Taking a stand for climate change and against the TransCanada pipeline brings Renzi, Davis, and Jae together. Yet their complicated relationships are what threaten to pull them apart. The girls can’t help but keep secrets about their crushes and polarized family situations, including their parents’ careers that clash with their core values, while dealing with nasty and terrifying repercussions in their fight for climate justice.

Heilman’s first young adult novel has witty dialogue and heartfelt, inner monologues that authentically capture the teens’ voices. Her descriptive yet concise writing style brings a depth to each character while infusing a balance of teenage angst and humour. Narration rotates each chapter between the three main characters; their trajectories eventually flow together, culminating in a fast-paced, gripping ending. Heilman currently lives in Edmonton and has written many short stories and a book on Peru.

Cautions / Content Warnings: Profanity, self-harm, death threats, loss of pet and home due to the Fort McMurray fire
Other End Matter: Resources, acknowledgements
Images: None
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Evaluator: Denise N., High School Librarian, BC Books for Schools

Jaymie Heilman grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta. She lived in Wisconsin, Peru, and Nova Scotia before circling back home to Alberta, where she teaches Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Alberta. She has written two books about the history of Peru. When she’s not reading or writing books for teens, she’s usually gardening, biking to the library, or dreaming about the ocean. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, son, and a ridiculous number of books. jaymieheilman.com

Jaymie Heilman's profile page

Starred selection in Best Books for Kids and Teens
Selected by CBC as a YA book to read fall 2023

"Thought-provoking and relevant." - Kirkus

"The plot will carry the reader on a thought-provoking journey - Recommended." - CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Heilman's novel is smart, funny and engaging with entirely realistic teen characters dealing with important social issues. A fast-paced book with excellent believable dialogue and likeable characters." Alberta Views

"Heilman manages to be witty, dry, and addictingly engaging while also tackling big, complicated topics for her young readers. The novel prioritizes the smaller scale values of empathy and self-love in order to take on the larger ones. Badass(ish) is a reminder that even the largest of actions start small - an encouraging statement for young adults feeling silenced by the climate crisis." – Young Adulting

" Badass(ish) is as brave as it is thought-provoking and heart achingly real." -Carrie Firestone, author of Dress Coded and The First Rule of Climate Club

"Chock-full of humour and compassion, this is a novel about becoming oneself through confronting one's deepest fears and griefs, supported by the families we make for ourselves. Risking parental disapproval and social backlash, the central characters find the courage to stand up to the forces driving global warming." - Laurie Adkin, Editor, First World Petro-Politics: The Political Ecology and Governance of Alberta

"By portraying the (often uncomfortable) complexity of fossil fuels in Alberta, and tempering the vitriol with teenage humour, this book offers young adult readers a model for both accepting and liking their perfectly imperfect selves." - Kristine Kowalchuk, Environmental writer and founder of Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition