Bad Habits by Flynn Meaney

Release: February 11th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Penguin
Source: The writeReads Ultimate
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Google Play.

Hilarious, bold, sparky, and surprising, this is the funniest feminist book you’ll read all year.

Alex is a rebel from the tip of her purple fauxhawk to the toes of her biker boots. She’s tried everything she can think of to get expelled from her strict Catholic boarding school. Nothing has worked so far – but now, Alex has a new plan.

Tired of the sexism she sees in every corner of St Mary’s, Alex decides to stage the school’s first-ever production of The Vagina Monologues. Which is going to be a challenge, as no one else at St Mary’s can even bear to say the word ‘vagina’ out loud . . .

About the Author:

Flynn Meaney is the author of The Boy Recession and Bloodthirsty. She studied marketing and French at the University of Notre Dame. She barely survived the terrifying array of priests and nuns, campus ghosts, and bone-crushing athletes who inspired Bad Habits. Since completing a very practical MFA in Poetry, she works for a French company and often travels between New York (when she’s in the mood for bagels) and Paris (when she’s in the mood for croissants). –This text refers to the paperback edition.

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Bad Habits Review:

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.