Effie the Rebel
Effie the Rebel by Laura Wood and illustrated by Mirelle Ortega
(Be warned, as this is a sequel to Vote for Effie there will be some spoilers in this review. Check out the Vote for Effie review here or buy a copy from our webshop here.)
Although Effie might have lost the school council presidency to Aaron Davis, an alliance has appeared, and the two might even class themselves as friends. (Maybe. At a push.) She may not get to be on the council itself, but at least Effie knows he’ll listen to her ideas and give them a fair shot – that is until Aaron breaks his leg playing football and VP Matt Spader takes over.
Matt doesn’t like Effie AT ALL, immediately changing her plans for a Green Fair to be all about raising money to benefit the school football team (and, just, Matt in general). Not only that, Matt implements a Prefect scheme that seems to just be his friends picking on Effie and – quite frankly – trying to bully her into silence (which just goes to show what Matt knows about Effie in general, as she’s not exactly one for being silent. Like, ever). He even attempts to get the whole school to turn against her in a smear campaign, and tries to force a vote to get himself properly instated as school council President.
Luckily for Effie (and, tbh, Aaron’s reputation and the entire school council), she and the gang are made of sterner stuff. Inspired by her unstoppable Yia Yia and neighbour Iris, they come up with a plan for justice. Even if it means bending some rules and becoming a bit of a rebel with their zine revolution…
I thoroughly enjoyed being back at Highworth Grange with the familiar characters (Matt Spader notwithstanding), especially seeing Effie bounce back from the events at the end of the first book and her new friendship with Aaron. Effie was just as strong willed and determined as before, this time navigating corrupt presidents and trying to get the school interested in the environment and saving the planet.
Perfect for fans of Jess Butterworth, Maz Evans, Jason Reynolds, and Enola Holmes, as well as those looking for a fast paced and smart contemporary read.