Bethany Caleb

by Kate Spofford

On a clear day in October, Bethany Caleb decides to bring a gun to school. It is only Tuesday.

She has been bullied. Her friends have betrayed her. Now, she holds the power to make them pay. Will she use that power for revenge, or will the gun show her what is really important?

Genres: Young Adult

108 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2013

About the author

Kate Spofford grew up in Massachusetts and is currently a librarian in New Hampshire. She is the author of the young adult contemporary companion novels Bethany Caleb and The Art Kids, as well as the paranormal / urban fantasy series Wolf Point.

Reviews

[SavageGrace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed there was no resolution between Bethany and James; it would have been nice for her to tell him what an jerk he is, how spineless he is for not standing up for her against her bullies and what a douche he is for dating her so-called friend (who obviously is a two-faced backstabber and, it seems, only using him to further hurt Bethany). I was also hoping she would get some counseling and maybe start medicating... and, yes - hopefully, get back with James - because I do think they could have been a great couple if she got help and worked out her issues (and, oh, to smack that smug look off of Genn's fugly face! LOL), maybe even getting him to so a few sessions to work out their relationship since he says himself that he didn't know how to handle or understand things. Just some thoughts... but otherwise I loved it and, being someone who was - and still is - in her same mind-frame, I connected well with Bethany. =)

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful and moving story about a high school girl who is trying to fit in and figure out who she is.
I loved this book! The characters are very true to life and I really enjoyed getting a window into Bethany's thoughts and emotions. I identified with the loneliness of unpopularity, and the feeling of being invisible in school. Bethany deals with some very tough issues, and I was at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next.

[Kate]

My first novel, and obviously one of my favorites. This was the novel that taught me how to write novels... the hard way. Ten drafts to streamline the initial spillage of ideas into what I had originally intended...

This is a fairly dark story, about a girl who has been bullied and betrayed. Is she mad at the world, or is she disappointed in herself?

[Cheyenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started Goodreads, Bethany Caleb was in the first batch of books I discovered that winded up on my TBR list. It's been a couple of years since then, but it was one of those books that I never forgot. And now I've read it.

This book is about depression. About loneliness and heartache, fake friends and bullying peers. It's about how Bethany deals with these things. There's no definite ending on Bethany Caleb. It's open-ended, and while she does come to a resolution, it's still unclear what path she's headed on. This is frustrating, and I don't particularly like it, but that is what makes it feel realistic. And while it's sad, I still find hope in it for Bethany Caleb.