Olivia (Liv) has two best friends, Drè and Eli. They’ve been best friends forever. Liv also has feelings for them that goes beyond friendship, but she’s not sure who she likes more. Add in another guy, who asks her out, a set of new friends from the musical she performing in, a list of things Liv wants to do and all kinds of family drama from Liv, Drè and Eli and this book is packed with teenager drama.
Opinion
What a great book this is from start to finish! I was completely consumed by it and finished it in a hurry just to know what was next. This book is all about Liv finding herself and redeeming herself when she messes up along the way. We have all been there.
Liv is such a great character. She carries herself well and (sometimes after some internal debate) apologizes when she was wrong.
Fair warning, there is some language and (mild) sex in the book so if that’s not what you like, don’t read this book. However, this book is way more than those parts and they in no way detract from it.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Olivia’s place is supporting Dre and Eli, her two best friends who are high school classmates and pretty good local musicians. Feeling stuck and out-shone, not knowing how to handle her crush on Eli, O makes a list of all the ways she wants to become a braver, more confident person. All three friends decide to try out for the school performance of Othello and they all get parts - it’s with the theater crowd that O finally finds some girlfriends, makes some spectacular relationship goofs, and finally learns that she can apologize and fix what she has broken. O is self-focused but her struggle to figure out who she is and what she wants is authentic, plus her analysis of her life compared to some in Shakespeare is especially on point.

There is so much truth in this novel, between the family you build in high school, especially in theatre, and the complications in those relationships that ebb and flow through different situations.

I received this as an early review copy from NetGalley and Inkyard Press. All opinions are my own.

Such a great read! It will be an easy book to recommend and it has such a diverse group of characters.

Smash It by Francina Simone is a YA contemporary that follows Olivia James, a full-figured black high-school student who is super shy and lacks self-esteem. The major plot starts when Liv attends a Halloween party and is the only person there without a costume. She meets this bartender who tells her that she's wasting her life and will regret not living it when she is older. Liv then decides to create an "F-It" list, inspired by Shonda Rine's book The Year of Yes, where she says yes to all of the things that she wants to do but doesn't because of her shyness, fear, or lack of confidence. This book takes you on Liv's adventure of living life to the fullest.

I love the portrayal of a fuller figure character; we need more representation in books! The dialogue and writing style are so real. That is exactly how my friends and I talk to each other and it made me feel more connected to the characters and the storyline. Liv's relationship with her mother is so authentic in the black community and shows how low self-esteem could result from an unhealthy family dynamic. I love the healthy portrayal of sex and sexual identity in the book through the character, Lennox. She is now one of my favorite characters ever. Her attitude toward sex and her general outlook on life is just refreshing and can only be described as "free". I love the bi-sexual and gay representation in the story as well.

This was a good story overall and has a good message of learning to love yourself. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author because she "Smashed It!" with this one.

Potential Trigger Warnings: Sex, body shaming, fat-shaming, bullying, disowning, divorce, drugs, racism, physical assault, cheating

*Disclaimer* I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
#SmashIt #NetGalley

This is the story of finding ones true identity and loving the person within. Warning there is a lot of swear words in this novel. But overall I feel like it was an engaging story and empowering book for readers.

I was extremely lucky to receive a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

During these trying times (corona-virus, white people finally waking up to issues like police brutality and Black Lives Matter finally becoming a bit mainstream), we could all use lighter books that center on Black girls, and luckily, Smash It! fits the bill.

There is a LOT of drama in this book - more than I was expecting, really. I was all ready to see a shy girl becoming confident, but there was a lot more to this story than that premise. For one thing, Liv isn't really shy, she's simply more comfortable around the people she knows, like her childhood best friends, a kind of shyness that I can relate to. This book is all about her journey toward onstage confidence, though - literally, since she joins the school play.

The focus of this book is really the friendships, which is where the drama really comes in. Like I mentioned, Liv has been best friends with two boys since she moved in next door to one of them as a kid. She has a crush on one of them, which is the focal point for the drama, although the drama definitely grew beyond that - in fact, she kind of ends up in a love square? I'll admit, the drama got to be too much for me at times, especially since the main love interest ended up falling into an angst funk that brought Liv down as well - which was a real shame, since Liv was really coming into her own, making some female friends, figuring out what she wanted in her romantic and scholastic lives. I had a person I preferred that Liv end up with, and without going into spoilers, things didn't quite go the way I wanted.

I still quite enjoyed this book, though, even with the drama overload. It's great to see Liv figure out what she wanted and make new friends without changing at her core.

I was also unsure about how Liv felt about other girls - she definitely had the whole "don't want to be friends with girls because of *drama*" vibes, but then she started to bond with some girls, and all of the drama really came from the boys, so I think she outgrew that belief, but it was never explicitly said.

This was my first book by Francina Simone, but I don't think it'll be my last, especially if Goodreads is right and this is the beginning of a series.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am a Swan!

I adored this book. Liv is your typical teenager with typical teenage drama. The twist--she's caught in a situation where she realizes she has feelings for two boys, who are actually her close friends. I was definitely #teamDre from the moment she mentioned liking him. Even though Eli is where her heart lies, where does it leave Dre? The book wrapped up nicely for the most part. I was still left feeling sad for Dre because I felt like he was left to deal with a heartbreak with no resolve. The book was easy to follow and lose yourself in. I can actually see there being a sequel to this one. Overall, I thought it was a good, solid book that left me smiling like a high school teenager!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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.

