The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
naomireadsworld's review against another edition
4.0
Smash It! by Francina Simone took me by surprise. The novel follows Olivia "Liv" James, who decides to emulate Shonda Rhimes's "Year of Yes" by doing a year of "F*** It" after showing up to a Halloween costume party in khaki shorts. She auditions for the school musical, decides she's ready (and unashamed to have sex), and goes after what she wants. As Liv says, "F*** it. What's the worst that can happen?"
Well, as it turns out, a lot can go wrong.
Liv is a flawed, strong-minded, smart, sensitive, fully-formed character. She makes mistakes, she makes messes, she learns, she grows. I really loved how real Liv (and the other characters) felt to me.
While I am no stranger to cursing, it did feel like there was a curse word every other sentence out of a character's mouth and it got a little distracting for me. No spoilers, but I also felt like Liv's relationship with one of her best friends tied up really neatly in the end, and perhaps it should have ended messier?
Overall, Simone has written a wonderful novel about finding yourself, setting her free, and growing up. It’s full of Black girl magic and body positivity, which I am all in for. I’ve never felt more inspired to #SmashIt!
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the free ARC in exchange for the honest review!
CW: cursing, teen sex, a plethora of Harry Potter references
Well, as it turns out, a lot can go wrong.
Liv is a flawed, strong-minded, smart, sensitive, fully-formed character. She makes mistakes, she makes messes, she learns, she grows. I really loved how real Liv (and the other characters) felt to me.
While I am no stranger to cursing, it did feel like there was a curse word every other sentence out of a character's mouth and it got a little distracting for me. No spoilers, but I also felt like Liv's relationship with one of her best friends tied up really neatly in the end, and perhaps it should have ended messier?
Overall, Simone has written a wonderful novel about finding yourself, setting her free, and growing up. It’s full of Black girl magic and body positivity, which I am all in for. I’ve never felt more inspired to #SmashIt!
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the free ARC in exchange for the honest review!
CW: cursing, teen sex, a plethora of Harry Potter references
sci_mom's review against another edition
1.0
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. The writing is good, but there are so many offensive scenes/issues that it doesn’t matter. I was extremely disappointed that the author perpetuated so many stereotypes and put in so many offensive remarks that characters just let go instead of calling them out. There was a lot of potential here for this book to be used as a teaching tool, but instead, it was full of selfish, hurtful, and self-centered language that was allowed to go unanswered. I wouldn’t want high schoolers, or anyone else really, reading this one.
chandraleereads's review against another edition
3.0
I had a big life disruption between reading the first half and the second half of this book. I think it’s very possible that my enjoyment of the book went down in the second half because of this, but I’m just not sure. There were parts I liked and parts that didn’t do it for me.
annsbibliotherapy's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun quick read, I think I finished it in about a day and a half and it kept me interested. It's a little predictable but sometimes that's a good thing, having an idea of where a story is going can make it a little easier to just fall into the story.
Olivia had so many emotional ups and downs there were times I had whiplash trying to figure out why she thought the things she did, but I get it, teenage girls have warp drive emotions.
Some people have made mention of some of the ethnic or racial comments and while I agree it could be a problem if it had gone any further this is just how teenagers talk, they don't know what's considered ok or not ok. If you think someone questioning mixed races or other ethnic groups is triggering I can only say there were really only a couple of comments and I personally didn't see anything wrong with it.
Now one thing I do want to touch on is the way Liv expanded her friend group and how much courage it can take to step out of your shell, this was a great book for showing that even though things may not go the way you want them to and it may not be an easy path changing yourself when you want to is possible.
Olivia had so many emotional ups and downs there were times I had whiplash trying to figure out why she thought the things she did, but I get it, teenage girls have warp drive emotions.
Some people have made mention of some of the ethnic or racial comments and while I agree it could be a problem if it had gone any further this is just how teenagers talk, they don't know what's considered ok or not ok. If you think someone questioning mixed races or other ethnic groups is triggering I can only say there were really only a couple of comments and I personally didn't see anything wrong with it.
Now one thing I do want to touch on is the way Liv expanded her friend group and how much courage it can take to step out of your shell, this was a great book for showing that even though things may not go the way you want them to and it may not be an easy path changing yourself when you want to is possible.
andrearbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Smash It by Francina Simone is a book that was so real and such a delight. The story focuses on Liv who decides she needs to take control of her life and really start living. First of all, let me tell you know much I loved how this story began with Liv wearing khaki shorts and a sweatshirt at a Halloween costume party. Everyone else is dressed up, and then there's Live in her normal clothes. I loved this because I felt the connection with who she was. Liv decides it's time for a change and she makes a F*ck It List. She wants to stop being scared, and this list is designed to help her do just that. Y'all, I love a good list, so again this is a girl after my own heart. One of Liv's first challenges is trying out for the school musical. Again, I loved that this is the experience she chose to find herself. Liv's list was so great in that it was stuff so many of us struggled with, especially during those angsty high school times, and she was truly dedicated to figuring out how she could achieve all that was on her list. And while there is some love interests in this story, I also really liked that this book ultimately centered Liv and her list throughout. Above all else, this was Liv figuring out who she was becoming, and she doesn't always get it right which is how this stuff so often works. One last time I'll say I loved Liv, her list and the story of how she navigated achieving its tasks. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this September 2020 release.
keahreads's review against another edition
Wasn't a fan of the writing style because of the info dumps.
seeliefae's review against another edition
1.0
Racist jokes about Hawaiian people and insensitive comments about the genocide of Palestinians. Yeah the author can go f*ck herself for ignoring people who mention it.
