[Book Review] Shredded

Shredded
Author: Karen Avivi
Date Published: April 19, 2013
Publisher: Karen Avivi
Source: ARC
Genre: Young Adult

Rating:
★★★★★

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
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Book Information:

Drop into the world of girls’ freestyle BMX for an action-packed summer road trip adventure.

Shredded by Karen Avivi is more than a teen girls’ sports book or a BMX biking book; it’s a motivating push-your-limits story for anyone who refuses to overlooked.

Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year so she and her friends take off on a summer road trip to hit the qualifying events in the Midwest. Late-night parties, an intimidating mega ramp, and the lure of sponsorships spark friction between the girls. When Josie’s best chance for success depends on her relationship with flashy rider R.T. Torres, she has to decide what she’s trying to win and how much she’ll sacrifice.

Shredded is a fast-paced, fun read that tackles feminism, friendship, sexism, and sibling rivalry. Even readers unfamiliar with BMX or extreme sports will be caught up in the adrenaline rush of Josie’s tricks, wipeouts, and wins. Hints of romance provide extra conflict without overtaking the main story.

Ideal for fans of realistic young adult fiction, Shredded features a strong female lead character who goes after what she wants by taking action.

Experience the rivalries, rejections, and triumphs of rule-breaking, gravity-defying girls who shred.

Review:
Engrossing, pulse-racing and features one hell of a daredevil for a heroine!

I'm all for strong female heroines in stories, and that was the main reason why I was so ecstatic when I was approved to read and review Shredded by Karen Avivi!

I LOVE JOSIE!!! She thrives in the male-dominated sport of freestyle BMX and kicks ass like it's nothing! And at the heart of it all, I appreciate that Josie took the lead and initiated change by leading female BMXers to be recognized.

First off, I do not know any trick on BMX. I only know how to ride a bike, and that's the extent of my talent when it comes to bicycles. But I do however, have experienced being the only female in a male-dominated environment.

I am a bit boyish in real life. I used to do Taekwondo and was the only female student when I joined the local dojang. Whenever the students paired up, I was always the odd one out, and the teacher often noticed me, but that didn't make me stop doing the sport. In College, we had summer training for Taekwondo because I got into the varsity team. I was still the only female during the summer training, so I had to endure lots of bruising because of sparring with guys twice my size. This background made me really appreciate Josie.

Story-wise, I appreciate that the story didn't solely focus on the romance aspect. This was actually one story where I was against the romance part, and was more into Josie as a character and her crusade to have female BMXers get the respect and recognition that they deserve. While I was reading on the latter part of the book, I got a little worried because Josie might lose herself and give into her attraction to RT. Thank God the ending was perfect, and I felt vindicated.

Also, I love that aside from the emotional roadblocks that Josie had to go through because of her personality, she also had to deal with external forces like having her parents agree for her to join a BMX competition in another place. Having to earn her parents' permission was really relatable, and the degree of dedication Josie showed for the craft she loved was really inspiring.

I also liked that she had to actually deal with male BMXers who are asses. They get more recognition and perks during competitions, but Josie did not let this faze her. And there was also RT Torres, the potential love interest. I was a bit disappointed that he didn't deliver when it counted, but I loved Josie more so it wasn't really a loss on Josie's part.

The side characters are also awesome! I love the other two girls that Josie connected with because of BMX. They're definitely not your typical girls, and I really liked that about them. It's nice to have like-minded individuals as back-ups.

All in all, I highly recommend this to young-adult readers. This book is one very good example that  young-adult books don't necessarily need to be about romance in order to be great. Karen Avivi's Shredded has a great plot, great development and one kickass female lead!