This is a work of fiction. This author has experience with working with young people, which has prepared her for dealing with the topic that this book is based on. Se has worked with them both as an educator and as a librarian, both in the US and in the UK. Other than her educational and professional experiences in these matters little else seems to be known about this author. This book begins with a Prologue which sets the tone for how the plot will unfold. Except for the final chapters, the end of each chapter includes interactions between two of the main characters in this book; many of these sub-sections are text messages between these two main characters. Halfway through the book it shifts into the plot from one of the main character's point of view, and it has two more sections that shift points of views. This book ends with the author's acknowledgments to those whose input made this book possible.
This book, being fiction, is harder to review than non-fiction is. At least that is the case for me. It is even harder because of how this book is written, from the view points of more than one of the main characters. I did not grasp that the book was written from multiple viewpoints until over halfway through this book. Frankly, because the plots in the book threw me off, the author kept losing me and my interest. I felt that I was being thrown around and that I did not know where I would land, a critique that, in college, was made of one of my essays. But this is the author's debut novel. The teenage main character was true to life as her language, as told in her parts of the book told in her perspective and through her texts to another teen character, make clear. These portions of the book tend to be in-your-face, blunt and irreverent (no, I'm not saying all young people are like this!). I just had a hard time getting into the action in this book and to feel with the characters until the very end. Maybe it is just me, not the author, that causes this experience but as is said, perspective is reality though I'm not always sure of them. I think it is probably best to read this book more than once, to really grasp it. The strengths of this book are its subject matter and the realism in which it is dealt with. The author also exhibits honesty in portraying the leading adult character and in the lessons this character has learned. The conclusion and what the main teen character learned are powerful and show that when the truth comes to light, it often totally changes our concept of individuals whom we know. This novel is given many subheadings so that readers can stop without having to wade through pages of text or having to mark the text (a no-no in borrowed books). It is a fast and easy read, from a literary standpoint.
I recommend this book for all of those involved with young people, including parents, educators,teachers, youth ministers and youth workers, child and adolescent psychologists. It is a book about young people and about a major social ill that affects them, bullying. I recommend this book for all those who like novels. I recommend this book for young people themselves so they can be educated on bullying, though I think a good non-fiction book on bullying for young people may work better. There is profanity in this book that would make it a "PG-13" rated book though not so graphic as to be an "R" rated book.
I received this book free of charge through Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review of this book.
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