This YA was the exact book I needed to keep me occupied last week while we waited on election results. It has an inspiring lesson for any young person who may have been silenced or experienced prejudice. That lesson is, do not let anyone tell you you’re too much or not enough or deserving of unequal treatment— you’re just right because you’re beautiful and you deserve to have your voice heard.

Best friends Jasmine and Chelsea are about to start their junior year. Thanks to their progressive justice-aware high school and encouragement from Jasmine’s father, they take pride in calling themselves art-tivists. Jasmine is an actress and Chelsea is a poet alongside their fellow peers/artists Nadine and Isaac who complete their group. Their aspirational year hits a snag when in their respective after-school clubs both Chelsea and Nadine experience a mix of misogyny, racism, fat-shaming, and flat-out obliviousness, despite their school’s aims to be a leader in justice for all. They both quit those clubs and start their own to give the school a lesson in what they’re ignoring about women’s rights. Together they make a lot of noise, establish the school’s most widely read blog, and stage a day-without-a-woman walkout. They still have a lot to learn, but they’re young and strong and willing to listen. Loved their journey.