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Smashed
Stay out of trouble for one more year, and Katie Martin can leave her small town loneliness behind forever. She is a field hockey star on the fast track to a college scholarship, but her relationship with alcohol has always been a little questionable. Then trouble finds her. Alec is the most popular guy in school, and also the biggest bully—with his sights set firmly on Katie. When Alec turns on the charm, Katie thinks she must have been wrong about him.
Except that she wasn’t. On a rain-soaked, alcohol-drenched night, one impulsive decision leaves Katie indebted to Alec in the worst possible way. This debut novel is a fast-paced and compelling story of addiction, heartbreak, and redemption.
Except that she wasn’t. On a rain-soaked, alcohol-drenched night, one impulsive decision leaves Katie indebted to Alec in the worst possible way. This debut novel is a fast-paced and compelling story of addiction, heartbreak, and redemption.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 21, 2012
29 people are currently reading
2587 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Luedeke
2 books45 followersLisa Luedeke grew up in rural Maine, where she fell in love with writing in high school. She is hard at work on her second novel, which is set in the same small Maine town as Smashed, but with an entirely different cast of characters. She lives in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire with her husband and young daughter, where they ski, swim, hike and hang out at their local bookstore, The Toadstool.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
April 21, 2013
Oh, the drivel that gets published these days!
on with the review. Good Stuff:
The writing quality is honest and simple to follow. It has a good flow. The characters are distinguishable.
Bad Stuff:
1) Language and Content.
This should be in the adults' section (if it escapes being officially burned in the centre of the earth). "Jesus", "damn", "b----", and "f---" and "f------" occur very frequently. Everyone swears.
There is explicit sexual description of boys reaching up girls' bras and tearing off their underwear. There is plenty of drinking. I recommend having a towel handy as you read, for beer, martinis and/or tequila may come spilling out of the book upon a moment's notice. There is also drug use.
2) Plot.
I am now going to tell you what happens and save yourself the embarrassment of having read something so awful.
Guy attracts alcoholic (pretty, successful, and needy) girl, who is dumb enough to coerce herself into his groping hands.
Alcoholic girl parties with guy for half the book.
Alcoholic girl drives drunk with guy and crashes them into a tree, disfiguring said guy.
Guy takes the blame for the crash so she will owe him sex.
Guy stalks girl for half the book.
Guy rapes girl.
Girl has PTSD and then beer is found in guy's school locker.
THE END.
oh yeah, there was supposed to be something about her dad...? Yeah there was, but it was so irrelevant and stereotypical I have forgotten...
Conclusion.
Let us look at the most penetrating, deep questions Katie poses to herself:
"Why did I ever do half the things I did?" (P.76)
"What did I really want?" (P.179)
Sadly, she never quite finds out. At least she apologizes for being an idiot on page 316, but she does nothing to change it.
This book perpetuates the YA lit lie that things improve without personal change. Absolutely despicable. Just think about it. We teens are getting the message from the protagonist that it's OK to smoke weed. It's OK to get hammered every chance you get. It's good in fact, because your life will improve while you do all these things! Just look at Katie! Just look at her and her stupid life and stupid choices and the utter lack of ability she has to control her own actions!
Indeed, if you take a look at all, take a good long look.
And don't forget this terrifying read.
on with the review. Good Stuff:
The writing quality is honest and simple to follow. It has a good flow. The characters are distinguishable.
Bad Stuff:
1) Language and Content.
This should be in the adults' section (if it escapes being officially burned in the centre of the earth). "Jesus", "damn", "b----", and "f---" and "f------" occur very frequently. Everyone swears.
There is explicit sexual description of boys reaching up girls' bras and tearing off their underwear. There is plenty of drinking. I recommend having a towel handy as you read, for beer, martinis and/or tequila may come spilling out of the book upon a moment's notice. There is also drug use.
2) Plot.
I am now going to tell you what happens and save yourself the embarrassment of having read something so awful.
Guy attracts alcoholic (pretty, successful, and needy) girl, who is dumb enough to coerce herself into his groping hands.
Alcoholic girl parties with guy for half the book.
Alcoholic girl drives drunk with guy and crashes them into a tree, disfiguring said guy.
Guy takes the blame for the crash so she will owe him sex.
Guy stalks girl for half the book.
Guy rapes girl.
Girl has PTSD and then beer is found in guy's school locker.
THE END.
oh yeah, there was supposed to be something about her dad...? Yeah there was, but it was so irrelevant and stereotypical I have forgotten...
Conclusion.
Let us look at the most penetrating, deep questions Katie poses to herself:
"Why did I ever do half the things I did?" (P.76)
"What did I really want?" (P.179)
Sadly, she never quite finds out. At least she apologizes for being an idiot on page 316, but she does nothing to change it.
This book perpetuates the YA lit lie that things improve without personal change. Absolutely despicable. Just think about it. We teens are getting the message from the protagonist that it's OK to smoke weed. It's OK to get hammered every chance you get. It's good in fact, because your life will improve while you do all these things! Just look at Katie! Just look at her and her stupid life and stupid choices and the utter lack of ability she has to control her own actions!
Indeed, if you take a look at all, take a good long look.
And don't forget this terrifying read.
August 14, 2012
Smashed is one of those books that stays with you long after you have finished reading it. I have to say that I was shocked by this book. By shocked I mean in a good way because it dealt with issues that every teen faces. Drinking and bullying and depression are so high up on teens lists of pain that I feel for the teens growing up today. Smashed is a great book for teens to read to see that even though you may be spiraling out of control you have to learn to trust someone and tell them your problems. Help is always right around the corner all you have to do is ask. Also if your being harassed tell someone and never ever hold it inside because it is not worth it!
Smashed is about a girl named Katie who loves Field Hockey. It is her life and she plans on getting a scholarship to college for it. Her dream is to play in college and get the chance to really show her skills with other skilled players. Only there are a few things wrong with Katie that can make or break her dream. In order for Katie to reach her goal she will have to hit rock bottom and then climb her way back to the top. She will go through the worst senior year of her life but with her best friends by her side she can do anything.
Katie will battle addiction and depression and lies and bullying all in a span of a few months and she will have to overcome each obstacle in order to survive. She will lose some friends and will have to come face to face with reality and when she does she will have to choose what to do. When the dust clears and the sun shines for Katie her best friend Matt will be there for her to guide her through.
Alec is the golden boy football player. He has it all on the outside. He has the girls, fast cars and all the friends he needs. So why is it that he sets his eyes on Katie? Why is it that he has fallen hard and fast for her and he can't get enough of her. He needs her like the desert needs rain. At first he is nice and will do anything to be with her but he has problems to and one of the problems is ruining everything between them.
He is controlling and abusive and when he covers up for Katie he expects her to do as she is told and never question him. He wants her and she keeps pushing back and saying no because her virginity is not going to be lost to someone who thinks he wants her. His anger is all to consuming and he does the ultimate act of betrayal to Katie and when the dusts settle he will have lost her for good. But you ever heard that saying know woman like a woman scorned well put it no man like a man scorned and he will try and destroy Katie.
In the end they both have some heavy decisions to make and one will survive while the other will struggle. This is a sad story of what teenage love gone wrong is. Drinking to much and controlling ways get you no where. And last but not least violating someone is never okay because in the end you will destroy yourself.
Smashed is about a girl named Katie who loves Field Hockey. It is her life and she plans on getting a scholarship to college for it. Her dream is to play in college and get the chance to really show her skills with other skilled players. Only there are a few things wrong with Katie that can make or break her dream. In order for Katie to reach her goal she will have to hit rock bottom and then climb her way back to the top. She will go through the worst senior year of her life but with her best friends by her side she can do anything.
Katie will battle addiction and depression and lies and bullying all in a span of a few months and she will have to overcome each obstacle in order to survive. She will lose some friends and will have to come face to face with reality and when she does she will have to choose what to do. When the dust clears and the sun shines for Katie her best friend Matt will be there for her to guide her through.
Alec is the golden boy football player. He has it all on the outside. He has the girls, fast cars and all the friends he needs. So why is it that he sets his eyes on Katie? Why is it that he has fallen hard and fast for her and he can't get enough of her. He needs her like the desert needs rain. At first he is nice and will do anything to be with her but he has problems to and one of the problems is ruining everything between them.
He is controlling and abusive and when he covers up for Katie he expects her to do as she is told and never question him. He wants her and she keeps pushing back and saying no because her virginity is not going to be lost to someone who thinks he wants her. His anger is all to consuming and he does the ultimate act of betrayal to Katie and when the dusts settle he will have lost her for good. But you ever heard that saying know woman like a woman scorned well put it no man like a man scorned and he will try and destroy Katie.
In the end they both have some heavy decisions to make and one will survive while the other will struggle. This is a sad story of what teenage love gone wrong is. Drinking to much and controlling ways get you no where. And last but not least violating someone is never okay because in the end you will destroy yourself.
May 8, 2014
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
This was an okay story, but I felt like the addiction part of the storyline didn’t really kick in until near the end.
Katie was an okay character, but why she continued to hang out with Alec, when she didn’t want to fool around with him, and he kept encouraging her to drink herself into a coma I don’t know. Maybe she just wasn’t smart enough to realise that he was a bad apple, and that hanging with him was only encouraging him, something she made clear she didn’t want to do, I don’t know, but it seemed obvious to me that eventually he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
The storyline in this was okay, but it was really slow, and I found it quite dull in places. I expected there to be more about addiction, but to be honest it didn’t really feel like Katie had a problem with alcohol until the end of the book. Are you an alcoholic just because you like a drink? If you can voluntarily go without alcohol, do you really have a problem? I personally really like to drink, and I don’t see a problem with that as long as there are limits.
I felt that Katie’s problems with alcohol didn’t happen until after a stressful event in her life, and it was when she started drinking alcohol during the day and at school that I began to think she actually had a problem, which was right at the end of the book!
There wasn’t really romance in this book, but there were scenes of non-consensual kissing, groping, and other stuff. I really didn’t like this, and again, I didn’t know quite why Katie continued to put herself in the situation in which this occurred.
The ending to this was okay, and I did feel a little sorry for Katie and the way things turned out, but she did bring it on herself to a certain extent.
Overall; okay story, but not really what I expected,
6.5 out of 10.
This was an okay story, but I felt like the addiction part of the storyline didn’t really kick in until near the end.
