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squirrelsohno's review against another edition
2.0
Girl is a HORRIBLE bully, but the moment she meets her opposite attract one true love, OMG I'M SO HORRIBLE, LIKE, REALLY!
2.5/5
2.5/5
bookishbyso's review against another edition
5.0
This book has been appearing pretty frequently in my various feeds, and I've been super intrigued to find out just why so many people couldn't even bring themselves to finish it.
As you may already know, this book begins after the death of a high school girl, Emma, who has committed suicide after being bullied and such. We get to see what happens after her death and what effects it has on everyone involved, as well as the sequence of events that led up to her death. However, this isn't told from Emma's perspective, or her family's or friends'. It's told from the perspective of Sara, one of the girls accused of bullying Emma and making her hate her life so much she'd rather end it than carry on living. And the worst part? Sara isn't even sorry. In her mind, Emma is a selfish girl who's ruined her life in taking her own.
This book was so so powerful. It packs a serious punch and makes you feel just a little bit sick inside. I found Sara to be such a complex, troubled character, and I switched between feeling for her and being disgusted by her throughout the novel. This just shows how brilliant Maciel's writing is, and I truly feel that it's because of her outstanding writing that the book is as powerful as it is.
There is no particular plot development or twists, as it's mostly character driven and the 'plot' so to speak has already occurred. I love reading these kind of books but only when they are done well because they heavily rely upon the author's writing skills to keep the reader engaged. In that sense I feel Amanda Maciel has done brilliantly, because despite it not being an 'enjoyable' book per say, it was definitely gripping and I couldn't put it down. She made me desperate to understand why. Why did Sara bully Emma? Why was she so adamant that was not sorry for what had happened? And the more I read, the more I understood.
In my opinion, Sara is just as much a victim in this story as Emma is, albeit in a different kind of way. People seem to allocate the term 'victim' to those who are unable to fight back or tough it out. Just because Sara is a bitch, doesn't mean to say she is not also a victim. She is the victim of an extremely toxic relationship with her one and only friend Brielle. Brielle has used Sara's friendship and manipulated her in horrible ways, making Sara depend on her as her only friend, messing with her emotions and bringing her into situations that put Sara at risk. It was horrible to read about, and even worse to think that on a subconscious level, Sara knew what Brielle was doing but felt powerless to stop it. That doesn't mean to say Sara is innocent and not at fault, because she has her own brain and she should use it to make her own choices. However she is still just an impressionable kid at the end of the day. She looked up to her one and only friend, who was her role model in a way when her own parents had stopped being good examples and left her to herself whilst giving her big responsibilities to handle such as her brothers.
I really think that Sara was sorry from the very beginning and regretted what she had done from the moment she found out Emma had killed herself, but didn't allow herself to aknowledge that remorse. She's the kind of girl that toughs these things out, and the only way she could handle all the people out there with their accusing stares was to convince herself they were wrong. I absolutely loved how she developed throughout the book, and was able to finally accept what had happened and what her role in Emma's death had been.
Emma is a girl I will never understand. She was quiet and mysterious and Sara never truly knew her which means we as the reader didn't either. It is sad but true that people often glorify the dead and ignore the bad qualities that that person may have had, and this shows in Amanda's brilliant novel too. Whilst everyone accuses Sara of bullying a sweet innocent girl, Emma was no angel by any means. She never seemed to try and make friends or explain herself to anyone and she did hurtful things to Sara such as taking her boyfriend. It may seem childish and minor, but that had a big impact on Sara. If we think about it, besides Brielle and her brothers, Sara's boyfriend was the only other person she really had, who she felt cared about what happened to her (even though he didn't really and he was as bad as Brielle in my opinion). When Emma took him away, she practically took away 50% of the people Sara had, which undoubtedly hurt. This doesn't justify Sara's bullying, but it makes me understand her a little.
All in all, this novel was amazing; from the way that it was written, to the issues it tackles and the way that it allows the reader to decide who's really guilty of bullying and who can be blamed for what happened. I can see why some people didn't finish it, but character development is a thing people! You have to give it a chance and remember that no one is truly innocent. There is so much more I could say about this book, but I'll stop gushing now and end by saying that I will most likely be getting myself a physical copy of this book because it's one that really made me think and that I will most likely be revisiting.
*this book was kindly given to me for review via netgalley*
As you may already know, this book begins after the death of a high school girl, Emma, who has committed suicide after being bullied and such. We get to see what happens after her death and what effects it has on everyone involved, as well as the sequence of events that led up to her death. However, this isn't told from Emma's perspective, or her family's or friends'. It's told from the perspective of Sara, one of the girls accused of bullying Emma and making her hate her life so much she'd rather end it than carry on living. And the worst part? Sara isn't even sorry. In her mind, Emma is a selfish girl who's ruined her life in taking her own.
This book was so so powerful. It packs a serious punch and makes you feel just a little bit sick inside. I found Sara to be such a complex, troubled character, and I switched between feeling for her and being disgusted by her throughout the novel. This just shows how brilliant Maciel's writing is, and I truly feel that it's because of her outstanding writing that the book is as powerful as it is.
There is no particular plot development or twists, as it's mostly character driven and the 'plot' so to speak has already occurred. I love reading these kind of books but only when they are done well because they heavily rely upon the author's writing skills to keep the reader engaged. In that sense I feel Amanda Maciel has done brilliantly, because despite it not being an 'enjoyable' book per say, it was definitely gripping and I couldn't put it down. She made me desperate to understand why. Why did Sara bully Emma? Why was she so adamant that was not sorry for what had happened? And the more I read, the more I understood.
In my opinion, Sara is just as much a victim in this story as Emma is, albeit in a different kind of way. People seem to allocate the term 'victim' to those who are unable to fight back or tough it out. Just because Sara is a bitch, doesn't mean to say she is not also a victim. She is the victim of an extremely toxic relationship with her one and only friend Brielle. Brielle has used Sara's friendship and manipulated her in horrible ways, making Sara depend on her as her only friend, messing with her emotions and bringing her into situations that put Sara at risk. It was horrible to read about, and even worse to think that on a subconscious level, Sara knew what Brielle was doing but felt powerless to stop it. That doesn't mean to say Sara is innocent and not at fault, because she has her own brain and she should use it to make her own choices. However she is still just an impressionable kid at the end of the day. She looked up to her one and only friend, who was her role model in a way when her own parents had stopped being good examples and left her to herself whilst giving her big responsibilities to handle such as her brothers.
I really think that Sara was sorry from the very beginning and regretted what she had done from the moment she found out Emma had killed herself, but didn't allow herself to aknowledge that remorse. She's the kind of girl that toughs these things out, and the only way she could handle all the people out there with their accusing stares was to convince herself they were wrong. I absolutely loved how she developed throughout the book, and was able to finally accept what had happened and what her role in Emma's death had been.
Emma is a girl I will never understand. She was quiet and mysterious and Sara never truly knew her which means we as the reader didn't either. It is sad but true that people often glorify the dead and ignore the bad qualities that that person may have had, and this shows in Amanda's brilliant novel too. Whilst everyone accuses Sara of bullying a sweet innocent girl, Emma was no angel by any means. She never seemed to try and make friends or explain herself to anyone and she did hurtful things to Sara such as taking her boyfriend. It may seem childish and minor, but that had a big impact on Sara. If we think about it, besides Brielle and her brothers, Sara's boyfriend was the only other person she really had, who she felt cared about what happened to her (even though he didn't really and he was as bad as Brielle in my opinion). When Emma took him away, she practically took away 50% of the people Sara had, which undoubtedly hurt. This doesn't justify Sara's bullying, but it makes me understand her a little.
All in all, this novel was amazing; from the way that it was written, to the issues it tackles and the way that it allows the reader to decide who's really guilty of bullying and who can be blamed for what happened. I can see why some people didn't finish it, but character development is a thing people! You have to give it a chance and remember that no one is truly innocent. There is so much more I could say about this book, but I'll stop gushing now and end by saying that I will most likely be getting myself a physical copy of this book because it's one that really made me think and that I will most likely be revisiting.
*this book was kindly given to me for review via netgalley*
somarostam's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the concept of this book when I first came across the blurb. A whole book about the consequences of bullying, it sounded right up my alley. And it really was a good book.
Sarah is not sure why she and her friends are blamed for Emma's death. Even though Emma's parents have taken the matter to court, it still doesn't mean that it was Sarah's fault. Sarah never considered herself a bully. But now, her life is being turned upside down, everyone in her town looks at her with dislike. And the only bright light in her life might be the cute weirdo, Carmichael.
You go into this book not liking the main character. She blames everyone around her for everything, while the one at fault is herself. She treats people cruelly, and wrongly. But Sarah has a way of creeping up on you, and I loved her at the end. She really changed into a better person and i admire the author's evident character development. It shined through Sarah and you can really see her growing up like a real person.
The plot is a great and powerful subject. I also admire the author's courage for choosing such a sensitive issue and handling it from the bully's point of view. She put her heart out into this book and you could feel her love for the characters and for the story as a whole.
We have a small set of characters in this book. And many of the characters, you don't really see or hear about that much. The main stage is left out for Sarah and her memories. Since, some chapters in the book are the NOW in the story and some of the others are the BEFORE. this is a hard technique for authors to master without disturbing the flow of the story-line. Amanda Maciel mastered it, indeed.
I liked the cute, teenage romance. It's nothing serious, but you can see the potential in the future for the characters. The ending was to my taste. Although this book is not perfect, and it was a bit not-likable at parts, I really enjoyed my ride. And I am looking out for the author's next books, hopefully.
Sarah is not sure why she and her friends are blamed for Emma's death. Even though Emma's parents have taken the matter to court, it still doesn't mean that it was Sarah's fault. Sarah never considered herself a bully. But now, her life is being turned upside down, everyone in her town looks at her with dislike. And the only bright light in her life might be the cute weirdo, Carmichael.
You go into this book not liking the main character. She blames everyone around her for everything, while the one at fault is herself. She treats people cruelly, and wrongly. But Sarah has a way of creeping up on you, and I loved her at the end. She really changed into a better person and i admire the author's evident character development. It shined through Sarah and you can really see her growing up like a real person.
The plot is a great and powerful subject. I also admire the author's courage for choosing such a sensitive issue and handling it from the bully's point of view. She put her heart out into this book and you could feel her love for the characters and for the story as a whole.
We have a small set of characters in this book. And many of the characters, you don't really see or hear about that much. The main stage is left out for Sarah and her memories. Since, some chapters in the book are the NOW in the story and some of the others are the BEFORE. this is a hard technique for authors to master without disturbing the flow of the story-line. Amanda Maciel mastered it, indeed.
I liked the cute, teenage romance. It's nothing serious, but you can see the potential in the future for the characters. The ending was to my taste. Although this book is not perfect, and it was a bit not-likable at parts, I really enjoyed my ride. And I am looking out for the author's next books, hopefully.
pikasqueaks's review against another edition
3.0
Awesome premise. Good writing.
Would have liked it a lot more if
This is one to talk about, and it's one that's showing very clearly who the readers are who think book characters have to be likeable in order to be interesting.
Would have liked it a lot more if
Spoiler
she didn't apologize or feel regret in the end.This is one to talk about, and it's one that's showing very clearly who the readers are who think book characters have to be likeable in order to be interesting.
amaliea's review against another edition
3.0
3,5 stars
Such a difficult book to rate. I don't know entirely how I feel about it.
Such a difficult book to rate. I don't know entirely how I feel about it.
