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A review by jaydavies
Switchback by Danika Stone
1.0
I had major issues with this book. My first real BIG issue was the topic of bullying that was brought up within the first few chapters. It wasn't ridiculing somehow bad hair day. It was a picture of Val while changing. This to me is a super serious issue that never got resolved. I honestly felt like Val was almost suicidal in how she felt her world consisted of her online friend Brittany (I might be wrong there but I'm not going to grab the book to check) and Ash who she does doubt at certain points in the novel (ex. on the bus).
I felt like since the story started with some very heavy bullying. That naturally it would process to getting resolved. NOPE. Apparently Ash and Val find their inner strengths after surviving 4 days in the wilderness to confront Mike the biggest bully. Now Val's version of standing up for herself is just avoidance and saying no. Which everyone knows doesn't stop bullies! It felt weak in that the author is trying to claim Val is more excited for life. Ready to face the world. No she doesn't confront the issue of a picture circulating amongst her peers of her practically naked. No instead she just telling Mike no and pushes him at one point.
Now the real growth technically is Ash who makes himself the but of every joke to avoid confrontation. He's friends with everyone even the bullies and he has never stood up for Val. But after his revelation in the woods he does. Which is a more natural progression of inner strength. I still found his character to be a bit bully like. I mean I felt he pressed Val into thinking online gaming would save her and open doors in the way it did for him. New friends and a sense of community. Except let's remember she was being bullied from all sides online, at school, from both girls and boys ( a girl had to haven't the almost naked photo). There's just so many issues I can't get over him using peer pressure on her.
Now another issue was the adult teachers who apparently can't do anything right. They don't know Mike's a bully, they can't count, they can't properly plan a camping trip. Honestly even the teacher who sends Mike to office at the end when Ash confronts him for bullying Val. The teacher claimed he was almost on watch for a months. Yet only when 2 kids basically go through near death experiences do the teachers become adults.
I'm sorry there was to many problems with this book for me to overlook. I want a novella or a second book where we hear about what happened to the teachers who failed to count properly over the trip. I want to know how Val deals with the bullying and the photo issue. I want to know if because Val joins an online D&D group if suddenly he life is perfect like Ash claims. How about the parents? Who paid the medical bills? Someone must have sued the school? I'm sure the conservation officers didn't want that group back anytime soon. Not with the man hours and resources they used saving those kids. Although the conservation officers proved they're worth in the end. Basically highlighting that this book is a walking ad for why teachers get paid zilch.
End rant.
I felt like since the story started with some very heavy bullying. That naturally it would process to getting resolved. NOPE. Apparently Ash and Val find their inner strengths after surviving 4 days in the wilderness to confront Mike the biggest bully. Now Val's version of standing up for herself is just avoidance and saying no. Which everyone knows doesn't stop bullies! It felt weak in that the author is trying to claim Val is more excited for life. Ready to face the world. No she doesn't confront the issue of a picture circulating amongst her peers of her practically naked. No instead she just telling Mike no and pushes him at one point.
Now the real growth technically is Ash who makes himself the but of every joke to avoid confrontation. He's friends with everyone even the bullies and he has never stood up for Val. But after his revelation in the woods he does. Which is a more natural progression of inner strength. I still found his character to be a bit bully like. I mean I felt he pressed Val into thinking online gaming would save her and open doors in the way it did for him. New friends and a sense of community. Except let's remember she was being bullied from all sides online, at school, from both girls and boys ( a girl had to haven't the almost naked photo). There's just so many issues I can't get over him using peer pressure on her.
Now another issue was the adult teachers who apparently can't do anything right. They don't know Mike's a bully, they can't count, they can't properly plan a camping trip. Honestly even the teacher who sends Mike to office at the end when Ash confronts him for bullying Val. The teacher claimed he was almost on watch for a months. Yet only when 2 kids basically go through near death experiences do the teachers become adults.
I'm sorry there was to many problems with this book for me to overlook. I want a novella or a second book where we hear about what happened to the teachers who failed to count properly over the trip. I want to know how Val deals with the bullying and the photo issue. I want to know if because Val joins an online D&D group if suddenly he life is perfect like Ash claims. How about the parents? Who paid the medical bills? Someone must have sued the school? I'm sure the conservation officers didn't want that group back anytime soon. Not with the man hours and resources they used saving those kids. Although the conservation officers proved they're worth in the end. Basically highlighting that this book is a walking ad for why teachers get paid zilch.
End rant.