This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com. 
 You may remember that I had a great many problems with The DUFF, Kody Keplinger's debut novel. I'm happy to say that this sophomore attempt worked a lot better for me. If you know anything about Keplinger's books, you know that Shut Out is a sort-of retelling of the Greek play Lysistrata. What you need to know, in a nutshell, is this: Boys make war. Girls tell the boys: Fine. You won't be making love so long as you're making war. Stand off begins. That's the Greek version. The Keplinger version involves a rivalry between the soccer and football teams at Hamilton High--which you might recall as the setting for The DUFF. For those that are wondering--no, you don't meet those other characters. 
 The story begins with the MC (Lissa) being ditched by her boyfriend during some topless making out. Why is he ditching her? So he can continue the chase the soccer team boys that interrupted them. Lissa informs us that having this happen twice was basically the last straw for her, but my first thought was "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Basically: I found it difficult to respect a character who would be with someone who would do this to her. I realize that a large part of Lissa's character arc was her realization that her boyfriend wasn't worth everything he put her through, but the issue of her timidity was entirely overshadowed by her developing romance with Cash. In the beginning, Lissa's best friend encourages her to communicate with Randy, her jerky boyfriend, and I thought things were going to get interesting. After all, communication is an important skill. I'm an incredibly shy person, so this was an issue I definitely related to, and I was sorry to see it go by the wayside. 
 Additionally, the Lysistrata storyline is a thinly veiled disguise for what Keplinger seems to really want to discuss. She's much more interested in exploring the double standard and the sexuality of teenage girls. This is, of course, a fascinating topic. The day it will stop drawing debate is probably the date the world will end. Still, there was nothing particularly fresh came out as a result of Keplinger's exploration. Our culture is still uncomfortable with teen girls having sex. Am I meant to be surprised by this? Keplinger's perspective on this issue comes back around to her age for me. I think she has a while yet before she can really tackle this. She needs to be at least 21. 
 All joking aside, I want to address a conversation between the MC and her best friend, Chloe. Chloe is known for her promiscuity. She tells Lissa that sex is the way she feels like she can take control amidst the chaos of her life. I don't have a problem with Chloe liking sex. I admit to natural concern over her promiscuous behavior (or, I would if she were real), but she's old enough to make that decision for herself. However, I really squirm at the idea of Chloe using sex to feel like she's in control. Call me old-fashioned, but that doesn't seem right. I totally wanted Burt Hummel (from TV's Glee) to be around to give Chloe this Talk. Minus the gay stuff, seeing as that doesn't really apply to her. 
 "When you're intimate with someone in that way, you gotta know that you're exposing yourself. You're never gonna be more vulnerable, and that scares the hell out of a lot of guys...With two guys you've got two people who think that sex is just sex. It's gonna be easier to come by and once you start, you aren't gonna want to stop. You gotta know that it means something. It's doing something to you, to your heart, to your self-esteem, even though it feels like you're just having fun...When you're ready, I want you to be able to do everything. But when you're ready, I want you to use it as a way to connect to another person. Don't throw yourself around like you don't matter, because you matter." --Glee, ep. 2.15 
 So now that I've embarrassed myself by quoting a TV show's sex talk, it's really time for me to wrap up this review. A lot of my thinking about this book came after the fact. While I was reading it, I enjoyed it. It's a quick read and I don't think that, if I hadn't been reviewing it, I would have given it much thought after I reached the last page. I don't really know whether to recommend this book or not. On reflection, I have issues with the story, the plot, the characterization (Lissa's far, far too easy reconciliation with her former best friend) and the message. I wasn't a big fan of the heroine, Keplinger was a bit clunky with her writing, often telling instead of showing. However, Keplinger is an author who has a lot of potential. I'd like to see what she can do in another five to ten years. In the meantime, I'm up in the air about her upcoming retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream.