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Crushing It
Kat is already so over seventh grade. It doesn't help that her best friend and cousin, Olivia, grew a foot over the summer and won a spot on the school’s dance team, shooting her up on the popularity scale. In the jungle that is middle school, Olivia is a gazelle. Braces-wearing, manga-loving, uncoordinated Kat is a warthog.
Plus, Tyler, Kat’s next-door neighbor and buddy since birth, morphed into a really cute boy over the summer. Suddenly the person Kat’s used to playing Xbox with is causing her stomach to do cartwheels.
When Olivia confesses that she has a crush on Tyler and wants to ask him to the Fall Ball dance, Kat knows there’s going to be a problem: Tyler thinks Olivia is just another ditsy girl who only cares about lip gloss and boy bands. But since Kat’s one of Tyler’s oldest friends, Olivia’s sure she’ll know how to get his attention. Trying to be a good friend and squash her own feelings, Kat makes it her mission to get the two of them together. From writing “Tyler cheat sheets” listing his favorite things, to feeding Olivia lines through her headphones during Tyler-focused study sessions, Kat devises schemes by which Tyler will fall for Olivia.
And to her delight--or maybe horror--her plan begins to work. Now that Olivia’s caught Tyler’s attention, Kat has to wonder if she’s fooled Tyler into falling for the wrong girl. But what boy would ever choose a warthog over a gazelle?
Plus, Tyler, Kat’s next-door neighbor and buddy since birth, morphed into a really cute boy over the summer. Suddenly the person Kat’s used to playing Xbox with is causing her stomach to do cartwheels.
When Olivia confesses that she has a crush on Tyler and wants to ask him to the Fall Ball dance, Kat knows there’s going to be a problem: Tyler thinks Olivia is just another ditsy girl who only cares about lip gloss and boy bands. But since Kat’s one of Tyler’s oldest friends, Olivia’s sure she’ll know how to get his attention. Trying to be a good friend and squash her own feelings, Kat makes it her mission to get the two of them together. From writing “Tyler cheat sheets” listing his favorite things, to feeding Olivia lines through her headphones during Tyler-focused study sessions, Kat devises schemes by which Tyler will fall for Olivia.
And to her delight--or maybe horror--her plan begins to work. Now that Olivia’s caught Tyler’s attention, Kat has to wonder if she’s fooled Tyler into falling for the wrong girl. But what boy would ever choose a warthog over a gazelle?
Unknown Binding
First published January 10, 2017
27 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Levy
12 books270 followersJoanne Levy’s love of books began at a very early age. Being the youngest and the only female among four children, and the daughter to voracious readers, she was often left to her own devices and could frequently be found sitting in a quiet corner with her nose in a book.
A survivor of the corporate world, Joanne now works from home, supporting other authors and creating the friends she wishes she had when she was a kid.
She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two mischievous cats, a mean African Grey parrot and a sweet but not-so-smart dog. When she’s not busy writing or assisting, she enjoys reading (obviously), needle-felting with wool (Google it), and taking long walks with her faithful writing companion, Labrador Retriever, Zoe.
About my reviews: I'm an author, so I know what it's like to get a non-stellar review of my book. So, with that in mind, I only review books I really like.
A survivor of the corporate world, Joanne now works from home, supporting other authors and creating the friends she wishes she had when she was a kid.
She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two mischievous cats, a mean African Grey parrot and a sweet but not-so-smart dog. When she’s not busy writing or assisting, she enjoys reading (obviously), needle-felting with wool (Google it), and taking long walks with her faithful writing companion, Labrador Retriever, Zoe.
About my reviews: I'm an author, so I know what it's like to get a non-stellar review of my book. So, with that in mind, I only review books I really like.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 10, 2017
Joanne Levy's writing always puts a smile on my face, and CRUSHING IT is some of her best writing to date. This is the kind of book to pick up on a day when you just want something fun to read, when you want to remember what it was like during those awkward years, or when you want to smile. I can't wait to see what Levy writes next.
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May 27, 2015Well, technically I haven't read it since I'm still writing it, but that wasn't an option. :)
February 6, 2017
3.5 stars
Crushing It takes Cyrano de Bergerac to the middle grade set. Levy cleverly retells the tale, and it’s pretty dang cute.
In case you can’t tell from this here blog, I read a lot. One result of that is that I’ve read a whole lot of variations of Cyrano, so for me this wasn’t the most original tale, and it’s not my favorite ship set up either. That said, I’m impressed with what Levy did with it.