Katie was an okay character, but why she continued to hang out with Alec, when she didn’t want to fool around with him, and he kept encouraging her to drink herself into a coma I don’t know. Maybe she just wasn’t smart enough to realise that he was a bad apple, and that hanging with him was only encouraging him, something she made clear she didn’t want to do, I don’t know, but it seemed obvious to me that eventually he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
The storyline in this was okay, but it was really slow, and I found it quite dull in places. I expected there to be more about addiction, but to be honest it didn’t really feel like Katie had a problem with alcohol until the end of the book. Are you an alcoholic just because you like a drink? If you can voluntarily go without alcohol, do you really have a problem? I personally really like to drink, and I don’t see a problem with that as long as there are limits.
I felt that Katie’s problems with alcohol didn’t happen until after a stressful event in her life, and it was when she started drinking alcohol during the day and at school that I began to think she actually had a problem, which was right at the end of the book!
There wasn’t really romance in this book, but there were scenes of non-consensual kissing, groping, and other stuff. I really didn’t like this, and again, I didn’t know quite why Katie continued to put herself in the situation in which this occurred.
The ending to this was okay, and I did feel a little sorry for Katie and the way things turned out, but she did bring it on herself to a certain extent.
Overall; okay story, but not really what I expected,
6.5 out of 10.
August 30, 2012
3.5 stars
Cross posted at I Just Finished Reading...:
I don't often read YA, and there's a really good reason for that which I will note in a moment. But this is a coworker's debut novel. So I really wanted to read it.
The novel takes place in small-town Maine. Katie's dad up and left them - just went out one day and never came back. Katie doesn't know if he's dead or alive, but works on the assumption that he's still alive. Her mom works nonstop and when she's not at work, she is hanging out in Portland with her latest boyfriend, leaving Katie to care for her younger brother alone. Mom comes home only to replenish the groceries. Katie has a lot of feelings of inadequacy mixed up with her dad's desertion.
My father had pulled his truck out of our driveway five years before, after a fight with my mother, and vanished. There had been one card, on my brother’s birthday, then nothing. Nothing. I didn’t know if he was dead, but sometimes believing he was beat the alternative—that he hated us enough to leave and never look back.
She also obviously also feels the pressure of having to be the parent for her 12 year old brother. She has a strong support system, though, in her friends and their parents. The main thing keeping her remotely grounded is the possibility of a hockey scholarship.
Katie's group of friends and their dynamic strikes me as authentic - some of these kids drink (some to excess) and some don't at all. They smoke dope. But overall, most of them are good kids. Sounds typical, I suppose.
Alec is a hotshot football player, whom Katie & her friends have always looked down on as a "player". They aren't buying his "I'm so awesome" bullshit. But one day over summer, when Katie is missing her best friend (vacationing in Europe), Alec approaches her, and she feels something. A pull, an attraction.
She begins an on-again, off-again friendship/relationship with Alec, until his destructive behavior makes her feel uncomfortable. He encourages her to drink constantly, and tries desperately to get her into bed. She constantly flip-flops about her feelings for Alec.
One night, after a lot of drinking, there is a car accident. Alec's car is totalled. It's assumed that he was driving, but it was actually Katie. She lets him take the blame, and that's when more trouble starts.
Katie is overcome by feelings of guilt, but buries them with alcohol. As her behavior becomes more and more self-destructive, she still feels obligated to Alec and though he creeps her out most of the time, she still wonders if maybe he really likes her after all. She is so confused and consumed with guilt that she tries to avoid him at all costs.
Until she can't, and an encounter at a New Year's party turns into rape. Yes - warning: there is a rape in this book. It's not terribly graphic on-page, but it is there, and obvious, and painful.
Following this, Katie comes completely unravelled, drinks excessively, even during school, and withdraws completely from her friends and family.
I felt as though her counselor and/or teachers should have noticed and recognized the signs of trauma. After all, we know that they receive training for this. However, they didn't believe her. They thought the claim of rape was a way to avoid taking responsibility for her drinking. Even her own mother didn't believe her at first.
“He raped me.” She blinks once, stares at me. “Alec Osborne?” “New Year’s Eve. He did, Mom.” I look at her and start to cry. Mrs. Bradford pauses and bites her lip. “You know how serious it would be to lie about something like that.”
God, I hope that doesn't happen as often as I think it does!
Katie is forced into rehab and counseling. And although the rape is reported (at least they followed mandatory reporting laws!), it's a case of he said, she said, and Katie's credibility is nil due to her drinking and Alec isn't prosecuted. Oh how this frustrated me on Katie's behalf. It's a perfect example of real life, though. it happens, and happens often. And the victim-blaming and trauma here is a huge part of why we tell our kids No means No - even if you think it doesn't. Even if she's running hot and cold. She's a teenager, too, and as confused as you might feel, she feels the same confusion. And as adults, we can also be unsure of what we want. We talk about potential situations often, and counsel them on ways they might approach any situation.
During rehab, Katie begins to come to terms with her dad's desertion, her reason's for drinking and a whole host of other issues. And though she loses her scholarship as a result of her self-destructive behavior, in the end, it looks like she'll be ok. However, the book ended rather abruptly and we really didn't get a chance to see how well she does in the real world.
Lisa Luedeke's writing is excellent. Though it's in 1st person (which I hate), I struggled through, and realized why so many YAs are in 1st person. As an adult, it takes you right back to that age, and as a YA, it speaks to you on your own level - puts you in the character rather than being an observer. You feel everything right along with Katie. Luedeke's characters leaped off the page. They felt very real. Spoke like teens. Acted like teens. Felt the things that teens feel - the confusion, the intensity, the despair, the boastful pride - all of it. And therein lies my problem with YA.
I have only really run into this one other time - with Marie Force's Love at First Flight (not a YA). I felt like the situation struck too close to home. I wanted to avoid it at all costs. I have two teenagers. I live in fear that one day they or one of their friends will have an issue with drinking. Especially now that Oldest is starting college. He came home from the Bahamas and my nephew's fraternity house and told us how he was drinking, but luckily he can handle his alcohol. Gah! A parent's worst nightmare!
I read to escape real life. Let me rephrase. I read fiction to escape real life. Reading something that strikes at one of my worst fears - that my kids or their friends might get out of control, addicted to alcohol, or worse - is not my idea of a good time. This was a very difficult read. I can definitely appreciate Luedeke's talent, and those who love YA will probably love this book to pieces. Apparently it's been compared to Speak (which I confess I haven't read, but wow - I've actually heard of!).
It's a difficult but excellent look at teen relations, teen problems, addiction, recovery, and forgiveness. So for fans of YA, this is sure to be a hit. If you love YA, I highly recommend it. For myself? Not so much.
Cross posted at I Just Finished Reading...:
I don't often read YA, and there's a really good reason for that which I will note in a moment. But this is a coworker's debut novel. So I really wanted to read it.
The novel takes place in small-town Maine. Katie's dad up and left them - just went out one day and never came back. Katie doesn't know if he's dead or alive, but works on the assumption that he's still alive. Her mom works nonstop and when she's not at work, she is hanging out in Portland with her latest boyfriend, leaving Katie to care for her younger brother alone. Mom comes home only to replenish the groceries. Katie has a lot of feelings of inadequacy mixed up with her dad's desertion.
My father had pulled his truck out of our driveway five years before, after a fight with my mother, and vanished. There had been one card, on my brother’s birthday, then nothing. Nothing. I didn’t know if he was dead, but sometimes believing he was beat the alternative—that he hated us enough to leave and never look back.
She also obviously also feels the pressure of having to be the parent for her 12 year old brother. She has a strong support system, though, in her friends and their parents. The main thing keeping her remotely grounded is the possibility of a hockey scholarship.
Katie's group of friends and their dynamic strikes me as authentic - some of these kids drink (some to excess) and some don't at all. They smoke dope. But overall, most of them are good kids. Sounds typical, I suppose.
Alec is a hotshot football player, whom Katie & her friends have always looked down on as a "player". They aren't buying his "I'm so awesome" bullshit. But one day over summer, when Katie is missing her best friend (vacationing in Europe), Alec approaches her, and she feels something. A pull, an attraction.
She begins an on-again, off-again friendship/relationship with Alec, until his destructive behavior makes her feel uncomfortable. He encourages her to drink constantly, and tries desperately to get her into bed. She constantly flip-flops about her feelings for Alec.
One night, after a lot of drinking, there is a car accident. Alec's car is totalled. It's assumed that he was driving, but it was actually Katie. She lets him take the blame, and that's when more trouble starts.
Katie is overcome by feelings of guilt, but buries them with alcohol. As her behavior becomes more and more self-destructive, she still feels obligated to Alec and though he creeps her out most of the time, she still wonders if maybe he really likes her after all. She is so confused and consumed with guilt that she tries to avoid him at all costs.
Until she can't, and an encounter at a New Year's party turns into rape. Yes - warning: there is a rape in this book. It's not terribly graphic on-page, but it is there, and obvious, and painful.
Following this, Katie comes completely unravelled, drinks excessively, even during school, and withdraws completely from her friends and family.
I felt as though her counselor and/or teachers should have noticed and recognized the signs of trauma. After all, we know that they receive training for this. However, they didn't believe her. They thought the claim of rape was a way to avoid taking responsibility for her drinking. Even her own mother didn't believe her at first.
“He raped me.” She blinks once, stares at me. “Alec Osborne?” “New Year’s Eve. He did, Mom.” I look at her and start to cry. Mrs. Bradford pauses and bites her lip. “You know how serious it would be to lie about something like that.”
God, I hope that doesn't happen as often as I think it does!
Katie is forced into rehab and counseling. And although the rape is reported (at least they followed mandatory reporting laws!), it's a case of he said, she said, and Katie's credibility is nil due to her drinking and Alec isn't prosecuted. Oh how this frustrated me on Katie's behalf. It's a perfect example of real life, though. it happens, and happens often. And the victim-blaming and trauma here is a huge part of why we tell our kids No means No - even if you think it doesn't. Even if she's running hot and cold. She's a teenager, too, and as confused as you might feel, she feels the same confusion. And as adults, we can also be unsure of what we want. We talk about potential situations often, and counsel them on ways they might approach any situation.
During rehab, Katie begins to come to terms with her dad's desertion, her reason's for drinking and a whole host of other issues. And though she loses her scholarship as a result of her self-destructive behavior, in the end, it looks like she'll be ok. However, the book ended rather abruptly and we really didn't get a chance to see how well she does in the real world.
Lisa Luedeke's writing is excellent. Though it's in 1st person (which I hate), I struggled through, and realized why so many YAs are in 1st person. As an adult, it takes you right back to that age, and as a YA, it speaks to you on your own level - puts you in the character rather than being an observer. You feel everything right along with Katie. Luedeke's characters leaped off the page. They felt very real. Spoke like teens. Acted like teens. Felt the things that teens feel - the confusion, the intensity, the despair, the boastful pride - all of it. And therein lies my problem with YA.
I have only really run into this one other time - with Marie Force's Love at First Flight (not a YA). I felt like the situation struck too close to home. I wanted to avoid it at all costs. I have two teenagers. I live in fear that one day they or one of their friends will have an issue with drinking. Especially now that Oldest is starting college. He came home from the Bahamas and my nephew's fraternity house and told us how he was drinking, but luckily he can handle his alcohol. Gah! A parent's worst nightmare!
I read to escape real life. Let me rephrase. I read fiction to escape real life. Reading something that strikes at one of my worst fears - that my kids or their friends might get out of control, addicted to alcohol, or worse - is not my idea of a good time. This was a very difficult read. I can definitely appreciate Luedeke's talent, and those who love YA will probably love this book to pieces. Apparently it's been compared to Speak (which I confess I haven't read, but wow - I've actually heard of!).
It's a difficult but excellent look at teen relations, teen problems, addiction, recovery, and forgiveness. So for fans of YA, this is sure to be a hit. If you love YA, I highly recommend it. For myself? Not so much.
September 7, 2012
This is the second below four star review I have written and I really thought this one was going to be good. I will admit that I didn't really read the synopsis because I was so in LOVE with the cover, I don't know why I love it so much but it's so different so I thought it was going to be a a good read. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me in so many ways. The characters were so weird, Katie's moods were unstable/unpredictable and the story was just SO DEPRESSING I couldn't really get through some parts!
The story is about a girl name Katie who lives in a small town in Maine, whose parents are both alcoholics. Her dad abandoned her and little brother Will, he just up and left and never came back. Katie's dad leaving has changed not only Katie but her mother also. Katie's mom isn't really a mom because she is never home to care for them, basically Katie has an F*cked up life and her life begins to go out of control once she meets Alec, the popular jock in school.
It took me forever to read this book and it was a little painful but here is a little descriptions of the characters in the book.
Katie: Such a weak character! Okay, I know your dad left you and didn't come back but GET OVER IT! Just because your dad left doesn't mean you have to let dudes walk all over you! I really wanted to climb through the book and smack you around knowing that you have been abused enough :( I wanted to pull my hair out on everything she did! I mean is there really girls out there like this??? Well I'm glad I am not one of them *raises fist*.
Alec: I have NEVER HATED someone from a book so much in my life! Alec was such a jerk! Katie if you need to hire a hit man to take him out, I am just the girl to do it lol. What is wrong with you??? How could you!!!!! I was hoping you would die suddenly somewhere in the book so I could actually enjoy one part of the book. I HATE YOU!!
Matt: I was really rooting for you. I thought you would help Katie out in the situation she was in but you failed. I wanted you and Katie to be together at least and that didn't even happen. You were just a waste as a character and thought you shouldn't of been in the book.
As you can tell I didn't like ANY of the characters in this book, I just couldn't relate to them and I also couldn't get into the story which didn't make any since all together. I don't want to say everyone wont like this book because I guess there are girls that can relate to Katie or the story in some type of way. I'm just not weak and I don't enjoy reading about weak characters! That's all I have to say.
Rating: SF for SNOOZE FEST
-Alice <3
The story is about a girl name Katie who lives in a small town in Maine, whose parents are both alcoholics. Her dad abandoned her and little brother Will, he just up and left and never came back. Katie's dad leaving has changed not only Katie but her mother also. Katie's mom isn't really a mom because she is never home to care for them, basically Katie has an F*cked up life and her life begins to go out of control once she meets Alec, the popular jock in school.
It took me forever to read this book and it was a little painful but here is a little descriptions of the characters in the book.
Katie: Such a weak character! Okay, I know your dad left you and didn't come back but GET OVER IT! Just because your dad left doesn't mean you have to let dudes walk all over you! I really wanted to climb through the book and smack you around knowing that you have been abused enough :( I wanted to pull my hair out on everything she did! I mean is there really girls out there like this??? Well I'm glad I am not one of them *raises fist*.
Alec: I have NEVER HATED someone from a book so much in my life! Alec was such a jerk! Katie if you need to hire a hit man to take him out, I am just the girl to do it lol. What is wrong with you??? How could you!!!!! I was hoping you would die suddenly somewhere in the book so I could actually enjoy one part of the book. I HATE YOU!!
Matt: I was really rooting for you. I thought you would help Katie out in the situation she was in but you failed. I wanted you and Katie to be together at least and that didn't even happen. You were just a waste as a character and thought you shouldn't of been in the book.
As you can tell I didn't like ANY of the characters in this book, I just couldn't relate to them and I also couldn't get into the story which didn't make any since all together. I don't want to say everyone wont like this book because I guess there are girls that can relate to Katie or the story in some type of way. I'm just not weak and I don't enjoy reading about weak characters! That's all I have to say.
Rating: SF for SNOOZE FEST
-Alice <3
August 26, 2012
With Katie doing what she was doing: the lying and the drinking and the lying, I was hard pressed to like her. Truly, I was trying not to judge, but couldn’t help it… but this was all before what’s done to her happened! Prior to that, I felt sorry for the girl but nothing more than that. After, if I set every other thing aside, like she’s too down on herself or like he is in a class of his own in being a douche almost to the point of being criminal, my main issue is that i felt it a load of crock how things eventually went down:
Would it happen in real life? That her reputation be taken a strike against the gravity of what she was saying, so much so that virtually nothing is done about it? Really?! I don’t know what my point is, but something about how things unfolded on that end still bothers me. There’s basically no consequence for the guy… and if possible things get worse for her! She’s isolates herself, drowns herself in the thing that got her in the mess to begin with, and then loses what mattered most to her.
Now before that the girl’s life read almost too sad. Father gone, mother absent, and the girl free to do as she pleased, then throw in a handsome boy that prompted her to question ‘what does he see in me?’ Actually, she asked that a lot of the time. She’s doubtful/curious/wary/surprised that people take an interest in her. It’s a sad but frustrating too. Except all that was depressing seemed to be the reason she was doing what she was doing...so that it felt almost cut and dried.
But nothing in this is really all that simple especially if you factor in the sides of her that were better as with her feeling like she’s all her little brother had, her setting her mind on a goal and going at it. But then, time and time again… she’d get sucked in, and I’d wonder… what the hell are you thinking, girl?! It was frustrating how she went into something knowing something was not quite right… and then him proving just how low he could stoop.
2.5/5
Would it happen in real life? That her reputation be taken a strike against the gravity of what she was saying, so much so that virtually nothing is done about it? Really?! I don’t know what my point is, but something about how things unfolded on that end still bothers me. There’s basically no consequence for the guy… and if possible things get worse for her! She’s isolates herself, drowns herself in the thing that got her in the mess to begin with, and then loses what mattered most to her.
Now before that the girl’s life read almost too sad. Father gone, mother absent, and the girl free to do as she pleased, then throw in a handsome boy that prompted her to question ‘what does he see in me?’ Actually, she asked that a lot of the time. She’s doubtful/curious/wary/surprised that people take an interest in her. It’s a sad but frustrating too. Except all that was depressing seemed to be the reason she was doing what she was doing...so that it felt almost cut and dried.
But nothing in this is really all that simple especially if you factor in the sides of her that were better as with her feeling like she’s all her little brother had, her setting her mind on a goal and going at it. But then, time and time again… she’d get sucked in, and I’d wonder… what the hell are you thinking, girl?! It was frustrating how she went into something knowing something was not quite right… and then him proving just how low he could stoop.
2.5/5
August 25, 2012
This book has a good concept and a good underlying moral. Katie is strong and she has had a pretty rough year, and she's only 17.
She has the normal 17 year old worries like getting a scholarship for college, graduating high school and boys.
But she also had a load of shit going on at home along with 10 million other things.
I loved what the book stood for, but again I wasn't wrapped up in the story.it kids made me feel really sad and depressed and i just wanted to finish it and forget about it.
There was nothing happy about this book and although I liked the whole concept there should have been some good times. Some hop that things will get better but there wasn't. It started sad and ended pretty sad and I can't deal with that.
I can't remain content and satisfied with that. Everyone deserves to be happy.
She has the normal 17 year old worries like getting a scholarship for college, graduating high school and boys.
But she also had a load of shit going on at home along with 10 million other things.
I loved what the book stood for, but again I wasn't wrapped up in the story.it kids made me feel really sad and depressed and i just wanted to finish it and forget about it.
There was nothing happy about this book and although I liked the whole concept there should have been some good times. Some hop that things will get better but there wasn't. It started sad and ended pretty sad and I can't deal with that.
I can't remain content and satisfied with that. Everyone deserves to be happy.
June 23, 2013
Originally posted at: Girls on YA Books
*Warning..review is rather long but...I had a strong opinion about it....read on at your own discretion*
~Review:
I've read my fair share of contemporary books with the theme being a broken girl thrown into a mix of lies, broken family, etc. It's easy for these kind of books to merge together, each one becoming a replica and nothing outstanding. I have to say that Lisa did a great job at creating Smashed so that it does not blend in with the background but instead, stands out!
Upon reading some reviews of this book I was wary to start it. I heard things about way too much foul language, explicit sexual description, etc. I even read this one review where it said just this:
"I am now going to tell you what happens and save yourself the embarrassment of having read something so awful.
Guy attracts alcoholic (pretty, successful, and needy) girl, who is dumb enough to coerce herself into his groping hands.
Alcoholic girl parties with guy for half the book.
Alcoholic girl drives drunk with guy and crashes them into a tree, disfiguring said guy.
Guy takes the blame for the crash so she will owe him sex.
Guy stalks girl for half the book.
Guy rapes girl.
Girl has PTSD and then beer is found in guy's school locker.
THE END.
oh yeah, there was supposed to be something about her dad...? Yeah there was, but it was so irrelevant and stereotypical I have forgotten..."
Ok, I am not even the author by I'm offended. There was so much more to this book than that!! I don't know but I like the broken stories the best. The ones about the girl with so many problems she is practically drowning in them. Where the girl is so strong that she can pull through from all her problems. I think those protagonists are the strongest ones of all. They have more courage, faith, and strength than the ones fighting the government in resistance, trekking through a forest filled with demons and other scary stuff. Why? Because they hold truth. These could be the stories that help a girl or boy out because they are going through the same things.
"Dumb enough to coerce herself into his groping hands"!!??? Excuse me!!? It is so far beyond that!! Did you not read any of her thoughts? It wasn't a fact of being dumb it was the fact of being a decent human giving someone a benefit of the doubt. She liked him. She thought he was a nice sweet guy. She didn't expect him to attempt rape! Haven't you ever been in love? It can be frighteningly true when they say "love is blind". No girl wants to be raped. No one wants to think someone they know and care about is capable of it. To be honest. I probably might have thought those thoughts before but then I read Knee Deep by Jolene Perry and it kind of opened my eyes a little more to these things that happen. It gave me a different way of thinking about girls that struggle through alchohol addictions, lying, being raped, staying in abusive relationtships, etc. You would think it'd be so easy to just turn away. I mean you'd have to be stupid to stay in an abusive relationship right? Wrong. It is so much more than that and I feel as if whoever is quick to judge is the stupid one. Now, please take note I am not calling the author of the quoted review stupid. I was just deeply offended by it and felt as if I needed to explain something.
Now, enough with that rant, on to the book. Please, completely disregard any reviews like that. Read it for yourself and see if you agree or disagree. Take head. Don't read it. Read it. You may do as you please. The problem now a days is we see something, hear something and we are too quick to believe it. Instead of finding the facts out ourselves and thinking "Well, based on all the data I have gathered, what do I think?" and do get all sides of the story. Don't read a good review and think "Oh I am going to love it"...you may as well just hate it! Don't read a bad review and think "Oh, well that's not worth it. Might as not read it ever!"....because you very may just have loved it...found a favorite book of yours. Would you know that? No. Why? Because you took someone else's word way too easy and too much to heart. You didn't find out yourself so you lost the chance of falling in love with a book. Heed this warning. Don't. The choice is up to you.
Ok, I did it again. I ranted and now I am already six paragraphs in and haven't talked about the book like I am supposed to!! And it is a rather boring and high on emotional ranting...Oops! ;D Where'd the fun go!? So Katie has her problems. One problem leads to the other and it all kind of just starts snowballing leaving her run over at the bottom of the hill by the huge snowball that has been falling and collecting for sometime. I felt so sorry for her. But then, I didn't. If she hadn't gone through all that stuff I don't think she would be nearly as strong as she was by the end of the book. It's hard to see but all the bad that happens to us happen for a reason. A reason we may not be able to understand at the time but a reason none the less. Isn't that a horrific thought? But its true. What doesn't kill us really does make us stronger.
Katie's friends were the true hope in most of the book. I loved Stan and I loved Matt and I loved Cassie. They were her backbone. Katie didn't realize it while she was being plowed but they were. No matter what she did she still had their support. It'd be nice to have those right? We can if we associate ourselves with the right people. That was one of Katie's flaws...one of the things that lead her to her ultimate downfall. She associated herself with the wrong crowd, pushed away the right crowd, then let herself be alone....think she was alone. Those who truly love us won't ever leave us alone.
Mr. Luedeke created a wonderful, heart wrenching, inspiring tale that absolutely touched my heart. Her writing was soulful, ugly in truth but beautiful in outcome. She really explored what it means to find love in others, and especially yourself. Life isn't easy...this is what Lisa shows us. The brutal honesty Lisa portrays is exactly what I loved about this book. It had its flaws. But don't we all? Nothing is perfect and nothing will be. I just wanted to show this one last paragraph from the previously quoted review:
"Conclusion.
Let us look at the most penetrating, deep questions Katie poses to herself:
"Why did I ever do half the things I did?" (P.76)
"What did I really want?" (P.179)
Sadly, she never quite finds out. At least she apologizes for being an idiot on page 316, but she does nothing to change it.
This book perpetuates the YA lit lie that things improve without personal change. Absolutely despicable. Just think about it. We teens are getting the message from the protagonist that it's OK to smoke weed. It's OK to get hammered every chance you get. It's good in fact, because your life will improve while you do all these things! Just look at Katie! Just look at her and her stupid life and stupid choices and the utter lack of ability she has to control her own actions!
Indeed, if you take a look at all, take a good long look.
And don't forget this terrifying read."
No. She doesn't find out exactly what she wants. Or why she did what she did. Do you? Do you know exactly what you want and why you did the things you do? If you do, damn. Color me jealous. No. Katie DOES change. She is able to have the courage to face her fears, step away from her past and start over. You can't go back and change the past. Sometimes you have to move one and completely start over. If you are constantly looking over your shoulder, you might miss that you are walking to your own death. Haha not once did it encourage the smoking of weed or to get hammered. No. SHIT! You have got to be kidding me. The hell!? Katie's life did NOT improve because of those....they let to her utter demise! She was DESTROYED because of it. She lost EVERYTHING! Have you never made a stupid decision in your life? If not, well then color me jealous TWICE. We learn from our mistakes.
I am sorry but I found that completely insulting. We are entitled to our own opinions but if those opinions are insulting, rude, ignorant and disrespectful don't even bother opening your damn mouth. Sorry my feathers are completely ruffled. I do encourage you to read this book. I liked it. I found it inspiring and lovely. It was true. It was honest. It was done right. I don't encourage you to go and do what Katie did. I don't encourage you to make every damn mistake possible so you can "learn from it". Yes, some of Katies decision's were stupid. So are some of mine. Again, not encouraged. I encourage us to make the best decisions possible. To do what is best for you. Will you make the wrong choice sometimes? Yes. Will that cause you trouble? Most likely. Negative outcomes occur. But life doesn't come with a warning "Do this and this will destroy you". Humanity has blessed with a conscience. A conscience some people refuse to use...A conscience some choose to embrace. There is humanity, morals, goodness! Whether we choose to use them is our choice. There is no perfection in this imperfect world. Katie did some terrible things but it cost her. It molded her. It scarred her. It transformed her. In the end...it didn't destroy her.
~Rating:
4 of 5 stars!!
*Warning..review is rather long but...I had a strong opinion about it....read on at your own discretion*
~Review:
I've read my fair share of contemporary books with the theme being a broken girl thrown into a mix of lies, broken family, etc. It's easy for these kind of books to merge together, each one becoming a replica and nothing outstanding. I have to say that Lisa did a great job at creating Smashed so that it does not blend in with the background but instead, stands out!
Upon reading some reviews of this book I was wary to start it. I heard things about way too much foul language, explicit sexual description, etc. I even read this one review where it said just this:
"I am now going to tell you what happens and save yourself the embarrassment of having read something so awful.
Guy attracts alcoholic (pretty, successful, and needy) girl, who is dumb enough to coerce herself into his groping hands.
Alcoholic girl parties with guy for half the book.
Alcoholic girl drives drunk with guy and crashes them into a tree, disfiguring said guy.
Guy takes the blame for the crash so she will owe him sex.
Guy stalks girl for half the book.
Guy rapes girl.
Girl has PTSD and then beer is found in guy's school locker.
THE END.
oh yeah, there was supposed to be something about her dad...? Yeah there was, but it was so irrelevant and stereotypical I have forgotten..."
Ok, I am not even the author by I'm offended. There was so much more to this book than that!! I don't know but I like the broken stories the best. The ones about the girl with so many problems she is practically drowning in them. Where the girl is so strong that she can pull through from all her problems. I think those protagonists are the strongest ones of all. They have more courage, faith, and strength than the ones fighting the government in resistance, trekking through a forest filled with demons and other scary stuff. Why? Because they hold truth. These could be the stories that help a girl or boy out because they are going through the same things.
"Dumb enough to coerce herself into his groping hands"!!??? Excuse me!!? It is so far beyond that!! Did you not read any of her thoughts? It wasn't a fact of being dumb it was the fact of being a decent human giving someone a benefit of the doubt. She liked him. She thought he was a nice sweet guy. She didn't expect him to attempt rape! Haven't you ever been in love? It can be frighteningly true when they say "love is blind". No girl wants to be raped. No one wants to think someone they know and care about is capable of it. To be honest. I probably might have thought those thoughts before but then I read Knee Deep by Jolene Perry and it kind of opened my eyes a little more to these things that happen. It gave me a different way of thinking about girls that struggle through alchohol addictions, lying, being raped, staying in abusive relationtships, etc. You would think it'd be so easy to just turn away. I mean you'd have to be stupid to stay in an abusive relationship right? Wrong. It is so much more than that and I feel as if whoever is quick to judge is the stupid one. Now, please take note I am not calling the author of the quoted review stupid. I was just deeply offended by it and felt as if I needed to explain something.
Now, enough with that rant, on to the book. Please, completely disregard any reviews like that. Read it for yourself and see if you agree or disagree. Take head. Don't read it. Read it. You may do as you please. The problem now a days is we see something, hear something and we are too quick to believe it. Instead of finding the facts out ourselves and thinking "Well, based on all the data I have gathered, what do I think?" and do get all sides of the story. Don't read a good review and think "Oh I am going to love it"...you may as well just hate it! Don't read a bad review and think "Oh, well that's not worth it. Might as not read it ever!"....because you very may just have loved it...found a favorite book of yours. Would you know that? No. Why? Because you took someone else's word way too easy and too much to heart. You didn't find out yourself so you lost the chance of falling in love with a book. Heed this warning. Don't. The choice is up to you.
Ok, I did it again. I ranted and now I am already six paragraphs in and haven't talked about the book like I am supposed to!! And it is a rather boring and high on emotional ranting...Oops! ;D Where'd the fun go!? So Katie has her problems. One problem leads to the other and it all kind of just starts snowballing leaving her run over at the bottom of the hill by the huge snowball that has been falling and collecting for sometime. I felt so sorry for her. But then, I didn't. If she hadn't gone through all that stuff I don't think she would be nearly as strong as she was by the end of the book. It's hard to see but all the bad that happens to us happen for a reason. A reason we may not be able to understand at the time but a reason none the less. Isn't that a horrific thought? But its true. What doesn't kill us really does make us stronger.
Katie's friends were the true hope in most of the book. I loved Stan and I loved Matt and I loved Cassie. They were her backbone. Katie didn't realize it while she was being plowed but they were. No matter what she did she still had their support. It'd be nice to have those right? We can if we associate ourselves with the right people. That was one of Katie's flaws...one of the things that lead her to her ultimate downfall. She associated herself with the wrong crowd, pushed away the right crowd, then let herself be alone....think she was alone. Those who truly love us won't ever leave us alone.
Mr. Luedeke created a wonderful, heart wrenching, inspiring tale that absolutely touched my heart. Her writing was soulful, ugly in truth but beautiful in outcome. She really explored what it means to find love in others, and especially yourself. Life isn't easy...this is what Lisa shows us. The brutal honesty Lisa portrays is exactly what I loved about this book. It had its flaws. But don't we all? Nothing is perfect and nothing will be. I just wanted to show this one last paragraph from the previously quoted review:
"Conclusion.
Let us look at the most penetrating, deep questions Katie poses to herself:
"Why did I ever do half the things I did?" (P.76)
"What did I really want?" (P.179)
Sadly, she never quite finds out. At least she apologizes for being an idiot on page 316, but she does nothing to change it.
