Rating: 
Summary: Good plot, yet not extraordinary
Review:
"Big Mouth & Ugly Girl" by Joyce Carol Oates
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl is a book about two kids and their struggles in high school. This story, alternating in narration, is told in Ursula Riggs' perspective in first-person and Matt Donaghy's in third. Through a twisting plot that grips the reader, the author unifies an unlikely pair of people into an ideal friendship.
Matt is a smart, friendly guy liked by most everyone he knows; he's the kind of person everyone enjoys being around. The reader first meets Matt Donaghy as inspectors pull him out of class at Rocky River High to conduct an interrogation. He has been accused of plotting to bomb his school! In the first few pages of the book, when the police came to take Matt, the author let the reader begin to get to know him. This put the reader on Matt's side, already knowing he couldn't possibly have been plotting "terrorism." Even though Matt is quickly freed from the hands of the police, the novel continues to intensify and the plot continues to thicken.
Ursula Riggs, who calls herself Ugly Girl to describe her persona and her feelings toward herself, is a tough, athletic girl with few friends, an outsider. She describes her moods as "Inky Black" or "Fiery Red" which almost lets you picture them in your mind, and certainly conveys her feelings to the reader.
"Who cares? Not Ugly Girl. Ursula Riggs was a coward fearing other people's opinions and the future. Ugly Girl was no coward, and didn't give a damn about the future. Ugly Girl, warrior woman." (p. 12)
When Ursula heard about the bomb scandal, she rose to Matt Donaghy's defense. She had overheard what he had mentioned about bombing their high school, and she knew that what had gotten him into trouble was simply his joking about something foolish, that what he had said must have been interpreted the wrong way. Against her parents' wishes, she stood up for Matt, and she earned Matt the right to return to school while clearing his written record as well. However, trouble was not over. Because of the scandal, Matt found his old friends avoiding and ignoring him, he was pushed out of his social group at school, and his family received hate mail from anonymous neighbors. And for Matt, depression struck.
Witnessing the negative affect of the bomb scandal on their son, Matt's parents decided to file a lawsuit against his accusers. As a result of the suit, the aggression and hostilities from his peers escalated, and Matt nearly commited suicide. Ursula, in the right place at the right time, saved him once again. Gradually, the two became friendly, and soon they became nearly inseparable. Matt, in turn, helped Ursula emerge form her "Ugly Girl" shell.
"Big Mouth Ugly Girl" was a quick and entertaining novel; the type of story that would appeal to most teenagers. It was a well-written story with a plot full of little mysteries. I liked the realistic and down-to-earth high school setting, and the growing relationship between Matt and Ursula. I was able to relate to the pressures these two experienced, concerning both friends and situations at school, and their parents. However, I felt that the development of the "villains" of the story, the people who reported Matt for his supposed plotting, was the weakest aspect of this novel. The author didn't describe the reason for their motivation to report Matt. She merely threw out the fact that they were the stereotypical religious folks who seem to look down on those not belonging to their religion. Other than the under-development of the book's supporting characters, "Big Mouth and Ugly Girl" was an enjoyable read. Oates has a superb writing style giving her story the extra boost to keep the reader glued to the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not All That Exciting
Review: This book that I read was about a boy named Matt Donaghy (Big Mouth) and a girl named Ursula Riggs (Ugly Girl). It is about how when someone hears something and they misinterpret it, it can make your whole life different. It is about how when people you think are your friends, maybe really aren't your friends. It is about how if only only one person in your whole school believes you are innocent, it can help you.
Matt and Ursula go to Rocky River High School in Westchester, NY. Matt is accused of making a bomb threat to blow up his high school, and hardly anyone believes he didn't do it. Even his friends, Russ, Skeet, and Trevor wouldn't even stand up for him through it all. However, Ursula did believe Matt, and it really helped him.
