I'm not really a huge fan of YA novels that center around toxic romances, as I worry it will be glorified to a younger population who dont know any better. I think that most of the characters in this book were absolutely awful people. I felt pretty uncomfortable reading this.

I’d give this book a rating of 3.5. I did enjoy the book but it wasn’t my favorite. The first half of the book felt slow and repetitive. But as you get near the end to the last few chapters, the storyline gets very intense and gets stressful but because of all the chaos. I thoroughly enjoyed the last few chapters of the book for sure.

Winner Take All came out over a year ago, so you can tell I’m super on top of this whole book reviewing business. Based on the average rating, this book has been very divisive, which I’m not one iota surprised about. Winner Take All is somewhat difficult to describe because, if someone had described the plot to me, I would not have read it, and I would have missed out. The best description I can render is that it feels like Jessica Darling meets One Tree Hill, which wasn’t something I would have ever thought I needed until I read Winner Take All. It’s sharp, incisive, painful and somehow also shippy through all of that.

Winner Take All skews way darker and more melodramatic than my reading tastes do. People’s lives are difficult for a lot of complicated, realistic reasons that can feel very manufactured and over-the-top when used in a fictional narrative. I prefer my contemporary novels as fluffy as marshmallow and shippy as hell. Winner Take All delivered on the ship, though it’s admittedly a bit of a ship of pain but god am I on board, but it’s not fluffy at all. AT ALL. The cutesy cover is a lie, though it’s also perfect.

The reason I loved this book that, on paper, is absolutely not a Christina book is Nell’s narrative voice. Her voice is witty, dark, judgmental, and sarcastic. Nell’s harsh on everyone around her and on herself. She’s very self-involved, but also determined and smart as hell. I fell in love with her voice instantly and with her. She’s a big part of why this book will likely be one that you love or you hate. Nell very much falls into the category of an unlikable MC, and some people will not be able to deal with that. Obviously, I loved her, flawed as she is, and I love that by the end she didn’t completely change. She’ll always be a bit irascible, just a bit less self-involved and a bit kinder (especially to herself).

When the book begins, Nell seems driven by her competition with Jackson Hart, a handsome, wealthy, popular boy who, seemingly without effort, sits just a percentage point or two below her in the class rankings. Since Nell’s only attending this private high school because her mom’s the headmaster, she has to do better than everyone else to have a chance at the same opportunities. Jackson infuriates her because it’s all so easy for him; he maintains the grades while being loved by all and having a massive social life. It doesn’t help that Jackson enjoys taunting her into arguments in class, like about the Scarlet Letter.

The trope of a the hero and heroine competing is such shippy catnip. Their whole vibe at the beginning of the book, full of cutting, clever banter, is very “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” and ohhhhh I loved it. Nell and Jackson end up becoming more and more obsessed with each other, forming a relationship of sorts. They understand one another on a deep level, but both of them have massive trust issues and Nell has her deep-seated need to win at all things. Their relationship is deeply unhealthy not so much because they are incompatible by nature but because they both need to work through a bunch of shit. Their connection reminded me so heavily of Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie, just saying.

Underneath the catnip romance, the real motivator for both Nell and Jackson is the constant search for approval from withholding parents. They’re both driven to excel to prove something to a parent. What’s really cool about Devore’s depiction of toxic parental relationship is that Nell aspires to be like her mother, who she has always thought perfect, and Jackson despises his asshole father. Despite the difference in their base feeling, the end results are fairly similar, and it’s both fascinating and heart-wrenching.

The plot absolutely veers into melodrama. You could take the various plot points and fit them into One Tree Hill without much difficulty. While one particular plot point (<spoiler>Nell pretending to be pregnant</spoiler>) wasn’t my personal favorite, I did think that everything in the plot worked in the context of these teens and their emotional journey. Nell’s so driven to win that she will sacrifice her own happiness or reputation or anything to feel that she has come out victorious. It’s awful sometimes, but it’s something she absolutely would do. The ending doesn’t wrap things up in a neat bow, but it leaves a little bit of hope that Nell and Jackson will be able to work through their issues.

Winner Take All took me by surprise. If you love the snarky judgment of Jessica Darling, you absolutely should not skip this book.

Wow, this was just a case of me not loving the main character. I always look for redeeming qualities, and she didn't have any at all. The writing was also all over the place.

The phrases “beautiful disaster” and “bad romance” but NOT the well-known novels that use those phrases for their titles. Five different Emilie Autumn songs, “Did You Imagine” by Lumidee, and “I Want My Tears Back” by Nightwish. These are just a few of the things that Winner Take All is associated with in my head because all of those things fit the book’s events at one point or another.

Winner Take All is a hate-to-love novel that happens to go through the cycle a number of times. Hate to love to hate to love to hate to looooove… Six-foot-tall explosion of intensity Nell (talls girls in YA, whoo!) and garbage golden boy Jackson are obsessed with each other as they volley for the number-one spot in their grade and I almost obsessively read their book in the span of a few days. At the same time Nell would like to show him what’s what, she’d also like to make out with him–and Jackson feels the exact same way.

Nell hit me in the heart particularly hard as a character, especially because she had a panic attack over a .001 difference in GPA that puts Jackson in the number-one spot. I too was so obsessed with keeping my grades high in school, particularly in my senior year of high school when I wanted to achieve an all-As school year for the very first time. When a print photography project threatened to ruin my grade, I suffered my first-ever panic attack in the middle of a crowded school hallway. My photography teacher witnessed it and kindly waived the print photography project for me.

So yeah, I get where Nell is coming from to a degree. Even then, Nell’s mom (also her prep school’s headmistress) pushes her much harder to succeed than either of my parents pushed me. And to be frank, they didn’t need to push me much at all because I did well with little effort.

Meanwhile, Jackson has a few secrets while he and Nell are dancing around with one another. He’s got a garbage, serial-cheating dad and his mom is wrecked due to the aforementioned serial cheater, but he’s got some humanity hidden waaaaaaay deep down in there. At times, you can’t tell who’s more serious about their relationship: Nell or Jackson. The strength of Winner Take All comes down to the lit-match-meets-gasoline dynamic these two share and the many, many twists in their mutual story.

That’s not to diss the strong subplot wherein Nell’s best friend Lia is dating a guy whose mom is currently prosecuting Lia’s dad for corruption. Lia is a particularly welcome presence in the novel because she’s usually the one calling Nell on any bull. When Nell reaches her most obsessive, it’s Lia who sets her straight by reminding her that Nell Becker is not the center of the solar system. She’s just as much of a mess as everyone else in the novel, but Lia is my favorite mess.

My one bone to pick is with that ending. For a novel that’s outright described to be about “obsessive love,” it ends on a note that feels anything but satisfying. I felt a shot of dread instead because good GOD these two need to exist a significantly away from one another. At least a full state apart.

It’s true: Laurie Devore’s novels are the readalikes for Courtney Summers fans. Winner Take All is even a step up from How to Break a Boy and I’m excited to read the next book that comes from Devore’s hands. It’ll fulfill your desire for imperfect, messy leading ladies in YA!

I had the pleasure of meeting the author recently and was quite touched by her devotion to her characters and their story. I love that she's chosen a setting close to her heart and can't wait to share it with my students.

Nell Becker and Jackson Hart are rivals at Cedar Woods Prep School. She is the obsessively competitive daughter of the principal, he is a wealthy athlete to whom everything seems to come easily. When their enmity turns to an intense physical relationship sparks fly. Jackson’s motives are unclear and Nell cannot let her emotions get in the way of her desire to win in this look at the dark side of competition.

