Personally, I’ve seen these things in action in my life.
Keplinger’s using the Lysistrata-like situation to throw a spotlight on this and to help make people aware that these attitudes really do permeate our lives. Like it too much and you’re trashy dislike it and you’re frigid. Have too much and you’re a slut have too little and you’re a prude. You’re supposed to have sex, but not too much and you’re only supposed to enjoy it a certain amount. Basically, Shut Out is looking into the mess that is American society’s attitude towards female sexuality. She considers virgin-shaming too, as well as the shame for those who enjoy sex too much or not enough. There’s a lot of YA that tackles the unhealthy nature of slut-shaming on the minds of young women, but Keplinger goes many steps further. Shut Out feels like it was written primarily to convey a message and, while I think it could definitely be interpreted as preachy, it’s a message that very much needs to be conveyed.
While I do agree with the majority that Shut Out is her weakest novel of her first three, I also think that’s a bit like saying it’s the least influential Jane Austen novel, because it’s still good. Then again, it’s not like you have to twist my arm too hard to make me want to read Keplinger. That Snuggly Orange can be mighty pushy until she gets her way.
Of course, Kody has a middle grade out now, so the time had come to read Shut Out, especially with Debby encouraging me that I really needed to read Shut Out posthaste. What is life without any new to me Rainbow Rowell or Kody Keplinger or Courney Summers in the world? Obviously, this is all in my head and there are always rereads available, but still. See, Kody Keplinger is one of those authors where not having any books left to read makes me feel a bit twitchy. I’d been reserving Shut Out for a rainy day.
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