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A review by thebookishfeminist
Smash It! by Francina Simone
5.0
I am trying to find words to somewhat concisely and coherently summarize my adoration for this book, and I’m struggling to find them! SMASH IT! is a book I can only wish I’d had as a teen. It seamlessly empowers the reader to think about the layers of their own identities, their platonic and romantic relationships, their relationships to themselves and their vision of themselves, their sexuality, their fears and their dreams. I’m in my early 30s and even I found this book refreshing! I cannot imagine being an adolescent and reading this book; I’d have felt so seen and understood if I had had this book 15 years ago. But I also felt seen as a parent. Simone did a remarkable job showing the humanness of parents - the histories we carry with us. It’s like adolescent self and my parenting self were being really SEEN contemporaneously!
SMASH IT! follows Liv as she embarks on a year of self-discovery, grounded in list she makes in an effort to stop holding herself back. She’s a band kid who auditions for musical theatre; a girl who has boy-friends who suddenly finds herself with some close girl-friends AND in some sticky romantic situations; a person who’s trying to assert her uniqueness and individuality within her family but inadvertently does some damage along the way. The layers of relationships are totally relatable, and the sex- and body-positive messages of the book were refreshing and much needed.
I was a theatre kid. I found the theatre at my school during the teenage version of an impossibly hard time in my life, and even now, when I think about the times I’ve felt most ME, most accepted, tuned in, and alive, it’s my time in the theatre. I was blown away by the way Francina Simone captured the high-school theatre community and also the skill and thoughtfulness with which she brought Liv and her relationships to life. I never once felt like in was taken out of the book or the voice; I had as completely immersed in Liv’s story and believed every word of it.
This left me with feelings like the ones I had after I finished The Hate U Give: I didn’t want it to be over. I wanted more of my time to be connected to Liv, Eli, Dré, Lennox, Jackie, and so many other characters. I can envision these people in my mind and, although this isn’t a particularly short read, I didn’t want it to end! I am endlessly grateful to the publisher, Inkyard Press (of Harlequin), and NetGalley for this advance copy. I dannot wait for SMASH IT! to be released. I’m now a massive fan of Francina Simone and will be following along as her writing projects continue.
This review will be posted on my Instagram page, The Bookish Feminist, on 07/23, and will also be posted to my blog.
SMASH IT! follows Liv as she embarks on a year of self-discovery, grounded in list she makes in an effort to stop holding herself back. She’s a band kid who auditions for musical theatre; a girl who has boy-friends who suddenly finds herself with some close girl-friends AND in some sticky romantic situations; a person who’s trying to assert her uniqueness and individuality within her family but inadvertently does some damage along the way. The layers of relationships are totally relatable, and the sex- and body-positive messages of the book were refreshing and much needed.
I was a theatre kid. I found the theatre at my school during the teenage version of an impossibly hard time in my life, and even now, when I think about the times I’ve felt most ME, most accepted, tuned in, and alive, it’s my time in the theatre. I was blown away by the way Francina Simone captured the high-school theatre community and also the skill and thoughtfulness with which she brought Liv and her relationships to life. I never once felt like in was taken out of the book or the voice; I had as completely immersed in Liv’s story and believed every word of it.
This left me with feelings like the ones I had after I finished The Hate U Give: I didn’t want it to be over. I wanted more of my time to be connected to Liv, Eli, Dré, Lennox, Jackie, and so many other characters. I can envision these people in my mind and, although this isn’t a particularly short read, I didn’t want it to end! I am endlessly grateful to the publisher, Inkyard Press (of Harlequin), and NetGalley for this advance copy. I dannot wait for SMASH IT! to be released. I’m now a massive fan of Francina Simone and will be following along as her writing projects continue.
This review will be posted on my Instagram page, The Bookish Feminist, on 07/23, and will also be posted to my blog.