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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
While I have never read a book quite like this and it was amazing there were some annoying flaws. I thought the main character Sara was too dependent on the other people, and even the day before they went to court for the plea deal she was saying how she wasn't sorry because it wasn't her fault. Then in her apology she was so horribly sorry for what happened and apologizing like she was sorry for a long time. Did she have a revelation the night before in-between chapters we didn't know about? Also I didn't like how the author had sara going back to Dylan even after he cheated on her and after Emma's death. She wasn't supposed to talk to any of the other people in the case and she goes and sees him almost weekly or monthly behind a grocery store he works at? While I know that this book was based off of true events, and it's a great plotline I think it needs changes.
When Emma Putnam commits suicide, a community is up in arms. Everyone seems to think that it’s the fault of several teens who bullied Emma relentlessly. Sara Wharton is one of those teens. Along with her best friend Brielle and a few other classmates, the group is awaiting trial for their role in the death of the sixteen-year-old. Completely ostracized from everyone in town and ordered to stay away from Brielle, Sara reflects on what has happened in the days leading up to the trial.
Amanda Maciel’s ambitious debut succeeds on a lot of levels. Creating a story and characters loosely based on real events, she crafts a novel that is achingly real, ultimately heartbreaking, and pretty unforgettable.
Read my full review here: http://heylibrarygirl.com/2014/07/03/book-review-tease-by-amanda-maciel/
Amanda Maciel’s ambitious debut succeeds on a lot of levels. Creating a story and characters loosely based on real events, she crafts a novel that is achingly real, ultimately heartbreaking, and pretty unforgettable.
Read my full review here: http://heylibrarygirl.com/2014/07/03/book-review-tease-by-amanda-maciel/
*I received a free ARC of Tease from Hodder Children's Books via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
I might push the rating up to four, because even if I thought Sara was a very cold and selfish character, I believe that a story about one of the bullies is quite important.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
I might push the rating up to four, because even if I thought Sara was a very cold and selfish character, I believe that a story about one of the bullies is quite important.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
3.5 - interesting perspective, and message. Wishing it went a little deeper but otherwise engaging, and thought provoking. Full review to come.
When I spotted Tease by Amanda Maciel on Edelweiss, I thought it sounded really, really interesting. The synopsis grabbed me immediately, and I loved the striking cover with the word Tease dominating and I knew I had to read this book! Young Adult is such an interesting genre, one I’m reading more and more every week, every month, and I keep discovering some fantastic new authors, and Amanda has very much joined that list because Tease is one of the most unforgettable books I will ever read. I say that with no doubt in my mind, and I think that everyone who reads it will feel the same way – whether you love or loathe this book, make no mistake, you won’t forget it in a hurry.
Kids committing suicide after being bullied is something that’s more and more prevalent in our society. It’s a hot topic, and Tease delves right into the heart of that topic, right from the off. Because everyone believes that the reasons Emma Putnam is dead is because of Sara Wharton and her BFF Brielle. The novel opens with a bang, with Sara at her lawyers office discussing what happened with Emma and why, perhaps, Sara and her friends are part of the reason Emma killed herself. It’s shocking, I’ll say that, but it had me hooked instantly. The novel then flashes back in time and we unravel exactly what happened in the lead up to Emma’s death, whilst also maintaining a foothold in the present, as Sara’s trial comes closer and closer. It was written so captivatingly. I could barely put the book down and spent a happy day devouring it.
What Tease did best was it asked a lot of questions of myself – it really made me think. Because we were essentially reading a book about a bully, a group of bullies, which was so bad a girl killed herself. But there’s one quote that stands out for me, “Emma’s life is over because of Emma,” I say. “I didn’t kill her, Brielle didn’t kill her and the guys didn’t kill her.” That. That is the reason I spent the novel so conflicted because it’s true. Sara didn’t tie the rope around Emma’s neck and let her hang, but I will confess that they didn’t help matters. I don’t really know where I stand on blaming bullies for kids deaths. It’s awful all around, let’s be honest, and Tease allowed that insight into Sara’s life. It wasn’t all roses and happiness, and Emma did do a lot of things to anger Sara, not that I’m justifying bullying. But there’s definitely more than one side and this is a novel that will have you thinking and doubting and wondering “what if…”
I was very much spellbound by the book, which makes me feel bad – how can I love a book about such a horrific experience? How can I feel compassion for what Sara goes through when she very much failed to show that herself? I truly didn’t think Sara was as bad as made out to be – she was to Emma, absolutely, but apart from that, at home, she wasn’t so bad and I do think peer pressure had a lot to do with it. Her BFF Brielle was very much the driving force, and we all know how tough it is when we come up against someone like a Brielle. Tease is a fascinating read, one that left me questioning myself and one that will stay with me long after reading. It’s a book that packs a punch and it packs it well, with questionable characters, a brilliant fast pace and a really interesting narrator. I loved it.
