Radical

by E.M. Kokie

Determined to survive the crisis she’s sure is imminent, Bex is at a loss when her world collapses in the one way she hasn’t planned for.Preppers. Survivalists. Bex prefers to think of herself as a realist who plans to survive, but regardless of labels, they’re all sure of the same a crisis is coming. And when it does, Bex will be ready. She’s planned exactly what to pack, she knows how to handle a gun, and she’ll drag her family to safety by force if necessary. When her older brother discovers Clearview, a group that takes survival just as seriously as she does, Bex is intrigued. While outsiders might think they’re a delusional doomsday group, she knows there’s nothing crazy about being prepared. But Bex isn’t prepared for Lucy, who is soft and beautiful and hates guns. As her brother’s involvement with some of the members of Clearview grows increasingly alarming and all the pieces of Bex’s life become more difficult to juggle, Bex has to figure out where her loyalties really lie. In a gripping novel, E. M. Kokie questions our assumptions about family, trust, and what it really takes to survive.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Lesbian, Realistic Fiction, Survival

444 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

I write stories about teens, including the novels PERSONAL EFFECTS (Candlewick, 2012) and RADICAL (Candlewick, Fall 2016). www.emkokie.com

Reviews

[Cece (ProblemsOfaBookNerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to begin with talking about this book… I mean, the main thing is that I have so much I want to say, and it is all really good stuff. But how to start talking about all the good stuff, that is where I am having issues.

So first of all, this book is unlike any other YA that I can remember reading. Despite what you might think when you start in on the story, it is very much a contemporary setting. But from Bex’ point of view, our contemporary world is on the edge of a collapse. And her narration frequently leaves you feeling like you are reading something almost surreal. She is full of so much panic, so much certainty that something terrible is going to happen. It is supremely unsettling at times to read from this point of view, but I think that made me even more invested to learn about Bex and to figure out how she had come to be this way. Bex is a completely fascinating main character.

She is a butch lesbian. I have never read YA with a butch lesbian lead character before. I know there are a few out there now (YAY!!!!) but this was the first one I have been able to pick up, and I loved the ways this book broke down Bex’ relationship with her sexuality and with her desire to present as very butch. There is a lot of give and take between Bex and her mother: Bex has this knowledge that she wants to wear butch clothing, she wants to have short hair, but she knows that this is definitely not what her mother wants. And so we have to see her giving up some of her own desires in order to maintain a decent relationship with her mom. It is hard to read the way that Bex presents this so pragmatically, but it is such a realistic portrayal of trying to find a middle ground between what you want for yourself, and what others want of you. I loved that part of Bex throughout the book.

Additionally, I really respect the fact that this is a book from the point of view of someone who is pro-gun and who remains firmly pro-gun. I am anti-gun, very much so. But this book wasn’t about teaching a lesson, or trying to tell you what to believe about guns. It presents a character that is pro-gun, who comes from a pro-gun household, and you are left to form your own ideas of what this ultimately means for them. I so appreciate that this didn’t become a lesson learning experience or a big message piece. It was just about a type of character I haven’t been able to read about before, and I loved that.

This book is intense. I mean, once you know there is something up in the story, it does a really fantastic job of keeping just enough information from you to bring out a lot of panic. You know something is wrong, but you don’t know the extent of that wrongness. And reading from the point of view of a character that is so paranoid makes this experience even more intense.
The end of this book went a lot of places I didn’t expect it to go, and I admire the fact that I couldn’t predict the turns it was going to take. Beginning to end, I didn’t know what was going to happen. And if I tried to guess, I was wrong. I have had such a hard time finding books like this lately, and I adored the fact that this book really pushed so many new ideas and new stories. Like I said, this was unlike any YA I have ever read before.

It dealt with hard topics, it centered on a character I have never seen at the center of a YA novel, and it continually impressed me. Occasionally Bex’ voice got repetitive, really insisting on telling the reader exactly how she would survive certain scenarios or what exactly she was doing with her gun at all times, but ultimately I adored how fresh this book was and I enjoyed it immensely.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book draws you right into the mind of Bex, a queer teen from a struggling family in rural Michigan, convinced and obsessed with the imminent demise of civilization and intently training with guns and survival skills. Bex's voice is so distinct, so real, and her perspectives so meticulously described as to feel genuine and understandable (even to a staunch anti-gun person like me). I loved this book and I hope to press it into the hands of many youth, families, and educators. Bex's world is complex--her family's poverty and continued grasping at the middle class, the sexism she encounters in her communities and her family, the silences and secrets she doesn't quite understand and see in time in her family members, the powerfully appealing illusion of control that survivalist messages and gun rights advocates propagate, having to hide her sexuality from her family and the depth of her involvement in the local survivalist 'gun club' from her girlfriend are handled with such precision and such an assured understanding of Bex's perspective. The prose is gripping and the ending is breathtakingly stark, completely unsentimental, yet honest and compassionate, even hopeful, by the last chapter. I loved this book.