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
4.0
SMASH IT! is a lot in some great ways and a few problematic ones. First, the great stuff:
I love that the story tackles body image but isn’t about conformity. Liv faces her own insecurities about her body and learns some lessons about the value of having friends who celebrate you for you rather than tear you down, even if it is meant to be teasing.
SMASH IT! really celebrates girl friends in a way that I love as well. At the beginning of the story, she mostly spends her time with Eli and Dré, two boys. She reluctantly makes friends with two girls and, though it’s not always easy to navigate those new relationships, she comes to really value the way they affirm her and check her behavior when she needs it.
The writing is solid. I always struggle with books that have as much profanity as this one does, and so that’s true here, but I feel like Francina Simone’s writing is strong and her characterization is super consistent through the course of the story. Liv is funny and vulnerable and flawed, and I loved reading about her journey.
I also struggled with some of the racial comments, particularly those directed at a Hawaiian character and an Israeli-Palestinian character. Though they were uttered by pretty irreverent characters, and Liv sometimes frowned on the insensitive or racist comments, they were just hard to read, and I don’t think they were necessary.
On the other hand, I felt like some of the conversations about race that the story explored were great for opening up discussion on things and showing some nuance that’s often overlooked. When Jackie gets into it with a white theater kid because she’s using the N-word and he calls her out, Liv serves as a referee, giving another perspective on the conversation.
The story also explores a lot of ideas about sex. Liv wants to have sex, but hasn’t yet. One of her friends encourages her to sleep with someone she doesn’t care about but who’d be a good lover to get the experience. Another friend doesn’t believe in casual sex and encourages Liv to wait until she’s found someone she wants to be with. Liv views having sex as taking ownership of her body in a new way, but the motivation to do it seems to overtake other reasoning. Ultimately, she causes some hurt, and at first is super unrepentant about that– as though feeling bad for her choice is synonymous with feeling guilty or ashamed of sex and of her body.
Though she does stop and re-examine those feelings and take another look at how her actions have affected others, I felt like the emotional fallout sort of fizzled if that makes sense? Like everyone kind of shrugs and says it’s all cool. Could that happen? Maybe, but in my experience, it usually takes a lot longer for people to feel okay for something they initially viewed as a huge betrayal.
At any rate, on the whole, I loved some things about this book a huge ton. Liv is a flawed character, for sure. But she’s also trying to learn and grow as a person and willing to face her mistakes, and I loved that.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I love that the story tackles body image but isn’t about conformity. Liv faces her own insecurities about her body and learns some lessons about the value of having friends who celebrate you for you rather than tear you down, even if it is meant to be teasing.
SMASH IT! really celebrates girl friends in a way that I love as well. At the beginning of the story, she mostly spends her time with Eli and Dré, two boys. She reluctantly makes friends with two girls and, though it’s not always easy to navigate those new relationships, she comes to really value the way they affirm her and check her behavior when she needs it.
The writing is solid. I always struggle with books that have as much profanity as this one does, and so that’s true here, but I feel like Francina Simone’s writing is strong and her characterization is super consistent through the course of the story. Liv is funny and vulnerable and flawed, and I loved reading about her journey.
I also struggled with some of the racial comments, particularly those directed at a Hawaiian character and an Israeli-Palestinian character. Though they were uttered by pretty irreverent characters, and Liv sometimes frowned on the insensitive or racist comments, they were just hard to read, and I don’t think they were necessary.
On the other hand, I felt like some of the conversations about race that the story explored were great for opening up discussion on things and showing some nuance that’s often overlooked. When Jackie gets into it with a white theater kid because she’s using the N-word and he calls her out, Liv serves as a referee, giving another perspective on the conversation.
The story also explores a lot of ideas about sex. Liv wants to have sex, but hasn’t yet. One of her friends encourages her to sleep with someone she doesn’t care about but who’d be a good lover to get the experience. Another friend doesn’t believe in casual sex and encourages Liv to wait until she’s found someone she wants to be with. Liv views having sex as taking ownership of her body in a new way, but the motivation to do it seems to overtake other reasoning. Ultimately, she causes some hurt, and at first is super unrepentant about that– as though feeling bad for her choice is synonymous with feeling guilty or ashamed of sex and of her body.
Though she does stop and re-examine those feelings and take another look at how her actions have affected others, I felt like the emotional fallout sort of fizzled if that makes sense? Like everyone kind of shrugs and says it’s all cool. Could that happen? Maybe, but in my experience, it usually takes a lot longer for people to feel okay for something they initially viewed as a huge betrayal.
At any rate, on the whole, I loved some things about this book a huge ton. Liv is a flawed character, for sure. But she’s also trying to learn and grow as a person and willing to face her mistakes, and I loved that.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
msqueenieclem's review against another edition
5.0
Ashley was the black kid in the school and among her friends. The story took place during the Rodney King verdict and dealing with issues of policing of balm. This story was told Through The Eyes of Ashley and her friends. The story is about race, friendship, love, drama, and being privileged. I like the perspective that the author was trying to portray. Very interesting read. I would love to read more by the author. I give it five stars.
msqueenieclem's review
5.0
I love the growth of life. I like how the relations were positive and mature natured. The author's writing style is to the point and No Holds Barred. This was a great retelling and really enjoyable. The list was a trip. A year of f*** it? I like how the characters were very diverse. The end and F words were used but not really necessary the character Warehouse teenagers are in real life dramatic, opinionated, emotional, and very messy. The story was about dating, body acceptance, sex, absentee fathers, friendships, and parents separating. The cover was beautiful. It represented the full-figured girls. This book had me on the roller coaster ride from the Halloween party to the last page. What a wonderful ride. I recommend this book for older mature young adults. I give this book five stars.