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Shredded
Drop into the world of rule-breaking, gravity-defying girls who shred riding freestyle BMX.
Shredded by Karen Avivi is more than a teen girls’ sports book or a BMX biking book; it’s a motivating push-your-limits story for anyone who refuses to overlooked.
Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year so she and her friends take off on a summer road trip to hit the qualifying events in the Midwest. Late-night parties, an intimidating mega ramp, and the lure of sponsorships spark friction between the girls. When Josie’s best chance for success depends on her relationship with flashy rider R.T. Torres, she has to decide what she’s trying to win and how much she’ll sacrifice.
Shredded is a fast-paced, fun read that tackles feminism, friendship, sexism, and sibling rivalry. Even readers unfamiliar with BMX or extreme sports will be caught up in the adrenaline rush of Josie’s tricks, wipeouts, and wins. Hints of romance provide extra conflict without overtaking the main story.
Ideal for fans of realistic young adult fiction, Shredded features a strong female lead character who goes after what she wants by taking action.
Experience the rivalries, rejections, and triumphs of Josie and her friends as they take off on a summer road trip adventure.
"Authentic, fun, emotional, and just plain gorgeous writing."
- Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author
Shredded by Karen Avivi is more than a teen girls’ sports book or a BMX biking book; it’s a motivating push-your-limits story for anyone who refuses to overlooked.
Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year so she and her friends take off on a summer road trip to hit the qualifying events in the Midwest. Late-night parties, an intimidating mega ramp, and the lure of sponsorships spark friction between the girls. When Josie’s best chance for success depends on her relationship with flashy rider R.T. Torres, she has to decide what she’s trying to win and how much she’ll sacrifice.
Shredded is a fast-paced, fun read that tackles feminism, friendship, sexism, and sibling rivalry. Even readers unfamiliar with BMX or extreme sports will be caught up in the adrenaline rush of Josie’s tricks, wipeouts, and wins. Hints of romance provide extra conflict without overtaking the main story.
Ideal for fans of realistic young adult fiction, Shredded features a strong female lead character who goes after what she wants by taking action.
Experience the rivalries, rejections, and triumphs of Josie and her friends as they take off on a summer road trip adventure.
"Authentic, fun, emotional, and just plain gorgeous writing."
- Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
402 people want to read
About the author
Karen Avivi
2 books22 followersLike her characters, Karen Avivi enjoys an active, outdoor lifestyle. Since her discus and shot put throwing days in high school, she’s always been intrigued by fringe sports including surfing, skydiving, scuba diving, stunt classes, winter camping, orienteering, mountaineering, mountain biking, and archery. If she's not reading or writing at home in Montreal, Karen is probably planning a new adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 3, 2015
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review
*grabs soap box*
*attempts to stand on soap box*
“EVERYBODY LISTEN U-”
*falls off rickety soap box*
*mutters*
Not to sound preachy but if you’re under the age of 20, this is the book you SHOULD be reading. This is the main character you SHOULD look up to and her story is the one that SHOULD inspire you to follow your dreams.
I’d pretty much given up on YA-Contemporary before this book was suggested to me (by my obviously genius friend) on the premise that it bucked a lot of the trends and tropes that tend to lead to my epic bitch-fits. She was right. This book has single handedly saved the entire genre for me. It’s THAT good. In fact, this book is so good it made me want to start shouting empowerment slogans at the top of my lungs like some sort of deranged Spice Girl.
“I am woman, hear me roar!”
“Girl Power!”
“Zig-a-zig-ah!”
Oops, scratch that last one, got carried away.
Anywho, the sentiment stands. You see, Josie, our 17 year old MC, is a badass. The book opens with her attempting to do her first public back flip (ON A BIKE) in a crowded skate park surrounded by boys. Is she internally freaking out? A little. And who wouldn’t be? Have you seen the carnage on YouTube resulting from failed bike tricks?! Regardless of this, her fears fly from her mind the second she starts plummeting down the incline ramp. Why? See the second sentence in this paragraph.
Not only is she a BAMF but she also understands that the world doesn’t owe her a damn thing just for being born. She realizes that if you want something done you have to do it. And if you want to change people’s perceptions you have to show them why they should pay attention and why your cause matters. You can bitch and whine about inequality and discrimination til the cows come home but you know what? At the end of the day, you did nothing aside from raising a ruckus.
What does Josie want you to pay attention to? Female BMX riders like herself. In this story they’ve pretty much been pushed out of the professional American circuit because a) there are so few of them b) the few that exist garner little media attention and c) some douchebags with pull think they can’t take a fall like the boys can. Cue eyetwitching.
FYI, Josie can take a fall. Remember that carnage I mentioned a minute ago? Yeah, that happens to her. Three days before her junior prom. But does she let it get her down? Hell no. Even with full-body road rash, two black eyes and an arm in a sling she gets all dolled up and goes. Why? See the second sentence three paragraphs up.
I loved that she could be a daredevil and still want to put on a beautiful dress and go to prom. So often we see female athletes and tomboys portrayed in extremes in literature. They abhor anything pink (because pink is the debil), avoid high heels like the plague and think that to be able to hang with the guys, they have to stuff their undies with gym socks. It’s nice to finally see a girl that’s not afraid to live in both worlds, embracing both her athleticism and her feminism.
Okay, so being a badass is great and all but it’s not enough for Josie and her friends. They’re sick of being the only girls getting air in half pipes and being pushed out of competitions so they hatch a plan to garner some positive media attention and convince merch franchises and event pushers to recruit and welcome more females onto the pro circuit.
They spend their summer on a road trip across the Midwest, hitting every big BMX event they can. Along the way they win some medals, pull off some bad ass tricks, meet more female riders, forge lasting friendships, host a clinic to encourage young girls to start riding and end up with more YouTube hits than some of the popular males in their profession.
I can’t tell you how refreshing this book was on so many levels. Guess what? There’s no main love interest! You just fainted didn’t you? It’s okay, I understand. I’ll give you a second to gather yourself. You good? Sweet, glad to have you back.
I’m not saying there aren’t boys and crushes and a little drama in this book. The main character is seventeen after all and we all remember being that age. But the boys definitely take a backseat to the female friendships and the importance of the girls’ goals and dreams. Their struggle to realize those dreams is the main story here. And a struggle it is. A lot of people don’t take them seriously. Even Josie’s parents think her BMX obsession is a “phase” and that once she gets it out of her system she’ll go to college and get “a real job”. Our girl handles everyone beautifully by the way. Instead of becoming angsty or whiny she keeps her mouth shut and let’s her riding speak for itself.
Okay my girl-crush is starting so show, moving on!
Another reason you’ll love this book is the support cast. None of them are clichéd. Just when I thought I had someone pegged as an airhead or another as the typical male best friend that secretly wuvs the MC, my perceptions were blown out of the water. HOW REFRESHING. I especially loved Connor, Josie’s prom date. He’s like some evil mastermind in the making. Every time he made an appearance I was cracking up. And her friend Lauren was hands down the biggest bad ass of them all. She’s one of only three girls with the iron ovaries to drop into a fifty foot ramp at one of their BMX events. You might not be that blown away by this but I’m guessing that’s because you don’t realize that one wobbly landing on a ramp like that can lead to the type of injuries you shouldn’t look up if you have a weak stomach. Trust me, I Googled them.
*shudder*
Here’s a clip of some real-life pros breaking down what riding on a MegaRamp is like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bacBSB...
Like I said. Iron. Ovaries.
Think this book might not be for you because you don’t know much about BMX? Think again. Not only is the BMX world and the parks and tricks within it spectacularly detailed without feeling like information overload and the competitions adrenaline rush inducing but at its heart, this book is about more than extreme sports. It’s about actions speaking louder than words, going after what you really want regardless of what others think and staying true to yourself and your dreams.
Really, I just can’t say enough about this book or about Josie. I was 100% behind her from the moment I met her until the very last page. If you’re looking for a Contemporary Young Adult novel that breaks the mold, this is it.
*grabs soap box*
*attempts to stand on soap box*
“EVERYBODY LISTEN U-”
*falls off rickety soap box*
*mutters*
Not to sound preachy but if you’re under the age of 20, this is the book you SHOULD be reading. This is the main character you SHOULD look up to and her story is the one that SHOULD inspire you to follow your dreams.
I’d pretty much given up on YA-Contemporary before this book was suggested to me (by my obviously genius friend) on the premise that it bucked a lot of the trends and tropes that tend to lead to my epic bitch-fits. She was right. This book has single handedly saved the entire genre for me. It’s THAT good. In fact, this book is so good it made me want to start shouting empowerment slogans at the top of my lungs like some sort of deranged Spice Girl.
“I am woman, hear me roar!”
“Girl Power!”
“Zig-a-zig-ah!”
Oops, scratch that last one, got carried away.
Anywho, the sentiment stands. You see, Josie, our 17 year old MC, is a badass. The book opens with her attempting to do her first public back flip (ON A BIKE) in a crowded skate park surrounded by boys. Is she internally freaking out? A little. And who wouldn’t be? Have you seen the carnage on YouTube resulting from failed bike tricks?! Regardless of this, her fears fly from her mind the second she starts plummeting down the incline ramp. Why? See the second sentence in this paragraph.
Not only is she a BAMF but she also understands that the world doesn’t owe her a damn thing just for being born. She realizes that if you want something done you have to do it. And if you want to change people’s perceptions you have to show them why they should pay attention and why your cause matters. You can bitch and whine about inequality and discrimination til the cows come home but you know what? At the end of the day, you did nothing aside from raising a ruckus.
What does Josie want you to pay attention to? Female BMX riders like herself. In this story they’ve pretty much been pushed out of the professional American circuit because a) there are so few of them b) the few that exist garner little media attention and c) some douchebags with pull think they can’t take a fall like the boys can. Cue eyetwitching.
FYI, Josie can take a fall. Remember that carnage I mentioned a minute ago? Yeah, that happens to her. Three days before her junior prom. But does she let it get her down? Hell no. Even with full-body road rash, two black eyes and an arm in a sling she gets all dolled up and goes. Why? See the second sentence three paragraphs up.
I loved that she could be a daredevil and still want to put on a beautiful dress and go to prom. So often we see female athletes and tomboys portrayed in extremes in literature. They abhor anything pink (because pink is the debil), avoid high heels like the plague and think that to be able to hang with the guys, they have to stuff their undies with gym socks. It’s nice to finally see a girl that’s not afraid to live in both worlds, embracing both her athleticism and her feminism.
Okay, so being a badass is great and all but it’s not enough for Josie and her friends. They’re sick of being the only girls getting air in half pipes and being pushed out of competitions so they hatch a plan to garner some positive media attention and convince merch franchises and event pushers to recruit and welcome more females onto the pro circuit.
They spend their summer on a road trip across the Midwest, hitting every big BMX event they can. Along the way they win some medals, pull off some bad ass tricks, meet more female riders, forge lasting friendships, host a clinic to encourage young girls to start riding and end up with more YouTube hits than some of the popular males in their profession.
I can’t tell you how refreshing this book was on so many levels. Guess what? There’s no main love interest! You just fainted didn’t you? It’s okay, I understand. I’ll give you a second to gather yourself. You good? Sweet, glad to have you back.
I’m not saying there aren’t boys and crushes and a little drama in this book. The main character is seventeen after all and we all remember being that age. But the boys definitely take a backseat to the female friendships and the importance of the girls’ goals and dreams. Their struggle to realize those dreams is the main story here. And a struggle it is. A lot of people don’t take them seriously. Even Josie’s parents think her BMX obsession is a “phase” and that once she gets it out of her system she’ll go to college and get “a real job”. Our girl handles everyone beautifully by the way. Instead of becoming angsty or whiny she keeps her mouth shut and let’s her riding speak for itself.
Okay my girl-crush is starting so show, moving on!
Another reason you’ll love this book is the support cast. None of them are clichéd. Just when I thought I had someone pegged as an airhead or another as the typical male best friend that secretly wuvs the MC, my perceptions were blown out of the water. HOW REFRESHING. I especially loved Connor, Josie’s prom date. He’s like some evil mastermind in the making. Every time he made an appearance I was cracking up. And her friend Lauren was hands down the biggest bad ass of them all. She’s one of only three girls with the iron ovaries to drop into a fifty foot ramp at one of their BMX events. You might not be that blown away by this but I’m guessing that’s because you don’t realize that one wobbly landing on a ramp like that can lead to the type of injuries you shouldn’t look up if you have a weak stomach. Trust me, I Googled them.
*shudder*
Here’s a clip of some real-life pros breaking down what riding on a MegaRamp is like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bacBSB...
Like I said. Iron. Ovaries.
Think this book might not be for you because you don’t know much about BMX? Think again. Not only is the BMX world and the parks and tricks within it spectacularly detailed without feeling like information overload and the competitions adrenaline rush inducing but at its heart, this book is about more than extreme sports. It’s about actions speaking louder than words, going after what you really want regardless of what others think and staying true to yourself and your dreams.
Really, I just can’t say enough about this book or about Josie. I was 100% behind her from the moment I met her until the very last page. If you’re looking for a Contemporary Young Adult novel that breaks the mold, this is it.
July 26, 2013
What to say, what to say...this was a hard to rate book; I liked it well enough, but it didn't blow me away.
Let me start with this synopsis: "Drop into the world of girls’ freestyle BMX for an action-packed summer road-trip adventure.
Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year. She can handle road trips and back flips, but when flashy rider R.T. Torres tempts her with an easy “in,” the sacrifices required threaten to send Josie spinning out of control."
The action that you think this book will be filled with? Meh, not so much. The writing doesn't convey that tension and urgency to make you sit on the edge of your seat. It's really dry, and I know I would have enjoyed this so much more had I gotten that show instead of tell. For the vast majority of this book I was aware of the words I was reading, instead of watching the story, and that's one way to make me not love a book. So many times I wanted to just throw her phone away because I was sick of hearing about her checking her messages, or other pointless phone related paragraphs . Here are a couple of random examples of the dry and boring writing (in no particular order):
"Even though it was only eight in the morning, the air was heating up. I unzipped my hoodie while riding no-handed."
"I wrote back to Lauryn and Alexis telling them it looked good and I'd finalize our filming plan for Thursday. After printing out my final version of the itinerary and logging off the computer I went to my room to strategize."
"Four phone messages had come in while I'd been sleeping."
"Gianna came into the living room with her boyfriend Bruce trailing behind her, checking messages on his phone."..."Bruce didn't look up from his phone."..."Bruce looked up from his phone."..."Bruce hugged Gianna around the waist and then busied himself with his phone again."
"After I hung up, my phone prompted me to add her to my contacts. I hesitated, but added her."
"I looked for Gianna and checked my messages before sitting."
While the writing was really weak for me, the feminist message was really great. Girls don't have to be eye candy and are just as capable as boys, if only they're given a chance. Josie was very down to earth in this regard, and I like that about her. However, she makes a lot of comments about how her older brother is the favorite and her parents move heaven and earth to attend his sports functions (and just basically how he's more loved--though in fairness, she doesn't exactly whine, just brings it up--did that make sense?), but this didn't sit well with me since her parents were good parents. They were very involved, and hesitant about, with Josie's road trip, wanting to meet the girls and their parents, her mom got super involved in the clinic Josie planned, they made a welcome home celebratory party with banner (that Josie said only ever had Troy's name on it), and things like this. They were a team and seemed to be very loving and normal, which I liked, but the contradiction Josie liked pointing out made no sense for me. She tried to justify it a couple of times, even going so far as to say they were discriminating against her and her mom agreeing, but again, it just didn't sit right.
I'm also left with some questions about the majority of the characters. What was the deal with Lauryn's family, and what was the point of even having it in s/l since it's never remotely resolved/explained? Why have Connor in there at all, and what were his shenanigans about--I'd liked to have seen more of him. Why didn't Troy have at least one redeeming brotherly moment in the entire story? Why was the high school principal called a dean, is that new, or just something I've only thought was for colleges? How was it Alexis could be so superficial and be such a good rider--where was her passion for the sport that made her so good to begin with
Now for some quotes I liked, because pointing out the issues I had with this is bringing me down:
"I loved letting people underestimate me and then showing them how wrong they were."
"I'd had my driver's license for over a year, but I still preferred riding whenever possible."
"I rode to not think about anything. When I was into it on a good day, it was almost like being disconnected from the rest of my life. I loved it, and I needed t get it back." /scene for a minute. I'm a cyclist, and I've been without my bike for about two weeks, and I'm dying. I really related to these feelings.
"The speed and accuracy of the mom circuit scared me sometimes."
"Whoever said that the older generation couldn't figure out computers had never met my mom and her network of mom spies. To them, the internet was a gold mine of information about us."
In closing, this isn't a bad book, and I like the message the author was sending out, but it wasn't strong enough for me to really fall in love with the characters like I'd hoped. I think this is a good filler book, and definitely a great book for young girls to read.
February 22, 2017
From the synopsis on Goodreads, this book sounded like a fantastic read. Having spent most of my time as a kid either reading or on my bike, skate-board, or roller blades, a book about a BMX girl definitely sounded interesting.
The plot in this book is fantastic, and exactly what I was hoping for. Thankfully lacking the teen angst and emotional yo-yos that often accompany YA books, this story has realism and depth, while being a wonderful inspiration. We get to follow Josie on her summer adventure and watch her grow, facing decisions and challenges that ultimately help shape her as a person. The moral of this story, and the lessons presented, are all timeless and wonderful, and are mixed perfectly with the life of a teenage BMX athlete.
The characters are all fantastic, and all easy to relate to. Complete with quirky parents, an irritating brother, old friends that seem to slip away, new friends who become family, and acquaintances you still can't figure out. The side characters are all interesting- they all contribute to creating a full little community, and add a great sense of realism and depth to the story. The BMX stunts are all simply awesome, and fill the book with amazing, adrenaline-filled action scenes.
The synopsis (or blurb) really does a great job at describing this book- it's right on the nose, and the book is as good as it sounds. I love the ending, and the life lessons in this story are all very touching. The writing is simply marvelous- with wonderfully researched descriptions of stunts and events, the author pulls you in and effectively shows you the world of BMX.
The themes of feminism and sexism are most definitely apparent, and while I'm not exactly a feminist myself, those ideas are a very important part of this story, and I'm sure make the main female characters very relatable. I gave it 4 stars simply because that fits the best- while it wasn't in the "loved it" category, it's a really good story, and a book I would definitely recommend.
*I was given a complimentary ebook copy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2013
** This Review originally appeared on my Indie author blog, Turn The Page Book Blog. www.turnthepagebookblog.blogspot.com **
My Review: 5 out of 5 Stars I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!
What a Fantastic Story by Karen Avivi!! Okay so maybe I have a soft spot for girls who push the limits with sports that are dubbed "guys sports", but the storyline, the characters, the flow of the writing - it was all there. I read this book in one sitting. I started it early in the morning over coffee and finished it before my overnight shift at work. It was enthralling, captivating, and kept me intrigued. There was no real major drama or over the top climax, just a real life look at an extreme sport and the girls who refuse to take no for an answer.
I liked Josie A LOT. She was a strong character and she didn't get everything handed to her with a big shiny bow. She actually had to work for it. And she worked hard. I am not sure if I would be so eager to get up and keep going after the major wipe out she took. But I loved her guts, I loved her charisma, and I loved that stood up for what she wanted. I liked all of her friends - Lauryn, Alexis, Miguel! They all fit well and brought out something in Josie. Okay, Alexis was a little annoying, but that was the point! I also liked R.T. and I liked that the story didn't get caught up in major romance. It was nice to see the dynamic of Josie's family... it was more realistic and as I have said a million times, I love realistic authenticity! So, another reason I will mention about why I loved this book was how through the whole thing I could see the movie playing in my head... I pictured the characters, the events, the crowds of people... It was so clear!!
A little tid bit about me and a final reason why I LOVED this book... I used to skateboard and freestyle rollerblade with a group of guys in junior high into early high school. I was a lot more daring and put together with my rollerblading than I was the skateboard. I never could master keeping it attached to my feet. But the rollerblading, whoa, watch out. I was a psycho on wheels! Ptts... we called ourselves "The Psycho Chickens".
When Josie would talk about grinding, the half pipe, or jumping stairs, my heart would pound harder as I remembered those days for myself. The feel of the rush as you push harder toward the jump, praying as you fly through the air that you land it - Whoa, it was a blast! Even her infamous wipe out reminded me of a pretty bad fall I took. Nothing broken, just a concussion, but the adrenaline in the situation is intense. Unlike Josie, I was a bit more leery after this fall. I think I was finally aware that I could actually get hurt.
I'm fascinated by BMX riders, especially girl BMX riders. The level of guts and bravery is exceptional and that is another reason why I loved this book so much. It was a fun, easy read that showed me another sport that girls can excel at as well as reminded and rekindled some of my own childhood memories. Memories, that as I read felt so fresh. Back then, girls on skateboards was frowned upon. My parents Loathed it and it was the cause of much tension, but like Josie, I didn't care what other people thought. I loved the way it made me feel and that was all that mattered.
I truly truly hope to see more from this author in the near future. I cannot thank her enough for bringing this fantastic book into my world and letting me write a review. And if she accepts, I think we just might be hearing a lot more from her soon... in the form of an author interview. Because I don't know about you, but I am beyond intrigued about her knowledge of BMX riders and I just want more!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary YA, and who also loves extreme sports and the girls who participate in them.
My Review: 5 out of 5 Stars I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!
What a Fantastic Story by Karen Avivi!! Okay so maybe I have a soft spot for girls who push the limits with sports that are dubbed "guys sports", but the storyline, the characters, the flow of the writing - it was all there. I read this book in one sitting. I started it early in the morning over coffee and finished it before my overnight shift at work. It was enthralling, captivating, and kept me intrigued. There was no real major drama or over the top climax, just a real life look at an extreme sport and the girls who refuse to take no for an answer.
I liked Josie A LOT. She was a strong character and she didn't get everything handed to her with a big shiny bow. She actually had to work for it. And she worked hard. I am not sure if I would be so eager to get up and keep going after the major wipe out she took. But I loved her guts, I loved her charisma, and I loved that stood up for what she wanted. I liked all of her friends - Lauryn, Alexis, Miguel! They all fit well and brought out something in Josie. Okay, Alexis was a little annoying, but that was the point! I also liked R.T. and I liked that the story didn't get caught up in major romance. It was nice to see the dynamic of Josie's family... it was more realistic and as I have said a million times, I love realistic authenticity! So, another reason I will mention about why I loved this book was how through the whole thing I could see the movie playing in my head... I pictured the characters, the events, the crowds of people... It was so clear!!
A little tid bit about me and a final reason why I LOVED this book... I used to skateboard and freestyle rollerblade with a group of guys in junior high into early high school. I was a lot more daring and put together with my rollerblading than I was the skateboard. I never could master keeping it attached to my feet. But the rollerblading, whoa, watch out. I was a psycho on wheels! Ptts... we called ourselves "The Psycho Chickens".
When Josie would talk about grinding, the half pipe, or jumping stairs, my heart would pound harder as I remembered those days for myself. The feel of the rush as you push harder toward the jump, praying as you fly through the air that you land it - Whoa, it was a blast! Even her infamous wipe out reminded me of a pretty bad fall I took. Nothing broken, just a concussion, but the adrenaline in the situation is intense. Unlike Josie, I was a bit more leery after this fall. I think I was finally aware that I could actually get hurt.
I'm fascinated by BMX riders, especially girl BMX riders. The level of guts and bravery is exceptional and that is another reason why I loved this book so much. It was a fun, easy read that showed me another sport that girls can excel at as well as reminded and rekindled some of my own childhood memories. Memories, that as I read felt so fresh. Back then, girls on skateboards was frowned upon. My parents Loathed it and it was the cause of much tension, but like Josie, I didn't care what other people thought. I loved the way it made me feel and that was all that mattered.
I truly truly hope to see more from this author in the near future. I cannot thank her enough for bringing this fantastic book into my world and letting me write a review. And if she accepts, I think we just might be hearing a lot more from her soon... in the form of an author interview. Because I don't know about you, but I am beyond intrigued about her knowledge of BMX riders and I just want more!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary YA, and who also loves extreme sports and the girls who participate in them.
August 4, 2015
The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews
Josie Peters thinks she has everything she needs, a decent boyfriend, good friends, and the drive to make sure her BMX skills are always improving. Then her boyfriend dumps her just before prom and she learns her friends are all going away for the summer and she is forced to find other means of distraction which leads her to connect with a few other BMX girls and sets her on the journey to compete in more than one tournament this summer.
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Josie is a strong heroine who keeps pushing for what she wants despite the opposition and her own fears. She isn’t perfect, she makes mistakes, but she continues to pick herself up and try again. I think YA especially needs more heroines just like Josie. No Bella Swan syndrome here, Josie is beyond basing who she is off the guy she’s with and doesn’t sit around whining when things don’t go her way. When she wipes out completely, ended up with a badly bruised face and a sprained wrist, she lets her friend post the video online and instead of bitching about needed a new frame for her bike, she goes out and makes a plan to try to get a local bike shop to sponsor her or at least give her a discount and succeeds.
The writing was done so well with the perfect balance of realism and humor. I just can’t stress enough what a great character Josie is, breathing life into this story in a way that was completely relatable. I’m happy to say that though this could have easily fallen into love triangle land with the multitude of hot males, it doesn’t. This book is more about Josie’s path to BMX tournaments than her endless need to find her next boyfriend, though there is definitely a bit of romance mixed in. It’s a stand-alone, so no worrying about the dreaded cliffhangers and it has my favorite kind of ending, a happy but realistic one. Josie definitely doesn’t get everything she wants, but what she does get is enough and it was perfect. Her triumphs outweighing her failures and all that jazz.
I think this is a book for everyone, especially teen girls showing that with enough determination, you really can achieve your goals. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do what you want, period. I think that’s the biggest lesson this is trying to teach and it succeeds.
****A big thank you to Karen Avivi for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review****
Josie Peters thinks she has everything she needs, a decent boyfriend, good friends, and the drive to make sure her BMX skills are always improving. Then her boyfriend dumps her just before prom and she learns her friends are all going away for the summer and she is forced to find other means of distraction which leads her to connect with a few other BMX girls and sets her on the journey to compete in more than one tournament this summer.
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Josie is a strong heroine who keeps pushing for what she wants despite the opposition and her own fears. She isn’t perfect, she makes mistakes, but she continues to pick herself up and try again. I think YA especially needs more heroines just like Josie. No Bella Swan syndrome here, Josie is beyond basing who she is off the guy she’s with and doesn’t sit around whining when things don’t go her way. When she wipes out completely, ended up with a badly bruised face and a sprained wrist, she lets her friend post the video online and instead of bitching about needed a new frame for her bike, she goes out and makes a plan to try to get a local bike shop to sponsor her or at least give her a discount and succeeds.
The writing was done so well with the perfect balance of realism and humor. I just can’t stress enough what a great character Josie is, breathing life into this story in a way that was completely relatable. I’m happy to say that though this could have easily fallen into love triangle land with the multitude of hot males, it doesn’t. This book is more about Josie’s path to BMX tournaments than her endless need to find her next boyfriend, though there is definitely a bit of romance mixed in. It’s a stand-alone, so no worrying about the dreaded cliffhangers and it has my favorite kind of ending, a happy but realistic one. Josie definitely doesn’t get everything she wants, but what she does get is enough and it was perfect. Her triumphs outweighing her failures and all that jazz.
I think this is a book for everyone, especially teen girls showing that with enough determination, you really can achieve your goals. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do what you want, period. I think that’s the biggest lesson this is trying to teach and it succeeds.
****A big thank you to Karen Avivi for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review****
July 12, 2013
I think I’ve only watched about five minutes of BMX on TV in my entire life, and that was because I couldn’t find the remote control to change the channel fast enough. But I have to say that this is a welcome addition to the fairly predictable contemporary genre. It’s my opinion that a good writer can make you interested in any subject, and with a strong character like Josie, this book was un-put-downable for me. Hope there's a sequel!
August 18, 2013
Actual rating: 3.5
So when I was in high school, I took Speech and Debate. It was my favorite class, as you can imagine, and one of the requirements was that you had to compete in an actual competition to get a good grade. So we'd travel all over Arizona to compete.
I loved it. I looked forward to competitions more than anything else. Well, one of the competitions was set up during my annual Halloween party. I don't know how it got started, but out of all my friends, I hosted the Halloween party.
I figured hey, no big deal. We'll go to the competition, not place like always, and come back down in time for the party. The debate topic wasn't something I was comfortable with, and while I loved the monologue I preformed, Valerie's letter from V for Vendetta I had just started with it.
I qualified. In both events.
So I had a choice to make. Did I stay and see what I could do, in something that I devoted a large amount of time to, or did I go back home and play hostess?
My friends all understood when I told them I was going to stay. They knew how much speech and debate meant to me. My mom, on the other hand, was furious. I left her with my group of friends at a party I was supposed to be hosting. Nevermind that my group of friends were all in the top 10% of our class, the straightest of straight lace.
I placed second in both events. Out of thirty debate contestants and more than fifty dramatic interpretation contestants, I got silver in both. It stands as one of my proudest moments where I finally had validation for my effort and ability to think quickly.
Mom always looks at those medals with a silent sort of disdain. If I ever bring up Speech and Debate, she never brings up my medals. Nope. It's the one stupid party.
Anyway, what I mean to say is that parents are stupid sometimes. There's always that moment where you did something amazing in high school that they have a completely different take on. We've all had those moments where you excitedly tell your mom that you're going to be an English major and she looks at you and says "Well, sweetie, what happens when that novel of yours doesn't work out? You need a backup plan."
Shredded is going to bring all those memories flooding back.
Shredded is a book about girl BMX rider Josie who wants to compete. She loves BMX, wants to take it seriously, and goes into a competition. Have you ever seen a sports movie? Well, a sports book is a lot like that.
I want to say that this is a good book. Seriously. I just butted heads too many times with it though, and it left a sort of sour taste in my mouth.
First, this book does not hide the fact that it's about feminism. What happens there is that because the book is so blatant about its message, it has the ability to make a lot of missteps. To me, it made nearly all of those missteps.
I am a feminist. A very vocal, unapologetic feminist. I get pissed when I go into a clothing store and I can only find five pairs of women's slacks and fucking millions of men's slacks. I work in a professional environment, dammit, and I don't like wearing long skirts and I don't like tights!
With feminism, you've got all kinds of different ideologies. At the beginning of the book, Josie equates femininity with weakness. She even explicitly states that she doesn't want to have a "girly" reaction in front of the guys?
Dafuq is a girly reaction? Are we clutching doilies?
