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4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
Retelling the Lysistrata? Genius. There were definitely a couple of problems with this book, however. The main character kind of annoyed me with her little habits (it wasn't annoying that she had them, it was annoying how it played in the book. Almost like the author had a little buzzer next to her at all times. "Oh, it's been 45 minutes since I had her do something OCD! Time to throw another mention in there!"). The whole subplot with the brother seemed really pointless, as did the tragic (was it tragic? It didn't seem like it in the book) of her mother. The slumber parties, though, were awesome. You really felt like you were there with the rest of the girls and you just wanted to spill your guts. This book seems like a great conversation starter and I wish I had read it when I was a teenager. One review mentioned that they never talk about safe sex in this book, which they didn't, but this book does a great job at delving into the deeper issues associated with being young and.... lustful. Have sex or not have sex? Like it or not like it? Talk about it or not talk about it? Like I said, I see it really making girls think and starting some great conversations!
lanica's review against another edition
2.0
PERSONAL REVIEW: Wow! Is that really what High School is like these days? I'm getting old!
SCHOOL LIBRARIAN REVIEW: I think parents who opened this up to some random page and started reading might have some issues with this book. If I put this on my library shelves, I'd expect someone - at some point - to complain...or even challenge this book. And, I might have to agree, which is why this book would not be one I would purchase for my school library.
First off let me say that this has an overall good message. Be yourself. Don't let other people make you do things you are not willing to do. Be an individual. Think for yourself. Think! But, that being said, this book is not for everyone.
The girlfriends of both the soccer and football teams all agree to withhold sex until the rivalry between the teams is quashed.
I have a few problems with the premise:
*It assumes that the girls are all having sex, only one comes out as being a virgin and she is treated poorly when she says so.
*It assumes that the girls are not a part of the rivalry. I know that in many cases girls are a lot more mean-spirited than boys and it's unlikely that they are all going to want the same ends here.
*It assumes that none of the girls are in sports of their own. They are all available after school for the games and shopping or whatever, but not one girl is said to be involved in extracurriculars of their own of any kind.
The idea that the girls are afraid to talk about sex, but the 'sex strike' makes them open up to one another is a good idea, but it doesn't really help the girls who are likely to read the book understand anything that they may need in real life. The girls say, "I don't like it" or "I'm afraid" or whatever, and a girl who reads this book will say, yeah...me, too. But then the writer does nothing to help the reader truly understand the issues. It had the potential to be life-changing...instead, it's just fluff.
SCHOOL LIBRARIAN REVIEW: I think parents who opened this up to some random page and started reading might have some issues with this book. If I put this on my library shelves, I'd expect someone - at some point - to complain...or even challenge this book. And, I might have to agree, which is why this book would not be one I would purchase for my school library.
First off let me say that this has an overall good message. Be yourself. Don't let other people make you do things you are not willing to do. Be an individual. Think for yourself. Think! But, that being said, this book is not for everyone.
The girlfriends of both the soccer and football teams all agree to withhold sex until the rivalry between the teams is quashed.
I have a few problems with the premise:
*It assumes that the girls are all having sex, only one comes out as being a virgin and she is treated poorly when she says so.
*It assumes that the girls are not a part of the rivalry. I know that in many cases girls are a lot more mean-spirited than boys and it's unlikely that they are all going to want the same ends here.
*It assumes that none of the girls are in sports of their own. They are all available after school for the games and shopping or whatever, but not one girl is said to be involved in extracurriculars of their own of any kind.
The idea that the girls are afraid to talk about sex, but the 'sex strike' makes them open up to one another is a good idea, but it doesn't really help the girls who are likely to read the book understand anything that they may need in real life. The girls say, "I don't like it" or "I'm afraid" or whatever, and a girl who reads this book will say, yeah...me, too. But then the writer does nothing to help the reader truly understand the issues. It had the potential to be life-changing...instead, it's just fluff.
charms1976's review against another edition
4.0
After reading The D.U.F.F. some time back, I just knew that I would have to read any other books by author Kody Keplinger in the future. She has the talent to write from a teens point of view that truly captures the spirit of what teens are feeling in this angst filled part of life. So when the publisher sent me Shut Out, I dived right into the world of teen drama and relationship heartbreak!
Most schools have a rivalry between other schools and their sports teams. Unfortunately, in Lissa's school the rivalry is between their own soccer and football team. Pranks are common, up to the point of injury, while the girlfriends are neglected and thrown into social circles for the separate teams. Lissa is tired of the bickering and the girls having to choose sides according to the teams. What is a girl to do? Go on strike with all of the girlfriends and refuse any type of romantic contact including make out sessions and sex if need be. Yes parents, this book does have the dreaded 'sex' in it but honestly, what teen doesn't know about the birds and the bees by high school? I applaud the author for using this as a plot point for the book.
What this book also touches on is the power that women have in life. Not just sex, but women also have the power to do things they set their mind to including using their brains to stop an old feud. I also enjoyed the reference to the play, Lysistrata. I actually found myself checking it out at the library so I could have a better understanding of the book within this book.
The only thing that I did not enjoy about this book was the fact that it could be predictable. Yes, you know what the outcome is going to be, but the way the author writes the characters you just forgot about predictability and enjoy the story unfold.
A great new young adult book that adults will enjoy as well. If you are a fan of this authors previous work, then you won't be disappointed in Shut Out.
Most schools have a rivalry between other schools and their sports teams. Unfortunately, in Lissa's school the rivalry is between their own soccer and football team. Pranks are common, up to the point of injury, while the girlfriends are neglected and thrown into social circles for the separate teams. Lissa is tired of the bickering and the girls having to choose sides according to the teams. What is a girl to do? Go on strike with all of the girlfriends and refuse any type of romantic contact including make out sessions and sex if need be. Yes parents, this book does have the dreaded 'sex' in it but honestly, what teen doesn't know about the birds and the bees by high school? I applaud the author for using this as a plot point for the book.
What this book also touches on is the power that women have in life. Not just sex, but women also have the power to do things they set their mind to including using their brains to stop an old feud. I also enjoyed the reference to the play, Lysistrata. I actually found myself checking it out at the library so I could have a better understanding of the book within this book.
The only thing that I did not enjoy about this book was the fact that it could be predictable. Yes, you know what the outcome is going to be, but the way the author writes the characters you just forgot about predictability and enjoy the story unfold.
A great new young adult book that adults will enjoy as well. If you are a fan of this authors previous work, then you won't be disappointed in Shut Out.
sandeeisreading's review against another edition
3.0
Ideally rivalries happen between two different schools but in Shut Out it happened in one school between two different spots team: soccer and football. The feud between the two teams has been going on for sometime now and the girlfriends are suffering. Lissa could not stand it any longer. She felt that her boyfriend Randy always put her second after the feud and it was getting on her nerves. What she and the other girls did was do a sex-strike. No sex until the feud was over. Everything was working fine until the boys decided to fight back. Boys against girls. Who was going to win?
The first book I read by Ms. Keplinger was the Duff which I loved dearly. Shut Out however didn’t really give me the same feeling as the Duff did.
What I liked about this book was how it showed us how most people are very judgmental. They think if you slept with other people you’re a slut. But really I don’t think that’s true. There are a lot who does worse but chose to point fingers at others as if they are so clean. I just hate hypocrites. Just wanted to make this point because that was what the other girls/boys said about Chloe which would probably be my favorite character in this book. She’s just a supporting character but I guess she was the one who I could really relate to.
I didn’t like Lissa. I read a lot of uptight girls in books recently (The Boyfriend Thief, Not that Kind of Girl ect.) and I liked most of them and the not liked ones include Lissa. Why? I’m not really sure. She was a smart girl who thought about the sex-strike. I HATED THE IDEA. To me sex was not sort a price that you give to someone just because they did what you want. I am not a conservative person but I really would not agree to something that stupid. It will work most definitely if all the guys are sex-addicts. This is a big NO-NO for me. I have no issues with girls having sex just don’t use it as a leverage to make someone do what you want to because that is definitely not the purpose of sex. Call me old-fashioned but I just wasn’t really comfortable to the sex-strike thing.
Aside from Chloe, I also liked Cash. I loved him actually. He was sensitive, loves his family and loves books. GAWWWDD! :D A hot guy who loves books what more can you ask for?! I was a little disappointed though that I never get to know what he was thinking during the flashbacks. It would have been nice to know more about him.
The thing between Lissa and Cash was cute. In fact it was one of the cutest I’ve read so far. The only issue I really had with this book was the sex-strike. Hahaha. Sorry but I had to bring it up again.
All in all I liked the book but I really just didn’t like the sex-strike (again!). I give it a 3.
The first book I read by Ms. Keplinger was the Duff which I loved dearly. Shut Out however didn’t really give me the same feeling as the Duff did.
What I liked about this book was how it showed us how most people are very judgmental. They think if you slept with other people you’re a slut. But really I don’t think that’s true. There are a lot who does worse but chose to point fingers at others as if they are so clean. I just hate hypocrites. Just wanted to make this point because that was what the other girls/boys said about Chloe which would probably be my favorite character in this book. She’s just a supporting character but I guess she was the one who I could really relate to.
I didn’t like Lissa. I read a lot of uptight girls in books recently (The Boyfriend Thief, Not that Kind of Girl ect.) and I liked most of them and the not liked ones include Lissa. Why? I’m not really sure. She was a smart girl who thought about the sex-strike. I HATED THE IDEA. To me sex was not sort a price that you give to someone just because they did what you want. I am not a conservative person but I really would not agree to something that stupid. It will work most definitely if all the guys are sex-addicts. This is a big NO-NO for me. I have no issues with girls having sex just don’t use it as a leverage to make someone do what you want to because that is definitely not the purpose of sex. Call me old-fashioned but I just wasn’t really comfortable to the sex-strike thing.
Aside from Chloe, I also liked Cash. I loved him actually. He was sensitive, loves his family and loves books. GAWWWDD! :D A hot guy who loves books what more can you ask for?! I was a little disappointed though that I never get to know what he was thinking during the flashbacks. It would have been nice to know more about him.
The thing between Lissa and Cash was cute. In fact it was one of the cutest I’ve read so far. The only issue I really had with this book was the sex-strike. Hahaha. Sorry but I had to bring it up again.
All in all I liked the book but I really just didn’t like the sex-strike (again!). I give it a 3.
beckyrendon's review against another edition
4.0
I had to read this book. Something about the determined girl on the cover made me pause. When I read the blurb, I had to have it. I bought it and it promptly say on my bookshelves for too long. Until yesterday...
Shut Out is a YA gem. It's just racy enough with it's premise to keep even the hornballs of the world intrigued. (I know, I'm one.)
I think my favorite part is the realization that the girls go through. It's almost a girl power book without being in your face. It highlights that normal is just a word and everyone has issues. I needed that kind of pep talk as a teen. I hope more girls read it.
It's written by the author of The Duff and has the same awesomeness feel to it. It is an all around fun and feel good book. It's not all rainbows and unicorns and that makes it real and a great read.
P.S. This would make an awesome teen movie too. Just saying....
Shut Out is a YA gem. It's just racy enough with it's premise to keep even the hornballs of the world intrigued. (I know, I'm one.)
I think my favorite part is the realization that the girls go through. It's almost a girl power book without being in your face. It highlights that normal is just a word and everyone has issues. I needed that kind of pep talk as a teen. I hope more girls read it.
It's written by the author of The Duff and has the same awesomeness feel to it. It is an all around fun and feel good book. It's not all rainbows and unicorns and that makes it real and a great read.
P.S. This would make an awesome teen movie too. Just saying....
mk_pagano's review against another edition
I really loved the premise of this book. Yes to frank and open conversations about sex! The execution was off, however. It just didn’t go deep enough for me. My main problem is the characters felt like characters, not actual people. This was surprising coming from the same author who wrote The Duff, where the characters were fantastic. It was enjoyable and light, I just wanted it to go deeper.
mmmariaaa's review against another edition
3.0
This book really made me, as a teenage girl, think about sex and the expectations that are placed on how I am supposed to think about sex.
michalice's review
4.0
I am quite new to reading Kody's books, but after finishing A Midsummer's Nightmare I knew I had to read Shut Out when it came up for review. The synopsis of this book sounded like this would be a fun read, and I couldn't wait to make a start on this one.
Lissa plans the sex strike for various reasons, the bickering between the sports teams that is now physically harming people, her boyfriend can quickly forget about her when he is pranked by soccer team, she also feels used, like he is only there to scratch an itch and then leaves her for football related things, or getting even with soccer players. All of these reasons slowly piled up, and fed up with it all Lissa gets a few girls together who have boyfriends in both teams, and shares her idea.
Shut Out was a quick, but entertaining read. I love the tactics used by both the boys and the girls to keep the pack going, or in the boys case, to end it. When the boys carried out their plans I admit to actually laughing out loud at what they did, but the second one also made me try to remember if I actually still have that song.
One character that always had me smiling was Chloe, Lissa's best friend. She is hilarious and I love how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, she is far more outgoing than Lissa, and these personality traits make Lissa and Chloe a great team.
Shut Out was what I expected, but also not what I expected. I really like how the strike started out as a way to stop the teams feuding, but it also led to a lot more. The boys finally learning what their girlfriend means to them, Lissa seeing what her boyfriend was really like (I think it was very cruel and uncalled for what her does), but it also brings the girls closer together and lets them share their feelings and private matters, finally seeing eye to eye with others, and realising what they are feeling may be the same as others, or may be different, but that it doesn't make them strange or odd. They end up forming a real comradery with each other, which eventually overlaps to their boyfriends.
Shut Out is more than a war between teams, its also about standing up for what you believe in, finding out who you are, but also learning that your enemy isn't always the enemy you think they are.
Lissa plans the sex strike for various reasons, the bickering between the sports teams that is now physically harming people, her boyfriend can quickly forget about her when he is pranked by soccer team, she also feels used, like he is only there to scratch an itch and then leaves her for football related things, or getting even with soccer players. All of these reasons slowly piled up, and fed up with it all Lissa gets a few girls together who have boyfriends in both teams, and shares her idea.
Shut Out was a quick, but entertaining read. I love the tactics used by both the boys and the girls to keep the pack going, or in the boys case, to end it. When the boys carried out their plans I admit to actually laughing out loud at what they did, but the second one also made me try to remember if I actually still have that song.
One character that always had me smiling was Chloe, Lissa's best friend. She is hilarious and I love how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, she is far more outgoing than Lissa, and these personality traits make Lissa and Chloe a great team.
Shut Out was what I expected, but also not what I expected. I really like how the strike started out as a way to stop the teams feuding, but it also led to a lot more. The boys finally learning what their girlfriend means to them, Lissa seeing what her boyfriend was really like (I think it was very cruel and uncalled for what her does), but it also brings the girls closer together and lets them share their feelings and private matters, finally seeing eye to eye with others, and realising what they are feeling may be the same as others, or may be different, but that it doesn't make them strange or odd. They end up forming a real comradery with each other, which eventually overlaps to their boyfriends.
Shut Out is more than a war between teams, its also about standing up for what you believe in, finding out who you are, but also learning that your enemy isn't always the enemy you think they are.