This one wasn’t really for me. I think the premise was a good idea but I found the characters, specifically the main character, very frustrating. I felt like a lot of the side characters were more compelling than the main character and I wished it had been focused on someone else.
Overall 2.5 stars.

I absolutely adored Cancelled by Farrah Penn. It is about high school senior, Brynn, who is working tirelessly to get into her dream school, but when an incriminating video is released the day after Halloween, of someone wearing the exact same Banana costume as she was, scandal ensues. Everyone is convinced that Brynn is the girl in the video, even though she knows it isn’t her, and her reputation is destroyed, threatening everything she has been working for. Now that she is canceled, she teams up with her best friends to figure out who the girl in the video actually is, and how they can clear her name, and stop the rampant misogyny that is happening in their school.

This book gave me major Easy-A vibes, so if you are a fan of that movie, this book is for you! It was such an easy read, but was jam-packed with good content. It was smart, hilarious, poignant, with super diverse characters and tons of different rep. It handles cancel culture and feminism in a beautiful way that never comes across as preachy or holier-than thou, and makes some great points. It is also my favorite type of YA book, that doesn’t shy away or dumb down actual things and situations that teenagers deal with to feel PG, but also isn’t raunchy. It was a fantastic representation of the modern teenage experience.

This book brought me out of a long book slump and I had trouble putting it down. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for a finished copy and an eARC of this book.

Tropes: Revenge, Feminism, Female Friendships, Private School, Coming of Age, Cinnamon Role Love Interest

CW: Bullying, Slut shaming, Sexism, Drug Abuse

This book hit a little to close to reality- HS kids are mean, they bully each other and they sometimes get away with it- this book shows that side of it, but then shows the ones being put down fighting back.

Brynn gets people, or at least how to talk to them- she helps her classmates talk to their crushes, and in return she can help her mom pay the bills. When a SnapChat is sent to the entire school- Brynn is thought to be the girl in the banana costume- so she has been cancelled. What's worse- it isn't her.

I love the group of friends in this book- they are so supportive- maybe more than in real life- but it is what every person should have in a group of friends. People who support and help you no matter what.

The plot point of getting into college and going to your dream school is one that is so real for HS seniors, and it is so hard- especially if you don't get to go where you want.

The relationship between Brynn and her mom is strained and relatable. Having to grow up faster than a traditional teenager is hard, and it makes your relationships with your parents different- especially if it is a single parent.

This was a fast paced, fun, emotional, sometimes cringy book- I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from this author.

I think this is a really important book for young adult readers. I liked that the characters stood up for themselves against an administration that, while perhaps intended to be fair, saw the worst only on the female characters side.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own

I really enjoyed this young adult novel about Brynn, who serves as a “flirt coach” to her peers until a scandal rocks her world and causes her to reevaluate her relationships and interactions with those around her. I loved the themes of empowerment and inclusivity that are portrayed in this book. I also loved Brynn’s relationships with her family and her fabulous group of friends. This book is engaging and thought-provoking. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This story follows a young girl who is canceled but is trying to figure out who’s behind of it all. I really enjoyed Penn’s writing style for this book and the message behind the story. The book was well written and really captures today’s time of high school. There’s a lot of representation and learning moments throughout this book which is is good for young readers. There’s a bit of light romance in this book but it’s not the main focus of the story. The MC is well written and I really enjoyed her story of making new friends and overcoming tough times. I do have to say that this book felt very gen z to me which I’m sometimes fine with but I felt it throughout the entire book. Overall, it’s a well written story that I recommend checking out.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

I did enjoy this book and will give it 3.5 stars. It starts with Brynn having a false rumor, spread about her and how she tries to take back control and starting a feminist group. Along the way, she’s trying to figure out who the actual person in the video was and learned about herself along the way.

This book really surprised me, i didn't expect to like it as much as i did. I loved all the relationship dynamics, the character growth and all the drama and issues they had to deal with. The build of relationship between Brynn and Charlie was done so well, I loved their little moments and misunderstandings. This book transported me back to high school and helped me understand the struggles teens deal with today in a fun book that I couldn't put down.

This is a YA book focused on feminism, cyberbullying, friendships and little bit of romance.

Brynn is “cancelled” after a scandalous video goes viral in her school of a girl hooking up with Brynn’s former best friend. Every one thinks it’s Brynn in the video, but it’s not. Quickly Brynn learns who her real friends are and she’s determined to find the truth about the video.

