Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

Infobox Book |
name = Big Mouth & Ugly Girl
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image_caption =
author = Joyce Carol Oates
illustrator =
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country = United States
language = English
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genre = Young adult novel
publisher = HarperCollins
release_date = 2002
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 271 pp
isbn = ISBN 0064473473
preceded_by =
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Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is Joyce Carol Oates' first young adult novel. It was published in 2002 by HarperCollins.

Plot summary

Matthew Donaghy (Big Mouth) has always had a big mouth. But it's never got him into trouble — until one day when two detectives escort him out of class for questioning. The charge? Matt has been accused of threatening to blow up Rocky River High School.

Ursula Riggs (Ugly Girl) is a strong athlete at Rocky River High. She isn't actually an ugly girl; that's a name she calls herself (note the capitalized U and G. Nobody else knows about Ugly Girl). She has no time for petty high school stuff like friends and dating. Ursula is content with minding her own business. And she doesn't even really know Matt Donaghy.

But Ursula knows injustice when she sees it. And she's not afraid to speak out.

Ursula Riggs does not help Matt Donaghy by speaking out for him. She knows that he is innocent. She knows that he is a jokester and was kidding when he said he wanted to blow up the school. She also, along with a friend, overheard the conversation that got him into trouble.Ursula is the only one who stands by him when he needs help, earning Matt's thanks.

Because Matt's friends didn't "want to get involved," they left him alone, and he became an outsider.Ursula slowly grows to replace the role of Matt's friends in his life. They learn from each other, and, finally, they fall in love.