Big Mouth Ugly Girl Summary

In the book, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates, Matt Donaghy, a 15 year old student at Rocky River High, was accused of planning a bomb threat to kill the whole school. It was a Thursday in January during the middle of 5th period study hall when there was a knock on the door. Two gentlemen in dark suits had asked to speak with Matthew Donaghy. The men had introduced themselves as detectives with the Rocky River Police Department and asked Matt to step outside to question him. The detectives tell Matt that a few kids have reported him, saying that they heard him say to one of his friends that he wanted to bomb the school. From then, the word got out and it was getting out of hand. Everybody in school started acting weird around Matt Donaghy and rumors were forming. Some boys were saying that Mr. Parrish, the principal of Rocky River High, had caught Matt with a hand-gun and disarmed him and then later during 5th period he had been arrested. None of his friends would talk to him or answer his emails anymore because their parents told them that they shouldn’t get involved. The only person that would talk to him now was Ursula Riggs. Ursula Riggs wasn’t your average teenage girl. She was very tall and big-boned, socially awkward and one of the best athletes in school. Ursula didn’t have many friends and just kept to herself mainly. Ursula was watching a broadcast one night on TV about the Rocky River High bomb threat. The police have reported that they are not yet releasing the identity of the student causing the threat, but said that he has been suspended from classes. Ursula Riggs knew that everything she heard was a rumor because she was there that day during lunch. She was a witness. Although Ursula didn’t really know Matt, she knew everything that she heard on the news was false and she knew this must be a nightmare for Matt. Ursula got Matt’s email address and emailed him that night. When Matt saw the email he thought it was a joke put together by his