Kids committing suicide after being bullied is something that’s more and more prevalent in our society. It’s a hot topic, and Tease delves right into the heart of that topic, right from the off. Because everyone believes that the reasons Emma Putnam is dead is because of Sara Wharton and her BFF Brielle. The novel opens with a bang, with Sara at her lawyers office discussing what happened with Emma and why, perhaps, Sara and her friends are part of the reason Emma killed herself. It’s shocking, I’ll say that, but it had me hooked instantly. The novel then flashes back in time and we unravel exactly what happened in the lead up to Emma’s death, whilst also maintaining a foothold in the present, as Sara’s trial comes closer and closer. It was written so captivatingly. I could barely put the book down and spent a happy day devouring it.
What Tease did best was it asked a lot of questions of myself – it really made me think. Because we were essentially reading a book about a bully, a group of bullies, which was so bad a girl killed herself. But there’s one quote that stands out for me, “Emma’s life is over because of Emma,” I say. “I didn’t kill her, Brielle didn’t kill her and the guys didn’t kill her.” That. That is the reason I spent the novel so conflicted because it’s true. Sara didn’t tie the rope around Emma’s neck and let her hang, but I will confess that they didn’t help matters. I don’t really know where I stand on blaming bullies for kids deaths. It’s awful all around, let’s be honest, and Tease allowed that insight into Sara’s life. It wasn’t all roses and happiness, and Emma did do a lot of things to anger Sara, not that I’m justifying bullying. But there’s definitely more than one side and this is a novel that will have you thinking and doubting and wondering “what if…”
I was very much spellbound by the book, which makes me feel bad – how can I love a book about such a horrific experience? How can I feel compassion for what Sara goes through when she very much failed to show that herself? I truly didn’t think Sara was as bad as made out to be – she was to Emma, absolutely, but apart from that, at home, she wasn’t so bad and I do think peer pressure had a lot to do with it. Her BFF Brielle was very much the driving force, and we all know how tough it is when we come up against someone like a Brielle. Tease is a fascinating read, one that left me questioning myself and one that will stay with me long after reading. It’s a book that packs a punch and it packs it well, with questionable characters, a brilliant fast pace and a really interesting narrator. I loved it.
This is an intriguing and somewhat provocative book about the hot topic of bullying. The story is about a teenage girl, Sara Wharton, facing criminal charges after another teen, Emma Putnam, commits suicide. The narrative is told from Sara’s point of view and switches from present tense and past tense so we get to see both Sara’s feelings about her consequences of her actions and her feelings about her actions as they happen which is really interesting to see.
When Emma moves to town most of the girls immediately dislike her and label her a “slut” for talking to the guys they like or just for doing things they disapprove of. We see through Sara’s eyes the judgement and general hatred the girls in the school had for Emma pretty quickly.
I give this book 3 stars from MY point of view and what I can take from it, which is what I do with all of my reviews. However, I can see how this book could potentially have a greater impact on someone who is a teenager or in middle school.
It’s a strong book for making the point that not everything is so black and white. Not everyone is perfect. The bullies in this book weren’t exactly aware of everything that is going on, even with their own actions. So while their bullying essentially leads to Emma’s suicide there are also other issues happening simultaneously.
I also know that while reading the book I could see myself if both the bullies and the victim and I don’t know that most people will like that uncomfortable feeling. Yet it’s an important feeling because in this world the book creates it shows that no one is really blameless.
So 3 stars from me but I would recommend for a younger crowd for better results. Entertaining yet educational.
ARC provided by Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
When Emma moves to town most of the girls immediately dislike her and label her a “slut” for talking to the guys they like or just for doing things they disapprove of. We see through Sara’s eyes the judgement and general hatred the girls in the school had for Emma pretty quickly.
I give this book 3 stars from MY point of view and what I can take from it, which is what I do with all of my reviews. However, I can see how this book could potentially have a greater impact on someone who is a teenager or in middle school.
It’s a strong book for making the point that not everything is so black and white. Not everyone is perfect. The bullies in this book weren’t exactly aware of everything that is going on, even with their own actions. So while their bullying essentially leads to Emma’s suicide there are also other issues happening simultaneously.
I also know that while reading the book I could see myself if both the bullies and the victim and I don’t know that most people will like that uncomfortable feeling. Yet it’s an important feeling because in this world the book creates it shows that no one is really blameless.
So 3 stars from me but I would recommend for a younger crowd for better results. Entertaining yet educational.
ARC provided by Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
You guys... READ. THIS. BOOK. Review to come.
Edit:
You can find more of my reviews here at my blog:
Whenever there's a case of bullying, everyone looks to the victim. Are they ok? Will they be permanently affected from this? But no one ever looks to the actual bully. In this new thought provoking novel by Amanda Maciel, she makes that leap into the mind of the bully for us all to see.
Before Emma, Sara was just a normal high school girl who was worried about one of the most important things to her. Her boyfriend. But then rumors start going around that Emma is going after everyone's boyfriend. Including Sara's and her best friend Brielle's. But Sara and Brielle are already popular, so basically anything they say, everyone will automatically go along with it. So when they start calling her a slut, it's not long before mostly everyone else in school is too.
I really applaud Maciel for diving into the mind of the actual "villain." I have never read anything like this and it made me think of a lot of different things. Like am I supposed to feel bad about her getting everything that she deserved? Or am I supposed to feel sorry about her getting her boyfriend stolen? Or am I supposed to want her to not getting in trouble for just getting revenge for someone who wronged her as well? But then I realized that these things just can't be answered. Because although it was unfortunate that these events transpired over a boy, Sara and Brielle took things too far. They knew that Emma wasn't completely stable as it was and for them to continue doing these terrible "pranks," made them seem vicious. That's just how good her writing was. It was full of emotion and made me think of so much. It was really hard to tell this was a debut.
Being inside Sara's head made me feel for her though. Although she seemed like a terrible person by her actions, she was really just a confused, self-conscious teenager. She didn't know where she fit in and she clung to the only people that made her feel as if she did... Dylan and Brielle. But then even things with Dylan goes sour and she doesn't know what to do. All she wants is to get him back. But I think that's what made me upset with her. She only thought of herself. How she would look if she just let Emma take him. How she would look if Brielle thought she wasn't being mean enough. It was just all so selfish.
Bullying is such a serious topic and I haven't read a more emotional story about it. Clearly so many people are hurt by it so I'm surprised that things like this still happen. I would really like for this to be used in schools to see that being a bully doesn't prove that you're cool. it just proves that instead of being a leader and being your own person, you're nothing more than a follower. Stand up for yourself, but being hateful and mean don't need to be part of the equation.
Edit:
You can find more of my reviews here at my blog:
Whenever there's a case of bullying, everyone looks to the victim. Are they ok? Will they be permanently affected from this? But no one ever looks to the actual bully. In this new thought provoking novel by Amanda Maciel, she makes that leap into the mind of the bully for us all to see.
Before Emma, Sara was just a normal high school girl who was worried about one of the most important things to her. Her boyfriend. But then rumors start going around that Emma is going after everyone's boyfriend. Including Sara's and her best friend Brielle's. But Sara and Brielle are already popular, so basically anything they say, everyone will automatically go along with it. So when they start calling her a slut, it's not long before mostly everyone else in school is too.
I really applaud Maciel for diving into the mind of the actual "villain." I have never read anything like this and it made me think of a lot of different things. Like am I supposed to feel bad about her getting everything that she deserved? Or am I supposed to feel sorry about her getting her boyfriend stolen? Or am I supposed to want her to not getting in trouble for just getting revenge for someone who wronged her as well? But then I realized that these things just can't be answered. Because although it was unfortunate that these events transpired over a boy, Sara and Brielle took things too far. They knew that Emma wasn't completely stable as it was and for them to continue doing these terrible "pranks," made them seem vicious. That's just how good her writing was. It was full of emotion and made me think of so much. It was really hard to tell this was a debut.
Being inside Sara's head made me feel for her though. Although she seemed like a terrible person by her actions, she was really just a confused, self-conscious teenager. She didn't know where she fit in and she clung to the only people that made her feel as if she did... Dylan and Brielle. But then even things with Dylan goes sour and she doesn't know what to do. All she wants is to get him back. But I think that's what made me upset with her. She only thought of herself. How she would look if she just let Emma take him. How she would look if Brielle thought she wasn't being mean enough. It was just all so selfish.
Bullying is such a serious topic and I haven't read a more emotional story about it. Clearly so many people are hurt by it so I'm surprised that things like this still happen. I would really like for this to be used in schools to see that being a bully doesn't prove that you're cool. it just proves that instead of being a leader and being your own person, you're nothing more than a follower. Stand up for yourself, but being hateful and mean don't need to be part of the equation.
When I requested this book via Netgalley I immediately knew it was going to be psychologically conflicting and very hard to review.
I was right.
[b:Tease|18599901|Tease|Amanda Maciel|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381697995s/18599901.jpg|26366105] is the story of Emma, a girl that killed herself a few days shy of her birthday, and the people surrounding the 'cause' of her suicide.
Sara and Brielle are your typical high school witches -- they're mean, they're popular and they're very pretty, therefore things come easy to them. Actually, it's not like that. That's Brielle whereas Sara is... the puny sidekick. When Emma Putnam transfers to their school, things begin to get intense. Emma is a 'slut' -- she sleeps with every taken boy she sees, causes arguments then screams WOLF at the top of her lungs and plays victim, and in the middle of it all lie Brielle and Sara who just can't help but use their social status to mock her.
Things begin to spiral out of control, though, in a direction Sara never imagined looking at...
It's a difficult book to review, that much I can say. Do I condone bullying? Absolutely freakin' not. Do I condone suicide? Even less though. As a victim of bullying for many, many years of my life, I have never tried taking my own life mostly because it's the easy way out and I always wanted to fight back.
But this isn't a story about suicide-because-of-bullying. It's different. There's an underlying tension, because Emma pointed fingers before dying... but what was the actual reason? Was it a cry for attention? Was it a cry for help (Maciel speaks about her underlying psychological problems throughout the book, but never really expands on them)? Or did she just want to leave this cruel world? Unfortunately, we'll never know.
However, I saw this book in a different light. Written in Sara's (the 'bully') point of view, we see her facing charges and a trial for what she and her friends (mostly her friends) did. She never wanted Emma to die, never wanted something so atrocious to happen, she just wanted to live a normal high school life with her normal high school boyfriend. Emma's appearance, however, changed all of that.
As I mentioned before, it's very difficult to review, but a very interesting read. A definite eye-opener to what social status and peer pressure can really do.
I was right.
[b:Tease|18599901|Tease|Amanda Maciel|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381697995s/18599901.jpg|26366105] is the story of Emma, a girl that killed herself a few days shy of her birthday, and the people surrounding the 'cause' of her suicide.
Sara and Brielle are your typical high school witches -- they're mean, they're popular and they're very pretty, therefore things come easy to them. Actually, it's not like that. That's Brielle whereas Sara is... the puny sidekick. When Emma Putnam transfers to their school, things begin to get intense. Emma is a 'slut' -- she sleeps with every taken boy she sees, causes arguments then screams WOLF at the top of her lungs and plays victim, and in the middle of it all lie Brielle and Sara who just can't help but use their social status to mock her.
Things begin to spiral out of control, though, in a direction Sara never imagined looking at...
But this isn't a story about suicide-because-of-bullying. It's different. There's an underlying tension, because Emma pointed fingers before dying... but what was the actual reason? Was it a cry for attention? Was it a cry for help (Maciel speaks about her underlying psychological problems throughout the book, but never really expands on them)? Or did she just want to leave this cruel world? Unfortunately, we'll never know.
However, I saw this book in a different light. Written in Sara's (the 'bully') point of view, we see her facing charges and a trial for what she and her friends (mostly her friends) did. She never wanted Emma to die, never wanted something so atrocious to happen, she just wanted to live a normal high school life with her normal high school boyfriend. Emma's appearance, however, changed all of that.
As I mentioned before, it's very difficult to review, but a very interesting read. A definite eye-opener to what social status and peer pressure can really do.
(From www.pingwings.ca)
(3.5 stars)
Received from the publisher via Edelweiss, for free, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
From Goodreads:
This was an intriguing, timely, sometimes frustrating read. From the beginning, we know that our main character, Sara, is a bit of a mean girl. She and her friends are being charged after Emma Putnam killed herself, with many people thinking Sara and her friends were bullies who drove Emma to suicide.
