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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Tease is structured around the suicide of Emma Putman and shifts back and forth between the months leading up to her death and the months leading up to the court appearance of the teens who are charged with harassing her. This was an effective way of presenting the story. The story is told from the point of view of Sara, one of the bullies, and it was interesting (though frustrating at times) to see the unfolding of events from her perspective.
For me, Tease was not an enjoyable read. It's one of those cases where as an adult reading YA I respond to the characters and situations differently than how a teen probably would (see my teen reviewer’s response below for evidence of this). I thought the main character Sara and her best friend Brielle were extremely realistic, but that did not stop me from wanting to grab them both and give them a good shake. At one point Sara’s dad, who is not around much and basically a jerk, says “Take responsibility, young lady! It’s time to grow up! Can’t you see that you’ve been acting like a child?” And I was like, Yea, Dad! That’s the first useful contribution from you and it’s on page 273. It took you long enough!
The point that I’m getting at is that this novel reminds us that adolescence is a time when individuals often fail to anticipate the consequences of their actions. It is also a time of life when people are most likely to believe that they are indeed the center of the universe. This is not an indictment of today’s teens specifically, but more of an observation of teens in general. Though there are elements of the story that are specific to modern teen life (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), the casual cruelty that Sara and Brielle display is not something new. Though the characters are well drawn, they are not pleasant. One of the things that bothered me about the book is that Sara fails to take any responsibility for her actions until almost the very end. At the hearing in which she and the other students accept the plea deals their lawyers have made for them, she gives a little speech and even speaks directly to Emma for a moment, and it all felt really fake to me because up until that point she’s never seemed to accept any blame at all. I hope that when teens read this book they are able to see Sara’s mistakes and bad decisions more than she ever does.
Dominique rated it 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Realistic fiction, suspense, Criminal
Literary Merit: 10
Characterization: Suspenseful, Funny, Tear jerker, Intense
Recommendation: Awesome
Summary: A girl name Emma Putnam has committed suicide and everyone is pointing blame at Sara and her friends who frequently bullied and tormented the girl...but there's always another side to a story, and as Sara reflects on the moments she had with Emma maybe she'll learn that every side of story has a flaw.
Review: This book is 10% love 20% blame 15% amazing characters 5% truth 50% raw emotion, suspense = 100% reason to read this book over and over. This book really caught me I could not but it down. Amanda Maciel really put's every moment and emotion to the test and helps bring these characters alive.
For me, Tease was not an enjoyable read. It's one of those cases where as an adult reading YA I respond to the characters and situations differently than how a teen probably would (see my teen reviewer’s response below for evidence of this). I thought the main character Sara and her best friend Brielle were extremely realistic, but that did not stop me from wanting to grab them both and give them a good shake. At one point Sara’s dad, who is not around much and basically a jerk, says “Take responsibility, young lady! It’s time to grow up! Can’t you see that you’ve been acting like a child?” And I was like, Yea, Dad! That’s the first useful contribution from you and it’s on page 273. It took you long enough!
The point that I’m getting at is that this novel reminds us that adolescence is a time when individuals often fail to anticipate the consequences of their actions. It is also a time of life when people are most likely to believe that they are indeed the center of the universe. This is not an indictment of today’s teens specifically, but more of an observation of teens in general. Though there are elements of the story that are specific to modern teen life (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), the casual cruelty that Sara and Brielle display is not something new. Though the characters are well drawn, they are not pleasant. One of the things that bothered me about the book is that Sara fails to take any responsibility for her actions until almost the very end. At the hearing in which she and the other students accept the plea deals their lawyers have made for them, she gives a little speech and even speaks directly to Emma for a moment, and it all felt really fake to me because up until that point she’s never seemed to accept any blame at all. I hope that when teens read this book they are able to see Sara’s mistakes and bad decisions more than she ever does.
Dominique rated it 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Realistic fiction, suspense, Criminal
Literary Merit: 10
Characterization: Suspenseful, Funny, Tear jerker, Intense
Recommendation: Awesome
Summary: A girl name Emma Putnam has committed suicide and everyone is pointing blame at Sara and her friends who frequently bullied and tormented the girl...but there's always another side to a story, and as Sara reflects on the moments she had with Emma maybe she'll learn that every side of story has a flaw.
Review: This book is 10% love 20% blame 15% amazing characters 5% truth 50% raw emotion, suspense = 100% reason to read this book over and over. This book really caught me I could not but it down. Amanda Maciel really put's every moment and emotion to the test and helps bring these characters alive.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is about the perspective of the bully after a terrible accident. I really liked the change in pace of this book, it looks deeper into a perspective that isn't often looked at. It was difficult to read at times, but I think it was really worth it. I loved the way that I got to know the characters inside out, learn about their struggles and triumphs, etc.
Tease follows a girl named Sara who (along with a number of other students) is facing criminal charges following the suicide of her classmate, Emma. Prior to Emma's suicide, Sara and her friends had engaged in a vicious campaign of harassment and bullying.
It was interesting to see a story told from a bully's point of view. Bully character's are often treated as essentially forces of pure evil with no real underlying motivation. While Sara and her friends were basically pure evil in their treatment of Emma, they had motives (even if they were shitty ones; mostly, they didn't like that Emma kept inserting herself in their social circle and taking the boys attention away from them. Like I said, shitty motivations).
I think in order to address bullying, you have to understand why it's happening. But if your "why" is just "these people are irredeemable monsters" you're not going to get anywhere. Most people don't bully just because they want to be mean. They bully because of twisted logic and misplaced fear. To get them to stop, you have to address their problems at the roots.
It was interesting to see a story told from a bully's point of view. Bully character's are often treated as essentially forces of pure evil with no real underlying motivation. While Sara and her friends were basically pure evil in their treatment of Emma, they had motives (even if they were shitty ones; mostly, they didn't like that Emma kept inserting herself in their social circle and taking the boys attention away from them. Like I said, shitty motivations).
I think in order to address bullying, you have to understand why it's happening. But if your "why" is just "these people are irredeemable monsters" you're not going to get anywhere. Most people don't bully just because they want to be mean. They bully because of twisted logic and misplaced fear. To get them to stop, you have to address their problems at the roots.
I really enjoyed this book. I had an issue with Sara Wharton throughout the whole book along with the rest of the characters. Even after everything happened they wouldn't take responsibility for their actions.
A fine book about a tough subject, with the unexpected side of the story being told.
Emma Putnam killed herself last spring--and Sara is blamed. It was her and her best friend Brielle's bullying that led her to take her own life; at least, that's what everyone at school, the media and Emma's parents think. Sara and three of her friends are being charged for harassment and stalking.
And now Sara's alone. The only problem is, she doesn't think it's her fault, and no one agrees. Sure, she picked on Emma. But so did everyone else. And it's not like Emma was perfect, she wasn't the innocent victim that everyone has made her out to be. But as Sara recalls the moments that are being pointed out against her, she realizes that it's not about blame. It's about regret.
This book had a lot of potential. It could have been incredible. But something was missing. I don't know what exactly, but Tease was just lacking.
I liked that it was written from the opposite side. Usually, novels about bullying are written from the victim's point of view--and rightfully so. It's their story that deserves to be heard, and understood. But it was incredible to read a book from the bully's. Especially because this is such a tricky scenario. Sara didn't actually kill anybody. She didn't hang Emma Putnam. But in a way, she did. Her words and actions made Emma want to disappear. So she did. But we still live in a world where that conclusion is a murky one, because can we really blame someone else for what was obviously self-inflicted? Who knows.
I thought Sara was a great character. I sympathized with her, which surprised me. She's a bully, and she does some really mean things. But she never thought her actions would result in Emma's death--she just wanted Emma to transfer schools. And yeah, Emma wasn't perfect. She was bitchy too and vindictive too, but Sara and Brielle were worse. Brielle, actually, was hard to read about. She was a terrible person. I felt negative a thousand percent sorry for her. She had zero remorse for her actions.
But like I said, this book just didn't make me feel...much of anything. I wasn't moved like I should have been. However, it's a pretty interesting point of view, and I think people should check it out.
Emma Putnam killed herself last spring--and Sara is blamed. It was her and her best friend Brielle's bullying that led her to take her own life; at least, that's what everyone at school, the media and Emma's parents think. Sara and three of her friends are being charged for harassment and stalking.
And now Sara's alone. The only problem is, she doesn't think it's her fault, and no one agrees. Sure, she picked on Emma. But so did everyone else. And it's not like Emma was perfect, she wasn't the innocent victim that everyone has made her out to be. But as Sara recalls the moments that are being pointed out against her, she realizes that it's not about blame. It's about regret.
This book had a lot of potential. It could have been incredible. But something was missing. I don't know what exactly, but Tease was just lacking.
I liked that it was written from the opposite side. Usually, novels about bullying are written from the victim's point of view--and rightfully so. It's their story that deserves to be heard, and understood. But it was incredible to read a book from the bully's. Especially because this is such a tricky scenario. Sara didn't actually kill anybody. She didn't hang Emma Putnam. But in a way, she did. Her words and actions made Emma want to disappear. So she did. But we still live in a world where that conclusion is a murky one, because can we really blame someone else for what was obviously self-inflicted? Who knows.
I thought Sara was a great character. I sympathized with her, which surprised me. She's a bully, and she does some really mean things. But she never thought her actions would result in Emma's death--she just wanted Emma to transfer schools. And yeah, Emma wasn't perfect. She was bitchy too and vindictive too, but Sara and Brielle were worse. Brielle, actually, was hard to read about. She was a terrible person. I felt negative a thousand percent sorry for her. She had zero remorse for her actions.
But like I said, this book just didn't make me feel...much of anything. I wasn't moved like I should have been. However, it's a pretty interesting point of view, and I think people should check it out.
Sara Wharton is a bully. She and her friends are at the top social tier of the school with football players and they tormented Emma Putnam every single day. They called her names, set up fake social media accounts, and stalked her, among other numerous things. The abuse escalated until Emma committed suicide. Now Sara and four of her classmates are being charged criminally for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's death. The public has already judged them and treat them similar to how they treated Emma. They are ostracized, called names, and seen as the lowest of the low. Sara maintains that she has done nothing wrong because she didn't commit murder and remains unconvinced that Emma didn't deserve to be treated that way. Sara has plenty of time to reflect on the time between meeting with her lawyers, her therapist, and going to summer school. Not only does she have to come to terms with her actions, but she also has to figure out how to move forward with her life.
Cases like Emma's are unfortunately not uncommon. I can remember numerous cases where young people were tormented by bullies and decided to take their lives. It's easy to empathize and sympathize with the victims of these bullies, but it's hard for me to feel anything but anger and disgust for unrepentant bullies. A recent case comes to mind where two girls aged 12 and 14 stalked and bullied a girl who then committed suicide. Their response was IDGAF (I don't give a fuck). I had no idea how someone could be so callous and cruel or what kind of thought process goes into that. Now I have some idea. Sara is not an easy narrator to relate to or even like. Much of her narrative made me enraged because of how clueless she was to what her actions caused. She maintains that she did nothing wrong and justifies her incredibly hurtful actions by saying everyone else does it and Emma deserved it. Throughout most of the book, she shows no remorse and only laments how her life is ruined. However, no bully is completely evil and they don't deserve to in turn be bullied. We should be trying to work to educate people so things like this don't happen instead of justifying and perpetuating bullying behavior. In an article about the girls I mentioned earlier, the comments section is full of people calling them names and saying they deserve to die or be incarcerated for life. How is this any different than what those girls did?
The themes in the novel are relevant to teens today. Peer pressure is a major reason why so many people bullied Emma and the situation got so out of hand. Teens want to appear cool and do what they popular kids are doing. Sara had a toxic relationship with her best friend Brielle queen bee of the school, who put down everyone including her friends. She manipulated those around her and masterminded a lot of the abuse. Sara went along with it for a while and then went to extremes with it because of Brielle's support. Their relationship skewed what is right and wrong because they acted like an echo chamber where dissent is grounds for social suicide. Another strong theme is sexuality and how its perceived by others. If girls are sexual in any way, including simply initiating conversations with boys, they are labeled sluts. If they withhold sex, they are labeled prudes and teases. Boys are rarely looked down upon for their sexuality, even if they cheat on their girlfriends or have multiple partners. The girl they cheated with (in this case Emma) bears all the consequences of an action that takes two people. Society's skewed view of female sexuality hurts these girls: Emma is a slut for "sleeping around" (which may not even be true) and this label is the main reason why she is so tormented by her classmates; Sara has sex with her boyfriend not because she wants to, but because it's what's expected of her or her boyfriend will go elsewhere if she doesn't; and Brielle blames herself for being raped and dismisses her own negative feelings about it. These issues still affect women in adulthood and it's a major societal problem that needs to be addressed.
Tease is an important novel because it touches on a lot of issues teens have to face and makes us see another side of bullying. No one in the story is perfect. Even Emma makes mistakes and says hurtful things, but she doesn't deserve to be stalked and humiliated at every turn. Neither does Sara, even though much of what she did was horrible. This is the best book I've seen about bullying. I only have one complaint. I would like to have seen Emma's perspective. I don't think Sara ever really understood her or thought to see the situation from her perspective.
Cases like Emma's are unfortunately not uncommon. I can remember numerous cases where young people were tormented by bullies and decided to take their lives. It's easy to empathize and sympathize with the victims of these bullies, but it's hard for me to feel anything but anger and disgust for unrepentant bullies. A recent case comes to mind where two girls aged 12 and 14 stalked and bullied a girl who then committed suicide. Their response was IDGAF (I don't give a fuck). I had no idea how someone could be so callous and cruel or what kind of thought process goes into that. Now I have some idea. Sara is not an easy narrator to relate to or even like. Much of her narrative made me enraged because of how clueless she was to what her actions caused. She maintains that she did nothing wrong and justifies her incredibly hurtful actions by saying everyone else does it and Emma deserved it. Throughout most of the book, she shows no remorse and only laments how her life is ruined. However, no bully is completely evil and they don't deserve to in turn be bullied. We should be trying to work to educate people so things like this don't happen instead of justifying and perpetuating bullying behavior. In an article about the girls I mentioned earlier, the comments section is full of people calling them names and saying they deserve to die or be incarcerated for life. How is this any different than what those girls did?
The themes in the novel are relevant to teens today. Peer pressure is a major reason why so many people bullied Emma and the situation got so out of hand. Teens want to appear cool and do what they popular kids are doing. Sara had a toxic relationship with her best friend Brielle queen bee of the school, who put down everyone including her friends. She manipulated those around her and masterminded a lot of the abuse. Sara went along with it for a while and then went to extremes with it because of Brielle's support. Their relationship skewed what is right and wrong because they acted like an echo chamber where dissent is grounds for social suicide. Another strong theme is sexuality and how its perceived by others. If girls are sexual in any way, including simply initiating conversations with boys, they are labeled sluts. If they withhold sex, they are labeled prudes and teases. Boys are rarely looked down upon for their sexuality, even if they cheat on their girlfriends or have multiple partners. The girl they cheated with (in this case Emma) bears all the consequences of an action that takes two people. Society's skewed view of female sexuality hurts these girls: Emma is a slut for "sleeping around" (which may not even be true) and this label is the main reason why she is so tormented by her classmates; Sara has sex with her boyfriend not because she wants to, but because it's what's expected of her or her boyfriend will go elsewhere if she doesn't; and Brielle blames herself for being raped and dismisses her own negative feelings about it. These issues still affect women in adulthood and it's a major societal problem that needs to be addressed.
Tease is an important novel because it touches on a lot of issues teens have to face and makes us see another side of bullying. No one in the story is perfect. Even Emma makes mistakes and says hurtful things, but she doesn't deserve to be stalked and humiliated at every turn. Neither does Sara, even though much of what she did was horrible. This is the best book I've seen about bullying. I only have one complaint. I would like to have seen Emma's perspective. I don't think Sara ever really understood her or thought to see the situation from her perspective.
Ik weet echt niet hoe ik dit in vredesnaam een bepaald aantal sterren zou moeten geven, dus ik ga het maar gewoon niet proberen en nog even nadenken over wat ik hier nu precies van vond.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was just deeply deeply average. It didn’t affect me in anyway and felt plain pointless. I didn’t feel an urge to read on and the writing was not great. The points of of view felt quite confusing and didn’t contribute much to the plot. I loved the storyline though and wish it were elaborated more on more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape
This was a slower book for me, but I admired the way it was written and the message that it sent.