Buzz Club

by Xena Knox

A brilliantly bold, funny and spicy YA novel about female empowerment and finding your buzz. Perfect for fans of Sex Education and the Barbie film.

The first rule of Buzz do NOT talk about Buzz Club

When Tavi's boyfriend dumps her, days before her seventeenth birthday, friends Ella and Liss gift her the perfect post-breakup a vibrator.

Tavi is mortified, but Ella is inspired. It's time for the girls to take matters into their own hands and start Buzz Club, an exclusive club for discussing everything from porn to the patriarchy.

Soon the girls are finding their own buzz and figuring out their boundaries, but with Tavi still pining after her ex, Ella shutting out her boyfriend, and Liss's secret crush, one hell of a climax is coming - especially when one of the girls breaks the club's number one rule ...

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2025

Reviews

[Caitlyn Wandless · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took a while to get to the point, a bit too much teen drama but everyone pulled their heads out of their asses by the end thankfully

[Mats Van Camp · Rating 3 out of 5]

the characters were so fun. It was a good story but the ending felt rushed.

[Joyce Van noten · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF 20%

[Anouk · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️ it was okay. I think this book can be fun when you’re in your teens not when you’re 27.

[Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I genuinely liked the message of the book but it could’ve been clearer and louder from a far earlier point. And also why was almost everyone in the book toxic and they didn’t have any vibe as friends at all???

[OSFC The Know Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Children's Books for the ARC.

Buzz Club by Xena Knox is a fun and fearless young adult novel that dives into topics like female empowerment, sexuality, and the everyday struggles young women face.

The book is full of laugh-out-loud moments, mixing humour with serious issues in a way that feels honest and easy to connect with. That said, the pacing can feel a bit rushed, and some parts of the story—like certain plot points and character arcs—don’t get as much attention as they deserve. It’s a bit of a shame because the overall idea and vibe of the book are so strong.

Knox doesn’t hold back when exploring big topics like misogyny, how porn can shape young people’s views, and the messy dynamics of teenage relationships. Through Tavi’s story and her conversations with friends, the book shines a light on what it’s like for teens trying to figure out sex, consent, and how to push back against society’s expectations. The way it encourages open, honest discussions about these things is one of its biggest strengths.

Even though it could’ve taken more time to develop the story, Buzz Club is still a fresh, thought-provoking read. It’s funny, bold, and doesn’t shy away from talking about things that really matter, making it stand out in today’s YA books.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

BUZZ CLUB is a funny feminist contemporary about female pleasure and toxic relationships.

This is a very funny book full of situations that just keep escalating into the depths of ridiculous. It uses the potential of teen embarrassment around these topics and situations as a way into discussing them and also showing they're not all that big a deal really (not in the ways that would cause embarrassment, anyway.)

This book contains a depiction of an abusive, controlling relationship. He's isolating her from others, spreading lies, and turning everything to be her fault. But this book also explores the nuance of how others respond and how even the best intentions can be far from the best way to go about something. These sorts of relationships need care from everyone around the victim to help them get free without imposing their own ideas and opinions.

I liked that not everything was resolved at the end, relationship wise. There are still tensions between the girls, for example. It's realistic - not everything gets sorted out like that in real life.

[Camilla Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know the author. I state this at the beginning of my review because, like this book, I want to be honest.

Buzz Club is like nothing else you’ll read. It is told in first person narrative by three 17/18 year old girls at the same school in a small Scottish town.

The characters are all very different to one another, with their own issues and secrets but they form the foundation of Buzz Club (secret code name Book Club) - a female only, safe space to discuss and share anything sexual. As a club member they are all generously provided with their own vibrator.

The book begins with some hilarious scenes, but the tone changes the further in you read. The characters deal with serious and real issues around misogyny, porn and exploitation. From their journey they learn how to find female solidarity.

It is a honest, funny and desperately needed book, bringing a buried topic to the surface.

Huge praise to the bravery of my friend who continues to champion important and pushed down issues.

Read it (if you’re old enough 😉)!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story centers on newly seventeen Tavi, who, when her boyfriend dumps her just before her birthday, receives a vibrator from her friends Ella and Liss as a breakup gift. This event inspires the trio to establish the "Buzz Club," a secret group where they explore topics ranging from sexuality to societal issues. Whilst this topic will no doubt provoke some debate about the suitability of stocking the book in school libraries , I think it's brilliant , very 'girl power' (lol!) and a great read for girls starting to explore their sexuality. It portrays toxic masculinity well and shows how easy it is for girls to mistake possessiveness etc and sexual attraction for love. Though not explicit the story talks about vibrators and how having one is very positive and helps self confidence and the story is definitely encouraging of activism and challenging societal norms. It's also very funny with a strong dose of the ridiculous and had me giggling several times.

[Stephanie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing this incredible book, I turned to our ten-year-old: “When you’re old enough, I’d like you to read this, as it is fun, laugh-out-loud funny, but REAL! It is so important you look out for yourself and others around you, also make sure you always celebrate yourself and love yourself.”
Anyway… she zoned out to what was being said… I believe a friend texted her. 😂 But I said there and thought… if a mother would like her child to read this story, isn’t that one of the best compliments you could ever receive? 🥰 Pure love for this!

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this at my local library, and the blurb had me interested. I was concerned about how a book about a vibrator club could be YA, but it was actually pretty PG. the topics covered in the book were so relevant not just in teens but women in general these days. Even though the story was fast-paced, some topics felt glossed over. I would definitely recommend this to women as it covers a lot and could definitely help a lot of women.

Viva La Vulva ❤️

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really not the intended audience for this as it's a YA novel with characters in the final years of secondary school. And it's definitely not the kind of thing I read at that age, as it focuses on teenage sex and vibrators. If nothing else it was an interesting view of the concerns of today's teenage girls and the impact of porn on young men.

[Chloe Booth-Dobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Noemie · Rating 1 out of 5]

i hated every character in this book, and not in a good way.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

Entertaining story. Picked this up as a bit of fun and I was intrigued of what it would be about. Not mad that I read it but I won’t be rereading. I noticed a spelling mistake as well.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 !!

this was such a fun read and i missed my stop on the train becaude i was so hooked lmao

full review to come

[Leonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
could have been so much better

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

scottish teenage coming of age

[Cataaaa :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐💔

[beez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some characters are so unlikeable I was so!!!! shut up!!!!

Although I enjoyed it, the ending felt rushed, took a long time to get to the point.

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I wasn't sure how I felt reading this at the start. I was kind of like Tavi in that I also was being held back by the taboo of female personal pleasure but damn this helped! By the end I was rooting for buzz club 🙌🏻 Viva la vulva!

This book had so many memorable hilarious moments but also many an important issue raised. Xena Knox is a mastermind at this as I remember Sh!tbag being the same.

Get buzzy girls 😜 🙌🏻

[lucy, she-her · Rating 2 out of 5]

i was excited to try this one, as i love sex-themed YA, but it completely disappointed me. the most i could do was skim it, as the writing was god-awful - like, almost comically bad. also, none of the characters were likeable. it shocked me that ella was meant to be one of the main ones, as she’s like, cartoon-villain evil. i was also really confused about the relationships between the characters in general - like, our FIRST introduction to tavi is based around the fact that she hates liss, but then you find out they’re meant to be friends? what??

notes:
- imagine ur mum live streaming ur birthday?? lol
- “simp”… old people try not to use outdated slang incorrectly challenge
- “shipping”
- “she’s fetishising saying vibrator all the time” WHAT??
- “info-dumps”
(ALL WITHIN THREE PAGES BTW)
- p77 - ohhhh, so liss is gay
- “females”
- “that was your choice, katerina. you chose to have eleanora alone” FINALLY SOMEONE FUCKING SAID IT
- i fear “intwine” is not a word
- the way they all gaslight tavi into genuinely believing she’s a narcissist is awful
- tavi loves liss? yesss!! (never fucking mind she’s still straight)
- ella’s speech kind of meant nothing
- ijeoma was WELL within her rights to say ella is a dick to liss. SHE IS
- “hoor”? really? was that meant to be “whore”?

[Beth Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buzz club is BRILLIANT. Xena Knox centres female friendship and the strength it provides, and female rage whilst smashing taboos about female sexuality, toxic masculinity, and highlighting the dangers of porn addiction in teenage boys and risks it poses for the women in their lives.


When Tavi's boyfriend dumps her the day before her birthday, her best friends decide to cheer her up and gift her a vibrator.

Tavi is HORRIFIED but best mate Ella is INSPIRED and starts a club discussing everything from porn to the patriarchy.

When secrets start coming out, relationships unravel and one of the girls breaks the number one rule of Buzz Club the climax will.leave.you breathless.

Xena really captures the fraught, confusing, and emotional teenage dynamics both between friends and boyfriends and girlfriends and deftly exposes the gaslighting Tavi experiences in a way that as a survivor is accurate and sensitive especially as she begins to wonder and work out what's true and what's not.

I already made the school librarian order this, you should do the same for yourself!