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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
For some reason, I never marked this as read, but I remember it all. Weird. Pretty sure I read it in June sometime, so that's what I'm putting lol.
For some reason, I never marked this as read, but I remember it all. Weird. Pretty sure I read it in June sometime, so that's what I'm putting lol.
Ooh, Tease by Amanda Maciel was a really challenging, thought-provoking book about bullying. It takes a concept that's been done before and looked at it differently and I thought it was a really interesting approach.
This is the story of Sara, a teenage girl who is facing criminal charges for her part in the bullying that leads another classmate, Emma Putnam, to commit suicide. Tease is told in two parts: The months leading up to Emma's suicide in which we see Sara and her best friend Brielle harass and bully Emma relentlessly both in person and online and we also see several months of Sara's experiences as she's dealing with lawyers and her therapist leading up to the trial following Emma's death.
I found reading Tease to be very difficult at first. The first 100 pages or so really made me angry as the main character has absolutely no remorse at all for her actions, she's adamant she didn't do anything wrong ... and once I got over my rage at how self-centred Sara is, I realised that Sara's attitude about her part in things might have been one of the author's points and I began to look at the novel in a much different way. And while Tease felt really uncomfortable reading and while I didn't agree that Sara was blameless, I could sometimes see where she was coming from and how there were more sides to this story than just two mean girls picking on the new girl.
The thing that stuck out for me the most is that both Sara and Brielle lack any form of empathy. Sara sees the world at the start of this novel only able to view how things affect HER and she doesn't seem to see that the things she says and does have an impact on other people, and in this case specifically how her comments and behaviours have had an big impact on Emma's life and her well-being. I think that's pretty key to Sara's behaviour and attitude.
Another point that Sara raises throughout Tease is that she believes she's not at fault any more than everyone else who has ever said mean things about Emma or people who call each other out on the sexual identities in a negative way. I found this really interesting. Because we can see in Sara's interactions with her friends, and in particular, Brielle, that words like 'slut' and 'whore' and other derogatory terms are thrown around with abandon and Sara sees this as acceptable behaviour because it's all just joking around and not serious and everyone says these things and everyone has to put up with this sort of language and name-calling anyway. So taking this one step further, she doesn't quite get the distinction between 'friendly' banter and the extreme bullying that takes place regarding Emma.
And the fact that Sara doesn't know this shows a real lack of education from parents and teachers and the whole education system, surely. I found it really upsetting that the (fictional) high school this all takes place in supposedly has an anti-bullying policy in place but it is so ineffective that is laughable ...and also heart-breaking. Because as Sara returns to school after Emma's suicide Sara faces some of the same isolation and name-calling that Emma went through and it's all so realistic but also very sad because what does bullying someone who has bullied others actually achieve? I think that Emma and Sara are both let down by the system. And that also furthers Sara's point that her behaviours reflect a socially constructed environment in which bullying and name-calling are the norm and nobody quite gets where the boundaries or limits are?
While I never actually liked Sara as a character, I did like the way that Amanda Maciel paints her. Sara isn't a bad person: she deserves second chances and happiness just like the rest of us and I think that was also an important message. Sara did terrible things but that doesn't mean that she's a terrible person or that she needs to carrying around the 'bully' label forever.
I found Tease ultimately to be incredibly thought-provoking and interesting. I think it's a book that is challenging to read and will provoke strong reactions amongst its readers. I think that's really good and I hope it opens up different conversations about bullying and prevention and where to go from here.
This is the story of Sara, a teenage girl who is facing criminal charges for her part in the bullying that leads another classmate, Emma Putnam, to commit suicide. Tease is told in two parts: The months leading up to Emma's suicide in which we see Sara and her best friend Brielle harass and bully Emma relentlessly both in person and online and we also see several months of Sara's experiences as she's dealing with lawyers and her therapist leading up to the trial following Emma's death.
I found reading Tease to be very difficult at first. The first 100 pages or so really made me angry as the main character has absolutely no remorse at all for her actions, she's adamant she didn't do anything wrong ... and once I got over my rage at how self-centred Sara is, I realised that Sara's attitude about her part in things might have been one of the author's points and I began to look at the novel in a much different way. And while Tease felt really uncomfortable reading and while I didn't agree that Sara was blameless, I could sometimes see where she was coming from and how there were more sides to this story than just two mean girls picking on the new girl.
The thing that stuck out for me the most is that both Sara and Brielle lack any form of empathy. Sara sees the world at the start of this novel only able to view how things affect HER and she doesn't seem to see that the things she says and does have an impact on other people, and in this case specifically how her comments and behaviours have had an big impact on Emma's life and her well-being. I think that's pretty key to Sara's behaviour and attitude.
Another point that Sara raises throughout Tease is that she believes she's not at fault any more than everyone else who has ever said mean things about Emma or people who call each other out on the sexual identities in a negative way. I found this really interesting. Because we can see in Sara's interactions with her friends, and in particular, Brielle, that words like 'slut' and 'whore' and other derogatory terms are thrown around with abandon and Sara sees this as acceptable behaviour because it's all just joking around and not serious and everyone says these things and everyone has to put up with this sort of language and name-calling anyway. So taking this one step further, she doesn't quite get the distinction between 'friendly' banter and the extreme bullying that takes place regarding Emma.
And the fact that Sara doesn't know this shows a real lack of education from parents and teachers and the whole education system, surely. I found it really upsetting that the (fictional) high school this all takes place in supposedly has an anti-bullying policy in place but it is so ineffective that is laughable ...and also heart-breaking. Because as Sara returns to school after Emma's suicide Sara faces some of the same isolation and name-calling that Emma went through and it's all so realistic but also very sad because what does bullying someone who has bullied others actually achieve? I think that Emma and Sara are both let down by the system. And that also furthers Sara's point that her behaviours reflect a socially constructed environment in which bullying and name-calling are the norm and nobody quite gets where the boundaries or limits are?
While I never actually liked Sara as a character, I did like the way that Amanda Maciel paints her. Sara isn't a bad person: she deserves second chances and happiness just like the rest of us and I think that was also an important message. Sara did terrible things but that doesn't mean that she's a terrible person or that she needs to carrying around the 'bully' label forever.
I found Tease ultimately to be incredibly thought-provoking and interesting. I think it's a book that is challenging to read and will provoke strong reactions amongst its readers. I think that's really good and I hope it opens up different conversations about bullying and prevention and where to go from here.
Interesting plot but this book wasn’t for me lol and every character annoyed me the whole way through
What a powerful and disturbing book. This may have to be a book club selection in the future.
This is a deeply moving book that I think would get teenagers to really consider the consequences of their actions. Neither black nor white in its telling, the story will take the reader on a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions, a truly eye-opening read!
The story follows Sara, a teenage girl who is facing criminal chargers for being part of group who took it upon themselves to bully classmate, Emma Putnam, who’s troubled life eventually led to Emma committing suicide. Now several months after Emma’s death, Sara is forced to face the consequences of her actions.
Shunned by her schoolmates, penalised by the public and media alike, and divided from her close friends by their lawyers need to place blame, Sara feels isolated from the world she once loved. And she hates Emma Putnam now more than ever! While her therapist and parents hound her to show remorse, Sara struggles to let go of her of her anger. Because her anger will lead her down a dark path and all Sara knows is that, because of Emma, her life will never be the same again…
This was one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time. While I rarely pick up contemporary YAs, I’m glad I chose to read this one, just for its sheerly unique perspective alone. With the chapters split into two parts of past and present, we see through Sara’s eyes the events leading up to Emma’s death, the scenes in which the bullying took place, and Sara’s reasoning behind it. However the story mainly stems from the present day where we see how Sara and the world are coping several months after Emma’s passing, revealing the drastic changes to Sara’s life.
Normally when I read a book, I generally like the main character straight away. This was not the case with Sara. At first I thought she was a selfish harpy who was truly convinced of her own innocence, yet as the story goes on, you do begin to see her side of things and realise how unfair it is to judge her actions. This is a high school setting after all, and in high school, life is never simple.
While I do not think Sara was blameless, the story shows that Emma was a troubled girl who did little to help herself, proving that there really is more than one side to a story. I would have been really interested to read a little of Emma’s perspective, just to see how she interpreted Sara’s actions and what went on through her mind as the bullying escalated.
What really hit me about this book though was the selfishness of the characters - both Sara and Emma alike. Sara is too small a person to see how comments that mean little to her, can rock the foundations of another persons world. She is actually incapable of telling when the joke has gone to far, especially when words like ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ are thrown so casually around her own social circle, that she is unaware of the impact such words can have on others outside her group.
Emma on the other hand, doesn’t do much to help herself. Occasionally it seems she tries to antagonise Sara (perhaps her way of standing up for herself?) while at others she is meek as a mouse at Sara’s taunting. Emma also never seemed to consider her parents or the friends she leaves behind, seeing only her own pain.
However this book, Tease, also calls to attention the teachers lack of ability to help. For while most schools are big on their anti-bullying policies, their actions can only be effective when they have an actual culprit to blame and often, Sara and her friends got away with things easily. Yet after Emma’s death, when Sara suddenly found herself the centre of ridicule and taunting by her fellow classmates, the school again did little to stop it and so the cycle continued.
Another question raised is, are Sara’s classmates, those who stood by and only watched Emma’s torment - are they also to blame? Arguably standing by and doing nothing can be considered the same level of cruelty as those who actually do the bullying. However I thought it was interesting that after all was said and done, Sara was the only one who seemed to consider this.
Overall, Tease is an incredibly written book that will open the eyes of many to the world around them. It’s a story that show’s people should be given second chances, that mistakes can be made - and while they will always have to be lived with - those mistakes should not define you as a person.
A story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. 5 stars!
The story follows Sara, a teenage girl who is facing criminal chargers for being part of group who took it upon themselves to bully classmate, Emma Putnam, who’s troubled life eventually led to Emma committing suicide. Now several months after Emma’s death, Sara is forced to face the consequences of her actions.
Shunned by her schoolmates, penalised by the public and media alike, and divided from her close friends by their lawyers need to place blame, Sara feels isolated from the world she once loved. And she hates Emma Putnam now more than ever! While her therapist and parents hound her to show remorse, Sara struggles to let go of her of her anger. Because her anger will lead her down a dark path and all Sara knows is that, because of Emma, her life will never be the same again…
This was one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time. While I rarely pick up contemporary YAs, I’m glad I chose to read this one, just for its sheerly unique perspective alone. With the chapters split into two parts of past and present, we see through Sara’s eyes the events leading up to Emma’s death, the scenes in which the bullying took place, and Sara’s reasoning behind it. However the story mainly stems from the present day where we see how Sara and the world are coping several months after Emma’s passing, revealing the drastic changes to Sara’s life.
Normally when I read a book, I generally like the main character straight away. This was not the case with Sara. At first I thought she was a selfish harpy who was truly convinced of her own innocence, yet as the story goes on, you do begin to see her side of things and realise how unfair it is to judge her actions. This is a high school setting after all, and in high school, life is never simple.
While I do not think Sara was blameless, the story shows that Emma was a troubled girl who did little to help herself, proving that there really is more than one side to a story. I would have been really interested to read a little of Emma’s perspective, just to see how she interpreted Sara’s actions and what went on through her mind as the bullying escalated.
What really hit me about this book though was the selfishness of the characters - both Sara and Emma alike. Sara is too small a person to see how comments that mean little to her, can rock the foundations of another persons world. She is actually incapable of telling when the joke has gone to far, especially when words like ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ are thrown so casually around her own social circle, that she is unaware of the impact such words can have on others outside her group.
Emma on the other hand, doesn’t do much to help herself. Occasionally it seems she tries to antagonise Sara (perhaps her way of standing up for herself?) while at others she is meek as a mouse at Sara’s taunting. Emma also never seemed to consider her parents or the friends she leaves behind, seeing only her own pain.
However this book, Tease, also calls to attention the teachers lack of ability to help. For while most schools are big on their anti-bullying policies, their actions can only be effective when they have an actual culprit to blame and often, Sara and her friends got away with things easily. Yet after Emma’s death, when Sara suddenly found herself the centre of ridicule and taunting by her fellow classmates, the school again did little to stop it and so the cycle continued.
Another question raised is, are Sara’s classmates, those who stood by and only watched Emma’s torment - are they also to blame? Arguably standing by and doing nothing can be considered the same level of cruelty as those who actually do the bullying. However I thought it was interesting that after all was said and done, Sara was the only one who seemed to consider this.
Overall, Tease is an incredibly written book that will open the eyes of many to the world around them. It’s a story that show’s people should be given second chances, that mistakes can be made - and while they will always have to be lived with - those mistakes should not define you as a person.
A story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. 5 stars!
A very great anti-bullying book. Every action have it's concequences, do it and you have be ready for what you'll get. Any offense, small or big can cause you everything you live for but then it is never too late to regret, forgive and move on.
Tease is an epic/ different book about a girl that commits suicide from a group of teens bullying her. It took me a while to read it due to the content but I absolutely loved it. I think that everyone needs to read this book. The way that it is written is so different and amazing that you feel like you are actually watching these things go down. I found myself shocked so many times. And I never knew what to expect or what was going to happen next. This book forces different hard hitting topics that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but also inform you how bad things can get. I think this book sends good messages about how bad bullying is and shows you an example of how you should lead instead of following other peoples bad actions, because that can truly get you into major trouble.
(Read this review and more at Pretty Bookmarks)
Tease is a powerful and gripping book that will keep you engaged from the first page.
Tease is so hard to review, and even as I write this I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. The main character, Sara, isn't a likeable character. She's horrible, mean and tries too hard to justify her actions. She comes across as a child, ignorant and cruel. But I think that's the point of Tease. It's not supposed to be compelling, and it sure doesn't want you to feel sorry for Sara.
In many ways, Tease is powerful. Perhaps even powerful enough to deter someone from bullying or recognize what they may think is harmful teasing could lead to bigger and more awful consequences.
Tease goes into the mind of a bully, or rather, into the mind of a mean girl who unconsciously bullies. Sara isn't a mean girl, not really. She's heavily influenced by her best friend Brielle and she's desperate to keep up. Sara keeps up with fake appearances and goes to the extent of giving up her virginity just to have a conversation with Brielle.
Tease unravels the harsh reality of bullying. How it affects the families of both the bully and the bullied, how harmful teasing can be. Tease briefly discussed rape and the idea of consent though it was glossed over. There is a lot of slut shaming and victim blaming and it all comes with consequences.
Tease is one of the most powerful and compelling books I've read this year. It is so realistic and having it written in Sara's POV made it even more powerful. I finished the book feeling unsettled, wishing she got more of a punishment but on hindsight, having to live with the regret of what you've done to another person is punishment enough.
Compelling, gripping and painful, Tease is a must read.
Tease is a powerful and gripping book that will keep you engaged from the first page.
Tease is so hard to review, and even as I write this I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. The main character, Sara, isn't a likeable character. She's horrible, mean and tries too hard to justify her actions. She comes across as a child, ignorant and cruel. But I think that's the point of Tease. It's not supposed to be compelling, and it sure doesn't want you to feel sorry for Sara.
In many ways, Tease is powerful. Perhaps even powerful enough to deter someone from bullying or recognize what they may think is harmful teasing could lead to bigger and more awful consequences.
Tease goes into the mind of a bully, or rather, into the mind of a mean girl who unconsciously bullies. Sara isn't a mean girl, not really. She's heavily influenced by her best friend Brielle and she's desperate to keep up. Sara keeps up with fake appearances and goes to the extent of giving up her virginity just to have a conversation with Brielle.
Tease unravels the harsh reality of bullying. How it affects the families of both the bully and the bullied, how harmful teasing can be. Tease briefly discussed rape and the idea of consent though it was glossed over. There is a lot of slut shaming and victim blaming and it all comes with consequences.
Tease is one of the most powerful and compelling books I've read this year. It is so realistic and having it written in Sara's POV made it even more powerful. I finished the book feeling unsettled, wishing she got more of a punishment but on hindsight, having to live with the regret of what you've done to another person is punishment enough.
Compelling, gripping and painful, Tease is a must read.
I never truly connected with any of the characters, and I found the main character to be a little too whiny for my taste. I can't help but wonder if I would have felt differently about this book if I hadn't read it so soon after Robin Williams took his own life.
Fascinating read, that's for sure. I didn't particularly like the characters, but that's hardly the point in this case. It was interesting, but I didn't like it, exactly. It's just not that kind of book.