The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

In The Exact Opposite of Okay, I really wanted to take down slut-shaming and revenge porn, but I also wanted to weave in some seemingly innocuous themes – like the concept of the ‘Friend Zone’, and the problem with men who consider themselves ‘Nice Guys’ – and unpack why they can be just as damaging as the more overt symptoms of sexism. Now we’re dissecting some of the more nuanced manifestations of misogyny, with Bourne tackling the portrayal of toxic romance tropes in Hollywood movies, and O’Neill waging war against rape culture in the social media generation. When gender equality – or lack thereof – was first brought to the forefront of teen literature, it dealt largely in broad brushstrokes, introducing readers to the central ideas behind the movement.

Young adult authors like Holly Bourne and Louise O’Neill are currently carving out new paths and digging deep into complex feminist issues. I read both YA and adult books, and whenever I pick up a YA novel after finishing an adult title, I’m always struck by how much more progressive teen fiction is in terms of race, gender, sexuality, ableism, class… It makes me proud to sit on the YA shelf. I genuinely believe the roster of young adult authors working today are perhaps the most fearless in the whole industry when it comes to tackling difficult issues. Was this something that you thought about whilst writing the book? Did you feel that there were issues that were perhaps not being addressed in the genre? Reading books like The Exact Opposite of Okay, and authors like Louise O’Neill, it seems that YA fiction has taken a fresh, new direction since I was first reading it 10 years ago. She soon finds out that the way the world treats girls is not okay. When photos involving her and a politician’s son emerge online, Izzy goes looking for the one responsible. The Exact Opposite of Okay follows the story of Izzy O’Neill in the wake of a revenge porn scandal.

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven