Outcast

by Susan Oloier

Noelle dreams of a different life, one where Trina Brockwell doesn’t exist. Trina has bullied Noelle since junior high. Now she’s tired of it. With the help of her black-sheep aunt and a defiant new classmate, Noelle seeks revenge. But vengeance comes with a price: Noelle risks friendship, her first love, and herself to get back at those who have wronged her.

Genres: Young Adult

284 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2012

About the author

Susan Oloier is the author of My Life as a Misfit, Fractured, Superstitions, Outcast, Haunted, and the screenplay Simple Fugitives. She is co-author of the Horror Street Series. She has been a columnist and writer for both regional and national publications, including The Daily Beast. Susan currently lives with her husband and two sons. When she's not writing, she loves to read, rock climb, and ride her bike.

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an amazing book. It grabs you from the first chapter and never lets go. This book follows Noelle as she enters high school as a freshman and follows her until after graduation.

Noelle and her best friend Grace have always dreamed about being popular. They are tired of being picked on by Trina Brockwell and her band of minions. Noelle knows no amount of makeup will make Trinia like her, she just wants the bulling to stop.

With a rebellious older sister, an overbearing mother, and a father who is not emotionally there, what is Noelle to do? You will laugh and cry throughout this story. Some of the story is hard to read. I am still shocked (not surprised) by the ending. You will even ask yourself Why? Why are kids so mean to each other? Why does someone else's pain cause them happiness? When does it stop?

I could talk about this book for hours but I do not want to give anything away. You will have to read it for yourself. I recommend this wonderful book to anyone, especially high school kids.

[Rebecca Gasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outcast is a very intense and powerful story about bullying and the consequences of revenge. I loved the characters, and the storyline was shocking and realistic. I was moved. A must read. Susan Oloier is a very talented writer, and I can’t wait for her next book.

[Char ღ Denae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading 'Outcast', with certain expectations. In my mind, it was a Young Adult novel containing the usual problems high school girls face; mean girls, crushes, insecurity, first loves... It does have all of those things but it also has so much more. Ms. Oloier doesn't trivialize these things or wrap them up in a pretty bow, either. These issues are real, hurtful and gritty. The characters, too, especially the narrator, aren't painted with an innocent, all-Amercan, teen-next-door brush. They have flaws, make horrible mistakes and learn life lessons through selfish acts. They let their emotions consume them, sometimes to the point of self-abuse, and even death. Told in the point of view of Noelle, an innocent, Catholic high school girl, we learn how her being bullied by a typical 'mean girl', eventually permeates her whole life. Her hatrid for this girl grows until it consumes practically all of her thoughts. She keeps a journal filled with passages of hate and imagined revenge, and lets the girl get under her skin like a cancer. Her hatrid begins to effect every aspect of her life, her relationships and grades, included. Her family falls apart, she lets drugs, sex and alcohol numb her pain, and she feels alone and abandoned. In her mind, all of this stems from her being bullied by this evil girl. By the time Noelle figures out that her obssession is poisoning everything good in her life, all she can do is pick up the pieces and try to move forward. If you've ever wondered how a person can change so drastically and end up the complete opposite of what they were, 'Outcast' may help you to understand. All the elements that effect a life, can change with the blink of an eye and, just when you think you know where you're headed, another road block can divert your course. Ultimately, how you handle the detour, determines where you'll end up. It takes the complete destruction of all Noelle holds dear before she finally realuzes that she is the one in control of her direction. A roller coaster of events that lead to a surprising but satisfying end, 'Outcast', is quite a powerful ride.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trina is a mean girl who takes things too far. She’s extremely petty and degrading as she picks on others. Two of her victims are Noelle and her best friend Grace. Noelle becomes fixated on the idea of revenge. While she does so, her friendships and romantic life shatters, and her family goes down the toilet. Revenge isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Allowing others to fester in one’s thoughts isn’t healthy at all.

This book is intense, with an ending that will shock the reader. There are many lessons to learn here—while reading, I became invested in the character of Noelle and wanted to give her advice as her life unraveled. This YA contemporary with gritty issues is one I recommend to those who read this category.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as a first read and I couldn't put it down. It's powerful story about bullying and the consequences of revenge. I loved the characters, and the storyline was shocking and realistic. It grabs you from the first chapter and never lets go. This book follows Noelle as she enters high school as a freshman and follows her until after graduation.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story and it was free