the first half of this book by eBook but read the second half by audiobook and enjoyed the audiobook a lot more than the eBook and even found myself laughing sometimes, probably because of the audiobook. I don't think the story within this book was bad, I actually really enjoyed the overall story, I just really did not like the main character.

Thank you to Penguin Random House UK for providing me with an advance copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and TheWriteReads for letting me have access to an early copy of this book for their blog tour! It was really fun and a good quick read, though it wasn’t anything special if i’m being honest.

In Short: Feminism + Fast Paced + Humour + Rebellious

This tried to be funny and sometimes it works and sometimes it failed. I did chuckle and laugh quite a bit throughout reading Bad Habits, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that this book was trying too hard. Because of this the humour and the story came across as forced, cringe and sometimes like it had a tick-list of what to include to make it a feminist novel. The whole book revolves around one characters idea of what feminism is to her and anything else isn’t allowed to slide. This ends up pretty clear when Alex the main character throws a tantrum basically when anyone disagrees with her.

There are some good bits about this book though. At times it was genuinely funny and a good read. The way it’s written is brilliant and it was so easy to start and keep reading, this is a real testament to the author and part of the reason I enjoyed this considering all the elements I didn’t like. I think this is a good book because it does feel empowering and it feels like it would be great for some people to realise holy shit, i’m actually freaking awesome! It’s just a shame it falls so flat in some areas if i’m being honest.

Though I know you might be thinking, well Ben, you’re a bloke and you probably know fuck all about feminism and this book wasn’t designed for you!! Well, that could be the case, but I would also call myself a feminist and I think that yeah when it comes to this book also give other reviews a chance as well. But when I was reading this there was just something that put me off, and unfortunately I think was Alex herself whose lens we read through. It’s the way she talks and acts as this entitled brat who thinks she’s so funny and so cool when in reality she’s just a massive bitch who doesn’t think about anyone but herself. I don’t think I would have finished this book to be honest if it wasn’t for the secondary cast of characters surrounding Alex because it just wasn’t fun. Alex felt like tornado which swept everything and everyone up in her way and if you didn’t agree with her then FUCK YOU! you’re against feminism etc. Also though, I know that characters can change and they could start off with a shitty attitude and then have a realisation and then YAY they’re awesome, but with this book the self realisation and being called out for being a bit of a dick comes way too late. When the characterisation of being this cool funky anarchist who only thinks of herself moves from being an interesting character to an annoying, grating and it almost puts you off the book (well it did for me). And that’s why I think the whole self-realisation comes way too late because there’s a line to balance between great and annoying and Bad Habits doesn’t manage it well.

In conclusion, I was really excited for this book because it sounded fun, looked stunning and piqued my interest. But unfortunately it didn’t really end up as good as I had hoped. The topics it tackles are brilliant ranging from body image, to sex, to masturbation, to love and more and these moments in the book I think are brilliant and it’s what makes it a must read for me to be honest. Like if it interested you don’t be put off by my review because there is something there that I enjoyed and loved but I hope you’ll get on better with it than I did.

The book follows the main character Alex who is trying to get out of her catholic boarding school. And the author has mentioned so many things in the catholic school,especially about the skirt. I liked how the story kept on the pace till the end. And how sometimes two different opinions about the feminism the two characters had was really a good part of the story. Overall if you are looking for a badass character then this book is for you.

My favourite character of the story was Mary Kate, at the start of the book she is this shy character and by the end of it she is the best character for me. The whole time I was rooting for her. Also Alex has a lot of development in which she learns to listen to other girls.

I unfortunately didn't get on with this book. There was nothing especially wrong with it, it just wasn't for me. The plot was interesting, but I really didn't get on with the main character. I just thought she was unnecessarily rude and not very nice, and I just wasn't a fan.

I also personally didn't think all the Harry Potter references were necessary

Such a great read with really powerful messages. Highly recommend this book to others!

Feminism, sexism, being more open to who we are as individuals - love it!

This is a fantastic, funny story set in a boarding school in Minnesota.

Alex is a frustrating character. Although she is clearly smart, kind and empathetic, she is also judgemental and slow to learn or change. This is shown most clearly when Alex, a champion of a girl's right to choose and be happy in her body, scorns and makes fun of the school's purity group, never seeming to realise that it is their choice to be pure. However, she does start to grasp this towards the end and begins to be more open minded.

The book itself is really funny, which I love. It's hard to get a properly funny book for teens, and this one will definitely fit the bill. The friendship between Alex and Mary Kate is lovely, and Hockey Player Pat seems really nice. I wish this was a series, I'd love to see how things go with them!

If you've seen it described as an LGBT book, be aware; there is a gay character, but his part is limited to telling others he's gay, he's never seen to act on it. Another character complains about single sex dorms, but it's not made clear whether they are bi, non binary or anything else. All the featured relationships are straight.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fun, feminist book, and I'll be looking forward to recommending it to people!

THE WORLD

Catholic boarding school.

I can’t say I’ve ever attended a Catholic boarding school, but I have been to a Catholic high school before. I loved that this book was set in a Catholic school because it allowed the contrast between the main character Alex and her surroundings to be abundantly clear. I also loved that the setting itself was what allowed a lot of the funny moments to occur as the setting informs the character’s thoughts and feelings about certain subjects and events. However, there were times where the setting felt a bit like a key, unlocking the protagonist’s feminist tendencies because it gave her something to rebel against. It’s kind of like Wild Child but set in a Catholic boarding school and with a massive feminist twist.

THE CHARACTERS

I’m only going to talk about two characters in here because I don’t want to ruin the story.

Alex – Alex is our protagonist and, at the beginning, was definitely my favourite character (at least for the first few chapters). She is spunky and fearless and pretty much says what she thinks. She is also a very outspoken feminist. In the first few chapters she was super fun to read, but at times I found her character a bit too much. She didn’t feel realistic near the end of the book, but she was still a fun character to read.

Mary Kate – Mary Kate was definitely, without a doubt, my favourite character in this book. She actually felt like a real person. Although she is what people would call prude (being in a Catholic school with very little ‘world’ experience), she is so down to earth. She is kind of the voice of reason in the book, but she also knows how to have fun when it’s right. I connected with her character almost immediately, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that she has realistic thoughts and feelings and responses to events in the book.

THE PLOT

As the blurb implies, the plot of this book is pretty simple but also simply hilarious. Alex, the purple fauxhawk feminist of her boarding school, attempt to stage a production of The Vagina Monologues. This is after unsuccessfully trying to get kicked out of Catholic boarding school.

The plot was super fun, fast-paced and laugh out loud funny. There were so many moments where the plot was the main driver behind my reading the story because I just wanted to know what crazy and unforeseen thing would happen next. It was definitely the books strongest and most enjoyable aspect.

WHY WAS IT A 3-STAR READ FOR ME?

Don’t get me wrong, this book was fun. It was a really quick read and one that had me laughing a lot. For me, though, it felt a bit forced. At times I was rolling my eyes because the main character Alex was trying too much to be funny or to be feminist. The internal monologue she had at the beginning was a really great way in setting her up as the subversive character that stands out like a sore thumb in the strictly Catholic environment of the boarding school, but the continuation of the heavily feminist inner monologue felt a bit fake. It just made reading the book a bit jarring as by the end it didn’t feel genuine and took away from some of the funnier and more light-hearted moments.

What a fabulous, funny, delightful and refreshing read. I can’t tell you how amusing this novel is. I don’t think there was one moment where I hadn’t had a smile plastered all over my face.

Alex is a rebel at St Mary’s Catholic boarding school, who is determined to get herself kicked out of this stuffy, out of dated institution of a school. In order to do that Alex tries a multitude of rule breaking stunts. However, the biggest one is yet to come. And to seal the deal she is putting on a production of The vagina monologues. Surely the priests, nuns and other faculty members wouldn’t let such a scandalous play be shown?
As Alex tries to navigate her way through the semester, with everyone against her sassy feminist attitude, we see how Alex herself evolves, along with her friends and their attitudes.

The writing in this novel is lovely. It flows at a pace that seems to be rambling teenager, but the mind-set of Alex is written in a way that felt familiar, as though it could easily have been my own teenage mind. The pacing was right, events moved along nicely and at times I found myself cringing along with some of the less feminist characters. A novel that is aimed at a young adult audience, but overall this is a flippin’ good read. Flynn Meaney has written something I’m not likely to forget.

A huge thank you The Write Reads Tour and Penguin for allowing me a change to read this as part of the book's blog tour.

It's rare for me to read any YA books, but this one had me laughing all the way through. Full of wit, this book was a fun read that revolved around feminism. Alex is a rebellious kid who is studying and staying at a Catholic boarding school. The school is strict, sexist, old fashioned and conservative. She hates everything about St. Mary's but she's forced to stay by her father. His intentions are good and he's got the connections to help her stick around even with her thick portfolio of write ups. Still, despite all that and while she loves her father...she wants out!
There are moments where I really enjoyed Alex along with the other characters, but there are also a good handful of moments where I did not like how judgmental she could be. One of the points of feminism is the freedom to express your beliefs, opinions, and lifestyles. It's fine that she's a feminist that is outspoken and head strong, but she also puts down those who choose to be conservative; those that chose to live a life that is a total opposite of the one she's living. She's been called out by a few friends for her views and actions and towards the end of the book, Alex goes grow a bit.

I never got to dorm back in college and while I don't miss the exams part of schooling, this book sure did bring back good memories of how random school and campus life can be. You have groups of friends that accompanies you to places, eat lunch, shop at the campus stores, and then back to the r0om. It's a realistic setting with realistic characters.

The writing was well done and I really enjoyed how the characters are written to be flawed, at least a little bit each. It gives them room to grow and develop even in the span of a single book. Bad Habits discusses strong themes and topics in a very humorous way to lighten up the situation. It was a smooth and easy read and I really enjoyed the writing, characters, and the book in general.

Synopsis

After the divorce of her parents, Alex was sent to a Catholic boarding school. Alex is an individualist, feminist and rules breaker. She works for a long time to be finally kicked out of the school and come back to California. She was very close to it when she didn’t come back to her dormitory before the curfew. However, her father has a connection in the school, he talked with the principal, who was his good friend back in the days, that she will finish her studies in this school no matter what. Since her plan didn’t work out, it’s time for a new one. Something shocking, big, and important.

Her school is full of priests and nuns, so they put pressure on keeping the kids uninformed about their sexuality, which means for them “keeping them safe”. It’s a subject taboo so many young girls are clueless if it comes to their sexuality, and also, they are scared to talk about it. Alex is the only person on the campus that is always helping them with their issues. Girls are coming to her for a piece of advice when they get into trouble or have no one to talk to about this kind of staff. She’s kind of a big sister for all of them. This gave her an idea to present Vagina Monologues with her Feminist Club at her school. However, since it’s a catholic school it is not appropriate for the girls in this school, especially younger grades like 13 years old. The word vagina is already not appropriate to say for the principal so imagine how hard it will be to get this project accepted. However, Alex doesn’t accept the word “no”. She will do everything to change something in this school and stop the inequality between girls and boys in the school.

BOOK REVIEW

I had such a good time reading this book. Hilarious characters, unpredictable situations, and thousand jokes. Alex is a teenage girl with her own rules. She’s introducing her feminist part very strongly already at the beginning of the book. She has her own point of view on the world, school, and people around her. She speaks about important things like inequality in the catholic school and that girls should have their right to learn about their sexuality and speak about it freely. It’s hard when even the word “vagina” is taboo.

