To me, liking the characters in a book is a prerequisite for liking the book itself. I need to invest in their journeys and want to spend time in the narrator’s head. Slingshot utterly failed this first task, making Grace one of the most insufferable main characters I’ve ever stuck with for the length of a book. And yet, I know this was on purpose. I’m struggling to reconcile the difference between an authentic literary choice and a legitimately enjoyable novel.

Grace was the perfect picture of a detached teen. Feeling abandoned by her family, she acts out at school and doesn’t have many friends until she forms an unlikely friendship with a new student after saving him from bullies with a slingshot. She often analyzes her classmates’ behavior, and categorizes them into typical high school archetypes without engaging in this social scene herself.

My main issue with this entire premise is that I would be shocked to find teens that actually behave like this. I admit there are gaps of maturity between grade levels in high school, but I would be hard-pressed to find students that smoke, drink, swear, and talk about sex as much as these kids do. It’s not even a particularly interesting take, either. Much of it is navel-gazing that belongs in a 19th century psychological novel.

I don’t know what a teenage mistake is. Is it being in love with your teacher and actually yelling at him when you find out he’s engaged? Is it normalizing cheating on a guy who you know is treating you well, with someone else who is in a relationship? Is it being so self-centered that you can’t actually conceive of someone else having feelings? I sure don’t think so! If you want to call this a novel about teens making mistakes, go ahead. I’d rather point out the infuriating melodrama that permeates everything about this novel.

And to boot, it has no plot. Grace’s emotions and daily experiences are all that drives the book, which I didn’t find engaging enough to confidently say I’d keep reading it if I didn’t have an ARC to review.

I think this may be the most frustrated I’ve ever been with a book. I genuinely can’t tell if it’s satire. I’m reviewing as though the story is genuine, so I’m giving it 1/5 stars. I can’t in good consciousness recommend anyone read this book.

Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein

Slingshot is a very well written coming of age story by Mercedes Helnwein and I am happy that she wrote this.

I was totally caught up in Gracie Welles, 15 year old life from the beginning of the book to the end. Her crush on her teacher was realistic, her friendship with Wade was relatable and most important, she has family drama I wouldn't wish on anyone but here we are.

I felt the author really understood teens and I bought into every page of Gracies emotional roller coaster. But that also means I was rooting for her and the cast of characters she came into contact with.

While this is a young adult book, I would only recommend that parents who have mature readers, read this due to the content and subject matter which is very frank.

I would read future work by this author.

Rating 4
Linda C

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

Unfortunately, I did not like the writing style of this one so I did not finish it. I liked the idea of this story more than the execution.

I just didn’t vibe with this one at all. I could not stand Gracie and the ending didn’t do anything for me. Also, the instalove from Wade made my eyes roll. Overall I just kinda wanted it to end. 2.5 stars

I enjoyed this way more than I anticipated!!! YA novels can be hit or miss as an adult and this one was so good!! Some more mature topics, and while I found the MC to be very immature, it was easy to put myself in her shoes at that age and the teenage emotions that come with that phase of life.

Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein is a witty and honest coming-of-age novel about Grace Welles, a fifteen-year-old girl stuck in a third-tier boarding school in Florida. When she saves new kid Wade from being beaten up, her monotonous life is transformed. With Wade, Grace discovers a new way of existing where school rules are optional, life is perfect, and conversations about wormholes can lead to make-out sessions. But as their relationship develops, Grace's selfish behavior and Wade's hidden secret threaten to destroy their newfound happiness.

Helnwein's writing is sharp and witty, capturing the awkwardness, humor, and heartbreak of first love. Grace's voice is authentic, and readers will relate to her insecurities and struggles with identity. The characters are well-drawn, and their flawed and messy relationships are both hilarious and heartbreaking.

Slingshot is an emotional rollercoaster that explores the complexities of love, friendship, and identity. Helnwein's debut novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever fallen in love for the first time and made a few mistakes along the way.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
A really enjoyable ya coming of age story. While it was also a romance, I think it was more about Grace's character development.

I have been putting this review off. I am not sure if I liked this book or not. I will say that I am much older than the target audience. What I did like is the realism of the story, it's awkward and makes you cringe, yet it keeps you reading. Grace falling for her teacher is nothing new in the world of teenagers, yet I found myself wincing at her behavior and I am going to guess that is due to having the hindsight of an adult. I found it a funny book, but also one of heartbreak. I did struggle with the age of the characters, they are supposed to be 15 but act and speak like they're older, something about this was off-putting.

In the end what drew me into the story was the book cover.

I adored this messy, voice-forward YA that had complex characters. I thought the writing was very sharp and compelling and while I didn’t always agree with the characters and their decisions I was hooked while reading it.

This was terrible. The romance was not done well. The plot was underdeveloped and there was a lot of pacing issues.

Grace is a very emotional character. She feels everything very deeply, which you learn from page one when you find her in a bathroom crying her eyes out. This story really takes you into teenage emotions and lets you see how the world can be slightly tilted from that view at times. It was a good story.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

DNF
Yes everyone makes mistakes. Hannah Montana would never have made it without them. But why on god's green earth did this author have this FIFTEEN year old cuss out her teacher because she had a crush on him and he had the audacity to be engaged? Oof yall. I was a little wild at 15 but this author clearly doesn't know how 15 year olds work.

I'm caught between the things I liked and disliked about the book, so I am still feeling unsure about how to rate it. I think younger audiences will appreciate its poignant portrayal of a coming-of-age journey.

Slingshot is at times really humorous with witty dialogue and likable characters. Some of the storyline dragged at times, but over all the characters were just a little too dramatic for me.

This book starts out with a character that I just couldn't connect with from the jump. Gracie, the MC, I just found to be super shallow and honestly, just psycho. It never wavered throughout the book and I just couldn't believe that there was never a breakthrough. By the time I got to the end, just didn't like the character or character development at all. Wade was a pretty good character and that's the reason why this book got 2 stars from me. I was wondering how this would end.

Speaking of the ending, not a fan at all. Extremely underwhelming and gave me no sense of *ahhh there it is*. Overall, I'd skip this one.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

I don’t think being in a relationship is the only reason to give meaning to a person’s existence. The way that Grace made her relationship with Wade her entire personality and then WENT AND RUINED IT!!! did not sit right with me. It wasn’t the book for me but it would 100% appeal to a teen audience going through the same awkward predicaments as Grace.

Totally great! Such a dynamic YA novel that adults and teens will love. There's a lil something for everyone in this book. Plus, love the cover.