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Shut Out

by Kody Keplinger (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 9,057 ratings · 903 reviews

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while h...more

Hardcover, 273 pages

Published September 5th 2011 by Poppy

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Community Reviews

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Sep 12, 2011 Lamia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, stand-alone, hype, kindle, 2011

You know there's something wrong with a book when the boys are falling all over themselves for the main character and you're wondering why.
I guess Lissa was okay at first. For the first half, maybe. But then she turned into this huge caricature who just lost all intelligence and became obsessed with winning the "war" and finding every pretext to feel sorry for herself. I am aware not all teenagers are sensible, responsible beings. I do, however, like to actually feel something other than annoyan...more

42 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of "the DUFF" and maybe even "Not that kind of girl"

Shelves: laugh-aloud, funny, sweet-romance, favorites

I know why some people might not like this book, I understand the problems they might have with the situations, the characters and so on, but i'm as sure as hell that i did like it, probably as much as I liked The DUFF.

Full review: (originally posted at ReadingAfterMidnight)

You know, this is a strange world we are living in.
I always read some reviews here and there (about some books - not only this one) and I see people saying that [this] or [that] are not some books that they would allow their...more

22 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2013 Monisha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school-drama, sweet-romances

Shut Out is loosely based on the retelling of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata;
Lissa is sick and tired of the rivalry between the soccer and football team, it’s been running almost like forever.

description

But now it’s seriously getting out of hand, it’s coming in between her relationship with Randy, her boyfriend.

So Lissa comes up with a plan to get all the soccer and football player’s girlfriends together and go on a "strike".

A SEX STRIKE!!!

description

It’s bound to get the boys so wound up that they will put an end to their...more

15 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2012 Kira rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, not-amazing-but-not-shit, could-have-been-worse, lost-the-will-to-live, papa-dont-preach

Wow. This book wanted to be so amazing and ~~preachy~~ empowering, but it ended up a bit of a mess.

A hot one, if I may be so inclined.

We have this whole spiel about girls being called "cocktease" and how terrible it is (and don't get me wrong, it is disgusting) and the whole issue surrounding virginity, but look closer, Goodreaders - I believe you'll find that pretty much every conversation surrounding Cash involves him being called a tease, often by Lissa herself. Also, we're frequently told that C...more

24 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 2 of 5 stars

2 1/2 stars.

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers: HERE

Shut Out is a modern-day retelling of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, a classic Greek play about Lysistrata and her attempt to end the Peloponnesian War by persuading the women of the warring nations to withhold sex from their husbands in order to force peace negotiations. This foments a battle of the sexes as both sides try to stand their ground until eventually, the men give in and peace is achieved.

I was curious to see how Kody Keplinge...more

17 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2011 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, feminism, loved-it

Second books can be tricky. Even when authors produce standalone novels, eschewing the literary world's current hunger for sequels and series, they have a difficult task ahead of them: producing work that's more than just a retread of earlier success. In some ways, I know that comparisons between Kody Keplinger's first novel, The DUFF, and her second, Shut Out, are inevitable. It's not just their bright, girly covers that tie them together but thematics (a teenage girl's ownership of her sexuali...more

14 likes · like · see review

May 29, 2011 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arcs

Initial thoughts:

This was a FABULOUS sophomore novel, that I loved. I highly recommend picking this up in September- it will not disappoint.

Official review:

Shut Out was a spectacular sophomore novel by young writer Kody Keplinger. It was filled with steamy romance, tested friendships, girl power, and more. This was inspired by the play Lysistrata and I can't wait to check it out now. I started reading this the second it arrived in my mailbox and I didn't put it down until I finished later that d...more Initial thoughts:

This was a FABULOUS sophomore novel, that I loved. I highly recommend picking this up in September- it will not disappoint.

Official review:

Shut Out was a spectacular sophomore novel by young writer Kody Keplinger. It was filled with steamy romance, tested friendships, girl power, and more. This was inspired by the play Lysistrata and I can't wait to check it out now. I started reading this the second it arrived in my mailbox and I didn't put it down until I finished later that day. Kody's sophomore novel sucked me in and I can't stop recommending it!

Lissa is happy with her boyfriend, Randy, and things would be perfect if it wasn't for the rivalry. Randy is on the football team and her school has had a long running war between the soccer and football teams. And so the girlfriends are also dragged into it. Randy is often involved in pranks against the other group and Lissa lost her old best friend when she started dating a soccer player. Lissa is tired of getting her car egged when she's making out with Randy and being left behind when he runs off with the football team to take revenge on the soccer players. Lissa was a kick-butt main character. Not in the beats-people-up-destroys-paranormal-creatures way, but in an entirely realistic and refreshing way. Lissa took things into her own hands and made a difference where it mattered. How does she do this? By arranging a sex strike.

The hookup strike was such a unique idea and I loved how Kody presented it. Soccer and football girlfriends joined together in a pact (not to give their boyfriends any action until the rivalry ended) and soon the war has divided the groups into two new ones: boys versus girls. The plot was fast paced and kept me on my toes. Who would cave first? Would the rivalry end once and for all? A lot of unexpected things occurred as the novel progressed and I never knew what was going to happen next. Especially when Lissa starts to develop feelings for the leader of the boys (and soccer player) Cash Sterling.

All of the characters in Shut Out had something special about them and the boys were swoon worthy (one in particular!). I loved Lissa and she learned a lot about herself, her family, her friends, and her heart by starting the strike. Some novels shy away from discussing sex and the physical aspects of relationships, but not Shut Out. I adored Kody Keplinger's realistic and exciting new novel and am sure many others will, too.

In the end, Shut Out had great characters (including one named Kelsey!), an original plot, and an important message tied in. I have loved both of Kody's novels and I'm sure I will feel the same about whatever she writes next!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2011

First, the good: frank talk about teenage girls' sexual lives, exploration of double standards, inspiration from a classic (I'm a sucker for modern re-tellings).

The bad? It took me a long while to feel as if I could relate to the protagonist at all. It seemed like her only personality trait for a good portion of the book was having a boyfriend. Finally, we find out she's also a control freak who works in a library (just like me! ha!)

But seriously, the fact that every single girl in this book (w...more

13 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2013 Vilda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Contemporary YA readers!

Shelves: re-read, read-in-2012, audiobook, young-adult, read-in-2013

Re-read: May 13-18, 2013 (Audiobook edition)
Re-read: March 2-9, 2013 (Audiobook edition)
First read: September 21-22, 2012 (Audiobook edition)

Still love it!

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, contemporary, young-adult, own

Most rivalries usually connect with two opposing school, but that's not the case for Hamilton High. The football team and the soccer team are at constant war with all their hazing, pranks and fights and the girls who date these moronic idiots are always pushed aside during the rivalry months. Lissa is sick to death of always coming in second, so she comes up with a plan with more then a little help from her friends. What is the one thing boys can all agree on that will make them change the error...more Most rivalries usually connect with two opposing school, but that's not the case for Hamilton High. The football team and the soccer team are at constant war with all their hazing, pranks and fights and the girls who date these moronic idiots are always pushed aside during the rivalry months. Lissa is sick to death of always coming in second, so she comes up with a plan with more then a little help from her friends. What is the one thing boys can all agree on that will make them change the error of their ways?
Why, sex of course;)
A sex strike! Let the battle of the sexist begin and maybe come out of it with more then they ever expected....

I really loved Kody Keplinger's debut novel, The Duff, it was funny and entertaining and it made me swoon. Keplinger did it again in this remarkable amusing book, SHUT OUT.

I've never thought sex as a weapon would be humorous, but I guess it all depends on the story-line. Lissa has some very neurotic tendency issues since the death of her mother. She needs to be in constant control, always worring about others people, always afraid of losing another person she loves. She has her quirks sure, but she's a very easy character to like. I wish I could say the same thing about her boyfriend Randy, see, he's pretty much an asswipe.
I kinda wish my affections weren't so easily placed, I don't know why, but I like love triangles that feature both guys who are great, it makes it harder to choose which one I'd like the character to end up with and it makes you think about the situation even more. But in this case, it's not really hard to know which guy to route for. Cash is sweet and warm and funny and he's always cared for Lissa. They had some really intense moments that made my insides turn into goo.
But this story is more then just romance, it's also has some great girl power going on. These girls by all rights should be enemies, and yet they all come together anyways and I thought that was really very cool.

The writing is so funny, lovelovelove the dialog, but I feel that I should warn anyone who may take offence to foul language and graphic talk about sex. This book is about sex. Period. So if that makes you uncomfortable, this might not be the book for you. Anyone else who doesn't mind it so much? Then ya'll are gonna love it!!

All in all, I thought this was a great book. It's fun and innovated and completely an entertaining experience! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Keplinger will come up with next. Her books are always such a blast!(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2011 Jasprit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: out-2011, read-in-2011, literary-crushes, romance, ya, contemporary

4.5 stars

Be warned you may find this review full of over enthusiastic gushing for this book. Shut Out was just an awesome read.

Shut Out is loosely based on the retelling of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata; Lissa is sick and tired of the rivalry between the soccer and football team, it’s been running ever since her brother Logan went to high school, which was 10 years ago. But now it’s seriously getting out of hand, it’s coming in between her relationship with Randy, with Randy focusing more on the ri...more 4.5 stars

Be warned you may find this review full of over enthusiastic gushing for this book. Shut Out was just an awesome read.

Shut Out is loosely based on the retelling of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata; Lissa is sick and tired of the rivalry between the soccer and football team, it’s been running ever since her brother Logan went to high school, which was 10 years ago. But now it’s seriously getting out of hand, it’s coming in between her relationship with Randy, with Randy focusing more on the rivalry than their relationship and people are now seriously getting hurt. So Lissa comes up with a plan to get all the soccer and football player’s girlfriends together and go on a hook up strike. It’s bound to get the boys so wound up that they will put an end to their petty rivalry. But then the boys put Cash (whose totally drop dead gorgeous may I add) as their leader and they start to fight back. But who will eventually cave and admit defeat? And is Lissa getting far too involved than she should be?

I really enjoy books that have a competitive rivalry going on between groups of people and watching one group trying to outwit the other. Some of the antics in Shut Out were just hysterical. I had so many favourite scenes, such as when the boys were singing N’sync’s tearin’ up my heart to woo back the girls, Cash and Lissa playing the star game and all the times Cash and Lissa worked at the library together.

I loved the characters in Shut Out, Lissa, a strong protagonist who stood her ground and didn’t back down from something she believed in. Cash, he was good looking, charming, caring and totally swoon worthy. He has definitely made it to my top 10 literary crushes. The rest of the characters; Chloe, Ellen, Logan and Lissa’s dad were also extremely funny and hugely likeable.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Shut Out; it was funny, endearing and just really easy to get into. I definitely need to buy myself a copy, so that I can re-read through all my favourite parts. I very much look forward to reading more of Kody Keplinger’s books in the future.

Thank you Lesley for lending me your copy!
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 19, 2011 Glass rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, chick-lit, girl-power, favorites

I was afraid to read Shut Out because friend of mine was disappointed after reading it. But I'm happy that I read it - it was refreshing novel in the flood of young adult fiction. I recommend this book to all teen girls, and to some girls over twenties, who have some issues with sex and what is expected of them when it comes to it. Ending is the only thing that I was... how to put it...sarcastic, maybe? I know you writers want to make us satisfied, so, obviously, you give us happy endings. But i...more

11 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5/5

So, I am not the biggest fan of The DUFF. Frankly, I felt that everything was too tidy with the why's and how's of every single moment spelled out in that one. Simply, it left little for me to think out. And this is precisely my problem with SHUT OUT. While the message(s) in this second book are positive ones of girls thinking, and being the boss of themselves and not being dictated/controlled by what other's think, it still felt incomplete to me. Yes, there's a lot of talk in it of teen se...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult

This is a surprising thing, an update of the Greek play, THE LYSISTRATA, set in a modern American high school. In the play, the women of Athens withhold sexual favors from their husbands so that they will end the war with Sparta, so this seems like a strange story to update. But at Hamilton High School, the big rivalry is between the football and soccer teams, and the girlfriends are sick of it! They've been stood up because their boyfriends are busy egging people's doors, they've been interrupt...more

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Ambur rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read The DUFF before reading Shut Out, so I wasn't surprised when I read it...couldn't put it down, and absolutely fell in love with it!

Kody Keplinger has a way of writing characters that are so realistic that you genuinely feel like you've met them and personally know them, after reading about them. Her dialogue is fresh, completely realistic, and when I read it I'm constantly left thinking things like: "I'm pretty sure I've actually HAD that conversation with my friends before." She has a wa...more I read The DUFF before reading Shut Out, so I wasn't surprised when I read it...couldn't put it down, and absolutely fell in love with it!

Kody Keplinger has a way of writing characters that are so realistic that you genuinely feel like you've met them and personally know them, after reading about them. Her dialogue is fresh, completely realistic, and when I read it I'm constantly left thinking things like: "I'm pretty sure I've actually HAD that conversation with my friends before." She has a way of weaving a story which seems like it would be simple, but when it's all put together it creates one powerhouse of a story. If you haven't read a book by Kody Keplinger yet, you're completely missing out!

I'm a reader who loves her characters. If I don't like the characters, I generally don't like the books. In Shut Out, I never had that problem at all. Lissa, the main character, was insecure, yet she was full of sass. She had a douche (excuse my use of the word douche...it just happens to be one of my favourite words to use when complaining about guys...it can also be substituted for jerk if you prefer) of a boyfriend, and I was seriously so proud of Lissa for how she handled the different situations that Randy put her through. So freaking proud...I may have even actually said "You go girl!" while reading. :P

Now onto the yummy and awesome-tastic Cash, who was so awesome I just added a -tastic when describing him. He was smart, about most things anyways, and just all around amazing. The chemistry between Cash and Lissa was so amazing, and I found myself gushing over every single moment that they were together. I loved that Cash was more than just a jock too. He's a soccer player...which seems like it shouldn't be a big deal, but in Lissa's school, it is. Instead of there being rivalries with other schools, they have a rivalry within the school. The soccer and football teams endlessly torment each other, and it even leads to violence. It's even gotten to the point where the players don't even remember why their whole rivalry started.

Now onto the whole idea of the book itself. It's loosely based off of the Greek play "Lysistrata" by Aristophanes where the women of Athens are getting so fed up with the violence going on around them during a civil war that they decide to go a sex strike, which is led by Lysistrata. Now, I haven't read this play, but after reading Shut Out, I definitely want to. Lissa hadn't actually read Lysistrata, it's Cash who initially introducing the play to her (I know! He's smart too...seriously awesome-tastic I tell you!). She starts the whole hook-up strike because she's fed up with her boyfriend, Randy, placing more importance on the rivalry than he does on their relationship. She's also fed up with the violence after a soccer player gets injured after one of the football teams "harmless" pranks. Lissa manages to get a bunch of the girls on her side, and she leads them, just like Lysistrata did, and she helps keep them from caving in to their boyfriends. Then the boys start fighting back.

I absolutely loved Shut Out, if that wasn't already obvious. I loved the idea, the way it was written, and the characters. This story was hilarious, and I encourage everyone to read it! I really don't think you'll be disappointed!

If you want to get yourself a copy of Shut Out, it comes out on September 5th. :)(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2011 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shut Out Review on K-Books

From first hearing about this book, I really wanted to read it. It sounded amazing and just the kind of thing that I would love. I have never read any other books by this author before so I didn't really know what to expect in terms of both the story developing and the narrative techniques. I absolutely loved it.
I love Kody's writing, it's so edgy and you don't get that a lot in young-adult contemporary romance novels so I thought it was a really fresh way of writing su...more Shut Out Review on K-Books

From first hearing about this book, I really wanted to read it. It sounded amazing and just the kind of thing that I would love. I have never read any other books by this author before so I didn't really know what to expect in terms of both the story developing and the narrative techniques. I absolutely loved it.
I love Kody's writing, it's so edgy and you don't get that a lot in young-adult contemporary romance novels so I thought it was a really fresh way of writing such a great genre of books.
I loved her characters I thought they were so awesome.

Lissa is sick of coming second-best to the stupid rivalry between the football and soccer teams and sick of being ditched by her boyfriend for him to go and play some stupid pranks on the other team. So she comes up with a sex-strike. All the girlfriends of the players agree no sex or making out until the stupid rivalry is over. What they didn't count on is a rivalry starting between the boys and the girls and Lissa becoming more detached from Randy and trying to fight her growing attraction to the leader of the boys, the gorgeous, unresistable but also unattainable Cash.

I really love Lissa, I love how strong she is. So much had happened to her, with her Mum dying and having to look after her Dad and brother but she stayed strong for them. She is definitely the feminist in the book. She's the leader of the girls and she stays strong for them. She comes up with the idea of the sex strike and even though the girls don't think they will be able to do it, she stays strong and encourages them and supports them. She is one of my favourite female leads ever, she's so awesome and she's just the kind of character that even though she is fictional she can be seen as a role model for the young girls who are bound to read this book.
Another character I loved was Cash, I wasn't sure about him at the beginning of the book but the more I read the more I started to love him. He was definitely the guy I was hoping for Lissa to end up with instead of her Randy, her current boyfriend who I just hated. He is such a Tool and a Douche or whatever you want to call him but I hated him. I tried to keep an open mind and like him but the more I read about him the more i disliked him, the complete opposite of Cash.

Overall, I adored this book it was such a great book and I will definitely be reading more of Kody's books. I was so surprised to find out that she is only 20 years old as from the quality of her storytelling and writing skills I would have thought she was much older and had had years of experience of writing.
Definitely a winning novel and one I could re-read again and again and still find it fresh, funny and romantic.
Kody is now definitely one of my favourite chic-lit/contemporary romance authors.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Kaethe marked it as stricken

Ewww. High school girls cut off their boyfriends from sex in order to end a sports rivalry. I really hate the idea that sex is a thing guys get from gals.

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Simona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kody Keplinger je jednoducho úžasná. Škoda, že sa nedá chodiť s knihou :D :)

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 12, 2011 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Five Stars: This is an important book that young adult girls should read as it discusses candidly and tactfully the taboo subject of sex.

For some reason when I began my e book, Shut Out I mistakenly thought I was reading a book about football. Instead I was surprised to find a novel that dealt with teenage sexuality. I applaud Ms. Keplinger's efforts with this book. She tackles a challenging issue not only for teenage girls but also adult women. She opens the door to the subject with candor and...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 23, 2011 Sita Sargeant rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People looking for a funny/fluffy/nice/readable/enjoyable book

Recommended to Sita by: Misfit Mellow ~

Shelves: love-triangle, own, teen-romance, young-adult, reviewed, nl

I'm still trying to figure out how to review this. I read and finished it a few days ago and I thought it was good and I mean really good. I was really hesitant to pick this up because I read The DUFF and really didn't like it, I didn't like the writing, the characters or the plot, I basically didn't like the book. SO you can see why I was pretty hesitant to pick up Shut Out. But boy am I glad that I did.

Shut out is about Lissa, a girl who is constantly reminded of the ongoing feud between the s...more

14 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2011 Lina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, chicklit, fiction-general, food-for-thought, good-messages, love-interest-had-a-personality, slice-of-life, teen-drama, teen-fiction-normal

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger is a book that if you can't get past the premise/source material it will frustrate you. Shut Out is based on a the greek play Lysistrata in which, a woman named Lysistrata persuades the women to withhold sex from their partners in order to force the men to negotiate peace. Taking that premise and putting it in a modern high school setting is problematic for a few reasons: one, there are obviously other alternatives to ending a inter-school rivalry than a sex strike; tw...more Shut Out by Kody Keplinger is a book that if you can't get past the premise/source material it will frustrate you. Shut Out is based on a the greek play Lysistrata in which, a woman named Lysistrata persuades the women to withhold sex from their partners in order to force the men to negotiate peace. Taking that premise and putting it in a modern high school setting is problematic for a few reasons: one, there are obviously other alternatives to ending a inter-school rivalry than a sex strike; two, it implies that the women really have no "power" other than their sexuality. If you can accept that those two things are a result of the source material then you'll be right as rain, if not, this book is probably not going to be enjoyable for you.

I really liked this book and I thought it was well balanced in both the message it was sending and way it handled women dealing with their sexuality. Lissa (the Lysistrata of the book) is frustrated by the "civil war" because it has been going on for a decade and it gets in the way of her relationship with boyfriend, Randy (fun name there). The car has been egged several times while they were in it and there has been hazing going around with both sides. The final straw, so to speak, is when, in retaliation to the car being egged, Randy and the football team accidently tear a ~~footballer~~ soccer player's ACL. So she assembles all the player's girlfriends and the strike is on.

Two of the things I was worried about was that they were going to treat all the guys as sex hungry guys and justify using sex as a weapon. At first it seemed that way since Randy's character was the male character we saw the most, but it was thankfully subverted with Cash and another male character. The latter part was played with as some of the girls did treat sex as a weapons and it was talked about why that it problematic.

Lissa, the lead, was a frustrating character at times because she's smart, but only in a book way, clearly and she's really ignorant about certain things. Thankfully, the characters of Chloe, Ellen and a few others brought a balance and she did grow up a little by the time this book is over.

This book is very sex positive and talks about slut shaming, the purity myth and other aspects of sexuality. For some of us who already are aware of these things, what is said in this book may just come off as "well duh", but I think considering what goes on in YA these messages need to be said.

In today's society female sexuality is still pretty much split in a Madonna/Whore complex where if you have too much sex a woman is a slut and if you won't have sex at all you are a prude/cock tease. The pressures for young teens to have sex is great and for a lot of them, they are pretty much uninformed about how sex even works. Who can blame them though? Look at rom-coms and other movies that portray sex as this amazing-mind blowing-syncronized orgasm experience! Imagine having sex for the first time and it's nothing like that, but everything tells you it should be that good how that messes with a girl at 16-18? Not to mention it's hard to talk about sex at that age for some people, especially when it's bad. Female masturbation, female orgasms and how sex works is not always taught in schools and I recent read an article about a woman who did not even know what a clitoris was!

All-in-all, this book was a fun, light read that had really good messages in it about what female sexuality. I felt it handled itself in a less heavy-handed way than Beauty Queens and I think what it's saying holds some value, even if the premise is a little side-eye worthy.

4/5 Stars. (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2011 Goldengirl rated it 2 of 5 stars

When there’s a sophomore novel, you’re always going to compare it to the author’s debut, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, this time it’s for worse. I really enjoyed The DUFF (I’d even say it was one of my top ten books in 2010) but Shut Out just didn’t do it for me.

One of the problems I had with Shut Out was that the author didn’t disappear seamlessly behind the curtain. Since The DUFF Keplinger’s been branded an author who writes frankly about sex; now she’s really taken it to heart, wr...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Inge *Studying for Exams* rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, i-cannot-camembear-the-cheese, douchebag-alert, high-expectations-got-disappointed, meh, high-school, god-have-mercy, i-need-a-bucket, main-character-is-a-dumb-cow, love-triangles-aaaahhh, s-is-for-suckfest, what-is-this-i-dont-even

I cannot camembear the cheese.

Sadly, I did not enjoy Shut Out. It could have been the fact that the story was full of clichés and annoying characters. It could also have been the fact that I was listening to the audiobook and the voice annoyed the hell out of me. She gave those annoying characters a really whiny, bitchy voice and it made me hate them all the more. Maybe it’s a combination of both.

I really could have liked this book. The summary sounded like something I would love the apeshit out...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 21, 2011 Alona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, ya, contemporary, 2011

Original review posted at Off The Wall

Pros:
- I want Cash as a book boyfriend! Bortaness! (Gay term for a hot guy)
- And Chloe for a best friend.
- The psychological war between boys and girls is a new plot to me. I don't usually read that in YA contemporary.
- The girls used the sex-strike tactic against the boys. (I'm only aware of hunger-strike and transport-strike.)
- There's character development.

Cons:
- Lissa is not just suffering from an occassional control-freak neurosis. Her preoccupation wit...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shut Out is a 5 star book for me because of the sex. The topic and discussion of sex—get your mind out of the gutter people! :)

I applaud Kody Keplinger for having the confidence to address the topic of sex in young adult fiction. Shockingly, it is still a taboo subject for the genre and Keplinger does it with maturity, intelligence and humor.

In this battle of the sexes’ tale, the girls of Hamilton High led by Lissa Daniels go on a sex strike to end a rivalry between the soccer and football teams...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Reut (reutreads) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okay, so I was super excited to read Kody's debut novel, The Duff, and then I ended up hating it. So why would I give this book a chance?

Well.

I like books that don't slut-shame. I do. Also I was interested to see if Kody would write another completely unlikable character.

Lissa wasn't as bad as Bianca, but I still didn't like her. She was smart, yes, but she was also patronizing, and towards the end of the book comes a twist that made me dislike her even more.

I liked the idea for the book a lot,...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Kassiah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school, fictionators-rec, ya, pub-2011

I knew a boy just like Cash Sterling when I was in high school. Unfortunately, I also knew one just like Randy, too. That's one of the things that's so great about Shut Out--it's authentic. I felt like I knew these characters, like I could be right there plotting to win the war along with them.

Did I love this book as much as I loved the DUFF? No. There really is no comparison to Wesley Rush for me, but I liked Lissa as a character more than I liked Bianca. I know that the purpose of this isn't...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Ginger (GReads!) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

{This review was written for my blog: http://g-reads.blogspot.com & is being re-posted here}

Before I begin this review, I want to say a HUGE thank you to my friends who attended BEA in NYC a few weeks ago & picked up this little gem for me! I was asked which book I wanted to get my hands on & it was THIS one that came to mind first. For those that know me, I am a huge Kody Keplinger fan. I read her debut novel The Duff last year and LOVED it. I loved it so much I ranked it as my favo...more {This review was written for my blog: http://g-reads.blogspot.com & is being re-posted here}

Before I begin this review, I want to say a HUGE thank you to my friends who attended BEA in NYC a few weeks ago & picked up this little gem for me! I was asked which book I wanted to get my hands on & it was THIS one that came to mind first. For those that know me, I am a huge Kody Keplinger fan. I read her debut novel The Duff last year and LOVED it. I loved it so much I ranked it as my favorite read of 2010. So when I had the opportunity to get my hands on her next novel, I literally jumped out of my skin at the chance!

I have a lot of respect for Kody Keplinger as a novelist because she isn't afraid to approach taboo topics in YA lit. The controversy of sex is always brought up. Should it be mentioned in a book made for teens? Are we exposing them to too much too soon? My thoughts on this matter: No! Whether we want to shelter our children or not, the fact that sex exists is there. We can write about rainbows & butterflies all day long. But the truth is, when someone has the stage to speak to a mass audience of young teens - why not take that power for the good? Kody Keplinger does not mask sex as this fairy tale experience. She keeps it real & tasteful, in my opinion. I think that is one reason why I loved The Duff so much. I identified so much with Bianca when it came to her sexual relationship with Wesley. I was once that girl, shutting out the world and using my body as a release to deal with the pressures of every day life. Is that the right thing to do? Absolutely not. Just like Bianca, I learned to find other outlets and grew from my experiences.

Shut Out is the story about Lissa and accepting her own identity when it comes to teenage sex. The stereotype says young guys get praise for sleeping around, yet if a girl is promiscuous she is considered a slut. How one sided that scenario is. When the high school football team & soccer team are literally at each others throats with this age old rivalry, Lissa takes matter in to her own hands to stop this nonsense once and for all. She gathers the help from both the football & soccer players girlfriends and they all agree to go on a "sex strike" until the boys agree to stop fighting with one another. As the strike continues, the girls realize they all share similar fears & insecurities when it comes to sex. Through weekly sleep overs the girls grow closer in being able to openly talk about these issues. But as they grow closer, the boys starts to grow restless and come up with their own agendas. The plan isn't exactly working.

Lissa's boyfriend Randy, the quarterback of the football team, has the biggest issue with this strike. He tries to pressure Lissa in to sleeping with him, telling her things like if she really loved him she'd do it. I felt that his character was a bit extreme at times. I could be wrong though, there quite possibly may be boys out there who act this way. Randy disgusted me though. I got a bit frustrated with Lissa too because she didn't always stand up to Randy. I learned later it was due to her own insecurities, the same ones so many young teenage girls face on a day to day basis. As the chaos and tensions were building due to the strike, Lissa found herself being pulled closer to Cash Sterling, a boy from the opposing side: the soccer players. I really enjoyed the relationship that was growing between the two of these characters. He seemed to notice Lissa the most, when most people tended to only see her as Randy's girlfriend. He saw Lissa before she even saw herself, as a strong confident young woman.

The purpose for the strike started out as a means to an end with the boys feud, but escalated in to a personal journey for Lissa. The message behind Kody Keplinger's Shut Out is that whether you're a teen who is sexually active, or a teen who chooses to wait to have sex - be who you are & be ok with that. Don't listen to the pressures of what you should or shouldn't be doing. Every one is different, and ultimately you are the one responsible for your own life. I encourage those to read this book that enjoy gray areas when it comes to teenage experiences. Once again, I applaud Kody Keplinger for tackling a not so popular topic, but giving it a voice of it's own.
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Aug 24, 2011 Petra Sýkorová rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, chick-lit, young-adult

Perfektní...

Na Shut Out jsem se těšila od okamžiku, kdy jsem zjistila, že Kody píše další knihu. Ještě víc jsem se začala těšit, když byla uveřejněna oficiální anotace. The DUFF se mi ohromně líbilo a byla jsem z něj naprosto na větvi (a stále ještě jsem). Mezi ostatními YA knihami šlo o odlišný kousek, který otevřeně mluvil o sexu dospívajících a netvářil se, že něco takového neexistuje.

Lissa je obyčejná holka s obyčejnými problémy. Při nehodě jí umřela maminka a otec zůstal na kolečkovém křesl...more Perfektní...

Na Shut Out jsem se těšila od okamžiku, kdy jsem zjistila, že Kody píše další knihu. Ještě víc jsem se začala těšit, když byla uveřejněna oficiální anotace. The DUFF se mi ohromně líbilo a byla jsem z něj naprosto na větvi (a stále ještě jsem). Mezi ostatními YA knihami šlo o odlišný kousek, který otevřeně mluvil o sexu dospívajících a netvářil se, že něco takového neexistuje.

Lissa je obyčejná holka s obyčejnými problémy. Při nehodě jí umřela maminka a otec zůstal na kolečkovém křesle. Její bratr je sice o deset let starší, ale někdy potřebuje vedení. Lissin přítel, Randy, je hráčem amerického fotbalu a oba dva jsou do sebe zamilovaní, jak to jenom jde. Jenže...

Jenže na škole vznikl před deseti letmi spor mezi hráči amerického fotbalu a hráči evropského fotbalu. Obě dvě skupinky si sice nepamatují, jak vlastně spor začal, ale stále jej udržují při životě tím, že se vzájemně napadají a dělají si různé naschvály. Lissa není spokojená s tím, že je u Randyho vždycky až jako druhá na místě, až po šarvátkách. Rozhodne se tomu učinit přítrž tím, že se spojí s ostatními přítelkyněmi hráčů a společně klukům odepřou jedinou věc, za kterou by byli ochotní i žebrat - sex. A tak se rozjede válka pohlaví...

Pokud čekáte, že dostanete "něco jako DUFF", nejspíš budete zklamaní. Protože Shut Out vůbec není jako DUFF, a přitom vlastně je. Divné, říkáte si? Ani ne, pochopíte, jakmile začnete číst.

Lissa není jako Bianca - a to je moc dobře. Lissa je takový "pořádkový" typ. Má ráda věci na svém místě, všechno tak, jak má být a velice ráda počítá cokoliv, co spočítat jde. Ve vztahu s Randym si je velice nejistá a i když jej opravdu miluje, cítí se zahanbená tím, jak od ní neustále odbíhá a zase tak moc si nevšímá toho, co cítí. Během knihy projde velkou změnou, kdy nejen že najde nové přátele a začne se na svět a lidi okolo dívat jinak, ale uvědomí si, že se nemusí bát projevit své city a říct, co má ráda a co ráda nemá.

Postupně s Lissou prožíváte všechno jako ona a i když místy zakroutíte hlavou nad tím, co dělá, i když je vám hned jasné, jak to je, nevadí vám to. Protože takoví lidé jsou. Nevidí hned všude řešení a častokrát jsou slepí. Musí k tomu dojít sami a vy jim můžete jenom držet palce.

Na knize se mi ohromně líbilo, jak se v ní mluvilo o sexu. Ne všude se otevřeně mluví o sexu a už vůbec ne o tom, jak se v otázce sexu pohlíží na mužské a ženské pohlaví. Jen si to vezměte, když se o klukovi ví, že střídá jednu ženskou za druhou, možná si o něm někdo řekne, že je to hajzlík, ale většina chlapů ho za to ještě pochválí. Kdežto když něco stejného provádí holka, už je z ní coura. Dvojí metr existuje všude, samozřejmě že i v sexu. Opravdu se mi líbilo, jak se Kody nebála mluvit o věcech, které si každá holka nechává spíš pro sebe, protože se stydí to říct nahlas. Když máte rádi sex, tak o tom mluvte, proč byste se za to měli stydět?

Příběh je skvěle zpracovaný. I když si myslíte, že víte, jak to bude probíhat, stejně vás to překvapí. Ze začátku se mi líbil Randy i Cash, ale pak jsem se začala víc přiklánět ke Cashovi. Řeknu vám, že ten kluk je úplný dreamboy. Kniha je prošpikovaná romantickými a žhavými chvilkami, což potěší nejednu romantickou duši. Cashovi jsem propadla z části hlavně proto, že je to prostě hodný kluk a i když mám většinou slabost pro bad boye, u Cashe bych si dala říct.

Skvělá knížka, skvělý příběh, skvělé postavy (Chloe mě doháněla k slzám, ze smíchu). Nevím, jestli ostatním sedne, ale já jsem z ní nadšená. Těším se na třetí knihu.(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 →kelly♥[: rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-book, r-a-s, cute-romance

My Rating: 2.5

I have many issues with Shut Out. The book started out fine - I liked Lissa and Randy well enough - but when Lissa brought out the no sex until football team and soccer team rivalry ends plan, I immediately figured out the rest of the plot of the book. From then on, reading Shut Out was no fun.

The first thing I had a problem with was the draggy and predictable plot. I read two-thirds of the book, got tired of it, and just skimmed the rest of the book. It all started when Randy ca...more

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About Kody Keplinger

I'm a 19-year-old college student and young adult author. My first book, THE DUFF, debuted on September 7, 2010. I write books for teenagers and strive to be honest and true-to-life. For more info, check out my website.
http://kodykeplinger.com

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Quotes from Shut Out

“I'm serious. They'll call me a pussy."

"And if you help them, I'll call you a dick. So no matter what you do, you're going to be some form of genitalia.” — 87 people liked it

“You can't control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen.” — 68 people liked it

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