Customer Reviews

Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

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Joyce Carol Oates, Big Mouth and Ugly Girl (Harper, 2002)

Okay, I admit it. I'm a sucker for books like this. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl into pickle. Boy gets girl out of pickle. Boy gets pickle into girl. They all live happily ever after.

Now turn that formula on its head.

Big Mouth is Matt Donaghy, class clown. Popular guy, suddenly arrested one afternoon as a suspect in a bomb scare. Ugly Girl is Ursula Riggs, captain of the basketball team, anything but popular, a witness to the events surrounding Matt being a suspect. As with many high school kids, Ursula and Matt know each other by sight, but have never really talked. Still, Ursula feels compelled to go to Matt's defense, immediately sparking rumors that the two of them are an item. Which is ludicrous, right? Despite Ursula's growing feelings for Matt, that seem to be reciprocated when she can pull her head out of her posterior long enough to notice.

In other words, your basic coming of age novel. Which is all well and good but, well, this is Joyce Carol Oates we're talking about. And this is the first Oates novel I've read that's missing the common Oates (and Rosamond Smith, too) thread-the overwhelming sense of dread and despair that culminates in the horror of human tragedy. The house burning in Beasts. The child molestation in Cybele. The son killing his father in A Garden of Earthly Delights. Teddy Kennedy plunging off the Chappaquiddick bridge in Black Water. Oates novels end with a massive display of human-tragedy fireworks, don't they? Well, they all have up till now. Oates fans will be expecting the other shoe to drop, and will likely be sorely disappointed.

Not to say the ending that's here is bad, it's just, well, somewhat predictable.

What is classic Oates in this novel are the characters and their development. Oates is a master at subtleties of character, and Ursula Riggs is one of the most real high school students to come along in a novel in a very long time. She alone is worth the price of admission, all the other good stuff is just icing on the cake. ***

The Young Adult book field is not one that comes to mind when I think of the body of Joyce Carol Oates'work. Yet here it is from the prolific Oates, "Big Mouth and Ugly Girl."
BMUG chronicles the high school and family life of Ursula Riggs(known to herself as "Ugly Girl") and Matt Donaghy (Big Mouth).
The plot is very simple and up-to-date newspaper headline-wise as Matt is accused of plotting to blow up his high school and Ursula, though heretofore not a friend of Matt's, comes to his rescue out of a sterling sense of "what is right."
Both Ursula and Matt suffer from what most of us suffered in high school: self-esteem problems, not feeling part of any group, hating our parents and siblings, etc.
Oates,being the master craftswman that she is, takes this rather tepid plot and fills it with telling details of both Matt's and Ursula's life after the accusation which sets the plot in motion:"It was like Matt had been wounded somwhere on his body he couldn't see, and the wound was visible to others, raw and ugly. When they looked at him, they saw just the wound. They weren't seeing Matt Donaghy any longer."
Under normal high school clique circumstances Matt and Ursula would have never made a connection. But through Ursula's sense of what is right and her acting upon it; and despite her parents objections, Ursula and Matt become a couple.
The moral of the story is simple but definitely needs restating to teenagers, but not only to teenagers, especially when it is restated in the glorious, tight and controlled prose of Joyce Carol Oates.
What Oates has done is pare down her gorgeous style to the bare minimum of words necessary to convey a mood, a thought or an emotion. What lessons and morals are to be learned can be easily picked off like so many berries off a tree. But in no way whatsoever does the storytelling seem didactic or obvious or over-simplified.
Joyce Carol Oates has fashioned a novel for teenagers brimming over with morality and resposibilty but has done it in a way that does not talk down to her specific audience. All of we Oates fans need not be wary of this book as it is wriiten on the highest level of craftsmanship and deserves a special place in the oeuvre of one of our finest contemporary writers.

Big Mouth Ugly Girl, written by Joyce Carol Oates, is an excellent book for high school students to read. In post-Columbine America, Matt Donoghy has been pulled out of class by police due to accusations of making remarks that he will blow up the school. Ursula Riggs, Ugly Girl as she calls herself, is the only person who does not believe the rumors and she ignores her parents strict instructions to not get involved. She comes forward and talks to the principal about what really happened. The story alternates between Ursula and Matt, who do not even know each other at school. Ursula is large framed and more interested in sports than most girls her age. She is having a tough time figuring out who she is. Matt is dealing with losing his friends and reputation. Throughout the book, Ursula and Matt work out their problems despite what others think.

Matt (a/k/a "Big Mouth") is sort of a popular guy, until one day he says something that gets misinterpreted. Ursula (a/k/a "Ugly Girl") is a loner who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her -- but she knows the truth about what Matt said. When Ursula comes to Matt's defense, the two are thrown together in an unlikely friendship. This book is really realistic about the way teenagers relate to one another. I especially liked the parts with the e-mails. The characters were interesting, and I wanted to read it again and again.

If there is a better writer who captures the essence of modern America than Joyce Carol Oates, I haven't encountered him or her. This is probably my 15th book by Oates and I still find her stories fresh, provocative and entertaining.

Matt Donaghy is a 16-year-old boy who makes an innocent error --he jokes about setting off a bomb in the school. A full scale witch hunt ensues and Matt is ostracized by his former friends.
Ursula Riggs to the rescue.

Unlike popular Matt, Ursula is a loner but she has a strong sense of ethics. She defends Matt, whom she barely knows, at great personal risk to herself and her reputation. In doing so, Ursula finds herself in a life altering relationship with Matt Donaghy.

Exploring pertinent social issues such as honesty, ethics, loyalty and betrayal as well as the paranoia that exists since Columbine and other school shootings, Oates weaves a wonderful story. Her characters are fresh and believable. As always, they jump right off the page and we feel as though we know them.

I was sad to see the story end and say goodbye to Matt and Ursula.

Sigrid Mac
Author of D'Amour Road

I just finished reading big mouth and ugly girl and I really enjoyed it. The story takes place in New York after the events of Columbine. In it, Big Mouth, a high school boy who tends to let his mouth just go without thinking about what he is saying, makes a joke about violence and it the joke is misunderstood. He becomes a misfit with many other troubles. Then, Ugly Girl, a very tall, different girl who doesn't care what people think of her, befriends him when he has no on else. They realize how alike their families and lives are and work together to get justice. This book was unpredictable and very well written. It has a very believable story line and is captivating. Although it flashes between an omniscent narrarator, Ugly Girl(whose real name is Ursula) and Matt(Big Mouth)'s point of view, it is easy to follow and is pieced together perfectly. This is one of the books that will really leave an impression on you and make you want ot be a better person. I really recommend it to anyone, any age.

The first time I ever heard about BIG MOUTH & UGLY GIRL was on the lovely Shannon Hale's website a few years ago. I was browsing around and ran across a list of her book recommendations. This one was on the YA non-fantasy list and the title caught my eye. So I hunted down a copy at my local bookstore and went home with it. Something about her description of why she liked it made me certain it was worth buying sight unseen. I must have felt strongly because, let's be honest, I would never otherwise have purchased a book with this cover. I'm sorry, but it's horrendous. Sort of the definition of unappealing. Nothing that calls out to me in any way. And, as with so many other of my favorites, this story deserves a cover worthy of it. Not the drab, awkward ones it's gotten thus far. So I hope this review will appeal to some of you enough that you'll look past the puzzling, slightly garish cover and see the gold inside. Because it is most certainly gold and instantly went on my Beloved Bookshelf because of its honest and heartfelt approach to being a teen outsider and the often unfair and complicated ways in which others view you when you don't conform to their model of expectations.

***

It was an ordinary January afternoon, a Thursday, when they came for Matt Donaghy. They came for him during fifth period, which was Matt's study period, in room 220 of Rocky River High School, Westchester County.

***

These are the opening lines of the story of Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs. On that ordinary day in January the police come to arrest Matt Donaghy. To escort him from school and down to the station on charges that he was planning to blow up the school. Matt is speechless with confusion and fear. He had no such plans. He said no such thing. Or did he? It's impossible to remember. He might have joked about it. Not necessarily in so many words, but he might have. Matt is always joking. You might say he has a big mouth. Big enough, hopefully, to cover up for his shyness, his inability to blend in perfectly with his peers. Then there is Ursula Riggs. Tall, sturdy, with fierce eyes and an unyielding presence, she's on the edges of Rocky River High as well. Everybody knows of her but nobody really knows her. And in her head she is Ugly Girl. Too large and broad and forceful to be accepted, but sure of herself and determined not to be run over by anyone. But Ursula heard what Matt said that day in passing. And she decides she won't let him go to jail for a crime he didn't commit. But will the two outcasts together be able to stand against the fear and the mob mentality that arises in the wake of rumors of a crazy boy and a bomb?

First published in 2002, this is Joyce Carol Oates' first young adult novel and I was impressed to say the least. It reminded me of a more "American," if you will, version of Just in Case by Meg Rosoff. No less angst, but a little more hope. The two main characters, Matt and Ursula, develop alter egos (see title) which in turn enable them to cope with the shocking events of their junior year. The thing is you will like these two. You will like them from page one. Though skinny and geeky, and prone to skimming along under the radar, Matt is incredibly likable and funny. And Ursula. Well, as Matt would say, Ursula is "1 individual in 1 million." Often brash and abrupt and unconcerned with other people's feelings, she is actually an unusually straight arrow. And her insistence on justice and the perseverance of truth is doggone admirable. What these two accomplish together is heroic. Here is their first conversation:

***

Twice Matt dialed the number Ursula had given him and twice he hung up quickly before the phone could ring. So damned shy. The third time he dialed, he let the phone ring and it was answered at once. "Hello?" The girl's voice was husky, guarded.

"Hi, this is . . . Matt. Is this Ursula?"

"Yes."

"I . . . got your message."

Matt was speaking in a lowered, shaky voice. He was feeling a leap of irrational hope.

Ursula said, still guardedly, "You know me, I guess? From school?"

"Ursula, sure. Sure I know you."

As if they hadn't been going to the same schools most of their lives.

Ursula said, "This hasn't been such a . . . great day for you, I guess."

"No, but--" Matt paused. He wanted to say, At least I'm home, not in jail. But that wasn't much of a reason to be grateful, considering he hadn't done anything wrong. "--I'm alive, anyway."

Was that meant to be funny? Matt laughed, but Ursula remained silent.

Matt had begun to sweat, this conversation was so pained. He hated calling girls on the phone if he didn't know them really well and if it hadn't been understood, more or less, that he was going to call, and was expected. He was even uneasy sometimes calling his friends. Which was why he liked e-mail. Maybe Ursula Riggs was the same way? Her telephone voice was unexpectedly hesitant, diffident.

Or maybe she just didn't like Matt Donaghy, personally. But had to talk to him for some mysterious reason.

Ursula began speaking rapidly, as if her words were prepared. "Look, Matt. I heard what you said in the cafeteria today. I was walking past your table, and I heard. I know you were joking, and there's no way any intelligent person could misconstrue your words or gestures. If it's taken out of context, maybe, but there was a context. And I can be a witness for you. I'll go to Mr. Parrish first thing tomorrow and talk to him. Or the police, if necessary."

By the end of this speech, Ursula was speaking vehemently. Matt wasn't sure he'd heard right. Witness? He felt like a drowning swimmer whose flailing hand has been grabbed by someone, a stranger, whose face he can't see.

He said, stammering, "You . . . heard me? You know I didn't . . . wasn't . . ."

"A friend of mine, Eveann McDowd, was with me. She heard you, too. I'll talk to her."

"You'd--be a witness for me, Ursula? Gosh."

Ursula said quickly, "You've been falsely accused. I'd do it for anybody." She added," I mean--even somebody I didn't like."

Matt was too confused to absorb what Ursula Riggs seemed to be saying. That she liked him? All he could say was to repeat, "Thanks, Ursula. I--really appreciate it."

"You're the only person who's contacted me, Ursula," Matt added impulsively. "I'm a pariah, I guess--is that the word? Like leper. Outcast." When Ursula didn't reply, Matt said, "I've been suspended for 'at least three day.' Till they can investigate me."

"Investigate you? They're the ones who should be investigated."

Ursula Riggs spoke so heatedly, it was as if, suddenly, she was in Matt's room with him and Pumpkin.

***

Don't you want to stick with them and find out if she's right? If together they can face down The Man and win? This is a particularly timely tale, I think, with two painfully real protagonists that dare you to drift away and forget them after the story itself is over. Recommended for fans of Courtney Summers and Meg Rosoff.

This was my first Oates book so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a book with very well written characters and a good premise. Both main characters are completely believable and their friendship is described i a very good way. The parts focusing on "Ugly girl" are written in first person and Oates really manages to get the right voice for a teenage girl. Or at least it felt authentic to me, but I'm admittedly not a teenage girl.

The book also has its satirical moments and overall a good understanding of human nature. "Big Mouth and Ugly Girl" is a great read for kids and adults alike.

This book was so powerful and so well writen and completely awed me of Joyce Carol Oates. I can honestly say this was the best book I have ever read.

The book Big mouth and ugly girl" is written by Joyce Carol Oates. It is about a boy (Big Mouth) and a girl (Ugly girl), who go to Rocky River High School. One day, there was a bombthreat and Matt was suddenly involved, only Ursula helps him...

The story beginns with a big mistake. Matt is accused to make a bomb threat in the school cafeteria, but it was only a joke from him. Matt is a big mouth and he has many friends, but then the ting with the bomb thrat happen and he is involved by the others. He is suspended from school and his parents aren't proud of him anymore.
In the time, when he stays at home, he writes e-mails with Ursula. She has a spitted personality, on the one hand she is ugly girl and on the other hand she is Ursula. She has not many friends, but she stands behind Matt.
Matt is very angry about all the people, who believes the rumors , that he would blow up the school. So he sue the school. Therefore he become many problems, actually his dog was kipnepped.
At the end Ursula finds out, who really made the bomb threat. She also rescues Matt, who wnts to comitt suicide. They become very good friends and they are also not involved anymore, because all know currently the truth.
Big mouth and ugly girl have a big developement in their charakter...

I think, that it is a mean book. On the one side, it is interesting to read what happened to the main chrakters, who are very special. On the other side it's often boring, because it happens nothing exciting..
But I think it's a good book for teenagers. Also for reading in school. Sometimes there are many new vocabularys, but you can understand it.


Sina J.