I didn't really like this book as much as others, because it's not all that exciting. I like mystery stories, and this one wasn't much of a mystery. It was a good book, but it's for someone who doesn't like a lot of different things going on in the story. It's for someone who doesn't like stories about ghosts, death, or mystery. It's for someone who doesn't like things in the story changing real fast.
Minnie [14 years old]
Rating: 
Summary: Stick to writing for adults.
Review: Award-winning adult author Oates explores what could happen in post-Columbine era when it can be dangerous not to take every remark seriously. When the class clown jokingly says he wants to [destroy] the school at lunch, someone reports him to the principal and suspension and media frenzy ensues. In spite of the fact that Matt is popular, not one of his friends stands up for him. One person does though - Ursula, a gangly and unattractive misfit basketball player who believes in justice. Their friendship gets off to a rocky start but eventually evolves into trust and then gradually turns to romance. Told in randomly alternating chapters from Ursula's first person point of view to Matt's second person, the reading is fast, sprinkled with emails and chunks of dialogue.
While her protagonists are interesting, something about the way they speak doesn't quite ring true, and it isn't quite realistic that the two don't hook up sooner. Matt's descent into depression is wholly believable. The kidnapping of Matt's dog is a subplot designed to expose the tattlers, but lacks drama.
It would be interesting to see how this turned out if it hadn't been intended for YA's. I have to be honest, I might have liked the book if I hadn't read an article from Book magazine w/ Oates in which it was quite clear that neither she nor the reviewer knew anything about YA lit. Oates seemed overly proud that this was the first book to address this topic, but Todd Strasser's Give a Boy a Gun (Simon & Schuster, 2000) and Ron Koertge's Brimstone Journals (Candlewick, 2001) both predate her.
Rating:
Summary: "Know who your friends are?"
Review: Award-winning author, Joyce Carol Oates was born in 1938 and grew up in upstate New York. While scholarship student at Syracuse University, she won the coveted Mademoiselle fiction contest. She graduated as valedictorian, then earned an M.A. at the University of Wisconsin. in 1968, she began teaching at the University of Windsor. In 1978, she moved to New Jersey to teach creative writing at Princeton University, where she is now the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities."Every single Oates novel I've read has added to my conviction that she is a genius" Julie Myerson, Independent on Sunday
The prolific writer, Joyce Carol Oates has produced some of the most controversial, and lasting, fiction of our time . For example "Black Water", a narrative based on the Kennedy-
Chappaquiddick scandal, garnered a Pulitzer Prize nomination, andher national best-seller " Blonde", an epic work on American icon Marilyn Monroe, became a National Book Award Finalist. Although Joyce Carol Oates has called herself, " a serious writer, as distinct from entertainers or propagandists," her novels hace enthralled a wide audience, and " We were the Mulvaneys" earned the #1 spot on the New york Times best-seller list.
The novel " Big Mouth and Ugly Girl", which was first published in the USA by HarperTempest in 2002 is " A superb story bursting with themes relevantto high school life today." Atlanta Journal- Constitution
The book deals with two characters "Big Mouth", whose name is Matthew Donaghy and " Ursula Riggs", who named herself "Ugly Girl". Both attend the Rocky River High School. Matt, a popular but not so good looking boy, who is the vice president of the school and writess for the school paper, and Ursula, a big boned girl, who has no time for petty high.school stuff like friends and dating, is the baketball captain and one of the best athletics in Rocky River.
Thex do not even know each other, until one day when two detectives escort Matt out of class for questioning, because the charge is, that Matt has been accused of threatening to blow up the school. Ursula is a witness, she knows that Matt is innocent and she is the only person, who can help Matt, because his friends do not want to have anything to do with him. Both had a hard time and changes their behaviour, Matt, for example, get in trouble with some people, because his parents sue the school for unjust accusation and its consequences, he became more introverted and is no longer a " Big Mouth", and Ursula improves her outward appearance and is more interested in boys. After Matt's dog Pumpkin has been abducted and Usula helps to bring him back they become closer and closer. Although everybody realize that the accusation against Matt is false, nothing was like as it just to be. Matt is no longer the vice president of the school and does not want to have anything to do with his " ex-friends". He and ursula became a couple and do not care what other people say.
Everybody in Rocky River thinks that Ursula is an individual person. But what are the typical traits? In my personal view, she is independent, that means she does not care what other people think about her. Although she calls herself " Ugly Girl", she is self-confident at school. She claims on her opinion and does, what she thinks, is right, for example help Matt, although her parents are against it. She has no interest in petty high-school stuff like friends, improve the outward appearance, make-up and dating, before she get in contact with Matt. She is introverted and nobody gets the chance to be closer to her, that is why she has not many friends. She is sarcastic but all in all a friendly girl, who is not as other girls at her age.That makes her an individual person.
Matt is open-mouthed and humorous and that gets him into trouble. He is a popular, extroverted person, who cares a lot of other peoples` opinion about him. After the accusation he changes into an introverted person, who does not care about everything, except ursula, his family and his dog. He is no longer that open-mouthed, popular but a thoughtfulboy, who realized who his friends are.
My opinion is, that Joyce Carol Oates wants to convey, that you do not know, if your so-called friends will help you in a difficult situation. You only realize it, if you really get in trouble and nobody is there, except a person, by which you do not expected it. This is a serious theme everybody has to think about. If your firends would help you, if you would be in the same situation like Matt. You have to get in trouble, before you know it, that is the disadvantage and some people would be disappointed and would not cope with the true.
I think this book is unique, because you can put yourself in Matt`s or Ursula`s position. Not as in other books, were you read it and do not feel touched with the theme. Everybody can get in such a situation like Matt and that makes readers thoughtful. " The richness and excitement of Oates` novels lie in their hyper-real description of modern life." (Sunday Times)
One of the stregthsis the sructure of the book. It is devided into two perspectives, Ursula's and Matt's. Matt is written in third person narrator and Ursula alias Ugly Girl in first person narrator.It changes from chapter to chapter, so that the reader knows what both main characters think in a special situation. That makes the book interesting and one want to read it in one single sitting, but there are some parts, which I think, were not so important and a little bit boring, forexample the e-mails Matt wanted to send Ursula, but not send them.But all in all it is an exiting book, which it is worth to read.
Rating:
Summary: Big Leaps
Review: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is Joyce Carol Oates' first novel published specifically for young adults. It is the story of two highschool students: Ursula Riggs and Matt Donaghy. Matt is a confident and well-regarded aspiring writer. After making a seemingly harmless comment, he finds himself unexpectedly driven into the center of a controversy over safety within schools. His personal life is in turmoil when Usula, self-proclaimed "Ugly Girl," interjects her perspective into the debate and quells the legal persecutions against him with her testimony. Ursula is an athlete with a visual artist's sensibility who thinks of herself as an outsider women warrior. The two teenagers find themselves embroiled in the politics of the adults in their lives as they mature and become familiar with aspects of the society they live in. The tenuous bond they form through e-mails and snatches of conversation develops into an outsider team capable of asserting values formed through practical experience. It seems strange at first that Oates has chosen to write a novel designed for a young adult audience. Yet, her most pressing concerns as a writer seem to me inherently mixed with the emotional pitch of this age group. The central characters' construction is based upon a self-conscious redevelopment of identity where their societal position is internalized and interpreted by the characters through a proclaimed role. Oates has used this device before most notably in her novels Blonde and Man Crazy. The characters understand what is thought of them and they define themselves in accordance with this as a method of coping in society. Oates recognizes that teenagers are more subject to this violent process. This is due to the perilous condition of the young who exist within a space of circumscribed personal freedom. As their behavior is molded, their desperation to maintain a personal conception of themselves as individuals is heightened. Oates tremendous gift is for observing the emotional process of this struggle by delineating the experiences of multifarious personalities. She does this in a convincing portrait of modern teenage youth. This novel is a cleverly conceived dramatization of the lives of the next generation.
