*I received a digital review copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review. This was probably a 4 1/2 but I decided to round up.

Cancelled is a timely story reminiscent in some ways to Moxie, perhaps in that snarky, pro-feminist manner. Brynne is a scholarship student at an expensive private school just barely making it thanks to her special services as a texting flirt coach. She has dreams of Stanford and has the grades to prove it, but her life comes tumbling down when a social media post paints her as a vilan making a conquest of her former best friend's boyfriend, the entire school turns against her, as cancel culture will.

With a small group of people who are still on her side, Brynne sets out to discover who was really behind the video and to clear her name. But at the same time, she has to confront the double standards that impact high school girls and the dangerous nature of social media. An excellent high school read.

Great writing and cast of characters! At times I felt that the story fell flat, but I think that has more to do with my personal preferences than anything. Overall, would recommend it to anyone who loves a good YA read!

I love this. The cover really drew in, but it was the characters that kept me there from the first page. Can’t wait to read what’s next from this author.

I couldn't get into this one. The description seemed sort of basic, but I thought there was potential. It didn't get my attention, but I can see the target audience liking this. I think the cover is decent and the title is fine, but may deter some readers (which maybe that's the point).

4.6 rounded up to 5/5

"Cancelled" by Farrah Penn is an empowering and thought-provoking read that navigates the complexities of high school culture, cancel culture, and feminism. Brynn Whittaker, the protagonist, not only grapples with a school-wide scandal but also takes on the pervasive misogyny in her school.

One of the standout elements of the book is Brynn's compelling narration. Her voice is authentic and engaging, allowing readers to connect with her on a personal level. The story doesn't unfold in the predictable way, providing a refreshing perspective on the theme.

The novel successfully incorporates various aspects of feminism, offering a well-rounded representation. Additionally, the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ representation adds depth to the narrative, contributing to the book's overall inclusivity.

The 'who-done-it' aspect of the story adds an intriguing layer, keeping readers engaged and invested in uncovering the truth. The narrative covers tough issues, addressing cancel culture and its impact on individuals while also portraying the resilience of friendships and personal growth.

While the book is commendable for its exploration of relevant themes and its authentic portrayal of characters, the ending does feel somewhat rushed.

In summary, "Cancelled" stands out as a powerful coming-of-age story that addresses important issues in today's society. Farrah Penn's skillful storytelling and Brynn's compelling narrative make it a worthwhile read, offering a blend of empowerment, friendship, and social commentary.

This was a really empowering story to read.

I loved how all aspects of feminism were represented and how the people in this story truly ended up respecting each other’s choices, showing that one size does not fit all when it comes to empowerment. There was also an awesome amount of representation in this book.

Brynn, the main character, was mistakenly framed for a filmed act at a party and the story details how she takes back her power in the midst of this awful shaming.

Brynn is incredibly witty and strong and her narration was fantastic. I love how her character truly grew throughout the story and how she learned so much about herself, her friends, and how the world views women.

Also, Cadence rocks.

This was a great read. 4 stars!

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

Honestly, I didn't really love this one. I didn't hate it either, so there's that. I think I will have trouble with remembering I even read it by next week.

**Thanks Penguin Group via NetGalley for the opportunity to read prior to publishing.

This story was charming, infuriating, breathtaking, inspiring, rage-inducing, and frustrating all in one swoop! The character seemed so real to me, like they would be in my next class. I adored the main characters and routed for them the entire time. This author made me care. That’s no small feat. I was thoroughly invested and really loved this story, even though I am well past the target age range!

I am honestly and pleasantly surprised by this book! It wasn’t entirely what I thought it was going to be and didn’t play out how I expected, and honestly it was better that way! The discussion and exploration into cancel culture shows how it affects someone and how one must thoroughly consider their actions with social media. I appreciated the representation of the LGBTQIA+ and discussion of teen pregnancy as well.
For any young adults, I definitely recommend this book, especially if you grew up with social media as a constant in your life. I feel like I can relate to this in some aspects because of being only 24, but I know that those in middle and high school will have a better time finding the deeper meaning behind this novel.
If I had to have one concise critique it’s that the ending of the novel (especially the last 20-30 pages) felt rushed. I wish it would have been thought out more to give the reader more content, but also think the story would have dragged on.
Such a good, witty read for all!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this novel!

♡ 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
♡︎ 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑔𝑒
♡︎ 𝐶𝑦𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑒𝑝
♡ 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦
♡︎ 𝐷𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
♡︎ 𝑆𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝐵𝑢𝑟𝑛

Cancelled" is a captivating and clever story that blends humor, boldness, and originality, making it a must-read hit. The author skillfully tackles diversity, gender equality, and societal issues with a fearless approach. The slow-burning romance adds an extra touch of charm that will leave you smiling.

Meet Brynn Whittaker, a text whisperer navigating the tricky waters of love for others while guarding her own heart. When a Halloween party video goes viral, Brynn faces cyberbullying and slut-shaming, unfairly blamed by her estranged best friend. Amidst the chaos, unexpected allies like teen mom Cadence and her artsy brother Charlie offer support, complicating Brynn's life in the most delightful way.
As Brynn unravels the mystery behind the attacks, the story unfolds with wit and intrigue. Balancing her flirt coach job with matters of the heart, Brynn's resilience is tested. With a rebellious group challenging school traditions, "Cancelled" is a delightful journey reminiscent of cinematic gems like "Mean Girls", “Saved”, and Easy A."

Gosh, if this doesn’t remind you of some instance of your high school life you had a good high school experience.
Friendships, rumors, college acceptance letters- all the stressful stuff of your senior year wrapped in to a quick read.
I liked the characters, the story development and even the ‘who done it’ of the story. I’d check it out when it releases if I were you.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

"Cancelled" is an enthralling and thought-provoking masterpiece that seamlessly weaves together wit, boldness, creativity, and uniqueness, establishing itself as a must-read smash hit. The author's impeccable attention to diversity representation, liberating approach to gender equality, and fearless exploration of issues such as misogyny, girl hate, cyberbullying, and fat/slut shaming contribute to the book's brilliance. Particularly commendable is the author's balanced and objective handling of religion, skillfully intertwined with the narrative's exploration of women's rights and their freedom to make life choices without succumbing to patriarchal traditions.

The slow-blooming Cyrano De Bergerac-inspired romance adds an extra layer of charm to the narrative, capturing the reader's heart and leaving them with a smile.

For enthusiasts of cinematic gems like "Mean Girls," "Easy A," "Juno," "Moxie," and "The DUFF," this book is an absolute recommendation.

Now, let's delve into the captivating main story. Meet Brynn Whittaker, a problem solver and text whisperer, adept at facilitating effective communication for others in the pursuit of romance. Despite her skill, she remains guarded in her own relationships to avoid heartbreak. Brynn's unique side job as a flirt coach, akin to a different version of Otis from "Sex Education," focuses on emotional intimacy and communication rather than the physical.

Her meticulous planning for a future at Stanford takes an unexpected turn at a Halloween party where a viral video surfaces, depicting a girl in a banana costume, identical to Brynn's, engaging in a scandalous act with her ex-best friend's boyfriend. Despite her face being obscured, Brynn becomes the target of malicious rumors and blame from her estranged best friend, Leonora. In the face of misogyny culture, cyberbullying, slut-shaming, and sexism, Brynn finds herself unjustly vilified.

As her situation worsens with a group petitioning to bar her from prom, Brynn discovers unexpected support from Cadence, a teen mom, and her artsy, quirky younger brother, Charlie. Despite the challenges, Brynn starts developing feelings for Charlie, adding a layer of complexity to her life.

The narrative unfolds intriguingly as Brynn grapples with the mystery of who is targeting her and why. As she faces the choice between her lucrative side job and matters of the heart, Brynn's resilience is put to the test. With the foundation laid by Cadence, a group of rebellious individuals emerges, challenging patriarchal traditions and misogyny within the school. The question arises: can these powerful girls reshape the narrative, creating an environment where students feel free to express themselves?

"Cancelled" is a riveting and intelligent read that has undeniably earned its five-star rating, firmly securing its place among my favorite YA fiction books of 2024.

Heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me with this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Brynn Whitaker is halfway through her senior year at Greenlough Academy an elite school where she is known as the Flirt Expert and this is the story of what happened when she got cancelled. This story has humor, depth and a mystery and I was quickly cheering for Brynn and her friends.

Brynn helps students write texts to their crushes - they Venmo her $20 for text help and $50 if they end up with a date. Students at her school are wealthy but Brynn’s family needs money. Her mom works as an assistant day-care manager and they live in an old home where there is always something that needs repair. She has an older brother Smith who has been in and out of expensive rehab for drugs. Her father remarried and has a new family and quit paying child support when Brynn turned eighteen. Brynn works as a Flirt Expert to save money for college.

The trouble started when she wore a banana costume to a Halloween party and then she broke up with her boyfriend when she realized he just wasn’t that into her. She ended up dancing with her two best friends, Tahlia who was dressed as Winifred Sanderson (from Hocus Pocus) with an orange hijab and Marlowe who is trans and went as Lady Gaga. The next day she woke up to find that she was cancelled by everyone except her two best friends. There’s a video making the rounds on Snapchat of what looks like Brynn, in a banana costume performing a sexual act with Duncan, her ex best friend Lenora’s boyfriend. She thinks it will all blow over and that Duncan will explain that it’s not her but he doesn’t -he says it was her (for his own reasons). She becomes the most hated person at school. The odd thing is that no one is upset with Duncan, not even Lenora-she forgives him! The next day, Brynn is crying in the girls bathroom at school when she befriends Cadence, a pregnant teen and one of my favorite characters in the book. Cadence has also been shunned by classmates while her baby daddy has had no repercussions!

It’s wonderful when Cadence and her twin brother Charlie join Brynn, Marlowe and Tahlia to discover who the actual girl was in the video in the banana suit. They uncover clues to the mystery and I couldn’t wait to find out how it would be. But she and her friends are having trouble discovering the mystery banana girl’s identity and students are still ostracizing Brynn.. Cadence comes up with a wonderful idea to start a femolotion club. They hope to bring awareness to how guys are being treated differently than girls - so others can see there's a double standard. Tahlia, Marlowe and others join in and share how hard it’s been for them too. There was a part where this dragged on a bit but the ending was great.

Brynn and Charlie become close as they work on the mystery and he gives her surfing lessons. Brynn admires the artwork he creates and they share some kisses. He is genuine, down to earth and trying to help his sister during her pregnancy. It's sweet when he makes a special gift for Brynn and tells her he thinks she’s smart, loyal and funny.

I recommend this to readers who enjoy coming of age stories, especially when it covers tough issues and we see how good friends can help us through tough times. This was 4 and a half stars for me but I rounded up to 5!

Cancelled is a YA novel. (I'm 50+), but i loved Cancelled. I was so hooked on this book.

Brynn provides dating/flirting advice to her high school peers; until she is framed on social media. Then she is excluded by most of her friends.

I was captivated by the beautiful cover and the book description, but then i was quickly drawn into this novel.

Each chapter starts with three "texts" that are being circulated by peers at the school. It is a very creative technique that provides a lot of insight without bogging down the story with unnecessary characters. I hadn't seen this technique used in other novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group, Penguin Young Readers Group for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Cancelled in exchange for an honest review. This is Farrah Penn's second novel. Many thanks to NetGalley for introducing me to another "new to me" author.
Publication date is 19 Mar 2024.

So ... the protagonist of Cancelled is a high schooler whose mom is raising her daughter solo and they don't have a lot of extra money. Immediately after reading Cancelled, i happened to start reading Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl by Zarifa Abida. Novel to memoir. Both high school students with mothers and no father. Absolutely mind-blowing going from one book to the next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an advance E-Copy of Cancelled by Farrah Penn in exchange of an honest review.

