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.

I liked this book a lot. Definitely read pretty YA, but that is the genre so that's perfectly fine with me.

Our main character Brynn finds herself in the middle of a school scandal, for something she didn't even do. The guy who could fess up and say it wasn't true won't because he sucks. What follows is how the two characters are treated differently based on the same event. Definitely felt like something I would have eaten up in high school. Still enjoyed it as an adult though.


Thank you for the opportunity to read Cancelled by Farrah Penn. #CancelledBook #NetGalley

I loved this book! It was a really compelling, quick read. Cancelled follows Brynn, an ambitious high school senior who ends up in the middle of a scandal when a video of "her" hooking up with her ex-best-friend's boyfriend starts circulating around school. Brynn knows that she isn't the girl in the video...but everyone at school, all the people who simply see her as the serial dater and "flirt coach," thinks she is, and starts to turn against her. Determined to make a change, Brynn and her friends set out to start a "femolution" and tackle the toxic, misogynistic culture that lurks on campus. But as Brynn gets closer to clearing her name—and finding out who was really in the viral video that got her cancelled—she's forced to decide if uncovering the truth is worth losing everything she's worked for.

I thought Brynn was such a fascinating, complex main character, and really enjoyed following her journey! The side characters were also great, and the relationships were very well-developed—from Brynn's complicated relationships with her family, to her supportive friendships, to her blooming romance with Charlie. The story does a great job of highlighting so many important themes and topics, including what it's like to be a teenage girl, the effects social media and online "cancellations" might have on people's lives, and how double standards are often unfairly applied to women. Overall, Cancelled is a well-written, entertaining, and relevant read that you won't be able to put down, and I'd highly recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC.

i liked this! it was a quick read for me and the premise was interesting; it follows brynn, this matchmaker/relationship counselor person who sets up relationships by coaching people on how to win their crush's affection, but quickly falls down the social standing at her school after a video of her alledgedy cheating with her ex-best friend's boyfriend goes viral at her school.

i liked brynn. she was a interesting main character and i liked her relationships with her friends; they all truly seemed to care for each other. in particular, i loved brynn's relationship with cadence. i also thought brynn's relationships with her mom and brother were written very well, especially her relationship with smith, her older brother who suffers from a drug addiction.

i liked the side characters, such as cadence, tahlia, and marlowe. i will say that i think charlie served as a perfectly fine love interest but the book for me would have been the same with or without him. also brynn saying she loves him when they've been close for only a year or even less??? that is crazy to me but you do you girl.

the story was interesting as well. i thought the way the video was handled was good and the femolution club was good. brynn was getting stomped on every step of the way though like why was she the school's antichrist at five different points in the book??? hello

overall i thought this book had an interesting premise and delivered on it reasonably well! the characters and plot were the standout to me, the romance less so.

thank you to netgalley and penguin group for the arc!

I was offered a free advanced copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars

The story revolves around Brynn, who finds herself at the center of a school scandal. She becomes an outcast during her senior year for something she didn't even do. Also, the male at the center of the controversy won't come clean and the reactions to the incident make it apparent that there are different outcomes and expectations depending mostly on your gender.

I enjoyed this book which takes a deep dive into looking at inequalities in our culture. At first I was worried that despite having a good mix of representation it would vilify Christians but then as the book progresses this group is examined in a more nuanced light and I realized it was mainly one character who doesn't represent the group. I am always for books that make people question norms and whether they are fair. It also tackles the dynamics on families when there are addiction issues and how it can focus the attentions on that person and away on there other family members. It also shows the pressure for the non addicted family members to be perfect so as not to rock the boat any further. It delves into how to fight back against inequality and how to do it fairly.

All in all, the characters were well done and the pacing was good. Note- If you are a parent who monitors what their kids read this book does dive into issues around sex, teenage pregnancy, underage drinking, addiction, sexting and the like. Therefore if you have one of those advanced readers who isn't ready for conversations around mature content then maybe read it with them or have them wait a couple of years.

Super cute rom-com full of high school hi jinx and drama. Loved all the characters and the growth that happened over the course of their senior year. I actually laughed out loud and got teary also. Thank you to #netgalley and #vikingbooks for this arc of #cancelled to read and review ahead of publication. All opinions are my own.

Brynn has dated fourteen guys in high school. As that number suggests, her relationships tend not to last long. However, her ability to get the guy and her flirting skills have resulted in classmates coming to her and paying her for advice on flirting/securing the first date. The advice often involves an analysis of text messages and suggestions on how to communicate more effectively and confidently.

