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Say No to the Bro
Ava’s plan for surviving senior year at her new school is simple: fly under the radar until graduation. No boys. No attachments. No drama. But all that goes out the window when she gets drafted into the Prom Bowl—a long-standing tradition where senior girls compete in challenges and are auctioned off as prom dates to the highest bidder.
Ava joins forces with star quarterback Mark Palmer to try and get herself out of the competition, but their best laid schemes lead to self-sabotage more than anything else. And to make matters worse, they both begin to realize that the Prom Bowl isn’t all fun and games. When one event spirals dangerously out of control, Ava and Mark must decide whether shutting down the Prom Bowl once and for all is worth the price of sacrificing their futures.
Ava joins forces with star quarterback Mark Palmer to try and get herself out of the competition, but their best laid schemes lead to self-sabotage more than anything else. And to make matters worse, they both begin to realize that the Prom Bowl isn’t all fun and games. When one event spirals dangerously out of control, Ava and Mark must decide whether shutting down the Prom Bowl once and for all is worth the price of sacrificing their futures.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2017
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401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
April 21, 2017
This book's entire premise is essentially about prostitution and human trafficking. It's sexist and it condones rape. And the author apparently doesn't think consent is a thing. All of the girls in here are these hot, sexy, perfect things and that's so fucking unrealistic and a terrible stereotype.
Please please don't read this book or support it in any way. It's a legitimately terrible book.
Please please don't read this book or support it in any way. It's a legitimately terrible book.
September 21, 2017
I don’t know if I’ve ever been so angry reading a book. I picked this up expecting a funny, empowering angry feminist book (mostly based on the title, the description, and the fact that I loved Gena/Finn and I know her writing partner for that, Hannah Moskowitz, is a feminist badass). Yeah not so much... I spent more time pacing around my room trying not to scream than actually reading this book. Like I get that high school is a difficult time, it’s crazy, people get very caught up in things that nobody will care about in 6 months, peer pressure makes it difficult to do the right thing. But tbh if I were in Ava’s shoes I would have done literally whatever it took to get this disgusting, sexist, objectifying, and frankly slightly racist (it’s literally a people auction, there is no way that situation can NOT be racially coded) “tradition” taken down from day 1. I could kind of maybe get when it was just a fun fashion show and talent show going along with it, being an inspiration for the younger girls in the school. But that party crossed every single line I have. Not only can I not fathom how none of the girls punched Cody in the balls (to be fair, I was thinking Cody needed to get punched in the balls for 95% of the book) but I am shocked and appalled that literally nobody in the entire school was able to stop being so damn self absorbed for 5 minutes to think about the fact that maybe someone almost dying and someone getting sexually assaulted is more important than their own egos.
I was at least hoping that everything would get deconstructed and that we would get a good badass feminist ending but it all felt kinda half assed. Nothing was really fixed, even the senior football players practically torturing freshmen in order to earn their friendship was brushed off and everyone lived happily ever after under the stars. I have never been so livid reading a book.
In all fairness I didn’t hate Ava as a character, I just was extremely frustrated with how she kept kinda half heartedly talking about how there was issues with the prom bowl and how she should do the right thing, but she never (until the VERY end) actually stood up and did anything about it.
I was at least hoping that everything would get deconstructed and that we would get a good badass feminist ending but it all felt kinda half assed. Nothing was really fixed, even the senior football players practically torturing freshmen in order to earn their friendship was brushed off and everyone lived happily ever after under the stars. I have never been so livid reading a book.
In all fairness I didn’t hate Ava as a character, I just was extremely frustrated with how she kept kinda half heartedly talking about how there was issues with the prom bowl and how she should do the right thing, but she never (until the VERY end) actually stood up and did anything about it.
February 6, 2024
I REALLY want to rate this book higher, but I just can’t. I enjoyed this book so much I finished it in the span of 3 days, which hasn’t happened in years. Normally I start a book, pause reading and forget for months.
The book itself has a really interesting premise- The Prom Bowl, where a group of girls compete to be prom queen and boys can bid money on who they want to take the prom. Whoever is willing to pay the most gets their date of choice. It’s a lot like auctioning cattle. Ava Vanguard moves to town at the beginning of her senior year when her dad accepts a job as the football coach and is put in the competition in the Wild Card spot. Ava does not like this. Ava’s new boyfriend, the quarter back of the football team, does not like this. What do they do about this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOTHING!
Ava spends the entire book talking about how she very much does not want to do this, then keeps accidentally winning even after her boyfriend attempts to sabotage her (which it seems like she would be behind if he JUST SAID SOMETHING!) and then there’s a party (spoiler alert) where she ends up being sexually assaulted and her friend ends up with alcohol poisoning and almost dies. And what do they do about this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOTHING!
Well. Not quite nothing, but it is about as effective as doing nothing. They go to the principal, tell him everything, a lot of people get suspended and lose their scholarships and prom gets cancelled. Everyone hates Ava. And then no one discusses it ever again.
This book COULD have been good, but the author did very little with the plot. It would have been so much more effective if the other girls had decided that they didn’t like being treated this way or even have the characters have a better conversation after it was all said and done. But the ending falls flat and is completely disappointing. Even giving it 3 stars feels generous.
The book itself has a really interesting premise- The Prom Bowl, where a group of girls compete to be prom queen and boys can bid money on who they want to take the prom. Whoever is willing to pay the most gets their date of choice. It’s a lot like auctioning cattle. Ava Vanguard moves to town at the beginning of her senior year when her dad accepts a job as the football coach and is put in the competition in the Wild Card spot. Ava does not like this. Ava’s new boyfriend, the quarter back of the football team, does not like this. What do they do about this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOTHING!
Ava spends the entire book talking about how she very much does not want to do this, then keeps accidentally winning even after her boyfriend attempts to sabotage her (which it seems like she would be behind if he JUST SAID SOMETHING!) and then there’s a party (spoiler alert) where she ends up being sexually assaulted and her friend ends up with alcohol poisoning and almost dies. And what do they do about this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOTHING!
Well. Not quite nothing, but it is about as effective as doing nothing. They go to the principal, tell him everything, a lot of people get suspended and lose their scholarships and prom gets cancelled. Everyone hates Ava. And then no one discusses it ever again.
This book COULD have been good, but the author did very little with the plot. It would have been so much more effective if the other girls had decided that they didn’t like being treated this way or even have the characters have a better conversation after it was all said and done. But the ending falls flat and is completely disappointing. Even giving it 3 stars feels generous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2017
Prom Bowl is a tradition at the small town high school that Ava moves into her senior year. She ends up as the "wild card", but progresses much further than anyone expects. The elaborate contests get out of hand, but parents and school administrators turn a blind eye. Prom Bowl puts a strain on the new relationship she is building with quarterback Mark Palmer, as its ramifications threatened to change both their promising futures.
May 9, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, its deceptively complicated. Which I think is one of the reasons its gotten so many negative reviews this book is categorized as YA but the complexity of the characters and the issues it discusses make me feel like it would find a better reception amongst the "Adult Books".
Kat Helgeson does an amazing job bringing her characters to life. I found it really easy to empathize with Ava at first, and as the story progressed and she grows, I felt that I was growing along with her.
There are a couple of reviewers here that believe this book is against consent, and is condoning rape but I'd like to draw your attention to the very title of the book, 'Say No to the Bro'. If that's the only thing you got out of the book then I suggest a re-read because you completely missed the whole point. Remember, a good book doesn't always just make you happy, a good book is one that makes you feel something at all.
Kat Helgeson does an amazing job bringing her characters to life. I found it really easy to empathize with Ava at first, and as the story progressed and she grows, I felt that I was growing along with her.
There are a couple of reviewers here that believe this book is against consent, and is condoning rape but I'd like to draw your attention to the very title of the book, 'Say No to the Bro'. If that's the only thing you got out of the book then I suggest a re-read because you completely missed the whole point. Remember, a good book doesn't always just make you happy, a good book is one that makes you feel something at all.
December 12, 2022
ugh I wanted to like this book, I really did, but just... no
The romance was cute but it lacked any communication whatsoever. There was also a few chapters where some stiff happened that was just too much. I just couldn't get in to it :(
The romance was cute but it lacked any communication whatsoever. There was also a few chapters where some stiff happened that was just too much. I just couldn't get in to it :(
January 20, 2021
Borrowed this one. There was a lot of WTF moments in this book, but it was a super quick read, and I just kinda had to know where the author was going to take it. Lots of problematic scenes...
June 30, 2018
*actual rating is 2.5 stars*
I liked the idea of this, but I don’t think it was executed in a way that got the points across that the author was trying to make. I think Kat intended to write a story about a normal looking (and sized) girl proving that size and looks don’t matter as much as a personality and a good conscious, in combination with a cast of normally flawed characters. However, this ended up being about a girl who has to rely on her popular boyfriend to get her through her senior in high school because she isn’t “pretty” or “thin” enough to fit in and/or change the backward minds of the crowd without him. Add on top of that a horrible popularity contest that pimps our high school girls that no one tries to stop (because both of the main characters are too spineless and apathetic to do anything until someone is almost killed, and even then it takes them weeks to do anything). Furthermore, there is way too much swearing for my taste. I don’t mind a couple of sweat word here or there, but I also don’t like to have characters cussing out whomever they are angry with every five or so pages. As much as I wanted to like this for the attempted positive messages, it just fell flat.
I liked the idea of this, but I don’t think it was executed in a way that got the points across that the author was trying to make. I think Kat intended to write a story about a normal looking (and sized) girl proving that size and looks don’t matter as much as a personality and a good conscious, in combination with a cast of normally flawed characters. However, this ended up being about a girl who has to rely on her popular boyfriend to get her through her senior in high school because she isn’t “pretty” or “thin” enough to fit in and/or change the backward minds of the crowd without him. Add on top of that a horrible popularity contest that pimps our high school girls that no one tries to stop (because both of the main characters are too spineless and apathetic to do anything until someone is almost killed, and even then it takes them weeks to do anything). Furthermore, there is way too much swearing for my taste. I don’t mind a couple of sweat word here or there, but I also don’t like to have characters cussing out whomever they are angry with every five or so pages. As much as I wanted to like this for the attempted positive messages, it just fell flat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2018
Oh dear, this book was, hmm, problematic, but the two main characters made the difference for me between it being something I put down in disgust and something I quite enjoyed.
Ava comes to a new school after her mum leaves her father and her father picks up a new job as a high school coach. It's her final high school year and she resents it. The very last thing she intends to do is take part in some stupid school popularity contest, especially when she had no say in being entered into it!
Mark is the quarterback of the football team, which basically puts him at popular boy in the school alongside his best friend Cody.
Cody is the first of three incredibly awful characters in this story who almost ruined the book for me. He's the typical bully, the person for whom life isn't going the way his entitled self thinks that it should be. And it's not his fault, of course. Everyone knows a person like this, or has done. I suppose I should at least be glad that he was presented as a full bodied character rather than a caricature. But he wasn't forgivable, especially after he assaults Ava.
The second problem-y character was Ava's cousin Charlotte, another person who features in the Prom Bowl, who first encourages (forces) Ava to be part of it, then gets annoyed with her when she actually does well and wants to be honest about who she is at the same time. She, unlike Cody, didn't get a great deal of presentation beyond she's a shallow bitch who trashes Ava's belongings for no conceivable reason that the story offers.
And then there's Ava's father, who at first seems very sympathetic. After all, he's looking after two children after his wife left, holding down a good job and his teenage daughter looks up to him.
More fool me. When the Prom Bowl came up, he too twisted Ava's arm to stay in the running. When it turns out that one of the contests was a drunken party where the contestants were encouraged to take off clothes to get the boys to bid on them, oh and then one of the girl's ended up in hospital, Ava's dad said that she should keep it to herself because she'd only be causing trouble otherwise.
I felt sorry for Ava so many times in this book. Honestly, Mark was the only one who was halfway nice to her, and he had his own battles to fight at the same time. Neither Ava or Mark were presented as perfect characters, but there were challenges that each of them had to face that were over and above usual pressures.
Like Eleanor and Park, this book didn't offer a happy ever after for the two teenage protagonists about to go into different universities, but it didn't need one to have the ending feel very satisfying.
Ava comes to a new school after her mum leaves her father and her father picks up a new job as a high school coach. It's her final high school year and she resents it. The very last thing she intends to do is take part in some stupid school popularity contest, especially when she had no say in being entered into it!
Mark is the quarterback of the football team, which basically puts him at popular boy in the school alongside his best friend Cody.
Cody is the first of three incredibly awful characters in this story who almost ruined the book for me. He's the typical bully, the person for whom life isn't going the way his entitled self thinks that it should be. And it's not his fault, of course. Everyone knows a person like this, or has done. I suppose I should at least be glad that he was presented as a full bodied character rather than a caricature. But he wasn't forgivable, especially after he assaults Ava.
The second problem-y character was Ava's cousin Charlotte, another person who features in the Prom Bowl, who first encourages (forces) Ava to be part of it, then gets annoyed with her when she actually does well and wants to be honest about who she is at the same time. She, unlike Cody, didn't get a great deal of presentation beyond she's a shallow bitch who trashes Ava's belongings for no conceivable reason that the story offers.
And then there's Ava's father, who at first seems very sympathetic. After all, he's looking after two children after his wife left, holding down a good job and his teenage daughter looks up to him.
More fool me. When the Prom Bowl came up, he too twisted Ava's arm to stay in the running. When it turns out that one of the contests was a drunken party where the contestants were encouraged to take off clothes to get the boys to bid on them, oh and then one of the girl's ended up in hospital, Ava's dad said that she should keep it to herself because she'd only be causing trouble otherwise.
I felt sorry for Ava so many times in this book. Honestly, Mark was the only one who was halfway nice to her, and he had his own battles to fight at the same time. Neither Ava or Mark were presented as perfect characters, but there were challenges that each of them had to face that were over and above usual pressures.
Like Eleanor and Park, this book didn't offer a happy ever after for the two teenage protagonists about to go into different universities, but it didn't need one to have the ending feel very satisfying.
May 1, 2020
um lol no. this book was pretty bad. I'm normally not good at giving books bad ratings, but I didn't really have a choice here.
let me start with the writing style, which I described as bad fanfiction in the beginning. that statement actually turned out to be pretty correct, since this author used to write Star Wars fanfiction. sometimes it was just unclear as to what was going on since there was a bunch of dialogue without any added comments, so I couldn't keep track of who was actually speaking and if they had any emotions behind it. there wasn't much depth to these characters at all, like I feel like I barely know anything about Ava and Mark - other than the fact I really don't like Mark and their relationship.
this story is about Ava, who has only been in town for two weeks and gets added to this thing called the Prom Bowl. it's a competition where boys bid on girls with money so they can be their prom date and the winner becomes prom queen. Ava only gets added because she isn't some hot, popular girl and that should make it fun. ha ha.
what I expected from this book, is that Ava and Mark would realise how much of a sexist (and many other things) type of competition this is and would try to bring the whole thing down. nope, they only try to get Ava out of the competition. in bad ways might I add - Ava just wears an ugly dress to the first event to try and lose, but Mark decided to be a dick and gets someone to ruin her dress by throwing a slushy on it (while she is wearing it). yeah, great move, that won't upset her at all.
I don't think there are any redeeming qualities to this. Mark continues to be a dick throughout the story, even to Ava, and they kiss and make up without any real apologies. Ava thinks she's being so good by going to the principal about the last event and getting prom cancelled, even though she should've tried to bring it down from the beginning. I don't really have any good points about the side characters either. Mark's best friend, Cody, is the biggest dick of this story and he stays the exact same. he beats freshmen up, because seniors used to do it to him, and he sexually assaults Ava at the last event. just a straight up disgusting character. the other girls who are in the Prom Bowl show a lot of unneccesary girl on girl hate, fatshaming and other things.
this author says she is a feminist, but I didn't see that reflected in this book at all. I would've seen that if they had decided to bring the competition down and if the girls had been supporting each other, with Mark also helping them. but no, none of that happened. I already hated the title of this book, but I liked the premise enough to give it a shot. if you read this review, I suggest you don't.
let me start with the writing style, which I described as bad fanfiction in the beginning. that statement actually turned out to be pretty correct, since this author used to write Star Wars fanfiction. sometimes it was just unclear as to what was going on since there was a bunch of dialogue without any added comments, so I couldn't keep track of who was actually speaking and if they had any emotions behind it. there wasn't much depth to these characters at all, like I feel like I barely know anything about Ava and Mark - other than the fact I really don't like Mark and their relationship.
this story is about Ava, who has only been in town for two weeks and gets added to this thing called the Prom Bowl. it's a competition where boys bid on girls with money so they can be their prom date and the winner becomes prom queen. Ava only gets added because she isn't some hot, popular girl and that should make it fun. ha ha.
what I expected from this book, is that Ava and Mark would realise how much of a sexist (and many other things) type of competition this is and would try to bring the whole thing down. nope, they only try to get Ava out of the competition. in bad ways might I add - Ava just wears an ugly dress to the first event to try and lose, but Mark decided to be a dick and gets someone to ruin her dress by throwing a slushy on it (while she is wearing it). yeah, great move, that won't upset her at all.
I don't think there are any redeeming qualities to this. Mark continues to be a dick throughout the story, even to Ava, and they kiss and make up without any real apologies. Ava thinks she's being so good by going to the principal about the last event and getting prom cancelled, even though she should've tried to bring it down from the beginning. I don't really have any good points about the side characters either. Mark's best friend, Cody, is the biggest dick of this story and he stays the exact same. he beats freshmen up, because seniors used to do it to him, and he sexually assaults Ava at the last event. just a straight up disgusting character. the other girls who are in the Prom Bowl show a lot of unneccesary girl on girl hate, fatshaming and other things.
this author says she is a feminist, but I didn't see that reflected in this book at all. I would've seen that if they had decided to bring the competition down and if the girls had been supporting each other, with Mark also helping them. but no, none of that happened. I already hated the title of this book, but I liked the premise enough to give it a shot. if you read this review, I suggest you don't.
September 23, 2019
1.5/5 stars
This book is actually my last reads for the year of 2018. And I want to close the year reading a good book that can be included as one of my favorites. But, this book will actually dump in my least and worst reads of 2018.
I really hate and despise this book. There are a lot of times that I want to throw this book while reading it, it makes me furiously mad and I was almost DNFed it (Did Not Finish), but, as my goal is to always finish reading a book that I already started no matter how badly written it and how badly I hated it.
Say No the Bro is poorly written and very problematic in all aspects. There's a lot of trigger warning in sensitive topic such as sexism, body-shaming, and sexual assault. The characters are all unlikable as I love reading unlikable characters, but in this book, I can't find a reason why they act or say that way. Especially, the main characters, they are so stupid, selfish, unreasonable, egotistical and hypocrites. Can I even say more to describe how I hated them?
The whole plot of the story revolves around how Ava, the main girl character gets out of Prom Bowl, a school tradition that earns and funds money for the school prom. It is an auction competition and event between 15 girls wherein the highest bidder gets the girl as a date to the prom and the girl with the highest bids will be crowned as the Prom Queen. Isn't this sound stupid enough?
And that's where Ava gets in trouble being the wild card, who represents the not so popular, no so "pretty and hot" girl in their school. As she stated the throughout the book that she's different or have some body issues within herself. At first, her goal was good and reasonable, but then she becomes worst and hypocrites throughout the end of the book. All her decisions, reasoning and mishaps are stupid.
Also the relationship between Ava and Mark, the star quarterback and the male protagonist in the story was effing insta-love. No build up at all, it's just one chapter they were already in a relationship after just talking on the field one day and what makes me despise this book even more is the communication between the two of them that giving more a lot of conflict. Seriously?
If you are planning to read this book, think it first twice or many times before getting yourself in a trouble with this novel. Just "Say NO to this book".
This book is actually my last reads for the year of 2018. And I want to close the year reading a good book that can be included as one of my favorites. But, this book will actually dump in my least and worst reads of 2018.
I really hate and despise this book. There are a lot of times that I want to throw this book while reading it, it makes me furiously mad and I was almost DNFed it (Did Not Finish), but, as my goal is to always finish reading a book that I already started no matter how badly written it and how badly I hated it.
Say No the Bro is poorly written and very problematic in all aspects. There's a lot of trigger warning in sensitive topic such as sexism, body-shaming, and sexual assault. The characters are all unlikable as I love reading unlikable characters, but in this book, I can't find a reason why they act or say that way. Especially, the main characters, they are so stupid, selfish, unreasonable, egotistical and hypocrites. Can I even say more to describe how I hated them?
The whole plot of the story revolves around how Ava, the main girl character gets out of Prom Bowl, a school tradition that earns and funds money for the school prom. It is an auction competition and event between 15 girls wherein the highest bidder gets the girl as a date to the prom and the girl with the highest bids will be crowned as the Prom Queen. Isn't this sound stupid enough?
And that's where Ava gets in trouble being the wild card, who represents the not so popular, no so "pretty and hot" girl in their school. As she stated the throughout the book that she's different or have some body issues within herself. At first, her goal was good and reasonable, but then she becomes worst and hypocrites throughout the end of the book. All her decisions, reasoning and mishaps are stupid.
Also the relationship between Ava and Mark, the star quarterback and the male protagonist in the story was effing insta-love. No build up at all, it's just one chapter they were already in a relationship after just talking on the field one day and what makes me despise this book even more is the communication between the two of them that giving more a lot of conflict. Seriously?
If you are planning to read this book, think it first twice or many times before getting yourself in a trouble with this novel. Just "Say NO to this book".
August 29, 2018
Honestly, I had been wanting to read this for awhile because well it sounds pretty good right? Like "ooh what's a prom bowl?" Or something like that (I honestly hope not, but who knows what i was thinking because after finishing, I hope this whole thing was a lapse in judgement.) Usually, I don't leave reviews and when I do, I don't totally bash the book, but if you read this book you will understand.
1) F-bombs EVERYWHERE!:
Honestly, this doesn't bug me a ton--heck, I'm a teenager, I went to public school, but it was excessive! If you're looking for a clean book, this ain't it (it's far from it, but I'm not there yet.)
2) So was I supposed to actually like the main characters???
Because I didn't. Not because they were the most annoying, egotistical, selfish, hypocritical characters I have ever read (a book can still be good with an unlikable narrator in my opinion), but more because it was all just too much. Ava is our stereotypical heroine: needy, arrogant, constantly putting down her looks even though she's got various guys after her. And then there's Mark. He's just there, mainly being indecisive, chasing Ava and being the football player who never has games or practices. Wow. I just get the feeling I was supposed to relate to or somehow like these characters, but it was IMPOSSIBLE! But it wasn't just these two, oh no. Out of all the other characters I didn't like anyone except Sean who joins us for maybe 5 conversations.
3) Do they even really like each other?
So this whole book takes place over nearly an entire school year. Our main characters meet sometime around the beginning and... It was very insta-love. Just let me set the scene: They meet after a football game where Ava is standing around awkwardly by herself waiting for dad. And in the crowd after a high school football game, Mark sees her (because that's realistic. In a crowd of probably hundreds of people, I seek out one person I don't even know). Now he goes up to her because... I don't know... she's the coach's daughter? (You have to understand, our main girl is supposedly unattractive--she tells you 15 times in the first half so who knows). And they have a conversation about college and that's about it. The whole thing is maybe a ten minute conversation but Mark is in LOVE guys!! Cue eyeroll. One day and several stalkerish moments on Marks part and they're boyfriend and girlfriend. And... I don't know why. I mean, I already said they were both awful people, so there's something in common! But honestly, he thinks she's cute and she thinks he's cute and they fight a lot. What a solid relationship!
But wait! There's more! These two basically only revolve around each other. Mainly Ava. It is really hard to picture Mark without Ava. Does he even go to this school? He doesn't even interact with anyone in the school besides Ava, Cody and a freshman I don't remember.
4) Oh, the inconsistency!
So I've mentioned our main characters are hypocrites, right? Well, here we go. So we've got Ava who gets mad at Mark cuz she doesn't want to be a cheap bid, but also doesn't want to be sold to the highest bidder; she doesn't want to be in the prom bowl, but doesn't just refuse to do it and gets mad at Mark when he tries to get her out (albeit in some awful ways for a supposed boyfriend); and here's the kicker, she stays in the prom bowl to represent the unpopular girls but she's dating the star football player so there's that; AND it's okay to say you're a good influence and pass judgement on other girls for being "slutty" but she can also strip at a party in a screwed up game instead of oh I don't know, LEAVING?! Just... what is this? Once again, Mark the background-oh sorry, I mean main character is indecisive. Does he want to go to Notre Dame? His parents want him to and so does he, but for some reason this posses him off. Is Cody the dickwad an actual dickwad? (The answer here is yes, yes he is). Then we got both of them mad at each other for not ruining their futures and telling the truth, while it is the right thing to do and someone should come forward, it's not gonna be these two!
5) Why does anyone even like Cody?
So... there's this guy Cody. And he just happens to be a total douche bag. But wait! He's class president! And he's a skeezy, sexist jerk! But all the ladies want him! What else we know: Marks best friend but he hates him, can't play football worth a lick apparently, randomly beats on kids, objectifies women, and even attacks Ava among other things (none of them good)... so yeah. Why does anyone like him again?
*Random observation: Now, I hate Cody. Don't get me wrong. But at one point in the book, Ava gets pissed at him for asking a sophomore to prom. Because he's a senior and she's a sophomore.... now he's a creep, but that doesn't even factor into why she's upset. So why is this a problem? It's not like he asked a seventh grader. Heck, if he's young for his year and/or she's old for hers, they're practically the same age. There are dozens of other issues, but this is what gets you, Ava? Just... what?
6) "Whats a prom bowl?" -Me, Reading the Book Description
Well, guess what! It's a sexist contest where the school judges girls on their looks, their talent (doesn't sound bad until you find out that the talents consist of stripping and announcing you're willing to sleep your way to the crown), and how much fun you will be after prom (again doesn't sound bad until you realize it's a rager where they ). Then whoever gets the highest bids after each contest goes to the next round to compete for prom queen. And the prom bowl is supposed to be bad, that's the point of the book. They're gonna take it down because it's awful and all. But how the hell did it get this far you may ask? It's a school sanctioned event (except the rager part)! And I swear if in have to hear it's a fundraiser or a tradition one more time I will scream. And it's not like the adults are oblivious-that much is obvious from the way parents react after the party.
7) Final thoughts:
*How is any of this a thing?
*We don't even find out if they get rid of the prom bowl.
*I feel sick thinking about this book.
*I was ridiculously happy the main pairing broke up for awhile. This has never happened...
So, these are my thoughts. And if you liked the book, well, okay. I'm not saying you shouldn't like it, I just didn't. A lot. I had been wanting to read this for a long time and was so excited when it went on sale and I got a copy. But now, now I am just grateful I didn't waste money buying this at regular list price...
1) F-bombs EVERYWHERE!:
Honestly, this doesn't bug me a ton--heck, I'm a teenager, I went to public school, but it was excessive! If you're looking for a clean book, this ain't it (it's far from it, but I'm not there yet.)
2) So was I supposed to actually like the main characters???
Because I didn't. Not because they were the most annoying, egotistical, selfish, hypocritical characters I have ever read (a book can still be good with an unlikable narrator in my opinion), but more because it was all just too much. Ava is our stereotypical heroine: needy, arrogant, constantly putting down her looks even though she's got various guys after her. And then there's Mark. He's just there, mainly being indecisive, chasing Ava and being the football player who never has games or practices. Wow. I just get the feeling I was supposed to relate to or somehow like these characters, but it was IMPOSSIBLE! But it wasn't just these two, oh no. Out of all the other characters I didn't like anyone except Sean who joins us for maybe 5 conversations.
3) Do they even really like each other?
So this whole book takes place over nearly an entire school year. Our main characters meet sometime around the beginning and... It was very insta-love. Just let me set the scene: They meet after a football game where Ava is standing around awkwardly by herself waiting for dad. And in the crowd after a high school football game, Mark sees her (because that's realistic. In a crowd of probably hundreds of people, I seek out one person I don't even know). Now he goes up to her because... I don't know... she's the coach's daughter? (You have to understand, our main girl is supposedly unattractive--she tells you 15 times in the first half so who knows). And they have a conversation about college and that's about it. The whole thing is maybe a ten minute conversation but Mark is in LOVE guys!! Cue eyeroll. One day and several stalkerish moments on Marks part and they're boyfriend and girlfriend. And... I don't know why. I mean, I already said they were both awful people, so there's something in common! But honestly, he thinks she's cute and she thinks he's cute and they fight a lot. What a solid relationship!
But wait! There's more! These two basically only revolve around each other. Mainly Ava. It is really hard to picture Mark without Ava. Does he even go to this school? He doesn't even interact with anyone in the school besides Ava, Cody and a freshman I don't remember.
4) Oh, the inconsistency!
So I've mentioned our main characters are hypocrites, right? Well, here we go. So we've got Ava who gets mad at Mark cuz she doesn't want to be a cheap bid, but also doesn't want to be sold to the highest bidder; she doesn't want to be in the prom bowl, but doesn't just refuse to do it and gets mad at Mark when he tries to get her out (albeit in some awful ways for a supposed boyfriend); and here's the kicker, she stays in the prom bowl to represent the unpopular girls but she's dating the star football player so there's that; AND it's okay to say you're a good influence and pass judgement on other girls for being "slutty" but she can also strip at a party in a screwed up game instead of oh I don't know, LEAVING?! Just... what is this? Once again, Mark the background-oh sorry, I mean main character is indecisive. Does he want to go to Notre Dame? His parents want him to and so does he, but for some reason this posses him off. Is Cody the dickwad an actual dickwad? (The answer here is yes, yes he is). Then we got both of them mad at each other for not ruining their futures and telling the truth, while it is the right thing to do and someone should come forward, it's not gonna be these two!
5) Why does anyone even like Cody?
So... there's this guy Cody. And he just happens to be a total douche bag. But wait! He's class president! And he's a skeezy, sexist jerk! But all the ladies want him! What else we know: Marks best friend but he hates him, can't play football worth a lick apparently, randomly beats on kids, objectifies women, and even attacks Ava among other things (none of them good)... so yeah. Why does anyone like him again?
*Random observation: Now, I hate Cody. Don't get me wrong. But at one point in the book, Ava gets pissed at him for asking a sophomore to prom. Because he's a senior and she's a sophomore.... now he's a creep, but that doesn't even factor into why she's upset. So why is this a problem? It's not like he asked a seventh grader. Heck, if he's young for his year and/or she's old for hers, they're practically the same age. There are dozens of other issues, but this is what gets you, Ava? Just... what?
6) "Whats a prom bowl?" -Me, Reading the Book Description
Well, guess what! It's a sexist contest where the school judges girls on their looks, their talent (doesn't sound bad until you find out that the talents consist of stripping and announcing you're willing to sleep your way to the crown), and how much fun you will be after prom (again doesn't sound bad until you realize it's a rager where they ). Then whoever gets the highest bids after each contest goes to the next round to compete for prom queen. And the prom bowl is supposed to be bad, that's the point of the book. They're gonna take it down because it's awful and all. But how the hell did it get this far you may ask? It's a school sanctioned event (except the rager part)! And I swear if in have to hear it's a fundraiser or a tradition one more time I will scream. And it's not like the adults are oblivious-that much is obvious from the way parents react after the party.
7) Final thoughts:
*How is any of this a thing?
*We don't even find out if they get rid of the prom bowl.
*I feel sick thinking about this book.
*I was ridiculously happy the main pairing broke up for awhile. This has never happened...
So, these are my thoughts. And if you liked the book, well, okay. I'm not saying you shouldn't like it, I just didn't. A lot. I had been wanting to read this for a long time and was so excited when it went on sale and I got a copy. But now, now I am just grateful I didn't waste money buying this at regular list price...
June 13, 2017
Okay…to be perfectly honest I read this back in April and I’m having a hard time remembering everything. The notes that I wrote down for this, though, are as follows: “I’m not really buying their relationship. I feel like it doesn’t fit with who I think the characters are.” From what I remember of the book, all of a sudden the two main characters were dating and I was like, “Okay, that’s random.” Like, not random plotwise, but random because it didn’t feel genuine. I also remember not really liking any of the characters–they all just seemed really selfish to me.
November 29, 2016
More like 4.5/5, but I believe in rounding up. :) A fun book that's easy to binge read! Will be perfect for summer vacation.
June 6, 2017
Ava’s new in town, a senior in high school, and the daughter of her high school’s football coach. Mark is the quarterback. There’s an instant connection when they meet. But their budding relationship is put off balance by a school event called Prom Bowl. A tradition that’s been going on for years, Prom Bowl raises money for the end-of-the-year dance by auctioning off senior girls as prom dates. Against her will, Ava is added to the list and starts competing in a game she doesn’t even want to play.
Say No to the Bro by Kat Helgeson asks readers to look at traditions like the one in the story and consider whether they are still relevant or outdated in today’s world. Ava just wants to get through senior year at her new school, not be in the spotlight for a contest she objects to. Other girls in the class are thrilled to be chosen for the list of auctionees. Ava wants to end the practice so girls don’t have to get pressured to join in years to come. Others want to keep the tradition. It’s an interesting look at the kinds of activities that were probably not questioned when they started decades ago, but that today may be considered sexist.
Also, light supervision from faculty at the school means events relating to prom bowl escalate what the girls are required to do. Even Ava gets caught up in competition, wondering how she can so no or limit what she’s willing to do when others around her seem to happily comply. Mark also doesn’t like what goes on for Prom Bowl, but he’s pressured by his best friend to play along. Other forces at play come from teachers, Ava’s dad, even the principal.
I found secondary characters in Say No to the Bro tended to be one dimensional, and the book could have easily been longer to explore some of the issues hinted at with Ava and Mark’s friends and parents. But issues Ava and Mark deal with directly provide plenty of interesting food for thought. They are each pressured by their parents, their friends and society at large, and they struggle with knowing how to react to events they don’t control. Anyone who has ever felt pressured to go along will surely relate. Ages 14 and up.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Say No to the Bro by Kat Helgeson asks readers to look at traditions like the one in the story and consider whether they are still relevant or outdated in today’s world. Ava just wants to get through senior year at her new school, not be in the spotlight for a contest she objects to. Other girls in the class are thrilled to be chosen for the list of auctionees. Ava wants to end the practice so girls don’t have to get pressured to join in years to come. Others want to keep the tradition. It’s an interesting look at the kinds of activities that were probably not questioned when they started decades ago, but that today may be considered sexist.
Also, light supervision from faculty at the school means events relating to prom bowl escalate what the girls are required to do. Even Ava gets caught up in competition, wondering how she can so no or limit what she’s willing to do when others around her seem to happily comply. Mark also doesn’t like what goes on for Prom Bowl, but he’s pressured by his best friend to play along. Other forces at play come from teachers, Ava’s dad, even the principal.
I found secondary characters in Say No to the Bro tended to be one dimensional, and the book could have easily been longer to explore some of the issues hinted at with Ava and Mark’s friends and parents. But issues Ava and Mark deal with directly provide plenty of interesting food for thought. They are each pressured by their parents, their friends and society at large, and they struggle with knowing how to react to events they don’t control. Anyone who has ever felt pressured to go along will surely relate. Ages 14 and up.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 28, 2019
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
Say what you will, I find this a compelling, compulsively readable treatment of the expectations placed on women, frat (or more bluntly, rape) culture, and societal fixation on beauty. I liked both main characters a lot, and found their flaws understandable and interesting. In some ways, I found Mark even the more sympathetic character, especially layered with his relationship with his family and how hard he has to work for everything he has, which is a lot. I could relate to him a lot.
The explicit content: there is a lot. There are multiple f-bombs. Underage drinking, plenty of mentions of sexually active teenagers, STDs, and sex, mentions of drug use, etc. The culminating event for the Prom Bowl is utterly disturbing in how it unwraps what people are willing to ask these contestants to do--and what these contestants are indeed willing to do, basically forced drinking and exhibitionist sexual acts, which results in the hospitalization of one character.
I think the way Ava, Mark, and the other characters react to what happens is extremely justified, but, because a lot of messed-up stuff is happening, it made me think the ending was even going to be darker and less resolved than it actually is. So I was happy to see that.
I read this on the heels of We Are the Perfect Girl, which has a funnier and generally lighter tone, but both deal a lot with deeply ingrained norms about beauty and what it means to be female, and my mind is whirring rapidly trying to process everything I've been taking in.