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
5.0
I. Loved. This. Book.
Sara, her BFF Brielle, and three boys that they are friendly with are all in big trouble. Emma Putnam committed suicide and the blame is being placed solely on them. They are all being charged with bullying, harassment, stalking, and/or assault. Sure Sara didn't like Emma. Yes she maybe said and did some mean things to her. Yes it was her goal in life to get Emma to transfer out of their school. But did she force the girl to kill herself?? Did she put the rope around the girl's neck? And why doesn't everyone see that Emma isn't exactly the angelic martyr that the media is making her out to be? She had flaws too. She did some things that were not so nice herself.
As the trial nears, Sara is finding out that being branded a bully and a villian is a lonely existance. Her whole life exists in a lawyer's office, visits to her therapist, summer school, and the agonizing wait to see exactly what sort of consequences her actions will have.
My Thoughts:
Amazing book!!! I really connected with this book in a big way. It's about mean girls, and the other side of the story. Not the victim's side... the other side. Because every story has 2 sides right? And the thing is, if I read this from the victim's side, I probably would have HATED Brielle and Sara with a passion. But reading it from their side... I didn't hate them at all. I freaking related. I remember being in high school... people were not nice to me at times and I was not nice to them. And yeah it usually was over some guy. I remember feeling exactly like Sara when it came to boys. Like having a boyfriend and being with someone who is considered "cool" meant everything. How my whole freaking day would hinge on whether I got a call or an IM (yeah texting didn't exist back then) from whatever guy I was into. To think about how much energy and emotion I wasted on such dumb relationships honestly exhausts me.
I've seen a lot of bad reviews for this book and mostly it's because people are appalled at Sara not having remorse for what she did to Emma. And I see where they are coming from... but I also think it is unrealistic to believe that everybody in this type of situation would instantly feel responsibility. Sara did not kill Emma. Emma killed herself... and a lot of the reason why Emma killed herself had to do with things she did to make herself a target. If you go after the popular girl's boyfriend and CHEAT with him... you have to expect some backlash. I didn't agree with what Sara and Brielle did to Emma all the time, but I can see why they were pissed at Emma.
A main focus in this book is the friendship between Brielle and Sara. How Brielle is the dominant friend and Sara is always tip-toeing around her. Wanting to still be Brielle's favorite friend, wanting to be in the in-group, wanting Brielle's approval for whatever reason. Holy shit can I relate. I had a friend A LOT like Brielle. She wasn't the queen bee of our school (she didn't even go to my school), but I always felt like I had to be careful around her. And we weren't nice girls. If someone went against us, we held a grudge. I wouldn't say that we were bullies, but we definitely had a few battles with other girls for various reasons (like I said earlier, mostly over some guy).
I loved everything about this book. I loved how it wasn't stereotypical victim-loving. I loved the writing and the dialogue. And I loved how this felt like real high school. Sometimes I felt uncomfortable relating to these "mean girls". And I can't lie, sometimes I really hated Emma as well. She definitely didn't do herself any favors. But I think that's the whole point of the book, to show you that this kind of stuff is complicated. There is no black and white sometimes.
OVERALL: A book about bullying that shows you the flip-side. It's not about the bullying victim, it's about the bullies. It shows how life isn't always black and white, good and bad. I want everyone to read this because I think it shows a really important perspective. It gets a conversation going at the very least.
My Blog:
Sara, her BFF Brielle, and three boys that they are friendly with are all in big trouble. Emma Putnam committed suicide and the blame is being placed solely on them. They are all being charged with bullying, harassment, stalking, and/or assault. Sure Sara didn't like Emma. Yes she maybe said and did some mean things to her. Yes it was her goal in life to get Emma to transfer out of their school. But did she force the girl to kill herself?? Did she put the rope around the girl's neck? And why doesn't everyone see that Emma isn't exactly the angelic martyr that the media is making her out to be? She had flaws too. She did some things that were not so nice herself.
