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| Author | Joyce Carol Oates |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 2002 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 273 pp |
| ISBN | 0-06-447347-3 |
| OCLC | 52421770 |
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is Joyce Carol Oates's first young adult novel. It was published in 2002 by HarperCollins. It's a coming-of-age story and it's set in the fictional Westchester County. The story is about Matt Donaghy, who is accused to want to do a bomb threat and as a result, he becomes an outcast. Only Ursula Riggs stands by his side and knows that he's innocent.
Characters
[edit]- Ursula
One of the two protagonists is Ursula Riggs. Her personality is split. There is ‘Ursula Riggs’, who is tall and athletic and in her school she is kind of a looner and doesn't have many friends. This ilustrates her insecurity. That's why she has a second personality, "Ugly Girl", who is the total opposite of Ursula. She's confident and strong, in contrast to Ursula Riggs. Ursula is the captain of the basketball team at her school. Ugly Girl is aware of her good basketball skill, that is why she's so self-confident. Because of the difference of her character there are two different moods. The Fiery Red mood is useful for playing basketball, because that’s when she’s energetic, dynamic and good in basketball. But there is also the Inky Black mood that consists of all the depression and a bad temper.
Nobody knows about her vulnerable and soft core and treat her like a outsider.
- Matt
The other main character is Matt Donaghy. He's a top student and quite popular. Matt likes to make jokes and also to make people laugh. His appearance includes a freckled face and tall, gangly body.
In his school he takes the job of vice president, as well as a school paper writer.
Plot summary
[edit]Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs are the protagonists in the story and both are students at Rocky River High School. Ursula has two personalities. She is an athletic girl and very good at basketball. Moreover, she has two moods called the Inky Black and the fiery red mood. She calls herself "Ugly Girl" and Matt calls himself "Big Mouth" because he always jokes and talks before he even thinks about it.
One day, two detectives come into Matt`s class and take him outside. They blame him that he is planing a bomb threat on the basis of two testimonies and take him to the principal Mr. Parrish. As Mr. Parrish suspended Matt, everyone thinks he wants to blow up the school but Ursula knows that Matt is innocent and plans to prove it. The detectives ask Matt about his statement in relation to the bomb threat, but he is confused and is not able to say in his defense. While Matt is suspended, he is bored but also afraid that all his friends turn away from him. Thats why he thinks it's a bad joke of his friend, as Ursula sends him an E-mail. During the call between Ursula and Matt, Ursula wants to go to Mr. Parrish as a witness to claim his innocence. Mr. Parrish asks Ursula about her connection to Matt and Ursula says, that she has no connection to him. Mr.Parrish thanks Ursula with a positive report because they testified as a witness. Somewhat later Ursula goes to the Cafeteria with some friends and Matt is there too, but she ignores him again. Ursula can't hide that something is definitely wrong with her.
Ursula's parents are really proud after receiving the letter from Mr. Parrish. Ursula goes with her mom and her little sister Lisa to a modern dance group in New York but Ursula leaves the show early to visit an art gallery. Ursula was kind of sad while she walks through Manhattan because she thinks she sees Matt with another girl. But she realizes that it isn't Matt. Matt's mother doesn't feel safe in Rocky River and she wants to move away. Matt doesn't talk to Ursula anymore. She considers writing him an email again. After it, Ursula faces Miriam and Muriel, they call her names to bully her, like "Jew-girl". Many students of the Rocky River High school say that Ursula and Matt are a couple. Matt's parents sue the High school, because Matt is bullied in school. He gets problems and he is excluded from the other students. He is offended by the others. Ursula is scared of her sister going trough the same things which had happened to her. Her mom even makes the things worse. She doesn't see that Lisa is a child, who shouldn't be dieting.
Matt goes to the Rocky River, because he wants to forget his problems from the last weeks. He also wants to commit suicide by jumping of a hill. Ursula sees Matt and starts to talk with him and prevents the suicide. After that Ursula receives an e-mail from Matt, in which he thanks her.
On the next day Matt and Ursula talk with each other about the issue on Rocky River. Afterwards Matt writes Ursula e-mails and Ursula Matt, in which there are very personal things about them. Moreover Ursula`s mom finds out about the relationship of Ursula and Matt and they have a discussion about it. Also the schoolmates of Ursula and Matt talk about them and show their thoughts about their relationship. Ursula, Matt and his dog Pumpkin are hiking on a trail above the Hudson River and talk about the lawsuit. Matt asks her what she thinks about it, but Ursula's answer is not what he expected and he gets angry. Ursula wonders about him and tries to control her emotions and waits for a call or a message from Matt, but he doesn't get in touch with her. In addition, Matt is also sad about this situation, but he's too stubborn to contact her. Matt wants to apologize due to his behavior and develops an treasure hunt which is an art book to clarify his apology. Ugly Girl cries because of Matt's message. Afterwards Pumkin get's kidnapped and the suspicion is on everybody who knows the Donaghy's. Later Matt get's an anonymous call which he can hear Pumpkin in the backround. Ursula wants to find Pumpkin and starts at the Donaghy Mansion. She and Matt's mother get along very well. Matt gets an idea and he believes that the guys, who hit him took Pumpkin to do something bad to him. On the next day Pumpkin comes back and Matt is very happy, after that Matt is weary and wants to go to bed. Before that he send an email to Ursula. Afterwards Ursula has a basketball game. After this game Matt meets Ursulas Mother and sister for the first time. Reverend Brewer calls the school and warns for a bomb attempt and the students gets evacuated,because it´s a fake he must pay 500.000$ and Matt´s parents dropped the lawsuit.
Critical reception
[edit]The book was well received by critics. The School Library Journal said, "The next three-quarters of the book become even more interesting, as the author explores the subsequent social pressures placed on the teenagers and adults in a fictitious, affluent suburb of New York City. Oates has a good ear for the speech, the family relations, the e-mail messaging, the rumor mills, and the easy cruelties waiting just beneath the veneer of civility. The next three-quarters of the book become even more interesting, as the author explores the subsequent social pressures placed on the teenagers and adults in a fictitious, affluent suburb of New York City. Oates has a good ear for the speech are depicted with a raw honesty."
In a starred review Publishers Weekly says "The relationship between the two grows credibly and compellingly, against a convincing high school backdrop,"
Michele D. Thomas, writing for "The Barnes and Novel", described the novel as a "striking story about friendship, family, community, support, betrayal and self-confidence". It's about an important topic and makes the students ask themselves critical questions, like how they would react in such a situation.
Voya said that Ugly Girl (Ursula Riggs) was her own person, a loner who places perfectionist demands on herself. Big Mouth (Matt Donaghy) was one of the popular, accepted students, who loose his friends because they misinterprets his joke about the bomb. Ursula Riggs is the single person, who doesn't ignore Matt Donaghy and support him.
Voya criticize that the reviewer will stop to read the book just up to 50 pages because the plot of the book is to long and the reader miss the climax, which is in the book certainly to short.[1]