Smash It!

Narrator Zakiya Young convincingly voices the ups and downs of a Black teenager who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance through a "year of saying yes." Frustrated at her lack of confidence, Liv decides to emerge from the shadow of her two best friends (both guys) to make new friends, pursue romance, and try out for the school play. Young's lively performance makes it easy to cheer for Liv's successes and to feel her pain when she inevitably stumbles. Young also succeeds in distinguishing between Liv's sassy persona and her internal worries. While Liv recovers a little too easily and is too quickly forgiven for some of her poor choices, the story's messages are solid, and the diverse characters are believable. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine