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It's been five years since I clicked Send.
Four years since I got out of juvie.
Three months since I changed my name.
Two minutes since I met Julie.
A second to change my life. All Dan wants for his senior year is to be invisible. This is his last chance at a semi–normal life. Nobody here knows who he is. Or what he's done. But on his first day at school, instead of turning away like everyone else, Dan breaks up a fight. Because Dan knows what it's like to be terrorized by a bully—he used to be one. Now the whole school thinks he's some kind of hero—except Julie. She looks at him like she knows he has a secret. Like she knows his name isn't really Daniel...
Four years since I got out of juvie.
Three months since I changed my name.
Two minutes since I met Julie.
A second to change my life. All Dan wants for his senior year is to be invisible. This is his last chance at a semi–normal life. Nobody here knows who he is. Or what he's done. But on his first day at school, instead of turning away like everyone else, Dan breaks up a fight. Because Dan knows what it's like to be terrorized by a bully—he used to be one. Now the whole school thinks he's some kind of hero—except Julie. She looks at him like she knows he has a secret. Like she knows his name isn't really Daniel...
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
109 people are currently reading
3124 people want to read
About the author
Patty Blount
18 books779 followersPatty Blount grew up quiet and a bit invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice in books. Today, she writes smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. She’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters. Let’s be real; Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations.
Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick and TMI, a 2014 Watty winner, and her #MeToo novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, a 2019 double Athena Award winner. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active online. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.
Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick and TMI, a 2014 Watty winner, and her #MeToo novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, a 2019 double Athena Award winner. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active online. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
September 4, 2012
A surprisingly heartfelt and touching novel on the subject of bullying, Send is a story about a bully who is trying to forgive himself for going too far.
Dan is starting a new school with a new identity; he and his family are trying to move on from a past long wanting to be forgotten. Dan instantly appears as someone unstable, though not necessarily in a bad way. He's dealing with a lot of grief and guilt over what he has done in his past, not to mention his 13 year old self - Kenny - that he still talks to on a daily basis. Yes, this does sound bizarre, and it is, I mean, his younger self is living in a room in his head, sometimes he sulks, sometimes he slams doors, it's all very… odd. But you know what? It fits. This imaginary alter ego used to be who he was… before. He hasn't forgiven him, he also doesn't want to forget him. I found this very enlightening; it's a great way to get to know Dan in a more personal manner. So, although it may be a bit… unorthodox, we get to experience his inner turmoil in a truly vivid and unique fashion. Kenny definitely plays an important role in this novel, proving himself a crucial character.
Alter ego aside, Dan is a broken individual who has been through extreme pain and fear throughout the years. Everyone makes mistakes, and sadly, Dan's has had grave consequences. I found myself drawn to his character very quickly. His emotions roll right off the pages. His character has a lot of depth; a lot of carving went into creating his layered personality, his damaged spirit, and his guilty conscience. I really enjoyed how largely character driven this novel was. Equally important were the side characters. We have a blooming friendship and a budding romance, both alternating from heartwarming to frustrating. Brandon, Julie, Jeff, Kenny - they all serve a purpose inside this new chapter in Dan's life.
The point of this story is about Dan figuring himself out; forgiving his 13 year old self for what he did. His past is given to us in increments, we don't learn right away exactly what happens. This way of telling grabs your attention, making you hypothesize, assume, or even deduce what happened before you learn the truth. It's not to create anticipation, but rather build our understanding of Daniel before we learn all about Kenny: his past. The plot itself tries, and fails, to hide what some may consider a twist. However, I think the predictability of it may not be completely unintentional. I'm sure that, like me, many readers will not be shocked by the developments that occur, and I'm also sure that just as many will not care. It's not about "aha" moments, but about Dan finally having the best reason to fight against his inner-self and learn to trust, to love, to hope, and to forgive.
A very emotional read that deals with a serious topic so often ignored, yet so affecting to those victimized - Send is a great novel that will be inspiring to both young and old, leaving a great message in its wake.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Dan is starting a new school with a new identity; he and his family are trying to move on from a past long wanting to be forgotten. Dan instantly appears as someone unstable, though not necessarily in a bad way. He's dealing with a lot of grief and guilt over what he has done in his past, not to mention his 13 year old self - Kenny - that he still talks to on a daily basis. Yes, this does sound bizarre, and it is, I mean, his younger self is living in a room in his head, sometimes he sulks, sometimes he slams doors, it's all very… odd. But you know what? It fits. This imaginary alter ego used to be who he was… before. He hasn't forgiven him, he also doesn't want to forget him. I found this very enlightening; it's a great way to get to know Dan in a more personal manner. So, although it may be a bit… unorthodox, we get to experience his inner turmoil in a truly vivid and unique fashion. Kenny definitely plays an important role in this novel, proving himself a crucial character.
Alter ego aside, Dan is a broken individual who has been through extreme pain and fear throughout the years. Everyone makes mistakes, and sadly, Dan's has had grave consequences. I found myself drawn to his character very quickly. His emotions roll right off the pages. His character has a lot of depth; a lot of carving went into creating his layered personality, his damaged spirit, and his guilty conscience. I really enjoyed how largely character driven this novel was. Equally important were the side characters. We have a blooming friendship and a budding romance, both alternating from heartwarming to frustrating. Brandon, Julie, Jeff, Kenny - they all serve a purpose inside this new chapter in Dan's life.
The point of this story is about Dan figuring himself out; forgiving his 13 year old self for what he did. His past is given to us in increments, we don't learn right away exactly what happens. This way of telling grabs your attention, making you hypothesize, assume, or even deduce what happened before you learn the truth. It's not to create anticipation, but rather build our understanding of Daniel before we learn all about Kenny: his past. The plot itself tries, and fails, to hide what some may consider a twist. However, I think the predictability of it may not be completely unintentional. I'm sure that, like me, many readers will not be shocked by the developments that occur, and I'm also sure that just as many will not care. It's not about "aha" moments, but about Dan finally having the best reason to fight against his inner-self and learn to trust, to love, to hope, and to forgive.
A very emotional read that deals with a serious topic so often ignored, yet so affecting to those victimized - Send is a great novel that will be inspiring to both young and old, leaving a great message in its wake.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
February 17, 2013
***This review is filled with spoilers of the very worst type, so if you’ve made it this far, this is your final warning. I even spoil another popular book. I just can’t talk about this book without talking about everything that happened.***
I went into this book with trepidation. I was Liam. I was bullied throughout my entire public school career, so badly that, one day, when I was 15, I took one of my father’s pocket knives and attempted to carve a vein out of my left arm. It’s a good thing I didn’t know that a cross cut is far less effective than a cut straight up the arm, or I wouldn’t be writing this. But that was 31 years ago, and now I have a scar that’s actually my badge of bravery, because I got out of high school alive and actually made a life for myself. I am also SO thankful that I went to school prior to the invention of the net, because then it would probably have been even worse, and the fact that you can google “how to successfully commit suicide” would not have been lost to a kid that excelled in research.
Instead, this book made me angry. Very angry.
I was angry at Julie, for obvious reasons, for a good part of the book. Of course I knew exactly who she was from the moment I met her (If you’ve read Ten Tiny Breaths you’ll know what I mean). I couldn’t be sure if she was plotting revenge or something else. So even though I felt for her, I never actually felt comfortable with her. I was angry at Pops. I’m sorry, but the way he turned his back on Ken was just wrong. No matter how angry he was over Ken’s “running”, the kid needed someone to love him, not a wall of silence. I was angry at the parents, because they just couldn’t accept the level of guilt Ken was experiencing. It was almost as if they wanted to say to him “snap out of it”. And of course I was angry at Mr. Murphy, not for the fact that he wanted revenge – I’m a father and I could get what he was feeling – but the fact that he pushed everyone else out of his life in order to get it. And he destroyed himself.
I was expecting to hate Dan. The fact is, he was the character I actually liked the most. I actually empathized with him. I felt his pain (I hope that doesn’t sound too Clintonian). I like that he “got” it, the he was mature enough and good enough of a person to feel the remorse he did. He was right to feel awful for what he did, but he wasn’t a murderer. I felt from him even though we at one point would have been on opposite sides of the fence. That is an achievement that the author can be proud of.
See, what I wish had been brought up more in the book, besides the fact that it was Liam’s choice not to talk to anyone about what was going on (the same choice I made), and the fact that it was Liam’s choice to commit suicide (again, the same choice I made), Ken’s posting of the picture was not actually the straw that broke the camel’s back – no, it was every kid that clicked on that picture and left a hatful comment behind. They share the same amount of guilt that Ken has, maybe more, because a picture is one thing, but words are so much more harmful. And I can guarantee you that no one punished them.
In the end, while the prose and dialogue was excellent, I felt that most of the characters were “off” in a way. I just didn’t “get” them. The only minor character that felt real to me was Jeff. He wasn’t a one dimensional bully, and there was a very good reason for why he was so hostile to Brandon. Misplaced reason, but understandable. And I also felt that a false sense of hope was written into the story. Not only would Ken not be going to that particular college, but there would be a hell of a lot more than the legal profession that would be closed to him (see below). Finally, the fact that he says to himself “nothing matters” a few pages before the end didn’t exactly end the book on the level of hope that I think the final email is supposed to inspire.
Kids can be rotten. A 13-year old doesn’t have the same conscience that a 21-year old does – in fact, the brain has to grow and evolve until it’s 21-22 years old. Kids can make terrible choices. They need to be taught. They need to be corrected. I felt that Ken’s punishment was excessive. I forgave the people who tortured me. I had no choice. If you carry that kind of poison around and don’t let it go, it is ultimately you who will be poisoned. A person needs to set themselves free the first chance they get. I hope Brandon and Jeff were able to work things out. I hope that Brandon was able to free himself. Hell, as the years went by, some of my tormenters became my friends. We grew up. They matured and found their consciences. I actually felt healed that some of these people were able to do a 180 and become my friends. It wasn’t just forgiveness, it let me embrace the past and actually fix it in a way. So I totally believe that Julie could love Ken and maybe they would have a future together.
This is one thing from reality that bothers me: Not everyone on the sex offenders list is a rapist or a pedophile. There are quite a few young teenagers out there who get put on this list for playing with internet porn. This is also becoming a bigger and bigger problem. And I think the punishment far outweighs the crime here. Once a person goes on that list, their life is essentially over. They probably won’t get accepted to college. Probably no one will hire them. Of course no one will marry them because of the fact that they’re “perverts”. And they should definitely not have children, because the state can snoop in at any time, for any reason it feels like (no suspicious act need to have occurred or be reported) and take the children permanently away. In our society’s zeal to keep sex offenders away from us – which is a very good thing – we have gone overboard in some cases and are ending lives before they ever begin. It reminds me of the lists that McCarthy kept. I worked as a paralegal for many years, and you can believe me when I tell you Ken would never have been accepted to a school like USC (or SUNY for NYS residents) and certainly will never be hired in a job that pays much more than minimum wage. A kid who posts naked pictures on the net should in no way be treated like a rapist or a pedophile. They’ve done wrong, but their lives should not be destroyed because of it. So, in the end, I felt that this story caused me to sympathize more with the bully than with the one who was bullied. And, again, I say this as one who was tortured through his school years and came very close to being Liam: Liam’s life ended quickly. Ken will not be so lucky. And I would never wish that kind of fate on any of the kids who tormented me. There is justice, there is punishment, and then there is just revenge. Revenge gets people nowhere, as Liam’s father demonstrated.
I went into this book with trepidation. I was Liam. I was bullied throughout my entire public school career, so badly that, one day, when I was 15, I took one of my father’s pocket knives and attempted to carve a vein out of my left arm. It’s a good thing I didn’t know that a cross cut is far less effective than a cut straight up the arm, or I wouldn’t be writing this. But that was 31 years ago, and now I have a scar that’s actually my badge of bravery, because I got out of high school alive and actually made a life for myself. I am also SO thankful that I went to school prior to the invention of the net, because then it would probably have been even worse, and the fact that you can google “how to successfully commit suicide” would not have been lost to a kid that excelled in research.
Instead, this book made me angry. Very angry.
I was angry at Julie, for obvious reasons, for a good part of the book. Of course I knew exactly who she was from the moment I met her (If you’ve read Ten Tiny Breaths you’ll know what I mean). I couldn’t be sure if she was plotting revenge or something else. So even though I felt for her, I never actually felt comfortable with her. I was angry at Pops. I’m sorry, but the way he turned his back on Ken was just wrong. No matter how angry he was over Ken’s “running”, the kid needed someone to love him, not a wall of silence. I was angry at the parents, because they just couldn’t accept the level of guilt Ken was experiencing. It was almost as if they wanted to say to him “snap out of it”. And of course I was angry at Mr. Murphy, not for the fact that he wanted revenge – I’m a father and I could get what he was feeling – but the fact that he pushed everyone else out of his life in order to get it. And he destroyed himself.
I was expecting to hate Dan. The fact is, he was the character I actually liked the most. I actually empathized with him. I felt his pain (I hope that doesn’t sound too Clintonian). I like that he “got” it, the he was mature enough and good enough of a person to feel the remorse he did. He was right to feel awful for what he did, but he wasn’t a murderer. I felt from him even though we at one point would have been on opposite sides of the fence. That is an achievement that the author can be proud of.
See, what I wish had been brought up more in the book, besides the fact that it was Liam’s choice not to talk to anyone about what was going on (the same choice I made), and the fact that it was Liam’s choice to commit suicide (again, the same choice I made), Ken’s posting of the picture was not actually the straw that broke the camel’s back – no, it was every kid that clicked on that picture and left a hatful comment behind. They share the same amount of guilt that Ken has, maybe more, because a picture is one thing, but words are so much more harmful. And I can guarantee you that no one punished them.
In the end, while the prose and dialogue was excellent, I felt that most of the characters were “off” in a way. I just didn’t “get” them. The only minor character that felt real to me was Jeff. He wasn’t a one dimensional bully, and there was a very good reason for why he was so hostile to Brandon. Misplaced reason, but understandable. And I also felt that a false sense of hope was written into the story. Not only would Ken not be going to that particular college, but there would be a hell of a lot more than the legal profession that would be closed to him (see below). Finally, the fact that he says to himself “nothing matters” a few pages before the end didn’t exactly end the book on the level of hope that I think the final email is supposed to inspire.
Kids can be rotten. A 13-year old doesn’t have the same conscience that a 21-year old does – in fact, the brain has to grow and evolve until it’s 21-22 years old. Kids can make terrible choices. They need to be taught. They need to be corrected. I felt that Ken’s punishment was excessive. I forgave the people who tortured me. I had no choice. If you carry that kind of poison around and don’t let it go, it is ultimately you who will be poisoned. A person needs to set themselves free the first chance they get. I hope Brandon and Jeff were able to work things out. I hope that Brandon was able to free himself. Hell, as the years went by, some of my tormenters became my friends. We grew up. They matured and found their consciences. I actually felt healed that some of these people were able to do a 180 and become my friends. It wasn’t just forgiveness, it let me embrace the past and actually fix it in a way. So I totally believe that Julie could love Ken and maybe they would have a future together.
This is one thing from reality that bothers me: Not everyone on the sex offenders list is a rapist or a pedophile. There are quite a few young teenagers out there who get put on this list for playing with internet porn. This is also becoming a bigger and bigger problem. And I think the punishment far outweighs the crime here. Once a person goes on that list, their life is essentially over. They probably won’t get accepted to college. Probably no one will hire them. Of course no one will marry them because of the fact that they’re “perverts”. And they should definitely not have children, because the state can snoop in at any time, for any reason it feels like (no suspicious act need to have occurred or be reported) and take the children permanently away. In our society’s zeal to keep sex offenders away from us – which is a very good thing – we have gone overboard in some cases and are ending lives before they ever begin. It reminds me of the lists that McCarthy kept. I worked as a paralegal for many years, and you can believe me when I tell you Ken would never have been accepted to a school like USC (or SUNY for NYS residents) and certainly will never be hired in a job that pays much more than minimum wage. A kid who posts naked pictures on the net should in no way be treated like a rapist or a pedophile. They’ve done wrong, but their lives should not be destroyed because of it. So, in the end, I felt that this story caused me to sympathize more with the bully than with the one who was bullied. And, again, I say this as one who was tortured through his school years and came very close to being Liam: Liam’s life ended quickly. Ken will not be so lucky. And I would never wish that kind of fate on any of the kids who tormented me. There is justice, there is punishment, and then there is just revenge. Revenge gets people nowhere, as Liam’s father demonstrated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2016
Qué hermoso. No recuerdo haber marcado frases de este libro porque todo el libro en sí es bueno.
Comencé a leerlo con expectativas promedio, pensando en que, probablemente, sería una decepción más, pero no fue así.
Te cuenta la historia de un chico atormentado por lo que hizo en el pasado. Me sentí identificada. Cuando crees que eres totalmente culpable y que no tienes perdón alguno, la vida te da una oportunidad. Aprendí mucho de el. No me arrepiento de haberlo leído. ¡Mi libro favorito de lo que va del año!
PD: aunque a veces haya un romance cursi que hum, es pasable.
Comencé a leerlo con expectativas promedio, pensando en que, probablemente, sería una decepción más, pero no fue así.
Te cuenta la historia de un chico atormentado por lo que hizo en el pasado. Me sentí identificada. Cuando crees que eres totalmente culpable y que no tienes perdón alguno, la vida te da una oportunidad. Aprendí mucho de el. No me arrepiento de haberlo leído. ¡Mi libro favorito de lo que va del año!
PD: aunque a veces haya un romance cursi que hum, es pasable.
August 22, 2012
“
Four Stars: A look at how one thoughtless act can destroy so many lives.
Dan wants a clean start at his new school for his senior year. He is desperately trying to move beyond the horrors that have plagued him for the last five years. When he was thirteen, Dan was a young boy named Kenny who posted a picture of a fellow classmate in cartoon underwear on the internet. That one thoughtless act resulted in the boy's suicide. Kenny was sent to juvenile detention and has paid dearly for his mistake. Now at eighteen his family has moved numerous times, sacrificed tremendously and tried in vain to put their lives back together. Kenny changed his name to Dan and his family has moved to another home in hopes of a new beginning. The only problem, this one juvenile act not only cost the life of the victim, but it has destroyed the lives of countless others. Dan hopes that he can fly below the radar and graduate. All his plans of remaining incognito go out the window when he arrives at his new school and finds a bully picking a fight with another student in the parking lot. When no one intervenes, Dan jumps in and breaks up the fight. Can he somehow help this fellow student? Can he ever make amends for his online mistake?
What I Liked:
*I am a big fan of books that take on the troubling topic of bullying, whether it be physical, verbal, or online abuse. I think that the old school thinking that bullying is part of growing up is wrong. Things are far worse these days when kids can go online and post vicious attacks against a fellow student under the guise of anonymity. Abusing another human is unacceptable and it is time we all realize this and take a stand. I applaud Ms. Blount's efforts to call attention to this hot issue. Her book, Send, brings us the story of a young man who at thirteen made a huge mistake in posting a picture of a fellow student he was bullying. His seemingly stupid act destroyed so many lives. This book discusses the far reaching consequences of his juvenile mistake.
*I appreciated that this book not only discusses the consequences for the victim but it takes a realistic and in depth look at what happens to the perpetrator and their family. Can you imagine ruining the life of not only your victim but their family and your family not to mention the destruction of your future and your dreams? This book will make you sit up and take notice of how one act whether it was meant to be a harmless prank or something worse can be like a pebble tossed into a clear, glassy lake. That one small pebble will create ripples and waves that reach far across the water. Just like one stupid moment can devastate so many lives. I shudder to think of all the stupid things that we all do as we grow up. I hope that this book will help kids to realize that posting harmful things on the internet is something that can haunt their lives forever.
* I was surprised to find that I strongly sympathized with Dan. Yes, he was a bully who made a stupid mistake, but it cost him dearly. Seeing the guilt that he carries is heart breaking. Dan has the support of an amazing family that help pull him through. Without his family, things would have been far worse, and trust me they are bad enough. Watching Dan struggle to put his life back together was an eye opening experience. Of course, we all tend to sympathize with the victim, but this book brings to light the other side of the coin. Bullying is horrible for everyone involved. In the end, I was glad to see that Dan was trying to be a better person by his actions: stopping a bullying incident and helping a victim.
And The Not So Much:
*I have a few small considerations for this book. I wished that the actual event was discussed a bit more. The reader pieces together the story from splices of flashbacks and such but a firm, clear picture of what happened does not materialize until the final chapters. I think a more thorough depiction of the event early on would have elicited a more profound emotional impact.
*The big twist and reveal was not a surprise, it was fairly obvious from the beginning what was going on. I liked Dan's involvement with Julie, but at the end I almost felt that the whole situation was a bit unrealistic. Nevertheless, the development makes an impact in that it shows how bullying devastates so many lives.
*The ending is open ended and I found myself a bit disappointed in that I didn't get so see a little further down the path to see how everything turns out for Dan. I was also a bit frustrated that the situation between Brandon and his bully wasn't completely laid out. It was inferred that everything worked out, but I would love to see how the two diffused the situation and how they made amends.
Send is a book that will stick with me. The story packs a big emotional punch and it opens your eyes to the dangerous, far reaching consequences of bullying online and in person. This a book that everyone should read as it brings up so many important
points. I urge you to pick this one up and share it with the teenage readers in your life. Let's see if we can help put an end to this rise in bullying! Try to make the world a better place!
Favorite Quotations:
"For most people, the little voice in their heads was the voice of reason, a conscience or something. But mine was more like a mirror that reflected the things about me I wished nobody could ever see."
"But eventually, everybody looks back on the stuff they used to do and winces."
"The fist that connected with my face clinched it for me. God was bullied as a kid."
"As she led me down the first corridor, she shot me a look so cold I was willing to bet it could freeze a nuclear explosion mid-mushroom cloud and still have enough power left over for the fires or Hell."
"The days piled up, one on top of the other, the way they do when you fall into a routine. September bled into October with warm days, but the air lost that heavy wetness that made you feel like you were trying to breathe underwater."
"So I sat by a rickety picnic table while summer hung on by its thumbs, slurping my cake flavored ice, imagining how I could fix all the crap in my life."
"My God, was there anything women did not carry in their bags?"
"Eighteen year old men did not cry or admit to having cried. Ever."
"When you're sure....when you feel it deep down in your gut...when you'd rather suffer in hell sitting through back-to-back chick flicks or enduring endless hours of shopping, holding her bags just so you wouldn't have to live a day without her, that's how you know it's real."
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation and all opinions expressed are my own.”
Orginally posted @ http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/
Four Stars: A look at how one thoughtless act can destroy so many lives.
Dan wants a clean start at his new school for his senior year. He is desperately trying to move beyond the horrors that have plagued him for the last five years. When he was thirteen, Dan was a young boy named Kenny who posted a picture of a fellow classmate in cartoon underwear on the internet. That one thoughtless act resulted in the boy's suicide. Kenny was sent to juvenile detention and has paid dearly for his mistake. Now at eighteen his family has moved numerous times, sacrificed tremendously and tried in vain to put their lives back together. Kenny changed his name to Dan and his family has moved to another home in hopes of a new beginning. The only problem, this one juvenile act not only cost the life of the victim, but it has destroyed the lives of countless others. Dan hopes that he can fly below the radar and graduate. All his plans of remaining incognito go out the window when he arrives at his new school and finds a bully picking a fight with another student in the parking lot. When no one intervenes, Dan jumps in and breaks up the fight. Can he somehow help this fellow student? Can he ever make amends for his online mistake?
