Overall, I really loved this book. I could not put it down. It was fun but also had deeper undertones which I also appreciated. The writing was full of humour and definitely kept me invested from start to finish. The plot was sort of like a walk down memory lane for me. It reminded me so much of the days in high school where I competed in public speaking competitions and drama exams. Sydney is the type of character who I think a lot of people will find accessible. I highly recommend this YA contemporary honestly the pick me up that I needed during self-isolation. Thank you so much to The FFBC for providing me with a copy of this book!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley and Little Brown for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.


This book was really intriguing and I was really into it! I haven’t really been into much contemporaries as much lately but I’m so excited for this one and I’m glad that I got to get a hold of this one.

It looks like we have a little saboteur in the world. Even though maybe Sydney had a reason to want to sabotage the Speech and Debate team, it was interesting that this is the solution that she came up with. It started really with a group of kids at her new school seem to have been mistreated by the Speech and Debate team. Since Sydney is the new girl at this super artsy school – yes that was super rude of me but you get the gist – the group figures that they could use Sydney as their way to infiltrate the team and get them to come out on bottom for the first time ever. Or something like that.

Despite what you may think about what this book may be like, I encourage you to give it a chance and read it. It can give you a break from some of the thoughts you’re having lately, and make you think of some other things besides everything else that may be bothering you lately.

I was first introduced to Don’s writing through his debut novel, THE SEVEN TORMENTS OF AMY AND CRAIG. I was struck by how hilarious he was, while pulling every other emotion out of me at the same time -- not an easy feat! While WAR AND SPEECH wasn’t quite as bittersweet and emotional as TSTOAAC, the characters were just as funny, and also inspiring and badass.

Sydney has had a rough time in the past year: her father was sent to prison for tax evasion and other crimes, and she and her mother have been left to pick up the pieces. Having failed all of her classes in the spring of her junior year because of the upheaval, she’s now attending Eaganville School for the Arts and just trying to graduate. Luckily she meets three students on her first day -- Lakshmi, Thomas, and Elijah -- a group of misfits who become her closest friends. While I love all four of the characters, Lakshmi is my favorite, and in some ways she reminds me of myself in high school with all her talk of dismantling the patriarchy :) When Sydney has a run-in with a particularly obnoxious member of the revered Speech and Debate team, she devises a plan to take down the team from within, and hijinks ensue.

I absolutely love this book! I was on the debate team in high school, though we definitely were *not* the kids who ruled the school (I’m from the South, so it’s sports down here, ha!). Also, my coach was basically the polar opposite of Coach Sparks (thankfully). Reading about the tournaments brought back so many memories, and I got such nostalgic feelings while reading. But even if you have zero experience with speech and debate, you have to pick this up! You will recognize people you know in these pages, whether they were speech-and-debaters, or football players, or drama folks, or whoever may have ruled your school. And I promise you will find yourself laughing out loud, trying not to wake up the rest of your household, just like I did.

RATING: 5 stars - no debate!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

I have to be honest with you all. I picked this book solely because of it's title, I'm not even kidding when I say that I didn't even read the synopsis when I requested to be a part of this blog tour. "War and Speech" as the title suggests is all about a war waged by some misfit high school going teenagers against the egocentric speech team of their school. Not to mention the fact that I was expecting some amazing speech content to be a part of the story as well and the book DID NOT disappoint.

War and Speech is like a fresh breathe of reality amidst the many magical books under the YA genre. It's real, it's ugly and has the perfect pinch of aww moments too. The protagonist - Sydney Williams has to move into a tiny apartment and change schools after her father has been sent to prison for white-collar crime - tax evasion - which isn't even a "cool" thing to go to prison for. She is undoubtedly amazing at being a "loser" and like you can guess she befriends the misfits at her new school.

Eagenville has a pretty solid speech & debate team, whose members are pretty much the celebrities there. They're good at what they do, but hell are they mean! These misfits sit together to plan their conspiracy to take down the team that rules the school.

The story is one of which that I absolutely loved! From the moments of doubt to the moments of motivation. The moments when one falls but also gets up in the next. One of my most favorite parts of the book was when Sydney makes those super fast selling cookies with the fabulously snarky iced messages on them! I love how Sydney may have initially been portrayed to undermine herself but she's a smart kid with a lot to say and that's all it takes for me to be Team Sydney! She's smart, she's witty, she has a great sense of humor, what else are you all looking for?

I really liked how the harsh realities of life has been portrayed throughout the plot line as well. I loved the complexities of all the characters too! Lakshmi the basketball player, Elijah by the description of whom even I was swayed, Thomas and Blaize. I enjoyed reading through most of the speeches in the book too, in fact I had no idea what a big deal the the NFL - Nationals Forensic League was!

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for something which hits home, for something which addresses the issues of bullying, homophobia, socio-economic differences and the winning is everything attitude. Apart from how quirky and satirical the entire book is, I especially recommend you to read this book for Chapter Forty-two. Oh! I almost forgot there! The book has the most geeky and obviously the best references ever! I mean every thing from Shakespeare to Harry Potter (duh!) to Lord of the Rings to GAME OF THRONES! And hence I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 bookmarks!

I'd like to thank The FFBC tours, Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in lieu of an honest review. I'd also like to congratulate the author Don Zolidis for writing such a refreshing book!

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Also, special thanks to the FFBC for including me as part of the blog tour for this book. You can find my review and favourite quotes on my blog, link in bio!

War and Speech was such a treat to read! Amidst all the craziness going on right now, this humorous, mostly-lighthearted, surprisingly emotional YA contemporary was exactly what I needed in my life! The book had me in constant laughing fits but it also had me crying smol silent tears in certain parts too (I'm an emotional creature, alright). I've never been part of a debate team so I can't speak to the accuracy of that part of the story, but I will say that it was very interesting. You hear lots of crazy stories about American school life (books, movies/shows) and the high school portrayed in this book was pretty intense. CW for bullying

Sydney is the new kid in Eaganville, an extremely artsy high school, where it's not about the jocks or the cheerleaders, it's the varsity speech team that is the ruling class and they hold power over students and teachers alike. I really loved the characters in this book! I mean, I hated the ones we were meant to hate (and found them horrifyingly entertaining too) but Sydney and her band of merry misfits were such a great group of friends! I loved their support of each other but I do wish that we learned more about them, as this was very focused on Sydney's character arc, and the plot of revenge and the take down of a toxic system. I thought Sydney's character arc was done very well and I loved her as the MC. She has a snarky attitude and she's also a lottle bit angry with the world, but deep down she has a good heart that shines through in little ways. At the start I was worried she would be too too mean and too snarky, but Zolidis balances her character very well, and her growth was very satisfying. I loved watching her confidence grow and see her taking charge of her attitude and channeling that positively.

Honestly, I was 100% impressed by their take down plans because there's no way in hell I would've been able to pull off something so incredible in high school; and I'm pretty sure I'm still too much of a hot mess to pull off anything like this now. I hated Coach Sparks with the passion of a thousand fiery ball-burning suns and I hated reading any parts to do with him and his awful bullying because he's literally the worst kind of human being to take advantage and to break kids down like that. It definitely brought a darker tone to the story, but the topics covered in the story were important and did bring more depth.

Overall, this was a highly entertaining and fast-paced contemporary that I would definitely recommend if you're looking for something that's a little bit nerdy, a lot funny and that'll leave you feeling good by the time you get to the end. As much as I enjoyed reading this as an adult, I know that I would've loved it much more as a high schooler.

I received a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of FFBC. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

