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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
This book was really good. Roxie is a high schooler that wants to change herself. She thinks she needs to be everything by she’s not. After some trial and error, she mainly goes back to herself. You feel a lot of emotions with this one.
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
On Roxie’s first day of grade 12, she realizes that she took the easy way out and never did much outside of regular school. Her older sister Pyper was popular and well known and Roxie wants to be remembered. She makes the decision to become a better version of herself. She starts off with making a list of extracurriculars that she thinks will pave her way to popularity.
By sheer luck, she runs into the most popular girl in school. Upon hearing that Roxie creates fashion pieces, she is ushered into the popular group. Roxie thinks that this will be easy but as time goes on, she realizes in order to become truly different and popular, she may have to sacrifice some things she loves. Her friendships will be tested, as will her other relationships. Roxie will have to decide what she actually wants for her last year of high school.
Even though I am a woman in my 30s, I still enjoyed this book a lot. I remember the feelings of being on the outside looking in, the angst, the confusion, the constant comparison to others. The author did an amazing job capturing all of that in Roxie’s journey. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is or was struggling to find their place in high school. The book teaches a great lesson about being yourself that anyone can learn from.
medium-paced
I just finished The Importance of Being Roxie by Cori Cooper, and I have to say it surprised me in the best possible way. What begins as a light, funny story about a girl trying to reinvent herself quickly deepens into a heartfelt exploration of identity, self-worth, and the pressure to live up to someone else’s version of success.
This was my first time reading anything by Cori Cooper, and I’m so glad I gave her a try. Her writing has a warm, slightly whimsical tone that pulls you in right away and makes even the tougher moments feel hopeful and real.
Roxie Lewis is an incredibly relatable main character. I connected with her instantly, her love for fashion design, her close-knit group of quirky friends, and that sudden realization that high school is slipping away without any “big” moments to show for it. Her choice to transform herself in an effort to be more like her “perfect” sister, Pyper, felt both heartbreaking and authentic. Most of us have felt that pull, wondering if who we are is enough, or if we’re missing out by not being someone else.
What stood out most to me was Roxie’s internal conflict. Watching her slowly lose pieces of herself was painful, but it made her growth by the end so satisfying. I kept wanting to reach into the book and shake her (gently!), especially when she started pulling away from her true friends. But that only made her eventual journey back to herself feel more earned and rewarding.
Cooper’s writing has a warm, engaging tone that makes the characters easy to connect with, and I especially appreciated the subtle humor woven throughout, even during Roxie’s tougher moments. There’s also a lot of heart in this story, it reminded me a bit of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with a dash of 10 Things I Hate About You.
A few plot points were a bit predictable if I had one small critique. But honestly, the sincerity and heart of the story completely won me over.
Whether you’re a teen or just someone who still loves a good YA read, The Importance of Being Roxie is worth picking up. It’s a reminder that being yourself might not always be easy, but it’s absolutely enough.
This was my first time reading anything by Cori Cooper, and I’m so glad I gave her a try. Her writing has a warm, slightly whimsical tone that pulls you in right away and makes even the tougher moments feel hopeful and real.
Roxie Lewis is an incredibly relatable main character. I connected with her instantly, her love for fashion design, her close-knit group of quirky friends, and that sudden realization that high school is slipping away without any “big” moments to show for it. Her choice to transform herself in an effort to be more like her “perfect” sister, Pyper, felt both heartbreaking and authentic. Most of us have felt that pull, wondering if who we are is enough, or if we’re missing out by not being someone else.
What stood out most to me was Roxie’s internal conflict. Watching her slowly lose pieces of herself was painful, but it made her growth by the end so satisfying. I kept wanting to reach into the book and shake her (gently!), especially when she started pulling away from her true friends. But that only made her eventual journey back to herself feel more earned and rewarding.
Cooper’s writing has a warm, engaging tone that makes the characters easy to connect with, and I especially appreciated the subtle humor woven throughout, even during Roxie’s tougher moments. There’s also a lot of heart in this story, it reminded me a bit of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with a dash of 10 Things I Hate About You.
A few plot points were a bit predictable if I had one small critique. But honestly, the sincerity and heart of the story completely won me over.
Whether you’re a teen or just someone who still loves a good YA read, The Importance of Being Roxie is worth picking up. It’s a reminder that being yourself might not always be easy, but it’s absolutely enough.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Great YA Book That I Wish I Could Have Read 20 Or So Years Ago
Cori Cooper has this amazing way of pulling you into her world and that is exactly what she has done with The Importance of Being Roxie. This is a young adult book that takes a deep dive into what many of us struggled with, or are struggling with, as we meander through our high school years and try to figure out who we are, where we fit, and who we want to be. Roxie, the FMC, is beginning her senior year when she feels that she has accomplished nothing to be remembered for, so she throws herself into so many things that she begins to forget the things she loves, the things that make her who she is. It takes the love of her family and her tried and true friends to finally make her see the light. I really enjoyed reading this book and it was so easy to read and ignited my imagination in so many ways. I was able to finish this story in just a few short hours, and I feel like I learned a little along the way. I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends with teenage girls in high school, but I’d also recommend this to all the grown teenage girls… Maybe it would us forgive some of the unknown, in-talked about things we pushed through in high school that no one knew about!
The Importance of Being Roxie was an amazing book. I was transported back in time to my high school years. The book captures the ups and downs of adolescence so perfectly. I found myself relating to Roxie's struggles and the anxiety of trying to figure out if I was doing life “right” or what I could change to feel better about myself. It’s a wild adventure of self-discovery so grab a copy and dive deeper into Roxie’s journey. Would definitely recommend and will absolutely be reading again.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Cori Cooper is an amazing author that I have come to thoroughly enjoy reading. The Importance of Being Roxie introduces us to Roxie, the younger sister of Pyper, whom we met in Sage Advice. Cooper brings all the drama, angst, and vulnerability of high school to life with her world building and amazingly realistic characters. Roxie is faced with a dilemma on her first day of senior year; change herself to “accomplish" something to be remembered by or stay true to herself and her family and friends. While her older sister, Pyper, is popular and well-liked, Roxie is more of a behind-the-scenes kind of girl. I absolutely love Roxie's two closest friends, Brody and Jamie, who stick by her through all the ups and downs and Roxie running off to do another “important" thing on her list. The other characters are all realistic, believable, and mostly loveable. I connected with Roxie in her wanting to “do more" with her final year of high school, but the older version of myself reading the book had to shake my head many times at her for her need to be popular and her disregard for the true people in her life. Overall, The Importance of Being Roxie is another great read from Cori Cooper!
This is a poignant story about a high school kid who suddenly has a realization that she has thrown away most of her high school years and now wants to make a name of our own.
In this angst, she takes up a lot more on her plate than she could afford and lands into trouble.
Roxie is a very relatable character; anyone who is parenting a teen can relate to the angst one way or the another. The pressure to perform, the ups and downs of high school life hits her and how she tries to navigate it forms the crux of the story. I loved Roxie and would definitely look for more from this author.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
As a mom of teenagers this one really hit home, even with boys. The main character, Roxie, is starting her senior year in high school. She feels like time has passed too quickly and she hasn’t really achieved anything big to make a name for herself or get her in the yearbook pages. She sets off to change, to be more like her older sister Pyper who was popular and loved by all. She starts with Pyper’s clothes and is noticed right away. She changes where and who she eats lunch with, she tries to join a ton of groups and clubs, she starts to change. Her best friends are there to support her but are also worried about her. Roxie needs to find who she really is and this book did a great job unpacking all of it.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Importance of Being Roxie is a young adult novel that delves into the complexities of identity, self-worth, and the pressures of high school life. Roxie Lewis, a high school senior, is stopped in her tracks with the idea that she hasn’t achieved anything worth remembering her by, and she will only be known as Pyper Lewis’s little sister. Roxie has focused entirely on designing clothes and watching old movies with her small circle of friends. Roxie feels overshadowed by her accomplished sister, Pyper. In her attempt to right this wrong, Roxie is determined to make her mark, reinventing herself to gain popularity. Joining the dance team, newspaper, yearbook, and eating with the popular crowd, she takes on every activity to ensure people remember her for more than being Pyper’s sister. However, along the way, Roxie starts to lose what made her Roxie, and it will take her friends, family, and the infamous Pyper to come to the rescue. Roxie must decide whether to change everything or stay true to herself.
Author Cori Cooper was incredibly realistic, portraying teenage life with the emotional turmoil and drama we all remember from high school. Cooper focuses her stories on her characters finding their authentic self and getting through their formative years by walking their path. The story itself was very engaging, an easy read that takes you right into the main character's shoes. The growth of Roxie, her family, and friends was very authentic, ebbing and flowing, making this an excellent read for anyone. This is the perfect novel if you want a good read showcasing self-discovery mixed with teenage angst.
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
I am a huge Cori Cooper fan! I love her writing style and the way that her characters seem to jump off the pages into real life. Roxie is no exception to this rule. She's about to graduate from high school and feels like she's wasted her teenage years. She aspires to be more but at what cost?
This is a great story of a young lady learning to love herself and accepting herself for who she is. It's inspiring to young ladies that you don't have to be "everything" to be "anything". I can't wait for my next read by this author.
This is a great story of a young lady learning to love herself and accepting herself for who she is. It's inspiring to young ladies that you don't have to be "everything" to be "anything". I can't wait for my next read by this author.