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A review by tatiannareads
Bully by Penelope Douglas
5.0
Forget everything I ever said about not reading books set in high school and not connecting with adolescent characters, ok? [a:Penelope Douglas|7139136|Penelope Douglas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480874868p2/7139136.jpg] has changed the romance game for me. After reading [b:Punk 57|41021967|Punk 57|Penelope Douglas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533139999l/41021967._SY75_.jpg|49343156] and [b:Credence|49084724|Credence|Penelope Douglas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576590268l/49084724._SX50_.jpg|74517408] last year, I was enamoured by Douglas' ability to make me feel so damn much with their stories that seem very simple but are, in fact, very complex and nuanced. I'm starting my journey of reading their backlist, and what better way than to start at the beginning?
Potential triggers: bullying, sexual assault, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, violence, grief and loss, mentions of child abuse, parental substance abuse.
Bully is the story of Jared Trent and Tatum Brandt — two high-school seniors that share a history of childhood friendship that has become almost unbelievable with the way Jared treats Tate now. He's become her bully. She's endured two years of emotional abuse from him, and she has no idea what made him turn on her.
This is a friends to enemies to lovers romance and the depth with which their relationship is explored through past and present, and then transforms, is incredibly well done. Their chemistry is so palpable and electric through their tumultuous relationship. I loved their connection from childhood; I am such a sucker for that in romance novels and it added so much to their story!
Jared is an enigmatic alpha asshole and I couldn't help but love him. He's depicted in a such a way that you want to hate him for how cruel he is, but also just know there is more than meets the eye. I was so invested in how this story would play out, and by the end I was completely on board with Jared despite his past transgressions.
Tate is an incredible female protagonist! She is fallible, so realistic, but also just a badass bitch. Despite her young age, I could relate deeply to her inner thoughts and I rooted for her through this whole story. There are moments where Tate rises to meet Jared's challenges and I admired her so much for the ways in which she stands up for herself. She fights back. There are also moments when she is filled with pain and anger and lashes out just like Jared, stooping to his level, and I think this adds such humanity to both of them.
Bullying is a sensitive issue, of course. And I am sure many people read this book and think it's wrong to have a HEA with a bully. Personally, I applaud Douglas for exploring this issue in a way that questions human morality, trust and forgiveness, as well as resilience. This was an entertaining work of fiction with an emotional and satisfying ending.
I also want to note that I love how Douglas weaves music into her stories. This one features Seether, Bullet for My Valentine, Five Finger Death Punch, Three Days Grace.. etc. This is the case for Punk 57 and Credence as well, and it creates such a mood.
I would recommend this to dark romance readers that like bold and layered characters, coming-of-age stories, dark romance and alpha assholes (but the teenage version). I am looking forward to reading [b:Until You|20803962|Until You (Fall Away, #1.5)|Penelope Douglas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392309696l/20803962._SY75_.jpg|25720207], which is Jared's point of view.
Potential triggers: bullying, sexual assault, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, violence, grief and loss, mentions of child abuse, parental substance abuse.
Bully is the story of Jared Trent and Tatum Brandt — two high-school seniors that share a history of childhood friendship that has become almost unbelievable with the way Jared treats Tate now. He's become her bully. She's endured two years of emotional abuse from him, and she has no idea what made him turn on her.
"Even after everything he'd done, part of me still missed that boy that was my waking thought and constant companion as a kid. But that Jared was gone now."
This is a friends to enemies to lovers romance and the depth with which their relationship is explored through past and present, and then transforms, is incredibly well done. Their chemistry is so palpable and electric through their tumultuous relationship. I loved their connection from childhood; I am such a sucker for that in romance novels and it added so much to their story!
"His eyes were like the cover of books — giving you hints but not the whole story."
Jared is an enigmatic alpha asshole and I couldn't help but love him. He's depicted in a such a way that you want to hate him for how cruel he is, but also just know there is more than meets the eye. I was so invested in how this story would play out, and by the end I was completely on board with Jared despite his past transgressions.
"You were my tempest, my thunder cloud, my tree in the downpour. I loved all those things, and I loved you. But now? You're a fucking drought. I thought that all the assholes drove German cars, but it turns out that pricks in Mustangs can still leave scars."
Tate is an incredible female protagonist! She is fallible, so realistic, but also just a badass bitch. Despite her young age, I could relate deeply to her inner thoughts and I rooted for her through this whole story. There are moments where Tate rises to meet Jared's challenges and I admired her so much for the ways in which she stands up for herself. She fights back. There are also moments when she is filled with pain and anger and lashes out just like Jared, stooping to his level, and I think this adds such humanity to both of them.
"No one could really hurt me if I hurt them, right? This is how bullies are made."
Bullying is a sensitive issue, of course. And I am sure many people read this book and think it's wrong to have a HEA with a bully. Personally, I applaud Douglas for exploring this issue in a way that questions human morality, trust and forgiveness, as well as resilience. This was an entertaining work of fiction with an emotional and satisfying ending.
I also want to note that I love how Douglas weaves music into her stories. This one features Seether, Bullet for My Valentine, Five Finger Death Punch, Three Days Grace.. etc. This is the case for Punk 57 and Credence as well, and it creates such a mood.
I would recommend this to dark romance readers that like bold and layered characters, coming-of-age stories, dark romance and alpha assholes (but the teenage version). I am looking forward to reading [b:Until You|20803962|Until You (Fall Away, #1.5)|Penelope Douglas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392309696l/20803962._SY75_.jpg|25720207], which is Jared's point of view.