What I Liked:
*I am a big fan of books that take on the troubling topic of bullying, whether it be physical, verbal, or online abuse. I think that the old school thinking that bullying is part of growing up is wrong. Things are far worse these days when kids can go online and post vicious attacks against a fellow student under the guise of anonymity. Abusing another human is unacceptable and it is time we all realize this and take a stand. I applaud Ms. Blount's efforts to call attention to this hot issue. Her book, Send, brings us the story of a young man who at thirteen made a huge mistake in posting a picture of a fellow student he was bullying. His seemingly stupid act destroyed so many lives. This book discusses the far reaching consequences of his juvenile mistake.
*I appreciated that this book not only discusses the consequences for the victim but it takes a realistic and in depth look at what happens to the perpetrator and their family. Can you imagine ruining the life of not only your victim but their family and your family not to mention the destruction of your future and your dreams? This book will make you sit up and take notice of how one act whether it was meant to be a harmless prank or something worse can be like a pebble tossed into a clear, glassy lake. That one small pebble will create ripples and waves that reach far across the water. Just like one stupid moment can devastate so many lives. I shudder to think of all the stupid things that we all do as we grow up. I hope that this book will help kids to realize that posting harmful things on the internet is something that can haunt their lives forever.
* I was surprised to find that I strongly sympathized with Dan. Yes, he was a bully who made a stupid mistake, but it cost him dearly. Seeing the guilt that he carries is heart breaking. Dan has the support of an amazing family that help pull him through. Without his family, things would have been far worse, and trust me they are bad enough. Watching Dan struggle to put his life back together was an eye opening experience. Of course, we all tend to sympathize with the victim, but this book brings to light the other side of the coin. Bullying is horrible for everyone involved. In the end, I was glad to see that Dan was trying to be a better person by his actions: stopping a bullying incident and helping a victim.
And The Not So Much:
*I have a few small considerations for this book. I wished that the actual event was discussed a bit more. The reader pieces together the story from splices of flashbacks and such but a firm, clear picture of what happened does not materialize until the final chapters. I think a more thorough depiction of the event early on would have elicited a more profound emotional impact.
*The big twist and reveal was not a surprise, it was fairly obvious from the beginning what was going on. I liked Dan's involvement with Julie, but at the end I almost felt that the whole situation was a bit unrealistic. Nevertheless, the development makes an impact in that it shows how bullying devastates so many lives.
*The ending is open ended and I found myself a bit disappointed in that I didn't get so see a little further down the path to see how everything turns out for Dan. I was also a bit frustrated that the situation between Brandon and his bully wasn't completely laid out. It was inferred that everything worked out, but I would love to see how the two diffused the situation and how they made amends.
Send is a book that will stick with me. The story packs a big emotional punch and it opens your eyes to the dangerous, far reaching consequences of bullying online and in person. This a book that everyone should read as it brings up so many important
points. I urge you to pick this one up and share it with the teenage readers in your life. Let's see if we can help put an end to this rise in bullying! Try to make the world a better place!
Favorite Quotations:
"For most people, the little voice in their heads was the voice of reason, a conscience or something. But mine was more like a mirror that reflected the things about me I wished nobody could ever see."
"But eventually, everybody looks back on the stuff they used to do and winces."
"The fist that connected with my face clinched it for me. God was bullied as a kid."
"As she led me down the first corridor, she shot me a look so cold I was willing to bet it could freeze a nuclear explosion mid-mushroom cloud and still have enough power left over for the fires or Hell."
"The days piled up, one on top of the other, the way they do when you fall into a routine. September bled into October with warm days, but the air lost that heavy wetness that made you feel like you were trying to breathe underwater."
"So I sat by a rickety picnic table while summer hung on by its thumbs, slurping my cake flavored ice, imagining how I could fix all the crap in my life."
"My God, was there anything women did not carry in their bags?"
"Eighteen year old men did not cry or admit to having cried. Ever."
"When you're sure....when you feel it deep down in your gut...when you'd rather suffer in hell sitting through back-to-back chick flicks or enduring endless hours of shopping, holding her bags just so you wouldn't have to live a day without her, that's how you know it's real."
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation and all opinions expressed are my own.”
Orginally posted @ http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/
March 8, 2013
I thought there was a strong beginning and I had high hopes for this book, but it was ultimately disappointing. Most of the story has serious credibility problems. I felt like almost all of the characters, at almost every turning point, made decisions that didn't ring true. And on a more fundamental level the essential conflict itself didn't ring true.
I found myself waiting, page after page, chapter after chapter for the big reveal on what it was that Ken actually did to earn the title 'murderer' and when it came it wasn't even close to adequate. It wasn't even adequate to support the charges he was actually convicted of. New Jersey (like most states) prohibits the possession or distribution of images of children engaged in sexual acts or in the simulation of sexual acts... not children dressing out in a locker room in cartoon underwear. I mean... No one said the writer was a lawyer but I think if I were writing a story that was absolutely anchored by a criminal conviction in the main character's past, I might look up the statute he was convicted under. But whatever.
Ultimately the story really picked up toward the end and I thought it had a strong finish (though there were a few eye-roll moments) but it wasn't enough to make up for the fundamental flaws.
I found myself waiting, page after page, chapter after chapter for the big reveal on what it was that Ken actually did to earn the title 'murderer' and when it came it wasn't even close to adequate. It wasn't even adequate to support the charges he was actually convicted of. New Jersey (like most states) prohibits the possession or distribution of images of children engaged in sexual acts or in the simulation of sexual acts... not children dressing out in a locker room in cartoon underwear. I mean... No one said the writer was a lawyer but I think if I were writing a story that was absolutely anchored by a criminal conviction in the main character's past, I might look up the statute he was convicted under. But whatever.
Ultimately the story really picked up toward the end and I thought it had a strong finish (though there were a few eye-roll moments) but it wasn't enough to make up for the fundamental flaws.
April 17, 2020
A beautiful and heartwrenching story about the lasting pain of guilt, and the beauty that spills even from the most hopeless situations.
May 31, 2016
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
So after reading Some Boys yesterday, I knew I had to read another book by this woman. She totally surprised me, came out of nowhere. So I looked her up on Goodreads and found this book. It was in the blurb of Some Boys too, so I decided to get me a copy and read that one. Just to see if it was as fantastic as Some Boys was. Well... Patty Blount just fried my brain and got herself a spot on my auto-buy list.
Send is about Dan. When he was fourteen, he made one of the biggest mistakes in his life. He was sent to juvie for almost a year and since then he's paid a high price for that one stupid mistake. Now it's a bit better. He and his family moved and changed their names. Now he can start again in a place where nobody knows him or what he did. But his first day at his new school doesn't start out as he planned. He breaks up a fight while everyones else just doesn't do anything. And now he's in the spotlight again. While he's trying hard to keep his past a secret, there is one girl who looks at him like she knows all of his secrets. Like that he knows what it's like to be bullied because he used to be one...
Bullying is a very hard topic for me. Not for the same reason as it is for Dan, the main character in this book. No, I used to be on the receiving end of it. So it's hard for me to read a book that centers around that. I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to finish it and I thought I'd hate Dan. But I finished it and I loved Dan. Still do. He was such a deep character. There were so many layers to him and I couldn't help feeling bad for him. Yeah, what he did was stupid. But it wasn't worth the price he paid. I won't say anything about that because it would ruin the book a bit if you knew beforehand. Dan's past gets revealed little by little and when he finally told the whole story, it destroyed me. I was a sobbing, crying mess and I thanked the gods I wasn't reading this book in public.
Patty seems to be one of those authors that isn't afraid to write about these kind of topics. Some Boys deals with rape and Send deals with suicide and both of them deal with bullying in different ways. Yeah, they're hard to read about. Really hard. It messes you up. But to be honest, we need more books about this kind of stuff. Hard, honest books that don't shy away from the truth because the things Patty write about could just as easily be true stories. It's terrifying to think about, but it's the truth. And I admire her for that. Not only her, there are other authors that do that. Like Katie McGarry, Colleen Hoover, Jessica Verdi,... All authors I love and admire for that. They write stories that need to be read by everyone. And even though I'm a mess afterwards and it fries my brain, I'll read every single one of their books without hesitation.
For those of you who don't know this, here's the missing epilogue of Send, which made me cry again. I did like the open ending in the book, but I loved finding out what happened after that. I really needed that closure. Oh, before I forget! So Dan talks to himself and he calls the voice in his head Kenny. Kenny even has his own room in Dan's head. It seems weird, right? But it was so right for this story! And it was funny too sometimes, which made the book feel a bit less heavy. And as strange as it sounds, I did grew to love Kenny as a separate character.
Send is a hard, honest and emotional book that messed me up so much I didn't know what was what for a few minutes after finishing it. It's a book that confirmed my love for Patty Blount, who now has a place on my auto-buy list. I recommend it to everyone!
{My review for Some Boys will be up on my blog on August 1st, if you can't wait until then to read it, you can read it on Goodreads already! Just go here.}
April 6, 2016
There are things that I liked in Send, and things that I didn’t.
I liked
1. Send by Patty Blount takes a different approach on bullying than books I’ve read previously. Rather than centers on a victim, it tells the readers about the bully himself. We see that bullying affects not only victim but also bully, as well as their families.
2. Dan. He is a great main character. When I begin to read this book I wasn’t expecting to like Dan as him being the bully. But I couldn’t help but sympathize with him. There so much guilt and pain inside him, that it difficult to watch. He can’t forget his past, he thinks he should suffer. He makes a big journey trying to forgive and learning to love.
3. Kenny. Kenny is thirteen years old Dan. Nobody, but Dan can see and hear him. Kenny lives in a room inside Dan’s head. It sounds bizarre but Patty Blount makes a great job here. Actually Kenny is my favorite character in this book. He helps understand Dan better. And I liked their banter, arguing and their tender moments.
4. Mystery element. We don’t know what exactly happened with Dan in the past. The author gives us only snippets of information. Though the mystery aspect is not mind-blowing, I guessed early in the book, it makes this book more interesting.
I didn’t like
1. Send wasn’t as emotional as I expected. I wanted it to be grittier, more heartbreaking.
2. Romance. It didn’t work for me. In my opinion there wasn’t any chemistry between Dan and Julie.
3. This disturbing violent scene. I don’t see the purpose of it. While Send deals with such a serious topic as bullying and its aftermath, this book is told in rather light tones. So such graphic description of beating was unexpected and unnecessary.
4. Secondary characters. Brandon is a guy at Dan’s new school, whom he tries to befriend. Brandon is bullied by Jeff. I think both Brandon and Jeff were underdeveloped. I also find the ending of this subplot rushed and unfinished. Also I have some issues with how Dan’s parents were portrayed. Dan is very close to his parents, he shares with them his problems, and they are understanding and loving. Actually they are unrealistically understanding. Is it possible that the guy with such a past as Dan has this kind of relationship with his parents?
Send by Patty Blount is not a perfect book, but it deals with this serious topic in a unique way. If you interested in reading a book about bullying and its consequences you should give it a try.
You can find my reviews:
I liked
1. Send by Patty Blount takes a different approach on bullying than books I’ve read previously. Rather than centers on a victim, it tells the readers about the bully himself. We see that bullying affects not only victim but also bully, as well as their families.
2. Dan. He is a great main character. When I begin to read this book I wasn’t expecting to like Dan as him being the bully. But I couldn’t help but sympathize with him. There so much guilt and pain inside him, that it difficult to watch. He can’t forget his past, he thinks he should suffer. He makes a big journey trying to forgive and learning to love.
3. Kenny. Kenny is thirteen years old Dan. Nobody, but Dan can see and hear him. Kenny lives in a room inside Dan’s head. It sounds bizarre but Patty Blount makes a great job here. Actually Kenny is my favorite character in this book. He helps understand Dan better. And I liked their banter, arguing and their tender moments.
4. Mystery element. We don’t know what exactly happened with Dan in the past. The author gives us only snippets of information. Though the mystery aspect is not mind-blowing, I guessed early in the book, it makes this book more interesting.
I didn’t like
1. Send wasn’t as emotional as I expected. I wanted it to be grittier, more heartbreaking.
2. Romance. It didn’t work for me. In my opinion there wasn’t any chemistry between Dan and Julie.
3. This disturbing violent scene. I don’t see the purpose of it. While Send deals with such a serious topic as bullying and its aftermath, this book is told in rather light tones. So such graphic description of beating was unexpected and unnecessary.
4. Secondary characters. Brandon is a guy at Dan’s new school, whom he tries to befriend. Brandon is bullied by Jeff. I think both Brandon and Jeff were underdeveloped. I also find the ending of this subplot rushed and unfinished. Also I have some issues with how Dan’s parents were portrayed. Dan is very close to his parents, he shares with them his problems, and they are understanding and loving. Actually they are unrealistically understanding. Is it possible that the guy with such a past as Dan has this kind of relationship with his parents?
Send by Patty Blount is not a perfect book, but it deals with this serious topic in a unique way. If you interested in reading a book about bullying and its consequences you should give it a try.
You can find my reviews:
August 16, 2012
Send is one of those gripping stories that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. Send is a story that can happen to anyone anywhere. Kids now a days have no idea what their words can do to others. They have no idea what their actions will cause others to do. In Send we get to see first hand what bullying can do to someone. It not only affects the bullied person and family but the bully and their family.
In Send we get to meet Kenny who is a 13 year old boy. He loves sports and school and he loves to pick on people. Kenny targets one of his classmates by posting something on the internet and his classmate kills himself. Kenny is punished by the law for what he did and when he reaches Juvenile Detention Kenny gets to meet some real bullies worse then him. Kenny does the time and comes home to his family. Which he is reminded of everyday that his classmate will never come home.
Upon being released Kenny and his family are harassed and his father decides it is best to move and change their name and start a new life. At First Kenny has nightmares and flash backs about what he did and he regrets it. But let's face it what is regret when you cause another person to kill themselves because of an action you took. Guilt is a mother $%^@! So Kenny moves to another place where no one knows him and changes his name to Daniel. Only the past never really leaves you and on the first day of class at the new school Daniel is faced with a bully bullying another kid and he defends the kid.
So not what Daniel had in mind. The funny thing is is that Daniel has Kenny in his mind and he wars with him about everything. See Kenny has never really left Daniel. He may have changed his name and his address but he will never be able to rid himself of the guilt he has over the death of his classmate that he caused. As the story goes along it shows Kenny that Daniel does want to change and he will do whatever it takes to move on from the past.
Then enters Julie she is there when Daniel saves the bullied kid and she acts weird to me. She is hot one minute and cold the next. Everyone has secrets but will Daniels secret keep Julie away? Julie is Daniels emotional roller coaster because he starts to like her and want to be with her but the guilt he has is eating him inside. What will Julie chose? Will she give him a chance? What is redemption worth? Can he have a relationship with someone at this point in time?
I won't give away the twist at the end but dang it it was EPIC! I am so glad I was able to be a part of this EPIC story by reading it and being a part of the blog tour called It Only Takes One Click. Thank you Patty for writing such a compelling story.
In Send we get to meet Kenny who is a 13 year old boy. He loves sports and school and he loves to pick on people. Kenny targets one of his classmates by posting something on the internet and his classmate kills himself. Kenny is punished by the law for what he did and when he reaches Juvenile Detention Kenny gets to meet some real bullies worse then him. Kenny does the time and comes home to his family. Which he is reminded of everyday that his classmate will never come home.
Upon being released Kenny and his family are harassed and his father decides it is best to move and change their name and start a new life. At First Kenny has nightmares and flash backs about what he did and he regrets it. But let's face it what is regret when you cause another person to kill themselves because of an action you took. Guilt is a mother $%^@! So Kenny moves to another place where no one knows him and changes his name to Daniel. Only the past never really leaves you and on the first day of class at the new school Daniel is faced with a bully bullying another kid and he defends the kid.
So not what Daniel had in mind. The funny thing is is that Daniel has Kenny in his mind and he wars with him about everything. See Kenny has never really left Daniel. He may have changed his name and his address but he will never be able to rid himself of the guilt he has over the death of his classmate that he caused. As the story goes along it shows Kenny that Daniel does want to change and he will do whatever it takes to move on from the past.
Then enters Julie she is there when Daniel saves the bullied kid and she acts weird to me. She is hot one minute and cold the next. Everyone has secrets but will Daniels secret keep Julie away? Julie is Daniels emotional roller coaster because he starts to like her and want to be with her but the guilt he has is eating him inside. What will Julie chose? Will she give him a chance? What is redemption worth? Can he have a relationship with someone at this point in time?
I won't give away the twist at the end but dang it it was EPIC! I am so glad I was able to be a part of this EPIC story by reading it and being a part of the blog tour called It Only Takes One Click. Thank you Patty for writing such a compelling story.
September 9, 2012
I am torn. Completely, irrevocably torn right now. This book had all the componenets of a book that should take my heart, twist it up, squeeze the shit out of it and then spit it out. But, and there is always a "but" isn't there, that is not what happened.
Let me start by saying that I liked this book. It was a solid story with likable characters and a message that every high school student should listen to. The main issue that is dealt wiith here is one that any mother with a child in high school especially would fear. The subject of bullying is a tough topic to tackle and the author does a good job of doing just that. The story started off great. The emotion that Dan goes through, the guilt that's tearing him apart, its really tough to read about. Sometimes I just wanted to reach out and just hold him. To think of the amount of pain that such a young man deals with day after day, every day is trully mindblowing.
That being said, the other characters in the story did not do it for me. I did not really feel much depth in their emotions. And dare I say it, they felt a little fake and contrived. Especially after it seemed that EVERY single character was dealing with the same thing. I mean how much bad luck does this kid (Dan) have?!
Also, the romance, if you can call it that. I felt like I completely missed something. It seemed like out of nowhere they're epressing their love for each other. Maybe it's because of the time that elapsed from the time he started school to the time everything comes to a head (because it did pass quickly) , I don't know. But it did not seem true to me. It did not feel real.
And I dit NOT like the end of the book, at ALL. The whole thing with Liam's father. Ridiculous. Completely unbelievable and utterly ridiculous. It felt like the ending of a really bad made-for-tv movie. That brought the book down a few notches for me. And what was that with the actual end of the book? I changed the page expecting more and there was none. NONE! It just ended! Again with more questions than answers...
Let me start by saying that I liked this book. It was a solid story with likable characters and a message that every high school student should listen to. The main issue that is dealt wiith here is one that any mother with a child in high school especially would fear. The subject of bullying is a tough topic to tackle and the author does a good job of doing just that. The story started off great. The emotion that Dan goes through, the guilt that's tearing him apart, its really tough to read about. Sometimes I just wanted to reach out and just hold him. To think of the amount of pain that such a young man deals with day after day, every day is trully mindblowing.
That being said, the other characters in the story did not do it for me. I did not really feel much depth in their emotions. And dare I say it, they felt a little fake and contrived. Especially after it seemed that EVERY single character was dealing with the same thing. I mean how much bad luck does this kid (Dan) have?!
Also, the romance, if you can call it that. I felt like I completely missed something. It seemed like out of nowhere they're epressing their love for each other. Maybe it's because of the time that elapsed from the time he started school to the time everything comes to a head (because it did pass quickly) , I don't know. But it did not seem true to me. It did not feel real.
And I dit NOT like the end of the book, at ALL. The whole thing with Liam's father. Ridiculous. Completely unbelievable and utterly ridiculous. It felt like the ending of a really bad made-for-tv movie. That brought the book down a few notches for me. And what was that with the actual end of the book? I changed the page expecting more and there was none. NONE! It just ended! Again with more questions than answers...
July 15, 2012
That was a powerful and very emotional book!!!!
If it wouldn't be for the ending this would be a 5 star..... I truly dislike open endings. I want closure!
Anyways, SEND was a strong heartbreaking debut! One of my favorite aspects was Ken/Dans family. Every kid needs parents like this, who love you no matter what and who will do anything to protect you.
If it wouldn't be for the ending this would be a 5 star..... I truly dislike open endings. I want closure!
Anyways, SEND was a strong heartbreaking debut! One of my favorite aspects was Ken/Dans family. Every kid needs parents like this, who love you no matter what and who will do anything to protect you.
July 1, 2019
So sad, so amazing 💯
Oh, and the ending...???!! 😭
Oh, and the ending...???!! 😭
July 10, 2019
Really enjoyed this one! It’s been on my shelf for years and I wasn’t expecting much, but it was a pleasant surprise!
November 13, 2017
Send Review
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5. Dan is hiding a secret. His real name isn't Dan. Dan had been in juvie before he moved to New York. He was a delinquent in New Jersey. He sent a picture to Facebook that ended with a suicide. He was labeled as a sex offender. Dan felt really horrible for this. He ended up creating Kenny in his mind. Dan didn't want to get noticed. On the first day of school he stops a fight. Julie was sitting in her car watching. That ticks Dan off. She could have stopped the fight at any time. He told her that to his face. That made Julie angry too. Dan decided that he would friend the boy that was getting bullied. He knew what it was like to be a bully. He didn't want to see that happen to Patrick. Julie and the boy that he fought with ended up being in his speech and debate classes. He knew that he couldn't get away from the girl with the ice blue eyes. He could tell that he was starting to like her. Over time Julie and Dan start to fall in love with each other. Patrick starts to fall apart too as the book progresses. The ending was completely shocking. I really didn't expect it. This book literally tore at my heart strings! I was holding my breath at the end of the book. I was very worried for Dan. This one was breathtaking for me. I could not put it down for the life of me. This book made me sad. It made me laugh. It made me angry. I fell head over heals in love with it. This was one of my favorite reads of 2016.
Characters: 5 stars out of 5. Dan was an amazing character throughout the book. Yes, he was angry, but he also felt guilty. He didn't like what he did to his family. He truly cared for them. He felt bad they had to keep moving because of him. I loved that he took a stand against bullying. He used to be a bully himself. He knew what the consequences were. He really shaped himself into being a great person. When he told Patrick and his family about the story. I wanted to cry. My heart broke for him.
Julie...she was a moody person. Did not like her as much as Dan. She had anger issues, but I understand why. I just didn't like her attitude and wish she didn't exist. I felt bad for her a little bit. The only reason I could feel bad for her was because her little brother was the one that committed suicide. I can only sympathize with her for those reasons.
Patrick...he was a lonely soul. I felt bad for him. He was so tired of being bullied...I thought he was going to have a tragic end. I'm so glad that Dan was there to help him. Patrick was also angry at times, but he was at least better than Julie. He had me worried through out the book. I loved him though. I really did. Just as much as I loved Dan.
Favorite Quote: "I pulled up my shirt, showed him the scars, ignored the gasps. "You think I did this to myself? I know exactly what it's like to be threatened, Brandon. To feel so helpless you're sure you'll die. To do something so bad you can't make it right no matter how sorry you are, and you can't undo it or forget it no matter how hard you pray, no matter how much you'll drink. I know, Brandon."" This part of the book was really hard for me. It stuck with me.
Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5. Thank you, Patty Blount. This book was breath taking and I enjoyed every single second of it!
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5. Dan is hiding a secret. His real name isn't Dan. Dan had been in juvie before he moved to New York. He was a delinquent in New Jersey. He sent a picture to Facebook that ended with a suicide. He was labeled as a sex offender. Dan felt really horrible for this. He ended up creating Kenny in his mind. Dan didn't want to get noticed. On the first day of school he stops a fight. Julie was sitting in her car watching. That ticks Dan off. She could have stopped the fight at any time. He told her that to his face. That made Julie angry too. Dan decided that he would friend the boy that was getting bullied. He knew what it was like to be a bully. He didn't want to see that happen to Patrick. Julie and the boy that he fought with ended up being in his speech and debate classes. He knew that he couldn't get away from the girl with the ice blue eyes. He could tell that he was starting to like her. Over time Julie and Dan start to fall in love with each other. Patrick starts to fall apart too as the book progresses. The ending was completely shocking. I really didn't expect it. This book literally tore at my heart strings! I was holding my breath at the end of the book. I was very worried for Dan. This one was breathtaking for me. I could not put it down for the life of me. This book made me sad. It made me laugh. It made me angry. I fell head over heals in love with it. This was one of my favorite reads of 2016.
