ARC copy received for review & use in Selective Collective feature 
 HMMMM. What do I say about this book. I actually really liked Alex a lot right off the bat. I loved how she felt real and I really appreciated that Julie Halpern didn't shy away from using curse words in Alex's dialogue. But honestly? I wished she had shied away from some of the sexual content. Actually, I take that back. I really don't care about reading sexual content, but that was not my high school experience at all and I didn't think the details needed to be included. That just wasn't really something I connected with so maybe this just wasn't the book for me! 
 I loved Alex's horror movie obsession. I thought that was a lot of fun. 
 I didn't really connect with her relationship with Leo so I think maybe I had just hoped to connect with her and her relationships much more than I did. I really appreciate more unconventional romantic relationships & how Alex didnt have to really watch what she said around Leo but... Somehow still didn't connect with it. 
 I feel bad because I might not have picked this one up if not for SC. I actually don't read a lot of books with a cancer theme because it's just not a topic I enjoy reading a lot of the time. I do think Julie Halpern did a great job of balancing the darkness and reality of cancer with Alex's "f--- it" attitude. 
 There were some things that really did turn me off (not cancer) which I think turned me away from the book a little bit but I also did like a lot. Kind of fell in the middle there. 
 Full review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: I loved the balance of THE F-IT IT LIST. Obviously going into it, I knew the book was about our main character Alex who finds out that her best friend Becca has cancer which kind of scared me. I was afraid I was in for an emotional ride that would leave me in shambles, but Julie Halpern has a unique way of writing that adds a lot of quirk and fun into her characters to keep a good balance between the positive and the heavy hitting topic of cancer. Both the highs and the lows in the book were equally addressed and I really got to see a wide range of realistic situations. 
 I loved the loyalty and best friendship between Alex and Becca. Even though they were on the outs for a long time due to what Becca did, they truly are best friends and when it may be a matter of life or death (although Alex doesn't like hearing that), they're able to mend their friendship. Alex is truly there for Becca when she needs it most and I loved seeing how deep their friendship really is, especially when it comes to completing tasks on Becca's "F-It List" -- her own personal version of a bucket list. Alex takes on the F-It List with determination and helps Becca complete all the items she can for her -- or helps her do the ones she can herself -- and I think the list itself really helps bring them even closer. 
 I loved how unconventional Alex's character was, as well as Leo's, and how well they worked together. Their relationship is born from an extreme love of horror movies and curiosity and it totally works. I wouldn't say Leo Dietz is swoony, but he's more the kind of character who draws you in because he's a little bit mysterious, a little bit intimidating, and a little bit more conventional than Alex even is. I was definitely intrigued to see what he was all about and if his relationship with Alex would stick or if it would end in total disaster. I felt like the two of them together worked in a very strange way and just the slightest thing could set them off on a dangerous course so I was definitely intrigued by the two of them! 
 I also really enjoyed Alex's family dynamic. We meet her shortly after her father has died in a tragic accident so your heart just goes out to the family and it's a very precarious moment to meet them in. Alex isn't as emotional as her mother so however she's handling her father's death isn't really seen from an outsider's POV... But she also has a steady job that helps support her family and she still loves and cares for her mom and her two brothers. I really liked the scenes with her family all together and how they interacted and affected Alex's decisions in life. 
 I will issue a heads up that the book has a lot of sexual activity and we're introduced to it right off the bat. It may be enough to turn some readers off if they're not prepared for it so just make sure you're aware of that before you start! The back of the ARC said for ages thirteen and up, but I think the content is much too mature for thirteen. I actually really liked that the language didn't shy away from lots and lots of swearing (the book IS called THE F-IT LIST afterall, so you know what that's short for) because well, that's how we talked in high school (still do). If you're looking to recommend this to other teens though, just be aware of those two things before you do! Oh, and there's also a complete copy of Becca's F-It list in the back of the book (or at least, there was in my ARC) if you want to check it out before you start, just to get a feel for the book.