DNF @ 64%

There's nothing at all wrong with The Art of Losing — in fact, it has a lot going for it! — but I don't have a lot to say about it in this review. I mean, the characters are enjoyable, the writing is solid, and the author takes a long and honest look at a lot of really important themes that affect teens in a big way, such as:

1) the effects of irresponsible drinking
2) the potential risks of any substance abuse
3) the ability for teens and young adults to become addicts
4) the fact that society tends to not hold young men in authoritative positions (i.e., white cishet star athletes) to the same standards that their marginalized counterparts would be held to

(There's also some great representation involved, such as the fact that our main character Harley is plus-sized and her love interest is Latinx!)

All of that said, I had a hard time really connecting to The Art of Losing (which surprises me, since substance abuse and addiction is something that hits very close to home for me after having many related experiences with family members) and just never seemed to find myself compelled to keep reading. I tried both the eARC and the audiobook, and neither was ever able to "hook" me. I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars, though for Goodreads' sake, I'll round up to 4.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!