Characters: 5 stars out of 5. Dan was an amazing character throughout the book. Yes, he was angry, but he also felt guilty. He didn't like what he did to his family. He truly cared for them. He felt bad they had to keep moving because of him. I loved that he took a stand against bullying. He used to be a bully himself. He knew what the consequences were. He really shaped himself into being a great person. When he told Patrick and his family about the story. I wanted to cry. My heart broke for him.
Julie...she was a moody person. Did not like her as much as Dan. She had anger issues, but I understand why. I just didn't like her attitude and wish she didn't exist. I felt bad for her a little bit. The only reason I could feel bad for her was because her little brother was the one that committed suicide. I can only sympathize with her for those reasons.
Patrick...he was a lonely soul. I felt bad for him. He was so tired of being bullied...I thought he was going to have a tragic end. I'm so glad that Dan was there to help him. Patrick was also angry at times, but he was at least better than Julie. He had me worried through out the book. I loved him though. I really did. Just as much as I loved Dan.
Favorite Quote: "I pulled up my shirt, showed him the scars, ignored the gasps. "You think I did this to myself? I know exactly what it's like to be threatened, Brandon. To feel so helpless you're sure you'll die. To do something so bad you can't make it right no matter how sorry you are, and you can't undo it or forget it no matter how hard you pray, no matter how much you'll drink. I know, Brandon."" This part of the book was really hard for me. It stuck with me.
Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5. Thank you, Patty Blount. This book was breath taking and I enjoyed every single second of it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2012
3.5
Themes: Bullying and Suicide
I can't talk about this without mentioning a sentence that was the reason I had to finish this book...
You think saving this one is gonna make up for the one you killed?
Yes! It's a story of redemption (& I love those).
At 13, Kenneth made a choice a lot of kids his age choose for the sole reason of fun. Now fun can be dangerous and Kenneth Mele's life changed because of that. A simple act of pressing a button can have the horrible impact on someone else's life. And 5 years later, and after moving to a lot of cities, they decide to settle with a new identity. In this city, Kenneth, now as Daniel, meets Julie Murphy but it's an insta-hate relationship. But then, after having classes together, they started getting friendly (maybe so friendly) and we see how they overcome that hate.
Let me first talk about bullying. I've read about it so many times that it feels like opening my own scars again & again. I never did find that book that carries my own vision of how this should be faced. Fortunately, Send with this Kenneth did that. That leads me to talk about Kenneth/Daniel.
Unlike Perfect Chemistry's Alex, I felt the weight of Kenneth's suffering. He's someone was looking for redemption and overcoming that emotional wall he's built around himself. I find myself appreciating this guy the minute I finished Chapter 1. No kidding! Even when he knows that facing those bulliers were bad for him and his cover, he decides to do something & not just stand there and watch. He had that strength when facing them that I felt through the pages. He's buried himself (that shows in his other self Kenneth) so deep because of that mistake, that he doesn't recognize how actually good he is (Speaking of the other self, it was a bit annoying at first, 'coz I don't know what he's supposed to be but I got it :D). Just how he was determined to help Brandon was enough to make me admire that guy's persistence.
As for Julie, the other significant part of this story, I didn't really warm up to her until the second half of the book. She was another lost soul after her brother's suicide. She carries enough baggage to match Dan's. But anyways, I couldn't relate to her completely and I still don't feel her connection with Dan. Maybe she could have been written better, idk.
Kenneth's parents were the complete opposite of Julie's. He has such a great and caring family, that I felt jealous of him. Even his pop was awesome. They had this open line of communication with him about everything but he just whines *gimme ur parents, kid*. They were amazing.
At the end, for me this book wasn't about the romance as it's about this sensitive issue kids find themselves in these days. I totally appreciate Patty Blount's style of writing & very unique take on this. I don't think I'll forget Kenneth Mele.
Themes: Bullying and Suicide
I can't talk about this without mentioning a sentence that was the reason I had to finish this book...
You think saving this one is gonna make up for the one you killed?
Yes! It's a story of redemption (& I love those).
At 13, Kenneth made a choice a lot of kids his age choose for the sole reason of fun. Now fun can be dangerous and Kenneth Mele's life changed because of that. A simple act of pressing a button can have the horrible impact on someone else's life. And 5 years later, and after moving to a lot of cities, they decide to settle with a new identity. In this city, Kenneth, now as Daniel, meets Julie Murphy but it's an insta-hate relationship. But then, after having classes together, they started getting friendly (maybe so friendly) and we see how they overcome that hate.
Let me first talk about bullying. I've read about it so many times that it feels like opening my own scars again & again. I never did find that book that carries my own vision of how this should be faced. Fortunately, Send with this Kenneth did that. That leads me to talk about Kenneth/Daniel.
Unlike Perfect Chemistry's Alex, I felt the weight of Kenneth's suffering. He's someone was looking for redemption and overcoming that emotional wall he's built around himself. I find myself appreciating this guy the minute I finished Chapter 1. No kidding! Even when he knows that facing those bulliers were bad for him and his cover, he decides to do something & not just stand there and watch. He had that strength when facing them that I felt through the pages. He's buried himself (that shows in his other self Kenneth) so deep because of that mistake, that he doesn't recognize how actually good he is (Speaking of the other self, it was a bit annoying at first, 'coz I don't know what he's supposed to be but I got it :D). Just how he was determined to help Brandon was enough to make me admire that guy's persistence.
As for Julie, the other significant part of this story, I didn't really warm up to her until the second half of the book. She was another lost soul after her brother's suicide. She carries enough baggage to match Dan's. But anyways, I couldn't relate to her completely and I still don't feel her connection with Dan. Maybe she could have been written better, idk.
Kenneth's parents were the complete opposite of Julie's. He has such a great and caring family, that I felt jealous of him. Even his pop was awesome. They had this open line of communication with him about everything but he just whines *gimme ur parents, kid*. They were amazing.
At the end, for me this book wasn't about the romance as it's about this sensitive issue kids find themselves in these days. I totally appreciate Patty Blount's style of writing & very unique take on this. I don't think I'll forget Kenneth Mele.
May 4, 2016
Daniel Ellison wants to keep his past a secret. With a name change and a fresh start, Dan thinks he might finally get to live a normal life. But intervening with a bullying incident puts attention on Dan and he has to be careful if he doesn't want to risk his identity being revealed. Dan decides to help the bullied victim Brandon as he knows what bullies can do to the bullied. Dan himself was once the bully and his actions landed him time in juvie and gave him emotional as well as physical scars. Dan also has a chance at love when he catches the attention of Julie Murphy but she's a mystery to him. One day she's hot and the next she's cold and she's definitely hiding some secrets of her own.
The first paragraphs of this book had me instantly intrigued. Daniel was conversing with a voice inside his head. I liked how the author used this voice (aka Kenny - his 13 year old self) throughout the whole story, especially to show . The story was a heavy one as each character had baggage. It took time for their backstories to be revealed. One part of the story was quite predictable, bordering on obvious such that you could see a trainwreck about to happen. I didn't like how the last fifth of the book was dramatic and a little unrealistic as it seemed all of the loose pieces came together and was dealt with in one hit. .
The first paragraphs of this book had me instantly intrigued. Daniel was conversing with a voice inside his head. I liked how the author used this voice (aka Kenny - his 13 year old self) throughout the whole story, especially to show . The story was a heavy one as each character had baggage. It took time for their backstories to be revealed. One part of the story was quite predictable, bordering on obvious such that you could see a trainwreck about to happen. I didn't like how the last fifth of the book was dramatic and a little unrealistic as it seemed all of the loose pieces came together and was dealt with in one hit. .
July 14, 2014
"Dan" needs to make a fresh start. Again. Finally out of juvie, he needs to try to move on, but what he's done can never be forgiven, at least in his own mind. So with a change in his name, and a new school, he starts his senior year. But his guilt leads him to protect a kid from being bullied, and enters himself in a whirlwind of drama and fighting that is far bigger than himself. And then there's Julie, who stares at him just a bit too intently. But she has secrets of her own, and when their friendship strengthens, the ticking time bomb goes off, and it's unclear who will be alive when the smoke clears.
---
Wow.
That's pretty much my summary of this book. This book dug up so many old memories that I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried. Hard. I thought of a girl I knew who killed herself in high school because of rumors and gossip that her "friends" spread about her. She tried to talk to me and I thought it was weird. I read her myspace statuses and thought they were a bit dark. And then it was too late. This book impacted me very personally, and I imagine that it'll effect others the same way. Teens and adults should both read this. It's deep, moving, and dramatic, but the message is (though obvious) so important.
Thank you to Safari Poet blog for my copy.
---
Wow.
That's pretty much my summary of this book. This book dug up so many old memories that I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried. Hard. I thought of a girl I knew who killed herself in high school because of rumors and gossip that her "friends" spread about her. She tried to talk to me and I thought it was weird. I read her myspace statuses and thought they were a bit dark. And then it was too late. This book impacted me very personally, and I imagine that it'll effect others the same way. Teens and adults should both read this. It's deep, moving, and dramatic, but the message is (though obvious) so important.
Thank you to Safari Poet blog for my copy.
January 18, 2016
Wow!
Me gustó mucho la tematica de este libro. Solo que pienso que el final pudo ser diferente.
Me gustó mucho la tematica de este libro. Solo que pienso que el final pudo ser diferente.
June 11, 2023
TRIGGER WARNING: bullismo, cyberbullismo, suicidio di un personaggio secondario precedente l'inizio della storia.
Sarà difficile parlare di questo libro perché niente è bianco o nero, ma soltanto in sfumature di grigio.
Dan Ellison è al suo terzo trasloco - e alla sua prima volta con un nome diverso.
Quando aveva tredici anni era solito tormentare un ragazzino della sua scuola e la sua ultima bravata era stata pubblicare in internet una foto di Liam in biancheria intima mentre si cambiava nello spogliatoio della palestra. Il giorno dopo Dan - allora Kenny - ha scoperto che Liam si era suicidato e lui è stato accusato, processato e condannato a nove mesi di riformatorio. Qui è passato da carnefice a vittima perché il giudice, volendo mandare un messaggio e non esistendo all'epoca una legge sul cyberbullismo, ha inserito il nome di Dan insieme a quello di molestatori e stupratori nella lista dei sex offenders.
Dan ne è uscito profondamente cambiato, convinto di essere un assassino e di essere stato lui ad uccidere Liam, tormentato da incubi e sensi di colpa che l'hanno anche fatto cadere nel tunnel dell'alcol. Tenere il proprio nome non era più possibile perché il padre di Liam era determinato ad ottenere vendetta e cinque anni dopo Dan è un ragazzo che tenta qualunque cosa pur di essere una persona migliore e non commettere più gli stessi sbagli. Vorrebbe essere invisibile, passare il suo ultimo anno di liceo inosservato, ma proprio il primo giorno è costretto ad intervenire per fermare una rissa e salvare un ragazzino da un bullo - proprio come lo era stato lui. E quando scopre che una ragazza, Julie, stava assistendo alla scena senza intervenire o senza fare alcuna mossa per fermare tutto, Dan si arrabbia ancora di più - perché forse se qualcuno fosse intervenuto per Liam, allora anche Dan non sarebbe in questa situazione.
Julie però sembra odiarlo fin da subito e non accetta che Dan le dica che avrebbe dovuto intervenire invece di restare a guardare. Nonostante la rabbia iniziale, Dan non può fare a meno di sentirsi attratto da Julie e sa che non dovrebbe comunque avvicinarsi a lei perché tutta la sua vita attuale è costruita su delle menzogne - il fatto che poi le faccia il bello e il cattivo tempo non aiuta...