Rating:
Summary: BIG MOUTH
Review: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is one of many books written by Joyce Carol Oates, but it is the only one that I have had the opportunity to read. I enjoyed the book as a whole, but it was just not what I was looking for in a novel for reasons I'll explain later. Big Mouth starts with the story of two high school students, Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs. Matt is a popular guy who is very confident in his actions until he discovers that he was being accused of saying something he didn't. When Ursula comes out of nowhere to his defense, their relationship begins. The story from that moment on takes many surprising turns, keeping the reader interested and wanting to know more. The book takes the two students-turned-friends through many ups and downs, bringing them closer together. Matt's friends abandon him in his times of need for varied reasons leaving him only Ursula, the "ugly girl," to confide in. The two feed off of each other to get themselves through their hard times leaving them with an unforeseen friendship. Again, I enjoyed the book, but I expected a more mature story. This book should be recommended for junior high students. I wish that I had reviewed the book before hand. I probably would have chosen something else.
Rating:
Summary: My Book Review!!
Review: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl was a very good book. It was quite confusing at times, because it would switch back between the main characters "Ugly Girl(Ursula Riggs)" and "Big Mouth(Matt Donaghy)". Each chapter would be something new. The chapters ranged from long to short and were very interesting. I rarely read, so when I picked up this book and fliped all the way back to the back of the book and looked at the page number, I didn't want to read it. I took time and started reading the first chapter and I fell in love with it's mystery, humor, and suspense. If you are one of the people who like to read fiction books then this is the book for you!
Rating:
Summary: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl
Review: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl was about a boy, Matt who likes to write. One day he submitted one of his papers to the school newspaper, and it was rejected. One of his friends asked him what he was going to do he said "What can I do blow up the school and massacre all the students?" Some one heard and told on him. Later that day, two detectives took him away. A few people heard what he said but didn't have the courage to tell anyone. Everyone that is but, Ursula. Ursula has always been known as an Ugly Girl because she is bigger and meaner than all the other girls, and most of the boys. She tells the principle what Matt says and gets him out of trouble, at school. The accusation made Matt's parents really mad, and screwed up most of their life, so they want to sue the school. Because of this problems come along with it. The media never leaves Matt and Ursula alone and some one is trying to get Matt's life really messed up.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover
Review: Big Mouth and Ugly Girl is a sensational book for teenagers that don't have confidence in themselves to read. Joyce Carol Oates writes about two totally different characters in the book. She binds them together with one secret that could change Matthew Donaghy's whole future. This book is filled with suspense as well as good-nature. When a bomb threat is called in and Matt is accused, he has to find a way to prove he is innocent. Meanwhile, Ursula Riggs is a sassy, self-confident athlete that refers to herself as Ugly Girl. Ugly Girl likes to be herself and just be comfortable, even when she is constantly compared to her beautiful ballerina sister Lisa. Ursula knows what Matt said in the cafeteria that day and is willing to stand up for him in his time of need. As Ursula works through her problems, she slowly finds herself and who she is. Matt is trying to save his reputation and the friends that were suppose to care about him and be there in his time of need. Though each character has his and her own problems they come together and help each other through they're difficult times and trials. My opinion is that this was a great novel that helps encourage teenagers that have not yet found their inner selves. It shows that people of two different social status can equally help one another. This follows the old saying "Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover" . It shows how a friendship is formed and how sometimes there is always a little faith and a new friend waiting for you at every hard time in your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
Review: Big Mouth And Ugly Girl was a book about a popular boy,Matt Dounagy and a geeky girl, Ursula Riggs. The boy was funny and loud and the girl was a fierce, loner. The boy gets into some trouble and the girl sticks up for him. They ended up becoming good friends and doing alot together. The reason I liked this book so much is because the characters were around my age, which is 13. I also liked this book because of the fact that a popular boy became freinds with a geeky girl.This was a very good book and I encourage you to read it
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