War and Speech
By: Don Zolidis


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
War And Speech is a unique story about Sydney, daughter of a jailed white collar criminal, as she navigates a new kind of life. Because of her father's crimes, Sydney and her mom toppled from rich to very poor in an instant. Sydney has only known her former lifestyle, so this change is a dramatic traumatizing experience. Now, Sydney and her mom live in a cruddy little apartment and work at the mall. Can you imagine being a teen girl in this situation? Sydney also attends a new school, but this one is a bit different. The debate team rule the school. My high school had no debate team, so I can't speak to that aspect, other than the common assumption that the debate team are nerds. Currently, Sydney isn't loving life, and suffice it to say, she's not a fan of the team. She and a few friends conspire for Sydney to infiltrate the team, and destroy them. Understand, though, that Sydney is not a nice girl. She is genuinely mean and negative, and the other characters are also mean. Sydney is not a likeable person, but that's okay with her. As her diabolical plan unfolds, it both works and doesn't work. When Sydney begins to see the debate team as people instead of targets, her plan becomes increasingly difficult. How do you destroy these people now? Ultimately, Sydney transitions from her old life to this new reality. She starts to understand how and why her father did what he did. Sydney sees the falseness in the world and the advantages some people have over others. This story shines a bit of light on the class system that does exist in America, even though people try to pretend otherwise. And it matters. Having wealth brings you more wealth. Being poor means that you stay poor because the advantages you need to gain wealth and social standing are not available to you, rather they are only available to the already wealthy. In this destitute life, Sydney realizes the only truth she has is her own, and she should speak it, regardless of social class. I think this story is best for older young adult readers because of situations and the prevailing meanness through the entire thing. It's a heavier read than I expected, but it addresses important issues with a sharp juvenile inflicted narrative. By that, I mean that it feels teen, as it should. If this style appeals to you, then read War and Speech!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

When Sydney's dad was sent to prison, she became someone to avoid. After relocating from their McMansion to a less than desirable apartment, she finds herself with the possibility of escaping her past failures, and perhaps, finally being a winner at something.

I know many people were interested in this book, because it holds the promise of featuring speech and debate, but I honestly wanted to read it, because Zolidis wrote it. Last year, I read his YA debut, The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig, and it was hilarious. I was hoping for more of that, and Zolidis delivered a book, that had me releasing peals of laughter.

One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much was Sydney. She was snarky and sarcastic, and I just loved her sense of humor. From her observations of the world around her to her irreverent cookie cake messages, the girl kept me in stitches. She also managed to find a quirky bunch of friends, who were perfect foils for her. They each brought their A-game when bantering, and there were times I didn't want them to ever stop.

One of the big plots of the book was the conspiracy to take down the all powerful Speech and Debate team. That's right. Sydney transferred to a school, where the BMOCs were orators and debaters. That whole idea made me love the school, until I met the people on the debate team. It was quite a toxic environment. The shocking part was how much Syd grew to enjoy S&D. The bad part was her inner battle to stick with the plan or fully adopt the team and its culture. Regardless, it was amazing to see that spark lit in her, and watch her confidence grow.

Sydney was also struggling with her anger towards her parents for what happened and their subsequent living situation, but at the same time, loving them. She felt betrayed by her parents. Her father lied, her mother was moving on, and Sydney was still trying to work her way through all these changes. But, they were her parents, and she created so many beautiful memories with them.

This book was just a treat to read. I laughed and laughed, while also enjoying the way Zolidis explored many different themes. The book was packed with fully fleshed out characters, who were complex and interesting, and I found myself completely carried away in all the drama Eaganville.

This was a really funny and heartwarming story with a super snarky narrator whose voice is super memorable. I loved the juxtaposition of very concrete problems (a father in prison, inability to afford college), social/psychological/emotional problems (appropriation and exploitation of others' queer experiences, verbally abusive coach, not liking your mom's new boyfriend), and the superficial problems of high school and speech (making varsity, getting social prestige, intersections of dating and competition).

My only big objection was...how much the author got wrong about speech? Especially about how rounds work and what OO is? Which is weird, because he writes plays that are basically designed for speech team. I know tons of people who competed with his stuff. To see those details come out wrong was very confusing to me.

But hey, if you weren't a speech kid, you probably won't mind those inaccuracies and will enjoy it more for that.

A full review will be posted on my blog on May 1, 2020, as part of the blog tour with the Fantastic Flying Book Club.

Thank you, Netgalley, Disney-Hyperion, and FFBC tours for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

War and Speech is a fantastic read and I enjoyed every second of it. I found the concept to be new and fresh. I loved the set up for the story and how the speech and debate program was used in delivering relevant messages as well. I loved how the whole plot hinges on the taking down of the prestigious speech and debate team. The school set up with the hierarchy of students sets the tone for the story from the beginning of the book. Sydney was a fun character with real problems and family issues that made her who she is. Her defense mechanism of resorting to humor as a shield for uncomfortable situations and her quick wit are some of her strengths that make her a great protagonist in this story. The group of misfits and how they form a friendship is pretty interesting to read about. The elite nature of the team and the selection process for the team were fun to read about. I have no idea how the speech and debate program works. So the whole set up was new for me and I was engaged from the get-go. I loved the competitive nature, the petty comments, and the exclusivity of the group that brought on the drama. The book and the characters were funny, the humor elements kept me entertained thoroughly. The drama and the over-the-top meanness of the speech team all added to the story perfectly. I gave the book 4 stars and definitely recommend checking it out. If you love a troubled teen, with snarky humor who is witty you will love this book. It was clever, funny, and entertaining to read.

I received this book from NetGalley and Little, Brown books for young readers in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Sydney Williams knows how to be a loser. After her father was sent to prison for tax fraud, Sydney failed most of her classes and she was forced to move in a small apartment with her now divorced mother, who can barely afford their rent with her job at the mall.
Sydney hopes going to Eaganville will be a fresh start, but in her new high school everything is different, dominated by the speech team, an elite group, and the whole administration support the winner philosophy.
Right away Sydney becomes friends with Lakshimi, Thomas and Elijah, discovering how each one of them was hurt, in one way or another, by the speech team and their cruel coach. Determined to do something against them, they decided to make a plan and destroy the team and their toxic ideology and corrupt regime from within, infiltrating Sydney.
Slowly Sydney and her friends begin to erode the team, sowing discord between teammates, unveiling ugly truths about them and their lies, spreading jealousy and resentment, even with the help of one of them.
A, sometimes, easy task, since they are really competitive and determined to do anything to win, spurred by the winner-takes-all ideology their coach has and the bullying he perpetuates, largely overlooked by the principal and the whole administration, as long as the school keeps winning, even at the expense of people considered losers.
But when Sydney discovers she can actually win and take back the chance to go to college she lost because of her father's mistakes, she's conflicted. Will she go on with their plan or will she take the chance and win?

War and speech is a witty and funny book and I really liked it! The plot is skillfully written and the characters, from the main to the side ones, are complex, interesting and impossibile not to love and cheer on, above all for Sydney, the main character.
Sydney is a complex character, using her humor and wit to hide her pain and rage and determined to be someone, to do the right thing, to move on from the life she was used to. Sydney and her mother find their lives changed when Sydney's father's crimes were exposed and he went to jail, leaving them to pick up the pieces. Sydney can be mean, witty, angry, upset and I love her bickering and attitude and how she learns to believe more in herself and her friends, to see the truth about her situation and confront her own anger. Reading her gaining confidence was really beautiful and empowering. I really liked her relationship with her friends and, above all, with Elijah. Her relationship with her mother and her mother's boyfriend is another hilarious one, because it's full of bickering and jokes and attitude.
It was interesting reading how Lakshimi, Thomas and Elijah are determined to make the speech team pay and I was really invested in Thomas' revenge against Andrew and Lakshimi's rescue mission for her sister. Thei plan was brilliant and so hilarious!

Reading War and speech was captivating and really funny and I loved how the author explored many important issues in this book, from the homophobia and bullying, to the winner-takes-all toxic ideology, to the stress and pressure the whole speach team experienced because of the coach's bullying.
It explores, also, the socioecomic differences, those Sydney perceives from when she lived a wealthy life to be forced to live into a dingy apartment, struggling to pay rent and, also, the gaps she feels at school, between her and her classmates with their cars and houses and clothes and the opportunities being more rich would and could mean for her future.

Overall War and speech is a very good story, with interesting characters and important themes explored, really well written. I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a laugh, while learning things.

Sydney's life has been turned upside down when her dad gets sent to prison for tax fraud and must start at a new school, Eaganville School of the Arts. Things are different her as the speech and debate team rule the school and athletes are looked down upon. Sydney has a bad run in with some members of the team and their head coach so with her new friends she decides to join the team and destroy it from the inside. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book and thought the dialogue and banter was great. What I had a small problem with was how mean all the characters were, not just the speech team but also Sydney and her friends. I did enjoy how the story progressed and that in the end Sydney had grown and was able to talk to her parents about how she was felling about the imprisonment. The friendships in this book were also a lot of fun to read about. This was a fun read and I loved all the insights into speech competitions. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books.

I really loved War and Speech. There were more than a few times where I was sitting it even laughing out loud. As a former debate team member, it was fun to remember my days on stage and behind the podium. But if this is what debate team is like now, it's really changed!!

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.