The tale actually lends itself much better to the middle school age than to adults imo. Setting the person you’re into up with someone you know isn’t right for them, manipulating them into making that choice, is not a wise decision. But it’s so much more understandable of a mistake when your hormones are just starting to be like “oh hey, boys are cute, and also omg your best friend Tyler’s SUPER CUTE in case you haven’t noticed” and you’re kind of freaking out about all of it. Also, Kat’s self-esteem’s way low because hello MIDDLE SCHOOL, aka destroyer of all self-esteem. Kat agrees to help set Tyler up with her pretty, popular best cousin Olivia, immediately regrets it, but really can’t see a way out.
One thing I do really love about Crushing It, aside from how well it works with this age group, is Tyler. It’s so cute how he knows what he wants, and he isn’t just into popularity and prettiness. He’s pretty forward-thinking, looking for personality and common interests. That boy will go far. I would totally have loved this book as a kid, because it shows that the nerdy girl can get the guy.
In addition to that, I also really appreciate the subtle hints that Olivia and Kat may have some things to work through in the future. Their relationship’s a bit toxic; Kat is starting to see that, and, while they’re not there yet, things will need to change or their relationship will end. It’s nice that Kat takes a moment to realize how much she tries to care about what Olivia’s into and how dismissive Olivia is of what Kat’s into. Without being about that, I think that’s a nice little element for younger readers who might struggle with similarly unbalanced friendships (I know I did).
Middle grade romance is so cute, and I’m glad there are a few middle grades with a strong focus on romance and crushes, because lbr that’s basically all middle and high school for most of us.
Crushing It takes Cyrano de Bergerac to the middle grade set. Levy cleverly retells the tale, and it’s pretty dang cute.
In case you can’t tell from this here blog, I read a lot. One result of that is that I’ve read a whole lot of variations of Cyrano, so for me this wasn’t the most original tale, and it’s not my favorite ship set up either. That said, I’m impressed with what Levy did with it.
The tale actually lends itself much better to the middle school age than to adults imo. Setting the person you’re into up with someone you know isn’t right for them, manipulating them into making that choice, is not a wise decision. But it’s so much more understandable of a mistake when your hormones are just starting to be like “oh hey, boys are cute, and also omg your best friend Tyler’s SUPER CUTE in case you haven’t noticed” and you’re kind of freaking out about all of it. Also, Kat’s self-esteem’s way low because hello MIDDLE SCHOOL, aka destroyer of all self-esteem. Kat agrees to help set Tyler up with her pretty, popular best cousin Olivia, immediately regrets it, but really can’t see a way out.
One thing I do really love about Crushing It, aside from how well it works with this age group, is Tyler. It’s so cute how he knows what he wants, and he isn’t just into popularity and prettiness. He’s pretty forward-thinking, looking for personality and common interests. That boy will go far. I would totally have loved this book as a kid, because it shows that the nerdy girl can get the guy.
In addition to that, I also really appreciate the subtle hints that Olivia and Kat may have some things to work through in the future. Their relationship’s a bit toxic; Kat is starting to see that, and, while they’re not there yet, things will need to change or their relationship will end. It’s nice that Kat takes a moment to realize how much she tries to care about what Olivia’s into and how dismissive Olivia is of what Kat’s into. Without being about that, I think that’s a nice little element for younger readers who might struggle with similarly unbalanced friendships (I know I did).
Middle grade romance is so cute, and I’m glad there are a few middle grades with a strong focus on romance and crushes, because lbr that’s basically all middle and high school for most of us.
April 29, 2016
Super adorable. A fantastic middle grade voice.
May 23, 2019
I don't remember why I put this on hold at the library, but it was very cute and I'm glad I read it. :)
March 13, 2017
This is a fun, lighthearted romantic MG read. Yes. Romantic. MG readers often want those too and this is perfect for the age range. It is a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, which the audience isn't going to know or care about, but I think it makes sense to retell this story in the context of middle school. Any one older should know better. My one big complaint with the book was how flat a character Olivia is. She is built on stereotypes and never goes much deeper than that. I really loved the dynamic between Kat and Tyler though.
November 26, 2023
This is a middle-grade adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac (but without the poetic, pure, and perfect ending, naturally). Honestly, adapting this story doesn't really work for me without the poetic ending. The "reveal" has to be totally different, a HEA changes the whole tone and purity of Cyrano's love... anyway... this book is fine. I like that there aren't really stereotypically villainous characters, but there is a lot of lying and deception, obviously...
So, I read this because my 4th grade son recently told me he wants to read some romances (!!??!!) and I am trying to think of books to recommend to him. I know he's interested in crushes and couples, but I'm thinking books that have an adventure or mystery but include a romantic plotline might be a good place to start rather than going with what we traditionally think of as a "romance". (Besides, most contemporary middle grade romances I'm aware of are (poorly) written and tend to be full of girl drama. Sweet Valley High, I'm looking at you!)
Some ideas I've had so far: Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Tom ❤️ Becky 4eva), Freaky Friday, the Little House on the Prairie books when Laura & Almanzo are courting, and maybe Louisa May Alcott books (Jack and Jill?) and The Ordinary Princess...? and... hopefully something more contemporary as well...? If you have ideas, please share them.
