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cupcakegirly's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 Stars
Raw, emotional, realistic read.
This book deals with some important topics and has left me emotionally drained but it's well worth the read. Dan's experience is a heartbreaking one for everyone involved and while I'm all for crime and punishment, the punishment is null and void when it doesn't fit the crime.
This is one of those stories that shows what can happen when we make stupid mistakes but it's also one of forgiveness, mercy and redemption.
I have to say that I wasn't happy with the way this ended. After being drug through an emotional pit of hades and back, I felt like Dan (and the reader) deserved more closure.
Raw, emotional, realistic read.
This book deals with some important topics and has left me emotionally drained but it's well worth the read. Dan's experience is a heartbreaking one for everyone involved and while I'm all for crime and punishment, the punishment is null and void when it doesn't fit the crime.
This is one of those stories that shows what can happen when we make stupid mistakes but it's also one of forgiveness, mercy and redemption.
I have to say that I wasn't happy with the way this ended. After being drug through an emotional pit of hades and back, I felt like Dan (and the reader) deserved more closure.
emmrose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
princessaj_397's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
danni_436's review against another edition
5.0
When I first read the blurb about this book I was thinking a typical high school teenagers in love story.
It was nothing like that.
This has to be one of the most beautiful and emotionally moving books I've read in a very long time.
although it does has some very witty points within the story.
Another fantastic aspect of this storyline is that Patty Blount managed to cover many different moral and social taboo's, and I strongly believe that she addressed them perfectly.
I feel so emotionally drained from the high's and low's of Dan's life, and from constantly feeling conflicted about either supporting him or condemning him.
I couldn't stop crying for the last few chapter's, and even now thinking about it again brings me to the brink of tears.
I strongly recommend this book for people of all ages, however it may not suit someone people based on the main plot of the story [I don't want to give away spoilers, it'll ruin the whole book].
It was nothing like that.
This has to be one of the most beautiful and emotionally moving books I've read in a very long time.
although it does has some very witty points within the story.
Another fantastic aspect of this storyline is that Patty Blount managed to cover many different moral and social taboo's, and I strongly believe that she addressed them perfectly.
I feel so emotionally drained from the high's and low's of Dan's life, and from constantly feeling conflicted about either supporting him or condemning him.
I couldn't stop crying for the last few chapter's, and even now thinking about it again brings me to the brink of tears.
I strongly recommend this book for people of all ages, however it may not suit someone people based on the main plot of the story [I don't want to give away spoilers, it'll ruin the whole book].
dani005's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
I really, really liked this book, even if it did have its hang ups.
I loved this book for its honest brutality. The characters were so raw and real, however I wish that we had gotten to know a bit more about some of the secondary characters.... a bit more of the history of Brandon and Jeff and what happened between them.... I wish we got to see some more strength from Julie. Yes, she's messed up and she's got some trauma to deal with, but what made her so determined and so forgiving in this book is something I would have liked to have read more about.
The ending wasn't enough I don't think; it wasn’t a strong enough conclusion... I needed something more to wrap it up... its like an essay with no conclusion; there's nothing to tie all of the body paragraphs together and to help clarify questions for the reader.
I love it when books leave you with questions about the ideas that the book presents, but not about the characters or the plot or what happens now. I love books that leave you with a good impression from its foreshadowing of what is going to happen.... so that you are better able to realize where these people have come from and where they are going. It helps to show the depth of the book's characters and so I found that some of that depth was lacking.
Why did the author end with ken feeling the way he did with no further insights or indulgences.... it wasn't much different from the beginning except that now it seems he isn't so much obsessed with his guilt but there is something else that he has to deal with. It's like we only got to see half of Ken's healing. Like we only got to see the first couple of stages of how he attempts to get over what he did....
I didn't feel like the book covered as much as it could have. It could have covered so much more of the realities that each individual character had to deal with....
Julie
Ken
Jeff
Brandon
Even Julie’s dad.
I had so much more I was curious about. I saw each character behave and act in certain ways at times but what had prompted these actions I couldn't define or fully understand because it was as though I was missing some of the history that had established these actions in the first place.
