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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Smash It! is a modern day reimagining of Shakespeare's Othello set at a Florida high school. It all starts at a Halloween party, where Olivia realizes she just kind of lets life happen to her and that she isn't going for stuff and putting herself out there. She mostly just hangs out with her two best friends Eli and Dre and doesn't really have any female friends. She's also been secretly in love with Eli for awhile. After a few comments from people at the Halloween party, Olivia decides to make a F*ck It List about things she is going to change. One of her decisions is to stop being so shy and try out for the school's production of Othello the Musical.
This was a fun read and Olivia was a likable character that while she does make some mistakes along the way in the end, she redeems herself.
What to listen to while reading...
Everything is Everything by Ms. Lauryn Hill
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monae
Teenage Love Affair by Alicia Keyes
Good as Hell by Lizzo
Make it Better by Anderson. Paak
You Gotta Be by Des'ree
I won a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway!
This was a fun read and Olivia was a likable character that while she does make some mistakes along the way in the end, she redeems herself.
What to listen to while reading...
Everything is Everything by Ms. Lauryn Hill
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monae
Teenage Love Affair by Alicia Keyes
Good as Hell by Lizzo
Make it Better by Anderson. Paak
You Gotta Be by Des'ree
I won a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway!
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
4.0
Vlog: https://youtu.be/3pIbyhFoAeo
This is a sex positive coming of age YA contemporary with a romance aspect. I did like the relationships but my favorite part was her coming out of her shell and trying new things. I'm always amazed at how much I can still enjoy a good YA, and although there are still parts of this that bother me (why can't people just TALK to each other, lol), but overall I think it was done really well and touched on some important conversations. I really appreciated the way the book handled the topic of sex, I was not at all uncomfortable and I felt like this is a great book for young adults to read.
This is a sex positive coming of age YA contemporary with a romance aspect. I did like the relationships but my favorite part was her coming out of her shell and trying new things. I'm always amazed at how much I can still enjoy a good YA, and although there are still parts of this that bother me (why can't people just TALK to each other, lol), but overall I think it was done really well and touched on some important conversations. I really appreciated the way the book handled the topic of sex, I was not at all uncomfortable and I felt like this is a great book for young adults to read.
heidi1313's review against another edition
5.0
This book was more than 5 stars for me - the book itself plus the audible narrator made it 5+! This could be described as a teen romance novel and while it does contain such content, it is as the main character says at the end of the book, a story of loving herself which resonates with every age group!
readmoreyall's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved the subtle and not so subtle Shakespeare connections. I loved the messiness of al the relationships. I loved the cast of side characters. Great high school read. 16+ (at least in Florida schools ;) )
emily_houston's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the #ownvoices rom-com with wonderfully flawed characters and sex-positive message
MINUS ⭐️ for a handful of microaggressions that don’t get explicitly called out by characters = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ total
MINUS ⭐️ for a handful of microaggressions that don’t get explicitly called out by characters = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ total
muppetymelody's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
thatlizhunter's review against another edition
4.0
this was very fun and an excellent contemporary read with a strong voice and lots of Orlando vibes
saracat's review against another edition
5.0
I want to first thank NetGalley and Inkyard Press for making this arc available for me to read before it's publication.
Second, this is the best book I have read so far in 2020 (for context, this is the 41st book I've read this year). I related to Liv in many different ways. Sometimes she reminded me of my student self, and there were other times she made me think of my current self. And, I think many people - especially young women - will find many levels on which to connect with and understand this character who is so complexly and beautifully written.
Simone doesn't shy away from, and rather I think embraces, topics that are challenging, grey, uncomfortable for some, or without a clear 'answer.' While the big theme I saw throughout the book was learning how to be yourself, but still love and respect yourself and others, this book also touches on race, love, friendship, body image, and sexuality.
This is truly a must read, in my opinion.
The only caveat I would say is, if you are a reader who is not currently comfortable reading books that acknowledge sexual experiences or short PG13+ sex scenes, this might be a book to read later on.
Second, this is the best book I have read so far in 2020 (for context, this is the 41st book I've read this year). I related to Liv in many different ways. Sometimes she reminded me of my student self, and there were other times she made me think of my current self. And, I think many people - especially young women - will find many levels on which to connect with and understand this character who is so complexly and beautifully written.
Simone doesn't shy away from, and rather I think embraces, topics that are challenging, grey, uncomfortable for some, or without a clear 'answer.' While the big theme I saw throughout the book was learning how to be yourself, but still love and respect yourself and others, this book also touches on race, love, friendship, body image, and sexuality.
This is truly a must read, in my opinion.
The only caveat I would say is, if you are a reader who is not currently comfortable reading books that acknowledge sexual experiences or short PG13+ sex scenes, this might be a book to read later on.
whitreadslit's review against another edition
3.0
This was a decent contemporary romance. I enjoyed the Shakespeare references and the friendships. I was not a huge fan of the main character, and I really didn't like a lot of the choices she made.
3 Stars
3 Stars