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3.54 AVERAGE
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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.
Link to review: http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2014/04/blog-tour-tease-by-amanda-maciel.html
Spoiler
This was one of those books that was extremely readable but then really disappointing. I was hoping for more emotion and guilt from the main character.I just got the feeling like the main character thought that people who commit suicide are weak. Like the way she and her friend bullied this girl only slightly contributed to the decision to commit suicide. I get the feeling like if this girl's life hadn't been made absolute hell in school, she would've been able to deal with the other problem's in her life. Being bullied is not some minor thing. It is soul destroying.
That's what made me really angry about the book. In the end, the main character says things like she didn't know the girl was in pain and if she'd known, she wouldn't have added to the pain. How about just not being a dick? I think that's a great, simple way to live life. Don't be a dick. Don't tear someone else down because you're jealous or angry. You never know what someone is going through. Nobody deserves to be bullied, whether they have an easy life or a hard life. It's simple. Gahhhhd.
Then the letter she writes to the girl in the end saying, "I won't assume that everyone is strong." It just made me feel like the main character didn't learn anything. It's like she's saying strong people can handle getting bullied.
Anyway, this book just went to show me how dumb and heartless teenage girls can be. Over petty jealousy. I'm so glad I'm done with all that. I just feel bad for this generation with social media being so normal. When I was in high school, Facebook wasn't around. I'm so thankful for that.
This book was gripping enough to keep me reading to see what was going to happen and hopefully have some huge emotional realization but I didn't really feel like the main character really understood. Most of the book she was complaining about how this girl who committed suicide ruined her life and how the girl was a boyfriend-stealing bitch and a slut. She just came off very heartless throughout the book and then at the end shows a bit of regret.
The title of the book needs to be interpreted in two ways: “Tease” is someone who teases guys and makes them sexually frustrated (hopefully fall in love with them if you’re a teen) and “Tease” stands for the act of the light bullying or harassing of someone.
The second definition of tease is what Sara Wharton thinks she is doing. She’s teasing the school’s tease Emma Putnam. Sara and Brielle, bff's and queen B of the school, hate Emma for stealing Sara’s boyfriend, and just generally because she is so pretty.
However, teasing is an understatement for the way the girls treat Emma - they are violent and mean and Emma commits suicide. Her parents blame the girls and their friends and sue all of them for the death of Emma.
This is the point where the book starts; Sara explains what happened and how totally unfair it is. Throughout the book, all the details of the bullying (because it’s definitely not teasing) and the details of the court case are revealed in an interesting plot order that jumps from present to past.
The major story elements in the book are based on true events, which makes this book a difficult read. It’s shocking that these events can happen in real life and you’ll ask yourself “but how??” at the end of the book.
Because that’s the strength of this book - it’s not overly moralistic or preachy in its message. It shows the dangers of bullying, but it also tries to show the causes of bullying. I feel like there are not enough books like that on the market and I hope this is the first of many.
Sara is insecure and just lost. She doesn’t know who she is or who she wants to be, so she just clings to people she thinks are perfect. This includes Brielle, who is the meanest teenager I ever read about, and her boyfriend who doesn’t really care about her too much. He proves this when he makes out with Emma at the Valentine Dance after-party.
Let the slutshaming begin.
I knew teenagers were cruel and mean and “oh god, don’t you dare be prettier than them or to be sexually confident”. But the intense slutshaming Sara puts Emma through makes it very hard to like her as a narrator. She starts off likeable enough, but as more details of the bullying are revealed, I started distancing from her. Especially since there is no real point in the story where I felt that Sara was actually truly sorry for what she did. I feel like there could be a sequel and Sara would slutshame the next girl who takes her boyfriend.
This makes it difficult to stay invested in the book, because you just want to punch Sara in the face for being so naive and dumb, but it also makes the book very realistic. Not everyone in life has a big changing moment - definitely not within a few days/ months/ years, like most novels portray. Some people just don’t get certain things and never will, no matter what happens. Sara is one of them, no matter how hard we root for her to change.
The author says she wanted to show the story from several angles; not just the one of the victim that the media always shows. Unfortunately, due to Sara’s immature behaviour, there is really no sympathy for her. I felt bad for her family, who had to suffer immensely due to the big court case. I felt bad for Emma and her family, and even for Sara’s boyfriend, who seemed to have actually really liked Emma (even though he does make some very questionably decision, none of them are illegal).
However, the topic is important enough that this book should be read by teenagers and older readers - we can all lose the plot, we can all forget the line between innocent teasing and bullying, we can all slutshame s, but this book reminds the reader how many danger lies in all those things.
The second definition of tease is what Sara Wharton thinks she is doing. She’s teasing the school’s tease Emma Putnam. Sara and Brielle, bff's and queen B of the school, hate Emma for stealing Sara’s boyfriend, and just generally because she is so pretty.
However, teasing is an understatement for the way the girls treat Emma - they are violent and mean and Emma commits suicide. Her parents blame the girls and their friends and sue all of them for the death of Emma.
This is the point where the book starts; Sara explains what happened and how totally unfair it is. Throughout the book, all the details of the bullying (because it’s definitely not teasing) and the details of the court case are revealed in an interesting plot order that jumps from present to past.
The major story elements in the book are based on true events, which makes this book a difficult read. It’s shocking that these events can happen in real life and you’ll ask yourself “but how??” at the end of the book.
Because that’s the strength of this book - it’s not overly moralistic or preachy in its message. It shows the dangers of bullying, but it also tries to show the causes of bullying. I feel like there are not enough books like that on the market and I hope this is the first of many.
Sara is insecure and just lost. She doesn’t know who she is or who she wants to be, so she just clings to people she thinks are perfect. This includes Brielle, who is the meanest teenager I ever read about, and her boyfriend who doesn’t really care about her too much. He proves this when he makes out with Emma at the Valentine Dance after-party.
Let the slutshaming begin.
I knew teenagers were cruel and mean and “oh god, don’t you dare be prettier than them or to be sexually confident”. But the intense slutshaming Sara puts Emma through makes it very hard to like her as a narrator. She starts off likeable enough, but as more details of the bullying are revealed, I started distancing from her. Especially since there is no real point in the story where I felt that Sara was actually truly sorry for what she did. I feel like there could be a sequel and Sara would slutshame the next girl who takes her boyfriend.
This makes it difficult to stay invested in the book, because you just want to punch Sara in the face for being so naive and dumb, but it also makes the book very realistic. Not everyone in life has a big changing moment - definitely not within a few days/ months/ years, like most novels portray. Some people just don’t get certain things and never will, no matter what happens. Sara is one of them, no matter how hard we root for her to change.
The author says she wanted to show the story from several angles; not just the one of the victim that the media always shows. Unfortunately, due to Sara’s immature behaviour, there is really no sympathy for her. I felt bad for her family, who had to suffer immensely due to the big court case. I felt bad for Emma and her family, and even for Sara’s boyfriend, who seemed to have actually really liked Emma (even though he does make some very questionably decision, none of them are illegal).
However, the topic is important enough that this book should be read by teenagers and older readers - we can all lose the plot, we can all forget the line between innocent teasing and bullying, we can all slutshame s, but this book reminds the reader how many danger lies in all those things.
One-Sentence Summary: Sara Wharton may be a tease, but at least she’s not a slut, not like Emma Putnam anyway.
Time/Setting: Modern Day Nebraska (I’m sorry to say that I’m not exactly sure of the locale, but I’m about 80% is NE.)
Review: This book pulled me into so many different directions, so I’m going to talk about the major subjects that stick out to me the most:
Family: Sara’s relationship with her mother, as well as her father, is thrust into the forefront with the events that take place. It made me thing back to my teenage years when I insisted that “my mom just didn’t get it.” Teenagers always think everyone is either with them or against them and all others be damned; Sara is definitely a teenager is this very sense. On a side note, I was also mad at the mother (and the father, don’t worry he doesn’t not escape my scrutiny!) for making her daughter take on so much responsibility for the children she chose to bring into the world. That always upsets me; thank goodness I was an only child. Sara’s father is also a horrible person. He’s probably my least favorite character, and he was only present for the end! He went off to raise another family, only drops in with ice cream (and harsh words!) when he happens to think of it, and then he berates his ex-wife and daughter. He was a damn bully, but the more subtle kind; you see people who should have your affectionate, and you only give it when you deem it fit to do so. Most bullies are just selfish, so he fits right in. I also appreciated how the author made Tommy Sara’s advocate, even though he was being berated because of Sara’s actions. The world is harsh, and guilty by association is all too real.
Friendships: You want to talk about a toxic relationship? Let’s talk about Brielle and Sara. Sara is your classic-case follower with Brielle as the charismatic, almost sociopathic, “leader.” Brielle is rich, pretty, fun, and she makes you feel special because she notices you, chooses you. Sara may as well not even be her own person she’s so busy being Brielle’s handy dandy sidekick. It was sad to read how far lost in Brielle Sara really was. I kept waiting for that moment when Sara told Brielle to shut the hell up…no spoilers…
Bullying: Bullying has become a major problem in our country, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why…I’m not saying that bullying hasn’t always been a problem, but I wonder when it got so extreme? I believe that the introduction of the Internet and social media definitely have something to do with it. The passive-aggressiveness of it, the ability to jump on the bandwagon quickly, and the ability to be anonymous are all contributing factors. It’s tragic. I think this book does a great job at approaching the subject from the perpetrator’s point of view.
Sexism: While I definitely think bullying is a major theme of this book—and some might argue that it is the only sole one worth discussing—but, I think the book does a good job of raising questions about sexism. Sara often finds herself asking questions that hint of feminism, but she mainly lets them go without much considerable thought. Why aren’t the boys who supposedly slept with Emma labeled “sluts” or “nasty” as well? Why must Sara feel like she has to sleep with Dylan to keep him, yet he doesn’t have to sleep with her for her to keep him? The list goes on and on…
Romantic Relationships : Dylan sucks. I really don’t think I need to elaborate on that.
For the book not to give us much back drop on Emma’s “problems” and how she felt during this turbulent time, I still think it did an amazing job on demonstrating the negative effects of bullying.
Favorite Character: I don’t have a favorite character. Sara was ok by the end, I guess, but I don’t like weak people.
Least Favorite Character: The Dad!
Favorite Quote: Like the setting, I fail; i didn't take notes on this one, as I was engrossed in the story. ( I hope that sounded convincing lol)
Recommend? Absolutely.
Re-read? Yes.
Time/Setting: Modern Day Nebraska (I’m sorry to say that I’m not exactly sure of the locale, but I’m about 80% is NE.)
Review: This book pulled me into so many different directions, so I’m going to talk about the major subjects that stick out to me the most:
Family: Sara’s relationship with her mother, as well as her father, is thrust into the forefront with the events that take place. It made me thing back to my teenage years when I insisted that “my mom just didn’t get it.” Teenagers always think everyone is either with them or against them and all others be damned; Sara is definitely a teenager is this very sense. On a side note, I was also mad at the mother (and the father, don’t worry he doesn’t not escape my scrutiny!) for making her daughter take on so much responsibility for the children she chose to bring into the world. That always upsets me; thank goodness I was an only child. Sara’s father is also a horrible person. He’s probably my least favorite character, and he was only present for the end! He went off to raise another family, only drops in with ice cream (and harsh words!) when he happens to think of it, and then he berates his ex-wife and daughter. He was a damn bully, but the more subtle kind; you see people who should have your affectionate, and you only give it when you deem it fit to do so. Most bullies are just selfish, so he fits right in. I also appreciated how the author made Tommy Sara’s advocate, even though he was being berated because of Sara’s actions. The world is harsh, and guilty by association is all too real.
Friendships: You want to talk about a toxic relationship? Let’s talk about Brielle and Sara. Sara is your classic-case follower with Brielle as the charismatic, almost sociopathic, “leader.” Brielle is rich, pretty, fun, and she makes you feel special because she notices you, chooses you. Sara may as well not even be her own person she’s so busy being Brielle’s handy dandy sidekick. It was sad to read how far lost in Brielle Sara really was. I kept waiting for that moment when Sara told Brielle to shut the hell up…no spoilers…
Bullying: Bullying has become a major problem in our country, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why…I’m not saying that bullying hasn’t always been a problem, but I wonder when it got so extreme? I believe that the introduction of the Internet and social media definitely have something to do with it. The passive-aggressiveness of it, the ability to jump on the bandwagon quickly, and the ability to be anonymous are all contributing factors. It’s tragic. I think this book does a great job at approaching the subject from the perpetrator’s point of view.
