Smash It!

This book seemed fun, and the cover is gorgeous and an EASY sell to teens, but unfortunately it was a mess. The overall teen speak was mostly believable, but nothing else was. The main plot was an unintentional fantasy, where everyone male character falls for the main character, Liv, despite her not having a discernable personality other than being obsessed with her attraction to her two best friends (the romantic love triangle trope) and having no confidence until those males (or other females that she was awful towards but only exist to bouy her up) tell her she's actually worthy. She's shown to be horrible to other people, says some really misogynistic things, and by the end of the book, is unrealistically forgiven by everyone, as none of her hurtful actions seem to have consequnces, and the people that she harmed are all - oh, don't worry about it, I'm still obsesed with you, we're good now! There are major plot threads/holes - like Dre's nonsensical arrest that's never talked about? And the sort of parental affair that is used to create false boy drama? But most problematically, characters make incredibly harmful and stereotypical jokes about Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and there are two really disgusting lines that I can't believe made it past editors - “Exotic Mulatto” and “I'd let him holy war up in me anytime” - both in reference to a character who is Israeli/Palestinian - and put into the mouth of the character the book goes out of the way to tell you is “blackity-black,” “THAT kind of black,” and “not ghetto but rachet.” Truly, truly bad. Will definiltey not be recommending this book.

I enjoyed this little friends love triangle hiding a story about stretching outside of your comfort zone. Refreshingly frank, accurate, and affirming sex pos discussion.