Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Release date: September 5, 2011
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 273
Source: BEA
Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it’s a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy’s car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend’s attention.
Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players’ girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won’t get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don’t count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling…
Shut Out is probably one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. I love a book that makes me laugh and Shut Out definitely did that. If this book is any indication I will love Kody Keplinger’s other books.
The characters were both the strongest and weakest part of Shut Out. The main character, Lissa, seemed very whiny for most of the book and she only got better towards the end. Her best friend, Chloe, on the other hand was awesome for the whole book. That girl was hilarious! Really all the girls were great and when they were all together they cracked me up. Randy was pretty average but Cash was far from average. Good looking, hard working, loves his family, and he’s a literature buff. Where can I get one? He did have his flaws though but they only made him better.
The story itself was great. Girlfriends of guys on the soccer and football teams band together and deny their boyfriends sex until they stop the sports rivalry. I guarantee you will not find another book out there with a story like this one. It was fun, unique, and I liked that it was geared towards older teens.
Overall, Shut Out is a great contemporary novel that I definitely recommend for fans of the genre. I have to say that this one is better for older YA readers though. For such a young author, Kody Keplinger has a lot of talent. (Not that youth is bad thing or that young people aren’t talented.)
Looking for more reviews of Shut Out?
Electrifying Reviews’ review
Paranormal Indulgence’s review
So glad you liked it! I’ve only read THE DUFF by Kody so far, but I’ve got ARCs of both SHUT OUT (from a friend) and A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHTMARE, and I can’t wait to read them! *high fives* Kody is hilarious, alright.
I’ve been hearing bout this one a lot. Glad you reviewed and liked it.
~Shane @Itchingforbooks
I thought Shut Out was a really good read. Like you said, the main character was annoying but it was good. The main thing I kept thinking was this would be a ‘John Tucker Must Die kind of movie if it were adapted’.
So glad you enjoyed this. I read it last September when it released and I totally loved it, too.
There were a lot of things I didn’t care for in this novel but I did really like Chloe. Her character was easily the funniest but she was often the voice of wisdom too. Definitely a fun book – just wondering how you think it compares to her other work? I was thinking about picking another one of her titles up.
I read The DUFF a while ago and loved it, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to reading Shut Out. Your review is making me push it up higher on my TBR, though! You make it sound hilarious! 🙂
This was the first book I read by Kody and I just loved it! I find it’s fairly rare to read a book that makes me laugh out loud, but this is one of them. 🙂
Great review, Katie!
Brenna from Esther’s Ever After
Eeeppp!!! I love a great contemporary! Especially ones that’s funny. Glad you liked it! Awesome review! 😀
Fara @ Tumbling In Books
SHUT OUT’s been floating around my to-read pile for a while — time to bump it up on the list!
I haven’t heard about this book before, but it sounds like it’s totally hilrious, which I definitely love! I think that there should be more funny YA books out there, personally. I think I’m going to be adding this to my TBR. Great review! =)
-Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life
I love funny books! I look forward to reading this one. Awesome review 🙂
Yay! Another funny book to add to my list! I have the Duff by Kody but I haven’t even read that one yet haha… Thanks for the awesome review!
I love Kody Keplinger! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Shut Out last year from a super duper nice blogger friend. I have to admit I liked The DUFF better but Shut Out was sooooo good too! I agree with the funny part, Keplinger’s books are always a good laugh! 🙂
Hahaha this sounds great!
I’ve been wanting to read this for ages now, it sounds hilarious. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Kody Keplinger.
Great review 🙂
I’m not the biggest fan of contemporary literature, but ever since I discovered Kody Keplinger, I have been dying to read her other books. I was in completely shock when I learned that she published her first novel while she was still in high school. Part of me never thought such a feat was possible. Like you, I think that she has a tremendous amount of talent that will translate into many more books that will only continue to get better and better as she writes more and finds ways to continuously surprise her readers.
I have to say, freaking out with her over Matty on Twitter was a pretty awesome experience! lol
This is such an awesome YA contemporary retelling of Lysistrata! I loved the play, it was hilarious, and the message behind it.
The author brought it to life and I loved her message about sexuality and I loved how all the characters were very well developed.
Lovely review 🙂