Questo libro ha rappresentato una sfida per me.
Io sono stata vittima di bullismo, io non ho mai visto i miei bulli cambiare e, anche se li avessi visti, non avrei mai creduto a quel cambiamento - ricordo ancora la furia cieca che mi ha presa quando uno dei miei peggiori tormentatori aveva condiviso su Facebook un video di una ragazzina che veniva pestata da altre ragazzine e aveva commentato con "poverina". Io non ero "poverina" allora?
Per me quindi è quasi impossibile credere un bullo possa cambiare, ma sentire la voce di Dan - sentire la sua paura, il suo tormento, i suoi sensi di colpa - mi ha fatta vacillare su quella linea che credevo invalicabile. E Dan non è cambiato solo perché si è trovato poi dal lato sbagliato di una lama in riformatorio, ma proprio perché è rimasto scioccato da ciò che Liam aveva fatto e che lui in parte aveva causato e perché a tredici era solo un ragazzino e non intendeva causare tutto quel male.
Direte voi: allora perché non applichi lo stesso ragionamento ai tuoi aguzzini?
Perché nel mio caso eravamo più grandi e quello in particolare dell'esempio sopra, all'epoca era un pluri-ripetente che andava per i diciotto quando io ancora non ne avevo sedici. Credo che a quell'età si debba essere responsabili di ciò che esce dalla propria bocca e più coscienti del male che si fa.
Dan quindi mi ha fatto compassione, mi sono ritrovata a soffrire con lui nei suoi tentativi di fare ora sempre la cosa giusta ed evitare che altri commettessero i suoi stessi errori e facessero la sua stessa fine o quella di Liam.
Ho detestato invece Julie, che fa sempre il bello e il cattivo tempo con Dan.
Proprio perché sono stata dall'altra parte e sono tuttora convinta che un bullo non possa quasi mai cambiare - sebbene la narrazione di Dan abbia messo a dura prova ogni mia certezza - il comportamento di Julie per me è privo di qualsiasi logica fin dall'inizio.
Ma - c'è un ma.
Il punto è che Julie non segue una logica, segue solo i suoi sentimenti ed è in cerca di riscatto da parte della persona sbagliata. In parte posso capire cosa la spinge a fare quello che fa e a comportarsi nel modo in cui si comporta, ma ad un certo punto mi sono sentita veramente male per Dan e per ciò che in origine Julie aveva pianificato. Dall'altra invece so per certo che, non importa quale dovrebbe essere lo scopo finale, io non mi avvicinerei mai di mia spontanea volontà ad uno dei miei bulli per vedere se è sempre lo stesso oppure se è cambiato - io ancora oggi cambio marciapiede se ne vedo uno, figuriamoci fare quello che fa Julie.
Send è un romanzo che sicuramente mette alla prova la vostra morale e le vostre convinzioni - io non mi sono sentita psicologicamente manipolata, ma capisco che potrebbe non essere lo stesso per tutti. La mia visione è sicuramente influenzata dal mio passato e da come l'ho vissuto - qui magari è facile capire Dan, avere compassioni di lui e degli abusi che ha subito, essere forse d'accordo che la punizione è stata troppo grande; dall'altra, mi rendo che nella realtà forse non ragionerei così se fossi stata io Liam o qualcuno che l'ha perso.
So solo che Patty Blount crea sempre personaggi un po' controversi dove bianco e nero tendono sempre a sfumare nel grigio fumo.
Sarà difficile parlare di questo libro perché niente è bianco o nero, ma soltanto in sfumature di grigio.
Dan Ellison è al suo terzo trasloco - e alla sua prima volta con un nome diverso.
Quando aveva tredici anni era solito tormentare un ragazzino della sua scuola e la sua ultima bravata era stata pubblicare in internet una foto di Liam in biancheria intima mentre si cambiava nello spogliatoio della palestra. Il giorno dopo Dan - allora Kenny - ha scoperto che Liam si era suicidato e lui è stato accusato, processato e condannato a nove mesi di riformatorio. Qui è passato da carnefice a vittima perché il giudice, volendo mandare un messaggio e non esistendo all'epoca una legge sul cyberbullismo, ha inserito il nome di Dan insieme a quello di molestatori e stupratori nella lista dei sex offenders.
Dan ne è uscito profondamente cambiato, convinto di essere un assassino e di essere stato lui ad uccidere Liam, tormentato da incubi e sensi di colpa che l'hanno anche fatto cadere nel tunnel dell'alcol. Tenere il proprio nome non era più possibile perché il padre di Liam era determinato ad ottenere vendetta e cinque anni dopo Dan è un ragazzo che tenta qualunque cosa pur di essere una persona migliore e non commettere più gli stessi sbagli. Vorrebbe essere invisibile, passare il suo ultimo anno di liceo inosservato, ma proprio il primo giorno è costretto ad intervenire per fermare una rissa e salvare un ragazzino da un bullo - proprio come lo era stato lui. E quando scopre che una ragazza, Julie, stava assistendo alla scena senza intervenire o senza fare alcuna mossa per fermare tutto, Dan si arrabbia ancora di più - perché forse se qualcuno fosse intervenuto per Liam, allora anche Dan non sarebbe in questa situazione.
Julie però sembra odiarlo fin da subito e non accetta che Dan le dica che avrebbe dovuto intervenire invece di restare a guardare. Nonostante la rabbia iniziale, Dan non può fare a meno di sentirsi attratto da Julie e sa che non dovrebbe comunque avvicinarsi a lei perché tutta la sua vita attuale è costruita su delle menzogne - il fatto che poi le faccia il bello e il cattivo tempo non aiuta...
Questo libro ha rappresentato una sfida per me.
Io sono stata vittima di bullismo, io non ho mai visto i miei bulli cambiare e, anche se li avessi visti, non avrei mai creduto a quel cambiamento - ricordo ancora la furia cieca che mi ha presa quando uno dei miei peggiori tormentatori aveva condiviso su Facebook un video di una ragazzina che veniva pestata da altre ragazzine e aveva commentato con "poverina". Io non ero "poverina" allora?
Per me quindi è quasi impossibile credere un bullo possa cambiare, ma sentire la voce di Dan - sentire la sua paura, il suo tormento, i suoi sensi di colpa - mi ha fatta vacillare su quella linea che credevo invalicabile. E Dan non è cambiato solo perché si è trovato poi dal lato sbagliato di una lama in riformatorio, ma proprio perché è rimasto scioccato da ciò che Liam aveva fatto e che lui in parte aveva causato e perché a tredici era solo un ragazzino e non intendeva causare tutto quel male.
Direte voi: allora perché non applichi lo stesso ragionamento ai tuoi aguzzini?
Perché nel mio caso eravamo più grandi e quello in particolare dell'esempio sopra, all'epoca era un pluri-ripetente che andava per i diciotto quando io ancora non ne avevo sedici. Credo che a quell'età si debba essere responsabili di ciò che esce dalla propria bocca e più coscienti del male che si fa.
Dan quindi mi ha fatto compassione, mi sono ritrovata a soffrire con lui nei suoi tentativi di fare ora sempre la cosa giusta ed evitare che altri commettessero i suoi stessi errori e facessero la sua stessa fine o quella di Liam.
Ho detestato invece Julie, che fa sempre il bello e il cattivo tempo con Dan.
Proprio perché sono stata dall'altra parte e sono tuttora convinta che un bullo non possa quasi mai cambiare - sebbene la narrazione di Dan abbia messo a dura prova ogni mia certezza - il comportamento di Julie per me è privo di qualsiasi logica fin dall'inizio.
Ma - c'è un ma.
Il punto è che Julie non segue una logica, segue solo i suoi sentimenti ed è in cerca di riscatto da parte della persona sbagliata. In parte posso capire cosa la spinge a fare quello che fa e a comportarsi nel modo in cui si comporta, ma ad un certo punto mi sono sentita veramente male per Dan e per ciò che in origine Julie aveva pianificato. Dall'altra invece so per certo che, non importa quale dovrebbe essere lo scopo finale, io non mi avvicinerei mai di mia spontanea volontà ad uno dei miei bulli per vedere se è sempre lo stesso oppure se è cambiato - io ancora oggi cambio marciapiede se ne vedo uno, figuriamoci fare quello che fa Julie.
Send è un romanzo che sicuramente mette alla prova la vostra morale e le vostre convinzioni - io non mi sono sentita psicologicamente manipolata, ma capisco che potrebbe non essere lo stesso per tutti. La mia visione è sicuramente influenzata dal mio passato e da come l'ho vissuto - qui magari è facile capire Dan, avere compassioni di lui e degli abusi che ha subito, essere forse d'accordo che la punizione è stata troppo grande; dall'altra, mi rendo che nella realtà forse non ragionerei così se fossi stata io Liam o qualcuno che l'ha perso.
So solo che Patty Blount crea sempre personaggi un po' controversi dove bianco e nero tendono sempre a sfumare nel grigio fumo.
April 29, 2018
Este libro iba directo a las cuatro estrellas hasta las últimas 20 páginas. Sabía desde el primer momento que iba a acabar así, aunque me negaba en rotundo... hasta que pasó y así tal cual terminó. Igualmente es un libro que me ha gustado y que me ha hecho reflexionar; creo que es una buena lectura.
El epílogo que hay en el blog de la autora también me ha gustado, pero no me imagino a
El epílogo que hay en el blog de la autora también me ha gustado, pero no me imagino a
May 2, 2018
I am reviewing the fiction book "Send" by Patty Blount. I gave this book 3 stars because I did enjoy the deep characterization that went into Dan. He was an extremely complex main character and I enjoyed learning more about him as the story went on as he slowly revealed why he was guilty and why he kept having to switch schools. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy how Julie was always so distant in the story. The reader did not know much about what she was thinking or feeling, and I would've enjoyed to see the story from her point of view as well, considering her feelings were extremely mixed throughout the entire plot of the book, and you never really knew what she was going through. I did believe that the plot itself was extremely interesting. I enjoyed the story and I thought it was very realistic in the way Dan reacted, although it was extremely unfair how his parents and his grandfather reacted. That particularly upset me, and went into the reason the book only received 3 stars.
July 19, 2022
Interesting from beginning to end!
September 19, 2022
I really liked it.
January 7, 2018
This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...
Daniel is moving to a new school, hoping that nobody will find out his secret. He wasn't always Daniel....he used to be somebody else, somebody who cyber-bullied another kid into suicide. He has to keep his secret closely guarded...if he isn't careful, Liam's father will come after him and his family.
He gets into a fight on the first day of school, while defending someone from Jeff, a bully. This isn't the way he wanted to start out, immediately brought into the spotlight. He also meets Julie, who seems to have something against him, although they don't even know each other. It's almost like she knows something about him.....
This was an emotional book about the effects of cyber-bullying, on both victims and bullies alike. I really liked that the book started out with Daniel going to a new school, I think that this was a great place to begin as opposed to while he was still a bully, or in juvenile detention. While things like the nature of the bullying and the impact it had on Daniel's mental health weren't completely discussed right away, I think that they were well addressed throughout the book and provided a reason to keep reading even when I got tired. I wanted to know more about the situation, I wanted to understand what had happened, and what was happening to Daniel now. For a book with a slower plot and a contemporary setting, I remained hooked on Daniel's story throughout.
Daniel as a character was so interesting and tragic. I couldn't find it within myself to hate him for his actions. He made a mistake....and many people suffered for it. But that didn't make him a bad person overall. He was complex, dealing with a mental health crisis, suicidal thoughts, and lots of guilt. I found him relatable although I've never been in his situation, and I think this was very impressive! I connected to him through his suffering and attempt to distance himself from the past, despite having drastically different lives. As a character, he had so much depth, he was truly likeable in my opinion. I think he definitely redeemed himself.