The timeline of the story jumps between the present, with Sara preparing for court, seeing a therapist, and dealing with the media exposure and public opinion, and the past, showing us how Sara and her queen bee BFF Brielle treated Emma.
Part of what bothered me initially was that Sara seemed to feel that she had no responsibility for Emma’s death and that being mean to Emma the way she’d been was just part of high school. There was also a lot of talk about Emma being a slut and what that seemed to mean to Sara and Brielle. I was disheartened that so much of Sara’s behaviour was about her boyfriend Dylan, and that a lot of her self worth and identity seemed to come from her relationships with Brielle and Dylan.
Brielle and Sara seemed to have a pretty toxic friendship, which seems standard for the ‘mean girl’ books I read and usually love. The queen bee is not someone to make angry, and even her friends are constantly trying to make sure they stay on her good side. Sara and Brielle were no different. What I didn’t get a sense of here was what is was that made Brielle and Sara friends in the first place. What was the basis of their friendship?
I was a bit disappointed initially that there was a romantic interest in this book too, in the ‘present’ timeline. I figured that since so much of what drove Sara’s behaviour towards Emma was linked to insecurities about her boyfriend, her growth would be best if it was not connected to a guy, but the love interest was definitely not the type of guy Sara would go after while hanging around with Brielle. I actually ended up seeing that the blossoming romance allowed Sara to figure out who she was without Brielle, and to act more like herself, and I thought it was good for her.
This is a book that makes me so happy there was nothing like Facebook when I was in high school! The cyber bullying that goes in in this book is so relentless and I’m definitely willing to believe that things like that go on today. There have been similar stories to Emma’s in the Canadian news and I’m sure there are more stories like this all over. It’s sad and in this book at least it seems to be driven by insecurity, and boys, and it seems like school administrators and parents are either clueless or unable (or unwilling) to do anything about it.
I wish this book had gone deeper into who Emma was. For all the talk about her throughout the book, I felt like I never knew anything about her. I found myself wondering more about Emma as things went on and wish the reader got more of a sense of who she was. She was a mystery, and I wish that Sara had been more interested in learning about Emma after her death.
I read this book fairly quickly, and thought it was well-written and well-paced. I just didn’t feel pulled in to the story as much as I wanted, and Sara’s attitude in the beginning contributed to that. I think it addresses an important subject without being preachy or unrealistic, and recommend it.
(3.5 stars)
Received from the publisher via Edelweiss, for free, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
From Goodreads:
From debut author Amanda Maciel comes a provocative and unforgettable novel, inspired by real-life incidents, about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.
Emma Putnam is dead, and it’s all Sara Wharton’s fault. At least, that’s what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma’s shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who’s ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she’ll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.
With its powerful narrative, unconventional point of view, and strong anti-bullying theme, this coming-of-age story offers smart, insightful, and nuanced views on high school society, toxic friendships, and family relationships.
This was an intriguing, timely, sometimes frustrating read. From the beginning, we know that our main character, Sara, is a bit of a mean girl. She and her friends are being charged after Emma Putnam killed herself, with many people thinking Sara and her friends were bullies who drove Emma to suicide.
The timeline of the story jumps between the present, with Sara preparing for court, seeing a therapist, and dealing with the media exposure and public opinion, and the past, showing us how Sara and her queen bee BFF Brielle treated Emma.
Part of what bothered me initially was that Sara seemed to feel that she had no responsibility for Emma’s death and that being mean to Emma the way she’d been was just part of high school. There was also a lot of talk about Emma being a slut and what that seemed to mean to Sara and Brielle. I was disheartened that so much of Sara’s behaviour was about her boyfriend Dylan, and that a lot of her self worth and identity seemed to come from her relationships with Brielle and Dylan.
Brielle and Sara seemed to have a pretty toxic friendship, which seems standard for the ‘mean girl’ books I read and usually love. The queen bee is not someone to make angry, and even her friends are constantly trying to make sure they stay on her good side. Sara and Brielle were no different. What I didn’t get a sense of here was what is was that made Brielle and Sara friends in the first place. What was the basis of their friendship?
I was a bit disappointed initially that there was a romantic interest in this book too, in the ‘present’ timeline. I figured that since so much of what drove Sara’s behaviour towards Emma was linked to insecurities about her boyfriend, her growth would be best if it was not connected to a guy, but the love interest was definitely not the type of guy Sara would go after while hanging around with Brielle. I actually ended up seeing that the blossoming romance allowed Sara to figure out who she was without Brielle, and to act more like herself, and I thought it was good for her.
This is a book that makes me so happy there was nothing like Facebook when I was in high school! The cyber bullying that goes in in this book is so relentless and I’m definitely willing to believe that things like that go on today. There have been similar stories to Emma’s in the Canadian news and I’m sure there are more stories like this all over. It’s sad and in this book at least it seems to be driven by insecurity, and boys, and it seems like school administrators and parents are either clueless or unable (or unwilling) to do anything about it.
I wish this book had gone deeper into who Emma was. For all the talk about her throughout the book, I felt like I never knew anything about her. I found myself wondering more about Emma as things went on and wish the reader got more of a sense of who she was. She was a mystery, and I wish that Sara had been more interested in learning about Emma after her death.
I read this book fairly quickly, and thought it was well-written and well-paced. I just didn’t feel pulled in to the story as much as I wanted, and Sara’s attitude in the beginning contributed to that. I think it addresses an important subject without being preachy or unrealistic, and recommend it.
This is a spoiler-free review.
I've only read a book about such serious issues like bullying once, and that was "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. Though this time it was different, because we get the pov from the girl who was the bully, and we know how things went before and after the incident.
Sara, is a character that I did not love very much, because most of the time she was compelled by her best friend Brielle, and also by the hunger of popularity. Before everything got worse and Emma killed herself, Sara always debated with herself about not being enough and always fighting harder to be more famous and popular. So it's now wonder that she saw Emma as an obstacle to her goal.
Throughout the whole reading I didn't take any part, I was neither on Emma's nor on Sara's side, I was just a mutual reader that kept reading because I wanted to know what really happened.
There's something that I didn't like about this book. The author introduced this character called Carmichael and he is soon to be Sara's new love, but I think that the author just let it pass away, not writing much about him or their relationship. It wasn't until the very last pages of the book that I understood that they were dating. But of course the author wanted to write more about the bullying than Sara's love story.
I found the characters well written and coherent during the whole process. Sara grew up a lot from what she did to Emma. And I liked her more than I did when things went bad.
She had this urge of getting her boyfriend back, sure he still loved her. And she was so desperate to get her best friend's approval, I something couldn't stand her.
But the new Sara? Totally a better person, working on getting better and be a good person.
Overall, I like how the writer dealt with the bullying issue. And I like that we get to see what the bully feels like when being a bad person. I wish I could have known more about Emma though, and that's the main point: most of the time, when you get on a person and make fun of him/her, you don't know his/her story at all. You don't know anything, you just make illusions. And that made me thing of my life and how I sometimes get on someone but in the end don't know anything.
Brilliant book, I'm glad I got the chance to read it.
I've only read a book about such serious issues like bullying once, and that was "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. Though this time it was different, because we get the pov from the girl who was the bully, and we know how things went before and after the incident.
Sara, is a character that I did not love very much, because most of the time she was compelled by her best friend Brielle, and also by the hunger of popularity. Before everything got worse and Emma killed herself, Sara always debated with herself about not being enough and always fighting harder to be more famous and popular. So it's now wonder that she saw Emma as an obstacle to her goal.
Throughout the whole reading I didn't take any part, I was neither on Emma's nor on Sara's side, I was just a mutual reader that kept reading because I wanted to know what really happened.
There's something that I didn't like about this book. The author introduced this character called Carmichael and he is soon to be Sara's new love, but I think that the author just let it pass away, not writing much about him or their relationship. It wasn't until the very last pages of the book that I understood that they were dating. But of course the author wanted to write more about the bullying than Sara's love story.
I found the characters well written and coherent during the whole process. Sara grew up a lot from what she did to Emma. And I liked her more than I did when things went bad.
She had this urge of getting her boyfriend back, sure he still loved her. And she was so desperate to get her best friend's approval, I something couldn't stand her.
But the new Sara? Totally a better person, working on getting better and be a good person.
Overall, I like how the writer dealt with the bullying issue. And I like that we get to see what the bully feels like when being a bad person. I wish I could have known more about Emma though, and that's the main point: most of the time, when you get on a person and make fun of him/her, you don't know his/her story at all. You don't know anything, you just make illusions. And that made me thing of my life and how I sometimes get on someone but in the end don't know anything.
Brilliant book, I'm glad I got the chance to read it.