I loved the book's depth of Ken and how he struggles within himself. I loved that different view that the book portrayed, that different twist on bullying.
Growing up in junior high I find that now cyber bullying and bullying in general is actually being addressed so much more, but what we haven't stopped to consider, is the other side of the whole problem; the bully themselves.
Kid's I don't believe are genetically decided to be evil. I really do believe that how these kids were brought up and the environment and circumstances they have to live with affects their judgment and their capabilities of how they are able to express themselves in times of hardship.
A kid who grew up in an angry and violent atmosphere learn how to react on impulses when things occur that they don’t tolerate when they see they’re parents lash out with perhaps physical or verbal abuse as a response to their own intolerance towards something. These kids learn then that if they don't tolerate something or someone for whatever reason (impulses of emotion or physical stimuli) could spike a reaction similar to the ones they witness at home. They would probably resort to violence, either physical or verbal to help demonstrate their intolerance. Does that make this kid bad?
That idea, does ONE mistake; that ONE time the teasing went too far, make us bad people, is taken in this book and looked at from Ken’s perspective, the bully in his situation.
The ideas presented are honest and open and they come at you with their simplicity and their complexity to make us realize that these ideas about the, “antagonists, in all kinds of situations, are always considered BAD” may not be able to be considered as just black and white.
Although, I was slightly disappointed by the end, and its lack of depth that was portrayed in it’s characters and their flaws (don't get me wrong, they were honestly VERY REAL characters however I wanted a bit more depth to their personalities and their motives and the history that affected the way they did things....), I did still love this book for its complexity and simplicity and how realistic and raw and passionate it was. I highly recommend it!
I really, really liked this book, even if it did have its hang ups.
I loved this book for its honest brutality. The characters were so raw and real, however I wish that we had gotten to know a bit more about some of the secondary characters.... a bit more of the history of Brandon and Jeff and what happened between them.... I wish we got to see some more strength from Julie. Yes, she's messed up and she's got some trauma to deal with, but what made her so determined and so forgiving in this book is something I would have liked to have read more about.
The ending wasn't enough I don't think; it wasn’t a strong enough conclusion... I needed something more to wrap it up... its like an essay with no conclusion; there's nothing to tie all of the body paragraphs together and to help clarify questions for the reader.
I love it when books leave you with questions about the ideas that the book presents, but not about the characters or the plot or what happens now. I love books that leave you with a good impression from its foreshadowing of what is going to happen.... so that you are better able to realize where these people have come from and where they are going. It helps to show the depth of the book's characters and so I found that some of that depth was lacking.
Why did the author end with ken feeling the way he did with no further insights or indulgences.... it wasn't much different from the beginning except that now it seems he isn't so much obsessed with his guilt but there is something else that he has to deal with. It's like we only got to see half of Ken's healing. Like we only got to see the first couple of stages of how he attempts to get over what he did....
I didn't feel like the book covered as much as it could have. It could have covered so much more of the realities that each individual character had to deal with....
Julie
Ken
Jeff
Brandon
Even Julie’s dad.
I had so much more I was curious about. I saw each character behave and act in certain ways at times but what had prompted these actions I couldn't define or fully understand because it was as though I was missing some of the history that had established these actions in the first place.
I loved the book's depth of Ken and how he struggles within himself. I loved that different view that the book portrayed, that different twist on bullying.
Growing up in junior high I find that now cyber bullying and bullying in general is actually being addressed so much more, but what we haven't stopped to consider, is the other side of the whole problem; the bully themselves.
Kid's I don't believe are genetically decided to be evil. I really do believe that how these kids were brought up and the environment and circumstances they have to live with affects their judgment and their capabilities of how they are able to express themselves in times of hardship.
A kid who grew up in an angry and violent atmosphere learn how to react on impulses when things occur that they don’t tolerate when they see they’re parents lash out with perhaps physical or verbal abuse as a response to their own intolerance towards something. These kids learn then that if they don't tolerate something or someone for whatever reason (impulses of emotion or physical stimuli) could spike a reaction similar to the ones they witness at home. They would probably resort to violence, either physical or verbal to help demonstrate their intolerance. Does that make this kid bad?
That idea, does ONE mistake; that ONE time the teasing went too far, make us bad people, is taken in this book and looked at from Ken’s perspective, the bully in his situation.
The ideas presented are honest and open and they come at you with their simplicity and their complexity to make us realize that these ideas about the, “antagonists, in all kinds of situations, are always considered BAD” may not be able to be considered as just black and white.
Although, I was slightly disappointed by the end, and its lack of depth that was portrayed in it’s characters and their flaws (don't get me wrong, they were honestly VERY REAL characters however I wanted a bit more depth to their personalities and their motives and the history that affected the way they did things....), I did still love this book for its complexity and simplicity and how realistic and raw and passionate it was. I highly recommend it!
holly_tree's review against another edition
4.0
This book was about *GASP* bullying.
Now, typically, I run screaming for the hills when I find a book about *GASP* bullying, but the back of this particular book about *GASP* bullying made it sound much more mysterious and delicious.
And it was pretty good; I enjoyed it. I ... I don't know if "enjoyed" is the right word... I appreciated the idea of "Kenny" in Dan's mind. But really, how did he not figure it out? That *SPOILER ALERT* is was the same Murphy's?
And WHAT was up with the end? It was the worst! He's finally forgiven himself, he's faced Jack Murphy and survived, Pop's finally talking to him again, and he's finally, FINALLY let the cat out of the bag about Kenny, and he's receiving real treatment for it, BUT JULIE'S GONE. And Dan's saying nothing matters anymore.
WHAT?! CRAPPY!!
I spent the rest of the evening plotting a different ending. Because that JUST. DOESN'T. CUT. IT.
Now, typically, I run screaming for the hills when I find a book about *GASP* bullying, but the back of this particular book about *GASP* bullying made it sound much more mysterious and delicious.
And it was pretty good; I enjoyed it. I ... I don't know if "enjoyed" is the right word... I appreciated the idea of "Kenny" in Dan's mind. But really, how did he not figure it out? That *SPOILER ALERT* is was the same Murphy's?
And WHAT was up with the end? It was the worst! He's finally forgiven himself, he's faced Jack Murphy and survived, Pop's finally talking to him again, and he's finally, FINALLY let the cat out of the bag about Kenny, and he's receiving real treatment for it, BUT JULIE'S GONE. And Dan's saying nothing matters anymore.
WHAT?! CRAPPY!!
I spent the rest of the evening plotting a different ending. Because that JUST. DOESN'T. CUT. IT.
wonderfulnes's review against another edition
4.0
This is the kind of book where I realized I was at the end of the book I just wanted to yell "Noooo!" I feel like it left it off in a way that there could be a second book. I loved this book though. I was completely addicted to it while I was reading it. I fell in love with Danny/Kenny and just wanted to grab him by the shoulders and tell him "You are not an evil person!" But alas....
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
First book I've read that I think could be really well paired with 13 REASONS WHY
Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends
I was intrigued by the cover and summary of SEND when I saw it on a New Releases table at the bookstore, and as I'm always on the lookout for quality books related to bullying that will possibly engage my students, I decided I definitely wanted to read it. I was unprepared for the intensity of the story I would enter and the perspective that I would be seeing. From the first page, I was drawn into the story through the voice of the main character. Patty Blount uses an interesting tactic with an internal voice battling Dan throughout the book, and it added a much-needed depth to the story that allowed for the reader to feel a better understanding of what Dan's internal conflict is and how he grows in accepting his own circumstances.
Unfortunately, we all too often hear the stories of bullycides and hear about a final straw event or attack that happens right before. In this case, Dan caused the final straw event, and a young boy is dead. We don't often hear from the standpoint of the bully in these cases, and it isn't one we often sympathize with, but I think it's imperative as we try to send messages to students about bullying, that they see the perspective of the other side. In this case, Dan is that other side, but he's on the other side of spending time in juvie for his actions, and his life has been irrevocably changed. He thinks of himself as a murderer, even though he was a good kid before that, and his inner demons lead him to step in when he sees another kid being bullied so he can stop it. He doesn't want others to make the mistakes he has and he doesn't want anyone else to suffer in the way his victim did. It's an intense story, and as Dan starts to realize how much he likes Julie, and as he tries to befriend Brandon who is constantly being bullied, he has to come to accept some of the choices he has made and how to get past them so he can have a life. He made some big mistakes, but he's learned from them, and his focus is on not allowing those things to happen again. He doesn't think he deserves to be happy and have a girlfriend, but he is alive, so what's the use of that if he doesn't live? One of the strongest parts of this story for me were the interactions of Dan with his parents and grandfather. The family unit is strong in his life and it seems honest in the way that they fight for him and try to help him to be able to live a life beyond the mistakes he made.
This is a story of mistakes, honesty, survival, acceptance, and forgiveness. How can one forgive someone who led a kid to bullycide? How can the family forgive those actions? Can the person forgive himself? These are all questions that come up in this book. Dan's story helps us to think about all of that and possibly understand it in some small way. The repercussions of these actions are something that students and teens need to see and talk about and understand and realize. I hope SEND might be the book to lead to those important discussions about perspective and choices and actions and repercussions and doing the right thing in the face of wrong. Note: This story has a couple of mature scenes and there are many uses of mature language. I definitely think SEND is a book that should be shared with high school students. It's the first book that I've read that I think could be a good companion/ladder to 13 REASONS WHY, which is something I've been hoping to find for awhile.
Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends
I was intrigued by the cover and summary of SEND when I saw it on a New Releases table at the bookstore, and as I'm always on the lookout for quality books related to bullying that will possibly engage my students, I decided I definitely wanted to read it. I was unprepared for the intensity of the story I would enter and the perspective that I would be seeing. From the first page, I was drawn into the story through the voice of the main character. Patty Blount uses an interesting tactic with an internal voice battling Dan throughout the book, and it added a much-needed depth to the story that allowed for the reader to feel a better understanding of what Dan's internal conflict is and how he grows in accepting his own circumstances.
Unfortunately, we all too often hear the stories of bullycides and hear about a final straw event or attack that happens right before. In this case, Dan caused the final straw event, and a young boy is dead. We don't often hear from the standpoint of the bully in these cases, and it isn't one we often sympathize with, but I think it's imperative as we try to send messages to students about bullying, that they see the perspective of the other side. In this case, Dan is that other side, but he's on the other side of spending time in juvie for his actions, and his life has been irrevocably changed. He thinks of himself as a murderer, even though he was a good kid before that, and his inner demons lead him to step in when he sees another kid being bullied so he can stop it. He doesn't want others to make the mistakes he has and he doesn't want anyone else to suffer in the way his victim did. It's an intense story, and as Dan starts to realize how much he likes Julie, and as he tries to befriend Brandon who is constantly being bullied, he has to come to accept some of the choices he has made and how to get past them so he can have a life. He made some big mistakes, but he's learned from them, and his focus is on not allowing those things to happen again. He doesn't think he deserves to be happy and have a girlfriend, but he is alive, so what's the use of that if he doesn't live? One of the strongest parts of this story for me were the interactions of Dan with his parents and grandfather. The family unit is strong in his life and it seems honest in the way that they fight for him and try to help him to be able to live a life beyond the mistakes he made.
This is a story of mistakes, honesty, survival, acceptance, and forgiveness. How can one forgive someone who led a kid to bullycide? How can the family forgive those actions? Can the person forgive himself? These are all questions that come up in this book. Dan's story helps us to think about all of that and possibly understand it in some small way. The repercussions of these actions are something that students and teens need to see and talk about and understand and realize. I hope SEND might be the book to lead to those important discussions about perspective and choices and actions and repercussions and doing the right thing in the face of wrong. Note: This story has a couple of mature scenes and there are many uses of mature language. I definitely think SEND is a book that should be shared with high school students. It's the first book that I've read that I think could be a good companion/ladder to 13 REASONS WHY, which is something I've been hoping to find for awhile.
heather01602to60660's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting plot idea, not so great execution. I enjoy YA, but not when I read it the entire time with blaring "this is YA fiction!!" alarms going off.
The passage of time was weird, the characters ricocheting emotions were odd, the level of disbelief one had to suspend at certain points was beyond my ability, and the sheer believability of certain things just wasn't there for me, and the ending just made me want to throw the book if I hadn't been reading it on my Kindle.
The passage of time was weird, the characters ricocheting emotions were odd, the level of disbelief one had to suspend at certain points was beyond my ability, and the sheer believability of certain things just wasn't there for me, and the ending just made me want to throw the book if I hadn't been reading it on my Kindle.
maxgardner's review against another edition
4.0
This review is for an advanced reader's copy.
What impressed me most about this book was the way that Patty Blount handled the intense, hard-hitting scenes. While I can't say that I thought she was always on point with her writing, she did do an amazing job with the really emotional scenes, especially within the last 100 pages of the book. How the characters acted, what they said...by the end, I felt horrible forDan Kenny and relieved that there may be hope. The final couple of chapters left me glued to my seat, and there was one moment where I actually pulled away from the book because I did not want to know what was about to happen.
I thought the pace was a bit off, though, and the story seemed to drag at times. The dialogue also came off as unnatural in some scenes because I didn't feel it was really how teenager's would speak to each other. The characters did get kind of annoying, especially Julie (and especially especially Dan and Julie's interactions). The back-and-forth romance plot line took away from the main one that I was more interested in, which was Dan overcoming his guilt for his past transgression. I wanted to see that delved into more, but instead half of the story seemed too focused on their blooming, dysfunctional relationship. I got tired of it really quick, after the second or third time the same chain of general events happened - everything was fine, then all of a sudden one of them would overreact over something that didn't seem like a realistic trigger, then Dan would be really pissed off. It just got old fast.
But I thought she did a decent job wrapping it up. I was really surprised at the end, regardless of the obvious hints throughout. Blount did a good job convincing me and leading me off the trail that I immediately suspected the story would take. I was pretty upset with the ending, though, as it seemed unfinished and unresolved. I wanted more about the closure, and once again she brought it back to the love story and focused on that. I think this book had great potential to be a much deeper analysis of overcoming guilt and forgiving yourself, but instead it sacrificed that depth for the romance aspect.
Maybe there will be more to the ending in the published version (I guess I'll find out in a month). For now, I still gave it four stars because I believe that Blount has promise and the scenes that I was most interested in and that I thought were most important were done extremely well. I would still recommend it to someone, regardless of my problems with the romance.
What impressed me most about this book was the way that Patty Blount handled the intense, hard-hitting scenes. While I can't say that I thought she was always on point with her writing, she did do an amazing job with the really emotional scenes, especially within the last 100 pages of the book. How the characters acted, what they said...by the end, I felt horrible for
I thought the pace was a bit off, though, and the story seemed to drag at times. The dialogue also came off as unnatural in some scenes because I didn't feel it was really how teenager's would speak to each other. The characters did get kind of annoying, especially Julie (and especially especially Dan and Julie's interactions). The back-and-forth romance plot line took away from the main one that I was more interested in, which was Dan overcoming his guilt for his past transgression. I wanted to see that delved into more, but instead half of the story seemed too focused on their blooming, dysfunctional relationship. I got tired of it really quick, after the second or third time the same chain of general events happened - everything was fine, then all of a sudden one of them would overreact over something that didn't seem like a realistic trigger, then Dan would be really pissed off. It just got old fast.
But I thought she did a decent job wrapping it up. I was really surprised at the end, regardless of the obvious hints throughout. Blount did a good job convincing me and leading me off the trail that I immediately suspected the story would take. I was pretty upset with the ending, though, as it seemed unfinished and unresolved. I wanted more about the closure, and once again she brought it back to the love story and focused on that. I think this book had great potential to be a much deeper analysis of overcoming guilt and forgiving yourself, but instead it sacrificed that depth for the romance aspect.
Maybe there will be more to the ending in the published version (I guess I'll find out in a month). For now, I still gave it four stars because I believe that Blount has promise and the scenes that I was most interested in and that I thought were most important were done extremely well. I would still recommend it to someone, regardless of my problems with the romance.