So, I read this because my 4th grade son recently told me he wants to read some romances (!!??!!) and I am trying to think of books to recommend to him. I know he's interested in crushes and couples, but I'm thinking books that have an adventure or mystery but include a romantic plotline might be a good place to start rather than going with what we traditionally think of as a "romance". (Besides, most contemporary middle grade romances I'm aware of are (poorly) written and tend to be full of girl drama. Sweet Valley High, I'm looking at you!)
Some ideas I've had so far: Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Tom ❤️ Becky 4eva), Freaky Friday, the Little House on the Prairie books when Laura & Almanzo are courting, and maybe Louisa May Alcott books (Jack and Jill?) and The Ordinary Princess...? and... hopefully something more contemporary as well...? If you have ideas, please share them.
November 9, 2019
Kid rating: 5 stars
Adult rating: 3 stars
Cute book about first romance. Kat and her cousin, Olivia, are best friends despite having little in common. Olivia is tall, beautiful, graceful and popular. Kat is plain (so she thinks), nerdy, artistic, and smart. Tyler has been Kat's best friend forever. Over the summer he turned good-looking and Kat is suddenly seeing her longtime friend in a different way. Olivia notices too and would like nothing more than to attend the fall dance with Tyler. Like Kat, Olivia and Tyler have nothing in common. No matter what Olivia does, she can't seem to attract Tyler's attention. Since Kat knows him so well, she seeks her help to make it happen. Kat makes cheat sheets about Tyler's interests, pretends to be Olivia online, and feeds her lines through the phone. It works. Tyler thinks Olivia is a perfect match and asks her to the dance.
You can predict what's going to happen. They can't maintain the charade. The poop hits the fan. Everyone must come clean with the truth. I especially liked Tyler's reaction. He's upset at first, but then he spills the beans about liking Kat all along. As a 7th grader, he already realizes that shared interests is way more important that looks when choosing a girlfriend.
Adult rating: 3 stars
Cute book about first romance. Kat and her cousin, Olivia, are best friends despite having little in common. Olivia is tall, beautiful, graceful and popular. Kat is plain (so she thinks), nerdy, artistic, and smart. Tyler has been Kat's best friend forever. Over the summer he turned good-looking and Kat is suddenly seeing her longtime friend in a different way. Olivia notices too and would like nothing more than to attend the fall dance with Tyler. Like Kat, Olivia and Tyler have nothing in common. No matter what Olivia does, she can't seem to attract Tyler's attention. Since Kat knows him so well, she seeks her help to make it happen. Kat makes cheat sheets about Tyler's interests, pretends to be Olivia online, and feeds her lines through the phone. It works. Tyler thinks Olivia is a perfect match and asks her to the dance.
You can predict what's going to happen. They can't maintain the charade. The poop hits the fan. Everyone must come clean with the truth. I especially liked Tyler's reaction. He's upset at first, but then he spills the beans about liking Kat all along. As a 7th grader, he already realizes that shared interests is way more important that looks when choosing a girlfriend.
May 31, 2025
Olivia is Kat's best cousin, and she has a crush on her best friend, Tyler, who is totally not Olivia's type. But Olivia really likes him, so Kat agrees to help her out, feeding her lines and making a cheat sheet to help her talk to him. But as her plan starts working, Kat realizes that maybe SHE has a crush on Tyler, and maybe getting him and Olivia together wasn't the best idea after all.
Overall this was a really hard book to get through. I was excited to read it as I love a cute middle-grade romance, but this one was just not for me. The characters annoyed me and I hated that Olivia didn't get any consequences for using Kat; in the end it bothered me that Kat was the one who got in trouble. Overall I do think that she and Tyler are cute but it just wasn't well executed.
Overall this was a really hard book to get through. I was excited to read it as I love a cute middle-grade romance, but this one was just not for me. The characters annoyed me and I hated that Olivia didn't get any consequences for using Kat; in the end it bothered me that Kat was the one who got in trouble. Overall I do think that she and Tyler are cute but it just wasn't well executed.
August 5, 2018
The end of the book moved me the most, that Tyler didn't care how she looked. What really matters to him was their common interests and how they could understand each others choices.
Not many people can look past the looks(not even me). Kat is lucky to know someone who cares about the mind of people than the appearences as Tyler is.
And the process of Kat helping Olivia with her crush showed that she was brave enough to hold back her feelings for someone she really cared about. The problem of many books is that both people are clueless to what type of person the other desires. And that complicates things.
Not many people can look past the looks(not even me). Kat is lucky to know someone who cares about the mind of people than the appearences as Tyler is.