You're preaching to me about standing up for women kind and saying that because the bike frame is girly, you desperately want to repaint it? Listen, I get it if you have a tom boy character. I was a tom boy when I was little. The problem is that this book is preaching feminism. You can't demean your gender and also preach feminism.
I typically don't like preachy books as a whole, but feminism in young adult I'll definitely get behind. Have you seen the kind of BS they're trying to pull with our gender lately? Hell yeah let's take it back!
The problem with preachy books though is that it now makes everything see through. What I mean by that is, you start to suspect or identify everything as a device to further the message. It feels less organic. Most of all, I felt this way with the characters.
All of the characters fit pretty nicely into cardboard cutouts. They aren't complete cardboard cutouts, but they don't much deviate from it either. Josie's the girl with a chip on her shoulder, she grew up with the boys, got dumped by one of them, now she wants to compete. Alexis is the pretty girl who cares about boys and doesn't take things too seriously. Miguel is the supportive friend. Troy is the douche brother. Gianna was the born-again housewife (?). Connor was the worst offender of all though, only appearing when Josie needed some revelation about what she should do.
Even if the message weren't so obvious, the characters so device-like, I still didn't really care.
What were the stakes in this book? If she didn't compete, so what? Josie had a large following already. If she didn't win, it didn't matter. I mean, it mattered, but it didn't. Yeah, we wanted to see her beat the boys, but even if she didn't, she proved she could get up again.
So, in the end, why should I care? As a reader, I've already seen Josie be better than the boys. What's keeping me reading to the end? There wasn't much in the way of tension.
Family situations were a bit bizarre too. Josie keeps accusing her parents of not being supportive, but I really don't see it. I would have killed to have parents throw me a surprise party for when I did well in a competition (For the record, I love my parents, but I am a writer so we have our hangups). There's a ramp in your backyard!
Also, the family situations for the other characters...why are they even really mentioned? Is there a sequel, because if not, they're never really explored. Not one teenage character is happy with the level of support they get from their parents, but Josie's are the only ones really explored.
Now, I gave this book 3.5 stars because this is a good book, it's just not a good book for me. Go look at Litchick's review! She loved this book and I can see how she can love it. I just didn't have enough to keep me interested or propelled in the story.
In all fairness, I don't do contemporaries all that much. I'm more life or death stakes sort of girl.
I still want people to read this. The message needs to get out there about feminism and I really like the BMX approach to it. But personally, this book and I just didn't get along.
So when I was in high school, I took Speech and Debate. It was my favorite class, as you can imagine, and one of the requirements was that you had to compete in an actual competition to get a good grade. So we'd travel all over Arizona to compete.
I loved it. I looked forward to competitions more than anything else. Well, one of the competitions was set up during my annual Halloween party. I don't know how it got started, but out of all my friends, I hosted the Halloween party.
I figured hey, no big deal. We'll go to the competition, not place like always, and come back down in time for the party. The debate topic wasn't something I was comfortable with, and while I loved the monologue I preformed, Valerie's letter from V for Vendetta I had just started with it.
I qualified. In both events.
So I had a choice to make. Did I stay and see what I could do, in something that I devoted a large amount of time to, or did I go back home and play hostess?
My friends all understood when I told them I was going to stay. They knew how much speech and debate meant to me. My mom, on the other hand, was furious. I left her with my group of friends at a party I was supposed to be hosting. Nevermind that my group of friends were all in the top 10% of our class, the straightest of straight lace.
I placed second in both events. Out of thirty debate contestants and more than fifty dramatic interpretation contestants, I got silver in both. It stands as one of my proudest moments where I finally had validation for my effort and ability to think quickly.
Mom always looks at those medals with a silent sort of disdain. If I ever bring up Speech and Debate, she never brings up my medals. Nope. It's the one stupid party.
Anyway, what I mean to say is that parents are stupid sometimes. There's always that moment where you did something amazing in high school that they have a completely different take on. We've all had those moments where you excitedly tell your mom that you're going to be an English major and she looks at you and says "Well, sweetie, what happens when that novel of yours doesn't work out? You need a backup plan."
Shredded is going to bring all those memories flooding back.
Shredded is a book about girl BMX rider Josie who wants to compete. She loves BMX, wants to take it seriously, and goes into a competition. Have you ever seen a sports movie? Well, a sports book is a lot like that.
I want to say that this is a good book. Seriously. I just butted heads too many times with it though, and it left a sort of sour taste in my mouth.
First, this book does not hide the fact that it's about feminism. What happens there is that because the book is so blatant about its message, it has the ability to make a lot of missteps. To me, it made nearly all of those missteps.
I am a feminist. A very vocal, unapologetic feminist. I get pissed when I go into a clothing store and I can only find five pairs of women's slacks and fucking millions of men's slacks. I work in a professional environment, dammit, and I don't like wearing long skirts and I don't like tights!
With feminism, you've got all kinds of different ideologies. At the beginning of the book, Josie equates femininity with weakness. She even explicitly states that she doesn't want to have a "girly" reaction in front of the guys?
Dafuq is a girly reaction? Are we clutching doilies?
You're preaching to me about standing up for women kind and saying that because the bike frame is girly, you desperately want to repaint it? Listen, I get it if you have a tom boy character. I was a tom boy when I was little. The problem is that this book is preaching feminism. You can't demean your gender and also preach feminism.
I typically don't like preachy books as a whole, but feminism in young adult I'll definitely get behind. Have you seen the kind of BS they're trying to pull with our gender lately? Hell yeah let's take it back!
The problem with preachy books though is that it now makes everything see through. What I mean by that is, you start to suspect or identify everything as a device to further the message. It feels less organic. Most of all, I felt this way with the characters.
All of the characters fit pretty nicely into cardboard cutouts. They aren't complete cardboard cutouts, but they don't much deviate from it either. Josie's the girl with a chip on her shoulder, she grew up with the boys, got dumped by one of them, now she wants to compete. Alexis is the pretty girl who cares about boys and doesn't take things too seriously. Miguel is the supportive friend. Troy is the douche brother. Gianna was the born-again housewife (?). Connor was the worst offender of all though, only appearing when Josie needed some revelation about what she should do.
Even if the message weren't so obvious, the characters so device-like, I still didn't really care.
What were the stakes in this book? If she didn't compete, so what? Josie had a large following already. If she didn't win, it didn't matter. I mean, it mattered, but it didn't. Yeah, we wanted to see her beat the boys, but even if she didn't, she proved she could get up again.
So, in the end, why should I care? As a reader, I've already seen Josie be better than the boys. What's keeping me reading to the end? There wasn't much in the way of tension.
Family situations were a bit bizarre too. Josie keeps accusing her parents of not being supportive, but I really don't see it. I would have killed to have parents throw me a surprise party for when I did well in a competition (For the record, I love my parents, but I am a writer so we have our hangups). There's a ramp in your backyard!
Also, the family situations for the other characters...why are they even really mentioned? Is there a sequel, because if not, they're never really explored. Not one teenage character is happy with the level of support they get from their parents, but Josie's are the only ones really explored.
Now, I gave this book 3.5 stars because this is a good book, it's just not a good book for me. Go look at Litchick's review! She loved this book and I can see how she can love it. I just didn't have enough to keep me interested or propelled in the story.
In all fairness, I don't do contemporaries all that much. I'm more life or death stakes sort of girl.
I still want people to read this. The message needs to get out there about feminism and I really like the BMX approach to it. But personally, this book and I just didn't get along.
June 25, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I know absolutely nothing about BMX, aside from a somewhat entertaining, but very early 2000s, made for television Disney movie whose name I can’t remember, and now that I think about it, it might not have actually been about BMX, though I seem to remember bikes and such. But I like books that ooze girl power, and Shredded’s description seemed to promise that, so I took a leap of faith, even though it seemed a bit out of my comfort zone.
THE LEAP WAS SO WORTH IT PEOPLE. This book is full of kick-butt-ery, full of girl power, full of messages that scream that girls are just as good as guys and I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT. Okay. I promise I’m done with the caps now. Probably.
Josie is a BMXer, and apparently this sport has a ton of gender inequality. (Like I said, I knew absolutely nothing about BMX before reading this book, so if I seem clueless it’s kinda because I am.) Josie is also a girl. In case you didn’t figure that out already. So, she’s in a sport where it’s harder for her to be successful and just do what she loves just because of her sex, and yet she sticks with it; already, I give Josie a ton of props. Not only that, she inspires younger girls to try out BMX, she doesn’t compromise her dreams for a spot on a certain team because of all the sexism, and she has some awesome friends who do BMX as well.
I was so impressed with Josie throughout this book; she has to deal with a lot of crap just because she’s a girl who’s good at BMX, and I don’t know if I could put up with it the way she does. Her boyfriend breaks up with her because she’s better than him and his fragile ego can’t take it, she’s assumed to be simply eye-candy rather than taken seriously…I probably would have went on a curse-filled rant about a quarter of the way into this story if I were Josie, guys. Maybe I would have broken something too. Either way, it wouldn’t have been pretty.
I definitely enjoyed this book, more than I was expecting. I am the least sporty person I know; I really have no interest in basically anything besides dance. So this book and I aren’t exactly a match made in Heaven. And yet I devoured it. Shredded has some really empowering themes and so even though I had no prior knowledge of BMX, I still loved it.
I know absolutely nothing about BMX, aside from a somewhat entertaining, but very early 2000s, made for television Disney movie whose name I can’t remember, and now that I think about it, it might not have actually been about BMX, though I seem to remember bikes and such. But I like books that ooze girl power, and Shredded’s description seemed to promise that, so I took a leap of faith, even though it seemed a bit out of my comfort zone.
THE LEAP WAS SO WORTH IT PEOPLE. This book is full of kick-butt-ery, full of girl power, full of messages that scream that girls are just as good as guys and I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT. Okay. I promise I’m done with the caps now. Probably.
Josie is a BMXer, and apparently this sport has a ton of gender inequality. (Like I said, I knew absolutely nothing about BMX before reading this book, so if I seem clueless it’s kinda because I am.) Josie is also a girl. In case you didn’t figure that out already. So, she’s in a sport where it’s harder for her to be successful and just do what she loves just because of her sex, and yet she sticks with it; already, I give Josie a ton of props. Not only that, she inspires younger girls to try out BMX, she doesn’t compromise her dreams for a spot on a certain team because of all the sexism, and she has some awesome friends who do BMX as well.
I was so impressed with Josie throughout this book; she has to deal with a lot of crap just because she’s a girl who’s good at BMX, and I don’t know if I could put up with it the way she does. Her boyfriend breaks up with her because she’s better than him and his fragile ego can’t take it, she’s assumed to be simply eye-candy rather than taken seriously…I probably would have went on a curse-filled rant about a quarter of the way into this story if I were Josie, guys. Maybe I would have broken something too. Either way, it wouldn’t have been pretty.
I definitely enjoyed this book, more than I was expecting. I am the least sporty person I know; I really have no interest in basically anything besides dance. So this book and I aren’t exactly a match made in Heaven. And yet I devoured it. Shredded has some really empowering themes and so even though I had no prior knowledge of BMX, I still loved it.
June 27, 2013
I hadn't known what to expect, since I'm not an avid BMX trick rider fan, but Karen Avivi has written such a solid story that my lack of knowledge didn't matter!
Through Josie’s eyes, we see how much courage it takes for female BMX trick riders in a sport that typically thinks of females as “less-thans”.
All the reactions felt true: the jealousy of her boyfriend, whom she can out-trick, as well as other males who rankle at females who aren’t scared to ride a 50-foot drop half-pipe; Josie’s parents and older “real-sport” (football and baseball) brother frustratingly thinking that BMX riding is just something Josie needs to “get out of her system”, not something she’s as passionate about as a guy would be; the excitment of other girls who want to learn to ride.
It’s so nice to have a non-whiny, non-shallow female lead who understands that hard work is necessary for succes! Josie’s awesome personality, bravery, and stick-to-it-iveness simply begs you to root for her the whole way through, and I was proud to see the positive impact she and her friends and teammates (both genders) made in getting girls excited about the sport. Ms Avivi does an outstanding job of taking intricate tricks and describing them so that readers like me who, know nothing about the sport, can picture what the rider is doing, greatly enhancing the enjoyment of Josie’s journey.
(from my blog, http://kellithelibrarian.com/)
Through Josie’s eyes, we see how much courage it takes for female BMX trick riders in a sport that typically thinks of females as “less-thans”.
All the reactions felt true: the jealousy of her boyfriend, whom she can out-trick, as well as other males who rankle at females who aren’t scared to ride a 50-foot drop half-pipe; Josie’s parents and older “real-sport” (football and baseball) brother frustratingly thinking that BMX riding is just something Josie needs to “get out of her system”, not something she’s as passionate about as a guy would be; the excitment of other girls who want to learn to ride.
It’s so nice to have a non-whiny, non-shallow female lead who understands that hard work is necessary for succes! Josie’s awesome personality, bravery, and stick-to-it-iveness simply begs you to root for her the whole way through, and I was proud to see the positive impact she and her friends and teammates (both genders) made in getting girls excited about the sport. Ms Avivi does an outstanding job of taking intricate tricks and describing them so that readers like me who, know nothing about the sport, can picture what the rider is doing, greatly enhancing the enjoyment of Josie’s journey.
(from my blog, http://kellithelibrarian.com/)
August 14, 2013
If you want a girl-centric book, this is it.
Upon reading the description, I had hoped Josie would be a protagonist like the side-character Maggie in Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride. By that, I mean a confident stunt BMX girl who also balanced her school work and enjoyed clothes/shopping/other "girly" things. But for someone who was so adamant about girl-power, Josie seemed to discriminate against girls who weren't as tough as her all the same. She seemed to scoff at Gianna's way of life, and didn't even want to be near the BMX girl who hesitated on her ride. I found this pretty hypocritical -- yes, it's great if you can prove that you're tough enough to roll with the guys, but part of earning respect means giving respect as well... and I felt that she didn't truly respect other girls' lifestyle choices.
Josie's parents were seemingly horrible for most of the book. They never supported Josie's "reckless" lifestyle, and she was constantly overshadowed by her brother. There didn't seem to be any moment where her parents came to accept her riding except when she told her mom that she was no longer interested in riding in the MixUp. Because of that, I found it really far-fetched that they suddenly gave her their full-support by the end of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere.
I was also really disappointed by the way Josie let R.T. treat her. She was putty in his hands, willing to take whatever he offered her whenever he offered it to her. I wasn't pleased with the fact that by the end, she was hopeful to see him again. Miguel helped her realize that she stood by the "alpha-males" like her brother, Sean, and R.T. because she felt more comfortable in that spot, so it was disheartening to see her being with R.T. (only under his terms) when it went against everything she tried teaching the clinic girls and other BMX girls everywhere.
I also found it hard to believe that Josie turned down when she wanted to attend so badly. If she wanted a place to showcase girl-BMX riders and their capabilities, that event would have been the optimal place. As seen by the lack of media coverage, riding in Exhibition didn't necessarily help her cause. But at the same time, I can see where she was coming from -- if better riders showed up at overlooked events, she could help boost coverage in that area. Getting an interview at the end justified her actions anyway, but I felt like it was a bit too much of a "fairy tale ending."
Now, a big part of the book centered around feminism. Personally, I feel like constantly emphasizing the differences between men and women creates a bigger rift between genders rather than equality. This book was big on the emphasis. I felt like if Josie didn't bring up sexism so much, it wouldn't have been as much of an issue. Stating things like, "She was almost as good as some of the top male BMX riders" (in reference to Evie) only underscores the different standards that are placed on men and women. I understand how sexism could be so prevalent in such a male-dominated sport, but I believe that talent (or hype) trumps gender. Josie served as a role model by performing well, and she duly received attention for it (getting tapped for performances, interviews, sponsors). I wish the author focused more on those examples rather than harping on women's rights in Josie's inner monologue -- a classic case of needing to show more than to tell.
Nevertheless, I still found this book pretty heartwarming. I found the BMX scenes descriptive and extremely interesting (mostly because I don't have a clue about it), and I loved the attention to detail paid onto many of the side characters (Connor, you're the best!). They all seemed human with faults and issues of their own. I wished there was some resolution to Lauryn's struggles with her parents though, because that was left quite open-ended. Overall, I liked the motivational and inspirational undertones of the story, from always giving 110% to "getting back on the bike" after a fall to going after goals regardless of preconceived limitations.
Upon reading the description, I had hoped Josie would be a protagonist like the side-character Maggie in Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride. By that, I mean a confident stunt BMX girl who also balanced her school work and enjoyed clothes/shopping/other "girly" things. But for someone who was so adamant about girl-power, Josie seemed to discriminate against girls who weren't as tough as her all the same. She seemed to scoff at Gianna's way of life, and didn't even want to be near the BMX girl who hesitated on her ride. I found this pretty hypocritical -- yes, it's great if you can prove that you're tough enough to roll with the guys, but part of earning respect means giving respect as well... and I felt that she didn't truly respect other girls' lifestyle choices.
Josie's parents were seemingly horrible for most of the book. They never supported Josie's "reckless" lifestyle, and she was constantly overshadowed by her brother. There didn't seem to be any moment where her parents came to accept her riding except when she told her mom that she was no longer interested in riding in the MixUp. Because of that, I found it really far-fetched that they suddenly gave her their full-support by the end of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere.
I was also really disappointed by the way Josie let R.T. treat her. She was putty in his hands, willing to take whatever he offered her whenever he offered it to her. I wasn't pleased with the fact that by the end, she was hopeful to see him again. Miguel helped her realize that she stood by the "alpha-males" like her brother, Sean, and R.T. because she felt more comfortable in that spot, so it was disheartening to see her being with R.T. (only under his terms) when it went against everything she tried teaching the clinic girls and other BMX girls everywhere.
I also found it hard to believe that Josie turned down when she wanted to attend so badly. If she wanted a place to showcase girl-BMX riders and their capabilities, that event would have been the optimal place. As seen by the lack of media coverage, riding in Exhibition didn't necessarily help her cause. But at the same time, I can see where she was coming from -- if better riders showed up at overlooked events, she could help boost coverage in that area. Getting an interview at the end justified her actions anyway, but I felt like it was a bit too much of a "fairy tale ending."
Now, a big part of the book centered around feminism. Personally, I feel like constantly emphasizing the differences between men and women creates a bigger rift between genders rather than equality. This book was big on the emphasis. I felt like if Josie didn't bring up sexism so much, it wouldn't have been as much of an issue. Stating things like, "She was almost as good as some of the top male BMX riders" (in reference to Evie) only underscores the different standards that are placed on men and women. I understand how sexism could be so prevalent in such a male-dominated sport, but I believe that talent (or hype) trumps gender. Josie served as a role model by performing well, and she duly received attention for it (getting tapped for performances, interviews, sponsors). I wish the author focused more on those examples rather than harping on women's rights in Josie's inner monologue -- a classic case of needing to show more than to tell.
Nevertheless, I still found this book pretty heartwarming. I found the BMX scenes descriptive and extremely interesting (mostly because I don't have a clue about it), and I loved the attention to detail paid onto many of the side characters (Connor, you're the best!). They all seemed human with faults and issues of their own. I wished there was some resolution to Lauryn's struggles with her parents though, because that was left quite open-ended. Overall, I liked the motivational and inspirational undertones of the story, from always giving 110% to "getting back on the bike" after a fall to going after goals regardless of preconceived limitations.
July 13, 2016
This book was so cool. Shredded is very different from any other young adult contemporary book that I have ever read. I'm not even really a huge fan of young adult contemporary, but I loved this book, and there definitely needs to be more novels like this on the market.
I think that I can probably count on one hand the number of YA books I've read in which the female protagonist plays a sport and it's mentioned more than just "oh I went to tennis practice." And this book isn't just about any old sport either...this book is about BMX riding. I didn't even know that BMX riding was an option as a sport when I was growing up. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. More girls need to be exposed to awesome sports like this...and, like Julie says, not just because their older brother's into it.
Julie's story starts when, after she lands her first back flip at a skate park, she finds out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. This moment creates a theme that transcends this whole novel...girls are multifaceted, and they shouldn't just be looked at as either girly, manly, nonexistent, or in the way.
And that's what's so great about Shredded. This book is groundbreaking and inspirational, but Julie isn't the perfect pedestaled heroine, either. Yes, she is brave, tough, and amazing...but she's also scared, an underdog, and real. She does backflips and tail whips, but she also cries when she realizes all her friends are leaving her for the summer, and is embarrassed when she has to go to prom with bruises on her face from falling off her bike. Josie is exactly the kind of role model I would want for my daughter. Somebody who is a completely normal girl, but overcomes incredible obstacles while still maintaining her unique and lovable personality.
And I adored Julie. For some reason, I was able to connect with her very well. She underwent a lot of struggles that a lot of teenage girls go through, like dealing with sibling rivalry, overprotective parents (oh my god, were her parents awful), growing apart from a best friend, and defining relationships with male friends. But she also kicks butt at BMX riding. I loved reading all of the scenes with her riding BMX at competitions. This book allowed me a glimpse into a very exciting and interesting world that I previously knew nothing about. And even if I don't want to go hop on a BMX bike after reading Shredded, I still want to go out there and do something...and any book that makes you feel like that is truly special.
I have to be honest...I really wanted to give this book 5 stars. But ultimately I had to go with only 4, because of the ending. While I liked the ending in general, there were a bunch of loose ends that weren't addressed, and I wish that the book had been slightly longer in order to reveal what happened with those plot lines, for example: Josie's brother's relationship status and Josie's relationship with Conner. It was all just tied up way too quickly, I thought.
But I still think that this book is extremely underrated and should be widely read amongst teenage girls, particular those still in middle school. I also think that this book has just barely scraped the surface of an extremely important and relevant topic that there needs to be so much more of in the world of YA contemporary lit. There is so much potential here, and I'm excited to see more books like this in the future.
**Review copy was kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.**
I think that I can probably count on one hand the number of YA books I've read in which the female protagonist plays a sport and it's mentioned more than just "oh I went to tennis practice." And this book isn't just about any old sport either...this book is about BMX riding. I didn't even know that BMX riding was an option as a sport when I was growing up. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. More girls need to be exposed to awesome sports like this...and, like Julie says, not just because their older brother's into it.
Julie's story starts when, after she lands her first back flip at a skate park, she finds out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. This moment creates a theme that transcends this whole novel...girls are multifaceted, and they shouldn't just be looked at as either girly, manly, nonexistent, or in the way.
And that's what's so great about Shredded. This book is groundbreaking and inspirational, but Julie isn't the perfect pedestaled heroine, either. Yes, she is brave, tough, and amazing...but she's also scared, an underdog, and real. She does backflips and tail whips, but she also cries when she realizes all her friends are leaving her for the summer, and is embarrassed when she has to go to prom with bruises on her face from falling off her bike. Josie is exactly the kind of role model I would want for my daughter. Somebody who is a completely normal girl, but overcomes incredible obstacles while still maintaining her unique and lovable personality.
And I adored Julie. For some reason, I was able to connect with her very well. She underwent a lot of struggles that a lot of teenage girls go through, like dealing with sibling rivalry, overprotective parents (oh my god, were her parents awful), growing apart from a best friend, and defining relationships with male friends. But she also kicks butt at BMX riding. I loved reading all of the scenes with her riding BMX at competitions. This book allowed me a glimpse into a very exciting and interesting world that I previously knew nothing about. And even if I don't want to go hop on a BMX bike after reading Shredded, I still want to go out there and do something...and any book that makes you feel like that is truly special.
I have to be honest...I really wanted to give this book 5 stars. But ultimately I had to go with only 4, because of the ending. While I liked the ending in general, there were a bunch of loose ends that weren't addressed, and I wish that the book had been slightly longer in order to reveal what happened with those plot lines, for example: Josie's brother's relationship status and Josie's relationship with Conner. It was all just tied up way too quickly, I thought.
But I still think that this book is extremely underrated and should be widely read amongst teenage girls, particular those still in middle school. I also think that this book has just barely scraped the surface of an extremely important and relevant topic that there needs to be so much more of in the world of YA contemporary lit. There is so much potential here, and I'm excited to see more books like this in the future.
**Review copy was kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.**
September 14, 2013
Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.
Engrossing, pulse-racing and features one hell of a daredevil for a heroine!
I'm all for strong female heroines in stories, and that was the main reason why I was so ecstatic when I was approved to read and review Shredded by Karen Avivi!
I LOVE JOSIE!!! She thrives in the male-dominated sport of freestyle BMX and kicks ass like it's nothing! And at the heart of it all, I appreciate that Josie took the lead and initiated change by leading female BMXers to be recognized.
First off, I do not know any trick on BMX. I only know how to ride a bike, and that's the extent of my talent when it comes to bicycles. But I do however, have experienced being the only female in a male-dominated environment.
I am a bit boyish in real life. I used to do Taekwondo and was the only female student when I joined the local dojang. Whenever the students paired up, I was always the odd one out, and the teacher often noticed me, but that didn't make me stop doing the sport. In College, we had summer training for Taekwondo because I got into the varsity team. I was still the only female during the summer training, so I had to endure lots of bruising because of sparring with guys twice my size. This background made me really appreciate Josie.
Story-wise, I appreciate that the story didn't solely focus on the romance aspect. This was actually one story where I was against the romance part, and was more into Josie as a character and her crusade to have female BMXers get the respect and recognition that they deserve. While I was reading on the latter part of the book, I got a little worried because Josie might lose herself and give into her attraction to RT. Thank God the ending was perfect, and I felt vindicated.
Also, I love that aside from the emotional roadblocks that Josie had to go through because of her personality, she also had to deal with external forces like having her parents agree for her to join a BMX competition in another place. Having to earn her parents' permission was really relatable, and the degree of dedication Josie showed for the craft she loved was really inspiring.
I also liked that she had to actually deal with male BMXers who are asses. They get more recognition and perks during competitions, but Josie did not let this faze her. And there was also RT Torres, the potential love interest. I was a bit disappointed that he didn't deliver when it counted, but I loved Josie more so it wasn't really a loss on Josie's part.
The side characters are also awesome! I love the other two girls that Josie connected with because of BMX. They're definitely not your typical girls, and I really liked that about them. It's nice to have like-minded individuals as back-ups.
All in all, I highly recommend this to young-adult readers. This book is one very good example that young-adult books don't necessarily need to be about romance in order to be great. Karen Avivi's Shredded has a great plot, great development and one kickass female lead!
Engrossing, pulse-racing and features one hell of a daredevil for a heroine!
I'm all for strong female heroines in stories, and that was the main reason why I was so ecstatic when I was approved to read and review Shredded by Karen Avivi!
I LOVE JOSIE!!! She thrives in the male-dominated sport of freestyle BMX and kicks ass like it's nothing! And at the heart of it all, I appreciate that Josie took the lead and initiated change by leading female BMXers to be recognized.
First off, I do not know any trick on BMX. I only know how to ride a bike, and that's the extent of my talent when it comes to bicycles. But I do however, have experienced being the only female in a male-dominated environment.
I am a bit boyish in real life. I used to do Taekwondo and was the only female student when I joined the local dojang. Whenever the students paired up, I was always the odd one out, and the teacher often noticed me, but that didn't make me stop doing the sport. In College, we had summer training for Taekwondo because I got into the varsity team. I was still the only female during the summer training, so I had to endure lots of bruising because of sparring with guys twice my size. This background made me really appreciate Josie.
Story-wise, I appreciate that the story didn't solely focus on the romance aspect. This was actually one story where I was against the romance part, and was more into Josie as a character and her crusade to have female BMXers get the respect and recognition that they deserve. While I was reading on the latter part of the book, I got a little worried because Josie might lose herself and give into her attraction to RT. Thank God the ending was perfect, and I felt vindicated.
Also, I love that aside from the emotional roadblocks that Josie had to go through because of her personality, she also had to deal with external forces like having her parents agree for her to join a BMX competition in another place. Having to earn her parents' permission was really relatable, and the degree of dedication Josie showed for the craft she loved was really inspiring.
I also liked that she had to actually deal with male BMXers who are asses. They get more recognition and perks during competitions, but Josie did not let this faze her. And there was also RT Torres, the potential love interest. I was a bit disappointed that he didn't deliver when it counted, but I loved Josie more so it wasn't really a loss on Josie's part.
The side characters are also awesome! I love the other two girls that Josie connected with because of BMX. They're definitely not your typical girls, and I really liked that about them. It's nice to have like-minded individuals as back-ups.
All in all, I highly recommend this to young-adult readers. This book is one very good example that young-adult books don't necessarily need to be about romance in order to be great. Karen Avivi's Shredded has a great plot, great development and one kickass female lead!
June 6, 2013
This is a very good book and story. The central character of Josie is funny , intelligent and sassy. A girl who is trying to challenge assumptions and make it in a male dominated sports world is probably nothing new, but is eloquently explored in the book.
The featured sport of BMX cycling that takes centre stage in the story could just as easily be transposed for women's soccer/football, cricket, tennis, etc, (albeit not as extreme), with the theme of gender politics, and women having to fight to be judged on ability and not stereotypical notions about the supposed limitations of their sex. What's interesting to observe is how the character of her brother is portrayed. He has none of the obstacles to face with their parents (unlike Josie) when wanting to pursue his sporting dreams, and has such an easy passage that he can relax and take pleasure in his given higher status - especially when it comes to eating copiously and unceremoniously expelling air out of both ends of his body! I remember that kind of big brother!
The character of Conner is interesting in that he seems like the male counterpart to Josie and her struggle. He is as funny and as intelligent with a need to upset the status quo for questionably honourable reasons. You discover that he just revels in the challenge of breaking rules. But then realize that he is such a wise and poignant clown who underplays his maturity as a secret stealth weapon to defend a friend like Josie.
The most striking and inspiring element of the book though is the determination and courage of the central character. She is a modern heroine who is self-effacing and down to earth and a surprisingly good strategist. By the end she is able win round her parents approval and pride as well as earn equality by breaking the closed circle of the boy's club sport. She accomplishes due recognition. But what a mountain she had to climb!
There is the sub plot of Josie going through the teenage angst of feeling good enough for a boy. It's more of minor flutter of distraction but sweet and 'typical'. Because of this it feels a bit like an insignificant loose thread hanging in the story that you would be tempted to pull away. But its absence would have weakened the structure of the story. In some respects that element provides Josie with another means to challenge her typical insecurities about fitting in with the norm and trying to overcome them.
A minor point to make is that the author clearly has in depth knowledge of the sport if the level of detail in technique and BMX riding tricks described are an indication. I felt sometimes overwhelmed by them as I struggled to visualize the descriptions. That should not deter readers, as I go away from the book with a head full of what I am sure will become useful terms, like "tailwhips" or "quarter-pipe" and "barspin". I doubt that I will truly know the experience but nevertheless would highly recommend this book for its youth of substance, courage and wit.
The featured sport of BMX cycling that takes centre stage in the story could just as easily be transposed for women's soccer/football, cricket, tennis, etc, (albeit not as extreme), with the theme of gender politics, and women having to fight to be judged on ability and not stereotypical notions about the supposed limitations of their sex. What's interesting to observe is how the character of her brother is portrayed. He has none of the obstacles to face with their parents (unlike Josie) when wanting to pursue his sporting dreams, and has such an easy passage that he can relax and take pleasure in his given higher status - especially when it comes to eating copiously and unceremoniously expelling air out of both ends of his body! I remember that kind of big brother!
The character of Conner is interesting in that he seems like the male counterpart to Josie and her struggle. He is as funny and as intelligent with a need to upset the status quo for questionably honourable reasons. You discover that he just revels in the challenge of breaking rules. But then realize that he is such a wise and poignant clown who underplays his maturity as a secret stealth weapon to defend a friend like Josie.
The most striking and inspiring element of the book though is the determination and courage of the central character. She is a modern heroine who is self-effacing and down to earth and a surprisingly good strategist. By the end she is able win round her parents approval and pride as well as earn equality by breaking the closed circle of the boy's club sport. She accomplishes due recognition. But what a mountain she had to climb!
There is the sub plot of Josie going through the teenage angst of feeling good enough for a boy. It's more of minor flutter of distraction but sweet and 'typical'. Because of this it feels a bit like an insignificant loose thread hanging in the story that you would be tempted to pull away. But its absence would have weakened the structure of the story. In some respects that element provides Josie with another means to challenge her typical insecurities about fitting in with the norm and trying to overcome them.
A minor point to make is that the author clearly has in depth knowledge of the sport if the level of detail in technique and BMX riding tricks described are an indication. I felt sometimes overwhelmed by them as I struggled to visualize the descriptions. That should not deter readers, as I go away from the book with a head full of what I am sure will become useful terms, like "tailwhips" or "quarter-pipe" and "barspin". I doubt that I will truly know the experience but nevertheless would highly recommend this book for its youth of substance, courage and wit.
February 24, 2014
Action, realism and heart, a great combo.
I received this book free from the author in exchange for a fair review.
So, first of all I know this is a story about BMX bike riding, but you don’t have to know about that world to read it. The themes transcend the setting, (Yep, I just got all philosophical and used a big concept. My parents like to occasionally see my college education shine through.) and things like the tricks are reasonably explained. So don’t let that put you off. Okay now that the BMX thing is covered we can get onto the actual review.
At the beginning I was a little nervous for the story, but quickly got over it as I fell into Josie’s world. I mean, I read it in one day so that is always a good sign when a book can compete with the rest of my life. The writing is straight forward with no frills and focuses mostly on Josie’s emotional journey from a first person perspective. The story itself is very realistic from the high school experiences, online issues and complicated relationships Josie has with others and herself. It is also exciting and action pact taking on some very unexpected turns. The story touches on romance and sex, but neither of those are the real important focus and I loved that; a real positive message to teenage girls about putting things in perspective.
All of the characters are carefully and lovingly crafted to have texture, depth, individuality and a nice realism – no real comic relief characters in this one. Josie, is a real teenage girl, with normal and natural reactions. She is emotional, but self-contained, driven to achieve her goals, and trying to grow up, amongst others expectations and even her own. Josie fights not only against external constraints, but also against the mental blocks she puts up herself. She has to figure out how to be strong enough to do “her own thing” and decide what is more important, her own false glory or being an encourager to others. I like how Josie’s new teammates show how different styles of girls can still participate in and be good at sports, whether it is girlie, boy crazy Alexis or no nonsense Lauryn. And I really like how the story lets the girls remain girls even though they are in a “boys sport”. I also respect Ms. Avivi’s choice not to vilify Josie’s parents and keep them on the same team. Ms. Avivi chooses to make them into real parents who are genuinely concerned and wanting the best for Josie, even it scares them or stresses Josie out. As a parent myself I really could understand their motivation and how hard it was for them to make wise choices. Finishing the book all I could think about how much I enjoyed it and my wish to read more about Josie soon. Definitely a winner!
For the full review and others visit http://whymsylikesbooks.blogspot.com/
I received this book free from the author in exchange for a fair review.
So, first of all I know this is a story about BMX bike riding, but you don’t have to know about that world to read it. The themes transcend the setting, (Yep, I just got all philosophical and used a big concept. My parents like to occasionally see my college education shine through.) and things like the tricks are reasonably explained. So don’t let that put you off. Okay now that the BMX thing is covered we can get onto the actual review.
At the beginning I was a little nervous for the story, but quickly got over it as I fell into Josie’s world. I mean, I read it in one day so that is always a good sign when a book can compete with the rest of my life. The writing is straight forward with no frills and focuses mostly on Josie’s emotional journey from a first person perspective. The story itself is very realistic from the high school experiences, online issues and complicated relationships Josie has with others and herself. It is also exciting and action pact taking on some very unexpected turns. The story touches on romance and sex, but neither of those are the real important focus and I loved that; a real positive message to teenage girls about putting things in perspective.
All of the characters are carefully and lovingly crafted to have texture, depth, individuality and a nice realism – no real comic relief characters in this one. Josie, is a real teenage girl, with normal and natural reactions. She is emotional, but self-contained, driven to achieve her goals, and trying to grow up, amongst others expectations and even her own. Josie fights not only against external constraints, but also against the mental blocks she puts up herself. She has to figure out how to be strong enough to do “her own thing” and decide what is more important, her own false glory or being an encourager to others. I like how Josie’s new teammates show how different styles of girls can still participate in and be good at sports, whether it is girlie, boy crazy Alexis or no nonsense Lauryn. And I really like how the story lets the girls remain girls even though they are in a “boys sport”. I also respect Ms. Avivi’s choice not to vilify Josie’s parents and keep them on the same team. Ms. Avivi chooses to make them into real parents who are genuinely concerned and wanting the best for Josie, even it scares them or stresses Josie out. As a parent myself I really could understand their motivation and how hard it was for them to make wise choices. Finishing the book all I could think about how much I enjoyed it and my wish to read more about Josie soon. Definitely a winner!
For the full review and others visit http://whymsylikesbooks.blogspot.com/
April 29, 2014
Reviewed at Lives and Breathes Book Blog.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Do you remember the original Disney channel movies? (Sidenote: I miss those movies.) The one about the female dirt bike rider? Motorcrossed, I think it was. Well, the entire time I was reading SHREDDED I kept thinking about that movie. Maybe it was just the extreme sports aspect or it was possibly the way girls are discriminated against in these sports and that both the movie and SHREDDED showcase such. SHREDDED is a book I would recommend to any teen girl, it’s a book that isn’t about romance, it’s about a girl and her love of a sport that she’s an underdog in.
I know nothing, and I mean nothing about BMX. That didn’t stop me from being intrigued with the synopsis though; I like to read about things I’m not familiar with in hopes of becoming more informed. Avivi writes about it in a way that is easy to understand, I could envision the tricks and competitions vividly and easily. And I actually really enjoyed it.
Josie Peters is passionate about her sport. She pushes herself constantly and when she falls, she just gets back up. That’s admirable at such a young age. She wants to change the people’s view of girl BMX riders, in the BMX community they aren’t taken seriously. I love her determination. Now, she’s still a seventeen-year-old girl, so of course she has boy problems but that is never in the forefront of the story. I also loved how involved her parents were and their views towards her riding. It was all very believable.
Josie has a great cast of friends that each brought something to the story. I really liked them all and the different relationships she had with them. Although I do feel as if things were left open-ended for some of them. I do hope that means this could continue as a series.
SHREDDED is a great girl power book. There’s a strong heroine and a great message about doing what you want and believe in. Avivi does a wonderful job portraying the BMX world and making it all very realistic. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Do you remember the original Disney channel movies? (Sidenote: I miss those movies.) The one about the female dirt bike rider? Motorcrossed, I think it was. Well, the entire time I was reading SHREDDED I kept thinking about that movie. Maybe it was just the extreme sports aspect or it was possibly the way girls are discriminated against in these sports and that both the movie and SHREDDED showcase such. SHREDDED is a book I would recommend to any teen girl, it’s a book that isn’t about romance, it’s about a girl and her love of a sport that she’s an underdog in.
I know nothing, and I mean nothing about BMX. That didn’t stop me from being intrigued with the synopsis though; I like to read about things I’m not familiar with in hopes of becoming more informed. Avivi writes about it in a way that is easy to understand, I could envision the tricks and competitions vividly and easily. And I actually really enjoyed it.
Josie Peters is passionate about her sport. She pushes herself constantly and when she falls, she just gets back up. That’s admirable at such a young age. She wants to change the people’s view of girl BMX riders, in the BMX community they aren’t taken seriously. I love her determination. Now, she’s still a seventeen-year-old girl, so of course she has boy problems but that is never in the forefront of the story. I also loved how involved her parents were and their views towards her riding. It was all very believable.
Josie has a great cast of friends that each brought something to the story. I really liked them all and the different relationships she had with them. Although I do feel as if things were left open-ended for some of them. I do hope that means this could continue as a series.
SHREDDED is a great girl power book. There’s a strong heroine and a great message about doing what you want and believe in. Avivi does a wonderful job portraying the BMX world and making it all very realistic. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
August 27, 2013
Being an athlete isn't easy. To reach a competitive level, Josie Peters had to practice lots of stunts, fracturing her wrist in the process. And if you were to ask her if it was worth it -- you'd hear a loud Yes!
So when she gets an invitation to join the BMX team that sponsors pro rider R.T.Torres, a Latin heartthrob with impressive moves on and off the park, Josie jumps on the opportunity. But instead of acceptance, Josie discovers that the only reason she was requested is because they aren't enough girls in the competition, and that no one on the team believes a female can win the prize.
Avivi gives us a great example of the undergoing struggle women everywhere must face in sports, illuminating the story with BMX terminology and a realistic teen voice. The friendship between her and Miguel is genuine. Not many teen authors like to portray a male/female friendship that doesn't turn sexual or into a love triangle, so I was happy to finally see one on paper. Recommended for readers who enjoy an adrenaline rush.
So when she gets an invitation to join the BMX team that sponsors pro rider R.T.Torres, a Latin heartthrob with impressive moves on and off the park, Josie jumps on the opportunity. But instead of acceptance, Josie discovers that the only reason she was requested is because they aren't enough girls in the competition, and that no one on the team believes a female can win the prize.
Avivi gives us a great example of the undergoing struggle women everywhere must face in sports, illuminating the story with BMX terminology and a realistic teen voice. The friendship between her and Miguel is genuine. Not many teen authors like to portray a male/female friendship that doesn't turn sexual or into a love triangle, so I was happy to finally see one on paper. Recommended for readers who enjoy an adrenaline rush.
June 5, 2013
I Received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. When I started reading this book, I was thinking, I don't want to read a book about bikes. However when I i got further along in reading this book, I couldn't put it down.
I would put this book down to do something, but find myself picking it back up. This story was addicting. I have never read a book about BMX bikes. Wow those tricks the riders did, was so cool. This book was full of action, and most importantly it lets everyone know that girls can do anything they set their mind to. I loved this book. I loved the characters, when one of them wiped out, or didn't land a trick, I was sad. This is something I will read again!
I would like to say thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review!
I would put this book down to do something, but find myself picking it back up. This story was addicting. I have never read a book about BMX bikes. Wow those tricks the riders did, was so cool. This book was full of action, and most importantly it lets everyone know that girls can do anything they set their mind to. I loved this book. I loved the characters, when one of them wiped out, or didn't land a trick, I was sad. This is something I will read again!
I would like to say thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review!
August 8, 2013
Josie lives in the shadow of her older brother, the football star, and can't get her parents to notice the opportunities that her BMX skills can bring. Adding to that frustration is that BMX is a male dominated sport where girls are hardly recognized. When she and her friends find out that one of the biggest competitions, Ultimate BMX, is cutting down the number of slots for female competitors, they decide that they will do what it takes to get into that competition. But Josie begins to realize that sacrificing herself for fame may not be the way to go.
Really loved this book. Great to have a female lead in a male dominated sport. Someone not familiar with BMX may struggle with some of the terms but will still enjoy. There's action, competition, real-life drama, and a touch of romance.
(As a mountain biker, I got a real kick out of this YA title.)
Really loved this book. Great to have a female lead in a male dominated sport. Someone not familiar with BMX may struggle with some of the terms but will still enjoy. There's action, competition, real-life drama, and a touch of romance.
(As a mountain biker, I got a real kick out of this YA title.)
July 25, 2013
Im glad i chose this book for R4R. Its a great book for girls to push boundaries and follow your dream if you really want it bad enough. To be honest i almost didnt finish it cause it was kind of slow in the beginning but once it got to the part with competitions it picked up and i continued which im glad i did. This book also shows that it may be a guy sport but girls can do it just as good if not better if they try hard enough and got the passion for it like the character Josie. Overall its a good read.
Read
June 11, 2013Reviewed for NetGalley and on Finding Wonderland - http://writingya.blogspot.com/2013/06... - people THIS ONE IS GOOD. Give it to your sporty girls AND guys - looking for more good things from this author. Perfect summer reading.
June 10, 2013
Shredded is an awesome book that encourages to try hard to achieve anything that they set their minds too. Josie is determined that she won't let a "guys sport" hold her back.
October 7, 2014
Great action, great pacing. Fabulous book for girls who love fringe sports (or even those who don't)!
November 11, 2013
I loved this book! I couldn't put it down because i wanted to know what would happen next. I really enjoyed the characters and I can't wait to read more from this author.
September 11, 2021
This was a fun, feel good book that was different from the genres I normally read. It was interesting to read about a girl BMX rider. I liked Josie and her strength. I loved the character's, Miguel and Connor. They were both perfect friend's to Josie and Conner was super funny and likeable.
Special thanks to LibraryThing's Member's Giveaway for this free book and the opportunity to read and review it.
Special thanks to LibraryThing's Member's Giveaway for this free book and the opportunity to read and review it.
June 5, 2013
Review also available here
Shredded: Karen Avivi
Publisher: Self-Published
Date of Publication: April 19, 2013
Synopsis Courtesy of Goodreads:
Drop into the world of girls’ freestyle BMX for an action-packed summer road-trip adventure.
Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year. She can handle road trips and back flips, but when flashy rider R.T. Torres tempts her with an easy “in,” the sacrifices required threaten to send Josie spinning out of control.
Rating: 3
Wow. I'm actually quite impressed. This book didn't give me a good first impression, but it definitely picked itself up!
I really did enjoy this book because BMX has always been interesting to me. I don't do it, but if it's on TV, I will watch it. It's just so awesome, to think that you can do all those tricks on bike, and to get into the life of a BMX-er was kinda a dream come true for me! xD (Shh. I'm just a little obsessed with it.)
Anyways, for maybe like the third time now? I really liked this book!
But, lets still start with what I didn't like. The beginning was definitely pretty rough for me. The writing wasn't very high quality. I feel like it just wasn't very...elegant? It sounded conversational and natural, but just didn't have much flair to it.
Also, the beginning was pretty slow for me. The events in the beginning didn't really pull me in since there was such minimal BMX riding.
Although I did like the ending, it just felt really rushed to me. It seemed like she didn't really know what else to write about and just decided to end everything right then and there.
As you can see, most of my problems were with the beginning. Once a got about 30-40 pages in, it started to get a lot more interesting. I got used to the writing and it didn't bother me so much. Yes, the writing did bother me. I'm just OCD like that.
Anyways, I felt like everything was so much better once Alexis, and especially Lauryn came into the picture. I loved Lauryn. She seemed like such an awesome person! Alexis was kinda annoying for me, though.
I also loved Connor and the development of Josie's relationship with him. He was so much fun to read about and was probably my favorite character in the book.
Honestly, R.T. was an okay character. I didn't really like him very much since he just seems like a jerk, even though he isn't portrayed as one.
Josie was also a little annoying, but it was manageable.
My favorite part though was the BMX. I can tell that the author really did her research. She seems to know her stuff pretty well. Also, her descriptions of all the tricks were actually pretty decent.
Honestly, if you aren't interested at all in BMX, you probably wouldn't enjoy it. The romance was basically nonexistent, so I wouldn't read it for that. The only reason I actually enjoyed this was because of the BMX.
Shredded: Karen Avivi
Publisher: Self-Published
Date of Publication: April 19, 2013
Synopsis Courtesy of Goodreads:
Drop into the world of girls’ freestyle BMX for an action-packed summer road-trip adventure.
Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year. She can handle road trips and back flips, but when flashy rider R.T. Torres tempts her with an easy “in,” the sacrifices required threaten to send Josie spinning out of control.
Rating: 3
Wow. I'm actually quite impressed. This book didn't give me a good first impression, but it definitely picked itself up!
I really did enjoy this book because BMX has always been interesting to me. I don't do it, but if it's on TV, I will watch it. It's just so awesome, to think that you can do all those tricks on bike, and to get into the life of a BMX-er was kinda a dream come true for me! xD (Shh. I'm just a little obsessed with it.)
Anyways, for maybe like the third time now? I really liked this book!
But, lets still start with what I didn't like. The beginning was definitely pretty rough for me. The writing wasn't very high quality. I feel like it just wasn't very...elegant? It sounded conversational and natural, but just didn't have much flair to it.
Also, the beginning was pretty slow for me. The events in the beginning didn't really pull me in since there was such minimal BMX riding.
Although I did like the ending, it just felt really rushed to me. It seemed like she didn't really know what else to write about and just decided to end everything right then and there.
As you can see, most of my problems were with the beginning. Once a got about 30-40 pages in, it started to get a lot more interesting. I got used to the writing and it didn't bother me so much. Yes, the writing did bother me. I'm just OCD like that.
Anyways, I felt like everything was so much better once Alexis, and especially Lauryn came into the picture. I loved Lauryn. She seemed like such an awesome person! Alexis was kinda annoying for me, though.
I also loved Connor and the development of Josie's relationship with him. He was so much fun to read about and was probably my favorite character in the book.
Honestly, R.T. was an okay character. I didn't really like him very much since he just seems like a jerk, even though he isn't portrayed as one.
Josie was also a little annoying, but it was manageable.
My favorite part though was the BMX. I can tell that the author really did her research. She seems to know her stuff pretty well. Also, her descriptions of all the tricks were actually pretty decent.
Honestly, if you aren't interested at all in BMX, you probably wouldn't enjoy it. The romance was basically nonexistent, so I wouldn't read it for that. The only reason I actually enjoyed this was because of the BMX.
May 11, 2014
Recently, I've gotten into skateboarding and snowboarding so I was pretty excited to read about a girl who was involved in an action sport. The message was clear throughout the book and I loved reading about the gutsy things the girls were doing. However, there wasn't anything gripping about the book. There wasn't anything suspenseful about it. There weren't any consequences for Josie not winning. Sure, she wanted to prove that she was better than the boys, but losing didn't result in anything. If something was at stake for her, the story would have been more interesting. Also, I felt that the story didn't end completely. What's the purpose of Conner in all of this? What's going to happen to Lauryn?
June 27, 2014
I really enjoyed this! It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I think I would have loved it in high school, and I would hand it to any young girl who may want to do things that are awesome, but thinks they aren't an option for her. I think this book is about a 3.5 in content, but rounds up easily to a 4.0 for its awesome message, and its awesome BMX stuff. One of the reasons it is in a 3.5 range for me is because I think the actual rides in the competitions should have been more of the book, because I was expecting more than I got).
April 21, 2014
I won this as a First Reads from goodreads
Josie Peters rides BMX bikes. She desperately wants to compete. After joing with two other female riders, the opportunity comes for competition. Together the girls face many lessons in friendship, boys, relationships, discrimination and family support.
Alot of action in this book!! Also alot of relationship issues with resolution that made me smile. I think this is a great book for teenagers or adults!
Josie Peters rides BMX bikes. She desperately wants to compete. After joing with two other female riders, the opportunity comes for competition. Together the girls face many lessons in friendship, boys, relationships, discrimination and family support.
Alot of action in this book!! Also alot of relationship issues with resolution that made me smile. I think this is a great book for teenagers or adults!
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February 21, 2017
Check out my review here!
November 18, 2014
Mildly interesting, has funny moments, and the main character is easy to connect with and feel for. would read again definitely.
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