In Francina Simone‘s vibrant #ownvoices, body-positive debut SMASH IT! (Sept. 22, Inkyard Press), a teen girl’s surprise part in a hip-hopera high school production of Othello leads to a transformational journey of self-empowerment…and Kirkus Reviews just awarded the book with the shiny star that it already is:

⭐“Simone’s prose masterfully crafts an honest and likable voice in Olivia that is bolstered by the cast of diverse supporting characters and combines that with compelling, well-paced plot points…Stellar.” –Kirkus Reviews

(Did we mention this book’s celestial qualities?)

More praise for Smash It!, from these other YA superstars:

“Smash It!: coming in hot with a way more accurate, grounded look at a high school musical! Hilarious, heartwarming, empowering, and neurotic in the best way—I loved reading this book. Smash It! smashed it.”
—New York Times bestselling author Christine Riccio

“Witty, laugh-out-loud funny and downright powerful.”
–Sasha Alsberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zenith

“Francina Simone is one of the freshest new YA voices I’ve read in years. The characters jump off the page, the plot is an empowering manifesto, and the humor is as sharp as it is real.”
–Lauren Steven, author of The Exact Opposite of Okay

Don’t miss Smash It!, available for request on Netgalley.