Thank you to Independent Publishers Group and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I remember seeing this film in the theater the first time. I really didn't want to go but my friends took me to see it. It was a lot of fun actually.

When I saw there was a book out about it, I wanted to read it. I thought it was really well written and fun to see how the movie came to be.

As a young millennial cheering in the early aughts, Bring It On was THE movie among my cheer girlfriends. Constantly quoting, watching, tumbling to, and trying to get my hair *just* like Elisha Dushku were items regularly on the to-do list. When I saw this book, I couldn't resist an opportunity to dig into all the juicy deets going on behind the scenes that made this movie a reality. We're invited into the world beyond the spirit stick, dangling before us like an NCA all-star nomination.

I love the way it's written, in an easy, talking-to-my-bestie type fashion, making this book feel more like a hang session than a documentary piece. It really is the entire history of an epic movie. If you love film, MTV puff pieces, and following the journey of an idea into a masterpiece, then I couldn't recommend this book more!

Thank you to the publisher Chicago Review Press for providing a copy of this book for review!

I was very mixed on this one, where initially I enjoyed some of the behind the scenes stories and the backstory in getting the movie made, it also felt like an unnecessary Covid lockdown passion-project versus a book that had something to say. A good portion of the content stemmed from a prior 2015 article/booklet/blogpost (I wasn't clear) the author wrote and follow up interviews felt sparse or worse, ramble-y garbage. A much heavier hand was needed in the quote editing to make the reading smoother; without the speaker's speech pattern and inflection, some of the quotes read nonsensically. Part one covers the journey to get the movie made along with some anecdotes from filming. Part two can broadly be called the "cultural and lasting impact" where quotes from other journalists and entertainment writers are interspersed with a few cast members (mainly Gabrielle Union, and primarily excerpts from other interviews she's given, not specific to this book) and the director as it ties together some deeper dives into the "why" the movie worked then and now. Neither "part" of the book was able to keep my attention, despite the fact that I too very much love this movie. I didn't feel that the author had a strong thesis behind the book and there was missed opportunities to have proper interviews with the original cast and crew.

It was interesting reading some of these "behind the behind the scenes" that are shared in the book. Truthfully though it kind of made me look differently at the movie, which made me a little sad. But for nostalgia purposes, it was a lot of fun to read.

I was talking with a friend the other night over how my boyfriend, a movie buff, had not seen this movie. I was expecting my friend, mid-50's and hates everything, to say he's never heard of this film or thought it was dog sh*t, but went on to explain it was one of his favorites and recounted the entire plot line.

What I'm saying is, the movie is brilliant regardless of age, gender, etc etc etc. It's been 23 years since I have seen that movie in the theatres and every time I have watched it since it has held up. I care about the characters, I am emotionally invested in the result even though I know what's going to happen every time. It is the perfect film. Everyone wins. So, naturally, I had to devour this.

If millennials are known for anything it's for wanting to shove our collective pop culture favorites down the throats of literally everybody and what better way to do it than with a recap of this brilliant piece of cinema. This book by Wickman is the perfect companion piece for fans new and hold because this film holds up so well. I recommend for your casual or most intense fan (hi!)

I don’t normally find myself wanting to read books like this one… however… this was one of my absolute favorite movies when I was little. I enjoyed every bit of it.

Bring It On is a film that has only grown in esteem over the last 20+ years. This book was an enjoyable read about the making, release, and afterlife of a fun, uplifting movie. It is a tad on the long side, but hardcore fans won't care.

So Bring it On is one of my favorite movies, which according to this book, is a common sentiment. This book has two distinct parts: 1) the making of the movie and 2) the cultural impact. Both parts were interesting. I am personally more interested in the latter, but enjoyed both.

The making of the movie part of the book was like reading an episode of The Movies That Made us.. except way longer and much more detailed. The author brings in TONS of quotes from the people who were involved in making the movie, which gives a more complete history, but depending on your interest level, can be overwhelming and monotonous at times. I would personally preferred this part to be more succinct, but I respect the more historical angle that the author took.

As for the cultural implications, I loved that part. It took on the movie from several different angles - about how it was subversive at that time, the pieces that didn't hold up well today (spoiler: most of it did hold up!), and the parts of it that went on to inspire so much more art and pop culture. It definitely made me want to watch the movie again in a new light.

It was a bit long overall for my taste and what I was looking to get out of it, but again, that's personally preference, and I think it's fun for anyone who wants to know more - just practice your art of skimming.

This was such a fab read as a massive fan of the film when it first came out and still now to this day. The first half of the book takes you on the journey the film took from an initial idea and script and through the various stages of Hollywood politics to getting greenlit and made. It was full of interviews from cast and crew giving lots of fab behind the scenes gossip. It was so much fun read about all the things they got up to outside of filming including a few crazy trips to Mexico. The second half of the book at why Bring It On is still so relevant now. I really enjoyed the discussion on how progressive Bring It On was even though there are parts of it which wouldn't have been done if the movie was made today. This was such a fab read and I will definitely read it again in the future!

This book totally took my back to my childhood, seriously. The movie bring it on did change everything in the cheer world and made it a little more competitive. It’s funny all these years later we’re still talking about this movie as if it came out yesterday. Great read for anyone who loves the original Bring It On and the others.

Ah the nostalgia. It it real in this book. It brings back so many memories- from the fun times watching this entire franchise to the time I caused a spirit stick avalanche packing up the band room my senior year in high school (and yes…at least 5 hit the ground). Good times I tell you. Good times.

So I jumped at the chance to get this one from NetGalley. As an advanced copy, it had some troubles adjusting to dark mode on my kindle which caused my eyes issues reading it - so it took me awhile to get through it (but I’m sure the final product does not have this issue). That being said, it’s still such an interesting read! If you’re a fan of the movies (especially that first one) I highly recommend reading this to get the full backstory into the fight to create this absolute nostalgic masterpiece.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ICONIC book about one of the most iconic films. I loved reading about how Bring it On came to Be and how special it is to everyone who was involved in the making of it. I seriously cannot wait to buy a physical copy. Bring It On: The Complete Story of the Cheerleading Movie That Changed, Like, Everything (No, Seriously) sure is number one!

Thank you NetGalley and the Independent Publishers Group for the e-ARC for review.

This is a great look at the struggles that were fought to bring Cheer Fever, aka Bring it On, to the big screen. I loved reading about someone like Peyton Reed (now a superstar filmmaker on the Ant-Man films) and how he made this film even after he wasn't the first choice as the director. The stories of cheer camp and the audition process were great as well.

I would have like a bit more editing of the quoted interviews from the people involved. It did feel like there were lots of stream of consciousness answers that made it into the text of the book, and while I appreciated the authenticity, it was a bit much and sometimes felt like padding to make the book longer.

Overall, a fun read and a must have for anyone who is a true cheer head and loves Bring it On.

3.5

I loved Bring it On and being one of the first DVDs we owned, I watched it a lot in my teens. So, I saw this and requested it on a whim. I thought it would be a quick, easy, fun read.
It wasn’t as quick of a read as I thought – I was expecting more of a coffee table type book – but it’s not long either. I’ve been reading only a couple of pages every night so it took me a while, but it was the light, easy read I needed (and allows me to join in with #NonFictionNovember).

As I said, I liked Bring it On, I assume others did too, but when the author asks: Why are people still talking about Bring it On? I say, are they? Which was actually the same response a lot of the cast gave in interviews.
This book covers getting the film made (it was a long process), becoming a surprise hit, some behind the scenes anecdotes, thoughts from cast and crew, an examination of the cultural appropriation in the film and depiction of LBGTQ characters. It was interesting; I always like to read something a little gossipy so reading about what the cast got up is fun, and as a thirteen-year-old I got the plagiarism but the cultural appropriation connotations went over my head. As the author says, the film works so well as it shows rather than tells, so there’s an important message in there but there’s no explicit learning moment.

The worst thing about this book is it gets terribly repetitive: Nobody wanted to make this film, but whoa were they wrong because it was a massive hit that people are still talking about, and so on. The author also seems to say something, then use a quote from a couple of interviews saying the exact same thing to back it up – it felt a little bit like an undergraduate essay, making sure you back up every point instead of just showing it through the interviews.

Another thing I didn’t like, and because it was an ARC I can’t use this to judge the book, but it did have an impact on my enjoyment of it. There are no photos but lots of empty frames and some captions, and there are no chapter headings only spaces where they seem to be missing. I feel you need these things to get the full experience of a book like this.

I enjoyed it though it’s not something I would buy, perhaps a superfan will appreciate it more.

Thanks, NetGalley.

This book is a must for any fan of the film Bring It On. It's filled with behind the scenes facts and moments, the incredibly complicated path it took to get made and plenty of cast and crew anecdotes. It's a fun, nostalgic look back on an old favorite. I've definitely got to rewatch the movie now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm absolutely obsessed with this. As someone who grew up cheering Bring It On was a STAPLE growing up & the beginning cheer lives in my head rent free. This was such a cool look into how the movie came to be. Cheerleading at the caliber they performed in the movie was no small feat for a newbie to learn and I'm still so impressed that they were able to pull it off! This movie has had such an impact on so many people, not just cheerleaders, its iconic for a reason. If you're into reading about film, casting, & Hollywood in general I'd definitely recommend this! Especially if Bring It On remains part of your lexicon today.

In 2006, a friend introduced me to Eliza Dushku and I quickly sought out all of her roles. When it came time to watch Bring it On, I put the DVD in the player with a sense of embarrassment as I hit play. But when I actually watched the movie, I was surprised by how much it had going for it.

I was one of the teens who wasn’t accepted by cheerleaders. Yet by the time the Toros reached Nationals, I was so completely hooked that I cried happy tears for the Clovers (and I still do to this day).

Reading this book made one of my comfort movies even better. There wasn’t much in the way of any scandals. Instead, everyone looked back on making the film with so much fondness. And that right there is why you should buy this book. Because it talks about all the important stuff (racial inequality, homophobia, etc.), but it also shows the sheer joy that so many people experienced while filming. That’s a really rare occurrence and it should be celebrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Bring It On opened August 25, 2000. I still remember the anticipation of waiting for it to be released in theaters and when it was finally out on dvd. The movie still holds up today and this book is the perfect companion piece. The book documents the idea of the movie all the way to the final product and literally everything that comes in between and after as well as all of its cultural touch points. It’s incredibly detailed and brings to light just how complicated and tiresome it can be to get a movie made.

The author’s voice is engaging and pulls you right back into the late 90s/early 00s. She has great humor throughout. You are along for the ride and immersed in the experience of the journey of the film. Even the most minute details add to the setting and feel of the experience being told. The flow of the book is easy, breezy. I really enjoyed reading the cast’s perspectives of that time and the intricate way a film is made from start to finish. The author does a great job of explaining what it was that resonated with the audience back then to make it iconic and why the movie is so relevant to social conversations today. I wish some of the interviewee quotes had been edited down so they weren’t so conversational because at times these people rambled to make their point and there were a lot of “yeah” “like” and “um” that could have been removed.

Such a fun read that I couldn’t seem to put down and once I finished it I had to rewatch the movie. This book is highly recommended for fans of the movie as well as teen movies from this time frame.

Thank you to Independent Publishers Group & Chicago Review Press for this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bring It On is a fun, quick read with a detailed look at the hit movie Bring It On. If you were a fan of the film, this is an excellent book to get your hands on. It's nostalgic and fun. Be sure to check it out!

Once upon a time I was obsessed with this movie and use to watch it nightly before I went to sleep. Like I said obsessed. So when I saw this I figured it would be interesting to read this book and learn more about the movie and take a trip back down nostalgia lane. Now after reading this I feel the need to go rewatch the movie since I haven’t seen it in many years.