There were times when I really hated everyone in this book. Nell was so crazy and caught up in her obsession with winning and hatred for all the rich kids at her school. I had no desire to root for her and she was not a likeable character. However, I understood her drive and desire to be perfect. I also understood how she tortured herself when she fell short of her goals. Her relationship with Jackson was somewhat sweet. I predicted the dark cloud in the forecast of their romance but was still unbelievably sad when all was revealed. This book has so much going on and sometimes felt like a soap opera but I was totally sucked into it. I sometimes felt like the point of boys being treated different from girls was belabored but it was a necessary inclusion.

This is one of the most emotionally intense YA books I've read in some time.

For one thing, Laurie Devore forces you to change your mind about her characters--repeatedly. One minute you sympathize with Nell, the next you want to shout at her to JUST STOP. You will love Jackson ... until you don't ... and then you do again.

If this sounds frustrating, it is, but it's frustrating in a way that feels so real. If you parent or teach or know teenagers or if you even remember what it's like to be a teenager, you know that your feelings about them (and yourself as a teen) fluctuate. You will feel like they're awesome, and at the flip of a switch, you'll feel like they are the absolute worst.

In Nell's case, much of what makes her so exasperating is her family life. Her parents' marriage makes no sense (like, for real--it makes NO sense), and her mother views Nell as a sort of grand statement about gender and socioeconomic roles. In fact, this book would have gotten five stars from me were it not for the (extremely) unsatisfactory resolution of the plot involving Nell's mother.

Nell has been raised to view everyone and everything as an opponent in a game she must win, including even her best friend. Her particular nemesis is Jackson, a guy she simply must defeat so that she can be valedictorian. Other than his rather cavalier approach to girls (and, again, Jackson has learned this from one of his parents), he doesn't seem to be all that awful. Nell hates him, though, and, at times, you will, too.

The more time these two spend together, the more they recognize that they are sort of kindred spirits. The problem is that she can't ever let down her guard long enough to let him in, and he isn't completely trustworthy. Devore does a solid job of making you wonder: will Nell realize how she feels about Jackson, and just how genuine is he?

Through the psychological warfare waged between Nell and Patrick, Devore casts a critical eye on how gender roles are inculcated as early as high school. She is even more critical regarding the prejudice and privilege associated with the one percent. Her message is clear: these need to stop. It is a message that Nell and Jackson have to learn tin he hardest, most painful ways.

Wanted to like this book but didn't. Didn't like the writing style or the characters. I felt like the author was trying to write a book to say that slutshaming is wrong, but in fact despite the ”Boys get to have it all. Girls are either sluts or saints” theme, there was too much girl hate in the novel, too much slutshaming and too much placing the blame on abusive marriages. I didn't like Nell, she whined too much, and didn't feel she changed enough. Bleh, wished I hadn't read it.

This one was so boring, I absolutely couldn't get into it and I gave it 50 pages worth. I didn't care for Nell one bit (she really annoyed me) and Jackson was no better.

No thank you.

If you know me at all, you know that I love books with real, flawed characters. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this before, and I’m sure I will say it a million times more, but it’s true. I absolutely love a book that doesn’t pull punches, and is gritty, and raw, and real. Winner Take All is all of those things and so much more.

Nell Becker has always been the best at everything. She kind of has to be, seeing as though she is surrounded by classmates whose families have immense wealth and influence. In order to stand a chance of being a shining star, she has to be the best; there is no other option. So when the school’s most notorious rich boy starts to mess with Nell, she wants nothing to do with it, and assumes that he’s up to no good.

This book had so many plot twists that surprised me to no end. Just when I thought I had Nell and Jackson figured out, they would do something that totally threw me off and sent me in another direction. I love books that can do this and it still feels like that is where the plot is supposed to go, instead of the author just trying to mix things up so that it isn’t predictable. Laurie Devore does this so well that it seems like second nature.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the enemies-to-lovers storyline, but Nell and Jackson have this incredible, undeniable chemistry that makes you wonder how they ever could have hated one another. I’m definitely going to have to give this trope another chance, because I loved it so much in this novel. So if you’ve got any books that you love, give me your recommendations in the comments!