This book perpetuates the YA lit lie that things improve without personal change. Absolutely despicable. Just think about it. We teens are getting the message from the protagonist that it's OK to smoke weed. It's OK to get hammered every chance you get. It's good in fact, because your life will improve while you do all these things! Just look at Katie! Just look at her and her stupid life and stupid choices and the utter lack of ability she has to control her own actions!
Indeed, if you take a look at all, take a good long look.
And don't forget this terrifying read."
No. She doesn't find out exactly what she wants. Or why she did what she did. Do you? Do you know exactly what you want and why you did the things you do? If you do, damn. Color me jealous. No. Katie DOES change. She is able to have the courage to face her fears, step away from her past and start over. You can't go back and change the past. Sometimes you have to move one and completely start over. If you are constantly looking over your shoulder, you might miss that you are walking to your own death. Haha not once did it encourage the smoking of weed or to get hammered. No. SHIT! You have got to be kidding me. The hell!? Katie's life did NOT improve because of those....they let to her utter demise! She was DESTROYED because of it. She lost EVERYTHING! Have you never made a stupid decision in your life? If not, well then color me jealous TWICE. We learn from our mistakes.
I am sorry but I found that completely insulting. We are entitled to our own opinions but if those opinions are insulting, rude, ignorant and disrespectful don't even bother opening your damn mouth. Sorry my feathers are completely ruffled. I do encourage you to read this book. I liked it. I found it inspiring and lovely. It was true. It was honest. It was done right. I don't encourage you to go and do what Katie did. I don't encourage you to make every damn mistake possible so you can "learn from it". Yes, some of Katies decision's were stupid. So are some of mine. Again, not encouraged. I encourage us to make the best decisions possible. To do what is best for you. Will you make the wrong choice sometimes? Yes. Will that cause you trouble? Most likely. Negative outcomes occur. But life doesn't come with a warning "Do this and this will destroy you". Humanity has blessed with a conscience. A conscience some people refuse to use...A conscience some choose to embrace. There is humanity, morals, goodness! Whether we choose to use them is our choice. There is no perfection in this imperfect world. Katie did some terrible things but it cost her. It molded her. It scarred her. It transformed her. In the end...it didn't destroy her.
~Rating:
4 of 5 stars!!
February 5, 2018
This is the third time I’ve read this book and I just love the pace, the plot, and the character development. Lisa-we want more. This is also the book I use to with my “non-readers” and readers alike to hook them into my book recs. Everyone should be a part of this thrilling story!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
October 15, 2012
There are so many times in reading that you want to take a character out of their situation, hug them, and tell them it'll all be over by the end of the story. Maybe some horrible things have happened, or they've made some terrible choices, or they've been hurt. But there's some little string that connects them to you, tying their story to your heart -- character depth, a compelling voice. Whatever it is, it convinces you that this character is someone to root for.
Katie Martin is not that kind of character. Maybe other people will disagree, and maybe people will see something in her that I didn't. But I spent the larger part of the book hoping something horrible would happen to her to straighten her out. But then something horrible does happen to her, and I felt a bad -- I didn't want that specific thing to happen (is this vague enough for you?), and it felt like a set-up.
See, Katie Martin gets drunks and goes for a drive with a complete asshole who blackmails her for months after they both lie and say he was driving. Let me back up, and say it again: Katie Martin gets drunk and goes for a drive. Her accident injures him, and of course, she walks away with minor injuries and guilt. I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. Maybe this is supposed to teach teenagers a lesson about not being selfish enough to drive drunk? I don't know. But I'm probably the wrong person to have sympathy for anyone who is that degree of selfish. Risk your life all you want, but don't put someone else in danger because you're irresponsible. And yeah, I know that she's a character in a book, and sometimes people do that, but I wanted to root for her in the start.
Now, let's talk about Alec. He's a horrible human being too, and for whatever reason, Katie doesn't care. She knows the sorts of things he does, she knows the kind of person he is, but she chooses to hang out with him, to kiss him, to be seen with him. This is something that drives me up the wall, when it comes to YA books (any books, but especially YA). The good thing about Alec, however, is that at no point after his true colors are revealed are we made to believe he's good. We knows what's lurking underneath the popular boy exterior, and Lisa Luedeke does not romanticize his behavior. I am so happy that wasn't the path she took with the book, and it satisfied me enough to keep reading.
The relationships between Katie and the people around her are not as well-developed as they could be. There is a brother who comes and goes -- I honestly doesn't understand what he was doing in the book, his role was so minor it might have just served as a reminder that Katie's family was so disconnected, a mother who has her priorities in all the wrong places, and a best friend Katie treats like crap. None of these characters are given the depth that Katie or Alec are given, and that's too bad, because I liked what I saw of him. The best relationship depicted is that of Katie and her coach. We really see how the coach is almost a stand-in for Katie's mother, watching over her and noticing things that are wrong with her when her mother doesn't. The coach is also a good disciplinarian, and doesn't forgive Katie's screw-ups without consequence.
From a reader's standpoint, there's nothing wrong with Smashed's writing. The pacing is great, with nothing happening too quickly, no large gaps in time that are confusing, and nothing dragging. The story is also told very well, with clear language that will appeal to teen readers. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy edgier, upper-YA -- or, sneak this book into your friends' lockers if you're worried about their drinking (after you tell someone). It's not preachy, but I think that people will be able to connect with what's going on enough to understand the dangers of making bad choices.
Katie Martin is not that kind of character. Maybe other people will disagree, and maybe people will see something in her that I didn't. But I spent the larger part of the book hoping something horrible would happen to her to straighten her out. But then something horrible does happen to her, and I felt a bad -- I didn't want that specific thing to happen (is this vague enough for you?), and it felt like a set-up.
See, Katie Martin gets drunks and goes for a drive with a complete asshole who blackmails her for months after they both lie and say he was driving. Let me back up, and say it again: Katie Martin gets drunk and goes for a drive. Her accident injures him, and of course, she walks away with minor injuries and guilt. I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. Maybe this is supposed to teach teenagers a lesson about not being selfish enough to drive drunk? I don't know. But I'm probably the wrong person to have sympathy for anyone who is that degree of selfish. Risk your life all you want, but don't put someone else in danger because you're irresponsible. And yeah, I know that she's a character in a book, and sometimes people do that, but I wanted to root for her in the start.
Now, let's talk about Alec. He's a horrible human being too, and for whatever reason, Katie doesn't care. She knows the sorts of things he does, she knows the kind of person he is, but she chooses to hang out with him, to kiss him, to be seen with him. This is something that drives me up the wall, when it comes to YA books (any books, but especially YA). The good thing about Alec, however, is that at no point after his true colors are revealed are we made to believe he's good. We knows what's lurking underneath the popular boy exterior, and Lisa Luedeke does not romanticize his behavior. I am so happy that wasn't the path she took with the book, and it satisfied me enough to keep reading.
The relationships between Katie and the people around her are not as well-developed as they could be. There is a brother who comes and goes -- I honestly doesn't understand what he was doing in the book, his role was so minor it might have just served as a reminder that Katie's family was so disconnected, a mother who has her priorities in all the wrong places, and a best friend Katie treats like crap. None of these characters are given the depth that Katie or Alec are given, and that's too bad, because I liked what I saw of him. The best relationship depicted is that of Katie and her coach. We really see how the coach is almost a stand-in for Katie's mother, watching over her and noticing things that are wrong with her when her mother doesn't. The coach is also a good disciplinarian, and doesn't forgive Katie's screw-ups without consequence.
From a reader's standpoint, there's nothing wrong with Smashed's writing. The pacing is great, with nothing happening too quickly, no large gaps in time that are confusing, and nothing dragging. The story is also told very well, with clear language that will appeal to teen readers. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy edgier, upper-YA -- or, sneak this book into your friends' lockers if you're worried about their drinking (after you tell someone). It's not preachy, but I think that people will be able to connect with what's going on enough to understand the dangers of making bad choices.
December 20, 2013
Hmm... should have stopped reading this one a long time ago, but I stuck it out and finished it.
Why did I dislike this book so much? Well there are a few reasons.
First off, I honestly didn't find this story all that interesting. Short summary: a girl named Katie goes down the wrong path, leading to her becoming an alcoholic. The story line was fairly basic, and didn't really offer anything new or fresh. It was pretty predictable. You can write stories that have been done before, (let's be honest, most of them have been,) but you have to do something to make the story interesting. And in my opinion, basing the story around a star field-hockey student doesn't exactly make the story interesting, which leads me to my next point...
There was so much field-hockey in this book. I didn't expect it going in, and I found myself bored reading the play-by-plays. I think it might be hard for anyone who doesn't play or follow field-hockey to be interested in reading those scenes, but who knows. Someone out there might find it interesting.
I had some smaller qualms with this story. For example, why did we have to know every single character's hair color? Does that add to the story at all? It didn't seem to. We don't find out our protagonist's name until page 15, which in my opinion is way too late.
But my biggest problem with this book is that I believe it perpetuates rape culture. Katie, has been hanging out with this guy Alec. He seems alright at first, but after a few chapters we learn that he is violent and pushy. So when Katie crashes his car into a tree while driving drunk, and Alec agrees to keep her secret so she can keep her field hockey scholarship, we know things are a little sketchy. That's pretty lame of Katie to let Alec take the blame for that. But it, in no way, justifies Alec raping Katie six months later. I mean, if this story is trying to teach a moral, I guess the moral is that if you drink underage, eventually you'll get raped. At least that's what I took from it. Oh, and did I mention that no one believes Katie when she finally does tell people about the rape? So Alec faces no consequences, except for a suspension because Katie's best friend set him up with beer in his backpack at school.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It was boring, and the moral was offensive.
Why did I dislike this book so much? Well there are a few reasons.
First off, I honestly didn't find this story all that interesting. Short summary: a girl named Katie goes down the wrong path, leading to her becoming an alcoholic. The story line was fairly basic, and didn't really offer anything new or fresh. It was pretty predictable. You can write stories that have been done before, (let's be honest, most of them have been,) but you have to do something to make the story interesting. And in my opinion, basing the story around a star field-hockey student doesn't exactly make the story interesting, which leads me to my next point...
There was so much field-hockey in this book. I didn't expect it going in, and I found myself bored reading the play-by-plays. I think it might be hard for anyone who doesn't play or follow field-hockey to be interested in reading those scenes, but who knows. Someone out there might find it interesting.
I had some smaller qualms with this story. For example, why did we have to know every single character's hair color? Does that add to the story at all? It didn't seem to. We don't find out our protagonist's name until page 15, which in my opinion is way too late.
But my biggest problem with this book is that I believe it perpetuates rape culture. Katie, has been hanging out with this guy Alec. He seems alright at first, but after a few chapters we learn that he is violent and pushy. So when Katie crashes his car into a tree while driving drunk, and Alec agrees to keep her secret so she can keep her field hockey scholarship, we know things are a little sketchy. That's pretty lame of Katie to let Alec take the blame for that. But it, in no way, justifies Alec raping Katie six months later. I mean, if this story is trying to teach a moral, I guess the moral is that if you drink underage, eventually you'll get raped. At least that's what I took from it. Oh, and did I mention that no one believes Katie when she finally does tell people about the rape? So Alec faces no consequences, except for a suspension because Katie's best friend set him up with beer in his backpack at school.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It was boring, and the moral was offensive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2012
Senior Katie Martin has her eyes on winning the state championship in field hockey. Her coach is sure that she has enough talent to win an athletic scholarship. But Katie is in trouble. Her father left the family years before, and now her mother might as well have abandoned Katie and her younger brother since she spends all her time working or hanging out with her boyfriend in another town. Katie is alone far too often, and while she can count on her good friends, Matt and Cassie, to be there for her, she can't always count on herself to make good decisions. During the summer before school starts, Katie is drawn to Alec, a popular athletic boy who had bullied Matt when both of them were younger. She recognizes similarities between them and even feels physical attraction. But there's another side to the gentle boy she is coming to know, and that aspect of him frightens her. When he takes the blame for an accident Katie causes, she owes him, and he is determined to get what he wants. As Katie battles alchoholism and tries to recover from a rape, she shuts out everyone around her. Not only is her life a wreck and her self-confidence completely shot, but she spends most of her school days smashed and getting through her classes by drinking. It was hard for me to like Katie because she was so self-destructive, even ruining her chances for a better future, but I did feel pity for her and anger at her mother for being so absent and unaware. I was never quite sure what the story was with Alec. At one moment, he'd seem to be a nice guy, and then, the next, he was completely out of control. This cautionary tale is a vivid reminder of the types of behaviors and individuals to avoid. Teen readers will enjoy discussing some of Katie's choices and pondering their own reactions if they had been put in those situations. One of the things I appreciated is that the author doesn't take the easy way out and have Katie's problems solved by others or by having her fall conveniently in love with Matt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 10, 2016Smashed By Lisa Luedeke
Teenage sport fanatic Katie Martin is looking at a full ride to the University of Maine all thanks to her extreme passion for playing field hockey. Katie has one more year to keep it together and she will be living her dream. With a mom who works the graveyard shift and crashes at her boyfriend's house hours away, younger brother who basically lives with the neighbors, and a misfit dad that ran at the first sign of responsibilities she can’t wait to leave. Everyone has their own guilty pleasure and for Katie it’s alcohol. One small addiction will turn her life upside down in more ways than one..
This book is truly gripping and extremely relatable for any high school athlete. There are many different sides to sports and high school but drugs and alcohol are always going to be one of the bigger parts. To work your butt off for a experience to play in college is a lot of work, between the hours put in at practice, outside of practice, games, the social life you give up to only be the best possible. This book shows exact play by play what the life of a dedicated athlete looks like. For Katie like most other athletes even today that meant sports first, school work, then the partying. She would go home after a long day and have a drink...or five. Long weekend comes around teachers and coaches tell you to make smart decisions and you go to a party and get messed up.
As an athlete this book has really made me look at the choices me and some of my friends have made over the years. To see how far we’ve come and to see how much we’ve all changed scares me for college when we will all be constantly surrounded by alcohol. We use to mess around around and be dumb a lot, but looking at it from this side of the fence we were literally just young and dumb. For me it won’t be a problem to give it up, sadly for some of my teammates it might be a huge struggle but only time will tell.
Teenage sport fanatic Katie Martin is looking at a full ride to the University of Maine all thanks to her extreme passion for playing field hockey. Katie has one more year to keep it together and she will be living her dream. With a mom who works the graveyard shift and crashes at her boyfriend's house hours away, younger brother who basically lives with the neighbors, and a misfit dad that ran at the first sign of responsibilities she can’t wait to leave. Everyone has their own guilty pleasure and for Katie it’s alcohol. One small addiction will turn her life upside down in more ways than one..
This book is truly gripping and extremely relatable for any high school athlete. There are many different sides to sports and high school but drugs and alcohol are always going to be one of the bigger parts. To work your butt off for a experience to play in college is a lot of work, between the hours put in at practice, outside of practice, games, the social life you give up to only be the best possible. This book shows exact play by play what the life of a dedicated athlete looks like. For Katie like most other athletes even today that meant sports first, school work, then the partying. She would go home after a long day and have a drink...or five. Long weekend comes around teachers and coaches tell you to make smart decisions and you go to a party and get messed up.
As an athlete this book has really made me look at the choices me and some of my friends have made over the years. To see how far we’ve come and to see how much we’ve all changed scares me for college when we will all be constantly surrounded by alcohol. We use to mess around around and be dumb a lot, but looking at it from this side of the fence we were literally just young and dumb. For me it won’t be a problem to give it up, sadly for some of my teammates it might be a huge struggle but only time will tell.
August 26, 2012
I was super excited to read this one based on the early buzz and the subject matter. It's just my type of book. As soon as I got my hands on a copy I moved it to the top of my TBR pile and started reading. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the beginning. The writing was kind of cheesy, more shallow than I was expecting. There were a lot of italics which annoy me, personally. (I'm from that school of thought where italics shouldn't be used really unless it's fanfic) But about 1/3 of the way through the book the writing became much stronger and the plot started to click. I can't say it completely clicked because I never got a handle on Alec and that was sort of the missing piece. As for Katie and her thoughts, her spiral, the way it all kept getting worse and worse, that was handled very nicely. There's a very powerful chapter where the author didn't use any quotation marks and I would read that again just to admire it. That was when I saw where someone could compare this book to the classic novel, Speak.
The book was full of a lot of black and white characters. The good kids and the party kids and it was interesting how Katie navigated her way through the social circles. We could see how she was able to function while there was a lot of negative things happening in her life. I can't say I ever became incredibly attached to Katie but I did feel for her. Matt was a very warm character, a bit too perfect but I couldn't help rooting for him. Cassie really came alive at the end so I stopped imagining her as Cassie from Animorphs which was awkward since the Cassie in this book has red hair and, I'm assuming, is white.
All in all, a solid read, great look at teenage alcoholism and grief and I recommend it.
The book was full of a lot of black and white characters. The good kids and the party kids and it was interesting how Katie navigated her way through the social circles. We could see how she was able to function while there was a lot of negative things happening in her life. I can't say I ever became incredibly attached to Katie but I did feel for her. Matt was a very warm character, a bit too perfect but I couldn't help rooting for him. Cassie really came alive at the end so I stopped imagining her as Cassie from Animorphs which was awkward since the Cassie in this book has red hair and, I'm assuming, is white.
All in all, a solid read, great look at teenage alcoholism and grief and I recommend it.
October 3, 2015
This book could have been so good. The writing is simple and that makes it a fast read but the plot was all over the place. There was drama about her dad abandoning her that was only significant when it needed to be. There was drama with her mom being absent from home that was never really resolved. I honestly don't buy into the "romance" either. After what is said about Alex the first couple chapters I can't really imagine Katie letting things go as far as they did before she ended it. There were red flags everywhere that he wasn't a "good guy" and she blatantly ignored them even after she acknowledge they were red flags. Other than the drama of her losing her scholarship, I don't really see where the field hockey fit into the storyline. And it was a good portion of the book. The pacing was weird: beginning was fast, middle was slow, ending was fast with a kind of lacking resolution to the presented conflicts.
It had so much potential though.
It had so much potential though.
July 2, 2012
Met this author at ALA in Anaheim. This is her first book. It ended up being one of the books I chose for my plane ride home from the conference.
Katie is a field hockey star at her small Maine high school. With her dad out of the picture she'll never get to college without a scholarship, so that is her sole goal during her senior year. Unfortunately however, Alec is also in the picture. Katie and her friends have never liked him. At school he's one of the rich, popular kids, who bullies those who aren't as cool. But when he begins to come by the lake where Katie works over the summer, she sees a different, softer side to him. Or so she thinks. One night at a party Katie makes a decision that will affect her life forever and leave her indebted to Alec in ways she can't escape. The author told us at ALA that people have compared her book to "Speak".
Katie is a field hockey star at her small Maine high school. With her dad out of the picture she'll never get to college without a scholarship, so that is her sole goal during her senior year. Unfortunately however, Alec is also in the picture. Katie and her friends have never liked him. At school he's one of the rich, popular kids, who bullies those who aren't as cool. But when he begins to come by the lake where Katie works over the summer, she sees a different, softer side to him. Or so she thinks. One night at a party Katie makes a decision that will affect her life forever and leave her indebted to Alec in ways she can't escape. The author told us at ALA that people have compared her book to "Speak".
May 8, 2014
Actual rating - 2.5
Smashed was an okay read, but it wasn't as good as i expected it to be.
I felt sorry for Katie, i really did. What happened to her was awful, and i wouldn't wish it on anyone.
I kept on hoping she would stay away from Alec, as you could tell from the start he was a bad apple... but unfortunately, she carried on hanging out with him, until he went to far.
I did get quite bored throughout the book, as it took ages for it to get to the tipping point.
It didn't happen until near the end, so it was quite slow until that point.
Overall, okay, but took a bit too long to get to the main point in the story.
Smashed was an okay read, but it wasn't as good as i expected it to be.
I felt sorry for Katie, i really did. What happened to her was awful, and i wouldn't wish it on anyone.
I kept on hoping she would stay away from Alec, as you could tell from the start he was a bad apple... but unfortunately, she carried on hanging out with him, until he went to far.
I did get quite bored throughout the book, as it took ages for it to get to the tipping point.
It didn't happen until near the end, so it was quite slow until that point.
Overall, okay, but took a bit too long to get to the main point in the story.
November 22, 2025
There were so many part about this book that I loved, but parts I was disappointed with as well.
I flew through the first half, it was an easy read and absolutely interesting. 50% - 75% of the way through really started to lag, I couldn't get interested in all the details about field hockey so I kind of glazed over that part. 75% - 95% was great again, I teared up through most of it. The last 5% was kind of a let down, rushed through and didn't really feel like an actual ending. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and I'm glad I read it but too many let downs to give it 4 or more stars. Worth the read but just set your expectations early.
I flew through the first half, it was an easy read and absolutely interesting. 50% - 75% of the way through really started to lag, I couldn't get interested in all the details about field hockey so I kind of glazed over that part. 75% - 95% was great again, I teared up through most of it. The last 5% was kind of a let down, rushed through and didn't really feel like an actual ending. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and I'm glad I read it but too many let downs to give it 4 or more stars. Worth the read but just set your expectations early.