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing to read this book due to this author's recent actions on Twitter. Her comments were painful and hurtful to me and although she did apologize, I would just rather step back from this author at this time.

Let me start by saying, I don't like watching a protagonist become bad/evil/spiral down, and I didn't like watching Olivia do it either. With that in mind this book wasn't for me, but I think a lot of folks will enjoy it.

In Smash It! Olivia is trying to gain confidence and do more things outside of her comfort zone. However, as she's doing this she hits a point (at about 75% of the way through) where she becomes petty and selfish (and it's really unattractive). She does redeem herself, but by that point I was tired of the 360 page book.

Part of the plot is that Olivia is in a high school adaptation of Othello. At multiple times, I wondered if I needed to reread Othello (not recognizing the analogy) or if there wasn't supposed to be a comparison between the plot of Smash It! and Othello. At the very end, the very loose analogy is explained, and it feels untidy.

This book contains explicit language and sexual content, so I would recommend this to older high school students.

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t. I loved the Othello retelling concept, and honestly the roots of the book are well done. I also love that this was done in own voice and the main character, Olivia is a Black high school student in Orlando Fl written by a Black author. Lastly, I think teenage girls can relate to how Olivia feels about her body and the challenges that come with accepting your body. These reasons alone make the book necessary and somewhat enjoyable.

The problems I have are my own personal reasons, and other people may find these reasons not bothersome; therefore, they should pick it up. I personally, did not enjoy all the F-bombs. It felt overused, as teenagers often use it, and made me cringe. Secondly, I know this is a coming of age story, but Olivia was just not a character that I felt I could rally and root for. She definitely grows as a character, but I didn’t find the way she handled her conflict to compel to enjoy the story, often leaving me bored throughout the book.

Overall, this wasn’t my cup of tea per say, but I see the positivity that it can do for young girls in high school. Thank you to Net Galley and Inkyard Press for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it just had a little too much manufactured high school drama in it for me. I like the premise of the book, of a girl trying to come out of her shell and figure out who she is, and I love reading new titles by diverse authors, so I was excited about that aspect as well. However, the relationships between the characters just felt overly dramatic to me, and not in a way that felt particularly authentic. The drama all felt like it was just there to make the book more intensely emotional, and I don't think it totally worked. It's possible that I've just gotten too old to appreciate these kinds of high school dramas, and the target population might totally love this book. Many of the characters are relatable underneath the drama of the plot, and the main character has a strong voice. There are definitely good aspects to this book, but it wasn't totally for me.

Thank you so much for granting my request for this title. Due to recent events on twitter, I have decided to longer read from this author at this time. I was very excited to read this book and support this author, but the recent tweets from this author were too great to ignore. This author tweeted about things that relate closely to my own self and tweeted about them in a hazardous way. I think that as a YA author this author should be a bit more mindful of her audience and how things can come across. I tried to understand her intentions, but I cannot see them as anything other than problematic and ill intended. I truly do not understand her intentions with using her platform right before a YA book release in a way that basically casts children in a negative way with cruel words.

I wish your staff all the best. I know you all have worked hard to support this book and author. I look forward to working with all of you on another title in the future.

Kind regards,

Brittney

Olivia “Liv” James is done with letting her insecurities get the best of her. So she does what any self-respecting hot mess of a girl who wants to SMASH junior year does…This book was...idk..a bit too long and boring for my tastes

Absolutely loved reading this cute and captivating story of friendship, love and teenage life of Olivia. It was hard to put down and was an absolute page turner for me. Thanks to Francina Simone for writing such beautiful story.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

This was a great read that is a YA Fiction coming to age story about Olivia during her junior year of high school. We go on a journey of her confronting her fear and how she starts to take a new mentality and starts doing things that she never did before. Although this is targeted for a YA audience., I believe that anyone can enjoy this book.

Francina Simone is just...so good. Such a fun amazing book. Can not recommend it more! Beautiful cover, beautiful story, all around great book.

This was an impactful and intriguing YA work with such a vibrant point of view. The book features a fun, authentic tone to represent the protagonist Liv. I was also so so so thrilled see more diversity (race and body) representation in contemporary YA, I love that. It's the story of a shy girl who has an unrequited crush on one of her best friends. She's ready to move and start living life, and be open to new possibilities, including finally trying out for the school musical. So, Liv makes a "Fuck It" list to inspire her to be bolder and free, and I want to make a list of my own. So inspiring. Though the book's language, Liv is a very authentic, relatable, and realistic character. The book is like a love square of romance and feelings and Liv is just so awkward and relatable, which is endearing as a reader. I like Liv as the main character just as I like this book. It's realistic and engaging, and I love Liv's growing sense of confidence. Like "Othello," which is the school play, there's a lot going on with all the characters, and I just want to keep reading and get all the juicy details. Then, in the end, Eli and his letter to her is just so vulnerable and raw and I saw both of their whole hearts explode, and I felt all that emotion. As a good book should.

I'm so here for all these strong and empowered AF women that are owning their lives! Love to see it. Liv as a character finds her voice and confidence, which is so raw and honest and impactful. It made me smile to see her grow because that's inspiring.

I would definitely recommend this book for high school collections and public libraries. Liv’s voice is so strong and her beginning dilemma is so relatable. It’s so easy to let doubts, fear, and insecurities keep you from trying things, especially as a middle/high school female. The dynamic between friendships and characters are believable and entertaining. The characters are complex and well developed. I found myself rooting for her to end up with someone else towards the end, but I still enjoyed the dramatic ride.