Sexism: While I definitely think bullying is a major theme of this book—and some might argue that it is the only sole one worth discussing—but, I think the book does a good job of raising questions about sexism. Sara often finds herself asking questions that hint of feminism, but she mainly lets them go without much considerable thought.
Spoiler
Like, why should she be mad at Emma when Dylan cheated on Sara? Emma didn’t make Sara any promises, but Dylan supposedly did to Sara as her boyfriend. (But if you really consider it, neither did Dylan? If you ask me, he was never really Sara’s boyfriend. He was super shitty, even though he was always described as“a nice guy.” Was he really though? Uhhhh, NO.) Shouldn’t Sara be madder at Dylan?Romantic Relationships :
Spoiler
Now something I didn’t like about the book: the romance with Carmichael. Why she always got to be with a boy? Why couldn’t see have found another non-toxic BBF, instead a new boy to obsess over and carry her through this difficult time? I swear. We slide all the feminist ideals into a book then we drop the ball when it really counts. SMH.For the book not to give us much back drop on Emma’s “problems” and how she felt during this turbulent time, I still think it did an amazing job on demonstrating the negative effects of bullying.
Favorite Character: I don’t have a favorite character. Sara was ok by the end, I guess, but I don’t like weak people.
Least Favorite Character: The Dad!
Favorite Quote: Like the setting, I fail; i didn't take notes on this one, as I was engrossed in the story. ( I hope that sounded convincing lol)
Recommend? Absolutely.
Re-read? Yes.
*More of a 3.5*
Okay so this is the first ARC I've ever gotten and it's been sitting on my shelf waiting to be read for 3 yearssss. I never unhauled it cause it sounded interesting and I'm sentimental af, which is probably the same reason why I didn't dnf it.
This book was good. It just didn't blow my mind. I've been in a weird reading mood all month and that might be part of it, but also the main character was a bit frustrating. Basically everyone in this entire book is a shitty person. I didn't like a single character. (Except Carmichael. He was the least problematic, but he seemed more like a plot device instead of a person.) Although, I did relate to some aspects of Sara's personality and some of the things she thought regarding boys and friendships were relatable to high school Julie. That being said she was a bitch and she spent the entire book saying things like "Why did Emma have to go and kill herself and ruin my life?" Plus so much slut shaming that was never cleared up or talked about. For most of the book she didn't seem the least bit sorry that she bullied a girl so bad killed herself. She felt sorry for the fact that this girl killed herself and now Sara's life is ruined. By the end she did seem to realize her mistakes, but I felt like it should've been more gradual. I have a lot of thoughts about this book that I just can't seem to put into proper sentences. It's different. This book is definitely one to check out.
Okay so this is the first ARC I've ever gotten and it's been sitting on my shelf waiting to be read for 3 yearssss. I never unhauled it cause it sounded interesting and I'm sentimental af, which is probably the same reason why I didn't dnf it.
This book was good. It just didn't blow my mind. I've been in a weird reading mood all month and that might be part of it, but also the main character was a bit frustrating. Basically everyone in this entire book is a shitty person. I didn't like a single character. (Except Carmichael. He was the least problematic, but he seemed more like a plot device instead of a person.) Although, I did relate to some aspects of Sara's personality and some of the things she thought regarding boys and friendships were relatable to high school Julie. That being said she was a bitch and she spent the entire book saying things like "Why did Emma have to go and kill herself and ruin my life?" Plus so much slut shaming that was never cleared up or talked about. For most of the book she didn't seem the least bit sorry that she bullied a girl so bad killed herself. She felt sorry for the fact that this girl killed herself and now Sara's life is ruined. By the end she did seem to realize her mistakes, but I felt like it should've been more gradual. I have a lot of thoughts about this book that I just can't seem to put into proper sentences. It's different. This book is definitely one to check out.
Ignore the rating.
This book was almost impossible to rate due to the amount of thoughts - both positive and negative - running through my head when I put it down. I say thoughts and not emotions because I sadly remained rather emotionally detached from the characters despite the strong subject matter. The fact is... Tease is an ambitious book that will likely piss off a lot of people because the author refuses to take sides, even when presenting us with a narrator that is increasingly difficult to like and relate to. But that wasn't a problem for me, I thought it was one of the book's better aspects.
The story is an old one from a new perspective. It's about high school bullies and cliques: the mean girls and their sidekicks, their boyfriends, and "the slut" who attempts to interfere with their reign. Emma Putnam is known as the school slut and this book starts where she has just committed suicide after being repeatedly targeted and harrassed by Brielle and Sara. Sara is our narrator and the sidekick of the meanest girl in school - Brielle. The thing is, she never really understood the consequences of her actions and she never meant for Emma Putnam to die... but at the same time, she isn't apologetic for her own actions either and believe she was justified in attacking Emma because she was a "boyfriend-stealing slut".
This book starts to do something really interesting by painting us a picture of a scene without judgement - I never got the impression that the author was trying to impart a negative view of anyone, and even characters like Brielle had deeper levels and were shown to be victims of school politics and cliquedom, rather than simply evil. It's true that bullies are often scared, lonely and insecure in themselves and this book shows that all teenagers are, but they choose to respond to it differently. Sara was not evil, but acting within the social structure she knew. She is sensitively portrayed as a confused young woman who worries about her image and sex - I think it offers a sad but realistic portrait of what runs through many teen girls' minds when thinking about sex.
There was a lot of potential and power lurking in the shadows of this book. It will anger so many people, I'm sure, because of Sara's unrepentant narrative and the implied message that bullies are not to blame for bullying (something I struggled to accept too). But where the book shines with intent, I think it is also let down by dry storytelling, characters it was hard to give a damn about (not even because they're mean), and a sometimes immature portrayal of the characters. Every now and then, the book would slip into language that felt like what you get when adults write the way they *think* teens speak. "Like, ohmigod, I need to instagram this! And, wow, Twilight!" You get the idea.
I will keep an eye out for more by this author because I like what Maciel was trying to do, but I think I'll wait for the reviews to roll in first.
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This book was almost impossible to rate due to the amount of thoughts - both positive and negative - running through my head when I put it down. I say thoughts and not emotions because I sadly remained rather emotionally detached from the characters despite the strong subject matter. The fact is... Tease is an ambitious book that will likely piss off a lot of people because the author refuses to take sides, even when presenting us with a narrator that is increasingly difficult to like and relate to. But that wasn't a problem for me, I thought it was one of the book's better aspects.
The story is an old one from a new perspective. It's about high school bullies and cliques: the mean girls and their sidekicks, their boyfriends, and "the slut" who attempts to interfere with their reign. Emma Putnam is known as the school slut and this book starts where she has just committed suicide after being repeatedly targeted and harrassed by Brielle and Sara. Sara is our narrator and the sidekick of the meanest girl in school - Brielle. The thing is, she never really understood the consequences of her actions and she never meant for Emma Putnam to die... but at the same time, she isn't apologetic for her own actions either and believe she was justified in attacking Emma because she was a "boyfriend-stealing slut".
This book starts to do something really interesting by painting us a picture of a scene without judgement - I never got the impression that the author was trying to impart a negative view of anyone, and even characters like Brielle had deeper levels and were shown to be victims of school politics and cliquedom, rather than simply evil. It's true that bullies are often scared, lonely and insecure in themselves and this book shows that all teenagers are, but they choose to respond to it differently. Sara was not evil, but acting within the social structure she knew. She is sensitively portrayed as a confused young woman who worries about her image and sex - I think it offers a sad but realistic portrait of what runs through many teen girls' minds when thinking about sex.
There was a lot of potential and power lurking in the shadows of this book. It will anger so many people, I'm sure, because of Sara's unrepentant narrative and the implied message that bullies are not to blame for bullying (something I struggled to accept too). But where the book shines with intent, I think it is also let down by dry storytelling, characters it was hard to give a damn about (not even because they're mean), and a sometimes immature portrayal of the characters. Every now and then, the book would slip into language that felt like what you get when adults write the way they *think* teens speak. "Like, ohmigod, I need to instagram this! And, wow, Twilight!" You get the idea.
I will keep an eye out for more by this author because I like what Maciel was trying to do, but I think I'll wait for the reviews to roll in first.
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Brielle is toxic and she is a slut Sara is a peer pressure and Carmicheal is adorbs also I agree with Dylan they were both over the top and obnoxious like cringey and child like in a way. Though I do like the message on bullying and if you find out that some girl made out with yo mans be the adult bc that's way better than being a child
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TRIGGER WARNING: you probably shouldn't read this book or my review if suicide, self harm, depression, etc. are triggers for you. Just don't.
Hahaha this review is SUPER old. I've deleted the link to my blog with the review because I don't have the energy to edit it. I'm going to leave the review I wrote write after reading as is, but with a bit of explanation to start.
At the time of writing this, I was a 14 year old, extremely depressed and suicidal transgender guy in denial. I literally call myself a teenage girl in this, and I'm fighting the urge to delete that part, so just know that that is not something I actually am.
I also get pretty pissed throughout this review (I hated the idea that someone else would get blamed if I killed myself, as I understood that it was completely on me), so be prepared for that. I still stand with the opinion that when people kill themselves it is no one's fault but their own. I say this as someone who has been suicidal on and off since I was about 10. People are almost always suicidal because of a mental illness, and even if those feelings were brought about by frequent bullying, it is not the fault of the bully if the person kills themselves. I explain this further in my review. Please note that there are some harsh words said in this review and major triggers for many people. Read at your own risk.
//Throughout this entire book, all I could think was Do teenage girls actually act like this? Since when? As a teenage girl with quite a few of teenage girl friends, I was a little insulted by how these characters were portrayed. They're all stereotypical teenage girls that are mean to each other and talk behind each others backs, not to mention play insane pranks on each other (that were extremely unrealistic and stupid). At least in my experience, TEENAGE GIRLS DO NOT ACT LIKE THAT. If your friends actually act like this, I suggest you get some new friends, because there are defiantly quite a lot that don't do this.
The thing I really didn't like about this book was that I thought it would be controversial. I thought it would explain something along the lines of "People that get bullied aren't necessarily innocent, and it's no ones fault but their own." Which was not even close to the moral of this story. It was more "I'm sorry I was mean to you I'll be more careful next time I now know that not everyone is strong" crap.
Now I'd like to ask you a question. If someone bullies someone else, but that person doesn't kill themselves, should they still be punished the same way as someone who bullied someone else that killed them selves? What if it was the exact same amount of bullying? What if they did exact the same things?
Because if Emma Putnam hadn't killed herself no one would be suing anybody. But just because she wasn't as strong as other people, means that the people that bullied her get punished more. WHICH IS DUMB. It's not their fault Emma killed herself, or than anyone commits suicide. IT'S EMMA'S FAULT. She hung herself. No one gave her the extension cord, or even told her to kill herself. Just because Emma wasn't strong, doesn't mean this is any different than any other bullying.
Obviously this is just my opinion, but I really wish someone would write a book with that kind of morals. No one does because everyone thinks that's wrong or something.
Let me go back to the teenage girls thing. It amazing me that this is based off a true story. I've never once met a girl that's that mean to someone else. I mean, I've been bullied before, but it was almost always guys. The only bullying I've ever seen girls doing (with my own eyes) is excluding people. Though honestly depending on the situation, I don't know if I would really consider that bullying. Because sometimes that other person is rude or negative or something, so no one wants to hang out with them. That means they need to fix something about themselves, no body wants to have somebody rude in their friend group, okay?
Speaking of friend groups, cliques don't really happen. For me there's lunch friends, and usually I have different friends in each class, but I don't just have, like, 8 friends and then I'm full, and everyone else I hate. There aren't rivalries between groups of friends, and usually people that are this mean to other people don't have any friends.
ALSO. How is it that Sara is a junior and high school and her only friend is Brielle? I mean, who are you partners with in classes, who else do you talk to, and HAVE YOU FAILED AT LIFE?!??! Even the emo kid in the back has other emo friends!! How have you managed to be this far into high school with only one friend? That's not even sad, it's just weird.
This author also has the whole I'm an adult trying to talk like a teenager and it's TOTALLY working! kind of writing. There were quite a lot of texts between people, and I swear this author used abbreviations I've never even seen before. I still have no idea what this means:
"thbbbbbt. yr no fun."
I don't even know what that stands for. And I know nobody that talks like this. I've seen people use "ur" (and it annoys the hell out of me) before...
So I actually just had to use Urban Dictionary (sad, I know), and apparently it means "This House Believes that". I just ummmm. Don't know what that means either. Should I? Because I'm super confused.
Also, the overwhelming use of "gonna" and "wanna" was incredibly painful. I mean, there are certain times when you can use those and not get on my nerves, and this author failed EVERY TIME. Saying it out loud is one thing, but writing it down and causing my eye's pain is another.
So throughout the book, Sara is trying to convince people that it's not her fault that Emma killed herself. And I agreed with her! It's not her fault! Even Carmichael (whom, by the way, Sara does not deserve in any way. Just putting that out there), the least annoying character in this book, didn't side with her. I MEAN HOW IN THE HELL IS IT HER FAULT?!!!??!?!
And then at the end she realizes that she did play a role in it, and that she made a mistake thinking that it was all Emma. That Emma had lots of other issues and her getting mad because Emma made out with her boyfriend was stupid and wasn't justified at all! Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I think everyone else screaming that it was her fault and that she should go to jail finally got into her head.
I'm not even going to mention the fact that by suing these kids, Emma's parents just ruined even more lives. Instead of letting the problem go, they destroyed 4 or 5 other kids lives. For something their daughter did. OKAYYYY?!??!!?!? Oh wait, I just mentioned it didn't I? Whoops.
So yeah, I didn't like this book at all.
One star for not entirely horrible writing and some semi-good characters.
Recommend?
Didn't I just answer this question in, I don't know, MY ENTIRE REVIEW? NOOOO. I don't recommend this book at all. Even if you somehow get it for free somewhere, don't read it. GO BURN IT IN A HOLE. MAKE IT PAY FOR THE WHAT IT HAS DONE!
That may have been a little over board, but seriously go ahead and burn it.
Also, I'd like to point out that I started this review giving this book 3 stars, but the more I though about it the more I thought it deserved way less.
NOW THAT WAS AN ANGRY REVIEW!!! :) I'm hoping I don't review any books like this in the future...?//
Please excuse me while I cringe.
Hahaha this review is SUPER old. I've deleted the link to my blog with the review because I don't have the energy to edit it. I'm going to leave the review I wrote write after reading as is, but with a bit of explanation to start.
At the time of writing this, I was a 14 year old, extremely depressed and suicidal transgender guy in denial. I literally call myself a teenage girl in this, and I'm fighting the urge to delete that part, so just know that that is not something I actually am.
I also get pretty pissed throughout this review (I hated the idea that someone else would get blamed if I killed myself, as I understood that it was completely on me), so be prepared for that. I still stand with the opinion that when people kill themselves it is no one's fault but their own. I say this as someone who has been suicidal on and off since I was about 10. People are almost always suicidal because of a mental illness, and even if those feelings were brought about by frequent bullying, it is not the fault of the bully if the person kills themselves. I explain this further in my review. Please note that there are some harsh words said in this review and major triggers for many people. Read at your own risk.
//Throughout this entire book, all I could think was Do teenage girls actually act like this? Since when? As a teenage girl with quite a few of teenage girl friends, I was a little insulted by how these characters were portrayed. They're all stereotypical teenage girls that are mean to each other and talk behind each others backs, not to mention play insane pranks on each other (that were extremely unrealistic and stupid). At least in my experience, TEENAGE GIRLS DO NOT ACT LIKE THAT. If your friends actually act like this, I suggest you get some new friends, because there are defiantly quite a lot that don't do this.
The thing I really didn't like about this book was that I thought it would be controversial. I thought it would explain something along the lines of "People that get bullied aren't necessarily innocent, and it's no ones fault but their own." Which was not even close to the moral of this story. It was more "I'm sorry I was mean to you I'll be more careful next time I now know that not everyone is strong" crap.
Now I'd like to ask you a question. If someone bullies someone else, but that person doesn't kill themselves, should they still be punished the same way as someone who bullied someone else that killed them selves? What if it was the exact same amount of bullying? What if they did exact the same things?
Because if Emma Putnam hadn't killed herself no one would be suing anybody. But just because she wasn't as strong as other people, means that the people that bullied her get punished more. WHICH IS DUMB. It's not their fault Emma killed herself, or than anyone commits suicide. IT'S EMMA'S FAULT. She hung herself. No one gave her the extension cord, or even told her to kill herself. Just because Emma wasn't strong, doesn't mean this is any different than any other bullying.
Obviously this is just my opinion, but I really wish someone would write a book with that kind of morals. No one does because everyone thinks that's wrong or something.
Let me go back to the teenage girls thing. It amazing me that this is based off a true story. I've never once met a girl that's that mean to someone else. I mean, I've been bullied before, but it was almost always guys. The only bullying I've ever seen girls doing (with my own eyes) is excluding people. Though honestly depending on the situation, I don't know if I would really consider that bullying. Because sometimes that other person is rude or negative or something, so no one wants to hang out with them. That means they need to fix something about themselves, no body wants to have somebody rude in their friend group, okay?
Speaking of friend groups, cliques don't really happen. For me there's lunch friends, and usually I have different friends in each class, but I don't just have, like, 8 friends and then I'm full, and everyone else I hate. There aren't rivalries between groups of friends, and usually people that are this mean to other people don't have any friends.
ALSO. How is it that Sara is a junior and high school and her only friend is Brielle? I mean, who are you partners with in classes, who else do you talk to, and HAVE YOU FAILED AT LIFE?!??! Even the emo kid in the back has other emo friends!! How have you managed to be this far into high school with only one friend? That's not even sad, it's just weird.
This author also has the whole I'm an adult trying to talk like a teenager and it's TOTALLY working! kind of writing. There were quite a lot of texts between people, and I swear this author used abbreviations I've never even seen before. I still have no idea what this means:
"thbbbbbt. yr no fun."
I don't even know what that stands for. And I know nobody that talks like this. I've seen people use "ur" (and it annoys the hell out of me) before...
So I actually just had to use Urban Dictionary (sad, I know), and apparently it means "This House Believes that". I just ummmm. Don't know what that means either. Should I? Because I'm super confused.
Also, the overwhelming use of "gonna" and "wanna" was incredibly painful. I mean, there are certain times when you can use those and not get on my nerves, and this author failed EVERY TIME. Saying it out loud is one thing, but writing it down and causing my eye's pain is another.
So throughout the book, Sara is trying to convince people that it's not her fault that Emma killed herself. And I agreed with her! It's not her fault! Even Carmichael (whom, by the way, Sara does not deserve in any way. Just putting that out there), the least annoying character in this book, didn't side with her. I MEAN HOW IN THE HELL IS IT HER FAULT?!!!??!?!
And then at the end she realizes that she did play a role in it, and that she made a mistake thinking that it was all Emma. That Emma had lots of other issues and her getting mad because Emma made out with her boyfriend was stupid and wasn't justified at all! Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I think everyone else screaming that it was her fault and that she should go to jail finally got into her head.
I'm not even going to mention the fact that by suing these kids, Emma's parents just ruined even more lives. Instead of letting the problem go, they destroyed 4 or 5 other kids lives. For something their daughter did. OKAYYYY?!??!!?!? Oh wait, I just mentioned it didn't I? Whoops.
So yeah, I didn't like this book at all.
One star for not entirely horrible writing and some semi-good characters.
Recommend?
Didn't I just answer this question in, I don't know, MY ENTIRE REVIEW? NOOOO. I don't recommend this book at all. Even if you somehow get it for free somewhere, don't read it. GO BURN IT IN A HOLE. MAKE IT PAY FOR THE WHAT IT HAS DONE!
That may have been a little over board, but seriously go ahead and burn it.
Also, I'd like to point out that I started this review giving this book 3 stars, but the more I though about it the more I thought it deserved way less.
NOW THAT WAS AN ANGRY REVIEW!!! :) I'm hoping I don't review any books like this in the future...?//
Please excuse me while I cringe.