There were so many times that I wanted to yell at Nell to open her eyes and see what was so clearly right in front of her, but I was happy that she experienced things in the way that she did. Nell’s character wouldn’t have been nearly as flawed if she just magically woke up one morning with a clear vision of what she needed to do. So while it was incredibly frustrating at times, it was the best kind of frustration, if that makes any kind of sense.

I loved this book so much. I seriously can’t give Winner Take All enough praise. It deserves ALL OF THE STARS, and for that, I give it a 5/5 star rating. This is going to be on my top reads of 2018 list, I can already tell, because it was that darn good. Laurie Devore has wowed me again after How to Break a Boy, and I can’t wait to read what she has in store next! Do yourself a favor, and read Winner Take All.

Nell and Jackson were all wrong for each other and yet perfectly right. They shouldn't have made such a perfect couple, but their competition and initial dislike made it more believable. Loved this prep school story.

Ok, so this was a good book.
However, do you ever just want to slap a character sometimes?
Well, these characters will make you want to smack them upside the head!
It might take a bit but the end is worth it!

Kids today are competitive -- far more so than they were when I was in high school. Today's kids are pushed from an early age, both at home and among their peers, to be  the first walkers in their age group, the first readers in their class, or even the best player on their teams.  I didn't realize this so much until my oldest was closing out her last year or two of high school.  As a parent, I was stressing over things like her college applications and whether her ACT  and/or GPA was high enough to get into the school of her choice. Did she have enough extracurricular activities? How many volunteer hours in the community is enough to "look good" on a college app? And all of this stressing must certainly have been stressing out my own daughter as she worked hard to reach the bar of every one of my expectations, even as I kept moving that bar higher and higher. In retrospect, I'm amazed she turned out sane and healthy and as well-rounded as she is. Frankly, it's no surprise that we seem to have seen an increase in depression and anxiety among our youth in recent years as they keep reaching higher and higher to be the best. Really folks, this has got to stop!

This weekend I read a book that completely gutted me. WINNER TAKE ALL, by Laurie Devore, is a young adult novel exploring the relationships and issues today's teens face as they try to be what everyone (their parents, their coaches, their teachers, and even their peers) expect of them, all the while not even understanding who they are themselves yet. It centers on two students, Nell and Jackson, who are running neck-and-neck for the position of class Valedictorian. Nell is an overachiever by "choice," which really means she's striving hard to be the person everyone expects her to be; while Jackson, with his million-dollar smile, appears to have everything come easy for him. But things are never as they appear. What begins as simply a "competition" for valedictorian escalades until secrets are unveiled that rip apart the lives of both Nell and Jackson, and everyone around them.

Simply stated, I really loved this book. I loved that the characters weren't perfect and, in fact, were completely unlikable at times. But it was that three-dimensional view of the characters which gave this novel authenticity.

With issues of anxiety, alcohol abuse, first love and first sexual experiences at its core, WINNER TAKE ALL may be a bit gritty for some younger teens, so I'd recommend it mostly for older high school students; but the author did a really nice job of approaching these issues in a way that -- while edgy -- was still appropriate for younger teens with less experience.  As a parent who has a firm rule that I never tell my kids they can't read a book that interests them, I would've had no problem with my daughter reading this as a teen; though, depending upon her age, she may've benefitted from my reading it simultaneously in case the issues were outside the context of her experiences.

WINNER TAKE ALL is a wonderful read that had me turning the pages, and even weeping alongside the characters as life threw them more than their share of curve balls.  It reminded me a lot of the approach Judy Blume took with her YA novels like TIGER EYES and FOREVER; and I feel like it's a book that will be passed from friend to friend in much the same way as we did Blume's YA novels back in the 80s.

WINNER TAKE ALL

Released January 30, 2018
by Imprint (a Macmillan Press imprint)

PLEASE NOTE: The following content has been take verbatim
from the author's webpage dedicated to this book. 


For Nell Becker, life is a competition she needs to win.
For Jackson Hart, everyone is a pawn in his own game.
They both have everything to lose.

Nell wants to succeed at everything―school, sports, life. And victory is sweeter when it means beating Jackson Hart, the rich, privileged, undisputed king of Cedar Woods Prep Academy. Yet no matter how hard she tries, Jackson is somehow one step ahead. They’re a match made in hell, but opposites do attract.

Drawn to each other by their rivalry, Nell and Jackson fall into a whirlwind romance that consumes everything in their lives. But when a devastating secret exposes their relationship as just another game, how far will Nell go to win?

Visceral and whip-smart, Laurie Devore’s Winner Take All paints an unflinching portrait of obsessive love, toxic competition, and the drive for perfection.

(Link below will go live on Monday, February 5, 2018)

I received a free e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. All views are of my own.

I have no idea what I just read.

I hate writing negative reviews. I hate being negative in general. But this was one of those books I just wanted to stop reading and throw out the window but couldn’t because it was an e-arc from NetGalley and I had in my phone.

The story starts with Nell Becker being appalled by how Jackson Hart, the rich popular playboy, gets away with spewing rubbish in an English class while the teacher actually hangs on to his every word. In her words, boys can get away with everything and will always have the upper hand no matter what they do while girls have to answer for all things. She wants to break that trend, come first in rankings and show the world that girls can be smart too.
At least I think that’s what was happening.

I just couldn’t see anything past Nell. Nell Brecker is one of the worst characters I’ve ever read about. She is selfish, self absorbed and literally hates everybody. Yes, everybody. She is completely negative, doesn’t give a sh*t about anybody, not even her best friend. I get it. I think I do. The writer wanted innumerous flaws to be an aspect of hers, something that she could overcome in the end and give this story a happily ever after ending. Blah Blah Blah. But God, I hated her. Her constant hatred towards the rich people was so pointless. Her mom was the principal, she had a house to live under and food to eat and never in any part did I see somebody give a damn about her social status but did that stop her from complaining? No.

“You’re dark somewhere deep down in there, Becker. Like the hidden parts of the ocean. You’re not sure what’s lurking beneath the surface and you’re not sure if you want to find out.”

Yeah, if this is her just on the surface, I really don’t want to find out what’s deep inside.

She’s constantly slut shaming and disparaging girls, thinking she’s better than them. Although she doesn’t say it out loud, she makes it seem that it is okay to behave and think like this because they’re all rich and privileged and she’s not.

Not to mention, her complete lack of empathy just made me cringe. There was a part in the story, where Jackson wants to talk some heart-to-heart with her and instead of trying to be a little understanding; she makes him feel like crap. When talking about Jackson's mother and her abusive relationship, Nell says,

‘She allows herself to be disrespected by some, some’—I search around as if for a word bad enough, and then one comes to me, as if from the sky—‘dickhead. And that’s why she gets treated like sh*t.’

Yes people, this even has victim blaming in it. I was really shocked to see that the writer had put these words together and I was so not okay with it. And before you say something else, I know Nell is supposed to be flawed. And while it is so much easier to connect with and amazing to read about flawed protagonists, it gets super annoying when you throw every imperfection in her way.

Last but not the least; let’s talk about the love story. Yes, the angst hate-to-love plot that made me tap on the request button faster than Usain Bolt on a marathon.

I did not hate it. I strongly disliked it.

“Like, I’d always heard about people completing each other, but you and me, we were more like a match and a stick of dynamite.”

Perfect way to sum up their relationship. There was no substance to it. They just hated each other, got together somehow, had a lot of sex (A LOT, trust me) and then realized how nasty and cruel the other was and got back to hating each other. The whole thing was completely toxic. It was just one repulsive activity after another. It got so dark and twisted in the end that I felt completely sick and wanted to put it down. I even lost track of who was nastier and didn’t give a damn.

So if you didn’t get it yet, let me just rephrase my whole review into one line; Give me my time back!

This book showed a lot of potential right off the bat.

