By Kody Keplinger
Genre YA contemporary
Pages 273
Recommended by Me
First Sentence there is nothing more humiliating than being topless in the backseat of your boyfriends car when someone decides to throw an egg at the windshield.
Synopsis
Tired of the feud between her high school's soccer team and football team always getting in the way of her dates with her football playing boyfriend, Lissa decides to take matters into her own hands. She convinces the girlfriends of both teams to join her in a sex strike. No sex for the boys until the feud ends but will the girls be able to stay strong when the boys start fighting back?
What it has going for it
Kody Keplinger fascinates me. She really does. Her books sound like they're going to be just awful. Not badly written but incedibly risque...they are steamy but risque isn't a word I'd use to describe them. This one had such a surprisingly good little message in it and I enjoyed that the best. But I also loved watching the neurotic Lissa learn to let go a little and grow up. Usually in Keplinger's books the endings wrap up all neat and clean and it never feels very realistic considering the issues that are in her books but this one didn't have any huge issues so the nice little happy ending was perfectly fine by me.
What's lacking
I'll admit that this one and A Midsummer's Nightmare weren't quite as delicious to me as The DUFF was but I still enjoyed them. My biggest complaint was how unrealistically perfect Cash was. Seriously? I don't think so....but I guess that's why they call it fiction.
Favorite moment
I'm going to say it. Don't judge. I LOVE the steamy kissy scenes in this book. Whew! *fans self*
Yea or Nay?
Yeah, I say give it a go.
I've thought out reading this book. I probably will now, lol. Don't you think the girl on the cover kind of looks like Liv Tyler?
ReplyDeleteShe totally does! I can't tell you how many times I looked at the cover trying to figure it out. :)
DeleteOMG She does look like Liv Tyler! Wow
Delete+JMJ+
DeleteI think so, too! I always have to do a double-take to remind myself that it's another model. =)
This one has been on my TBR for fooooorever!!!
ReplyDeleteThat was a really crappy comment... I'm not sure why I didn't say more. I agree that her ending for the DUFF really bothered me with it's neat packaging, so I think you are right that I will enjoy the end of this one more since there aren't all those issues to take care of. And I want to read the steamy kisses now!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a crappy comment. :) This one wasn't so issuey so the neatness was acceptable.
DeleteAH! I know, I love her writing. I just bought this one... and I keep wanting to pick it up. I am highly in need of a good YA contemporary. I know exactly what you mean about the kissing. Gah! I can't wait to read this. :)
ReplyDeleteShe's quite the talented writer when it comes to kissing. I love it! Her books are my guilty pleasure books.
DeleteHmm I wasn't planning on reading this one because as you say it seems to kinda glorify teen sex a little. But now that you've recommended it I might have to rethink.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the message in this one. If the teen sex thing worries you I wouldn't read The DUFF but the this one was really good.
DeleteI kind of hated The DUFF -- does that mean I'll hate this one, too? I don't want to read it and ruin our streak of liking the same books ...
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. This one and A Midsummer's Nightmare were much tamer...well, there is language but they're not so explicit.
DeleteI've loved Kody Keplinger's other books so I'm sure I'll like this one as well. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while because I know that once I read it I won't have any more of her books to read.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I know exactly what you mean. I tried putting this one off because I didn't want to not have any of her books avaible but I couldn't resist. Luckily she has another book coming out next year.
DeleteEnjoyed your review, especially the fact that it has steamy kissy scenes! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, so steamy!
DeleteI've not read any of Kody Keplinger's books but I kinda like the way they seem to revolve around sex. Like, it's not an issue tackled much in YA and I think it's pretty cool that she does. Not sure how I feel about sex bans to get what you want tho, which is why I've never read this one. It feels a little manipulative and anti-feminist....
ReplyDeleteThey totally discuss that issue and it doesn't end up coming off that way.
DeleteI won this book last year and still haven't read it...I've been looking for shorter books to finish my yearly challenge though so I might have to read this one in the next couple weeks. I like kissy scenes lol
ReplyDeleteYou'll fly through this one I bet. :)
DeleteI'm so glad you liked this one! I've seen a couple not so fabulous reviews of it, but since I liked the other two I always planned on reading this one. Even better that the neat ending isn't so out of place. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI heard people complain about this one too so I was a little worried but there was no need. :)
DeleteI was thinking I'd just enjoy your review and probably skip it, since I really didn't like The DUFF. Maybe sometime another Keplinger book will suck me in with its premise...
ReplyDeleteYeah, in loved The DUFF so I enjoy her other books too. They're not for everyone I'm learning, though.
DeleteA soccer book! This must have your name on it. :) I'm only wondering, is this book set in high school? I was surprised at the *with-holding sex* part in a high school book, but I guess things have changed in the years since I've graduated!
ReplyDeleteSadly, there wasn't much soccer in the book. Yep, its in high school. That wasn't my HS experience either but I still enjoy the books.
DeleteI read this like a year ago as part of a book tour. (I thought it'd be interesting to read a modern retelling of Lysistrata.) I remember liking it ok enough, but I don't actually remember anything specific from it! Like, I didn't even remember that there were steamy kissing parts.
ReplyDeleteOh well, glad you liked it.
Lol! I'm shocked at how many books I don't remember...even if I liked it. So sad.
Delete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI'm still kind of curious about The Duff, which is the first Kody Keplinger book I ever heard of, but every new (or just new-to-me) title of hers I hear about turns me off just a little more. You're right, Jenny, that the premises make the books seem like they will be awful . . . so it's interesting to me that you find that they turn out to be okay!
I'm not sure I'd feel the same about them as a teenager...or even a parent. But as an adult with no kids I really enjoy them. I think each books handles the issues with a realistic nature, and I like that.
DeleteI liked The Duff, although I do agree that the ending was a bit too sparkly. I'm not sure when I'll get to this book, I originally was a bit turned off by the plot (I realize there's a lot more sex going on in high school nowadays than in early 90's when I was in high school, but surely not every teen is having sex, right? Right?), but between your review and a few others I've definitely decided to make time for it, hopefully in 2013!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I KNOW they're not all having sex but...yeah.
DeleteUgg. I STILL need to read THE DUFF! I have a huge soft spot for contemporary YA.
ReplyDeleteI'll be so interested to see what you think of it.
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