The character development in this book is so strong and powerful, it has to be the first thing I discuss in my review. Alex's character seems quite selfish at the beginning, but as the book progresses she stands up for girls and women. She shows how important they are, and shares that with so many people.

Bad Habits had me laughing from the first chapter. I really enjoyed the friendship aspect of this book. Mary-Kate is the perfect balance to Alex, it definitely gave the book more depth and feeling. Each page is full of personality, humour and character. But not only is it a funny book, it has an important message of feminism and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

The book flows so well, I felt involved in the progress of the story from the beginning. Bad Habits is a fantastic, unique and witty book which can brighten anyone day! Plus it's full of quirky quick comments - which I adore, very quotable. I really love the cover too! Recommend for people looking for a quirky, easy read.

I'm not really the intended audience for this book, and I think I definitely felt it in some places.
Alex is a rebel, and is trying her best to get expelled from her Catholic boarding school. So she decides to do the most shocking thing she can: put on a production of The Vagina Monologues.
I liked the premise of this, and I think this is a book that 16-18 year olds would really engage with. I liked the portrayal of the patriarchy and dichotomy that is ingrained especially in Catholic schools, and I really liked how Alex took it upon herself to fight this.
There were two particularly stand out scenes for me: one is when a girl knocks on Alex's door in the middle of the night to say she's just had sex and is now worried as they didn't use a condom. I really liked that Alex showed absolutely no judgement but just took her Planned Parenthood the next day. There was no hint of shaming, or mocking or shock, it was just factual and I think this is particularly important. The other scene I liked was when Katie told Alex that she had had a bad experience at a party, and although the boy hadn't forced her, she had decided that only she got to choose what to do with her body- hence joining the celibacy group. I liked how this showed Alex's realisation that feminism isn't just biker boots, burning bra's and meaningless sex (although all these things do feature) but it is about choice, and that we can have different choices and still be feminist.
Yes, the plot is a bit juvenile, and Alex is an incredibly annoying character (to me) but as I said, I'm not the intended audience, and I probably would have really related to Alex when I was 16.
*gifted copy in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK BITE

Big hearted Alex is determined to take on the establishment in the name of Feminism.

Book Acrostic

Blatant

Antagonistic

Determined


Humorous

Assertive

Bold

Impassioned

Theatrical

Sympathetic


#Book Haiku

Laughs and lessons with

outrageous Alex who likes

to shock but counsels.


Good Night To Read Review

Alex Heck is on a mission. She wants to be expelled from her traditional boarding school so the more outrageous her behaviour the better. She decides that the ultimate affront to Catholic establishmentarianism is staging a play that puts Feminist issues out front, loudly and proudly urging women to reclaim their bodies. What else could it be but Eve Ensler’s seminal work ‘The V—– Monologues’. The trouble is no-one wants to mention the word except Alex who flouts authority and emblazons it across the school community’s consciousness.

Her checklist?

Use the V word at every possible opportunity
Employ shock tactics
Insult people
Find venue
Search for school approval
Assemble cast from St Mary’s Feminist Club [which only has six members who aren’t sure it’s such a good idea] and whose club room is in the bowels of the basement
Collect signatures on Club Fair Day for a petition
Attempt a casting
Put on a rehearsal
Defy various authority figures
Burn her bra
Much to Alex’s frustration, while she embarks on this chaotically shambolic adhoc approach, she has to contend with ‘do-gooder’ Katie Casey who just wants everyone to join her ‘Save Your Heart’ Club and has the temerity to use cupcakes as bribery. Alex laments, ‘Where is the freedom, sex positivity and Feminism?’ as she battles to be heard above the clamour of Varsity Hockey, Mansplaining and heckling. And why does Pat seem to be everywhere she goes? She can’t let him distract her from her goals. She’s got enough on her plate with acting as Den Mother to confused teens who come to her for advice because they know she cares.

Meanwhile her friend Mary Kate, who looks like she just wandered off ‘The Little House on the Prarie’ set, is on a crusade of her own. She will walk around the lake with a boyfriend before the snow falls or perish in the attempt. Who will make the grade? Will it be Jesus Sandals or Theology John? Cue extreme hilarity.

Meaney invites us to follow the girls over the course of a term from August to December as they aim to make their dreams come true. Ribald, riotous and rambunctious with real heart, it’s like ‘Derry Girls’ in a Minnesota setting. Imagine Michelle Mallon with a purple faux hawk dangling from a 2nd floor window. Meaney’s gloriously descriptive passages will have the reader in hysterics as Alex thumbs her nose at the establishment while Mary Kate watches on in horror and Katie blithely acts like a ray of sunshine. But deep down what do the girls really want?

‘Bad Habits’ highlights that people should not be judged on first appearances. Meaney’s characters are well observed and her prose is savvy and humorous. With frank advice about safe sex, discussion of gender stereotypes and a real sense of camaraderie this is a must read for everyone who is feisty and fierce, is a fan of Anne Shirley, has the anarchic urge to give a rebel yell or who would just like to burst into paroxysms of uncontrollable laughter.

#Don’tExpectTheSoundof Music

Book Chocoholic Rating- 4.5 Chocolate Libraries

Laughter Level- 😂😂😂🤣

Thank you to the wonderful @Write_Reads @WriteReadsTours@PenguinPlatform #FlynnMeaney #UltimateBlogTour for including Good Night To Read on ‘Bad Habits’ Blog Tour. Big shout out and massive thanks to #NetGalley.

https://goodnighttoread.wordpress.com/category/blog-tour/

So for most of this, I really struggled and was super conflicted.

In one respect, the main character is passionate and headstrong, a bit chaotic. I started off tolerating her, as much as an adult can reading a book about a girl in school. I did find myself reminiscing what it was like to be at school and shaking my head at the behaviour (am I old now?).

However, these traits also resulted in her expecting everyone to be like her because that was what a “feminist looked like”.
In particular, the part where she spoke about somebody’s unibrow and shouted “you should get some tweezers” really grated on me.

Now, later down the line she was put back in her box and rightly so! She deserved it.
However, it was a little too late and I wish someone had done it sooner.
I did feel that after this, the MC did have a turnaround and became much more inclusive in her feminism. She wasn’t as judgmental or mean about people and I ended up liking her again.

Bit of a journey and I think I would have enjoyed more if the MC was more inclusionary from the off. However, maybe the book just wasn’t for it!

2.75 stars

I think I need to preface this review by saying I am probably not the intended audience for this book. As a celibate (and Catholic, though my celibacy didn’t actually originate from religion) virgin who graduated from the University of Notre Dame (the school that inspired the book’s setting) I found myself frustrated and frankly offended by things that the average reader probably would have just happened read past. For this review, I’m going to attempt to step out from my personal experiences to give a kind of more general view of what I thought of this novel.

It is undeniable that Bad Habits is a funny book. Flynn Meaney is an extremely talented writer with a style that young adults (and adults who read YA like myself) will be able to gel with. Written in first person by a snarky fauxhawk toting feminist, you could probably imagine some of the great one-liners that come out of the narration. On top of that, several side characters manage to slide in some pretty good lines in themselves.

The setting of the book is in a kind of funhouse exaggeration of what the University of Notre Dame would look like as a high school. A lot of the traditions (and even names of buildings) are directly lifted from those of Notre Dame, the main difference that the obsession with football has been shifted to be an obsession with hockey. Notre Dame isn’t as conservative as St Mary’s is in the book (at least not when I was there), but a radical feminist struggling to express herself in the middle of an oppressive and conservative Catholic high school is a great stepping ground for tackling issues (often religious-based) that are still present in society today.

Unfortunately, I felt the book fell short of this goal. The main character, Alex, was really good at believing in and promoting one type of feminism. She is very sex-positive (which is great!), but somewhere along the way the translation of “my body my choice” turned into “if you want to be a virgin, you’re perpetuating the patriarchy”. Now, there was some pushback by the people around Alex as to how contradictory (and privileged) she was, but this happened too late in the story for us to see really any growth from her at all. It would have been nice to see Alex take more time to reflect and acknowledge the hurt she was ultimately causing while on her crusade of liberation.

In the end, the book did conclude on a very positive and forward-looking note, so I’m still hopeful that eventually Alex will learn that there are many ways to be a feminist that don’t necessarily disagree with each other. Bad Habits had a lot of potential to be a book I would have loved, and I can definitely see how this will be a book loved by many.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by The Write Reads. Special thanks to Penguin for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars

This book was such a refreshing departure from what I've been reading lately but also from the YA contemporaries that I tend to read. Did I know that I needed a feminist YA story set in a Catholic school in the midwest that fights the patriarchy with The Vagina Monologues? No, but I loved it! I often found myself laughing-out-loud through all the silly and hilarious moments in the story and it was so well-written and easy to read that it wouldn't have been difficult to get through in one sitting. I also have to mention how fitting this vibrant and bold cover is as it perfectly captures the story's vibe and our main character's personality and voice!

From the first page, it's very clear that our main character Alex, with her purple faux-hawk and her rebellious attitude, does not fit in at St. Mary's Catholic school. She's loud and can be crass but she's so very proud of her feminist stance and tended to view others at her school with a sarcastic and heavily judgemental gaze as they stood in 'opposition' to everything she believed in. While there's no denying that she was a hilarious and witty narrator, there were moments when I felt a little worn out with her "know-it-all" teen attitude and the scorn she'd have for everything and everyone almost 90% of the time. Still, although Alex was pretty flawed and had a lot of learning to do, you couldn't help but root for her because as a reader you can see that as much as she tries not to, her big heart cares a lot about this school and she does have good intentions. In the end she learns the hard way but I liked how the author dealt with her growth and helped her realise that her brand of feminism isn't the only way it can present itself. These issues are not black/white. That said, I do think Alex's character would've benefited from a more gradual growth throughout the story instead of having it be clumped on at the tail end, as there would've been more room to process the changes and for it to be more impactful.

Aside from Alex, I grew to really like the other characters in her orbit, especially her best friend and roomie, Mary Kate, and hockey jock, Pat. Although Mary Kate was the total opposite of Alex, you could see how much they cared for each other and how important their friendship was. Pat was a character that surprised me with his level-headedness and likeability and I really enjoyed the balance his character brought to Alex's narrative. There were a few others that had interesting roles in the story and while they almost always stood in contrast to Alex's character I really liked how they all mixed and fit together to create an enjoyable cast.

Bad Habits is a book that I wish existed when I was a young adult. The messages about embracing our bodies and not feeling ashamed because of what our bodies experience is so important and it's the sort of message younger me badly needed! However, adult me still highly appreciates the message and I believe regardless of age, it's one that is always important to hear. Overall, I'm so glad this book was put on my radar and I would highly encourage young readers to pick it up!

There were many reasons I was more than excited to review this book, there was, of course, the cover and the synopsis, but that wasn’t all. What I was looking forward to reading was the way the story took something like The Vagina Monologues and put it into a co-ed boarding school, one that was religious. And I was not disappointed. From the trials and blocks, Alex faces to even get the idea of putting on the play accepted to the long road it takes to the stage, many issues were discussed and hurdles were crossed.

From the very first page to the very end, there is one thing that remains as constant as Alex’s hairstyle, the humour. Alex does not fit in, and she knows it and she tends to view anything and everything presented to her as though it was something to critique, and so she does. With pop-culture references and a heavy dose of sarcasm, Alex navigates the grounds of boarding school with a confidence and charm that I know I was far from possessing at her age (one I still don’t think I possess honestly). While the entire book is from Alex’s perspective, it is not just Alex that made me laugh. Many of the side characters introduced had lines that resulted in amusement. The amusement varied from a little smile to a proper laugh, but there are very few characters in this book that are not funny…even some that don’t intend to be but are anyway.

There was a point in the book where the more I read, the more uncomfortable I felt with the feminism Alex was encouraging. Mainly because Alex knew she was a feminist in a setting that wasn’t and didn’t take into account the different ways in which feminism can present itself. There were times where I had to pause reading and remind myself that Alex was young, and would most likely learn more as she grew. I think the one thing I would have loved to see in the book is a bit more character growth than Alex was given. She grew as the book progressed, but there are moments of growth and truth that didn’t seem to have the impact I felt it could have landed.

Despite that, I found myself rooting for Alex and her play. There is no denying that this book is funny. When I finished the book and put it down, I felt like I had been with someone on their journey and I quite enjoyed the feeling. There’s a part of me that wants to see what other antics Alex gets up to in her remaining time at St. Mary’s.

Fed up of her patriarchal Catholic boarding school Alex is desperate to get kicked out and return to California and life without nuns and curfews. But with her dad's money and influence keeping her in school no matter what she tries, she knows she's going to have to pull out all the stops in order to leave for good.

Intent on causing chaos, Alex sets out to put on St Mary's first ever performance of The Vagina Monologues. But with even her best friend unable to say the word "vagina" out loud, and a school where life revolves around the whims of the hockey team, the production, and her hopes for expulsion may prove even more difficult than she expects.

Bad Habits is a fun, fast contemporary YA novel filled with money, excess and sexism. The characters are great. Alex in particular is full of relatable flaws, so tunnel-visioned on her ideas about feminism that she forgets there is more than one way to be a feminist, and that just because you don't agree with someone's choices, doesn't mean they are less valid than yours. She shows a lot of growth over the course of the novel. Her self confidence and ability to stick up for herself (and those she cares about) was also really refreshing, as I tend to read a lot of contemporary YA with awkward, self-conscious protagonists!

This story had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions as Alex tries to stage her performance despite ever-mounting obstacles. Her best friend Mary Kate's attempts to walk around the lake are equal parts hilarious and excruciating.

I really enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it.

*4.5 star, but rounding up*

I was so excited when Dave @ The Write Reads first mentioned this tour, and immediately signed up for it. I am so glad that I did, because Bad Habits is a fantastic book. Can we also take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous the book cover is? THOSE COLOURS! Very punk inspired, which is very fitting for Alex’s character.

From the very first page, Alex’s rebellious behaviour had me giggling, and I could tell that this was going to be a book that I would enjoy, and my first impressions were absolutely right. At times, it seemed more like trouble was finding Alex, rather than Alex finding trouble, and those unexpected moments were the funniest of them all.

There are some brilliant characters in this story! Of course, Alex was my personal favourite, I loved her no care attitude, although I did feel that she could have listened to the thoughts and feelings of her friends a little more, because she was often quite selfish. She had very strong feelings, and was very passionate about what she believed in, and I felt that I could relate to that. She was really prepared to push the boundaries to stand up for what she believed in. She also dripped sarcasm by the bucket load, and who doesn’t love a bit of sarcasm?
Despite being much more reserved, and sticking to the rules much more than Alex does, Mary Kate is also a great character. I think that their differences are actually what makes them such a great pair, almost like Mary Kate is the calm to Alex’s storm. I loved her character development throughout the story, especially towards the end where she finally stood up for herself.
There were also a lot of fun side characters along the way too, and I’m really hoping that we get some more books featuring these characters, because they were a lot of fun.

As well as being rebellious, and funny, Bad Habits tackles quite a few important issues. The one that really stood out for me was actually the sexual health and sex-positivity aspect, because even in non-catholic schools, I feel that this needs to be spoken about a LOT more, and I am all for starting the conversation! There are a lot of things that people still get embarrassed about, which really shouldn’t be embarrassing, purely because we don’t talk about it enough. Periods for example, are nothing to be embarrassed about, but I know lots of people who, like Mary Kate, are embarrassed to be seen buying hygiene products. We need to end this, and get people talking about these things more openly, and this book does a fantastic job of addressing that.

I only have one negative thing to say about this book, and that is that for a book that is supposed to be about empowerment, education, and talking about important issues, there were way too many Harry Potter references. I understand that Harry Potter is still loved by a lot of people, but given JKR’s horrific views and how damaging her words have been to so many people, I feel like we should be at a point where we aren’t giving her a platform or a voice anymore, which by extension does include not repeatedly mentioning her work in new books.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was so much fun to read. It was certainly a breath of fresh air from my usual style of reading. I actually sped through this in less than 24 hours, which is highly unusual for me, but I just didn’t want to put it down. Hopefully this book will also start a few much needed conversations too! I will definitely be checking out the authors other books.

I give Bad Habits a 4.5 star rating!

A huge thank you to The Write Reads and Penguin for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What seemed to be a fun contemporary about feminism, actually turned out to be a massive flop for me.
•
I found our main character, Alex's approach to feminism quite aggressive in the sense that Feminism is her way or no way. There is a sense of bullying that I couldn't shake, especially when it comes to her friendship with her roommate, Mary Kate.
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The actual intention of the story, to perform the play 'The Vagina Monologues', seemed to get lost within Alex's antics and the gossip within the school setting.
•
For most of the book I was just sat rolling my eyes, wincing at the way certain things were phrased and overall just not enjoying the story.

Not gonna lie, I saw that this was pushed as a feminist novel, and I was very turned off. I have been burned before, okay? BURNED! Do you hear me?! Also, I don’t hate all men, nor do I think all men are bad, and I am very turned off by books that imply that. So you maybe see my struggles? WORRY NOT, FELLOW READERS. This is not that book, and I absolutely loved the feminism and how it unfolds.

Bad Habits is feminist at its truest: not only struggles for body positivity, but with a hard-won lesson about what feminism really means. It’s funny and sarcastic, with a cast of characters that are sure to entertain!

I’m actually super surprised by just how much I freaking loved this! I went in with definite reservations, but by the time I finished the first chapter, I knew it was going to be a good match. I couldn’t get enough of this book, and I was sad to see it end because it was just so freaking good. I will for sure be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

My Thoughts:

- The narrative voice of this book is laugh-out-loud funny and kept catching me off-guard at such unexpected times. If you enjoy sarcastic, irreverent characters, Alex is a surefire winner. While Alex is very obviously a teenager, I think her voice is one that’s easily relatable. Maybe you aren’t as edgy or vocal or confident as her (I for sure am absolutely none of those things). However, a lot of what she struggles with, underneath all the jokes and humor, are things a lot of people struggle with: a distant father she’s sure doesn’t understand her, a narcissistic mother who’s completely out of touch with her daughter, a place she doesn’t feel like she actually belongs in, not knowing where she actually wants to belong. Then, on top of that, add that to all the struggles that come with being a woman and having to deal with people who get weirded out by tampons—even just the mention of them, let alone the act of buying them. While this book is undoubtedly hilarious, it plays a trick on the reader. It convinces them that they’re reading a light, flippant novel when, in fact, it delivers some pretty hard-hitting life advice. Like it’s perfectly okay to say “vagina” to a nun if everyone in the room has one. Wait, maybe not that one (although I’m certainly okay with it). How about like the fact that even in a Catholic school, having conversations about women’s bodies, especially in regards to their health and safety, is crucial. The humor in the voice does a really good job of highlighting the deeper, heavier topics without having them bog down the narrative.

- A Catholic school may seem like an odd setting for this sort of book, but it was absolutely perfect, and I loved every bit of it. Let’s be honest, Alex and her struggle wouldn’t be nearly as edgy in any other setting, of course. Her plight wouldn’t seem so ridiculous or doomed to fail, nor would it seem nearly as important—two things that paired together so brilliantly. When people tend to think of Catholic schools, they tend to think of conservative anti-sex, anti-feminist institutions, but if there’s anything to take away from this book, it’s really about compromise and not falling for snap judgments. St. Mary’s would definitely be deemed more conservative and certainly not the place to hold The Vagina Monologues. However, as the book gets going, the reader may just find that everything at St. Mary’s isn’t quite as it seems. I loved the depth of the setting and the challenge to the stereotype about religious schools. It challenges the reader to stop and question their own biases and assumptions, just as Alex is forced to.

- This is feminism in the truest form of the word, and Alex has to find that out the hard way. You would think that feminism at a Catholic school is a good thing, right? Tampons for everyone, no shame attached. Run through the school and shout vagina if you so desire. Teach women that sex isn’t always bad and being a woman isn’t simply a necessary evil. But wait! There’s more! Alex gets so caught up in her own brand and flavor of feminism that she forgets that feminism itself is about choice and that someone else may not make the same choices she would. It’s easy to be so caught up in your own beliefs and ideals that you forget that giving someone a choice means that you may disagree with their choice, but ultimately, it’s theirs to make. Men and women. Because yes, even the boys get rolled up a bit in the feminism in this book, and I love it! Ultimately, the feminism takes some surprising forms that I wasn’t at all expecting, but you’ll just have to discover that for yourselves.

- The characters in this are so easy to love, and they each brought something interesting to the table! This book is a little of everything. It’s about friendship bonds, self-discovery, coming of age, a teensy bit of romance, and a whole lot of growing up and growing into one’s self. So there’s Alex, obviously, who’s sure she has everything figured out because she’s super progressive and feminist and loud and boisterous and unafraid to stand up to the “patriarchy” and the things keeping people down. Which may be a teensy bit at odd to the people around her, like her roommate and best friend, Mary Kate, who at first comes across as very reserved and quiet and the antithesis of Alex. But who is also very much determined to get a boyfriend. Then there’s Pat, the testosterone-laden jock type that Alex would typically roll her eyes at and hate … but he’s also kind of pretty cool. And into drama. Who would’ve guessed? I absolutely loved getting to know Pat and his ability to keep up with Alex and compromise (a skill Alex herself doesn’t willingly possess). I suspect even the staff at the school will surprise you when you get to know them!

Good fun! I liked the setting of this book, in a very-Catholic boarding school. It felt equal parts realistic and unrealistic, which is about the level I like in a book. Alex is a very likable character, with flaws, passions and relatable experiences, and I loved her journey in learning about her privalege, and to appreciate the things she can change in her life, and help improve things for others. Perfect for those 14+, some bad language and sexual references.

Absolutely loved this book set in a co ed Catholic school, where Alex is determined to break all the rules and not have any fun. Thanks for having me on the tour!

Bad Habits is set at a Catholic boarding school in Wisconsin. I’m not saying it sounds like a hellish place. No offense Wisconsin but your winters are harsh.

Alex Heck is the type of rebellious teenager that I wished that I had the guts to be in the 90s. She’s not scared to speak her mind or say “Vagina” to anyone. Slowly but surely, my bravery surfaced. So now, I can type or say vagina. All day with saying vagina. No apologies.

Alex has a purple mohawk so she does remind me of one of my kids. At this very moment, my kid has purple hair and is probably posting about social injustice on social media. If Alex was an actual person, I’d like to think I would be her partner in crime. BFFs in rebellion. We could keep each other’s mohawks maintained.

Sometimes Alex takes things a bit too far but she has a lot of experience with helping less knowledgeable kids how to get out of trouble. Her disciplinary file is no joke. It is substantial. She’s ready to get the heck out of this boarding school with all of their rules and religion.

So Alex has this brilliant idea to get kicked out. Why not put on a production of “The Vagina Monologues”? If it doesn’t go through, then protest until they send her packing. I will have to say that she might have underestimated the patience of the nuns and priests. They can wait her out and wear out her resolve. Or can they?

I think Alex learns as much as she also teaches. Her main goal in putting on “The Vagina Monologues” besides expulsion is just to inform young people about sex education and to learn about their own bodies. Also, she wants people, especially women, to own their own bodies. Take charge ladies! I agree completely with Alex. Learn about how your body works so no one can tell you wrong information. Ask your doctor a million questions if you have to. You are paying for care, which also includes information.

I laughed so much while reading this book. I laughed so much that my kids were like “What are you laughing at?” This book is also thought-provoking.

There are so many issues with people not being informed about sex, health, women’s rights, etc. How can one person possibly make a difference? It is possible. One person can inspire hundreds, who can inspire so many more. It only takes one match to start a fire.

If you are rebellious, say vagina all day in a non-derogatory way or need a bit of feminist humor then you will love this book so much. Personally, I love the cover. I need it in poster size as soon as possible. Who cares if I’m closer to 50 than 15?

Sorry Sister Franette, I don’t know if you will totally appreciate this book. There are lots of shenanigans that aren’t approved by the church. Maybe we could send a donation to a charity as penance? Please continue to pray for us poor sinners, who are sorry but not exactly sorry. We have bad habits, you know. I wonder is nuns have bad habits or just wear regular habits. Oh yeah, nun jokes.

I loved stories that make me laugh, and “Bad Habits” had me rolling with its light-hearted humor.

Firstly, I loved how complex the author wrote the characters. Although the plot is light-hearted, you see various changes that some of the characters go through. Alex is fantastic as the main character. She is crass, witty, and awkward, but SO entertaining! I loved how she takes charge and does things impulsively, even if it would lead her into trouble.

Similarly, I loved Mary Kate too! It was beautiful to see the character change and become brave (but a part of me still missed her old charm). Moreover, none of the characters are black and white, and you don’t know how they would react to certain situations. For instance, Katie Casey, who plays a negative role, surprised me in the scenes where she shares a moment with Alex. I loved these moments!

Secondly, I loved the author’s style of writing. I don’t think I have laughed out so much as I did while reading this book. Many moments had me laughing in tears, like Mary Kate’s date with Theology John or their meetings at the Feminist club. Moreover, nearly all of Alex’s dialogues had a touch of humor. The author also wrote the romance between Alex and Pat in a fun manner. One of my favorite scenes is when he shows her the tunnels.

However, probably the only minor criticism I have is how the story ended. I felt the plot concluded abruptly, as I wanted details over what happened with the play. Apart from that, “Bad Habits” is a hilarious, contemporary Young Adult novel that I recommend to anyone who is in the mood to laugh out loud.

It’s been a while since I’d read an empowering, feminist tale, so when I heard about Bad Habits I knew I had to get my hands on it. I was instantly drawn into it by the gorgeous cover and the incredible sounding synopsis. It’s no secret to say that I was looking forward to meeting Alex and seeing what her story was like.

Alex is a rebel by no means and has been trying everything she can to be expelled from her strict Catholic boarding school, St Mary’s. As a self-confessed feminist, she is tired of seeing the everyday sexism within her school, so decides to put on the school’s first-ever showing of The Vagina Monologues. However, this is a challenge for Alex as 1) no one at St Mary’s can even say the word vagina out loud and 2) the strict priests and nuns at the school will try and stop her at every turn.

This was a funny, witty, empowering read that had me laughing at some parts. From the very first chapter you are thrust into Alex’s world of rebellion and anarchy, and this sets the tone for the rest of the story. As someone who worked in a catholic school for a while, albeit not as strict as St Mary’s I could relate to the overall setting and plot somewhat and did understand how Alex felt to a certain extent. The female empowerment that is seen throughout the book is one that will introduce an audience of younger readers to feminist writings, and will hopefully open their eyes to the issues that women and girls still do face.

The plot brings with it a sense of comedic value, mixed with the seriousness of the issues tackled. We see the mishaps of Alex, as she tries to navigate herself around this sexist agenda that is being seen around the school, as well as the seriousness of her trying to bring about change to St Mary’s. The inclusion of her trying to stage a production of The Vagina Monologues, known for its views on the feminine experience including themes on sex, body image, love, masturbation etc, was in my opinion genius! I found it insightful and eyeopening to see the reaction of her fellow students and staff members, and it did bring across how there’s still more that needs me to done in opening people’s eyes to these topics. The only downside to the plot was that I wanted to see them perform the play, and from the synopsis of the book, I did think this was going to happen. However, this aside I did enjoy the overall story and plot and found it be refreshing and chucklesome.