As the trial nears, Sara is finding out that being branded a bully and a villian is a lonely existance. Her whole life exists in a lawyer's office, visits to her therapist, summer school, and the agonizing wait to see exactly what sort of consequences her actions will have.
My Thoughts:
Amazing book!!! I really connected with this book in a big way. It's about mean girls, and the other side of the story. Not the victim's side... the other side. Because every story has 2 sides right? And the thing is, if I read this from the victim's side, I probably would have HATED Brielle and Sara with a passion. But reading it from their side... I didn't hate them at all. I freaking related. I remember being in high school... people were not nice to me at times and I was not nice to them. And yeah it usually was over some guy. I remember feeling exactly like Sara when it came to boys. Like having a boyfriend and being with someone who is considered "cool" meant everything. How my whole freaking day would hinge on whether I got a call or an IM (yeah texting didn't exist back then) from whatever guy I was into. To think about how much energy and emotion I wasted on such dumb relationships honestly exhausts me.
I've seen a lot of bad reviews for this book and mostly it's because people are appalled at Sara not having remorse for what she did to Emma. And I see where they are coming from... but I also think it is unrealistic to believe that everybody in this type of situation would instantly feel responsibility. Sara did not kill Emma. Emma killed herself... and a lot of the reason why Emma killed herself had to do with things she did to make herself a target. If you go after the popular girl's boyfriend and CHEAT with him... you have to expect some backlash. I didn't agree with what Sara and Brielle did to Emma all the time, but I can see why they were pissed at Emma.
A main focus in this book is the friendship between Brielle and Sara. How Brielle is the dominant friend and Sara is always tip-toeing around her. Wanting to still be Brielle's favorite friend, wanting to be in the in-group, wanting Brielle's approval for whatever reason. Holy shit can I relate. I had a friend A LOT like Brielle. She wasn't the queen bee of our school (she didn't even go to my school), but I always felt like I had to be careful around her. And we weren't nice girls. If someone went against us, we held a grudge. I wouldn't say that we were bullies, but we definitely had a few battles with other girls for various reasons (like I said earlier, mostly over some guy).
I loved everything about this book. I loved how it wasn't stereotypical victim-loving. I loved the writing and the dialogue. And I loved how this felt like real high school. Sometimes I felt uncomfortable relating to these "mean girls". And I can't lie, sometimes I really hated Emma as well. She definitely didn't do herself any favors. But I think that's the whole point of the book, to show you that this kind of stuff is complicated. There is no black and white sometimes.
OVERALL: A book about bullying that shows you the flip-side. It's not about the bullying victim, it's about the bullies. It shows how life isn't always black and white, good and bad. I want everyone to read this because I think it shows a really important perspective. It gets a conversation going at the very least.
My Blog:
probablyytori's review against another edition
2.0
More like 2.5 stars. Maybe 3. I'll have to think about it.
Honestly, my feelings are so mixed when it comes to this book. On one hand, I liked it, and it taught an important lesson. On the other hand, I really couldn't stand Sara, her problems, and her friends. The pace wasn't prime either, and I feel like the plot never really "took off" in a sense. The writing was irritating at times, because the author wrote like Sara spoke, therefore there were instances of "like" everywhere. And I could never decide whether or not Emma did the things Brielle and Sara accused her of or not. That's the drawback of the book being in first person--it's biased.
Review to come.
Honestly, my feelings are so mixed when it comes to this book. On one hand, I liked it, and it taught an important lesson. On the other hand, I really couldn't stand Sara, her problems, and her friends. The pace wasn't prime either, and I feel like the plot never really "took off" in a sense. The writing was irritating at times, because the author wrote like Sara spoke, therefore there were instances of "like" everywhere. And I could never decide whether or not Emma did the things Brielle and Sara accused her of or not. That's the drawback of the book being in first person--it's biased.
Review to come.
emjrasmussen's review against another edition
Tease is one of the most difficult books I have ever had to review because I can tell it will be one of the most polarizing YA releases of the year. I loved it for its villainous protagonist, but for the same reason, many people will hate—and have hated—this novel. The reader’s take on Sara can make or break the book.
For most of the story, Sara is a terrible person, or at least a spineless person who easily allows her friends to pressure her into doing terrible things. She has zero self-confidence or self-respect, a truth she proves by jumping to call Emma a slut when she as much as speaks to Sara’s boyfriend. She does not mastermind any wild schemes to torment Emma—her best friend Brielle does that—but she goes along with them, worried about staying in Brielle’s favor. She shows little to no remorse for her actions toward Emma because she is too busy whining about how Emma’s death affects her. She does make some changes to her outlook, but not until the last few chapters. To top it all off, Maciel tells the story exclusively from Sara’s point of view, so readers never get a break from her exhausting voice.
After realizing what kind of person Sara is, readers can react in one of two ways. For some, the protagonist’s narrative will prove to be too much to take. They may think Tease contains too much bullying, selfishness, and slut-shaming and not enough explicit statements to indicate Sara’s actions are wrong. These readers may feel like this book advocates for the bullies and could make a good case that it does.
Others, however, will love the way Maciel subtly criticizes—but does not condemn—Sara, letting the character come to terms with her feelings at a slow, realistic pace. Members of this group will appreciate that the author never sounds preachy because she lets her characters and readers uncover her story’s morals for themselves. These readers will be able to tell for themselves that Sara and her friends should not have treated Emma the way they did, so they will love the way Maciel focuses on developing a challenging character rather than awkwardly injecting messages. As someone who loves getting into the head of antagonists and discovering why they are the protagonists in their versions of the world, I fall into the latter group of people.
No matter which side a reader associates with, he or she should remember that a character’s beliefs and actions do not necessarily mirror the author’s or represent the values the story is promoting. Yes, the characters in Tease participate in bullying and slut-shaming. No, Maciel does not condone these actions. Instead, she uses her ignorant protagonist to show that bullying is not acceptable and renew readers’ determination to be less like Sara. I would not recommend this novel to anyone who could not deal with its painful subject matter, but I would push it upon anyone willing to look past an unconventional main character to find a thought-provoking story. Its effortless morals will spark discussion and compel readers to consider their actions toward their peers, making Tease a powerful story no matter how individual readers look at it.
This review originally appeared at www.litup-review.com.
For most of the story, Sara is a terrible person, or at least a spineless person who easily allows her friends to pressure her into doing terrible things. She has zero self-confidence or self-respect, a truth she proves by jumping to call Emma a slut when she as much as speaks to Sara’s boyfriend. She does not mastermind any wild schemes to torment Emma—her best friend Brielle does that—but she goes along with them, worried about staying in Brielle’s favor. She shows little to no remorse for her actions toward Emma because she is too busy whining about how Emma’s death affects her. She does make some changes to her outlook, but not until the last few chapters. To top it all off, Maciel tells the story exclusively from Sara’s point of view, so readers never get a break from her exhausting voice.
After realizing what kind of person Sara is, readers can react in one of two ways. For some, the protagonist’s narrative will prove to be too much to take. They may think Tease contains too much bullying, selfishness, and slut-shaming and not enough explicit statements to indicate Sara’s actions are wrong. These readers may feel like this book advocates for the bullies and could make a good case that it does.
Others, however, will love the way Maciel subtly criticizes—but does not condemn—Sara, letting the character come to terms with her feelings at a slow, realistic pace. Members of this group will appreciate that the author never sounds preachy because she lets her characters and readers uncover her story’s morals for themselves. These readers will be able to tell for themselves that Sara and her friends should not have treated Emma the way they did, so they will love the way Maciel focuses on developing a challenging character rather than awkwardly injecting messages. As someone who loves getting into the head of antagonists and discovering why they are the protagonists in their versions of the world, I fall into the latter group of people.
No matter which side a reader associates with, he or she should remember that a character’s beliefs and actions do not necessarily mirror the author’s or represent the values the story is promoting. Yes, the characters in Tease participate in bullying and slut-shaming. No, Maciel does not condone these actions. Instead, she uses her ignorant protagonist to show that bullying is not acceptable and renew readers’ determination to be less like Sara. I would not recommend this novel to anyone who could not deal with its painful subject matter, but I would push it upon anyone willing to look past an unconventional main character to find a thought-provoking story. Its effortless morals will spark discussion and compel readers to consider their actions toward their peers, making Tease a powerful story no matter how individual readers look at it.
This review originally appeared at www.litup-review.com.
regitzexenia's review against another edition
2.0
I basically tore this book out of my shelves yesterday afternoon. Why?
Because I was desperate. Ironically, my head is full of this week's exam, but I find it really, really difficult to focus on basically anything.
So I thought I'd read a book. Just to clear my head, relax and hopefully I'd stop my catastrophic thoughts before they tore my mind apart again. Let's just say, these past ten days or so have not been too good for me.
But that is not what this review is supposed to be about.
I picked out Tease, because as a former victim of bullying, I really thought it sounded interesting. I'm still not quite sure what to think though.
I was, and am, very intrigued by the fact that it wasn't the victim's story. Or, at least not the victim of bullying. But I also think that oftentimes, the main character Sara's words sounded way too much like an excuse for bullying, like it is okay if everyone does it and in the end, they didn't kill her themselves, they (might) drove her to do it herself.
Maybe that it why the more I think about it, the more I don't think I liked this book.
At least not until the ending. Until Sara realised that she was truly sorry for Emma taking her life, even if she didn't believe that she had anything to do with it, she at least seemed to come around and start to realise the wrong of what she and her friends had been doing.
I continually had to put down the book, because I was strangely angry. Every time Sara or one of her friends claimed they didn't do anything wrong, it irked me. Just because they didn't kill her, or didn't want her to kill herself, didn't make it okay for them to bully her. And that's problaby my biggest problem with the book. The more I write for this review, the more I realise that while it served it's purpose and told a side of the story that I don't think I've seen around anywhere else (except for the 2011 movie, Cyberbully), it ended up feeling like an excuse for bullying, an excuse grounded in peer pressure.
And I hate that.
Maybe I'd like this story more if I didn't know what it is like to be the victim of bullying, to feel like everyone is against you and out to get you. Maybe I'd like it more if I didn't feel too much like an excuse.
Or maybe I'm just not meant to like it at all.
Because I was desperate. Ironically, my head is full of this week's exam, but I find it really, really difficult to focus on basically anything.
So I thought I'd read a book. Just to clear my head, relax and hopefully I'd stop my catastrophic thoughts before they tore my mind apart again. Let's just say, these past ten days or so have not been too good for me.
But that is not what this review is supposed to be about.
I picked out Tease, because as a former victim of bullying, I really thought it sounded interesting. I'm still not quite sure what to think though.
I was, and am, very intrigued by the fact that it wasn't the victim's story. Or, at least not the victim of bullying. But I also think that oftentimes, the main character Sara's words sounded way too much like an excuse for bullying, like it is okay if everyone does it and in the end, they didn't kill her themselves, they (might) drove her to do it herself.
Maybe that it why the more I think about it, the more I don't think I liked this book.
At least not until the ending. Until Sara realised that she was truly sorry for Emma taking her life, even if she didn't believe that she had anything to do with it, she at least seemed to come around and start to realise the wrong of what she and her friends had been doing.
I continually had to put down the book, because I was strangely angry. Every time Sara or one of her friends claimed they didn't do anything wrong, it irked me. Just because they didn't kill her, or didn't want her to kill herself, didn't make it okay for them to bully her. And that's problaby my biggest problem with the book. The more I write for this review, the more I realise that while it served it's purpose and told a side of the story that I don't think I've seen around anywhere else (except for the 2011 movie, Cyberbully), it ended up feeling like an excuse for bullying, an excuse grounded in peer pressure.
And I hate that.
Maybe I'd like this story more if I didn't know what it is like to be the victim of bullying, to feel like everyone is against you and out to get you. Maybe I'd like it more if I didn't feel too much like an excuse.
Or maybe I'm just not meant to like it at all.
nicoleabouttown's review against another edition
4.0
BOOKS
Tease by Amanda Maciel | Book Review
December 18, 2015
Review
When I initially sat down to write this review, I struggled. I apologize right now if this review makes little to no sense, or says little to nothing about the actual book. I really didn’t know to feel about Tease by Amanda Maciel. Was it a good book? Was it a bad book? would I read it again? Would I recommend it to someone else? After sitting down and thinking about it for a while it came to me. Tease wasn’t a good book or a bad book, it was a difficult book about a difficult topic, bullying and it’s aftermath. I did enjoy this book, but not in the way that you may be thinking. It is not my favourite book of all time, it did not give me All The Feelings. *side note* The feelings it did give me were ones of overwhelming rage and disappointment. I enjoyed Tease by Amanda Maciel because it was a necessary book.
Lets get one thing straight right off the bat. You are probably not going to like any of the characters in this book. Not a one of them. I mean when we first meet our main character she is in her lawyers office being questioned and she is more concerned with how ‘hot’ the intern is. Not those who did the bullying or even the girl who was bullied. They are all petty, and self-absorbed, and juvenile. But then again, that is the point. Bullying is petty, self-absorbed, and juvenile and it is a way of fitting in for some and attention-getting for others. The bullying in Tease was pretty severe as far as bullying goes. It was also over boys, and girls, and kids attempting to have relationships that they weren’t ready for mentally or emotionally in the hopes of fitting in. I would like to say that that the bullying in Tease, while more severe, was the exception to the rule. Sadly, it’s more common than any of us would like to think.
I really, really look forward to a time when books like Tease are no longer necessary or at the very least serve as a testament of bad behaviour long past. But sadly, with each bullied child that takes their own life or simply suffers in silence, we seem to need books like this more and more.
Tease by Amanda Maciel | Book Review
December 18, 2015
Review
When I initially sat down to write this review, I struggled. I apologize right now if this review makes little to no sense, or says little to nothing about the actual book. I really didn’t know to feel about Tease by Amanda Maciel. Was it a good book? Was it a bad book? would I read it again? Would I recommend it to someone else? After sitting down and thinking about it for a while it came to me. Tease wasn’t a good book or a bad book, it was a difficult book about a difficult topic, bullying and it’s aftermath. I did enjoy this book, but not in the way that you may be thinking. It is not my favourite book of all time, it did not give me All The Feelings. *side note* The feelings it did give me were ones of overwhelming rage and disappointment. I enjoyed Tease by Amanda Maciel because it was a necessary book.
Lets get one thing straight right off the bat. You are probably not going to like any of the characters in this book. Not a one of them. I mean when we first meet our main character she is in her lawyers office being questioned and she is more concerned with how ‘hot’ the intern is. Not those who did the bullying or even the girl who was bullied. They are all petty, and self-absorbed, and juvenile. But then again, that is the point. Bullying is petty, self-absorbed, and juvenile and it is a way of fitting in for some and attention-getting for others. The bullying in Tease was pretty severe as far as bullying goes. It was also over boys, and girls, and kids attempting to have relationships that they weren’t ready for mentally or emotionally in the hopes of fitting in. I would like to say that that the bullying in Tease, while more severe, was the exception to the rule. Sadly, it’s more common than any of us would like to think.
I really, really look forward to a time when books like Tease are no longer necessary or at the very least serve as a testament of bad behaviour long past. But sadly, with each bullied child that takes their own life or simply suffers in silence, we seem to need books like this more and more.