Julie, Jeff, and Brandon, the boy Daniel befriends after saving him from Jeff on that first day of school, were interesting secondary characters who played very important parts throughout the novel. Often, their relationships with each other and Daniel were very unstable, which actually gave this sad contemporary novel a feeling of suspense at times. I was always wondering what was going on with poor Brandon. I was worried that Jeff would target Brandon again or even go after Daniel. And Julie, as a supporting character and love interest to Daniel, was both interesting and frustrating. I found her part in this book a bit unbelievable at times. I can't say much more without spoiling the reveal, but I found it made very little sense that she'd go so far as to befriend and even date Daniel. That's why this book lost a star.
I think the ending to the book was well done. It was emotional and unsure, and it made me really wish for a sequel.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, emotional book with interesting characters. It discussed real life issues in a way that considered multiple sides of the story, and I am glad I found this book. I'll be looking for more books by Patty Blount in the future.
I recommend this book to those interested in reading about the effects cyber-bullying could have on the perpetrator. If you like books with complex characters, this novel is for you.
Daniel is moving to a new school, hoping that nobody will find out his secret. He wasn't always Daniel....he used to be somebody else, somebody who cyber-bullied another kid into suicide. He has to keep his secret closely guarded...if he isn't careful, Liam's father will come after him and his family.
He gets into a fight on the first day of school, while defending someone from Jeff, a bully. This isn't the way he wanted to start out, immediately brought into the spotlight. He also meets Julie, who seems to have something against him, although they don't even know each other. It's almost like she knows something about him.....
This was an emotional book about the effects of cyber-bullying, on both victims and bullies alike. I really liked that the book started out with Daniel going to a new school, I think that this was a great place to begin as opposed to while he was still a bully, or in juvenile detention. While things like the nature of the bullying and the impact it had on Daniel's mental health weren't completely discussed right away, I think that they were well addressed throughout the book and provided a reason to keep reading even when I got tired. I wanted to know more about the situation, I wanted to understand what had happened, and what was happening to Daniel now. For a book with a slower plot and a contemporary setting, I remained hooked on Daniel's story throughout.
Daniel as a character was so interesting and tragic. I couldn't find it within myself to hate him for his actions. He made a mistake....and many people suffered for it. But that didn't make him a bad person overall. He was complex, dealing with a mental health crisis, suicidal thoughts, and lots of guilt. I found him relatable although I've never been in his situation, and I think this was very impressive! I connected to him through his suffering and attempt to distance himself from the past, despite having drastically different lives. As a character, he had so much depth, he was truly likeable in my opinion. I think he definitely redeemed himself.
Julie, Jeff, and Brandon, the boy Daniel befriends after saving him from Jeff on that first day of school, were interesting secondary characters who played very important parts throughout the novel. Often, their relationships with each other and Daniel were very unstable, which actually gave this sad contemporary novel a feeling of suspense at times. I was always wondering what was going on with poor Brandon. I was worried that Jeff would target Brandon again or even go after Daniel. And Julie, as a supporting character and love interest to Daniel, was both interesting and frustrating. I found her part in this book a bit unbelievable at times. I can't say much more without spoiling the reveal, but I found it made very little sense that she'd go so far as to befriend and even date Daniel. That's why this book lost a star.
I think the ending to the book was well done. It was emotional and unsure, and it made me really wish for a sequel.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, emotional book with interesting characters. It discussed real life issues in a way that considered multiple sides of the story, and I am glad I found this book. I'll be looking for more books by Patty Blount in the future.
I recommend this book to those interested in reading about the effects cyber-bullying could have on the perpetrator. If you like books with complex characters, this novel is for you.
April 4, 2015
This review is for the second of the four signed books I’ve recently won from this author through a massive giveaway on one internet site, which had consisted of 13 individual ones, and the following is my honest opinion for this book.
In “SEND” Ms. Blount addresses one of the most prevalent scourges which plagues our youth today, and to cut to the chase I referring to the topic of bullying. While this had been when I went to school as a child of the 1950’s, its history goes even further back. Back in my days this had always taken the physical form where vast majority of boys who participated in the practice would go after the weaker boys for the lunch money with threats of being beaten up if they’d dare tell anyone. Don’t blink because there had also been an extremely small handful of girls doing the same thing.
The author here has updated the situation because these days the bullying is no longer predominately physical it takes the form of derogation of others merely for the fun of it through the use of the internet, which is known as cyberbullying.
Unlike most stories you’ve probably heard about or read, Ms. Blount has skillfully switched the ever-present POV of the victim to that of the bully.
Bullies have no fear of what they do, the somehow go unscathed by their actions, expect as in the case of a pivotal character of this book, Dan.
Dan, whose real name is Ken, had five years earlier caused the suicide of a classmate through his bullying and a final blow when he’d press the SEND button on his computer with an extremely humiliating picture. Ken has been bullying classmates for years, suffering nothing more than a slap on the wrist, which had caused his family to be continuously moving. However, this time he got send away a juvenile delinquent for one year. Now with only his senior year in high school, he realizes he must change, and with his family having move once again he decides to change his name.
At his new school, things really did a 180, the moment he decided to step in and save a classmate from the school’s apparent most notorious bull; becoming an instant hero. And, of course, for every action there’s a reaction, while Dan wants to remains low key, keeping his past a secret, the local bully now is keeping a keen eye on him.
And at the same instant he meets Julie, and the more he sees her, the more he likes her; yet at the same time she suspects something about him he doesn’t want anyone else to know and their relationship begins.
The book is wrought with emotions, such as regret and forgiveness.
This book is not only an enjoyable read for its target audience, especially for those towards the upper end of the range for young adults; the book also has a wonderful educational message woven discussion guide at the back, with questions about the book, and through its pages. This value is once again supplemented by the questions for its readers about themselves.
For the different levels this book is representing, I’m happy to give it 5 STARS.
In “SEND” Ms. Blount addresses one of the most prevalent scourges which plagues our youth today, and to cut to the chase I referring to the topic of bullying. While this had been when I went to school as a child of the 1950’s, its history goes even further back. Back in my days this had always taken the physical form where vast majority of boys who participated in the practice would go after the weaker boys for the lunch money with threats of being beaten up if they’d dare tell anyone. Don’t blink because there had also been an extremely small handful of girls doing the same thing.
The author here has updated the situation because these days the bullying is no longer predominately physical it takes the form of derogation of others merely for the fun of it through the use of the internet, which is known as cyberbullying.
Unlike most stories you’ve probably heard about or read, Ms. Blount has skillfully switched the ever-present POV of the victim to that of the bully.
Bullies have no fear of what they do, the somehow go unscathed by their actions, expect as in the case of a pivotal character of this book, Dan.
Dan, whose real name is Ken, had five years earlier caused the suicide of a classmate through his bullying and a final blow when he’d press the SEND button on his computer with an extremely humiliating picture. Ken has been bullying classmates for years, suffering nothing more than a slap on the wrist, which had caused his family to be continuously moving. However, this time he got send away a juvenile delinquent for one year. Now with only his senior year in high school, he realizes he must change, and with his family having move once again he decides to change his name.
At his new school, things really did a 180, the moment he decided to step in and save a classmate from the school’s apparent most notorious bull; becoming an instant hero. And, of course, for every action there’s a reaction, while Dan wants to remains low key, keeping his past a secret, the local bully now is keeping a keen eye on him.
And at the same instant he meets Julie, and the more he sees her, the more he likes her; yet at the same time she suspects something about him he doesn’t want anyone else to know and their relationship begins.
The book is wrought with emotions, such as regret and forgiveness.
This book is not only an enjoyable read for its target audience, especially for those towards the upper end of the range for young adults; the book also has a wonderful educational message woven discussion guide at the back, with questions about the book, and through its pages. This value is once again supplemented by the questions for its readers about themselves.
For the different levels this book is representing, I’m happy to give it 5 STARS.
August 12, 2012
I wasn't quite as impressed with Send as I thought I would have been. It's not that it's a bad book, it was just so difficult for me to get into. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for such a deep book. There was just nothing that stood out to me and really made me enjoy the book like I had hoped would happen.
Patty tackles a very prominent topic in today's society, especially among teenagers. But I think the entire message goes much deeper than that. It's pretty obvious what this story is about, just by the title. But it's the way it is handled by Patty that makes it into such an interesting way to get the attention of anyone that could be affected by something like this. Now, as I mentioned above. This book is in no way bad, the story is something I feel that should be read and discussed because things like this do happen. Not just in fictional worlds but in your local schools too. And I think having it looked at in a book format targeted towards teens is a great way of trying to break through it.
I feel like the characters could be relateable for some people, but I just wasn't able to. I know Dan was only 13 when he committed his offense but I just never really found myself being able to feel completely sorry for him. I do think he changed throughout the story, and he did go through so much. I did feel a little sorry for him at times, but then you're reminded of everything he has done in his past and the lines kind of blur. I also really disliked "Kenny" who is Daniels 13 year old self inside his head that makes a lot of "Comments" throughout the story.. I just found that aspect of the story to be more annoying than enjoyable.
I was just really hoping for more I guess. While I think people can enjoy this book and that it does have a strong message, it just didn't really impress me as much as I was hoping it would. I just can't see myself giving this book more than three stars.. I don't know what I would of changed, if anything. I know I didn't care for the whole inside voice thing, and I would of really liked the characters to have more of a lasting impression, even Daniel. But that just didn't happen for me.
Send does have a good message though, and I do think there are people out there that can enjoy this book. I guess it all depends on what you enjoy. I usually enjoy books like this, but there was just something missing for me. But for you, it might all be there whenever you read it. So this one is a toss up for me, if it sounds like something you would enjoy reading then by all means go for it. It's a tough subject matter and Patty doesn't cut any corners when discussing it through her story. Just wish some things were a little different, could of been a much more enjoyable book in my opinion without taking away from the seriousness of the topics.
Patty tackles a very prominent topic in today's society, especially among teenagers. But I think the entire message goes much deeper than that. It's pretty obvious what this story is about, just by the title. But it's the way it is handled by Patty that makes it into such an interesting way to get the attention of anyone that could be affected by something like this. Now, as I mentioned above. This book is in no way bad, the story is something I feel that should be read and discussed because things like this do happen. Not just in fictional worlds but in your local schools too. And I think having it looked at in a book format targeted towards teens is a great way of trying to break through it.
I feel like the characters could be relateable for some people, but I just wasn't able to. I know Dan was only 13 when he committed his offense but I just never really found myself being able to feel completely sorry for him. I do think he changed throughout the story, and he did go through so much. I did feel a little sorry for him at times, but then you're reminded of everything he has done in his past and the lines kind of blur. I also really disliked "Kenny" who is Daniels 13 year old self inside his head that makes a lot of "Comments" throughout the story.. I just found that aspect of the story to be more annoying than enjoyable.
I was just really hoping for more I guess. While I think people can enjoy this book and that it does have a strong message, it just didn't really impress me as much as I was hoping it would. I just can't see myself giving this book more than three stars.. I don't know what I would of changed, if anything. I know I didn't care for the whole inside voice thing, and I would of really liked the characters to have more of a lasting impression, even Daniel. But that just didn't happen for me.
Send does have a good message though, and I do think there are people out there that can enjoy this book. I guess it all depends on what you enjoy. I usually enjoy books like this, but there was just something missing for me. But for you, it might all be there whenever you read it. So this one is a toss up for me, if it sounds like something you would enjoy reading then by all means go for it. It's a tough subject matter and Patty doesn't cut any corners when discussing it through her story. Just wish some things were a little different, could of been a much more enjoyable book in my opinion without taking away from the seriousness of the topics.
August 14, 2012
Wow! This book was actually pretty powerful! I really admire the author for writing such a powerful book about a touchy subject. Bullying!!!
Daniel is an 18 year old boy with a very troubled past. He has a hard time trying to find the strength to forgive himself for the wrong that he has done and actually considers himself an awful person. He had done something terrible as a joke and it backfired on him to become a terrible tragedy. He was tried and served his time in a juvenile detention center.
The book starts off with Daniel going to a different school and his first day there. Right from the beginning he starts off on the wrong foot by getting into an altercation with another student. That is when he meets Julie. He thinks Julie is stunning, but cannot stand the fact that she just sat there while another person was being bullied. This leads to many problems between the two.
Now, this review would not be complete if I did not mention Kenny. Kenny is like Daniel’s alter ego. He is kind of like the little devil on the shoulder. He is a version of Daniel’s own self suspended in time at age 13. He lives inside Daniel’s head and only he can see or speak to him. There were many times that Kenny made me laugh out loud and he brought just the right amount of humor to this book.
I really enjoyed this book and felt sorrow for both Daniel and Julie. They had both been affected by bullying in two different ways, but, by the end, they were willing to stand up for what they believed in. I wish that it would be books like this that are read throughout middle schools across the country for students to actually see how much harm can be done from being a bully. Also, for the kids being bullied to understand that they should stand up for themselves and not succumb to the darkness that can eat away at them.
In closing, I thought that I would leave all of you with a few statistics:
1 out of 4 teens are bullied.
As many as 160,000 students stay home on any given day because they’re afraid of being bullied.
1/3 of students surveyed said they heard another student threaten to kill someone.
2 out of 3 say they know how to make a bomb, or know where to get the information to do it.
Playground statistics – Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention -4% Peer intervention – 11%. No intervention – 85%.
Daniel is an 18 year old boy with a very troubled past. He has a hard time trying to find the strength to forgive himself for the wrong that he has done and actually considers himself an awful person. He had done something terrible as a joke and it backfired on him to become a terrible tragedy. He was tried and served his time in a juvenile detention center.
The book starts off with Daniel going to a different school and his first day there. Right from the beginning he starts off on the wrong foot by getting into an altercation with another student. That is when he meets Julie. He thinks Julie is stunning, but cannot stand the fact that she just sat there while another person was being bullied. This leads to many problems between the two.
Now, this review would not be complete if I did not mention Kenny. Kenny is like Daniel’s alter ego. He is kind of like the little devil on the shoulder. He is a version of Daniel’s own self suspended in time at age 13. He lives inside Daniel’s head and only he can see or speak to him. There were many times that Kenny made me laugh out loud and he brought just the right amount of humor to this book.
I really enjoyed this book and felt sorrow for both Daniel and Julie. They had both been affected by bullying in two different ways, but, by the end, they were willing to stand up for what they believed in. I wish that it would be books like this that are read throughout middle schools across the country for students to actually see how much harm can be done from being a bully. Also, for the kids being bullied to understand that they should stand up for themselves and not succumb to the darkness that can eat away at them.
In closing, I thought that I would leave all of you with a few statistics:
1 out of 4 teens are bullied.
As many as 160,000 students stay home on any given day because they’re afraid of being bullied.
1/3 of students surveyed said they heard another student threaten to kill someone.
2 out of 3 say they know how to make a bomb, or know where to get the information to do it.
Playground statistics – Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention -4% Peer intervention – 11%. No intervention – 85%.
September 16, 2012
Bullying has taken on a life of its own in the past few years. Social media has made something that was heinous and difficult to begin with, a beast of a problem. Anyone who uses Twitter can see how quickly a threaded conversation can go viral and get nasty, and even after all these years of experience people still say and do things online, in the spur of the moment, that they quickly regret sharing.
Blount tackles this subject head on, and from an intriguingly unusual standpoint- the bullies. What I loved about this was the questions it brings up about responsibility, crime and punishment and bullying as a community problem. Dan/Kenny was only 13 when he posted a photo of Liam online in his underwear. Not an age where kids are putting in a lot of hard thought into what they're doing and the repercussions, and in the age of the internet it only takes a moment to ruin someones life. The results are devastating to large number of people, Dan, his family, Liam, his family and all those around them. But five years later, with Dan actively trying to prevent a bullying situation from getting worse, it becomes apparent that the responsibility for Liam's death doesn't solely lie with his poor choices.
Although the drama was a bit over the top at times, Blount does a great job of exploring all sides of the subject matter. I can see where this book would make for excellent class discussions, not only about bullying, but also about the legal system. Was Dan punished fairly? Was Liam's father punished fairly? How about the Good Samaritan laws? Are they fair? In the end no simple solutions are laid out, and I appreciate that, as it's the truth. And it left the reader with plenty to think about.
What I loved best about Send was Dan/Kenny's family. Their unwavering support and heartfelt answers to Dan's problems were what I wish all children could have from their parents.
"Dad. I...God, I'm so sorry...I'm broken." I blurted and then braced for the argument. He'd probably deny it, try to explain it in some perfectly logical way.
"Then we'll fix you," he said simply.
I blinked. His arms came around me and held me.
A thought provoking story that looks at a difficult subject matter from a variety of angles. Blount doesn't have the answers, but her look at humanity in both its failings and its brighter moments will give you hope that the answers are there, as long as your willing to put yourself out there for them.
Blount tackles this subject head on, and from an intriguingly unusual standpoint- the bullies. What I loved about this was the questions it brings up about responsibility, crime and punishment and bullying as a community problem. Dan/Kenny was only 13 when he posted a photo of Liam online in his underwear. Not an age where kids are putting in a lot of hard thought into what they're doing and the repercussions, and in the age of the internet it only takes a moment to ruin someones life. The results are devastating to large number of people, Dan, his family, Liam, his family and all those around them. But five years later, with Dan actively trying to prevent a bullying situation from getting worse, it becomes apparent that the responsibility for Liam's death doesn't solely lie with his poor choices.
Although the drama was a bit over the top at times, Blount does a great job of exploring all sides of the subject matter. I can see where this book would make for excellent class discussions, not only about bullying, but also about the legal system. Was Dan punished fairly? Was Liam's father punished fairly? How about the Good Samaritan laws? Are they fair? In the end no simple solutions are laid out, and I appreciate that, as it's the truth. And it left the reader with plenty to think about.
What I loved best about Send was Dan/Kenny's family. Their unwavering support and heartfelt answers to Dan's problems were what I wish all children could have from their parents.
"Dad. I...God, I'm so sorry...I'm broken." I blurted and then braced for the argument. He'd probably deny it, try to explain it in some perfectly logical way.
"Then we'll fix you," he said simply.
I blinked. His arms came around me and held me.
A thought provoking story that looks at a difficult subject matter from a variety of angles. Blount doesn't have the answers, but her look at humanity in both its failings and its brighter moments will give you hope that the answers are there, as long as your willing to put yourself out there for them.
August 9, 2012
I've read SEND a couple of times now, and what sticks out to me most is the book's heart.
Yes, it's well written, with a conflicted but determined main character in Dan, an equally mysterious love interest in Julie, and conflict coming out the wazoo, but a lot of books have those things.
SEND is the story of a boy who, due to a horrible mistake in judgment as a 13yo, spent time in juvy. He came out the other end scarred and repentant, but unsure if he deserves forgiveness from anyone, including himself. As a self-inflicted punishment, he decides it's his duty to stay away from anything that could make him happy-friends, girlfriends, etc-and most of all, to not get involved. His plan falls apart on the first day at a new school, when he has to intervene in order to stop another kid from being beaten up in the parking lot. From there, we follow Dan as he struggles to reconnect with a world that cast him out, and learns that even though forgiveness might be possible, it won't be easy.
I ached alongside Dan as he tried again and again to convince himself that, despite the mistakes of his past, he still has worth. I hurt for Julie's confusion, and the bullied kid's trials. I wanted Dan to just wise up, but then I remembered he's a kid, and one whose been through a heck of a lot for being still in high school. Patty Blount does a great job navigating the treacherous pacing waters and keeping the book both honest and intriguing, ensuring that I kept turning pages so that when Dan finally reached a breaking point, that moment that would change him, I would be there breathless alongside him. I would recommend this book to anyone who has teenagers, or has ever been a teenager, or anyone who has ever felt that forgiveness is something that can never be theirs. The heart at the bottom of the angst and conflict is what kept me thinking about Dan and his family long after I turned the last page, and I'd be willing to bet they'll find a way to wriggle into your heart as well.
Yes, it's well written, with a conflicted but determined main character in Dan, an equally mysterious love interest in Julie, and conflict coming out the wazoo, but a lot of books have those things.
SEND is the story of a boy who, due to a horrible mistake in judgment as a 13yo, spent time in juvy. He came out the other end scarred and repentant, but unsure if he deserves forgiveness from anyone, including himself. As a self-inflicted punishment, he decides it's his duty to stay away from anything that could make him happy-friends, girlfriends, etc-and most of all, to not get involved. His plan falls apart on the first day at a new school, when he has to intervene in order to stop another kid from being beaten up in the parking lot. From there, we follow Dan as he struggles to reconnect with a world that cast him out, and learns that even though forgiveness might be possible, it won't be easy.
I ached alongside Dan as he tried again and again to convince himself that, despite the mistakes of his past, he still has worth. I hurt for Julie's confusion, and the bullied kid's trials. I wanted Dan to just wise up, but then I remembered he's a kid, and one whose been through a heck of a lot for being still in high school. Patty Blount does a great job navigating the treacherous pacing waters and keeping the book both honest and intriguing, ensuring that I kept turning pages so that when Dan finally reached a breaking point, that moment that would change him, I would be there breathless alongside him. I would recommend this book to anyone who has teenagers, or has ever been a teenager, or anyone who has ever felt that forgiveness is something that can never be theirs. The heart at the bottom of the angst and conflict is what kept me thinking about Dan and his family long after I turned the last page, and I'd be willing to bet they'll find a way to wriggle into your heart as well.
May 15, 2017
Five years ago, at thirteen Kenny (now Dan) committed an act and a boy named Liam committed suicide. He spend almost a year in juvenile detention and after his release, Liam's father harassed and threatened violence against Kenny and his family. Now a senior in high school, in a new town and no longer Kenny, Dan just wants to fly under the radar, graduate, and move across country to attend USC. But, on the first day he defends a boy from a bully and develops a reputation for protecting others from harassment. He draws the attention of beautiful, popular Julie and the two begin an awkward friends-and-maybe-more relationship, getting closer, then further then closer. As Dan struggles with lying to his new friends and fearing for his family's safety, he doesn't realize Julie is keeping secrets of her own.
Told in pitch perfect voice, Dan/Ken's first person narration felt authentic, as if an eighteen year young man had actually written the words. Rooting for Dan was easy because of his deep shame and remorse for what he had done. Although we don't know the details until the end, I felt as if Dan was taking more responsibility for whatever happened. In the end when all secrets were revealed, I realized all the characters to multifaceted, even those I thought were one dimensional. I loved how the plot of SEND unfolded, slowly and that I didn't know the whole story until the epilogue. Patty Blount is an exciting YA writer, who knows how to tell realistic, compelling stories about issues relevant to teenagers, tales that their parents and other adults will also enjoy. I can't say what prevents this from being five stars without spoiling, it has to do with the likelihood Dan's concerns about his friend Brandon would occur to him with such conviction.
This book is appropriated for kids 10 and up, though geared toward teenagers.
Told in pitch perfect voice, Dan/Ken's first person narration felt authentic, as if an eighteen year young man had actually written the words. Rooting for Dan was easy because of his deep shame and remorse for what he had done. Although we don't know the details until the end, I felt as if Dan was taking more responsibility for whatever happened. In the end when all secrets were revealed, I realized all the characters to multifaceted, even those I thought were one dimensional. I loved how the plot of SEND unfolded, slowly and that I didn't know the whole story until the epilogue. Patty Blount is an exciting YA writer, who knows how to tell realistic, compelling stories about issues relevant to teenagers, tales that their parents and other adults will also enjoy. I can't say what prevents this from being five stars without spoiling, it has to do with the likelihood Dan's concerns about his friend Brandon would occur to him with such conviction.
This book is appropriated for kids 10 and up, though geared toward teenagers.
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