We start here with a familiar situation - girls changing friendships in the middle grade years. But it extends far beyond that expected pathway. Because Conklin brings in so many other aspects. We're looking at anxiety, sexual harassment, and selfish friendships. All of these characters end up taking a closer look at their behavior and relationships, not just one. While not an especially comfortable read it opens the door to some important conversations with young readers and that's valuable.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Eve and Sophie have been best friends for years, but when Eve returns to school after a six-week absence, their relationship starts to shift as Eve becomes involved with the Crash Crew. Sophie, who is battling "the Shakes," is determined to find out why Eve was gone and what’s drawing her to this reckless group.

The Crash Crew is notorious for their wild challenges, captured through videos and photos, with stunts ranging from harmless marshmallow games to planking around town. With recent changes to the crew's lineup, Sophie becomes more invested in discovering the truth behind Eve’s absence and the crew’s influence.

Melanie Conklin expertly navigates themes of social media dares, friendship, and the impact of photo sharing. The alternating perspectives from Eve, Sophie, and other characters provide a deeper layer to the plot. Highly recommended for middle school readers.

As someone who volunteered at countless middle school book fairs and was on the author visit committee for years, please hear me when I say this is the kind of contemporary fiction book many, many kids ages 8-12 want and share with their friends.

CRUSHED realistically gets into the heads of middle schoolers who navigate so many changes at once.

(OMG middle school can be TOUGH, right?)

This book will make so many kids and adults feel seen and feel better equipped to stand up for themselves and others.

It’s a story about growing pains between best friends, while gently, clearly and (in age-appropriate ways) weaving in topics like:

- Consent (digital and physical)
- Social media “challenges”
- Rumors
- Peer pressure
- Consequences
- Navigating middle school social structures
- Firsts! (dance, crush, new friend)
- Empathy
- Mental health
- Trusting your gut and when to trust other people (peers and adults)

There’s also a real mystery unraveling as the students learn forensic skills in class, adding an undercurrent that keeps the reader turning the page, trying to figure it out along with the characters.

I felt the influence of a less-dramatic, younger Mean Girls (the new one) in the storytelling, making it engaging, relatable and you come out of it thinking about everyone’s choices (windows & mirrors!).

Vibes like WONDER, but addressing social media and #metoo for this age group.

I’m so glad this book exists, and hope it finds its way into many, many readers’ hands.

I will be completely honest; I am absolutely in love with just how open and honest Middle-Grade novels have been lately and I am super proud that there is this resource presenting real problems and solutions to kids and young teens in a safe space.

This middle-grade novel takes the time to dive deep into the feelings of a friendship growing apart and dissolving in ways that I have never truly seen represented in middle-grade writing before.
The novel follows Sophie as she tries to navigate seventh grade with her newly discovered and ever-growing anxiety issues, and she tries to stay friends with her best friend Eve (who has been away from school and their social circles dealing with her own mental health issues).
Over the course of the novel, Sophie learns coping skills, the importance of communication, and how to begin growing and applying her own inner strength with the help of her family, an unexpected new friend, and a new therapist.
I really enjoyed how the therapy sessions were handled. They weren’t gate-keep-ey or too preach-ey. The coping skills used were some that I don’t see talked about very often; so I’m glad that readers can see them implemented here. The main ones’ used were grounding using touch (in this case an ice pack), rewatching things that provide calm and comfort (Sophie likes documentaries, and visualization (picturing a place that makes you happy; Sophie likes the beach).
The one negative that I have with this novel is that I wish that the adults were better at communicating and explaining why they think and feel things the way that they do; like, kids need decision-making explained to them in detail.
I also wish that some of the positives of social media were shown as well, but I understand that this wasn’t that type of novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was a quick read; I was able to finish it within a couple of hours. I think that this novel could be used to open and create a lot of important conversations between parents and kids. I would recommend this novel to upper elementary-aged kids and older. Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Books For Young Readers for this early review copy.