Say what you will, I find this a compelling, compulsively readable treatment of the expectations placed on women, frat (or more bluntly, rape) culture, and societal fixation on beauty. I liked both main characters a lot, and found their flaws understandable and interesting. In some ways, I found Mark even the more sympathetic character, especially layered with his relationship with his family and how hard he has to work for everything he has, which is a lot. I could relate to him a lot.
The explicit content: there is a lot. There are multiple f-bombs. Underage drinking, plenty of mentions of sexually active teenagers, STDs, and sex, mentions of drug use, etc. The culminating event for the Prom Bowl is utterly disturbing in how it unwraps what people are willing to ask these contestants to do--and what these contestants are indeed willing to do, basically forced drinking and exhibitionist sexual acts, which results in the hospitalization of one character.
I think the way Ava, Mark, and the other characters react to what happens is extremely justified, but, because a lot of messed-up stuff is happening, it made me think the ending was even going to be darker and less resolved than it actually is. So I was happy to see that.
I read this on the heels of We Are the Perfect Girl, which has a funnier and generally lighter tone, but both deal a lot with deeply ingrained norms about beauty and what it means to be female, and my mind is whirring rapidly trying to process everything I've been taking in.
August 18, 2017
Ava's mother took off and left her, her father and brother alone. Ava can't get past that betrayal. Her father moves them to a new town where he wants to teach at the high school and coach the football team. As a prank one of the football players nominates her as a candidate for the prom bowl, a traditional event where fifteen girls compete for homecoming events and earn money for the senior's prom. Ava doesn't want to compete, but once nominated, no one will let her back out. Even though she's getting close to the star quarterback, and even he won't let her back out.
Things turn ugly when the boys host the final event. The girls are forced to either drink or take off their clothes, when one of the girls gets so drunk she passes out and hits her head on the toilet, Ava calls for an ambulance. She wants to tell the school administration what happened at the party, but no one really wants her to, her father included.
I thought the book was great until the end... it just sort of stopped instead of wrapping things up... Ava plans to visit her mom, but it doesn't happen on the page, we don't know what happens with the father, and her cousin, Charlotte, who is a real witch, just sort of drops from the book, and it leaves her younger brother hanging as well... still, it's worth the read. It's an interesting look at social pressures and how people can get caught up in it, even when they don't want to and the devastation it can have on a person's life.
Things turn ugly when the boys host the final event. The girls are forced to either drink or take off their clothes, when one of the girls gets so drunk she passes out and hits her head on the toilet, Ava calls for an ambulance. She wants to tell the school administration what happened at the party, but no one really wants her to, her father included.
I thought the book was great until the end... it just sort of stopped instead of wrapping things up... Ava plans to visit her mom, but it doesn't happen on the page, we don't know what happens with the father, and her cousin, Charlotte, who is a real witch, just sort of drops from the book, and it leaves her younger brother hanging as well... still, it's worth the read. It's an interesting look at social pressures and how people can get caught up in it, even when they don't want to and the devastation it can have on a person's life.
November 15, 2018
The authors choice of title of the book is “Say no to the Bro” and that basically sums up a lot of the book. It foreshadows a good amount of the book. I think the authors writing style had a lot of different dynamics in my opinion. It showed how the book was romance but at the same time the love was ‘forbidden’. It showed the characters dynamics within each other. I think the stories purpose is more about how true love wins in the end and that all the different characters care about the others and what they want so it helped showing the purpose by adding more description.
Some topic the book raised for me personally was that real life is so much like all the conflict in love stories. It can tear people apart and break others but it can help with growth and understanding more about life. Some of the authors craft or techniques were used for example are how she made so many of the characters two sided. Almost in my head like alter egos but at the same time they didn’t change for one side but rather to some of their personal changes.
I really enjoyed all the love and romance in the book and how it is ‘forbidden’ or so challenging to the point where they have to decide if it’s worth the fight. I didn’t enjoy some of the outside conflict because it almost confused me and slowed me down. If I could change one thing it would be the focal points throughout the story and how it changes and also that the conflict was so closed out and more inside the characters minds or one small circle.
Some topic the book raised for me personally was that real life is so much like all the conflict in love stories. It can tear people apart and break others but it can help with growth and understanding more about life. Some of the authors craft or techniques were used for example are how she made so many of the characters two sided. Almost in my head like alter egos but at the same time they didn’t change for one side but rather to some of their personal changes.
I really enjoyed all the love and romance in the book and how it is ‘forbidden’ or so challenging to the point where they have to decide if it’s worth the fight. I didn’t enjoy some of the outside conflict because it almost confused me and slowed me down. If I could change one thing it would be the focal points throughout the story and how it changes and also that the conflict was so closed out and more inside the characters minds or one small circle.
February 17, 2023
I am not sure what Say No to the Bro was trying to achieve. "Prom Bowl" is an event where guys "bid" on a selected girls for Prom, so super gross and misogynistic. Adults failed to protect the students and turned the other eye claiming any activities related happened on school grounds. Sure...Futile attempts by Ava and Mark to end the unsanctioned event were laughable—just a flip floppity fish.
My whole problem with this book is that it seems like the author wanted to present a feminist angle like Moxie or something similar, but instead the execution falls flat. Everything in the book is half-baked from plot lines about Ava's possible rekindling contact with her mom to the the status of her relationship with Charlotte towards the end. Nothing is ever addressed or resolved, everyone accepts that Prom is cancelled and that's the end. The book is ridiculously short coming under 300 pages which explains why this book feels so hollow and just misses the mark completely.
Shame, because what a beautiful cover.
My whole problem with this book is that it seems like the author wanted to present a feminist angle like Moxie or something similar, but instead the execution falls flat. Everything in the book is half-baked from plot lines about Ava's possible rekindling contact with her mom to the the status of her relationship with Charlotte towards the end. Nothing is ever addressed or resolved, everyone accepts that Prom is cancelled and that's the end. The book is ridiculously short coming under 300 pages which explains why this book feels so hollow and just misses the mark completely.
Shame, because what a beautiful cover.
