The author tried to parallel the school musical Othello with the growing tension between Liv, Eli and Dré in Smash It! Othello deals with racism, jealousy and suspicion, Smash It! was messy and full of teen angst. It felt forced, stereotypical and fell flat. There were too many things going on. Had the book simply focused on the F*ck It List, what Liv learned and the final outcome without so many unneeded details, it would've been a much better read.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy! This story appealed to me because my daughter recently joined the drama club at school. She spends every afternoon with these kids and can’t wait to call them when she gets home. They hang out together as a large group, and sometimes smaller groups on weekends. That’s the same sense of theater family i got when Olivia, ‘O’, ‘Liv’, found her people at Othello. The friendship she formed with Jackie and Lennox reminds me so much of my daughters experience! I enjoyed reading about how her confidence builds throughout the book, from a wallflower to a social butterfly with the boyfriend of her dreams. I would recommend this story as a coming of age book to the high school students i work with.

Smash It! is a fun romp through high school set in Orlando, FL. Olivia "O" is 17, black, and curvy. She also keeps her head down and lacks self confidence. Until now. She decides to get out of her comfort zone and creates the Fuck It List. Her two best friends, Eli and Dre, have been her sidekicks for years, but are the holding her back? They try out for the school musical, Othello, and meet new friends. The drama motto "Smash It" has more than one meaning with lots of focus on teenage hormones and obsessing about sex. This book is about friendship, being, body positive, and being true to yourself. The story has a satisfying ending.

I loved this book. I loved all of the characters and how all of the stories were intertwined on multiple levels. It felt so good to be thrown into this book and I really enjoyed diving into this book. It kept me interested the whole time and aside from a few spelling errors, it was very well written. I would definitely read more books from her!

I thought the book was well done. The summary of it left a bit more to be desired, but it did lead me to believe that this would be a more relaxing and fun read. I don't think I was particularly in the right mood for this book, and thus I did not enjoy it as much. If you want a bit of a lighter read, this is a good choice!