However, the trust her peers place in her comes crashing down after a video is sent to the entire senior class showing a girl in a banana costume servicing a senior boy. Brynn was the only person at the Halloween party wearing a banana costume, and the boy in question (Duncan) is dating Brynn's former best friend, Lenora. Everyone assumes it is Brynn in the video -- she is a serial dater, so of course she would take the opportunity to hook-up with someone if given the chance -- and as a result she is effectively "cancelled" by her classmates. Duncan, the guy who actually cheated on his girlfriend, largely gets a pass on his behavior (double standards), especially as he refuses to admit the girl in question was not Brynn -- letting Lenora think it was Brynn redirects her anger from him to Brynn and gives him a chance to salvage his relationship.

If being ostracized by her peers was not bad enough, Brynn relied on the money she earned giving advice to help support her mother, whose income was insufficient to handle the unexpected home repairs that kept cropping up, as well as the cost of rehab for Brynn's older brother, Smith.

Marlowe and Tahlia, Brynn's best friends, support her, and she finds unexpected allies in another social pariah, Cadence, who had the audacity to become pregnant as a teenager, and her twin brother Charlie. After efforts to uncover the identity of the mystery banana girl are unsuccessful, the girls decide to switch tactics and launch a femolution -- a revolution to denounce sexism. They form an Evolution of Feminism club at school and attempt to take back the narrative and define themselves on their own terms -- not only Brynn's serial flirting/dating, but Cadence being a teen mother, Marlowe being transgender, and Tahlia a Muslim who chooses to wear a hijab as a source of liberation. They stand up against the discrimination and double standards that are applied to women who don't fit a certain stereotype, as well as people who are often labelled as "other" (LGBTQ community, Muslims, etc.). They find some early support, but also resistance, and they will face multiple challenges before successfully "flipping the script."

This book was laugh out loud funny, thought provoking, and made me eternally grateful that I never have to attend a high school class again.

Those years can be truly brutal, and this was a really thoughtful exploration on the subject, as well as an interesting nod to cancel culture.

I will highly recommend this to my younger audience and my nieces. The book was nicely paced, well-written, and I would defintiely read more by this author.

Tysm, Penguin Teen, for the ARC!

This book was so fun! Sometimes you need just a YA to cleanse your palette and this was a great book for that. I loved Brynn's character so much. She was such a mess but who isn't as a teen girl. I will say, this book made me very grateful I was not in high school during the peak of social media and cancel culture. I can't imagine having to actually deal with this. The plot was extremely fast paced and it was super easy to read in one day.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for an ARC copy of this book! I requested this because I thought it sounded different, but it turned out to be a memorable and perspective shifting novel.

Credit for good intentions, it's heart is in the right place, after all. But. This MC is capital M Messy. As a result, the message gets a touch wiggly several times.

I read this in one sitting! Fast-moving plot, interesting characters, and adorable romantic drama. Highly recommend!

A girl power anthem about how one girl took back her power after the teens at her school "cancelled" her, changing hearts and minds along the way.

When Brynn is accused of cheating with someone else's boyfriend (with a viral video to go along with it), the school quickly turns on her while the boy remains unscathed. Even though Brynn knows she's not the girl in the banana costume (for real!), no one believes her. Now a social outcast, Brynn doesn't waste too much time moping. Instead, she's determined to turn lemons into lemonade. She quickly befriends Cadence, shunned for being pregnant, along with a few other girls. Together, they start a #femolution to fight misogyny at their school. As the movement gains momentum, Brynn faces every challenge with sarcasm and a can-do attitude, except for the challenge of truly falling in love.

Despite the sarcasm, this book treats all its characters with grace, even those who stand in opposition to Brynn, as they learn and grow and share their different points of view with each other. A perfect time capsule of growing up in the age of social media.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for an ARC copy of this book! I requested this because I thought it sounded interesting, but it turned out to be a powerful and memorable book! This story follows Brynn, a high school senior who is thrown into cancel culture after a video goes around her school showing what looks like her hooking up with another guy-except it wasn’t, and she’s determined to prove it. This book did such a great job at describing and talking about what it’s like to be a teenage girl in high school, and how issues such as sexuality and cancel culture affect girls so much more just because of their gender. These topics are so important and reading this story was so enlightening-it reminded me of the struggles we as girls/women face just because of our sex. Besides this, this book also features a diverse cast of characters-Brynn’s friends feature a good variety of sexuality, race, ethnicity, etc. Overall, not only was this an entertaining read, but a culturally significant one! Thank you again Penguin Teen!