Rating: 4.5 stars
Cover Rating: 4 stars (Awesome.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 5, 2011
Publisher: Poppy
Page Count: 273 p.
At Hamilton High, the soccer and football teams have always been in an intense rivalry. Most of the boys now, don't even know what it was started over, they just carry on the tradition of torture. The boys love it, their girlfriends though, don't. The girls are fed up with the rivalry always getting in the way of their relationships, and they want it to stop once and for all. Lissa decides she will lead the girls to victory, all they need to do is go on a sex strike. As long as they can hold out longer than the boys, they figure they will win without a problem. What they and Lissa don't count on though, is the boys fighting back. Can Lissa and the girls keep their hormones in check to put an end to the rivalry, or will the boys triumph?
Kody Keplinger's Sophomore novel does not disappoint. A lot less tame in some ways than The DUFF, it still was pretty intense at points. Keplinger knows how to write a steamy scene. It did seem a bit odd to me that Lissa had two boys fighting over her. I mean she seemed okay, but she wasn't really extraordinary. Then again, Randy was a jerk, so he probably only went back to her to have a constant. Cash, oh Cash...he does seem the easy to swoon for type. There was just something about him that did make him seem irresistible. It could be the fact that he is sort of a bookish type, even though he plays soccer too. I loved that Lissa worked at the library, I love the library and it is a great high school job for someone who is a bit of an OCD headcase. Lissa was quite clueless at times, but I think she was just so caught up in everything she missed the little details—it's a good thing she had friends to help her out. I loved Chloe, she was a loud and fabulous character and I could see myself getting along with her just fine. If you haven't read this one, make sure you pick it up soon. It is awesome.
First Line:
"There is nothing more humiliating than being topless in the backseat of your boyfriend's car when someone decides to throw an egg at the windshield."
Favorite Line:
"A few girls made excuses not to come because, well, they couldn't stand Kelsey and didn't want to be anywhere near he 'fortress of evil.'"
Shut Out is 'a lot less tame' than The DUFF? I didn't realize that was possible because of the steamy scenes in Keplinger's debut, but I can't say it will bother me. I know many readers were put off by the sex in The DUFF, but I think it worked and since it sort of sounds like sex plays into the plot for Shut Out, I'll keep it in mind when I read it. Also, bookish boys who play soccer are awesome! Totally sound like the swoony type to me.
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