June 20, 2017
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Say No to the Bro by Kat Helgeson. The story is told through the alternating points of view of Ava and Mark. Ava is the daughter of the new high school football team coach and Mark is the quarterback. The school holds a Prom Bowl fundraiser each year to raise money for Prom. Girls are chosen to be bid on and Ava is on the list as the wild card. She doesn't want any part of the Prom Bowl, but her dad wants her to be supportive of their school. The Prom Bowl is a school supported activity, but when crazy parties are thrown under the Prom Bowl name, things get out of hand and come crashing down. Strong characters and tightly woven plot make the book interesting and hard to put down. I read it straight through. 5 stars for a story with food for thought and realistic fiction that shows hypocrisy and integrity.
June 27, 2017
Say No to the Bro shines a light on a myriad of high school issues; some new, some old. I'll be honest, I was not expecting this book to be as intense as it was or to pose so many questions. It is much more than a cute tale about a girl and a boy putting the brakes on a contest. The author did not make any one character perfect, either, lending a refreshing truth to the story that kept me whipping through the pages to finish in two sittings. It's one that will stick with me for quite a while.
This book is definitely more of a high school book. There is mature content and I believe a reader needs to be mature enough to have a basic knowledge of the pressures of peers/society and be able to make some inferences about the characters based on their words versus their thoughts. Of course, the right reader might be able to handle it in middle school (late 7th early 8th grade). I guess it's one of those that you should read before you recommend.
This book is definitely more of a high school book. There is mature content and I believe a reader needs to be mature enough to have a basic knowledge of the pressures of peers/society and be able to make some inferences about the characters based on their words versus their thoughts. Of course, the right reader might be able to handle it in middle school (late 7th early 8th grade). I guess it's one of those that you should read before you recommend.
September 12, 2017
I picked this up at the beginning of school thinking it would be a fun, light hearted read. NOPE. It's about Prom Bowl where girls are auctioned off the the highest bidder as a date to raise money for prom. It's sanctioned by school, but of course there are non-school events. And that's where the trouble really begins. Never mind that the whole thing is just icky and most of the girls are excited to be in it. Eva's dad, the new football coach, doesn't really want to know about the things that have upset his daughter, doesn't want her spreading rumors, or ruining things for his players. He gets the bad parenting award for choosing football over his own child. I actually stopped reading this book for a couple of weeks, I was so mad at him. Unfortunately, it does feel like a very real thing that could happen in any school. 3.5 stars
January 6, 2018
The Prom Bowl has been a time-honored tradition at Patterson High, but new girl Ava wants nothing to do with it. When she decides to go along with it for the sake of fitting in, life gets messy and that honest depiction of tricky situations is what I loved best about this book. Ava and Mark find themselves in a place where "doing the right thing" comes with lots of negative consequences making it hard to know if doing the right thing is really the thing to do. There may be a happy ending of sorts but there are consequences for bad choices, even for the heroine and hero, and I appreciated that.
June 14, 2017
I think I can see what this book was trying to be–examining sexism, the patriarchy, the way women are objectified, and beauty standards–but I feel like the message got lost somewhere down the line when both Mark and Ava just kind of went along with a lot of the stuff that happened involving the Prom Bowl for most of the book. None of the characters were very compelling, either, and neither was Mark and Ava's romance. I was hoping this would be a badass let's-take-down-the-patriarchy sort of thing, but even though it did talk about how disgusting the idea of the Prom Bowl was, it wasn't really that kind of book.
April 30, 2018
The writing was good and it was a decent story, but not unexpected and different. I think I expected much more out of the characters than what they ended up doing. I expected the heroine to be fiercer and less likely to fall into the patterns society sets for girls. She did not break out of those patterns. Was also disappointed that the characters weren't more complicated. There were the mean girls, the jocks, the need for football scholarships, the rich bratty guy, the popular guy who wasn't rich but was quarterback. I guess I expected more than a rehashing of the high school character types.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2018
This book was a very fun read. The book touches on all the intresting events that take place in High school. The story touches on the verities of attiudes that are cramped up in school.
The main character is a girl, she has just moved to a new school with her younger brother ,and father. Their mother has just dropped them all for a new life with an new family. Her father had gotten a job at the local high school as the new football coach. Ava the main character only has one friend which is her cousin , but she feels that dosen't really count.
Ava has befriended the quaterback of the schools football team.
The main character is a girl, she has just moved to a new school with her younger brother ,and father. Their mother has just dropped them all for a new life with an new family. Her father had gotten a job at the local high school as the new football coach. Ava the main character only has one friend which is her cousin , but she feels that dosen't really count.
Ava has befriended the quaterback of the schools football team.
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January 26, 2021I think it was a good book. I like the prom bowl tradition they do. I think people would like that here because everybody doesn't get to have a date at prom and you have a chance to get a date. I also like the part where she was the new girl and got into the prom bowl. But the part I didn't like was where the school canceled the prom bowl and Notre Dame took back there offer that they gave to Mike. I think someone else should read this book it is a very good book. In usual can't finish a book at all but I finished this book. The thing I would change about this book is the Prom got canceled and that Mike couldn't go to Notre Dame.But overall it was a good book. I would give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
March 7, 2017
I really like this book. Even though this book is geared towards teens, as an adult it made me really question my behaviors. I do not want to spoil anything, but this is a great book to really think about being human and how the little things we do or not do are perceived by others.
A lot of people dismiss a teen read because they think it is not for them or too saccharine, and while this does have some of the requisite teen angst it has more to offer.
I recommend parents or guardians read this book with their children and then discuss it later.
A lot of people dismiss a teen read because they think it is not for them or too saccharine, and while this does have some of the requisite teen angst it has more to offer.
I recommend parents or guardians read this book with their children and then discuss it later.
June 23, 2024
I loved the book, I went through every emotion I could feel, but the end made me so angry. why didn't they bring up to the principal that a bunch of boys tried to FORCABIILY rip off Ava's clothes. Ava's dad was a terrible father, choosing a SPORT over his own daughter, ignoring her when she tried to talk about problems, and basically not believing her when she tried to tell him anything that happened. the first half of the book was fine, the second half just made me so angry and frustrated. I threw the book, I was so upset.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2017
Was it me or did this book seem to not really have a good plot line. I understand everything that occurred, but the characters were constantly making life difficult for each other (and not because that was part of their character traits), the whole concept that a school would continue to encourage a sexist and misogynist practice is ludicrous, and I'm not okay with this being "tradition". Like eff your traditions... that's not okay, this tradition is not okay and it's demeaning.
2 stars
2 stars
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