[jess]

Bex is a teenage dyke prepper/survivalist from a low-income family. She is concerned about shit hitting the fan, and wants to be prepared if something goes down. She spends her time honing wilderness survival skills, shooting skills, tracking, tactical and logistical preparations. She describes herself as a realist who is going to survive. The book engaged me quickly and never let go. It's not often that I *want* to tear through nearly-450 pages of YAF, but I found myself staying up well past my bedtime and making myself late to appointments so I could squeeze in one or two more chapters. The characters all go through some major life changes during the course of the story, and I felt rewarded to see how some of them grew and changed. I was disappointed that some of the characters disappeared and I didn't get to know how things turned out for them. There are a lot of questions about secrets, loyalty, and trust here --- not only who you trust with your guns or your tactical training, but who you can trust with your heart.

There is something lovely in this book in the earnest ways it probes the intersections of class, rural life, and queerness. I was fascinated by how Bex used the internet to learn about training and preparations -- which seems realistic -- and I was surprised that she didn't use the internet to connect to a queer community at all.

I keep trying to think of the last YAF I read that featured a butch dyke as the main character and I am really coming up short. This is a voice and perspective that is not often heard, especially in novels for young people. With her fucked-up DIY haircut, her layered tight tshirts, and her truck, Bex could have populated many of my teenage dreams. I think she might have, actually. I might still be dreaming now; this book is so special and rare.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ... was ... intense. And unlike any YA book I've ever read. I stayed up to nearly 3am to finish this because the second half kept gaining momentum and upping the stakes and I just couldn't put it down because I HAD to know how it would turn out.

This isn't necessarily an easy read - in fact, I'd say there's something for everyone to hate in here, whether it's the opposing perspectives on guns or the way certain subcultures are represented or that Bex is a butch lesbian who is VERY into guns or self-radicalisation via the internet ... I could list more, but I won't. I think it's a testament to the how complexly the novel looks at all of these controversial, potentially polarising topics that you want to keep reading anyway.

As the book was told from Bex's perspective, and Bex was clearly to some extent brainwashed, it was a very atmospheric read and at first, I forgot several times that it was in a contemporary setting rather then a future/alternate universe dystopia. Bex's family were also going through serious financial difficulties, which probably added to this atmosphere. Class was explored in a really nuanced way and it infiltrated every aspect of the family members' lives, from how they treated each other to each of the characters' choices throughout the novel.

Bex, when she wasn't completely consumed by the governments untrustworthiness or how she'd survive when society collapsed, was a great character to read (even though I wanted to scream at her several times towards the end there).

The strongest parts of the novel were the sections with Joan, the lawyer. I think this was because the author herself is actually a lawyer. It felt very believable and grounded and it was in these scenes that Bex was able to break from the bullshit these subcultures and her family had been feeding her.

I will also say that this definitely isn't the romance the description makes it sound like. It wasn't bad by any means (A+ for the make out scenes), but if you're looking for a ~soulmates~ kind of story, this isn't it. It was a great romance, but it's definitely not that.

My biggest criticism is that the writing, especially in the beginning, got bogged down in the details and it dragged the story a bit. It was rectified when I got further along into the story and everything was set up, but there were still a couple of times when I thought some details were unnecessary or repetitive.

Overall, if you're looking for some rarely explored, complex topics and to get super invested in breaking this one girl out of self-radicalisation (yay internet!), this is the book for you!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many books start strong and then fizzle. This book is the opposite. I thought the first half was just okay, lacking in plot, though full of interesting information about a part of the country I don’t know very well -- pro-gun people who deeply mistrust the police and the government. I’m glad I stuck with this book, because I could hardly put it down during the last third. I am despairingly anti-gun (I feel the country is out of control) while these people are despairingly pro-gun (they also feel the country is out of control). The power of fiction is to help the reader understand another point of view in a deep, compassionate, uncomfortable way. The main character interested me more and more as the book progressed. She is a lesbian who longs to be tough, inside and out. She is drawn to a culture that celebrates masculinity. She has to deal with that, but she is very young. This book (like so many others) is longer than it needs to be, but I highly recommend it. Not your typical YA book, that’s for sure.

[Mindi · Rating 1 out of 5]

ugh, stupidly long descriptions of guns
ugh, "girls who like lipgloss are dumb"

[Dramapuppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last hundred pages of this book are tense, emotional, and gripping. Unfortunately, the book is 450 pages long. I would say it's still worth it. The first 350 pages of the book are very well-written and romantic, if somewhat dull. But the ending is totally amazing; you just have to keep going.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about how a girl named Rebecca, or Bex for short, is trying to prepare for the inevitable downfall of the United States of America. Bex has been following the news and watching it happen around her. first, her dad loses his job, and they have to live on her uncle's farm. The Government also starts to put higher taxes on everything, especially on Guns and Ammunition. Bex tries to explain to her parents and family that they need to be prepared for the downfall, but all they want is for her to sit in the house, helping her mom cleaning and cooking. Once the Government does fall all the states go to war with each other, and Bex's family is not ready. The Government tries to take all of there Weapons,and To a government holding facility to keep them safe. Bex runs away because she knows that they don't have any interest in keeping her family safe. This book ended in a cliff hanger. I thought this book was cool, I enjoy reading fiction stories of how the America will be in fifty years. I can't wait to read the second book.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Brianna Walker]

am i always surprised by plot twists because i only read good ones or because i am super naive?

this book is about guns, bad parenting, and lesbianism. it was pretty good.

[grieshaber.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bex and her family are down on their luck. Dad lost his job so they lost their house. Mom found a decent job but it takes her into the city to live with her sister during the week. They now live with Dad’s brother, Uncle Skip (I love, love, love Uncle Skip). Bex’s brother, Mark, is 19 and has turned into a jerk; he is unemployed and constantly mooches off his parents who give him whatever he wants. Their living arrangement isn’t all bad for Bex. Uncle Skip lives in an old farmhouse with lots of property. As a survivalist, this suits Bex perfectly. Bex is one of those people who believes it won’t be long before the world goes to hell and only those who know how to survive on their own by defending themselves, hunting, foraging, and fighting will make it. Bex spends hours training on Uncle Skip’s property and Dad takes her to the shooting range to practice her already-excellent firearm skills. When she’s not training, she’s working at Uncle Skip’s service station, mainly doing clerical stuff, but also learning how to fix cars. When she’s not busy at work, she’s surfing the web for survivalist websites and videos. Probably not the safest thing to be searching on a public computer . . . The status quo for the family begins to change when Mark gets invited to Clearview, a private “club” (extreme survivalist organization), to go shooting. Bex goes with Dad to drive Mark to Clearview. The three of them are instantly impressed and obsessed. Dad sees potential for work (after all, Clearview is in its beginning stages and there’s a lot of planning and development that need to happen). Mark sees potential for a place to belong. Bex sees her dream training facility. Mom has a bad feeling about all of it. Things go downhill pretty fast. When the Feds find out what’s really going on at Clearview, Bex’s world implodes and the book takes a major shift that I did not see coming.

The beginning of the story is a bit slow with the setup of the family situation and a thorough explanation of Bex’s training regimen and beliefs. Even the Clearview stuff is a little slow at first. About a quarter way through the book, though, the author begins to peel away Bex’s layers and we learn that she is gay (and very in the closet). When she begins a romantic relationship with Lucy, Bex learns a lot about herself (which includes a fairly steamy sex scene). Although her sexuality is not a major plot point (which I love), it is very important to her character development. Mom is constantly nagging Bex about her appearance (which is definitely “butch”) and her tomboy (my term not the author’s) activities. Bex finds her own ways to be herself (much to her mother’s dismay). My favorite thing about the author choosing to make Bex a gay character is that survivalists are stereotypically white, male, and straight. Being so outside the norm in this group she is so passionate about definitely gives her character and the reader lots to think about. This book would make an excellent choice for book clubs. I plan to give this to readers who enjoyed Divided We Fall.

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

RADICAL, E.M Kokie’s fourth teen novel, explores the life of Bex and the challenges she has to face to find where she fits in. Bex is not considered to be a ‘traditional’ teenage girl --- much to her mother’s dismay. She is intrigued by guns and surviving without electricity and running water because, in her mind, she must be prepared for anything. When both her father and her brother start to devote their time to a growing organization designed to prep people to “go off grid," Bex is astonished and relieved that her family is finally listening to what she had been trying to tell them--- until her brother inexplicably began to act ferocious toward to government and anyone who stood in his way, putting his entire family in law enforcement’s focus.

In the midst of the chaos of her life, Bex finds people with the same interests as her. The girls who spent their free time at the new organization feel the same way Bex does about preparation for anything, so they all bond quite quickly with each other. While she is working at her uncle’s gas station one day, Bex meets Lucy. Within days of meeting, they fall for each other. They are together every chance they get, but when Bex attempts to introduce her interests to Lucy, she receives an unexpected response.

E.M Kokie has crafted an extraordinary novel that captures the truth of finding your identity in the teenage years. RADICAL is an all-encompassing story, touching on same-sex love, family pressures and other average teen problems between its two covers. The narration of this book is so diverse from any other books I’ve read simply because the character was so well-developed. Not only is Bex a strong female lead in the book, she is a lover of guns and she’s gay --- a combination rarely acknowledged in society. RADICAL is a thriller in a different sense than what you may expect. Instead of anxiously waiting for a huge, completely devastating event to take place, I found myself waiting for the little things to happen.

The only (minor) drawback of this book is that while Bex is such a well-developed character, I found some of the characters to be lacking in detail. For example, Lucy was not described much. Though she was a minor character, she was Bex’s girlfriend and was mentioned in multiple chapters, yet as a reader, I didn’t know enough about her to feel connected to her in any way.

RADICAL is a phenomenal book that most will find themselves enjoying. This book will have something for everyone, whether they are looking for a romance, a thriller or just a general fiction. Fans of shows similar to “Doomsday Preppers” will particularly enjoy this read.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bex is ready for anything. She knows how to survive in the wilderness on her own, can protect herself (and her family, if they’d only let her), and has a contingency plan for any kind of catastrophe. The only problem is that she’s only 16 and her family doesn’t believe there’s anything to worry about. When her Dad takes a job at Clearwater Club, Bex discovers others who take her seriously. Just as she starts to find her place there, along comes Lucy, a captivating girl who clearly doesn’t worry about the end of civilization. Will be Bex let Lucy get in the way of being prepared? And when things really hit the fan, will Bex have the skills needed to survive?

Radical, written by Madison author E.M Kokie, is full of everyday characters that are so relatable, yet exist in a mindset that I, for one, have never even considered. Bex lives in the same world as I, but her world and her worries are so different, yet completely understandable to me through her character development. Kokie doesn’t shy away from second amendment issues, and fully embraces a teenager’s sexual exploration, bringing a refreshing authenticity to the novel.

[Rachel Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me AGES to review this book, but only because I wanted to do justice to its MC. When I read Radical, Bex jumped off of the page and stuck with me long after the final chapter. She's complicated, driven, passionate, sometimes misguided, and wholly human. The story sticks with her perspective throughout and, in doing so, gives the eventual narrative arc the weight it deserves.

I came into this book knowing next to nothing about gun culture, and while I appreciate every bit of research that clearly went into Bex's world, on an emotional level the survivalist context is almost beside the point. What I mean, is that Radical is a textbook example of how specificity can make a story more universal. At its essence, Radical is about a character who is deeply immersed in a community/ideology and trying to find her own way, about the definition of independence, and about a kind of quiet cruelty that looks a lot like love. This, we can all understand. I highly recommend this beautiful, gut-punch of a novel. Give it a look. You won't be disappointed.

[Hayley Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. I liked having the protagonist be someone who was involved in groups antithetical to her sexual identity, and was very surprised by the last quarter or so of the book. It's pretty unusual (for me, at least) to see an LGBTQ+ character who is also into guns and ideology such as prepping that is usually associated with conservatism and is unapologetic about it.

I did think the ending was a little abrupt, like the author felt the book getting too long and just deciding to go ahead and end it, so it lost a star for that. I, personally, would have liked more detail about her/her brother's trials and her time in the halfway house, but it is possible it would not have been interesting and so it was better that the author skipped it. Either way, I enjoyed this book and felt Bex was a very interesting and compelling character.

[Heather Larocchia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally I was going to give this three stars because the beginning really dragged and there were moments that just felt repetitive. However, there are a few things that warm my gay heart and convince me a 4 star review is better. Plus, though I might be bored to tears reading about gun mechanics and fixing cars, I’m sure there are others who love it.

The good bits? I love a YA that uses the word dyke in all its complex glory. It’s clearly used as an insult in most of the text, but seems to also be reclaimed by a more liberal and openly lesbian character (than Bex). I also love the butch lesbian representation! This feels like a rarity, in addition to the uniqueness of a queer book that is also pro-gun. Finally, it’s important for queer kids to have honest representations of sex in the books they read. I think this book does that in an appropriate but still realistic manner.

[Margi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This YA novel was a struggle for me. It centers around Bex, a teen who feels that being prepared and being able to survive on your own is the most important thing to focus on. She follows websites and watches videos of individuals and groups who don’t trust the government and think it’s up to the individual to arm and protect themselves. There is A LOT of descriptions of guns: cleaning guns, loading guns, aiming guns. It felt like 30-40% of the book was about guns. Bex struggles with revealing her sexuality, trusting people and her loyalty to her family. There is some action and excitement after all the gun talk.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story. I'm always on board for a young butch narrator, and this story focuses on how that feeling of otherness can manifest into other anxieties and paranoia, particularly when you're living in a world that doesn't really know what to do with you, and even those closest to you aren't always staunch supporters. Having recently come off of "Girl Mans Up," the narrator's brother is an interesting contrast to the brother in that book -- two sides of the coin: one supportive, one not so much.

The sudden acceleration of pace near the end was also an unusual and earned choice. Overall a memorable, satisfying read. Will be on the lookout for more from this author.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i've been eagerly awaiting kokie's sophomore novel
FOREVER. i loved loved Personal Effects, and i knew
that this book would be unique and amazing.

i was not wrong.

kokie delivers in so many ways in this intense novel
following bex, who is a "survivalist". the handling of
the lesbian romance is also so well done.

i appreciated this book on so many levels!
kokie is a fantastic writer delving into subjects i never
even considered as a reader, until she drew me in.

looking forward to her third book release, that's for certain!

[Blazingbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this book. The whole survivalist mentality is just too extreme. If it were something that only required stretching my imagination I think I could have read it. Unfortunately there are plenty of people who do have this mentality and are just as avid as the characters in this book. Too freaky for me. Would be good for someone who is into survival training, military, or similar.

[Riley Abadeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A conservative butch lesbian who doesn’t take shit from anybody. Need I say more?

[but seriously this is worth the read loved the ambiguous ending with Cammie]

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It takes a while to figure out if this is a contemporary novel or one set in the near future, especially after she mentions how the supply of guns and ammo is being restricted, but it's definitely the former -- as shown through the eyes of someone who genuinely thinks the U.S. is on the precipice of entering one of those dystopias.

I've never held a gun in my life, so my eyes glazed a bit during all the talk of cleaning and loading and shooting them, but it's a decent read. Especially if you think preppers are insane and/or are like the person in this book who is all, "Um, but they're misogynistic homophobic white supremacists tho?" because that is actually not a requirement of the ideology. It might give you some good perspective, not least because the main character never gets disillusioned with the concept and goes, "Oh god, I was so misguided, and also WE NEED GUN CONTROL NOW." She just acknowledges people who are bad seeds / what she could have done and will do differently going forward, and continues to respect her firearms and think it's smart to hone her wilderness survival skills, just in case. Great multi-chapter epilogue, especially this incredible quote:

"I've never been more sure that the government doesn't play fair. I still believe that I have the right to own guns. But if we're down to guns as our weapons, we've already lost. They can't save us from those who lie to us, who preach that we are the front line all the while believing us to be expendable. And if the government ever really turns on us, we'll need something smarter than an AR-15. We'd need an army of Joans. Maybe people like Cammie and me, who have seen both sides.

I still think we're heading to some kind of crisis, eventually, if things keep on this way. But I no longer go to bed every night thinking tomorrow might be that day, or that I might have to fight my way to safety next week. And until that happens, I'm going to have a life worth living."