Alex was a fierce character, who you know was going to fight for what she believes in, and I admired that about her. Mind you, I did find her to be a little bit stubborn with her beliefs and she didn’t take other people’s views into account. This did, however, take her on a journey of self-realisation and help her realise that views on the subject of feminism can differ and that that’s okay. We do see her grow as a character throughout the story, and come to the end she’s a much more respectful, tolerable person.

Bad Habits was a fun feminist read that will leave you feeling both empowered and ready to change the world no matter what.

Bad Habits is set at St Mary’s Catholic school and follows a student named Alex. Frustrated with some of the attitudes at her school and the lack of discussion around feminism, Alex wants to get expelled so she can go back home to California. However, nothing seems to work, so she decides to put on the play The Vagina Monologues. Surely this will be the last straw at her very Catholic school? Both Alex and the students and staff at her school learn a lot while she is attempting to tell as many people as possible about feminism.

This was a really fast-paced read – the chapters are short and the story flowed quickly. I found myself reading more than I intended in one go because the story was easy to dip in and out of. I wasn’t too invested at the beginning because I think the writing style and humorous tone took some time for me to get used to. I found it a bit strong at the start, but I did get used to it and I was enjoying the humour by the end. Alex is really not afraid to speak her mind at all! I haven’t ever been to a Catholic school either, but I thought the setting was well-crafted.

"Just because one group of people may be louder than another, it doesn’t mean their voices are more important."

I was a bit worried when I first started reading this because while I loved the prevalence of feminism and Alex trying to change things up, she did come across as very judgemental and I hate it when women are pitted against each other. However, this was all part of Alex’s character development. Even though she’s a feminist, she still was not perfect and gave off “not like other girls” vibes, but there is a great conversation about privilege and personal choices near the end. I would have loved for this to come earlier so more time could have been dedicated to the conversation, allowing for more depth in the character development.

I liked seeing the character development of Mary Kate, Alex’s roommate. I’m not religious at all, but Mary Kate is the type to stick to the rules so I definitely related to her more than I did to Alex. The jocks and sporty guys all seemed pretty stereotypical, but I did really like the scenes with Hockey Pat, especially when he challenged Alex and subverted her own expectations. I also enjoyed seeing how Katie Casey fit into the plot, and there was quite a variety of characters! I do think that a lot of the side characters really only seemed there to serve the plot, and I can’t remember a lot of them now.

The plot is fairly simple, but it did make it very accessible and easy to follow. The big focus was on if and how Alex would be able to put on The Vagina Monologues, and what the response of everyone at her school would be. Because of this, it was a feel-good book with fun and drama. There were certain plot events that I assumed would happen and didn’t, which made the ending a little disappointing for me because there were some things I really wanted to see. Saying that, I did enjoy the plot in general!

Overall, I had a fun experience reading this book! I didn’t completely fall in love with it, but if you’re looking for a fast-paced read with a focus on feminism and a school setting, I’d definitely give this one a try. Even though the humour may have been a but too much for me at times, I did find a lot of it funny. Thank you once again to The Write Reads and Penguin for providing me a copy of this book for review via NetGalley!

3/5 stars

Thank you so much to the publisher and The Write Reads for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and allowing me to be a part of the blog tour!

Bad Habits is a fun, fast-paced, feminist YA book that had me laughing out loud a lot. It is absolutely perfect for anyone who is rebellious and especially those who want to feel empowered by all the messages that this book has to offer.

I loved the characters in this book, especially Alex and Mary Kate. They have such an adorable friendship even though they are incredibly different. They both make excellent main characters. Alex, is of course the rebellious teen who is just so wonderful and funny to read about. She goes on a journey throughout the books to try and bring radical change to her very Catholic boarding school all whilst she learns valuable life lessons along the way.

I was also a big fan of the rest of the character in Bad Habits. This book has a varied cast of fellow students to the nuns and priests that run the school. I loved how all of the characters felt real and helped to give the reader a real sense of what St Mary’s is like as a school. Tie this in with the excellent descriptions of the school itself and you have an excellent idea of where the book takes place.

The plot of Bad Habits is well written and captivates the reader right away. This book has a classic trope that I will let you figure out, but it is so incredibly crafted and in turn brings such a unique story to its readers.

Bad Habits is full of funny lines and feminism. It is such a delight to read and I’m sure this book will be big within the YA community and beyond. It has such a strong message of female empowerment through the messages of friendship, action and determination. It made me feel proud to be who I am.

As a reader, you can really tell that Flynn Meaney has done all that she can to show her want to improve sexual education in females as well as the awareness of women’s sexual health. This is shown through the main character Alex’s personality and the female empowerment throughout the book. I am looking forward to seeing what the author does next.

Overall, this book is funny, important, poignant, empowering and an all-round amazing book that I enjoyed from beginning to end. It had me laughing out loud a number of times. I loved watching Alex smash her way through the patriarchy and take down all the prejudices and restrictions that females face. This is a book I am going to be highly recommending for a long time!

Thank you to the author and The Write Reads for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and a stop on the blog tour.

What I Loved
This is an amazing YA book that explores feminism in a funny and sarcastic way. I love the unique way it tackles these serious issues but still manages to be absolutely hilarious. The characters are so interesting as they all have such different personalities but I found myself able to relate to them, making it a very enjoyable read!

Bad Habits is definitely up near the top of my favourite books of 2021 so far. I couldn’t help but laugh and I ended up getting really sad when I finished it.

The Story
St Mary’s is a Catholic boarding school, full of tradition and religion. Alex, a rebellious teen sporting an iconic purple fauxhawk has already had multiple trips to Farther Hughe’s office. She constantly breaks curfew, the dress code and isn’t afraid to sneak in and out of the boy’s dorm. Her new idea to try and get her kicked out of school is something a little different and proven harder than she thought. This genius new idea is to put on her own version of The Vagina Monologues in a school full of Nuns and Priests! That is definitely going to go well… Although this started as an act of defiance, it quickly turns into a project on feminism to erase sexism in St Mary’s.

I love seeing Alex’s determination towards this play grow, even as obstacles kept pushing her back. When her ideas would fall through, she would just plan to do something bigger and better to get her message across. Everything about her is just so sassy and confident. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at everything she said and did.

The story is incredibly funny and super engaging, making it an easy and quick read. I’m guilty of being a fan of crude humour, as I’m sure a lot of you are and I ended up having quite a late night just laughing to myself because I couldn’t put it down. It was definitely worth it! What makes this even better is that the serious issue of sexism still gets across to the reader, it’s just done in a funny way. You can tell this is a topic the author is really passionate about as this is directed through Alex.

The Characters
Alex is such an inspirational, funny, sassy rebel. She fights for what she believes in and it’s extremely motivating to see her so dedicated to making St Mary’s an equal and understanding place. Her friendship with Mary-Kate is so lovely to read. They support each other in so many ways despite being complete opposites of each other.

Mary-Kate, Alex’s best friend, really annoyed me at the start. I just wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her, but I obviously couldn’t do that. Instead, I carried on reading because let’s face it, this is a very hard book to put down. I ended up loving her character and her development throughout the book, to the point where I was nearly screaming at the book in happiness and I’m sure you’ll agree with me when you read it.

Overall Thoughts
Overall, this book checks all the boxes for me. It’s incredibly funny, fast-paced and spreads an amazing message for young girls and women. I will definitely be looking at more books by this author and other books that tackle feminism after reading this. I can’t recommend this book enough if you want a nice easy read that is sure to put a smile on your face!

Rating: 4.5/5

'Bad Habits' is what would happen if you dropped the Derry Girls into a boarding school in rural Minnesota and asked them to stage a production of 'The Vagina Monologues'. I had no difficulty imagining this hilarious novel as a sitcom, a series of brilliantly funny moments which make up a term of Alex Heck's life at St Mary's Catholic School. Alex is a feminist (and president of The Feminist Club, total members:6) and always finding herself in some sort of trouble. Escapades with sex, alcohol and general hijinks means she is on her last chance at St Mary's. Which gives Alex the perfect excuse to stage an explosive and expletive ridden production of 'The Vagina Monologues'. That is bound to get her expelled, right?

Meaney's writing genuinely had me smiling and laughing out loud. Alex starts off outrageous to a fault and, honestly, a bit unlikeable. Her character arc, and clear deep care for the sexual health and proper education of her fellow students, redeemed her hugely. Her feminist principles were originally performative and hypocritical but the lessons she learns are hugely important.

Whilst I did enjoy following Alex's experiences, Mary Kate, Alex's prim and proper, often put upon, best friend was my absolute favourite character. From desperation for a boyfriend to a series of hilariously unfortunate dates to finally feeling happy in her own skin, her arc is also so beautifully written.

Overall, this book is hilarious and heartwarming in equal measure. 4.5 well-deserved stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.