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Fractured
Sometimes we have to let go of who we are to embrace who we can become.
Mason Vance is the guy everybody wants to be, and he knows it. He’s the best high school quarterback in New York, a shoo-in for a football scholarship at any school he chooses, and he’s expected to land in the NFL one day. That is, until a broken wrist leaves him fearing whether he’ll ever play again.
Desperate to save his damaged ego, Mason sets his sights on Lace. No cheerleader or homecoming queen like his usual type, she’s too wrapped in her own misery to fall for his pickup lines. Even though she tries to shut him out, she’s surprised to find he’s there for her when no one else is. Slowly, she lets him into the sad workings of her mind and less-than-perfect life, and Mason finds himself caring about Lace more than he’d ever thought possible. That’s why neither of them sees his huge mistake coming—one that instantly fractures everything between them.
Will Mason confront the ugliest side of himself, and in the process see who he’s capable of becoming, or will he fall back into the life he knew before Lace and his injury?
For contemporary young adult fiction fans, comes a bold debut that is raw, relatable, and real. Fractured is a moving tribute to the fragility of human nature and its ability to destroy even the most powerful connections.
Mason Vance is the guy everybody wants to be, and he knows it. He’s the best high school quarterback in New York, a shoo-in for a football scholarship at any school he chooses, and he’s expected to land in the NFL one day. That is, until a broken wrist leaves him fearing whether he’ll ever play again.
Desperate to save his damaged ego, Mason sets his sights on Lace. No cheerleader or homecoming queen like his usual type, she’s too wrapped in her own misery to fall for his pickup lines. Even though she tries to shut him out, she’s surprised to find he’s there for her when no one else is. Slowly, she lets him into the sad workings of her mind and less-than-perfect life, and Mason finds himself caring about Lace more than he’d ever thought possible. That’s why neither of them sees his huge mistake coming—one that instantly fractures everything between them.
Will Mason confront the ugliest side of himself, and in the process see who he’s capable of becoming, or will he fall back into the life he knew before Lace and his injury?
For contemporary young adult fiction fans, comes a bold debut that is raw, relatable, and real. Fractured is a moving tribute to the fragility of human nature and its ability to destroy even the most powerful connections.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2020
29 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Shay Siegel
4 books73 followersShay Siegel is from Long Island, New York. She graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. in English, where she was also a member of the women's tennis team. She went on to earn an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She loves the ocean, nineties grunge, soy lattes, and her giant-headed rescue pit bull, Bernie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 25, 2020
I read this book a few weeks ago and I was so frustrated that I needed some time to cool down after finishing before I wrote this review. My intention isn't to be mean or to throw hate, but I want to express my real feelings about how this book made me feel.
Granted this book doesn't talk about light subjects, since our hero has fractured his arm and potentially his future as a football player and our heroine was a rape victim and self harmed herself. But matters like these aren't easy to speak about them. Mix it with a hero and friends full of themselves and their toxic masculinity and it wasn't a pleasurable read for me.
Once again, it's not me feeling uncomfortable with these matters, but these are being handled in a book. When for example our hero would send sexy photos of classmates that were sent to him privately and he shared them with his friends to brag, well... I would have liked to see it later on recognized as something wrong. Also, just when I thought that I would redeem him , he went and did worse things than I expected and I just couldn't deal with him.
I don't think there was much character developement, which would be its saving grace. The only silver lining was the ending.
I love books with these themes, but please give me real character development, give me a legit redemption arc, give me explanation of what is wrong and what is right. It may seem obvious to me, but to a confused teen it wouldn't be. I hope you'll enjoy this book more than I did.
Granted this book doesn't talk about light subjects, since our hero has fractured his arm and potentially his future as a football player and our heroine was a rape victim and self harmed herself. But matters like these aren't easy to speak about them. Mix it with a hero and friends full of themselves and their toxic masculinity and it wasn't a pleasurable read for me.
Once again, it's not me feeling uncomfortable with these matters, but these are being handled in a book. When for example our hero would send sexy photos of classmates that were sent to him privately and he shared them with his friends to brag, well... I would have liked to see it later on recognized as something wrong. Also, just when I thought that I would redeem him , he went and did worse things than I expected and I just couldn't deal with him.
I don't think there was much character developement, which would be its saving grace. The only silver lining was the ending.
I love books with these themes, but please give me real character development, give me a legit redemption arc, give me explanation of what is wrong and what is right. It may seem obvious to me, but to a confused teen it wouldn't be. I hope you'll enjoy this book more than I did.
August 9, 2020
I read a version of this book as a beta read back in January 2020. My notes have me loving the story, loving the character of Mason and the way he grows as a person from a boy-child into a man. Fate brought him and Lace together and I think they both ended up helping each other when each of them needed it and as a result of their journey became stronger because of it. There were scenes in the story that felt like monumental lessons for the reader about life in general, but were written in so well that it didn't feel like the author was trying to shove it down my throat. I took on the beta read not really knowing what the story was going to be about and couldn't put it down (I sent that in a note to the author). It definitely didn't go or end the way I thought it would and for this reason alone I thought it was a great read. Again, I haven't read the final version of the book, only an unedited early version and it was definitely a 4+ star read.
September 28, 2020
I'm not sure how to feel about this book, partly because it was not what I was expecting at all. I was expecting a light, fluffy romance, not a book that dealt with so many sensitive topics. Rape, depression, and self harm are all discussed at length, and at times, this truly was an ugly story.
Mason, our main character, was the typical high school poster boy. Quarterback, attractive, has everything he wants. That is, until he breaks his wrist, and is benched. Over his recovery process, he has to confront the darker sides of himself, and challenge conceptions he's carried his whole life.
I understand that Mason is written to be an unlikeable character. In fact, at times, there is no way to like him. This worked great for the topics discussed, because it really showed another side to the issues. At times, it just became a bit much. I had to put the book down several times, just to take a break from his constant demeaning of women. His character arc was done really well, and definitely leaves you thinking.
Lace, on the other hand, was a fairly interesting character. She's the only girl who gets any development at all, which is quite disappointing. I would've love to have seen more of Mindy or Tiffany, but oh well. I would've loved to have seen more of her, but this book was more about Mason confronting himself than their romance.
This definitely was a thought provoking book. It falls super far from what I normally read, but I don't regret reading it. I really love the way the end handled things, it didn't just resolve things perfectly. Things are left unresolved, just like they are in life.
Thanks to Shay Siegel and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for a new honest review
Mason, our main character, was the typical high school poster boy. Quarterback, attractive, has everything he wants. That is, until he breaks his wrist, and is benched. Over his recovery process, he has to confront the darker sides of himself, and challenge conceptions he's carried his whole life.
I understand that Mason is written to be an unlikeable character. In fact, at times, there is no way to like him. This worked great for the topics discussed, because it really showed another side to the issues. At times, it just became a bit much. I had to put the book down several times, just to take a break from his constant demeaning of women. His character arc was done really well, and definitely leaves you thinking.
Lace, on the other hand, was a fairly interesting character. She's the only girl who gets any development at all, which is quite disappointing. I would've love to have seen more of Mindy or Tiffany, but oh well. I would've loved to have seen more of her, but this book was more about Mason confronting himself than their romance.
This definitely was a thought provoking book. It falls super far from what I normally read, but I don't regret reading it. I really love the way the end handled things, it didn't just resolve things perfectly. Things are left unresolved, just like they are in life.
Thanks to Shay Siegel and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for a new honest review
August 19, 2020
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and publishers for providing an eARC!
I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I really did not. While I found the story interesting and wanted to see how everything turned out in the end which lead me to pretty much read it straight through, I had a really hard time with the characterization and the way that some of these heavy and serious topics were handled. While I think that author did a fairly good job of writing from the viewpoint of what we typically think of when we think of a high school star football player, there was so much toxic masculinity within the characterization of Mason and his friends that it made it really difficult for me to sympathize with him in any way. In fact, I spent the majority of the book scoffing, rolling my eyes, or shaking my head at the things Mason and his friends said, especially when it came to how they discussed girls.
The way that all of the girls in this book are portrayed and discussed is absolutely disheartening and upsetting. Especially in the wake of the Me Too movement. I understand that the author was showing how teenage boys can see girls but it was honestly disgusting. I cringed every single time Mason or one of the other boys started talking about a girl because I knew that some degrading comment was going to follow. 250+ pages of that is really exhausting. The womanizer trope is already so overdone and honestly just frustrating and not something that needs to be continually put out into the world but then you put that trope onto a 16-year-old character and it makes it even worse. It's been a while since I was a teenager, but I'm honestly so tired of media portraying teenagers as so much older than they actually are. While I think it's a bit naive to think that teenagers don't ever drink or have sex when that's pretty much all your character does besides play football that's when it seems to be pretty unrealistic. And what parents know about this and turn a blind eye to it? It's no secret that that is what Mason does with his free time and besides his parents telling him to "show some respect" or "be home by 11" they don't discipline him at all, so he continues to do these things because there are no consequences for his actions.
But honestly, the most frustrating thing for me was the trivialization of rape culture and the main character's utter oblivion to what sexual assault is. I woke with teenage boys, and boys who are younger than this character is and absolutely all of them know what sexual assault is, so there is no reason for this character to be so oblivious. The scene where Mason and Lace are making out and she continually says no and he "didn't know whether I wasn't processing it or just didn't care" is honestly horrifying. He didn't stop until she literally shoved him and he finally took a second to actually look at her like she's a person and notices that she was shaking and sobbing. Especially after what she had told him about her experience with her brother's friend. It was a horrible scene to read. Then when he takes some time to actually research sexually assault and he says "but no one ever told us how easy it was to cross that line without realizing you were doing it. Why didn't anyone tell me?" the fact that he's 16 years old and doesn't understand that if you have to continually try to convince someone to do something means that they don't really want to do it is concerning. The self victimizing that Mason continues constantly was so frustrating to read. I also felt like every time he took 1 step forward in actually growing and changing, he took like 15 steps back. Yes, making mistakes is part of life and growing up, but the fact that he had this realization of how badly he'd treated girls in the past and how it was horrible and then proceeded to do it again was incredibly frustrating.
Truthfully I am glad that I got to read an ARC of this book and did not have to spend my own money on it.
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and publishers for providing an eARC!
I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I really did not. While I found the story interesting and wanted to see how everything turned out in the end which lead me to pretty much read it straight through, I had a really hard time with the characterization and the way that some of these heavy and serious topics were handled. While I think that author did a fairly good job of writing from the viewpoint of what we typically think of when we think of a high school star football player, there was so much toxic masculinity within the characterization of Mason and his friends that it made it really difficult for me to sympathize with him in any way. In fact, I spent the majority of the book scoffing, rolling my eyes, or shaking my head at the things Mason and his friends said, especially when it came to how they discussed girls.
The way that all of the girls in this book are portrayed and discussed is absolutely disheartening and upsetting. Especially in the wake of the Me Too movement. I understand that the author was showing how teenage boys can see girls but it was honestly disgusting. I cringed every single time Mason or one of the other boys started talking about a girl because I knew that some degrading comment was going to follow. 250+ pages of that is really exhausting. The womanizer trope is already so overdone and honestly just frustrating and not something that needs to be continually put out into the world but then you put that trope onto a 16-year-old character and it makes it even worse. It's been a while since I was a teenager, but I'm honestly so tired of media portraying teenagers as so much older than they actually are. While I think it's a bit naive to think that teenagers don't ever drink or have sex when that's pretty much all your character does besides play football that's when it seems to be pretty unrealistic. And what parents know about this and turn a blind eye to it? It's no secret that that is what Mason does with his free time and besides his parents telling him to "show some respect" or "be home by 11" they don't discipline him at all, so he continues to do these things because there are no consequences for his actions.
But honestly, the most frustrating thing for me was the trivialization of rape culture and the main character's utter oblivion to what sexual assault is. I woke with teenage boys, and boys who are younger than this character is and absolutely all of them know what sexual assault is, so there is no reason for this character to be so oblivious. The scene where Mason and Lace are making out and she continually says no and he "didn't know whether I wasn't processing it or just didn't care" is honestly horrifying. He didn't stop until she literally shoved him and he finally took a second to actually look at her like she's a person and notices that she was shaking and sobbing. Especially after what she had told him about her experience with her brother's friend. It was a horrible scene to read. Then when he takes some time to actually research sexually assault and he says "but no one ever told us how easy it was to cross that line without realizing you were doing it. Why didn't anyone tell me?" the fact that he's 16 years old and doesn't understand that if you have to continually try to convince someone to do something means that they don't really want to do it is concerning. The self victimizing that Mason continues constantly was so frustrating to read. I also felt like every time he took 1 step forward in actually growing and changing, he took like 15 steps back. Yes, making mistakes is part of life and growing up, but the fact that he had this realization of how badly he'd treated girls in the past and how it was horrible and then proceeded to do it again was incredibly frustrating.
Truthfully I am glad that I got to read an ARC of this book and did not have to spend my own money on it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2020
At first I thought this was a contemporary sports romance, where the popular quarterback would fall for the emo outcast girl. This does happen, but the book is a lot darker than I thought it would be. The story deals with self harm, rape, and depression. The way rape and consent was approached was well done and I really liked the lesson from it.
Mason is a stereotypical jock, he's popular at school and has slept with more girls than he can remember. When he breaks his wrist in a game, he starts to evaluate his life and what's important to him. He meets Lace at the doctor's office and she challenges him. Lace has been through a lot and doesn't immediately fall for Mason's charm. She keeps her distance and won't be just another girl he hooks up with. We don't get to know her as much as I'd like, but she really changed Mason for the better.
The consent talks are well done in this. Lace helps Mason see that rape isn't just forceful, it's cajoling and pressuring and making the other person feel like they have to have sex or be punished in some way. When Mason evaluates himself and sees the things he's done to girls, he sort of breaks, but it helps him grow and be a better man.
The first half of this is slow and I would have appreciated more likeable characters. I did enjoy Mason's character development and thought the ending fit the theme of the story well.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Mason is a stereotypical jock, he's popular at school and has slept with more girls than he can remember. When he breaks his wrist in a game, he starts to evaluate his life and what's important to him. He meets Lace at the doctor's office and she challenges him. Lace has been through a lot and doesn't immediately fall for Mason's charm. She keeps her distance and won't be just another girl he hooks up with. We don't get to know her as much as I'd like, but she really changed Mason for the better.
The consent talks are well done in this. Lace helps Mason see that rape isn't just forceful, it's cajoling and pressuring and making the other person feel like they have to have sex or be punished in some way. When Mason evaluates himself and sees the things he's done to girls, he sort of breaks, but it helps him grow and be a better man.
