Bullyville

by Francine Prose

My father was killed on 9/11. When eighth grader Bart Rangely is granted a "mercy" scholarship to an elite private school after his father is killed in the North Tower, doors should have opened. Instead, he is terrorized and bullied by his own mentor. So begins the worst year of his life.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Coming Of Age, Contemporary, School

260 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Francine Prose is the author of twenty works of fiction. Her novel A Changed Man won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Blue Angel was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her most recent works of nonfiction include the highly acclaimed Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, and the New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director's Fellow at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her most recent book is Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

So.. boring. All I can think is blah blah blah la di da... Maybe I misunderstood the age range of this book, because if you're not of a middle school age I can't really see anyone enjoying the level of writing in "Bullyville." And even then, I wouldn't want middle schoolers to get such a vague, watered down, and disappointing outlook on several of these subjects. Everything is so plainly described, and not in the beautiful, poignant, less is more way, but in the "this happened, then this happened, then this happened, then this happened" way. There were also random exclamation points tied to the end of random sentences - Did anyone else notice this?

The characters are general and contrived. All kids are different, but as a nanny for a 13 yr old boy (among others), I feel I have a pretty good grasp on what is and isn't realistic in the psyche of someone this age. Bart, the 13 year old main character, is unrealistic. What 13 year old gets onto a new bus to a new school and attempts to shake the bus drivers hand, and then say "Hi!" to an entire bus load of other 13 year olds? No one. Neither would a 13 year old suddenly understand his mother's supposed (because Prose really does little to describe this) world of pain and suffering in just one look, readjust his attitude, and push all his feelings aside to be cordial. The list goes on, including his reactions, interactions and conversations with his peers, and with the bullies... etc etc.

As it is for most of the other characters well - the mom, the kids, the bullies. Even the newspaper article borders on comic and unrealistic. At least try to convince me that its real, and not just something created for the sole purpose of the book. Things like this just make the whole story lose its gravity, its real emotional appeal that could have made me feel something and this book mean something.

I really wonder if someone who had 9/11 closely affect their lives would be offended by the simplicity in emotion that this book describes. This story could have been so much more powerful, and I would love to have been moved or touched in some way, but everything in the first half of this book seemed to generic and lifeless that I couldn't read any farther. I'm willing to take the chance that I'm not missing out on some kind of magical 180 in the last half of this book that could have turned this book around for me.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very tedious read for me. It's not often that I feel so happy when I turn that last page in a book. I'm still asking myself why I felt the need to finish. I passed the 'have to finish reading every book I start' bump a few years ago and haven't had a problem putting down a book in a long time now. I still give each book all I have but I can definitely put one down if need be.
With this one I just kept pushing myself and pushing myself. I strongly considered stopping on this one even three quarters of the way through. It's not because I didn't like what the book was about. That was about the only thing I did like. It was the writing.
I read Francine Prose's book After just before this and I read another slim book by a different author between the two Prose books. I did this intentionally because with After could tell I needed a break before starting another one. I think this is a little more "YA" than I like my YA. The writing is a little too childish for me. But the subject of the books is not. It doesn't match IMO.
After was better than this for me but not by much. I doubt I'll read any others.

Just to mention this - the title of this book is Bullyville. I can't say I paid the utmost attention to this story but I don't remember Bart's school being called 'Bullyville' even one time. I remember it being called 'Baileywell' or, more often, 'Bullywell'.
I guess it's not that big of a deal but it caught my eye after I was finished. If I'm correct why not have the title 'Bullywell'? That would make more sense IMO.

[Isabel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would not recommend reading this. Content is boring and unpleasant and everything about it is uninviting...

[Shana Karnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because of its connection to 9/11, and I was looking for a more accessible text to pair with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Compared to that novel's beauty and poignancy, this one was just a letdown...The main character had none of the panache and flair of a well-written adolescent, and I consequently felt no empathy for him when he was bullied. The ending/denouement felt a bit rushed, and I couldn't work up a single tear for what was supposed to be a very sad finale.

All in all, I think this would be fine for a middle schooler or young adult just learning a little about 9/11, but in terms of the possibilities of books about that topic...this fell short.

[Mrs. Lapacka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that the premise of this book was interesting, and the topic of bullying is certainly an important one. That said, this book never really caught on for me. I read it to make sure it was appropriate for my students, but I might have tossed it aside a time or two without that specific goal. It's a decent read for a middle-school student, especially one who has been bullied, but it lacked something in the end. I'm not sure what the theme was supposed to be.

[Vinnie Marquez]

I think this book was very truthful. Many kids get bullied. I liked how this kid saved his mom from 9/11.For him to get bullied was very bad. This book has lots of suspense and it is really truthful.

[7B Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very good book. I really enjoyed it. The book has a very big lesson that don't let somebody pick on you without saying something back. Some of the book has some very messed up things in it and I wouldn't recommend it to people who don't enjoy realistic fiction books. I would recommend that Teenagers read it. I like how the author left you in some suspense during some parts of the book and others were sad to.

[Shanna, Clearing the Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rescued this book from a box on the street and tucked it on my shelf for a while. When I was looking for a quick little read, I figured this fit the bill perfectly. I can’t say that I’ve read many fictional books about 9/11, but in a way it was nice to learn that they exist, especially in the middle grade genre. To be clear, the plot doesn’t take the reader through the events of 9/11, but imagines they know what happened, and is a catalyst for where we find Bart transferring to a new school for eighth grade after being given a scholarship because his dad died in the Towers. When you are labeled the miracle boy and everything else is falling apart, what is wrong with not worrying mom with the bullies terrorizing you at the most prestigious school in town?
.
The writing style is fairly simplistic for me, but perhaps for a much younger audience this would make it easier for them to follow the story. I’m not totally convinced that Prose nailed the voice of a thirteen year old, or the way he might act as the new kid in school, but not all kids are the same. I am confident that this kind of book would kickstart worthwhile conversations about bullying, grief, outreach work, and trauma in a classroom, and that alone overshadows any shortcomings the presentation might have.

[Kaitie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book just based on the cover and I ended up being very disappointed in it. I know that may not be completely fair, but it is what it is. Based on the cover, I expected it to be just based on a boarding school and didn't realize it had the background story of September 11th.

I feel that the whole September 11th plot was unnecessary and didn't add anything. The main idea seems to be that Bart goes to this school and deals with bullying. I don't know why 9/11 had to be the vehicle to get him there... It's not that I have a problem with 9/11 being used in a story, exactly, it's just that it didn't seem like a book about 9/11. Instead it was just a part of the background and I found it weird.

Between the first half of the book dealing with the attacks and then the second half with the school, it felt like I was reading two completely books. Three, really, once you get towards the end, but I don't want to give too much away in case you're interested in reading it. I can't say I think it's worth it though.

[Esther Keller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book quite disappointing.
Bart has just lost his father in the 9/11 attacks. His story, like so many others, makes headlines, which leads him to a scholarship to a prestigious private school. There, Bart is the victim of some horrific bullying.
First of all, Bart's voice was just not true to a 13-year-old boy. Second, there was too much happening in this story that didn't have to be there. I didn't find the bullying to be realistic, nor did I find Bart's reactions realistic. Perhaps because this was told in the first person narrative. I'm not sure why this got such rave reviews way back when, but it did.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't anyone edit this book before they printed thousands of copies? Words mixed up, words missing, no punctuation! After the first 6 or so they became a huge distraction, I kept looking for another and another. This book was given to me as something to use in an Aggressors,, Victims, and Bystanders program (anti-bullying) and I don't see the point of the book. I get the emotional dealing with parents separating, and losing someone in 9/11, but I don't get the bullying part. Nothing is resolved and the conflict between Tyro and Bart ends in knock down fist fight? I didn't like this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting YA book about what it is like to attend a boarding school, during the day, where bullying is rampant. Tied into the story is a reflection on 9.11 because the protagonist's father died in the Twin Towers. The boy is grappling with the loss of his dad, trying to get along with his mom, and coming of age. There is a very good twist in the book that I did not see coming. This is a book about sorting it all out and being a good person.

[Amanda Kelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book doesn't even deserve ONE star. The main character was a complete asshole between making jokes about his father burning to death in 9/11 and him bitching like getting stuffed in a locker is even comparable to what people in 9/11 went through. Prose is from NY so I don't wtf she was thinking.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought it was some cheesy, Bully saying, "Haha, your a loser" and making a kid cry. It actually portrayed Bullying in a realistic way. I would recommend it.

[Armon O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 2007, the intriguing novel, Bullyville, by Francine Prose, follows the life of Bart Rangely, a teenage boy who is invited into an elite, yet notorious, private school in New York after his father is killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks. While dealing with a mixture of sadness and anger because Bart’s dad left him and his mother to live with his mistress, Bart is mistakenly seen as a hero because his sickness caused his mom to skip work at the World Trade Center to take care of him. With Bart’s fortuitous news spreading around town, he is granted a complete scholarship to Baileywell (also referred to as Bullyville), a school in which he had absolutely no desire of attending. At his new preparatory school, he is welcomed by a rich upperclassman named Tyro who acted like a mentor at first, but later becomes Bart’s biggest bully. Tyro’s bullying techniques start with simple harassment such as calling him Fart and dumping a whole bottle of ketchup on Bart’s lunch to make it uneatable and increases to physical force by stuffing Bart into a locker. Additionally, to not further sadden his mother, he refrains himself from telling her about the constant bullying he receives and even goes as far as to pretend he is talking with friends on the phone when in reality he is getting prank calls and death threats from Tyro. But one day, Tyro commits an atrocious prank which pushes Bart over the edge. Tyro sends anonymous text messages to Bart claiming he is Bart’s father and ends on a final text saying that he is very hot and burning up. Filled with rage, Bart finds Tyro’s Escalade in the school parking lot and keys it with great satisfaction. After keying the car like he was painting a landscape, he puts the cherry on top by throwing a cement brick through the windshield. Unfortunately, the headmaster catches Bart after he is done vandalizing Tyro’s car and a meeting is set up with Bart and his mother and Tyro and his parents. In the meeting, Bart confesses everything that Tyro has done to him but also learns that Tyro’s parents paid for Bart’s scholarship to Baileywell. As a punishment for both Tyro and Bart, they have to do community service, but are separated to different sites. Bart is sent to a hospital to bond with sick children where he befriends an ill ten year old girl named Nola. They become closer over the coming weeks and Bart feels that she is a true friend. Sadly, Nola is transferred to the ICU and Bart finds out the she is Tyro’s sister when he sees her lying on her death bed with her family weeping around her. Two weeks later, when it was confirmed that Nola had passed, Bart feels that her death would dissolve the problems between him and Tyro and attempts to console Tyro in the hallways. In return, Bart gets a huge punch to the gut and retaliates by sending a punch back at Tyro. A bloody brawl ignites between them and all the pain, sadness, hatred, and anger that has built up in Bart comes out in each punch. Thoughts of being bullied by Tyro, his father leaving him and then dying, and Nola passing away fills him with adrenaline to fight harder. After being broken up, Bart gets expelled from Baileywell which came as great news to him. He is homeschooled for the remainder of the year and returned to public school the next semester which makes everything feel normal again. Finally, years pass and Bart is a married adult with kids and has a perfect and bully-free life.
I would recommend this novel to a friend because it was fun, captivating, and had bits within it that made it relatable to my life. For example, its setting was during the 21st century in a preparatory school, which is practically identical to me being in high school right now. Furthermore, bullying was a major theme in the book and I can relate that to my elementary school days when I was picked on at times by an older student. While reading the book, I felt a range of emotions; mostly anger and grief due to the constant occurrence of bullying and death. However, whenever Bart took revenge on Tyro, I felt excited and happy that justice was served. My favorite part of the book would be its climax when Bart and Tyro fought each other in school. Personally, I enjoy anything with action and to combine that with my pleasure for vengeance and justice made the scene more entertaining. The death of loved ones such as Bart’s father and Nola made me contemplate about my life and how I have, in the past, almost lost a close family member. Also, I believe that this book would appeal more to teenagers than any other age because it is entirely based around the life of a teen which makes it easier to identify with for a high schooler. Finally, the level of difficulty of the text was fairly average which, in all, made the novel relatable, straightforward, and more enjoyable to read.

[Emily Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pigman is a story about a boy named Bart whos dad left him and his mom just to go live with another woman. During the Story Bart gets sent to a private school due to what happened to his dad in 9/11. Bart did not want to go to a private school named Bullyville. In Bullyville they taught you how to bully and how to defend yourself if you were getting bullied. Bart did not want to go to a private school so he tried to convince his mother but he ended up going. Bart was this one kid who was lonely and got bullied by a kid who was supposed to be his mentor. Bart returned the favor by doing something bad to the bully and he ends up going to public school at the end of the story which was a happy change for him. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because I liked the book. The book is very life like because many kids get bullied at school and are afraid to go to a new school. This book also has a connection to what happened on 9/11. This book was awesome and it had a lot of issues going on in the story. Also it taught me that if you try something new that you don't feel too sure about it and want to regret doing you get stronger in these types of situations because Bart went from this one shy kid who was always getting bullied to the kid that defended himself from the bullies and were not shy anymore.

[Samantha Hanhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great chapter book about a boy whose father died in the Twin Towers on 9/11. His mother also worked in the towers but did not go into work that day because Bart was sick. He was then called The Miracle Boy and recieved loads of attention. That attention got him a scholarship to attent Baileywell Academy which was known as Bullywell due to their bully problem. He is then tortured by an older boy whose parents turned out to be the donors of his scholarship. When things finally go too far they send both boys to do different community service activities. Bart goes to the hospital to spend time with sick children where he befriends a girl called Nola. They become very close when one day she becomes very sick. When he sneaks into the ICU to see her, he realizes that she is dying and her family is there to be with her in her last moments and it was the family of his bully. It is a great book about learning to heal and not letting tough moments consume you, but rather grow from them and always recognize them to have been a part of one's life.

[7B Cayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about about a teenager who had a fever on the date 9/11/2001 this was also known as the attack of 9/11. The young teen Bart Rangely had been sick and his mom stayed home with him to make sure he was comfortable.. As a result of this fever Bart had saved his mom from becoming one of the casualties in 9/11. Unfortunately for Bart he could not save his dad who had left them months before the attack. Bart was invited to a school called Bailey Well preparatory School or more commonly known as Bullyville. Bart must also deal with the feeling of sadness as one of his friends had died in the hospital. Bart must face the difficulties of bullying, His fathers death on 9/11 and the death of one of his really nice friends in this roller coaster of a novel known as Bullyville.

[Ashton Machado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a young teen named Bart, who had lost his father during the terrorists attacks (9/11) . This made Bart very sad but life was only getting worst as he was sent to Bailey-Well. At this school Bart was bullied a lot by this "older brother" Tyro.But all those bad things seemed to not matter after meeting a 10 year old girl at a hospital. This girl became Bart's friend. But she unfortunately passed away. I really enjoyed this book because there was a lot going on and the book really made me emotional. There was also a lot of twisted parts in the book. As you know Tyro bullied Bart, they became caring for each other after realizing that Bart was friends with Tyro's sister.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book overall was good. There were some parts of the book were I really didn’t see a point in adding that in. For example, the 9/11 event were his dad died. I didn’t see the point in that because the cover of the book looks like a book about bullying... I didn’t see the point in adding that in. I did like the way Bart gets his revenge on Tyro by destroying his Escalade. I would recommend this book to 11-13 years old because this book does use profanity. I give this book a 8-10 I didn’t like some parts of this book.

[Austin Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was kind of interesting as I got into the book a little bit further I started to lose interest though. The beginning of a book is usually pretty good but once I start to get into it, it starts to get boring. This book was about a kid that lived in a town called Bullyville and his dad was known to be lost in 9/11 but he actually wasn't. During the beginning of the book, he began by talking about his life and when he was in school. He also mentioned where everyone that goes to that school came from. After that part of the book, that is when it became a bit more boring.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story delves into the heartbreaking journey of Bart Rangely, a young boy reeling from unimaginable loss. The tragic death of his father in the North Tower earns him a scholarship to a prestigious school, a supposed opportunity for a brighter future. But instead of finding solace and support, Bart is met with relentless cruelty, betrayed by the very person assigned to guide him. Get ready to experience Bart's most difficult year as he navigates grief, bullying, and the struggle to find his place in a world that seems determined to break him.

[7BColin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book but some parts were a little confusing like the part about the text messages was kind of confusing because all we can do is assume that it Tyro but it never really says it. The book is Bullyville by:Francine Prose. I think that the best age to read is teenagers or adults because there is some parts that might inappropriate for younger kids but i'm almost a teenager anyway so it dosen't matter.

[Lucas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of the book, to me, was the last 20 or so pages. I couldn't tell for the rest of the book if I was supposed to feel sympathy for Bart and everything that had happened to him or if I should be rooting for him to snap out of it and take some action.

Maybe if the backdrop wasn't 9/11 I would have had different thoughts on Bart.

[Alex Vega · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never been happy to finish a book in my life. The book has so many issues that make great books, but for some reason the author felt to cram it all. It went from being a 9/11 aftermath issue to bullying to community service. I wish the author would have build it better.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was good until the end. Once the secret is revealed, the hospital scene, it falls apart. It was a plausible premise until that point. So it left me wondering what it was all supposed to be about. Also, published in 2007, Bart would be 19. She collapsed too much time at the end

[Hudson Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pretty darn good book. It tells a lot about how a middle school student interprets a middle school. It has a lot of comedy and an okay amount of action

[Alec · Rating 1 out of 5]

Also read this for antibullying curriculum , its also really really boring

[Collin · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was good but pretty sad so it was ok

[Kayla Benson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought it sounded like a good, emotional read but was a bit disappointed. The story ranged from meh to OK. I couldn't tell who the target demographic was. The ending felt very out of place.