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November 1, 2019 Katie Martini goes through a number of traumatic experiences during her senior year of Highschool. Due to my being able to relate to some of the things she went through I could develop more of an understanding of who she was and why she handled certain situations the way she did. Personally I loved this book and will definitely read it again in the future. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading stories with a darker tone to them.
March 2, 2020
I really liked it because I play field hockey, the story was very sad. I did not like how it just ended at the lake with Matt and Katie talking, I felt that it could have been better if it ended at graduation or something like that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2021
This book was so good. I disagree with other reviewers saying that the addiction didn’t pop up til the end of the book, it built slowly and gradually especially more that happened to her. It’s not an instant favorite but it’s a good book. It’s hard hitting and it’s real life.
October 11, 2023
I really like Alec and Katie in the book, Katie is head strong and she knows what she wants when she wants kinda thing and Alec is i care but i don't character which i really like too. Other than that amazing book really liked it.
August 14, 2018
I thought this was fairly realistic...great to show teens how poor choices and decisions can actually affect your life. Not a "happy" ending; more realistic.
April 12, 2021
3.5 stars
July 14, 2012
3.5/5 stars.
While I wouldn't entirely compare this to "Speak", I can see why the comparison is being made. "Smashed" is a pretty powerful, raw debut novel that talks about one of the "tough stuff" areas that we don't see touched upon very often - that of the active downward spiral of becoming an addict. We've seen YA contemp deal with teens whose parents that are addicts, or where teens are in rehab for addiction (the latter seems to be the rarer of the two), but not the actual process of the teen falling into addiction. Props to Luedeke for showing us the ugly reality of how easy it can be to become an addict, but doing it in such an easily emotionally connectable way.
I wouldn't say "Smashed" is as brutal as "Speak" - not by a mile. I feel like Luedeke kind of stayed her hand here, and that makes this a good book for readers that may be on the younger end of the YA spectrum. On the other hand, it did make for a few confusing scenes (the rape scene, for example - while nowhere near graphic, it did get confusing it until it's over and we see the aftermath). While I was glad that I didn't have to experience certain scenes so strongly, at the same time, I did want a bit more clarity so I wouldn't be so entirely vague about what just happened. There's also the pacing - there were places were it dragged, and I wish it hadn't, because my focus did start to wander a bit and the ending was just a bit too abrupt for me. But as this is Luedeke's debut, I can understand how all of that happened.
Nitpicking aside, the world that Luedeke builds is extremely real, as are her characters and their situations. While at first it seemed a bit far-fetched that Katie would become an addict so quickly, after doing a little research between chapters, it can be that quick if you have the right set of conditions - stress and genetic predisposition among them. The world is shrunk to small-town Maine, thus giving us the right conditions to really strangle Katie and make her desperate for comfort when she needs it. As I've said before about worldbuilding in YA contemporary - yes, it is in fact needed and Luedeke has done a great job here. Nothing in Luedeke's world made me arch an eyebrow as it did seem all very plausible.
Another thing Luedeke is great at - killing her darlings. She really puts Katie (and to a lesser degree, deliciously slimy Alec) through the ringer to achieve the appropriate emotional payoff. A negligent parent, feeling trapped in a small town, summer boredom all make for a potent stew and the perfect kindling for the fire set by addiction. While Katie's downward spiral was painful to read, at the same time, I was glad it hurt - it should hurt to read. Had it not hurt, Luedeke wouldn't have done her job as an author in terms of making her MC emotionally relatable and sympathetic.
Alec was wonderfully awful - very Jekyll and Hyde, as some other reviewers have mentioned. Which is the real Alec? The sweet guy mowing her lawn because he can? Or the guy threatening blackmail about that one drunk night on the road? Even though I eventually kind of saw how that was going to end in terms of who he really was, I did enjoy the twists and turns that happened on the way to that discovery.
Final verdict? If you're a fan of YA contemp that doesn't hold back, you definitely need to read "Smashed". It's out August 28th from Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster in North America, so be sure to check it out then!
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
While I wouldn't entirely compare this to "Speak", I can see why the comparison is being made. "Smashed" is a pretty powerful, raw debut novel that talks about one of the "tough stuff" areas that we don't see touched upon very often - that of the active downward spiral of becoming an addict. We've seen YA contemp deal with teens whose parents that are addicts, or where teens are in rehab for addiction (the latter seems to be the rarer of the two), but not the actual process of the teen falling into addiction. Props to Luedeke for showing us the ugly reality of how easy it can be to become an addict, but doing it in such an easily emotionally connectable way.
I wouldn't say "Smashed" is as brutal as "Speak" - not by a mile. I feel like Luedeke kind of stayed her hand here, and that makes this a good book for readers that may be on the younger end of the YA spectrum. On the other hand, it did make for a few confusing scenes (the rape scene, for example - while nowhere near graphic, it did get confusing it until it's over and we see the aftermath). While I was glad that I didn't have to experience certain scenes so strongly, at the same time, I did want a bit more clarity so I wouldn't be so entirely vague about what just happened. There's also the pacing - there were places were it dragged, and I wish it hadn't, because my focus did start to wander a bit and the ending was just a bit too abrupt for me. But as this is Luedeke's debut, I can understand how all of that happened.
Nitpicking aside, the world that Luedeke builds is extremely real, as are her characters and their situations. While at first it seemed a bit far-fetched that Katie would become an addict so quickly, after doing a little research between chapters, it can be that quick if you have the right set of conditions - stress and genetic predisposition among them. The world is shrunk to small-town Maine, thus giving us the right conditions to really strangle Katie and make her desperate for comfort when she needs it. As I've said before about worldbuilding in YA contemporary - yes, it is in fact needed and Luedeke has done a great job here. Nothing in Luedeke's world made me arch an eyebrow as it did seem all very plausible.
Another thing Luedeke is great at - killing her darlings. She really puts Katie (and to a lesser degree, deliciously slimy Alec) through the ringer to achieve the appropriate emotional payoff. A negligent parent, feeling trapped in a small town, summer boredom all make for a potent stew and the perfect kindling for the fire set by addiction. While Katie's downward spiral was painful to read, at the same time, I was glad it hurt - it should hurt to read. Had it not hurt, Luedeke wouldn't have done her job as an author in terms of making her MC emotionally relatable and sympathetic.
Alec was wonderfully awful - very Jekyll and Hyde, as some other reviewers have mentioned. Which is the real Alec? The sweet guy mowing her lawn because he can? Or the guy threatening blackmail about that one drunk night on the road? Even though I eventually kind of saw how that was going to end in terms of who he really was, I did enjoy the twists and turns that happened on the way to that discovery.
Final verdict? If you're a fan of YA contemp that doesn't hold back, you definitely need to read "Smashed". It's out August 28th from Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster in North America, so be sure to check it out then!
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
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January 23, 2014Smashed by Lisa Luedeke is a thrilling book. Katie who lives in a small town called “Westfeild” is a senior on the varsity, field hockey team at her high school. She is a captain on the team and is looking forward to her future with field hockey. As it is scouts are already contacting her to give her a full scholarship and to tell her to choose their college. Although she is on summer break, with her mother never home and her little brother always at his friends house and no father. Katie begins to drink.
She is confused and frustrated and sad that her father left them without a word or any warning. She starts to drink a lot. Everything will turn upside down when she starts to hang out with Alec Osborne. A jock that she always made fun of. A person she never thought she would have a conversation with, someone who she thought she would never ever be with. Once she hangs out with Alec. Everything changes.
Katie Martin lives in a small town called “West field”. She is a senior who has two jobs and is captain of the varsity field hockey team. Her mother is never home, as well as her brother. She has two best friends, Matt and Cassie. Matt was bullied but Alec and his friends throughout all of middle school and has now hate towards anyone who associates with Alec. Alec an all time jock, has never even glanced toward Katie’s way, as a result Katie didn’t care for him that much.
Katie has been struggling for some time with the fact that her father abandoned her. Her mother is always working and on her time off is always with her boyfriend. Her younger brother is always at his best friend's house which leaves Katie alone and abandoned. During summer Katie is working teaching little children how to dive. On a regular day, she never expected to see Alec come to a beach in Westfield. Alec starts to hang out with Katie, Katie starts to drink a lot. One night as they went to a end of the summer party, they both were drinking a lot. The rain started to come in which left Katie driving Alec’s truck. They were both over the top drunk, even while driving, Katie and Alec were still drinking beers and or vodka. The next thing that happens is Katie opens her eyes to find out that she got in a car accident. She tries to wake Alec up to see if he is alive. He is, She tells him she will be right back that she is going for help.
She gets back to the his truck to find Alec in the drivers seat. She falls asleep and wakes up in the hospital. Soon after her recovery she is back in school and her coach has a talk with her. Scared and nervous she doesn't know what to expect. Will Katie loose all her scholarships and scouts on this one little incident? Read the book and find out.
If you like drama and teenager’s drinking this is the book for you. It has you not wanting to close or put the book down. In my opinion it is a wonderful book filled is suspense and nail biting curiosity as to what will happen next. I read this book to write a review about and it turned out to be a really great book.
She is confused and frustrated and sad that her father left them without a word or any warning. She starts to drink a lot. Everything will turn upside down when she starts to hang out with Alec Osborne. A jock that she always made fun of. A person she never thought she would have a conversation with, someone who she thought she would never ever be with. Once she hangs out with Alec. Everything changes.
Katie Martin lives in a small town called “West field”. She is a senior who has two jobs and is captain of the varsity field hockey team. Her mother is never home, as well as her brother. She has two best friends, Matt and Cassie. Matt was bullied but Alec and his friends throughout all of middle school and has now hate towards anyone who associates with Alec. Alec an all time jock, has never even glanced toward Katie’s way, as a result Katie didn’t care for him that much.
Katie has been struggling for some time with the fact that her father abandoned her. Her mother is always working and on her time off is always with her boyfriend. Her younger brother is always at his best friend's house which leaves Katie alone and abandoned. During summer Katie is working teaching little children how to dive. On a regular day, she never expected to see Alec come to a beach in Westfield. Alec starts to hang out with Katie, Katie starts to drink a lot. One night as they went to a end of the summer party, they both were drinking a lot. The rain started to come in which left Katie driving Alec’s truck. They were both over the top drunk, even while driving, Katie and Alec were still drinking beers and or vodka. The next thing that happens is Katie opens her eyes to find out that she got in a car accident. She tries to wake Alec up to see if he is alive. He is, She tells him she will be right back that she is going for help.
She gets back to the his truck to find Alec in the drivers seat. She falls asleep and wakes up in the hospital. Soon after her recovery she is back in school and her coach has a talk with her. Scared and nervous she doesn't know what to expect. Will Katie loose all her scholarships and scouts on this one little incident? Read the book and find out.
If you like drama and teenager’s drinking this is the book for you. It has you not wanting to close or put the book down. In my opinion it is a wonderful book filled is suspense and nail biting curiosity as to what will happen next. I read this book to write a review about and it turned out to be a really great book.
March 3, 2017
I'm not into books that have many sports so this book was not for me. There is a great deal about her and field hockey. Lisa is a great writer however, there isn't enough action in here for me.
July 11, 2015
Smashed is an amazing book that I was unable to put down. I constantly had to know what would happen next to Katie. This book is extremely emotional, and the writing makes it impossible to not feel bad for Katie. I rooted for things to get better for her.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Katie is a great main character. She has many issues, but it is still easy for the readers to want her to get better. Many of her problems stem from the fact that she drinks and parties too much. Her dad left when she was eleven or twelve, and her mom is always working and spending time with her boyfriends, so Katie hardly ever sees her. Katie's younger brother Will practically lives at his best friend's house. He sleeps over there so much. Sometimes, when she has a bad day, she decides to drink alcohol. When she starts seeing Alec during the summer, she thinks that maybe he isn't as bad as his reputation says he is. He seems like a nice guy to her, but then there is a drunk driving accident. Katie was the driver, but Alec tells everyone that he was the driver. Katie knows that he could easily use this against her.
The relationships portrayed between Katie and her two best friends are well done. Some issues arise near the beginning between Katie and Matt when she starts becoming friendly with Alec. In the past, one of Alec's friends had bullied Matt, so he doesn't understand why Katie would suddenly change her opinion of him. Still, despite this, he is a great friend. In many books, the girl ends up with her guy best friend, but that doesn't happen here. Katie's other best friend, Cassie, is also a great friend. She plays field hockey with Katie. Near the end of the book, they have some problems since Katie tells Cassie she would have never gotten into the situations that Katie got into. There is a great scene with the two of them when they reconcile.
The emotions in this book are so well written, and that was one of my favorite things about this book. There is a scene when Alec does something horrible to Katie, and the aftermath of this scene is amazingly written. Katie feels so sick that she lies in bed for days, thinking about what he did to her. She sometimes half blames herself, but she also knows that it wasn't her fault.
If you like emotional contemporary YA, read this book.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Katie is a great main character. She has many issues, but it is still easy for the readers to want her to get better. Many of her problems stem from the fact that she drinks and parties too much. Her dad left when she was eleven or twelve, and her mom is always working and spending time with her boyfriends, so Katie hardly ever sees her. Katie's younger brother Will practically lives at his best friend's house. He sleeps over there so much. Sometimes, when she has a bad day, she decides to drink alcohol. When she starts seeing Alec during the summer, she thinks that maybe he isn't as bad as his reputation says he is. He seems like a nice guy to her, but then there is a drunk driving accident. Katie was the driver, but Alec tells everyone that he was the driver. Katie knows that he could easily use this against her.
The relationships portrayed between Katie and her two best friends are well done. Some issues arise near the beginning between Katie and Matt when she starts becoming friendly with Alec. In the past, one of Alec's friends had bullied Matt, so he doesn't understand why Katie would suddenly change her opinion of him. Still, despite this, he is a great friend. In many books, the girl ends up with her guy best friend, but that doesn't happen here. Katie's other best friend, Cassie, is also a great friend. She plays field hockey with Katie. Near the end of the book, they have some problems since Katie tells Cassie she would have never gotten into the situations that Katie got into. There is a great scene with the two of them when they reconcile.
The emotions in this book are so well written, and that was one of my favorite things about this book. There is a scene when Alec does something horrible to Katie, and the aftermath of this scene is amazingly written. Katie feels so sick that she lies in bed for days, thinking about what he did to her. She sometimes half blames herself, but she also knows that it wasn't her fault.
If you like emotional contemporary YA, read this book.
July 1, 2012
Told in hindsight to her college counselor is this story of Katie. Her life before the summer prior to senior year of high school was defined by several elements: living in small town Maine, playing field hockey well enough to contend for a scholarship, enjoying two best friends, one male and one a teammate, both of them much more advantaged in terms of family and money. Her dad took off several years before; her mom works long hours as a nurse and prefers staying in town with boyfriends to make it home to Katie and her brother.
Smmertime: swim lessons and ice cream jobs. Dreamboat bad boy wants her bad. Matt, guy friend can't stand the a-hole. He comes across nice and even vulnerable to Katie. Is it just an act or is Dr. Jekyll the real Alec and Mr. Hyde just his rep? Going to a party with him should reveal the truth: too much to drink and ripped panties. There's the answer, but when Katie has no other way to get to the next party, she agrees to go as Alec's friend. Bad news: car, and nearly both people, totalled. Good news?: Everybody thinks Alec was driving.
Fall: Alec has her over a barrel that seems to make her paying him back for his silence and taking the blame about the accident sexually just a matter of time. Playing field hockey for a coach that is watching her every move and trying to help her win a scholarship means Katie has to play it straight to help get her team to state championship and avoid Alec.
Winter: unable to keep Alec at bay or her drinking under wraps, especially after Alec does what has seemed inevitable for several months, Katie Martin(i)spirals out of control, even drinking at school all day to make it through. Eventually, her secrets come out.
Spring: institutionalized help that ultimately leads her back to her friends, away from addiction, and back toward school and sport and winning herself back from the dark side.
Not bad at all and tamer than many novels that deal with addiction, lost teens, and rape.
Hmm, I see a comparison made on GR of this book to Speak, but I don't really see all that much of a link besides the overt one of a girl who suffers without telling people about how she is the victim of a sexual attack. Maybe more about the element of addiction dredges up Ellen Hopkins and the menacing suspense calls to mind Gail Giles.
Smmertime: swim lessons and ice cream jobs. Dreamboat bad boy wants her bad. Matt, guy friend can't stand the a-hole. He comes across nice and even vulnerable to Katie. Is it just an act or is Dr. Jekyll the real Alec and Mr. Hyde just his rep? Going to a party with him should reveal the truth: too much to drink and ripped panties. There's the answer, but when Katie has no other way to get to the next party, she agrees to go as Alec's friend. Bad news: car, and nearly both people, totalled. Good news?: Everybody thinks Alec was driving.
Fall: Alec has her over a barrel that seems to make her paying him back for his silence and taking the blame about the accident sexually just a matter of time. Playing field hockey for a coach that is watching her every move and trying to help her win a scholarship means Katie has to play it straight to help get her team to state championship and avoid Alec.
Winter: unable to keep Alec at bay or her drinking under wraps, especially after Alec does what has seemed inevitable for several months, Katie Martin(i)spirals out of control, even drinking at school all day to make it through. Eventually, her secrets come out.
Spring: institutionalized help that ultimately leads her back to her friends, away from addiction, and back toward school and sport and winning herself back from the dark side.
Not bad at all and tamer than many novels that deal with addiction, lost teens, and rape.
Hmm, I see a comparison made on GR of this book to Speak, but I don't really see all that much of a link besides the overt one of a girl who suffers without telling people about how she is the victim of a sexual attack. Maybe more about the element of addiction dredges up Ellen Hopkins and the menacing suspense calls to mind Gail Giles.
August 27, 2012
My Thoughts: For some reason, I thought this book was going to be more of a lovefest than a fightfest. HAHA.
We are introduced to Katie who is a star hockey player. She lives with her mother who is never home and her little brother. Katie likes to party and drink. She also has a best friend named Cassie. She is also great friends with her neighbor Matt.
Katie starts to bond with a guy named Alec. I’m not sure how to really describe him. I never liked him from the get go. I thought when I started this novel, I would be drawn to him. For some unknown reason, I thought he was going to be a bad boy, but one who was good and I'd fall right in love with him. I did not. I knew from the start, he was just flat out bad news.
One night, Katie and Alec get into a car accident and things go crazy from there. Alec feels like Katie owes him and he starts to take advantage of that. He is always around and wants Katie to do exactly what he says. He's very abusive towards her.
Yes, this novel had a great message. It's about bullying, consequences, what can really happen, and how to try and fix it. Things aren't great for Katie. She's in a lot of trouble and she doesn't know where to turn or who to turn too.
This novel is a prime example of how things can get out of hand really fast. You can never really predict the future and that is what makes life so hard.
Katie's life changes, and she knows she must admit the truth eventually and go from there.
Smashed was an ok novel, but just not the right one for me. Yes, the message is there and I finished this, but I couldn't really connect with it, maybe because the novel is such a serious message that I wanted something light and didn't require much thought, I don't know.
Overall: Smashed is going to wow some people. Some people will read it, and think about it for days. Smashed will suck some in with the characters but I just didn't feel the connection like I usually do. Is it worth the read? Yes, probably. Will I recommend it? Sure, especially to people who want to read about abuse and how rough life can be. It just wasn't my kind of novel.
Cover: Like it. The cover drew me in and I had to pick it up.
What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
_____
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
We are introduced to Katie who is a star hockey player. She lives with her mother who is never home and her little brother. Katie likes to party and drink. She also has a best friend named Cassie. She is also great friends with her neighbor Matt.
Katie starts to bond with a guy named Alec. I’m not sure how to really describe him. I never liked him from the get go. I thought when I started this novel, I would be drawn to him. For some unknown reason, I thought he was going to be a bad boy, but one who was good and I'd fall right in love with him. I did not. I knew from the start, he was just flat out bad news.
One night, Katie and Alec get into a car accident and things go crazy from there. Alec feels like Katie owes him and he starts to take advantage of that. He is always around and wants Katie to do exactly what he says. He's very abusive towards her.
Yes, this novel had a great message. It's about bullying, consequences, what can really happen, and how to try and fix it. Things aren't great for Katie. She's in a lot of trouble and she doesn't know where to turn or who to turn too.
This novel is a prime example of how things can get out of hand really fast. You can never really predict the future and that is what makes life so hard.
Katie's life changes, and she knows she must admit the truth eventually and go from there.
Smashed was an ok novel, but just not the right one for me. Yes, the message is there and I finished this, but I couldn't really connect with it, maybe because the novel is such a serious message that I wanted something light and didn't require much thought, I don't know.
Overall: Smashed is going to wow some people. Some people will read it, and think about it for days. Smashed will suck some in with the characters but I just didn't feel the connection like I usually do. Is it worth the read? Yes, probably. Will I recommend it? Sure, especially to people who want to read about abuse and how rough life can be. It just wasn't my kind of novel.
Cover: Like it. The cover drew me in and I had to pick it up.
What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
_____
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
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