The first half of this is slow and I would have appreciated more likeable characters. I did enjoy Mason's character development and thought the ending fit the theme of the story well.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 14, 2020
Fractured by Shay Siegel a five-star read that will fracture opinion. I don’t know where to start, or end this review as it’s a difficult one to write, as to be honest it didn’t deserve five-stars for chunks of the story, but then it deserved so many more in others and honestly if even one person picks this up and realises that they are not alone in feeling like you have no excuse in feeling the way you do then the author deserves five-stars in my eyes, as so many people try to put the words on a page and make it resonate with people feeling that way and this author manages it in one passage. It also may make some readers understand how their actions can affect others and this author has managed that in bucketful’s, It made me go from feeling like Mason the main character was someone I knew a long time ago and someone I was glad I left behind to making me want to reach out and see if he has changed and if not get him a copy of this and see how it would change him and make him realise just how one event can change lives. There are other characters in this story that I didn’t enjoy, and I would have liked to see more girls like Lace maybe without issues, but sadly I know the realities of life today mean that there aren’t many girls like her, and even less without her issues, there are too many young ladies who will happily bow down to boys and culture is just reinforcing that. I know it is not a popular opinion to have and I wholeheartedly believe in the me to movement, but I worry if it is starting early enough. I hope that if some read this they will see themselves and even those around them may recognise some of the signs and promote a more healthy persona, it’s a long uphill battle, but hopefully if its more recognised it will become more common place. It almost reminds me of a pop song a few years ago where there was a reference to young women selling themselves for a pair of red bottomed shoes, and I remember my older friends laughing and not being able to comprehend that this was life in this current climate, they all felt that after girl power young women would have all the power and I laughed so hard I nearly chocked to death, I pointed out that yes some women do have power, but there are still so many who will anything to be popular no matter the cost, as popularity is now ranked in likes and re-tweets and there is always a cost and power has a very high cost that a lot will be willing to sell for popularity as awful as it sounds sadly it is a reality and has been for some time. The ending will leave a lot wondering, but I liked that undefines, it allows me to make my own decisions, I would like to see these characters again and would happily come back to see an older Mason and Lace, see how Chad turned out, did he learn from his brothers mistakes? Or did he make his own to learn from. I will just end this with the note that no mater what you read about this story, go into it with an open mind and an open soul and you will get from it what you need, I think that is the only way as it will fracture opinion and I am sure it will fracture some hearts as well, lastly don’t be put off as it deals with some darker themes as they are very well done and are never discussed in graphic detail, so it’s not glorified, just real.
November 4, 2020
The story deals with a number of issues, both societal and personal, confronting high school students: toxic masculinity, rape culture, depression and alienation. Although the story moves the main characters through some dark territory, ultimately their experiences help them learn and grow.
Note that although this book is geared toward a young adult audience, it may be more appropriate for ages 15 and above. Some scenes are emotionally intense and may trigger those with a history of sexual abuse.
Note that although this book is geared toward a young adult audience, it may be more appropriate for ages 15 and above. Some scenes are emotionally intense and may trigger those with a history of sexual abuse.
October 30, 2020
I really loved this book. Shows the transformation/evolution of the stereotypical high school jock into someone more caring and emotional after one life changing night. Can't wait for more from this author!
October 27, 2020
Fractured is a peek into the toxic culture of high school. This coming-of-age story is from the point-of-view of Mason Vance, star quarterback of his high school, and despicable ladies man. Don't hate the player--hate the game? You should be aware that this game has tragic pieces all over its board.
When Mason is out of commission with a broken wrist, he meets Lace, a girl like none he has known before. Overnight the big man on campus struggles to deal with his first real-life stressors, and meeting Lace has him reconsidering who he is and how he treats other people. It's his transformation that worked for me. It's what I enjoyed about the book. Mason grows realistically throughout the narrative.
The character's organic maturation makes it easy to read this story without getting bogged down in the distasteful toxic masculinity. There is a constant balance between the group of friends Mason has back at school and the discoveries Mason has about treating other people. And Mason realizes that even when people don't treat themselves well, it's not his place to mistreat them either. The author waves this flag a few times about the importance of respecting others. One of the things the reader learns about Mason is that we have to find a reason to respect Mason at some point in order to enjoy the book.
Some things that didn't work for me was that a lot of the dialogue was simple and stilted to the point of being trite. Another issue I had was that I felt like the author was selling me something but not providing me with the goods. She was telling me that Mason was a womanizer, but there is little womanizing happening with him. It's all things the characters say happened; the author shows little occurring.
I enjoyed this book coming from a boy's POV, and there should be more books from this angle. I recommend this for anyone looking for a meaningful young adult novel about transformation.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
When Mason is out of commission with a broken wrist, he meets Lace, a girl like none he has known before. Overnight the big man on campus struggles to deal with his first real-life stressors, and meeting Lace has him reconsidering who he is and how he treats other people. It's his transformation that worked for me. It's what I enjoyed about the book. Mason grows realistically throughout the narrative.
The character's organic maturation makes it easy to read this story without getting bogged down in the distasteful toxic masculinity. There is a constant balance between the group of friends Mason has back at school and the discoveries Mason has about treating other people. And Mason realizes that even when people don't treat themselves well, it's not his place to mistreat them either. The author waves this flag a few times about the importance of respecting others. One of the things the reader learns about Mason is that we have to find a reason to respect Mason at some point in order to enjoy the book.
Some things that didn't work for me was that a lot of the dialogue was simple and stilted to the point of being trite. Another issue I had was that I felt like the author was selling me something but not providing me with the goods. She was telling me that Mason was a womanizer, but there is little womanizing happening with him. It's all things the characters say happened; the author shows little occurring.
I enjoyed this book coming from a boy's POV, and there should be more books from this angle. I recommend this for anyone looking for a meaningful young adult novel about transformation.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
October 16, 2020
Thank you to Smith Publicity for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review!
Mason is 16 years old and all he cares about is scoring – with girls and on the football field. He has a reputation for sleeping with as many girls as he can and he’ll do anything to keep that reputation up with his friends. When he breaks his wrist during a game, he fears he’s facing a ruined football career before it’s even begun. On top of that, he’s met a girl, Lace, at the doctors office, one that seems different and immune to his pick up lines. As Mason’s original pursuit of Lace becomes something more, when he starts to have feelings for her like he’s never experienced, he begins to question the behaviour of himself and his friends.
When I first started reading Fractured, I had nothing but contempt for Mason. He and his friends were the worst sort of macho teens and it was frustrating and distasteful to read, but it was also an unfortunately realistic story when I thought back to boys I knew of growing up. The alpha male culture and indulgence of ‘sporting hero’s’ we have created in society still remains a huge issue today and I think Fractured highlighted this well. It was not a comfortable read, I think we all like to think boys have stepped away from this toxic masculinity act, but in reality, that’s not the case at all. Plenty of the boys I knew, who acted much the same as Mason and his friends at 16, have grown up into lovely family men in their 40’s. People can and absolutely do change, but it would be nice for that to happen without a lesson at someone else’s expense.
I also liked the outcome of what transpired between Mason and Lace. The idea that growing and learning from mistakes doesn’t always mean life gets wrapped up in a pretty bow, made this book more powerful than I expected it to be.
Mason is 16 years old and all he cares about is scoring – with girls and on the football field. He has a reputation for sleeping with as many girls as he can and he’ll do anything to keep that reputation up with his friends. When he breaks his wrist during a game, he fears he’s facing a ruined football career before it’s even begun. On top of that, he’s met a girl, Lace, at the doctors office, one that seems different and immune to his pick up lines. As Mason’s original pursuit of Lace becomes something more, when he starts to have feelings for her like he’s never experienced, he begins to question the behaviour of himself and his friends.
When I first started reading Fractured, I had nothing but contempt for Mason. He and his friends were the worst sort of macho teens and it was frustrating and distasteful to read, but it was also an unfortunately realistic story when I thought back to boys I knew of growing up. The alpha male culture and indulgence of ‘sporting hero’s’ we have created in society still remains a huge issue today and I think Fractured highlighted this well. It was not a comfortable read, I think we all like to think boys have stepped away from this toxic masculinity act, but in reality, that’s not the case at all. Plenty of the boys I knew, who acted much the same as Mason and his friends at 16, have grown up into lovely family men in their 40’s. People can and absolutely do change, but it would be nice for that to happen without a lesson at someone else’s expense.
I also liked the outcome of what transpired between Mason and Lace. The idea that growing and learning from mistakes doesn’t always mean life gets wrapped up in a pretty bow, made this book more powerful than I expected it to be.
December 29, 2020
Mase is a typical teenager. Plagued with self hate when he can't please his friends, he does everything in his power to maintain his popularity. When Lace enters his life, his eyes open and he starts to see the fractures in himself, all his faults and all his darkness. She shines light on him and allows him space to change.
“I try to remind myself that everything is more rewarding when it isn’t easy.”
This book deals with some heavy topics, depression and learning that flaws do allow change. In my opinion that makes it important. It allows people to look inside themselves and opens a door for change. These characters will stay with me for a long time!!
“I try to remind myself that everything is more rewarding when it isn’t easy.”
This book deals with some heavy topics, depression and learning that flaws do allow change. In my opinion that makes it important. It allows people to look inside themselves and opens a door for change. These characters will stay with me for a long time!!
October 24, 2020
3 1/2 stars...
Fractured is a tough book to review. The subject matter was much heavier than I originally anticipated. I believe the author's attempt to show the evolution of a young high school male to a more sensitive and respectful young man was well-intentioned. The story is told from Mason's point of view. Unfortunately, he is so over the top disrespectful to women that it was extremely hard to find anything about him that could be viewed as redeemable. Eventually, you do see him gain the realization that his viewpoint and behavior all along have not only been horrible, but that he's influenced and encouraged other guys to treat women the same way. He's perpetuated the abusive behavior.
When Mason meets Lace, he gets a wake up call because she doesn't fall at his feet and think he's the best. Just because he's the "it" guy of his high school, the quarterback of the football team and has pretty much never been told "no" by a female, he's shocked that Lace acts so unimpressed. Of course, he's also intrigued. They get to know one another and through the good and bad things that occur in their relationship, Mason is stunned to begin to feel shame and guilt at his past behavior and treatment of women. It takes hearing things from Lace's side for him to realize that he never really listened to what the girls he's been with in the past were really saying to him. He was truly only after one thing and he assumed they were too.
Sadly, I know this type of behavior happens a great deal in society today. I tip my hat to the author for taking on this topic and doing so from the male perspective. There were times in the book where it drug a little for me. I know Mason's injury sort of led him to his meeting with Lace. So, I understand the necessity for it in the storyline. However, I got bogged down with some of the details regarding his healing, surgery and rehab of his wrist. It just felt like more detail than was needed for that portion of the story, in my opinion. I, personally, would have liked to see more time spent with Mason working through his emotional rehab with his therapist. However, overall, this book does what it intends to....it shows Mason gradually changing into a young man with a stronger character and more respect for females as well as their feelings and wishes.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review and the opinions contained within are my own.
Fractured is a tough book to review. The subject matter was much heavier than I originally anticipated. I believe the author's attempt to show the evolution of a young high school male to a more sensitive and respectful young man was well-intentioned. The story is told from Mason's point of view. Unfortunately, he is so over the top disrespectful to women that it was extremely hard to find anything about him that could be viewed as redeemable. Eventually, you do see him gain the realization that his viewpoint and behavior all along have not only been horrible, but that he's influenced and encouraged other guys to treat women the same way. He's perpetuated the abusive behavior.
When Mason meets Lace, he gets a wake up call because she doesn't fall at his feet and think he's the best. Just because he's the "it" guy of his high school, the quarterback of the football team and has pretty much never been told "no" by a female, he's shocked that Lace acts so unimpressed. Of course, he's also intrigued. They get to know one another and through the good and bad things that occur in their relationship, Mason is stunned to begin to feel shame and guilt at his past behavior and treatment of women. It takes hearing things from Lace's side for him to realize that he never really listened to what the girls he's been with in the past were really saying to him. He was truly only after one thing and he assumed they were too.
Sadly, I know this type of behavior happens a great deal in society today. I tip my hat to the author for taking on this topic and doing so from the male perspective. There were times in the book where it drug a little for me. I know Mason's injury sort of led him to his meeting with Lace. So, I understand the necessity for it in the storyline. However, I got bogged down with some of the details regarding his healing, surgery and rehab of his wrist. It just felt like more detail than was needed for that portion of the story, in my opinion. I, personally, would have liked to see more time spent with Mason working through his emotional rehab with his therapist. However, overall, this book does what it intends to....it shows Mason gradually changing into a young man with a stronger character and more respect for females as well as their feelings and wishes.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review and the opinions contained within are my own.
October 31, 2020
Fractured is a young adult romance that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. Shay Siegel talked about some heavy topics and did it in such a classy way that I think many readers will appreciate.
Mason is a star athlete. He gets the attention of all the girls in school and is a playboy. He suffers an injury that makes him question if he will ever get back on the field. This is a time in his life where nothing is going according to plan.
He meets a girl named Lace when is at a doctor’s appointment and she seems immune to his charm. She doesn’t want to like a jock like Mason, but they begin to form a bond as they are both dealing with difficult times.
This was such a good book because it was written well and I was emotionally invested. It isn’t always good times which I liked because it was raw and vulnerable. These are some great characters that Shay Siegel wrote. I was not a fan of Mason in the beginning but that changed by the end of the story. Lace was my favorite of the two. Her character development is great!
I give Fractured 4 stars. It isn’t your typical lovey dovey YA romance. It has so much depth and emotion to the story that made it enjoyable to read. It does take a bit to see the good in Mason but it is worth the read.
Mason is a star athlete. He gets the attention of all the girls in school and is a playboy. He suffers an injury that makes him question if he will ever get back on the field. This is a time in his life where nothing is going according to plan.
He meets a girl named Lace when is at a doctor’s appointment and she seems immune to his charm. She doesn’t want to like a jock like Mason, but they begin to form a bond as they are both dealing with difficult times.
This was such a good book because it was written well and I was emotionally invested. It isn’t always good times which I liked because it was raw and vulnerable. These are some great characters that Shay Siegel wrote. I was not a fan of Mason in the beginning but that changed by the end of the story. Lace was my favorite of the two. Her character development is great!
I give Fractured 4 stars. It isn’t your typical lovey dovey YA romance. It has so much depth and emotion to the story that made it enjoyable to read. It does take a bit to see the good in Mason but it is worth the read.
October 17, 2020
Fractured
3 stars
I went into this one expecting to read about difficult and problematic topics but somehow still ended up surprised by it. And I guess the main reason is because the narrator happens to be our male lead, Mason, and we get only his POV as the events of the book play out. This was.... interesting to say the least.
As we follow Mason, a 16 year old boy who is star quarterback and has, quote, ‘girls throw themselves at him’ we really get, what I felt like, an accurate representation of exactly what boys stereotyped like him would think. It was really interesting. Seeing the ‘alpha male’ and boys will be boys’ mentality play out in such a way was disturbing and definitely left a really bad feeling in my gut but that’s exactly why I appreciated it. The harsh reality is that not every teenage boy is perfect and understanding the way many young adult novels portray them and Fractured portraying Mason as a flawed and fractured individual is refreshing to see. I didn’t like it, and I definitely didn’t always like Mason but I think the author accurately represented in Mason what many young males are like.
In regards to sexual assault, although he is not the one who personally deals with it, the novel is from Mason’s POV and his thoughts were really depicting of toxic masculinity and the way boys might downgrade sexual assault as he learns about rape through Lace’s character. This was one of the instances where I disliked Mason the most. Even after Lace discusses with him her personal experience of sexual assault, he still doesn’t seem to understand the importance of it.
The heavy topics that the book deals with (mental health, depression, self harm, etc.) were, I felt, thrown in as more of a plot device than anything else. I would’ve liked to see them more fleshed out and discussed rather than seeing them from second hand experience or only in slight appearances. I felt like this book could’ve been a lot more important had it focused more on Mason’s and Lace’s mental health and not mainly his debasing thoughts on women. Granted, he is a 16 year old boy and I understand what the author was attempting by focusing on his relationships/thoughts but Fractured would’ve been a far more remarkable read to me had we seen a resolution in regards to mental health.
With that being said, I did see a slight change in Mason by the end but I was still left with a very bad taste in my mouth. Yet, I’m not mad about it. It was a very real look into exactly how reality is. Most of the time we don’t really get a resolution in life and the ending was an accurate representation of that. I would recommend this novel for readers who prefer a realistic ya novel and are ok with not getting a happy ending all the time.
3 stars
I went into this one expecting to read about difficult and problematic topics but somehow still ended up surprised by it. And I guess the main reason is because the narrator happens to be our male lead, Mason, and we get only his POV as the events of the book play out. This was.... interesting to say the least.
As we follow Mason, a 16 year old boy who is star quarterback and has, quote, ‘girls throw themselves at him’ we really get, what I felt like, an accurate representation of exactly what boys stereotyped like him would think. It was really interesting. Seeing the ‘alpha male’ and boys will be boys’ mentality play out in such a way was disturbing and definitely left a really bad feeling in my gut but that’s exactly why I appreciated it. The harsh reality is that not every teenage boy is perfect and understanding the way many young adult novels portray them and Fractured portraying Mason as a flawed and fractured individual is refreshing to see. I didn’t like it, and I definitely didn’t always like Mason but I think the author accurately represented in Mason what many young males are like.
In regards to sexual assault, although he is not the one who personally deals with it, the novel is from Mason’s POV and his thoughts were really depicting of toxic masculinity and the way boys might downgrade sexual assault as he learns about rape through Lace’s character. This was one of the instances where I disliked Mason the most. Even after Lace discusses with him her personal experience of sexual assault, he still doesn’t seem to understand the importance of it.
The heavy topics that the book deals with (mental health, depression, self harm, etc.) were, I felt, thrown in as more of a plot device than anything else. I would’ve liked to see them more fleshed out and discussed rather than seeing them from second hand experience or only in slight appearances. I felt like this book could’ve been a lot more important had it focused more on Mason’s and Lace’s mental health and not mainly his debasing thoughts on women. Granted, he is a 16 year old boy and I understand what the author was attempting by focusing on his relationships/thoughts but Fractured would’ve been a far more remarkable read to me had we seen a resolution in regards to mental health.
With that being said, I did see a slight change in Mason by the end but I was still left with a very bad taste in my mouth. Yet, I’m not mad about it. It was a very real look into exactly how reality is. Most of the time we don’t really get a resolution in life and the ending was an accurate representation of that. I would recommend this novel for readers who prefer a realistic ya novel and are ok with not getting a happy ending all the time.
October 19, 2020
This book is beautifully written and makes y9ou feel all the emotion of the characters. The story focuses on Mason, who I really did hate at first, which is a different experience for me because I have not read many books where I really hate the main character to the level I felt hatred towards Mason. The way the author writes the book made me hate him but at the same time feel bad for him, just slightly albeit, for a good amount of the book. The other character the book focuses on is Lace and I think that a lot of people will be able to connect with her in some shape or form. This book did make me cry at one point and it does take a lot in a book to get me to cry. It says a lot to me about how it was written, that it was written with enough emotion to make me feel everything so deeply. I think that anyone who reads this will enjoy it immensely especially if you are looking for something with romance (with it not being the main focus) and the discussion of real-life topics that are completely relatable.
October 20, 2020
This book was not at all like I thought it would be. First, the story was told by a teenage males POV and discussed topics like respecting females, peer pressure and toxic masculinity very realistically. Very much shows how things are not just black and white, but lots of shades of grey.
November 4, 2020
Fractured by Shay Siegel
Oh wow I have to say this book got to me on so many levels! I could totally relate to lace and how I’ve had to explain the reason behind my scars or why I stooped that low to do that! I could never find the words to make it seem like it wasn’t as bad as everyone thought! It’s a process just like the characters portrayed. I loved this Book!!! Even though the characters didn’t get together there is always hope for a next book! You can’t lose people like that!!
5 Stars
Oh wow I have to say this book got to me on so many levels! I could totally relate to lace and how I’ve had to explain the reason behind my scars or why I stooped that low to do that! I could never find the words to make it seem like it wasn’t as bad as everyone thought! It’s a process just like the characters portrayed. I loved this Book!!! Even though the characters didn’t get together there is always hope for a next book! You can’t lose people like that!!
5 Stars
September 29, 2020
This wasn’t what I was expecting, I saw the cover and thought I was in for a high school romance. Boy was I wrong but I really enjoyed this story!
It wasn’t an easy read as it deals with some heavy issues and feels but I loved it.
If you’re not afraid of some heavy topics and flawed characters, Fractured is for you.
It wasn’t an easy read as it deals with some heavy issues and feels but I loved it.
If you’re not afraid of some heavy topics and flawed characters, Fractured is for you.
January 10, 2021
Hmm so many thoughts about this one. I read a brief review about this before Shay sent me a copy of this book to review. (And firstly thank you Shay, it's wonderful to have an author who is so approachable and responsive to readers).
I was expecting a YA read - jock meets intense "emo" girl, jock finds sensitive side, jock and girl fall in love. Happy every after, well at least until they head off to college.....
Some of these things happened to a degree but it was the how that is interesting for me. If I can preface I have a background in child protection including working with victims and survivors of child and adult sexual assault - and hence I could discuss this book all day and the issues raised therein and have some very strong opinions on the topics raised. I've chosen to flag the things that came to mind without the rationale and allow others to form their own opinions if they pick up this book.
I appreciated:
* This book being written from a young male's perspective.
* Shay's recognition of, and attempts to provide perspectives on issues such as consent, sexual assault, drug and alcohol use (and therein there is no consent, resulting in sexual abuse), self harm, and mental health as significant issues for teens, the interplay of services involved, and the attitudes of wider communities in relation to these issues.
* The injury for Mason as being the catalyst for re-thinking his identity in conjunction with meeting Lace.
* The more positive relationship that grew between Mason and his sibling.
* Lace, who was learning to use her voice, tentatively and growing in strength throughout the book.
I struggled with:
* The misogyny and toxic masculinity depicted in these teens. It was hard work. Garrett, the one character appearing to be in a age appropriate teen relationship was already being told he was "pussy whipped" at 16. That Mason had also had sex at 13 and couldn't count how many sexual partners he had, I'm surprised he had any spare time for football.
* The depiction of teenage girls - it seemed they were stereotyped as not being too bright (the cheerleaders), or if they were at all sensitive they were "mental" (Lace) or controlling (Garrett's girlfriend).
* The significance of Lace's brother's issues, how this related to his friend (the perpetrator) and the development of these issues within the context of his and Lace's family.
* Images being sent electronically between peers and then shared - happens to be an offence of disseminating child pornography, a big deal but not sufficiently addressed for my liking.
* That at times more focus was on the rehab of the football injury and whilst the delving into his therapies went some way, it did not go far enough.
* Mason in general - from the first chapter the kid ground my gears. I wasn't sold on his growth and felt he was disingenuous.
Again, thank you for my e-copy of this book. I'm still thinking about it, and how young people might perceive it in reading it - I'm wondering if that's also something for me to take away from reading it.
I was expecting a YA read - jock meets intense "emo" girl, jock finds sensitive side, jock and girl fall in love. Happy every after, well at least until they head off to college.....
Some of these things happened to a degree but it was the how that is interesting for me. If I can preface I have a background in child protection including working with victims and survivors of child and adult sexual assault - and hence I could discuss this book all day and the issues raised therein and have some very strong opinions on the topics raised. I've chosen to flag the things that came to mind without the rationale and allow others to form their own opinions if they pick up this book.
I appreciated:
* This book being written from a young male's perspective.
* Shay's recognition of, and attempts to provide perspectives on issues such as consent, sexual assault, drug and alcohol use (and therein there is no consent, resulting in sexual abuse), self harm, and mental health as significant issues for teens, the interplay of services involved, and the attitudes of wider communities in relation to these issues.
* The injury for Mason as being the catalyst for re-thinking his identity in conjunction with meeting Lace.
* The more positive relationship that grew between Mason and his sibling.
* Lace, who was learning to use her voice, tentatively and growing in strength throughout the book.
I struggled with:
* The misogyny and toxic masculinity depicted in these teens. It was hard work. Garrett, the one character appearing to be in a age appropriate teen relationship was already being told he was "pussy whipped" at 16. That Mason had also had sex at 13 and couldn't count how many sexual partners he had, I'm surprised he had any spare time for football.
* The depiction of teenage girls - it seemed they were stereotyped as not being too bright (the cheerleaders), or if they were at all sensitive they were "mental" (Lace) or controlling (Garrett's girlfriend).
* The significance of Lace's brother's issues, how this related to his friend (the perpetrator) and the development of these issues within the context of his and Lace's family.
* Images being sent electronically between peers and then shared - happens to be an offence of disseminating child pornography, a big deal but not sufficiently addressed for my liking.
* That at times more focus was on the rehab of the football injury and whilst the delving into his therapies went some way, it did not go far enough.
* Mason in general - from the first chapter the kid ground my gears. I wasn't sold on his growth and felt he was disingenuous.
Again, thank you for my e-copy of this book. I'm still thinking about it, and how young people might perceive it in reading it - I'm wondering if that's also something for me to take away from reading it.
December 16, 2020
*** Round up to 4.5 stars for Goodreads***
I received this book as part of a book tour that I was on and I don't even know where to begin with this read.
When it started the writing style was off, I found the characters to be one note and their behavior completely uncalled for and this was only the first couple chapter. However, I was grateful that a kept pushing through because by the time we met Lace we started to see a character growth I never would have imagined to happen.
Mason is the main character and he acts how society labels boys to act now in high school. He was vulgar, he was the popular kid, and got away with pretty much anything. As I was reading him I was really irritated with him especially because his only concern seemed to be football and sex. When he breaks his arm in the middle of a game he's forced to stop playing the one game he loves most and watch as it all seems to fall from his grasp. No one knows if he'll be able to play again and the person who is supposed to be his best friend is taking his place. When Mason starts going to the doctor though he meets Lace in the cliche' elevator meet up, she is the furthest from his type with colored hair and her shy personality but he seems to see her as a challenge and starts to pursue her purely to say that he can literally have any girl he wants.
Only he doesn't expect one thing. The fact that as he spends more time with her and learns more about this girl he starts to fall for her more than he imagined he could. Lace makes him see parts of the world he never appreciated before, she makes him see the world through a new set of eyes and appreciate what he has versus what he lost. As they talk more and begin to date his two worlds collide as his friends, who are still as rude and horrible as ever, try to meet the girl who 'tied down Mason Vance'. When one particularly uncomfortable incident occurs when he takes her to a party to meet his friends it causes the two separate and his self reflection rears its ugly head.
Losing her in the way that he did, because of what happened causes him to self reflect on how exactly he'd been acting this whole time and it makes him sick. Shay creates this story that shows you just how one person can truly have an affect on your life no matter how short of a time they're in it. There's strong incorporations of mental health and how it affects a persons life. I feel like she did an amazing job of weaving everything together without making it seem odd. The fact that I was willing to give this more of a go then just the first few chapters makes me grateful to push through it was such a good read and I loved seeing Mason become something far more than what he was. You really see a swift from a teenage boy to a bridge of him becoming more of an adult and thinking of someone other than himself.
((TW:: Mentions of self-harm, drug and alcohol use, there is also a very uncomfortable seen where a sexual assault almost occurs and I feel like it would be the most important aspect to avoid if you don't want to read that. Even though it's a small, maybe two paragraph section, it makes the rest of the story shift in the direction it needs to.))
I received this book as part of a book tour that I was on and I don't even know where to begin with this read.
When it started the writing style was off, I found the characters to be one note and their behavior completely uncalled for and this was only the first couple chapter. However, I was grateful that a kept pushing through because by the time we met Lace we started to see a character growth I never would have imagined to happen.
Mason is the main character and he acts how society labels boys to act now in high school. He was vulgar, he was the popular kid, and got away with pretty much anything. As I was reading him I was really irritated with him especially because his only concern seemed to be football and sex. When he breaks his arm in the middle of a game he's forced to stop playing the one game he loves most and watch as it all seems to fall from his grasp. No one knows if he'll be able to play again and the person who is supposed to be his best friend is taking his place. When Mason starts going to the doctor though he meets Lace in the cliche' elevator meet up, she is the furthest from his type with colored hair and her shy personality but he seems to see her as a challenge and starts to pursue her purely to say that he can literally have any girl he wants.
Only he doesn't expect one thing. The fact that as he spends more time with her and learns more about this girl he starts to fall for her more than he imagined he could. Lace makes him see parts of the world he never appreciated before, she makes him see the world through a new set of eyes and appreciate what he has versus what he lost. As they talk more and begin to date his two worlds collide as his friends, who are still as rude and horrible as ever, try to meet the girl who 'tied down Mason Vance'. When one particularly uncomfortable incident occurs when he takes her to a party to meet his friends it causes the two separate and his self reflection rears its ugly head.
Losing her in the way that he did, because of what happened causes him to self reflect on how exactly he'd been acting this whole time and it makes him sick. Shay creates this story that shows you just how one person can truly have an affect on your life no matter how short of a time they're in it. There's strong incorporations of mental health and how it affects a persons life. I feel like she did an amazing job of weaving everything together without making it seem odd. The fact that I was willing to give this more of a go then just the first few chapters makes me grateful to push through it was such a good read and I loved seeing Mason become something far more than what he was. You really see a swift from a teenage boy to a bridge of him becoming more of an adult and thinking of someone other than himself.
((TW:: Mentions of self-harm, drug and alcohol use, there is also a very uncomfortable seen where a sexual assault almost occurs and I feel like it would be the most important aspect to avoid if you don't want to read that. Even though it's a small, maybe two paragraph section, it makes the rest of the story shift in the direction it needs to.))
November 13, 2020
I can relate to this book on many levels. High school was probably the worst time of my life. Although not ALL teenage boys are like Mason, numerous are. Many succumb to peer pressure, drink and talk about hooking up with girls to sound cool. This book put Mason's actions mildly as compared to what I've actually encountered. I enjoyed reading the turning points for him, and wonder if other teenage boys have done introspection on their behavior. Even more so, did they take a huge step in seeking help for their ways? Even though he's an unlikeable character and downright repulsive at times, he struggles mentally like all of us and seeks to turn his life around.
The character Lace is a girl you just want to give a big hug to. Although she might appear shy and weak to others, she's a bad ass battling a war against depression. I enjoyed all her metaphors, the way she observes the world and behavior of others.
One of my favorite scenes was "painted" perfectly. Mason was forced to confront the severity of his past behavior and the damage he's done to so many girls. The book was all tied together in the end beautifully. It is not your typical cliche romance YA novel. It is raw, at times uncomfortable and brings forth awareness on teenage issues. Bravo to the author for writing a significant first novel. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!
The character Lace is a girl you just want to give a big hug to. Although she might appear shy and weak to others, she's a bad ass battling a war against depression. I enjoyed all her metaphors, the way she observes the world and behavior of others.
One of my favorite scenes was "painted" perfectly. Mason was forced to confront the severity of his past behavior and the damage he's done to so many girls. The book was all tied together in the end beautifully. It is not your typical cliche romance YA novel. It is raw, at times uncomfortable and brings forth awareness on teenage issues. Bravo to the author for writing a significant first novel. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!
November 9, 2020
2.5 stars to be honest.
This is one book I really really wanted to like, but there were certain drawbacks that drove me away. The book revolves around Mason, who is the star player, the quarterback for his school's football team, and in his junior year, he breaks his wrist. All his dreams to get a football scholarship in college seems doubtful now. Mason now drowns in his own misery. His misery increases when he sees his best friend taking up his spot as a quarterback. In one of his visit to the hospital, he meets Lace. Lace comes with her own emotional and traumatic baggage. Mason is instantly smitten by Lace (even though she's not his type) and tries to impress her, but the problem is Lace has a lot of trauma that doesn't let her fall into flirtatious Mason's flirtatious trap.
The story sounds sweet and like a boy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love sort of a book. Except, Mason is a super obnoxious, stereotypically toxic, casanova. All he cares about is how many girls he has slept with... and HE'S JUST SIXTEEN YEARS OLD! And he needs a girl who has had her share of sexual abuse/emotional abuse, to teach him that girls are not objects and should be treated with respect.
I mean I get it that this was the whole point of the book and the author wanted to show how teen boys tend to treat girls their age, but it was super cringing at times to see a sixteen year old being this obsessed with sex and girls. And this book can be triggering for some as it includes sensitive issues like anxiety, depression, self-harm and sexual abuse; but this is definitely not the mental health representation you are looking for. If you want a cheesy romance book that also has moderate levels of angst, then this book is for you.
This is one book I really really wanted to like, but there were certain drawbacks that drove me away. The book revolves around Mason, who is the star player, the quarterback for his school's football team, and in his junior year, he breaks his wrist. All his dreams to get a football scholarship in college seems doubtful now. Mason now drowns in his own misery. His misery increases when he sees his best friend taking up his spot as a quarterback. In one of his visit to the hospital, he meets Lace. Lace comes with her own emotional and traumatic baggage. Mason is instantly smitten by Lace (even though she's not his type) and tries to impress her, but the problem is Lace has a lot of trauma that doesn't let her fall into flirtatious Mason's flirtatious trap.
The story sounds sweet and like a boy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love sort of a book. Except, Mason is a super obnoxious, stereotypically toxic, casanova. All he cares about is how many girls he has slept with... and HE'S JUST SIXTEEN YEARS OLD! And he needs a girl who has had her share of sexual abuse/emotional abuse, to teach him that girls are not objects and should be treated with respect.
I mean I get it that this was the whole point of the book and the author wanted to show how teen boys tend to treat girls their age, but it was super cringing at times to see a sixteen year old being this obsessed with sex and girls. And this book can be triggering for some as it includes sensitive issues like anxiety, depression, self-harm and sexual abuse; but this is definitely not the mental health representation you are looking for. If you want a cheesy romance book that also has moderate levels of angst, then this book is for you.
October 7, 2021
This was such a emotional and impactful read! (Check trigger warnings before reading) Mason and Lace definitely had alot to work through especially with Masons football career on the line. I understood that he was was under alot of stress. All the emotions that these two went through was definitely a ride and is not for the faint of heart! But if you can handle it, I definitely recommend picking this up.
Read
December 17, 2020The book started light and like every other typical high school story which had me fooled that it was just that. We had our main character Mason Vance, who was a conceited, poster boy with beauty and no brains. At one point I had had enough of this character, I wanted to throw his own football at his head. Until he broke his wrist, and the gears in his mind started to change. His frustration and situation made him start to think and admit the wrongful deeds him and his friends used to do.
Of course, there was a girl who played a major part in it as well. Lance, who was fighting her own battles, who didn’t get flattered at his pick up lines and who didn’t fall in love with him immediately.
So what started out as, I thought, a fluffy romance became so much more and great as the author discussed sensitive topics like rape, depression, self harm, misogynist thinking, peer pressures and actions carried out to become ‘popular’ in schools.
I urge everyone to read this book. It’s food for mindful thinking. It’s thought provoking. It challenges stereotypes. It takes cliches and twists them. It’s deep and emotional and worthy of our praise!
Trigger Warning: Talk about self-harm, abuse, rape
Of course, there was a girl who played a major part in it as well. Lance, who was fighting her own battles, who didn’t get flattered at his pick up lines and who didn’t fall in love with him immediately.
So what started out as, I thought, a fluffy romance became so much more and great as the author discussed sensitive topics like rape, depression, self harm, misogynist thinking, peer pressures and actions carried out to become ‘popular’ in schools.
I urge everyone to read this book. It’s food for mindful thinking. It’s thought provoking. It challenges stereotypes. It takes cliches and twists them. It’s deep and emotional and worthy of our praise!
Trigger Warning: Talk about self-harm, abuse, rape
March 13, 2022
I hated Mason. Just the picture he shared with his friends, that was not supposed to be shared and bragging about it? The trying to get with her, almost rape-like...when he knew she had experienced something awful in the past...and why did she run back to him? I mean UGH. AARGH!!
Read
September 5, 2020Ok, this is going to be either a book you find really interesting or a book you instantly hate. It deals a LOT with toxic masculinity and the question on if someone can grow from that. Which is very a decisive topic by nature. And the book is very honest and real in its approach to this topic. You will feel peeved out and gross reading about how these boys think about and treat women. And you are definitely not meant to feel comfortable when reading it.
I know that a lot of people are going to hate the way this book was written and claim that it glorifies toxic masculinity, but I actually appreciated it. I find that a lot of times we want to talk about how horrible certain things are in our culture, but then we don’t really want to actually broach the topic and bare it all. In a way we like to skirt the problem when trying to deal with it. So sometimes I want to see/read something raw and “gross” with characters that I might not necessarily love. Because that’s how people are. They are capable of and do truly vile things, so I think that it’s important to show this amidst all of the amazing things people are also capable of. But then again, maybe that’s just my naturally pessimistic anti-social attitude showing.
This book uses the term ugly in the synopsis to describe Mason’s personality and I think thats the perfect descriptor. He isn’t the type of person you would aspire to be. But we still get a glimpse into his life and at a potential chance for him to change and make up for his past. But at the same time you are left questioning whether he is really changing and if he even deserves it. Which in a sense can bring out our own ugly side of judgement.
You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
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I know that a lot of people are going to hate the way this book was written and claim that it glorifies toxic masculinity, but I actually appreciated it. I find that a lot of times we want to talk about how horrible certain things are in our culture, but then we don’t really want to actually broach the topic and bare it all. In a way we like to skirt the problem when trying to deal with it. So sometimes I want to see/read something raw and “gross” with characters that I might not necessarily love. Because that’s how people are. They are capable of and do truly vile things, so I think that it’s important to show this amidst all of the amazing things people are also capable of. But then again, maybe that’s just my naturally pessimistic anti-social attitude showing.
This book uses the term ugly in the synopsis to describe Mason’s personality and I think thats the perfect descriptor. He isn’t the type of person you would aspire to be. But we still get a glimpse into his life and at a potential chance for him to change and make up for his past. But at the same time you are left questioning whether he is really changing and if he even deserves it. Which in a sense can bring out our own ugly side of judgement.
You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
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@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
December 4, 2020
Usually I only read murder mysteries, but this was very well written & kept my interest (even if no one died ha ha ). It was a beautiful coming of age story that is appropriate for men & women, young & old. Not to sound “cliche” when you know better you do better.
As someone who also suffers from depression & anxiety i could feel a deep connection to Lace. My heart rooted for both Lace & Mason to know their true value
As someone who also suffers from depression & anxiety i could feel a deep connection to Lace. My heart rooted for both Lace & Mason to know their true value
May 19, 2021
Pleasant surprise
Teen fiction is usually a hard pass for me, being in my mid 30’s and tired of the usual teen angst/young love tropes.
That said, a friend recommended this book to me as I’m a Long Island native, ex-high school football player, and appreciator of good writing (even for teen fiction, low and behold) with a strong narrative voice.
That friend was right. I enjoyed it. The writing was clear and punchy, and the characters and setting were relatable. Lace was especially intriguing. She drew me in the most, I would say. Hopefully a sequel written from her POV is in the making!
Teen fiction is usually a hard pass for me, being in my mid 30’s and tired of the usual teen angst/young love tropes.
That said, a friend recommended this book to me as I’m a Long Island native, ex-high school football player, and appreciator of good writing (even for teen fiction, low and behold) with a strong narrative voice.
That friend was right. I enjoyed it. The writing was clear and punchy, and the characters and setting were relatable. Lace was especially intriguing. She drew me in the most, I would say. Hopefully a sequel written from her POV is in the making!
February 22, 2024
Disclaimer: My review for this book is based on an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley; all the following opinions I express are wholly my own.
This book is literally insanely terrible. Like, terrible in a way that I can barely even find the words to describe. The writing is juvenile, cliched, and has almost every terrible teen trope to ever exist thrown into it.
I cannot fathom how this book would ever be published. I would never recommend this to anyone, in fact, if I could take back the 2 hours I wasted reading it, I would.
It's not enough that this book is overwhelmingly mediocre, it's deeply problematic as well. The way it trivializes rape culture and makes it seem like toxic masculinity is some sort of personality trait a teenage boy can simply just grow from or grow out of, without any regard to the those affected by it... I'm completely disgusted. I was actually legitimately triggered by Mason's self-victimization multiple times, and I shudder to think of some teenager who doesn't know any better reading this and not be able to see what a toxic mindset this book perpetuates.
Who would write this? Who could look at this an approve it for someone to read? Not only is the plot full of depressingly harmful ideation, it's genuinely just horribly written as well. It boggles my mind that this story will be put to paper, because honestly, I think the world would be better off if it wasn't.
This book is literally insanely terrible. Like, terrible in a way that I can barely even find the words to describe. The writing is juvenile, cliched, and has almost every terrible teen trope to ever exist thrown into it.
I cannot fathom how this book would ever be published. I would never recommend this to anyone, in fact, if I could take back the 2 hours I wasted reading it, I would.
It's not enough that this book is overwhelmingly mediocre, it's deeply problematic as well. The way it trivializes rape culture and makes it seem like toxic masculinity is some sort of personality trait a teenage boy can simply just grow from or grow out of, without any regard to the those affected by it... I'm completely disgusted. I was actually legitimately triggered by Mason's self-victimization multiple times, and I shudder to think of some teenager who doesn't know any better reading this and not be able to see what a toxic mindset this book perpetuates.
Who would write this? Who could look at this an approve it for someone to read? Not only is the plot full of depressingly harmful ideation, it's genuinely just horribly written as well. It boggles my mind that this story will be put to paper, because honestly, I think the world would be better off if it wasn't.
October 23, 2020
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an earc to review.
I really don’t know where to begin with this review. There is so much I didn’t like about this one and my thoughts are just everywhere.
I guess let’s just start with the main character, Mason, because he is not good at all…
I’m not one to cringe when it comes to books because it rarely happens but he had my eyes rolling hard. There is nothing I liked about him. He doesn’t understand what sexual assault is. He doesn’t care about women besides what they can do for him. I didn’t like him one bit. He is a dillweed. Plus, all his friends are basically a carbon copy of him. No, thanks!
The only part of the book that I think was done okay was the talk about self-harm. Everything else, it was hard to get through.
I understand that Mason is the stereotypical football jock who gets what he wants. There are actually guys out there like that. The thing is, I just don’t feel like he ever learned. He also picks up Lace who has troubles of her own and doesn’t care about her well being. If he did then this would be a completely different story.
I also wasn’t a fan of the ending. It was pretty open-ended and those types of endings just aren’t for me.
Overall, I did not like it. I kind of expected something different from the blurb and got something I could care less about.
I really don’t know where to begin with this review. There is so much I didn’t like about this one and my thoughts are just everywhere.
I guess let’s just start with the main character, Mason, because he is not good at all…
I’m not one to cringe when it comes to books because it rarely happens but he had my eyes rolling hard. There is nothing I liked about him. He doesn’t understand what sexual assault is. He doesn’t care about women besides what they can do for him. I didn’t like him one bit. He is a dillweed. Plus, all his friends are basically a carbon copy of him. No, thanks!
The only part of the book that I think was done okay was the talk about self-harm. Everything else, it was hard to get through.
I understand that Mason is the stereotypical football jock who gets what he wants. There are actually guys out there like that. The thing is, I just don’t feel like he ever learned. He also picks up Lace who has troubles of her own and doesn’t care about her well being. If he did then this would be a completely different story.
I also wasn’t a fan of the ending. It was pretty open-ended and those types of endings just aren’t for me.
Overall, I did not like it. I kind of expected something different from the blurb and got something I could care less about.
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