And the process of Kat helping Olivia with her crush showed that she was brave enough to hold back her feelings for someone she really cared about. The problem of many books is that both people are clueless to what type of person the other desires. And that complicates things.
August 30, 2017
Crushing It is a Cyrano de Bergerac inspired modern day novel about Kat who is asked by her cousin Olivia to help get Tyler to ask her to the Fall Ball. Problem is, Tyler is her next door neighbour, her best friend and has absolutely nothing in common with Olivia. The storyline is fairly predictable but entertaining in the way that Kat goes about trying to hook up her two best friends while at the same time ignoring her own feelings. Kids will enjoy the contemporary language with texts and note-passing in class. The plot ends in a satisfying way and is recommended for tween who like romances.
February 23, 2021
My daughter’s review:
So much fun to read!!!! My mom read it to me and she put a lot of feeling in it. I really recommend it for you!
My review:
After a few chapters, my daughter asks, “Mommy, what is a boy band?” I am more than happy to explain and give some examples. Also, I get to see what is passing through her head in those moments. It’s fascinating.
You see friendships on the page, you read what a crush feels like on the page, IMO it gives kiddos words and ideas to describe what they might be feeling. If a young person is interested in love, I would suggest reading this.
So much fun to read!!!! My mom read it to me and she put a lot of feeling in it. I really recommend it for you!
My review:
After a few chapters, my daughter asks, “Mommy, what is a boy band?” I am more than happy to explain and give some examples. Also, I get to see what is passing through her head in those moments. It’s fascinating.
You see friendships on the page, you read what a crush feels like on the page, IMO it gives kiddos words and ideas to describe what they might be feeling. If a young person is interested in love, I would suggest reading this.
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April 16, 2021I'm really confused about this book so I'm not going to give it a rating yet.
If I had to, it would probably be about 3.5 stars...
First of all, I guess I'm kind of embarrassed to have read this book, but I did actually like it a little.
It wasn't bad, but not a jewel either.
It was pretty predictable and right from the third chapter I had already kind of read it in my head - because I knew what would happen at the end.
It was a fun and very, very short read ( I read it in one sitting or maybe even an hour) but I'm still not sure about this.
If I had to, it would probably be about 3.5 stars...
First of all, I guess I'm kind of embarrassed to have read this book, but I did actually like it a little.
It wasn't bad, but not a jewel either.
It was pretty predictable and right from the third chapter I had already kind of read it in my head - because I knew what would happen at the end.
It was a fun and very, very short read ( I read it in one sitting or maybe even an hour) but I'm still not sure about this.
December 1, 2024
RELATABLE, this has been one of the most relatable books I have EVER read. I even CRIED lol. You SO need to read this book. It was truly amazingly written and it was just SO BEAUTIFUL 😭. I love how it teaches us girls that the right guys don’t only see appearance but also our hearts and personalities, those are the guys that are worth loving ❤️. Tyler 🔛🔝🥰
May 19, 2025
Crushing It is everything I love about middle grade fiction!
I loved this sweet story so much. It's a spin on Cyrano, which I only vaguely know anything about. Regardless, this was a top-tier middle grade tale of friendship and how relationships change as you get older, sprinkled with lessons about being yourself.
This is a definite reread.
I loved this sweet story so much. It's a spin on Cyrano, which I only vaguely know anything about. Regardless, this was a top-tier middle grade tale of friendship and how relationships change as you get older, sprinkled with lessons about being yourself.
This is a definite reread.
May 26, 2017
This is a feel good juvenile story. It was a plot that has been done over and over, but it was still ok. Nothing special, but I would say I liked it. It is probably more of a 2.5, but I'll give it 3 stars.
November 9, 2020
So cute!
Aww I loved this sweet romance, Cyrano is one of my all time favorite one stories and I'm always in the the hunt for a good retelling, this one was cute and fun. Made my day.
Aww I loved this sweet romance, Cyrano is one of my all time favorite one stories and I'm always in the the hunt for a good retelling, this one was cute and fun. Made my day.
February 6, 2017
Such a fun little book! A great way to help kids understand that they're amazing just the way they are. ❤️
October 31, 2017
Im well aware this book was for a younger audience and I usually love these kind of books. But throughout the book Olivia infuriated me. I was all about her and she didn't care about anyone else.
June 21, 2018
Good book for the Middle School age range.
July 9, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book!
December 18, 2020
This was a super cute story.
March 9, 2021
*3.5
October 7, 2021
A good introduction to the romance genre for this age level.
November 30, 2021
THE BEST BOOK!!
December 4, 2021
😭😭😭
Love
Love
January 20, 2022
All the problems were resolved well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
Could book to do a project one
March 9, 2023
Kinda embraced that I still read this but it was a sweet quick read. Bit unrealistic tho
July 16, 2025
really good, LOVE THE ENDING
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews