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96th out of 256 books
—
1,024 voters
Smashed
by
Lisa Luedeke (Goodreads Author)
A field hockey star grapples with addiction in this riveting debut that will appeal to fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak.
Stay out of trouble for one more year, and Katie Martin can leave her small town loneliness behind forever. She is a field hockey star on the fast track to a college scholarship, but her relationship with alcohol has always been a little questionable...more
Stay out of trouble for one more year, and Katie Martin can leave her small town loneliness behind forever. She is a field hockey star on the fast track to a college scholarship, but her relationship with alcohol has always been a little questionable...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
August 21st 2012
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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With Katie doing what she was doing: the lying and the drinking and the lying, I was hard pressed to like her. Truly, I was trying not to judge, but couldn’t help it… but this was all before what’s done to her happened! Prior to that, I felt sorry for the girl but nothing more than that. After, if I set every other thing aside, like she’s too down on herself or like he is in a class of his own in being a douche almost to the point of being criminal, my main issue is that i felt it a load of croc...more
Oh, the drivel that gets published these days!
on with the review. Good Stuff:
The writing quality is honest and simple to follow. It has a good flow. The characters are distinguishable.
Bad Stuff:
1) Language and Content.
This should be in the adults' section (if it escapes being officially burned in the centre of the earth). "Jesus", "damn", "b----", and "f---" and "f------" occur very frequently. Everyone swears.
There is explicit sexual description of boys reaching up girls' bras and tearin...more
on with the review. Good Stuff:
The writing quality is honest and simple to follow. It has a good flow. The characters are distinguishable.
Bad Stuff:
1) Language and Content.
This should be in the adults' section (if it escapes being officially burned in the centre of the earth). "Jesus", "damn", "b----", and "f---" and "f------" occur very frequently. Everyone swears.
There is explicit sexual description of boys reaching up girls' bras and tearin...more
Smashed
By: Lisa Luedeke
A girl, Katie, is on her way to a successful college scholarship. The most popular guy in school, Alec, sets his eyes on Katie. One bad night, Katie makes one bad choice that threatens her dreams. This book is about a girl named Katie, she is a field hockey star on her way to a college scholarship. There is one problem; Katie has a strong relationship with alcohol. She starts talking with this “Alec” kid and one bad night filled with alcohol ruins Katie’s life forever and...more
By: Lisa Luedeke
A girl, Katie, is on her way to a successful college scholarship. The most popular guy in school, Alec, sets his eyes on Katie. One bad night, Katie makes one bad choice that threatens her dreams. This book is about a girl named Katie, she is a field hockey star on her way to a college scholarship. There is one problem; Katie has a strong relationship with alcohol. She starts talking with this “Alec” kid and one bad night filled with alcohol ruins Katie’s life forever and...more
In looking at Smashed by Lisa Luedeke, the interview we had with this author came alive. Going into a Young Adult Lit novel without knowing the plot, and gathering pieces of the action, then reading the text, it is similar to anticipating a film. This novel holds nothing back and rewards the reader with all the true dilemmas, maybe not all, but many of the dilemmas that face individuals in high school on a day to day basis. Despite the "station" or "position" someone has in high school, thanks t...more
Dec 08, 2012
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
abusive-relationships,
alcohol,
bullies,
families,
friendship,
music,
school,
self-esteem,
art
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Sep 07, 2012
Alice Belikov First lady Ivashkov
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
arc-sucky-storyline-boring-snooze-f
This is the second below four star review I have written and I really thought this one was going to be good. I will admit that I didn't really read the synopsis because I was so in LOVE with the cover, I don't know why I love it so much but it's so different so I thought it was going to be a a good read. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me in so many ways. The characters were so weird, Katie's moods were unstable/unpredictable and the story was just SO DEPRESSING I couldn't really get throu...more
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Told in hindsight to her college counselor is this story of Katie. Her life before the summer prior to senior year of high school was defined by several elements: living in small town Maine, playing field hockey well enough to contend for a scholarship, enjoying two best friends, one male and one a teammate, both of them much more advantaged in terms of family and money. Her dad took off several years before; her mom works long hours as a nurse and prefers staying in town with boyfriends to make...more
this book had potential, but it dragged on FOREVER before it got interesting. I swear, it was only the last 1/3 of the book that was finally able to hold my attention. i'm surprised i made it through the entire thing; in fact, i think it's only my desire to read 100 books this year that did get me through it.
here's the thing. the main character, katie, is a teenage alcoholic. to call her a drunk would be too nice. yeah, she's got some issues that we could say are her reasons for being an alcohol...more
here's the thing. the main character, katie, is a teenage alcoholic. to call her a drunk would be too nice. yeah, she's got some issues that we could say are her reasons for being an alcohol...more
Met this author at ALA in Anaheim. This is her first book. It ended up being one of the books I chose for my plane ride home from the conference.
Katie is a field hockey star at her small Maine high school. With her dad out of the picture she'll never get to college without a scholarship, so that is her sole goal during her senior year. Unfortunately however, Alec is also in the picture. Katie and her friends have never liked him. At school he's one of the rich, popular kids, who bullies those wh...more
Katie is a field hockey star at her small Maine high school. With her dad out of the picture she'll never get to college without a scholarship, so that is her sole goal during her senior year. Unfortunately however, Alec is also in the picture. Katie and her friends have never liked him. At school he's one of the rich, popular kids, who bullies those wh...more
This book has a good concept and a good underlying moral. Katie is strong and she has had a pretty rough year, and she's only 17.
She has the normal 17 year old worries like getting a scholarship for college, graduating high school and boys.
But she also had a load of shit going on at home along with 10 million other things.
I loved what the book stood for, but again I wasn't wrapped up in the story.it kids made me feel really sad and depressed and i just wanted to finish it and forget about it....more
She has the normal 17 year old worries like getting a scholarship for college, graduating high school and boys.
But she also had a load of shit going on at home along with 10 million other things.
I loved what the book stood for, but again I wasn't wrapped up in the story.it kids made me feel really sad and depressed and i just wanted to finish it and forget about it....more
3.5 stars
Cross posted at I Just Finished Reading...:
I don't often read YA, and there's a really good reason for that which I will note in a moment. But this is a coworker's debut novel. So I really wanted to read it.
The novel takes place in small-town Maine. Katie's dad up and left them - just went out one day and never came back. Katie doesn't know if he's dead or alive, but works on the assumption that he's still alive. Her mom works nonstop and when she's not at work, she is hanging out in Po...more
Cross posted at I Just Finished Reading...:
I don't often read YA, and there's a really good reason for that which I will note in a moment. But this is a coworker's debut novel. So I really wanted to read it.
The novel takes place in small-town Maine. Katie's dad up and left them - just went out one day and never came back. Katie doesn't know if he's dead or alive, but works on the assumption that he's still alive. Her mom works nonstop and when she's not at work, she is hanging out in Po...more
"If you drink some wine and there's no one around to see it, does it still count against you?" Katie is hoping it doesn't count. She is a high school senior with a scholarship to college. Away from this tiny town. Away from her dysfunctional family. Away from her problems. But the drinking is causing more problems. She meets Alec. He is the sweetest guy you would ever want to meet. Until he gets drunk. When he gets drunk at a party and pursues Katie, she just wants to get away from him. That's t...more
This was such a great book. It's a long read, but it's so well written and engaging, it makes you want to keep reading. Katie is a fighter. She learns valuable lessons and makes a ton of mistakes, but I don't think she regretted them. I think every choice she made, good or bad, helped her realize why she shouldn't be who she was. Katie's journey opened my eyes to a lot of things, and showed me that even though opening up to people is hard, it's a lot easier and safer for your mental stability if...more
Jan 24, 2013
Brandi Kosiner
added it
Smashed is a gritty and hard hitting book. I connected with Katie and it was hard to watch her spiral down and lose so much and be in so much pain. I could predict what would happen, just not how she would get there, but it was still a hard and emotional journey.
Smashed is for mature teens because of the drinking, drugs, and hard and dark issues. While Lisa handles everything with finesse, it is still a dark book. It is laced with hope and healing, but it is a long journey to get there.
I wa...more
Smashed is for mature teens because of the drinking, drugs, and hard and dark issues. While Lisa handles everything with finesse, it is still a dark book. It is laced with hope and healing, but it is a long journey to get there.
I wa...more
There are so many times in reading that you want to take a character out of their situation, hug them, and tell them it'll all be over by the end of the story. Maybe some horrible things have happened, or they've made some terrible choices, or they've been hurt. But there's some little string that connects them to you, tying their story to your heart -- character depth, a compelling voice. Whatever it is, it convinces you that this character is someone to root for.
Katie Martin is not that kind o...more
Katie Martin is not that kind o...more
Smashed is an amazing book that I was unable to put down. I constantly had to know what would happen next to Katie. This book is extremely emotional, and the writing makes it impossible to not feel bad for Katie. I rooted for things to get better for her.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Katie is a great main character. She has many issues, but it is still easy for the readers to want her to get better. Many of her problems stem from the fact that she drinks and parties too much. Her dad left when she was...more
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Katie is a great main character. She has many issues, but it is still easy for the readers to want her to get better. Many of her problems stem from the fact that she drinks and parties too much. Her dad left when she was...more
3.5/5 stars.
While I wouldn't entirely compare this to "Speak", I can see why the comparison is being made. "Smashed" is a pretty powerful, raw debut novel that talks about one of the "tough stuff" areas that we don't see touched upon very often - that of the active downward spiral of becoming an addict. We've seen YA contemp deal with teens whose parents that are addicts, or where teens are in rehab for addiction (the latter seems to be the rarer of the two), but not the actual process of the t...more
While I wouldn't entirely compare this to "Speak", I can see why the comparison is being made. "Smashed" is a pretty powerful, raw debut novel that talks about one of the "tough stuff" areas that we don't see touched upon very often - that of the active downward spiral of becoming an addict. We've seen YA contemp deal with teens whose parents that are addicts, or where teens are in rehab for addiction (the latter seems to be the rarer of the two), but not the actual process of the t...more
I was super excited to read this one based on the early buzz and the subject matter. It's just my type of book. As soon as I got my hands on a copy I moved it to the top of my TBR pile and started reading. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the beginning. The writing was kind of cheesy, more shallow than I was expecting. There were a lot of italics which annoy me, personally. (I'm from that school of thought where italics shouldn't be used really unless it's fanfic) But about 1/3 of the...more
Smashed is one of those books that stays with you long after you have finished reading it. I have to say that I was shocked by this book. By shocked I mean in a good way because it dealt with issues that every teen faces. Drinking and bullying and depression are so high up on teens lists of pain that I feel for the teens growing up today. Smashed is a great book for teens to read to see that even though you may be spiraling out of control you have to learn to trust someone and tell them your pro...more
My Thoughts: For some reason, I thought this book was going to be more of a lovefest than a fightfest. HAHA.
We are introduced to Katie who is a star hockey player. She lives with her mother who is never home and her little brother. Katie likes to party and drink. She also has a best friend named Cassie. She is also great friends with her neighbor Matt.
Katie starts to bond with a guy named Alec. I’m not sure how to really describe him. I never liked him from the get go. I thought when I started...more
We are introduced to Katie who is a star hockey player. She lives with her mother who is never home and her little brother. Katie likes to party and drink. She also has a best friend named Cassie. She is also great friends with her neighbor Matt.
Katie starts to bond with a guy named Alec. I’m not sure how to really describe him. I never liked him from the get go. I thought when I started...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Katie's story is not a happy one. Her father left her family and her mother works far away from their Maine home. Katie plays field hockey and hopes to have it be her ticket out of town. The problem is she likes to party and she got involved with the wrong guy. Luckily she has some amazing friends.
The story was OK and I think that some girls can relate to Katie. Bad things happen and everyone has their own way of coping. I was not entirely satisfied with the ending.
The story was OK and I think that some girls can relate to Katie. Bad things happen and everyone has their own way of coping. I was not entirely satisfied with the ending.
I can't really say I enjoyed this book, because the subject is quite sobering. Not just the drinking, but the issues with Alec. It's very heavy/weighty, and I don't think I'd let a younger teen read it. I'm not sure they could handle the saddest, most sobering part: (view spoiler). It's handled well, but still quite hard for me, a thirtysomething, to read.
More: http://proudbooknerd.com/2012/08/23/r....
More: http://proudbooknerd.com/2012/08/23/r....
If I could give it three and a half stars, I would. Compelling, and the simpleness to the language made it move forward, voice was really compelling ... and I liked that it wasn't all fixed up at the end... but her recovery felt rushed like the author was trying to get to the end.
Still, I'd recommend it, and I'll read the next thing Luedeke writes.
Still, I'd recommend it, and I'll read the next thing Luedeke writes.
I was hit by a drunk driver many years ago, so this story was hard for me to read. I can read stories about drunk teens, I can read stories about drunk teens driving, even. What I can't swallow are stories about drunk teens driving in a plot where NO ONE THINKS THIS IS WRONG. Not once is there a mention of designated driving.
Oct 14, 2012
dontouchmychocolate
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sort-of-read-did-not-complete
Realistic moral of the story, especially for teenagers: don't drink and drive.
Much as I tried, though, I couldn't immerse myself into the story. Not my kind of book, I suppose, with such a...conflicted main character and a bloody teaser for a love story when the guy turns out to be a complete a-hole.
Much as I tried, though, I couldn't immerse myself into the story. Not my kind of book, I suppose, with such a...conflicted main character and a bloody teaser for a love story when the guy turns out to be a complete a-hole.
Well-written in the teen voice of Katie, who virtually lives alone. She falls into alcohol as an escape, and her life soon veers out of control when she begins a relationship with Alec. It's a novel that presents the dark side of alcohol, and every teen should read it.
Smashed by Lisa Luedeke is a fantastic read! The protagonist, Katie, has issues with alchohol and absent parents. This character teaches us all something! A MUST READ! I read it twice! *** One of my favorite authors! I can't wait for her next book.
This book was ok. No more, no less. I found it partially boring, partially interesting, so the quotation screams two stars.
I know, underage drinking sucks. The abuse sucks. So?
And I didn't like the ending.
I know, underage drinking sucks. The abuse sucks. So?
And I didn't like the ending.
I admit to having mixed feelings about this book. For a while the whole thing seemed forced and kind of stiff. It wasn't until after the New Years party that I was starting to feel the emotion. And as much as I saw the incident at New Years happening, I was a little surprised on how it ended particularly because of the prologue.
My rating...I'm going to say three stars, only because the emotion kicked up.
My rating...I'm going to say three stars, only because the emotion kicked up.
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Lisa Luedeke grew up in rural Maine, where she fell in love with writing in high school. She is hard at work on her second novel, which is set in the same small Maine town as Smashed, but with an entirely different cast of characters. She lives in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire with her husband and young daughter, where they ski, swim, hike and hang out at their local bookstore, The Toadsto...more
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