Badass(ish)

Badass(ish) book cover

Badass(ish)

by Jaymie Heilman

$19.95

  • September 2023
  • print ISBN: 978-1-55380-689-9
  • ebook ISBN: 978-1-55380-690-5
  • PDF ISBN: 978-1-55380-691-2
  • 5″ x 8″ Trade paper, 260 pages
  • Young Adult Fiction
    Lexile HL750L




Three teens set out to stop a pipeline, but their secrets, anxieties, and one very obnoxious ex-boyfriend might just explode their friendship first.

Reeling from an online Hatestorm after she blamed Alberta’s oil industry for a devastating forest fire, Davis wades back into climate activism to impress her two new friends and win back her ex-boyfriend. The novel is told from the points of view of the three main characters: Davis’ parents work for the oil company she is fighting against; Renzi knows what it’s like when climate change strikes back when her grandparents’ home in Puerto Rico is destroyed by hurricanes and Jae hasn’t found the right moment to share the truth about her growing feelings for another girl.

Tripped up by family pressures and their own secrets and lies, the teens’ anti-pipeline efforts may jeopardize their friendship and lose the people they love most unless they find their own ways to fight for what they believe in.

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

“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

“The plot will carry the reader on a thought-provoking journey – Recommended.” – CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“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

“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.” –Denise N., High School Librarian, BC Books for Schools

“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.” – Laurie Adkin, Editor, First World Petro-Politics: The Political Ecology and Governance of Alberta

“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