Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

For this week’s YA selection, I choose Big Mouth & Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates. In this novel Oates introduces two very believable and very relatable main characters.

Matt Donaghy (big mouth) is accused of making threats to blow up the school and kill masses of students and teachers. This puts a damper on his social life. His “friends,” who he thought would rush to his side and defend him, are no where to be found. Even after he is found innocent, his life never really becomes “normal” again. Throughout the novel, Matt finds himself re-evaluating the relationships in his life (friends, parents, and teachers) and his role in the (painful) world of high school.

Ursula Riggs (ugly girl, as she refers to herself) is the heroine in this story. She sees herself as ugly, unapproachable, and unworthy of love or friendship (the ugly years of high school - we've all been there). What is interesting about Ursula is that she operates from very high moral standards--something I haven't seen in YA lit before. When Matt Donaghy is arrested and accused of this ridiculous crime (anyone who knows Matt knows that he would never seriously commit such a crime), Ursula, a classmate, not a friend, comes to his rescue. She is the only student who comes forward to help clear Matt’s name.

All of this action happens within the first 82 pages of the novel. The remaining 184 pages follows Matt and Ursula through the struggles they face afterward. For Ursula it’s quitting the basketball team, sorting out her feelings for Matt, and gaining enough self-confidence to see what others already see in her—determination, intelligence, and dignity. For Matt it’s quitting the school newspaper, drama club, and student council, figuring out why his friends have abandoned him, battling bullies and loneliness, and redefining who he is.

Oates uses the voices of both Matt and Ursula to tell this tale. This action allows the reader to see the characters from various perspectives. It’s interesting to see how Matt sees Ursula as a person verse how Ursula views herself. Readers will find that the qualities Ursula hates most about herself are the ones Matt most admires her for. Oates does a wonderful job with the dialogue between the teenagers, the teenagers and their parents, and the teenagers and other authority figures.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would not have any qualms suggesting this to a young adult reader.