Book Tour: CRUSHED review + favorite quotes

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to take part in this tour for Crushed. This was a book that just looked so good and I was excited to read it!

     

About The Book:

Title: Crushed

Author: Melanie Conklin

Pub.Date: July 16, 2024

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

A heartfelt middle grade story about changing friendships, peer pressure, and the courage to speak up when lines are crossed, perfect for fans of Starfish and The Benefits of Being an Octopus.

Sophie Valentine would rather be at home, doing school virtually. Instead, she’s waiting in a crowded middle school building for her best friend, Eve, who’s finally back after an extended absence, which o nly Sophie knows the truth about.

But when Eve returns, things aren’t the same. First, Eve stops walking to school with her in the morning. Then, she’s ditching Sophie to hang out with the Crash Crew, a group of popular kids notorious for their social media dares. Eve seems to fit right in, but Sophie is Did she just lose her best friend?

When rumors surface that Eve is hiding a painful secret she didn’t share with Sophie, Sophie is spurred on an investigation to discover what — or who — caused the incid ent behind Eve’s sudden change...and why all clues lead back to the Crash Crew. Using lessons from her forensics class and the help of a new friend, Sophie will have to uncover the truth before more harm is done.

Content Warning: harassment, self harm, miso gyny

 

Review:

I don't know what I expected from this book. I think I severely misread the summary when I initially requested to be part of this tour, but I don't regret it. I'm weirdly happy that I made this mistake because this book is definitely worth reading and talking about.

The author's way of writing the emotions that these characters feel, especially as more of the story comes to light, is breathtaking. It's truly astounding the way that the author captures the emotions and makes it something a reader feels as well.

This was a very well paced book. At times it moved faster, at times slower. But the pacing always made sense within the story and the world that we were given. It was an excellent way of coneying time and the way that these characters experienced these situations.

I'm trying so hard not to spoil anything, but it is hard. This book contains many very serious topics and discussions of these topics. It's kind of a heavy read, but it's a good kind of heavy. It's the kind that you enjoy even while feeling a bit uncomfortable.

The story is mainly told in a first person perspective and I think it works very well with the book. But the parts that really stood out to me are the parts told from other POVs. It was unexpected but added a nice layer of depth to the story.

Favorite Quotes:

"There has to be a reason. A big one."

"Are you going to say 'fictitious' every time?"

"Where do pencils go on vacation?"
"...Pencil-vania"

"You should try evolving sometime."

"It's okay to wobble...We wobble because we're human."

 

 

About Melanie Conklin:

Melanie Conklin is the author of Counting Thyme, Every Missing Piece, and A Perfect Mistake. Melanie grew up in North Carolina and worked as a product designer before she began her writing career. When she’s not writing, Melanie spends her time doodling and dreaming up new ways to be creative. She lives in New Jersey with her family. You can find her on her website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.