"Cancelled by Farrah Penn is a powerful and emotionally resonant book that tackles timely and relevant themes with depth and nuance. Through the story of Brynn, a high school senior caught in the throes of cancel culture, Penn provides a thought-provoking exploration of the impact of social media in today's society. The author adeptly addresses the issues faced by teenage girls, shedding light on the unique challenges they encounter and the unfair burden they often bear. The portrayal of Brynn's determination to prove her innocence in the face of a damning video speaks to the strength and resilience of young women. Penn's writing captures the complexities of identity, sexuality, and gender, making the reader question the consequences of snap judgments and online shaming. In addition to its powerful narrative, "Cancelled" boasts a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, each contributing to the richness of the story with their unique experiences and backgrounds. This inclusivity highlights the importance of representation in literature and celebrates the beauty of diversity. Overall, "Cancelled" is an engaging and culturally significant book that not only entertains but also sparks meaningful conversations about social media, gender, and the power of empathy."

cancelled was such a fun book! it was a very nice read, the writing flowed very well, and i found both the story and the characters interesting and engaging. i haven't read a fun and messy ya book like this one in while, it was such a breath of fresh air. the characters felt realistic and flawed, same with the storyline, and the themes that were discussed in the book (feminism, sexuality, teen pregnancy, addiction, slutshaming) were explored and explained in a way that fit the young adult contemporary genre, so i think the target audience will appreciate it, i think teenage me would have loved even more and devoured this book even faster than i have! also, last but not least, the romance was one of the main parts of the book but it didn't overshadow the rest and it was so so so cute.

arc provided by netgalley and penguin young readers group/viking books for young readers in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, but also held a powerful message.

Brynn has been cancelled. It would be one thing if it were for something she did, but she did not hook up with her ex-best friend’s boyfriend in a banana costume. When the video circulates, everyone thinks it’s her automatically and there goes her flirt coach business. She can’t afford to lose that. If she does, the next time something breaks in her house, they won’t be able to fix it and the next time her brother needs rehab, that’ll be out of the question too. Brynn and her friends decide they have to do something about the anti feminist views in their high school. So begins the femolution. What started out as a fairly selfish agenda to try and help her figure out who the imposter banana girl was, turns into an actual movement for change. When Brynn does finally find out who it was, will she rat them out or does that go against everything she now stands for?

This dragged for me, however I appreciated the powerful message behind it and I think girls of a middle school/high school age should read it. I liked Brynn as a character, but found she came off quite whiny. My favorite character was probably Cadence-I would def be friends with that girl. Charlie and Brynn’s relationship evolution was a cute, added bonus.

I enjoyed this story overall and loved the themes of friendship, relationships, forgiveness and cancel culture.

3.5 ⭐️

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.

Brynn, who is building a rep for helping out her fellow high school students in the art of successful text courtship, finds herself totally cancelled when a video circulates depicting a sex act for which she gets blamed. She sets out to prove that it was not her in the vid, by discovering who the true culprit was--and on the search, she makes a lot of discoveries about herself as well as her fellow students.

It sounds like the setup for a seventies Problem Novel, but the snarky voice and the fast pace keep the story moving. It's entertaining rather than harrowing, and the way the girls come together to bring home the truth about the double standard had me mentally doing a fist pump. I really enjoyed this book a whole lot.

Such a fun YA read! And I know "fun" looks funny given the topic of the book, but I think the author handled the topics so well and in such a teenage way. The adults felt realistic (unfortunately and fortunately), the teens were all distinct with their personalities and voices and very teenage, and I loved the personal arc that Brynn took. Her friendships were so genuine and sweet. I loved Cadence and how the author handled teen pregnancy too.

The romance was sweet, subtle, and age and story appropriate. It was definitely not the driving force and wasn't the A Plot, but it was weaved in as a really nice subplot. It was also mildly annoying in a very teenage sense where you just want Brynn to talk to Charlie and ask him if he's interested in another girl. But haven't we all been there--afraid to put ourselves out there for love--especially as a teenager where heartbreak feels like the thing you'll never get over?

All-in-all, a really enjoyable, unique read! I liked this title a lot, but I'm not sure I loved it, which is the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars. It was well written, engaging, and a quick read where you want to/need to know what happens next. If I could give half stars, this would probably be a 4.25 or 4.5 stars, honestly.

A great read with multiple great messages for teens!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

This book lost me pretty quickly with the blowjob video circulating around high school, and I never caught back up.