Review Detail

SHOUT OUT 4 SHUT OUT! I thought I had an idea of what this book was about but I was surprised to find that the story and the characters were not quite what I was expecting - they were better. (Btw, is it just me or does the cover model look a little like a young Liv Tyler?)

Lissa Daniels is dating Randy, the quarterback for their school football team who, along with his teammates is part of the long standing rivalry with the school's soccer team. (I was a soccer player girlfriend in High School so I couldn't help but be Team Cash by default from the Intro page...my sincere apologies to Randy & the other guys.) Lissa's tired of playing second fiddle to Randy's "boyeez" so she comes up with a plan - one which involves getting the guys from both teams to end the fighting/hazing by cutting them off, through a well organized sex strike.

She's convinced that since guys (all guys according to her) are only concerned about getting, well, you know, and they won't be able to withstand the shutout for long, thus agreeing to give up the rivalry. She enlists the help of the girlfriends from both teams and figures with the all the girls working together, they'll be able to reach their goal much faster. Seriously, guys can't go THAT long without, well...you know...can they?! Time will tell.

What Lissa doesn't count on is a) not all the guys are one track minded jerks, b) the plan begins to affect the girls in strange ways, c) the guys figure out what's up and declare "GAME ON!" and d) how her own feelings about a certain soccer player hottie could potentially blow her plan to straight to hades.

A couple of the key players in this game are Randy - Lissa's longtime boyfriend, Cash Sterling aka Mr. Unattainable and Lissa's library co-worker, Chloe - Lissa's current BFF (she's a hot mess & we kinda love her for that), Ellen - Lissa's ex-BFF (everyone should WISH for an "ex" BFF like her) and Kelsey. The best way to describe Kelsey is "Spit-Fire" - as in when she opens her mouth to speak, she literally burns those around her with her words and her primary target tends to be Chloe.

In their first meeting, the girlfriends all appear to be on the defensive about what they are or aren't doing with their respective boyfriends and what they'll be giving up during this strike. When one of the girls bravely admits that she's still a virgin, she's made to feel bad about herself at first by a few others of while another comes to her defense.

As the strike continues and the girls continue to meet for regular "check-ins", we find that several haven't been completely honest with how far they've actually gone with their guys. Some have felt the need to lie to save face or to help their boyfriends save face. This is unfortunate on so many levels because really, what's wrong with waiting?

Nobody should feel pressured one way or the other, regardless of your gender. This may be a work of fiction but the same is true in real life.

"SHUT OUT" also addresses stereotypes like why is it OK for a guy to be flirtatious with lots of girls but when a girl is, she's called a nasty name? Likewise, when a guy sleeps around, he's championed for it but a girl is deemed a slut or a whore. None of these are OK, in my opinion. The dangers of using sex as a weapon or as a tool for manipulation is covered and discusses what it means to be a "virgin" and how far one can go and still be considered one.

There are some things in this book that will no doubt make some potential readers a little uncomfortable, shoot, just the topic of that three letter word...you know...the one that begins with an "s and ends in "x" makes many turn the color of a turnip. But, I think that if you look below the surface (much like you have to do with people) to the heart of the story, you'll find strong, courageous girls and guys who stand up for what they believe in and don't give in just because someone else wants them to give it up.