Six Angry Girls

Gr 9 Up–After winter break, Raina and Millie’s senior year goes downhill. Raina is abruptly dumped by her boyfriend and her drama club rejects her. The mock trial team, which Millie has devoted her life to, suddenly boots her, resulting in a boy-only team. When Raina writes to a local advice column which suggests a hobby where she uses her hands, she joins an activist knitting group that uses their craft to make political statements. Raina also finds Millie crying in the school bathroom, and when they share their stories, Raina suggests that they form their own team. When a competition assigns the team a side that doesn’t align with their feminist values, they must choose between winning and doing the right thing. Told in legal documents, this is a fast-paced read full of humor (sometimes about knitted genitalia), passion, and realistic life problems, with a diverse cast of well-developed characters. Millie is asexual and interested in women, and while many of the characters rarely assign a word to their sexuality, they are not all cisgender or heterosexual. Millie has dark hair and eyes, while Raina’s background and appearance aren’t specified. Kisner raises important points about what it means to identify as a woman, and about traditional values and gender roles. The plot comes together nicely, and the ending is not too optimistic but includes a touch of happily-ever-after, and the uncertainty that can come with major life transitions.