Girl definitely made some dumb-dumb decisions due to her paranoia about The Government, and also failed to take action on her EXTREMELY SKETCH brother's antics* -- I get that your parents are weirdly and aggressively sexist, but you have a super sympathetic uncle whom you live with RIGHT THERE to profess your fears to -- but she ultimately realized and admitted when she was being dumb, which is a fine and rare quality in YA and saved me the trouble of chewing her out in a review. All in all, I enjoyed the reading experience.

*I forgot to add the status update, but I wanted to say on page 316:"This feels like what happens when your paranoia is so high you assume being converged upon by a squadron of law enforcement vehicles and arrested = the end of society instead of 'your brother's a drug/arms dealer, yo.'"

As an aside: The kissing action in this book is kinda excellent, and even though it ultimately crossed my preferred physical boundaries and I had to bounce over some of it, it was written in such a way that I was like, "Yes. This is exactly what young love/attraction feels like and exactly what it feels like to push boundaries when you're not sure what you're doing." I was actually jealous I couldn't enjoy it fully because I'm not into being in a girl's head and thinking about another girl. I also enjoyed that even though it seemed like insta-love to me, she later recognized it was not serious or a ride-or-die relationship because of how profoundly different their ideologies were, and that they weren't compatible long term. Again, a fine and rare quality for YA! I wasn't even sad about it ending, and I had liked them together.

[Sensitivemuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was off to a slow start, and it was pretty much slow throughout. What compelled me to finish this book to the end was wondering whether this Clearview group was legit or if there was something more to them.

You also follow through Bex and her life at home, which doesn’t seem very pleasant to start with. Her mom tries to change her despite her orientation, there’s financial issues at the home, and her brother is, quite frankly, an ahole. You quickly figure out Bex is into guns, and survival training. There’s extensive description on how she takes care of the guns, how she loads them, fires them, and we can go on. It gets tedious and lets the plot slow to a crawl. If you want intrigue and surprises, this isn’t going to happen until much later. Much much later.

There’s also focus on Bex and Lucy. They both seem to compliment each other and there is slight chemistry between the two of them but it’s not a romantic type of love story that you get if that’s what you’re looking for. They’re polar opposites and compliment one another but you also get that feeling it’s nice while it lasts.

There isn’t much to the plot until the last third of the novel, which is disappointing. However it’s jarring to see how much of the concept of survivalism is drilled into Bex and pushes her to the edge to the point of becoming paranoid over every minute detail. It’s sad to see what her parents attempt to make her do, when it comes to the subject of her brother. It’s also disappointing to see hardly any mention of Clearview except for smidgens here and there and although it plays a part in the plot, it’s not what you think and you wish there was more to it. It would have made the book much more interesting.

It wasn’t the best, but not the worst either. I’d suggest to take this out from the library instead of a purchase.

[Lulu (the library leopard)]

So, I’m going to shamelessly admit that this book definitely falls into the category of “really only read because it had LGBTQ characters” category. A YA book about apocalyptic preppers and gun rights sounded interesting, but not necessarily my thing, but learning that Radical features one of the few butch lesbian main characters in YA literature piqued my attention enough to request it from the library.

This book is, quite honestly, mildly terrifying. Bex wholeheartedly believes that some kind of catastrophe is inevitable and she needs to be prepared for it–complete with firearms–and other members of the prepper community are even more paranoid or extreme. As someone who is very pro-gun control, Bex’s head was a very alien place to be.

The main plot of Radical is kicked off by Bex joining Clearview, a shooting club that’s really a cover for a survivalist group. Bex is desperate for the resources and solidarity that Clearview offers, to the point that she’s willing to overlook the elements of extremism, sexism, homophobia, and racism that are present in the community. However, Bex’s budding relationship with a new girl in town and her brother’s growing extremism slowly force her to confront her with the dark side of the survivalist group she’s joined.

I feel like the biggest thing Radical ultimately had going against it was the pacing. The first part honestly just felt like a long dump of information about guns (different types, how to fire them, how to clean them, etc.) and it felt pretty repetitious. I also felt like it took a little too long for Bex to truly wake up to the dark side of the prepper group she had joined. In particular, I felt like the racism present in Clearview wasn’t really interrogated enough–there’s a token Black family that Bex kind of uses as a shield against accusations of the group’s racism, but I really wish that conversations about that had been pushed a little further than they had.

The second half, however, really dealt with the consequences and dark side of Clearview, forcing Bex to confront the worse parts of the survivalist group. That’s really when Bex’s eyes are opened to the truth of Clearview and she’s forced to choose what she truly stands for, which I found much more compelling than the first half.

I did, however, really like the romance in Radical. Bex is very certain of her sexuality and gender presentation but has never had a girlfriend before she meets Lucy, an out-of-town girl staying in Michigan for the summer. Kokie does a great job of writing the tension, anticipation, and nerves present in their growing relationship and Bex’s attempts to balance it with the Clearview community. There’s also a fantastic scene where Lucy blatantly calls out the bigotry and extremism present in survivalist communities, which was much-needed and appreciated by me. I also really liked the clear discussions of consent and what Bex was comfortable with that was present in the sex scene between the two of them. Ultimately, I think the romance in Radical was one of my favorite parts, both in the realistic portrayal of a first relationship and how it pushed Bex to see the truth of Clearview.

Overall, I felt that Radical was a thought-provoking book, but I wished some elements had been pushed further and the beginning half had been a bit more engaging.

Diversity notes: Butch lesbian main character, lesbian love interest, F/F romance, (very minor) Black side characters.

Author/ownvoices notes: E.M. Kokie is a lesbian.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure I can say why I loved this book. At first I wondered why I had picked up a book that was all about shooting guns, and how I would relate to the main character. But I found her so likeable, and I liked that the author was able to both let readers get inside her mind to see her internal logic and also show us how unreasonable she actually was. The book itself clearly does not endorse preparing for war against the government, but neither does it make Bex look like a fool or give her a grand revelation of how wrong she is. Bex is smart and responsible, sure of herself in some ways and insecure in others, naive in certain ways yet well-informed in the ways she cares about, reckless and careful at the same time. I cared about her a lot. The book treads a fine line between revealing the paranoia, racism, and toxic masculinity within the survivalist group and showing individuals within it to be good people with (I would say) flawed beliefs, and I was impressed with the complexity the author conveyed in a non-didactic way.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a thoughtful exploration of how we build our understanding of the world, what we should fear and why, who loves and will protect us, and our own ability to help (or hurt) ourselves.

Bex knows that there will come a time when she will need to protect herself. Learning survivalist skills and weaponry is training to her, and those who see it as less than that will end up dead.

Well, except her family. She will protect her willfully disinterested mother, her unfocused father, and her lazy brother.

This is the mindset that Bex believes in, full stop. But how right can a 16-year-old be?

The author handles these issues thoughtfully and well. And yes, as some reviewers have pointed out, this book is long. I didn't find myself waiting for the action though. Instead I enjoyed exploring Bex's unique perspective and the busy goings-on of her difficult life.

A worthwhile read, absolutely.

[Gummy Bear · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Spoilers**

When I first read the summary I thought that this book would be about a girl trying to survive an apocalyptic disaster. When I realized that is not what was happening I kept reading to see where the author would take this book. And I did not like it at the end Bex is in jail/juvy and she has no idea why she is in jail and she spends MONTHS in there before a lawyer comes to talk to her when she had already asked for one. The author tells her that the courts have already found her guilty. Then you don't figure out what really happened, not entirely at least. During the epilogue you don't hear what happens between Bex and her parents. Over all very disappointing

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, this book caught my attention right away. I related to Bex immediately and couldn't stop reading, until about chapter twenty-one, then I had to force myself. The beginning was great and sweet (and gay, which is a plus), but once the conflict kicked into high gear, everything that happened earlier meant nothing. Not only that but once it got to the actual climax, it skipped it! Bex had an epiphany about what she had to do, the chapter ended, and the next picked up over a year later. That was confusing. Actually, the timing is confusing all throughout the book. I understand what the author was trying to do and the message she was trying to put through, but it didn't work for me.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel and felt it was original and unique compared to many other YA novels I have read. The main character was very convincing to me as someone who sees the world through a really intense particular worldview - she was a very believable character. Also, the novel went in a very different direction than I was expecting, which is something I appreciate in a book. There were definitely times when the details on guns etc. were not super interesting to me but they definitely helped to shape the character.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to review. It was compulsively readable - especially in the last quarter, I couldn’t put it down. However, the plot was confusing and disjointed, often misleading. The story was not at all what I expected based on the synopsis, not even close. And the characters were all quite unlikeable - I felt no connection to any of them. But I can’t deny that it was somehow still well-written in spite of all that. Confusing.