A heartfelt middle grade story about changing friendships, peer pressure, and the courage to speak up when lines are crossed,

This one covered hard topics… it was one that brought things into the light and made every day life of things middle schooler face.

I am so impressed as to how realistically middle school is depicted. It might be some of the hardest years of our lives but at the same time, this author has created such a lovable character that you almost want to be 12-13 again and be her friend. Does not shy away, in kid friendly language, from themes of cyber bullying, sexual harassment, and anxiety. I do love that Sophia goes to therapy and learns tools to cope with her panic attacks.
I haven’t read anything by this author before this but I will definitely be looking up her backlist and future work!

Poignant tale of growing up and growing apart.

Crushed is a new middle-grade novel about growing up and growing apart from a childhood friendship. Sophie Valentine weathers bewilderment and heartbreak as her best friend, Eve, inexplicably drifts away from their friendship toward another group of classmates.

Sophie is the twelve-year-old main character whose best friend suddenly takes up with a more popular and outgoing group of kids known for issuing dares to each other and filming the results to post on their social media accounts. She is understandably confused because she feels she’s been the best of friends to Eve, especially over the past months, keeping all her most dire secrets secret and to herself. Young readers are certain to relate to Sophie’s feelings and Eve’s as well when she finally reveals her truths later in the story. Sophie models several different feelings and common relationship woes where readers will find common ground, including dealing with pesky younger siblings, bullying, inappropriate touching, and sexual harassment at school. She also has the usual type of relationships with the adult loved ones in her life and faces the dilemma of when it is okay to break a confidence for someone’s best interest. School issues and friendship changes are accompanied by challenges at home. The family bookstore, still recuperating from the financial damages of being shut down during the COVID pandemic, gets a visit from the local fire inspector and must make some changes to meet code requirements for life safety issues. Sophie’s grandmother, who met her husband at the bookstore and worked side by side with him there until his death, has a hard time emotionally dealing with the necessary changes and how they will affect her memories of their past life. The entire family must come together to find solutions to stay in business and retain their traditions.

With its engaging, down-to-earth characters and the relatable problems of friendship and growing up under the scrutiny of social media, I recommend CRUSHED to middle-grade readers and older.

Conklin, Melanie . Crushed. 2024, 978-0316509176. $16.99. 256p. Grades 4-8

Description: Sophie Valentine would rather be at home than in any social setting (school, the mall, etc.) especially since the COVID lockdown. After her friend Eve tried to harm herself and was out of school for an extended period of time, Sophie is so excited for her to finally be back at school with her. But things between Sophie and Eve just aren’t the same as they were before Eve’s extended absence. Eve starts ditching Sophie to hang out with other kids who Sophie feels are not a good influence causing her to worry more about her best friend. But when Sophie finds out that Eve is hiding something painful from Sophie about what really caused her to harm herself, Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to her friend.

Thoughts: This novel is full of such great messages and will resonate with MANY middle level readers. The author tackles some tough topics such as anxiety, therapy, changing peer groups, and sexual harassment in a such an authentic and delicate manner. Highly recommend this book for upper elementary and middle level readers!

Realistic Fiction

Tags: Anxiety, Sexual Harassment, Friendship, Social groups, Therapy

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

Being in the 6th grade can be incredibly difficult, and this is true for Sophie Valentine. She and her best friend Eve, attend MS477, a magnet school. However, Eve has been absent since Thanksgiving with little explanation, only that she tried to hurt herself. Coming back from winter break is hard, especially when Eve doesn’t meet Sophie at their usual spot. Eve has been spending a lot of time with the a group of kids known as the “Crash Crew,” who do risky YouTube stunts. The more Sophie learns, the more she starts to suspect that the group and especially Chaz, may have had something to do with Eve’s absence. We follow Sophie as she navigates her strained relationship with Eve, and her mental health. Mainly, her anxiety and panic attacks.

Melanie Conklin perfectly tells the story of what it can feel like to be crushed. Because let’s face it, we’ve all felt that way at one time or another. She tackles real battles that young people face everyday. The book moves rather quickly with its realistic plot and strong characterisation should keep readers engaged and the pages turning.

Overall, this is a wonderful book. One that should be read by any young person experiencing struggles with friends or mental health.

Thank you, NetGalley and Melanie Conklin for allowing me to review! As always, my review is my own opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared to my Instagram @fictionluxblog shortly.

This middle-grade speaks of bullying in a way that is a fine line before crossing into crime and illegal. The students act as a group of kids who are just daring each other to do stuff, so they can post viral videos online, but some of them are mean and creepy, they damage property, do vandalism, and steal. They pressure and abuse each other, offend, and create an environment that may lead to self-harm. These are very relatable themes nowadays that make peer pressure worse when associated with social media. At the same time, we follow Sophie, who is dealing with change and making new friends instead.
I love that the author introduces short chapters with the thoughts of extra characters. We also have a great insight into what it is like to go to therapy and how positive it can be in helping to cope with people and what we can't control. There is a very subtle lesson showing that kids are mostly mirrors of their parent's behavior and beliefs (which is not always true but can be).
Sophie is also studying forensics and she uses the knowledge to discover who had harassed her best friend and other girls.
We usually don't see many middle grades about sexual harassment, but this book uses the theme in a very educational way, bringing the opinions of different generations and mentioning the importance of not being quiet. The need for good changes in our society.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the copy.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 I currently have four kids between the ages of ten to thirteen so I am in the thick of it with tween/teen life and it is hard! I can honestly say that I am not sure if it was harder to be in middle school myself or to raise middle schoolers and I am so grateful to authors like Melanie Conklin who provide amazingly beautiful, insightful books like Crushed that help remind me of what my kids experience day in and day out. This is a boon that will speak to readers of all ages and carries such a poignant

Final review will be posted 7/19 on scheduled date with TBR and Beyond Book Tour!

Sophie is trying to navigate a world in which her best friend returns to school after a long absence and everything has changed. All of the sudden, Eva wants to hang out with the ultra-cool "Crash Crew" and, even worse, Sophie discovers her bff is keeping a secret from her. Not just any secret––the painful truth about why she left school in the first place. Sophie has to try to make sense of the new social hierarchy and try to uncover what is really going on. Luckily, their class is doing a unit on forensic investigation, so she's getting good at piecing together clues––hopefully she can figure things out before the situation gets even worse. This is a realistic, heartfelt novel about a girl trying to navigate the complicated––and sometimes toxic––middle school experience that will resonate with middle grade readers. I especially love how the author wove forensic science into the story!

This is a middle grade story that takes on a lot of things, and yet it all works, somehow. Sophie’s best friend has tried to either commit suicide or do some sort of self-harm to herself, and was out of school for six weeks. She told everyone, but Sophie that she had mono. But Sophie knows, and has to keep it to herself.

And when Eve, her friend returns, she wants nothing to do with Sophie. Sophie can’t figure out why she is now spending time with the “dare” kids, called the “Crash Crew” who like to do dares for social media.


At first the story looks like those typical middle grade stories of kids falling out, as they grow and change, but actually this is more. This is how social media can mess up your life. We also get to see Sophie go to therapy, where she learns of ways to cope. And we get to meet other kids in her orbit, including those in the Gay Straight Alliance.

I liked how we got to see Sophie realize what was going on, and how she can solve the problem of Eve, as well as make new friends. Adding the social media adds and added twist to solve the mystery of who has been harassing Eve online.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will come out on July 16th 2024.

I can only imagine how impactful this book will be for young readers. Crushed follows middle-schooler Sophie as she navigates changing friendships, peer pressure, and her own anxiety. This book is very raw for a middle grade read and isn't afraid to explore hard issues like self-harm and harassment. In fact, it did such a good job that I actually found it a little tough to read sometimes. Because I really felt what Sophie was going through.

I also really enjoyed the parallel of the two mysteries in the story: what happened to Eve and the mystery of the "murder" in their forensics class. The supporting cast of characters were great, especially Sophie's family, who were her number one fans. I loved seeing the support they showed for her and the way therapy and talking about your mental health was normalized.

I don't read a ton of middle grade but it's obvious to me that this book is a must for kids and classroom shelves.

This is a great book for all middle graders to read. It deals with hard stuff, but it does it really well. We have a look at panic attacks and how they are affecting Sophie and how she goes to therapy to help learn tools to get through them. We see her struggling with changes in friendships. We see the making of new friends, but feeling the loss and change of old ones.
Sexual harassment is dealt with in the this book and I think Conklin does a really great job of addressing it. So many kids are on social media these days and things like this are happening all the time. I liked that Sophie wanted to help her friend, but didn't want to get her in trouble. And figuring out how to deal with the emotions that go along with all of that. I liked that Sophie's parents are there for her, especially her mom and are open and honest with her. Every kid needs to have someone in their life to talk to, especially if things like this are happening to them. I think the way this topic is addressed and handled in this book, is really great and a good example for other kids out there. There is also shown of how teachers deal with things and how they don't always handle them the way we expect.

This is a book that needs to be in every library.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story follows a girl who has a lot of anxiety and starts having best friend troubles. Sophie is very relatable and the author does a wonderful job of describing what Sophie’s anxiety feels like and looks like on the outside. The therapist she ends up seeing gives a lot of strategies and wise words to Sophie. Because Sophie was willing to put in the work to improve, therapy is very successful for her. Others with anxiety issues or friend problems would benefit from reading this book. The changes in Sophie and her friend Eve are realistic and appropriate. There is a social media aspect to this story that is very important to discuss with kids as they head to middle school. It is social media that causes the main problem between characters. I kind of wish that had been made a little stronger in the book, but it is also effective in its simplicity if you are willing to think about it and learn something from Eve’s experience.

Crushed is absolutely fantastic. This book brought me back to my middle school years and I hope this book ends up in the hands of so many middle schoolers. I genuinely believe it could provide comfort during the growing pains of growing up and make a big difference in their lives.

Anxiety and panic attacks are discussed in a way that I wish I could have read about when I was younger. Not only are difficult topics handled with care, but there are scientific explanations about anxiety and healthy coping mechanisms are included that could be used by readers, if need be.
This book handles friendship struggles, social media, boundaries, consent, and so many things that make middle school so difficult. Even the way that family dynamics, loss, and parental support is included was beautiful.

I will absolutely be reading Melanie’s backlog of novels and will look forward to what comes next!

Review To Come in mid July! Thank you to TBR and Beyond Book tours, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to be a part of this tour. This review will be updated in mid July.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

This book was a complete home run for me. Though there is a storyline about family, and working together to save the family bookstore, this book does a fantastic job capturing middle school friendships and some of the hardest parts of those friendships. I've loved Melanie Conklin's previous middle grade books, but this one is a great one to accompany Barbara Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You and Kate Messner's Chirp. All three tackle sexual harassment and abuse in very different but important ways. They draw hard lines for young readers, and do it in a way that feels empowering, even in the face of challenging peer relationships. This is a must read.

One of the best middle grade/young adult books I have ever read. Oh the simple truth, multiple voices sharing their personal experiences but NOT NORMALIZING the harassment? Yes. More of THIS! Friendships change. Boundaries become a thing. Growing spurts. Personality development. And ALL THE AWKWARD.
I loathe middle school - as a child, as a mother, I wish I could just fast forward. Survival is daily effort. Hormones. Friendships. Adjusting to a different school. Just all around no thank you.
Sophie and Eve have been friends forever. Eve wants something different - something Sophie cannot even understand. Why does it feel their friendship has ended? Something happened to Eve right around Thanksgiving - but she doesn't confide in Sophie. After an attempt at self-harm, Eve receives inpatient care. Her return to school secures her place in the Crash Crew - not her friendship with Sophie. What did Sophie do wrong? How will Sophie survive this loss?
Again so well done - family dynamics, parent involvement, school, anxiety. all over stress.