Brynn's world is turned upside down with the circulation of one video on Snapchat-- a video she isn't even in! It looks like she has been caught in a stolen moment with her ex-bestie's boyfriend, but there was someone else in that banana costume, and that person isn't talking. Brynn navigates this disaster as only she can: by finding the REAL banana-wearer. Brynn is inspired to start a club to end "Cancel Culture" and change the way we all judge women in particular for the choices they make. She is able to make deeper connections with her friends by including them in her club; she has a chance to change the culture of her exclusive private school; and even revives her side-hustle as a 'flirt coach.' Brynn has a lot of heart, and a true knack for bringing people together, even if she ends up on the Dean's radar as an instigator. There's enough humor to keep the book from becoming too heavy, and there are plenty of swoon-worthy moments to keep readers coming back for more.

There is a lot of good stuff here: Tough issues like teen pregnancy and trans acceptance are explored with a gentle touch, and the characters all get a chance to grow into better people. Not all of them do grow, but the decision is theirs to make.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguins Young Readers Group for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The views in this review are expressly my own.

I try to keep my reviews spoiler free...

Cancel culture and Mean girls collide in this coming of age, taking back power story set at a prestigious (and toxic) private school in Sunny California.

Brynn is a scholarship student scraping by with a neat side hustle of flirt coaching her classmates into communication and relationship success! Until one fateful Halloween party (and total privacy violation) upends everything.

Brynn and the friends that stand beside her, including the "pregnant teen outcast" (really a stunning and confident character) work, with sometimes backwards results, to clear Brynn's name.

Brynn and her friends even start a femolution club on campus to try to flip the toxic masculinity of the school on its head.

This was the most realistic portrait of how toxic school culture can affect teenagers. The snarky writing style reminded me of Maureen Johnson, and I felt that the the characters were all really fleshed out well, despite some stereotypical character tropes.

This would be a great book for high school juniors and seniors to read to build more empathy, as I am sure similar issues are unfolding in high schools today.

A solid 4-star book. I cannot wait to read whatever Farrah Penn writes next!

Brynn is going into her senior year at the top of her game. Her “Flirt Coach” business is doing well, and she has the grades to get that letter of recommendation she so desperately needs to get into her #1 choice school. Halloween approaches and she goes to a party in a banana costume. Soon thereafter, a picture of a person in a compromising position is posted on social media, everyone assumes it is Brynn. When push comes to shove, the girl is getting the bad rap, and what is the boyfriend getting for cheating on his girlfriend; nothing. Brynn and her friends form a group and work to change the misogynistic aura at school, while working to figure out who is in the banana suit. Funny at times and very realistic feeling about social media and how it can change a person’s life. Thank you to Ms. Penn, Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own. Great book! Going to buy a copy for the classroom.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This was interesting. I felt really bad for the bullying concepts and it showed me how powerful social media is and how prevalent the shaming can be in high schools. I was proud of Brynn for not letting it get to her.

"Cancelled" by Farrah Penn is a timely and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of social media culture, the consequences of our online actions, and the possibility of redemption in the digital age. Penn masterfully navigates these themes with a delicate balance of humor, heartache, and hope, crafting a narrative that is not only engaging but also deeply resonant with the current social landscape.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its authentic depiction of teenage life in the era of social media. Penn captures the pressure to curate a perfect online persona, the instant gratification of likes and shares, and the harsh reality of online backlash with sharp insight and authenticity. The characters' online interactions are as compelling and complex as their real-life ones, highlighting the blurring lines between our digital and physical selves.

"Cancelled" also excels in its exploration of the phenomenon of cancel culture. Penn invites readers to consider the ramifications of public shaming, the potential for change and growth in individuals, and the importance of empathy in our judgments of others. The novel prompts important conversations about accountability, the permanence of online actions, and the humanity behind the screen names and profiles.

Farrah Penn has a knack for writing dialogue that crackles with wit and sincerity, making the characters' interactions a highlight of the novel. The pacing is brisk, with each chapter propelling the story forward and keeping readers hooked until the very end. Despite its serious themes, the book is infused with moments of levity and humor, showcasing Penn's versatility as a writer.

In conclusion, "Cancelled" by Farrah Penn is a compelling, insightful, and ultimately uplifting read that tackles the challenges of growing up in the digital age with grace and wisdom. It's a must-read for anyone who has ever felt the sting of online judgment or questioned the impact of their digital footprint. With its engaging plot, relatable characters, and timely themes, "Cancelled" is a standout novel that resonates with the zeitgeist of our times.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This story highlights how tough it is to navigate in this new cancel culture we are in and how thin the lines between diversity and inclusion are. Though the setting is in a high school, the themes are relatable in other areas of adulthood. While I finished this book in a weekend, I feel like it could have been a lot shorter in length, as a number of pages were repetitive in content and just reworded. Cancelled is a good way to learn how quickly things can become negative and how every decision we make not only impacts ourselves but others.

Love, love, loved!

Girl power at its snarkiest. I loved Brynn and how she handles life. We can all learn a thing or two. And Charlie 😍

Definitely will be highly recommending this to my students!

This book is amazing, I think it might actually be one of my favorites for the year. It reminded me of the movies Saved! and Moxie with a sprinkle of Olivia Rodrigo’s song Get Him Back. Brynn was an incredible main character and her journey dealing with her personal and family issues were so relatable. I think the author did such an amazing job at capturing the impact that cancel culture can have on people and this story did a wonderful job at depicting.

I REALLY enjoyed this YA and would definitely recommend it!

Cancelled by @farrahpenn follows Brynn as she navigates her senior year, which has turned out to be a lot more challenging than she would have previously thought. Seen by her peers as the flirt expert, she even runs a small business helping classmates flirt with their crushes or problem solve disastrous text convos, in an effort to get would-be couples back on track. When a sexual act at a party is caught on video featuring someone wearing the same Halloween costume Brynn wore, and then goes viral, Brynn's reputation suddenly takes a turn.

Cancelled takes on Cancel Culture in a really relatable way. It also handled a lot of mature themes in a serious but also fairly light way, which I think might help teens reading it to remember that there are serious consequences for things like sexting and teen pregnancy but the ostracization that can occur, especially in high school, is something that you can have some control over handling. I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ themes within the book and the discussions of feminism and gender equality both in heteronormative culture (ie. men getting approval for sex acts while women get shamed) and also in the LGBTQ+ community. I also appreciated discussions around sex ed and healthy sexuality.

This is the kind of book the YA genre needs, and one that I know YA readers will love. I'm looking forward to reading what Penn comes out with next! Cancelled is available now. Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @penguinteen for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome book!

I was a little skeptical at the start of this novel - I felt like the author was trying a little hard to be “edgy” with some themes and dialogue, but I ended up really liking this. I think the idea of revenge could have gone is so many directions and this was done well. I would definitely recommend to my students!

Deliciously snarky style and a wickedly fast paced story covers a tale that resonates with some hard looks at the double standard still in play even in the twenty first century.

This felt like a standard YA novel for me. There were times where I kept thinking, "Why doesn't Brynn just do X?" For such a smart protagonist, it surprised me that she missed some obvious questions and clues that she could have been asking (like about who was wearing the banana costume in the video that goes viral.)

Also, I had a hard time buying into the fact that Brynn and her mother were really hurting for money. There are a couple of instances where things broke and there was an immediate need for cash. But other than that, I never really got the sense that there wasn't, say, enough food in the house or that Brynn and her mom had to give up on necessities in order to survive. Were their budgets tighter than the people around them? Yes, but everything is relative. Brynn and her mom live in a fancy town with fancy cars and uber-rich people. I got the sense that their "money troubles" were actually more what normal middle-class life is like. Again, this is just based on what the narration and Brynn herself share.

I was confused, too, about Brynn's personal philosophy. At one point, she talks about how she can't count on anyone but herself. About three pages later, she says she can count on her mom and herself. Which is it?

Lastly, I felt like this book was another one of those YA novels trying to solve all of society's problems all at once. The result is that all the of the issues in the story feel like watered-down versions of themselves. And even though the questions Brynn and her friends raise are good talking points, occasionally the way they dealt with those questions -- the actions they took to address them or to bring about change -- felt flippant. They felt, for lack of a better descriptor, very stereotypically "California."

This one wasn't for me, although I'm sure there are others who will enjoy it.

Thank you to #NEtGalley, Farrah Penn, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Brynn is having an amazing senior year. Her grades are great and she has a thriving business as a flirt coach that she hopes to use the funds to pay for her dream school, Standford University. Everything comes to a screeching halt though when a video goes viral at the first school party, Brynn finds herself in the middle of a huge mess. No one believes that it is not her in the video and she has to find a way to prove it is not her, so she doesn't lose the chance to go to her dream school. Will Brynn find out who's in the video or will she let it go?

A good YA read about being yourself, but also understanding the dangers and issues that come with cyberbullying.

Unfortunately, this is not a book for me. I’m sure a lot of what is in this book happened when I was in high school way back when but I tried to stay away from those circles. Or maybe it’s having it spelled out on paper makes it more annoying. I certainly wouldn’t want any teen/young adult reading what I read in the first chapter. The sexual innuendos, the alcohol, and the language was more than I want to read at my age. I was hoping that I could read a book to help me relate to my granddaughter as she moved into this age, but there is no way I would ever let her read such a thing. I will stay in my prudish world and be happy for it. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Brynn is in her senior year focusing on applying to college when a video starts circulating that everyone believes is her. Despite repeatedly saying it's not her, most of her classmates think she's lying and start treating her badly. Even though the boy in the video was cheating on his girlfriend, no one is blaming him and they're focusing all their vitriol on Brynn. Brynn is worried this will affect her college application process so she sets out to find out who the person is in the video. As part of the search, she starts a club called Femolution focused on addressing the culture of misogyny and discrimination at her school and learns more about herself in the process. Overall, a book with a strong message of treating people equally and helping and supporting others. While Brynn was way more understanding than most would be in that situation, it was refreshing that she wasn't solely out for revenge even when others were clearly using her as a scapegoat and she reevaluated what she wanted as she learned more.

Cute for YA ... I think I have just officially grown out of YA books...so sad
Could be very empowering for young girls

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not the type of book I would typically read based on the title or cover, but it sounded so interesting that I had to read it. I’m so glad I did! It was funny, interesting, and after reading it I find that it actually does fit very well into my genre of books and I’m glad I didn’t judge this book before reading it!

Brynn Whittaker is a fixer. If you’ve been trying to text with your crush and made it awkward, she can fix it for you. She has a way of knowing just what to say to get things back on track, and get that person back on your side. It’s her side hustle, and she does well at her private school, where all her peers come from money. As a scholarship student, she is not that lucky, so she works hard to make things break her way. Until they don’t.

For Halloween, she dresses up in her favorite banana costume and goes to the big senior party with her boyfriend Otto. But he is paying more attention to the alcohol and his football friends than he is to her feelings, so she decides the time is right to break up with him. They leave the party, and it’s not until the next day that Brynn finds out that her world has turned upside down. Someone has posted a video of someone in a banana costume in a sexual moment with Duncan, the boyfriend of her ex-best friend Lenora.

And just like that, Brynn goes from the professional flirt to the class pariah. She tells everyone that she was not the banana in the video, but most people don’t believe her. They know that she and Lenora have been enemies for a long time, so they believe that she had done this to hurt her former friend. So Brynn has to figure out a way to fight back.

Her closest friends believe her and stick with her, and she finds new friends in twins Cadence and Charlie. Cadence is pregnant, so she’s a pariah at school too, and her brother is an artist who pushes the boundaries of the conservative bent to the school, so they can understand what Brynn is going through. And Cadence is the one who breaks into Duncan’s car to try to find evidence of his cheating. And while they find something, it’s not enough to figure out who he’s cheating with.

Brynn decides it’s time to pivot. She wants to get into Stanford, so it will take something special for her to get noticed, and to salvage what’s left of her senior year. So she and her friends decide to start a new club at school, Evolution of Feminism. It’s a chance for them to explore how women are treated in society, or anyone who has felt shamed for something they have done or worn or wanted. It gives her strength and helps her focus on her truth.

As Brynn focuses on her strengths and on her future, she finds that the support of her friends helps her through some dark moments. But it’s not until she learns to be honest with herself that she’s able to open herself to healing, to mending fences, to better relationships with her family, and to love.

Cancelled is a young adult novel about the challenges of today’s high school experience. The academic pressure is tough, but the social pressure is even more difficult, and this story explores all those themes with a character who is smart, strong, feisty, and willing to grow into a better person. Brynn makes mistakes along the way, but she is willing to own them and do what she can to fix them, and I thought that was so admirable.

I really enjoyed Cancelled. There are so many thoughtful twists to this story and sweet moments between Brynn and her friends. Watching this story unfold was lots of fun, seeing how Brynn took things in stride and tried to make choices that were good for her but also good for those around her was inspiring. Anyone fighting against cancel culture and shaming women into behaving in ways that old-fashioned culture norms look down on will enjoy Brynn’s journey through her senior year and ways this character makes strides toward a better future.

Egalleys for Cancelled were provided by Viking Books for Young Readers through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This is a book that really grew on me. At first, I thought it was just another YA book with a lot of teen drama about Brynn, who is raked through the coals by her peers after a video is posted of a sexual act. Everyone assumes it's her, and she is slut-shamed for it. One of the problems with the video's release is that Brynn loses business as the school's resident flirt advisor, a modern-day Cyrano for her peers. Her family needs the money because her brother Smith is in and out of rehab, and her mother enables him. There is A LOT going on in this book.

On Brynn's quest to discover who posted the video, she has a lot of realizations about herself and the misogyny that is rampant in school and society. These realizations are the best part of the book. Brynn's best friends support her the entire. She makes a new friend, Cadence, who has also been shunned because she's a pregnant teen. There's a lot to love in this book when it comes to the diverse representation of teenagers and strong, funny, clever females. Brynn starts a Femolution at her school, and shows everyone that canceling women for doing the same thing men do shows a double standard.

Of course, there's a romance plot going on simultaneously, and instead of distracting from the plot, it's actually pretty adorable and adds to it. Charlie is supportive of Brynn from the beginning, and a great role model of a feminist himself.

Overall, the book is based on a pretty relevant and clever premise, with engaging character that you come to really care about. I recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

At Greenlough Academy, Brynn is everyone's go-to person for help with texting their crushes; after all, she's a dating expert and self-proclaimed flirting coach. But when a viral video surfaces after a Halloween party, she's instantly on the outs. All her classmates believe she is the one in the video doing a dirty deed since she was the only one in a banana costume at the party. What makes things even worse is that the guy in the video is her ex-best friend's current boyfriend, Duncan Rowe. Her only hope now is that Duncan will clear the air and tell everyone it wasn't her so things can go back to normal. But when she returns to school and her peers throw all the banana references her way, she realizes it won't be that simple and becomes determined to reveal the real person wearing the banana costume. As the story unfolds, Brynn and her friends work to uncover the truth while also creating a feminist club at their school to start a "femolution" to change how their classmates think and encourage acceptance.

I felt like this book really fell flat. I sensed that the author was trying to push an agenda, and while it was nice to see the main characters feel empowered to drive change at their school, it just felt over the top and like they were trying to take on every possible hot-topic issue. It would have been better if their club just focused on one or two issues instead. Each chapter began with blurbs of what Brynn's classmates were saying about her, and throughout the book, you could see how their opinions changed as the truth came out. At times, I found myself frustrated with Brynn. I realize all of these horrible things were happening to her, but I would have liked to have seen her rise above it better instead of trying to get even. I also never really felt like she had been "canceled." Sure, people at her school were judging her, but she still had her core group of friends and seemed to be doing okay. I was happy to see she was able to mend broken friendships and step outside of her comfort zone. I also enjoyed the little bit of romance that was included. Overall, I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!