For readers going into the novel, understand that this title is a metaphor for the way girls and boys are treated differently (and unfairly) within our society. It centers around Nell, a very determined student aiming for the top position of her class, and Jackson, a boy who seems to not even try at all yet gets everything handed to him on a silver platter.

It was a story where no matter who you are, if you're reading it, you have SOME type of emotion about the characters. Love them or hate them, you'll definitely feel SOMETHING while reading this book. Each character is uniquely flawed, which allows the book to portray a more realistic portrait of each character.

That being said, I wasn't the biggest fan of this particular book. I found Nell's character very grating at times, and she had a lot of hatred towards other girls. I noticed a lot of "I'm not like the other girls" mentality within Nell's characterization and I think that was was pushed me away from the book as a whole. While I understand the intention behind this choice in the bigger picture of the book's message, I felt that this message could easily be missed and leave a bad taste in a reader's mouth.

While this book wasn't for me, I don't think it should be written off completely. If you're a fan of contemporary YA novels, I still say give it a shot because the book definitely has enough merit for it to hold up on its own.

Nell is determined to be the best. Being a scholarship student, she's always felt like she has something to prove. She is at the top of her school, the top of her volleyball game, and she's going to be one of few "top girls" in her long standing, male dominated prep school.

Jackson Hart epitomizes everything Nell hates. He's wealthy, has the teachers wrapped around his finger, and gets everything he wants, especially a rise out of annoying Nell. No matter how much he bothers her, Jackson Hart will not stand Nell's way.

Bitter rivalry brings them together, and Nell and Jackson's relationship is toxic in everyone else's eyes. Can two opposites make it work, or will winning be everything?

THOUGHTS: Taking on societal stereotypes about male vs. female treatment, Devore gives readers two very unlikable characters. At times, though, readers will feel sorry for both Nell and Jackson. They will be compelled to read through the mess that becomes their lives and desperate to see if their situation resolves without catastrophic disaster. Mature relationships and underage drinking and drug use make this suitable for older readers.

I know this took way longer than it should have for me to read this book. In my defense, I hit a high drama point and was experiencing a lot of anxiety in my personal life, so I had to put it on hold and try to become more sane before I picked it up again.

Winner Take All follows the relationship and rivalry between Jackson Hart and Nell Becker. Both of them are driven and determined to win at life...at whatever cost. When they become involved in a romantic relationship, it consumes every fiber of their being. AND IT IS DELIGHTFUL...and DANGEROUS.

A secret is exposed that tears them apart. Then more secrets and lies build up to a crescendo of chaos. Fortunately, both Jackson and Nell have friends who are 100% honest and 1000% done with their nonsense. They call them out when they are being self-destructive and just...generally destructive (cause they involve other people SMH).

I live for books that actually show consequences to dangerous actions.

PRAISE.

Side Point: THANK YOU for representing anxiety and depression and low self worth in an honest, unfiltered way.

If you loved The DUFF, you will LOVE this. Yes, there are some stressful points, BUT it's worth it in the end.

Thank you to the publishers and those over at NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book.

If you want to take the world by storm, is it okay to burn it all down? What if the world was mean to you? What if it treated you really unfairly? What if it deserved it? What if you are a girl? What are the rules that you have to play by, and more important, is it worth it?
Winner Take All is a look at a teenage girl who is expected to be perfect, hated for it by others, and worse, hates herself for it. Over one summer, her carefully constructed reality is smashed into pieces when the one guy she hates becomes one that she cannot get out of her head. But he has his own demons to fight. When their imaginary worlds that they worked so hard to construct finally come to ahead, the impact of the fallout is worse than either expected.
This is a look at puppy love and obsession, parents who are perfect and deeply flawed, best friendships that are deep and fractured, the fight to be perfect and the knowledge that that is just an illusion. It's about being an American teenager and the paradoxes that teenage girls face while trying to grow up in an adult world while still being a child.
This is a great read for teenagers because they will see their own struggles in this story. It is also a great read for adults to remind themselves of the struggles they have long forgotten about.