For a teenager, Brynn is a badass character. She’s funny and snarky and doesn’t let the video bring her down, instead she starts a club focusing on the double standards women face. Brynn has an amazing group of friends that support her, and the relationship her friends was my favorite part. Overall, it was a quick read that shows how toxic high school can be.

I overall, loved the inclusivity and diversity in this book, but some of the writing did come off a bit heavy-handed.

This was also an instance of a ya novel’s characters feeling very ya (Brynn was so annoying with all of her jumping to conclusions), but I could see this being a great book for someone younger!

Brynn is a fixer. But, when a picture circulates that her classmates believe captures her doing something unsavory, she realizes fixing things isn't as easy as it once seemed.

This novel restored my faith in YA. Lately, I've been getting bored with the contemporary YA genre. When I first started this one, I thought it would be much of the same, with lingo that I didn't know (Sure, Jan 🤔), but I quickly fell for the characters.

Fierce female friendships and sticking it to the patriarchy, this novel touched on hot button topics and brought tears to my eyes as I flipped the last page.

Oh, and I have a crush on Charlie. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This novel hit shelves in March. Thanks to Netgalley & the author for my early copy and sorry I suck and waited a month after the pub date to start it. 😂

Quick side note: I teach HS, so you'd think I would know the lingo. 😂 Currently, my kids have taught me the term "opp".

This book felt a little too long. It chronicled a senior year from Halloween on, but 80% of the book was the first couple of months. Then we didn’t get scenes of prom or graduation. There was a lot of back and forth and investigation of the main conflict, but the particular areas of investigation seemed anti-climactic. I enjoyed the feminist club plot line but then to some extent it seemed like the kids were too precocious (but maybe that’s how high schoolers are today?) It seemed implausible to me as a 40-something woman. I enjoyed the friend group, though.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THis was a great book. I really enjoyed it and read it in one day. I would definitely recommend this book.

This was a very well done young adult. I'm not entirely sure how to classify it micro trope wise though. There is a very small part about romance. The entire story was basically a girl empowerment book. This isn't a joyful beach read book. It's thought provoking and infuriating in parts. It hits on so many issues including cyberbullying, girl shaming, family issues, teen pregnancy and so much more. While I felt like this was all incredibly well handled, it also became a little exhausting with how many issues this teenage girl was dealing with. I enjoyed the overall premise of the story but left feeling like I'd been put through the wringer.

Cancelled

A powerful feminist story reminiscent of Moxie. This book has amazing representation, and something for everyone as they all show up as is true for them. If you like YA, female empowerment and a solid girl gang you're going to want to root for, check this one out!

Read it in one night - couldn't put it down! I was cheering for Brynn and her friends the entire time!

A book around a young high school senior and the troubles of life with social media as the center focus of all teens. I felt this book put a spot light on the pressures young teens have on themselves trying to be perfect, get into great colleges and have a normal social life. It helped bring to light the struggles of cancel culture and of toxic it can be for women who just strive to do well.

Farrah Penn always writes books that are easy to read, fast paced, and that you can read in one sitting. The thing is that this book felt as though they were putting a big bowl of tropes, feelings, and stories already told and pulled out one by one to see what happens next. The book is good, I did enjoy it, but it didn't feel like anything that we hadn't read before.

'Cancelled' does an expert job of exploring complex topics from a lighter perspective. There's thought-provoking exploration of misogyny, sexism, and cancel culture from the perspectives of an inclusive set of high school students. Nothing ever feels like it's meant to be checking boxes, but rather it's so seamlessly organic. These students are dealing with issues involving complicated familial issues, pregnancy, shaming and prejudice of all kinds in such authentic ways that it's really important for teens to be reading about in such an accessible way. I feel seen by this book and I'm not even a teen anymore! It's so charming, compelling, and genuinely made me laugh out loud many times. I miss these kids already.

High school senior Brynn appears to have it all under control: she’s pretty, popular, and has a plan flushed out for her future (Stanford, here she comes). Unfortunately someone at her school has it out for her and starts spreading malicious (and untrue) pictures online that not only get her into trouble at school but cause her future plans to implode. Armed with new friends and a new club to fight the school’s culture of misogyny, Brynn resolves to fight back peacefully and take back her reputation, as well as the reputations of others who have been shamed for being who they are. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a strong female character and likes to see justice being served.