As much as I agree with most of the things she says, I also disagree with her attitude to most of the girls in the school. She acts like she’s better than them and that their choices and behavior are wrong. However, that’s the whole point of feminism, that we all should stay together without any judgment. I’m so happy that she finally noticed it at the end of the book, and that someone had the courage to say it straight to her face.

I love what this book represents and all the subjects it talks about. I grew up in schools that menstruation, sexuality, and more were subjects we didn’t speak about loudly because someone could hear us and that would be a real shame. This is also a reason why all men are clueless about it all. I remember talking with my boyfriend about it and explaining all processes he never heard about. I think we need more books like this that will encourage young girls to speak openly about it without feeling uncomfortable.

The most surprising character in this book is Mary Kate, which by the end of the book shows what was sitting in her the whole time. It was so powerful, and she finally has shown her character. What also was surprising in this book is the friendship between Kasey and Alex. The scene with both of them starting a fire is everything. It’s full of positivity and happiness.

This book is full of comedy and sarcasm wrote in a good style. It’s kind of took me back to my teenage years. I would like to thank The Write Reads, Penguin, and Flynn Meaney for providing me with this ARC copy. I don’t remember when I laughed so much while reading a book.

A Fun story about a rabid feminist at a Catholic boarding school. The main character was annoying and very narrow minded considering she though herself to be feminist and open to all experiences. But teh best part about the book is definitely the side characters, especially Mary Kate and Pat 3.

Full review available at my website www.brokengeekdesigns.com

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an early copy!

This was a really funny and light read, a feel-good book that I can very well picture people enjoying on holidays this summer!... well, if we can have holidays this summer, obviously.

Alex, the main character and narrator, is this badass rebel feminist stuck in a Catholic school where everything and everyone is the exact opposite of what she stands for. Priests and nuns are everywhere, keeping an eye on her and making sure she doesn’t get *too* rebel-ly...

But there’s no way Alex will accept that, and she decides to do something BIG, no matter the consequences. She’ll have The Vagina Monologues played in her school. Where the majority of the population either can’t say the word without blushing, or says it as a joke.

Hand in hand with her equally badass (in a different way) roommate, they’ll try and convince everyone that the play should happen!

Alex is a very sweet but flawed character, which I appreciated. Her feminism is very white-centric, as others already pointed out, and very much about sexual freedom. With time and help from her friends, she’ll understand she might not be right about everything she believes in.

It might not be the most serious read of the year, but I still very much enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed more non-white and non-hetero characters, though!

Bad Habits is a highly entertaining read which had me on Alex’s side right from the first chapter. I have always loved reading boarding school books (a childhood dream was to be able to go to Mallory Towers) so reading a modern story in this setting was right up my street. The idea of a strict Catholic boarding school sounds a bit scary but Alex refuses to be worn down by rules and regulations. As the founder of the school feminist society she has made it her mission to stage The Vagina Monologues and drag St Mary’s kicking and screaming into the twenty first century! Unfortunately for Alex, her society is rather limited in membership, and the few who have joined are not necessarily as outgoing and determined as she would like. She has also caught the attention of a hockey guy and, despite her better judgement, infuriatingly he seems to be a reasonably decent human being.

I found Bad Habits to be a really amusing, at times laugh out loud funny, and delightful read. I am probably a fair bit older than the target demographic but I still really enjoyed reading and was transported back to my youth! I liked how it unapologetically covered issues such as feminism, sex, relationships, periods and body confidence in an engaging and relatable way. I loved how Alex is her own person and does not conform to rules for the sake of it but also comes across as a very decent human and not someone who is disruptive for disruption sake but has, mostly, sound reasons for her push back. Mary Kate is a little naive and perhaps not the obvious choice to be Alex’s best friend but together they work really well together. The mixed nature of the boarding school also adds a nice twist to the storyline. With a few exceptions, the majority of books in this setting have been single sex so having the interaction between genders was good and made for some entertaining scenes. I could definitely see St Mary’s as a setting for future books and hope that it will be!

I would recommend this as a book for teens but really anyone who fancies a bit of a change of pace and something witty but which touches on important issues. For younger readers, there is a reasonable amount of swearing and mentions of sex but I don’t think that it is gratuitous or out of keeping with any other school setting.

From the very first page this book had me laughing. It's a book I wish I could've had at 16 because it would've taught me a thing or two about being okay and comfortable in my own body. Now as an adult that has learned the life lessons that this book presents I'm so so happy that teenagers today can now pick up it up and see that "vagina" isn't a word to be afraid of (amongst other things). The main character is by no means a perfect feminist, she is after all only a teenager and still has some learning to do, but she is still a badass teen which I think is so important for people to read about. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Alex and Mary Kate, they're extremely opposites but still compliment each other as best friends and roommates really well. I was able to see different aspects of myself, and being a teenager in general, in both of them. This story is also suitable for adults who are fans of YA because again, it has important messages that even some adults are still trying to learn and navigate, and although sometimes it did feel a bit too "teenagery" the important plot made up for it! Finally, the comedy and pop culture references (though very millennial/older generation z) were spot on in my opinion and helped give this story a lighthearted feel.

Alex Heck is embarking on her junior year at St. Mary’s Catholic School, a boarding school hundreds of miles from home with some very conservative values. There’s nothing she’d like more than to get herself expelled, her file of misdemeanours already overflowing with reports. Unfortunately for her, her dad is determined she should complete her time there and so she tries to come up with an idea so outrageous they’ll have no choice but to expel her. Putting on a production of The Vagina Monologues with the five other members of The Feminist Club seems like just the ticket, but she will, naturally, come up against a lot of resistance.

Her attempt to put on the play does run throughout the novel but isn’t really the main focus, rather a vehicle to discuss the problems that arise from living such a repressed life. It becomes clear that their sex education is severely lacking, and her sweet roommate Mary Kate can’t bring herself to say the word vagina or buy tampons (her mum posts her a supply). Alex has become the unofficial counsellor to her peers, being the person everyone goes to when they have a problem they can’t discuss with the nuns that watch over them. She may come off as brash and self-centred at times, but the messages about not being ashamed of the female body, and the right to have autonomy over what happens to it are important, and relevant to readers of any age.

Alex starts the novel very deliberately acting out and blowing situations out of proportion to make a point. Her quest for inequality does’t feel genuine but more an excuse to stand out and ruffle some feathers. Her outright dismissal of those who don’t hold the same views as her or who conduct themselves differently can make it harder to like her and undermines her pro-choice stance. However, as the novel progresses and she spends more time around groups she would usually avoid, it becomes clear that the stereotyped view she’s taken of them is often inaccurate. We begin to see the events that lead them to form the opinions they have, and although Alex is reluctant to admit she was wrong, there is some slight concession that other people can have a valuable input in the conversation, even if she still thinks her views are superior.

The boarding school setting is an ever-popular sub-genre of children’s and YA books, and Bad Habits gives it new life. It’s not all midnight feasts and hockey sticks at dawn though, Meaney explores the struggle that Alex and some of her peers experience in trying to make sense of why their parents have sent them away. We see in the opening chapters how distant her own parents are and her dad, a St. Mary’s alumnus, refuses to admit what was right for him might not be for his daughter. Later in the book, when her mindset is beginning to shift, we see also how she has struggled splitting her life between California and school, completely separate from her ‘real’ life. The struggle to maintain friendships amid the disorientation of everything that’s changed while she’s been away during term time will be a familiar feeling for anyone who’s ever had to move away from their main support network.

This is an enjoyable read with a serious message amid the madcap schemes of rebellious teenagers and strict school rules. It’s written in such a way that we get Alex’s impressions of the other characters but can also see things that she is blinded to, offering us the opportunity to form our own opinions. The action takes place over only a few months but we see huge growth in many of the characters. That the side characters are also afforded the space to develop makes this a well-rounded read.