Nothing Everything Nothing

by Casia Schreyer

No one in Molly's life expected her to pose for topless photos. During spring break Molly meets a charismatic older boy and suddenly no one but Lance matters - not Molly's family, and not Brandon, her life-long friend. Anyone who voices concern about the changes in Molly's attitude and habits is driven away.
When Molly refuses to let Lance sweet talk her out of her virginity, pictures that were supposed to be private go viral. Molly's reputation is in shambles. Lance wants nothing to do with her, insults her, and refuses to take the photos down. She is ridiculed and harassed and no one can stop it.
Molly is faced with a painful choice - face the humiliation alone, or end her life and never have to feel the sting of rejection again.
Warning: This book contains strong language.

Genres: Contemporary

218 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2014

Reviews

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading: November 3rd 2014

"No matter what other people think, you have to love you enough to want to be in this world. You have to love you enough to see your strenghts and your value even in the face of failure."

*** A copy of this book was kindly given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Casia Schreyer!  ***



Wow. Books don't leave me speechless often, but Nothing Everything Nothing is definitely one damn impressive novel. Casia Schreyer touches sensitive themes as teenage insecurity, (virtual) bullying, sexual harassment and suicide attempts without it becoming a boring lecture. It left me thinking of my own high school experiences and that nowadays it has become even easier to completely 'destroy' the life a teenager through websites like Facebook and Twitter... Virtual bullying has become an increasing problem over the years and should never be underestimated. Nothing Everything Nothing is a great novel to read and absorb information about this phenomenon. Through the life of the main character Molly we can see the cruelty of teenagers and its consequences from up close... Molly can be a tad superficial and naive at some points, but then again she is sixteen and desperate to fit in; her so-called friends and boyfriend are only seeking to destroy her. A very strong novel and definitely recommended. Close to the full five stars!



All the sixteen-year-old Molly wants is to fit in, but with her blue hair and more curvy body she is not the perfect candidate to be popular. She desperately tries to make friends with a group three popular girls, and for now they seem to accept her... Or do they only see her as a social experiment? When the nineteen-year-old and popular Lance shows interest in Molly during spring break, her girlfriends act jealous and her best friend Brandon suspects something is off. But Molly doesn't want to see the signals, and tries to do everything Lance wants so he doesn't end their 'relationship'.

The popular trio is trying to get Molly to break down by questioning her weight and relationship with both Lance and the 'nerdy' Brandon. Lance is being a bad influence and tries to force Molly into skipping class and drinking beer... Things she accepts to do just to please Lance. Slowly Lance is trying to make her drift away from Brandon and her family, buying her gifts and paying for her food. Molly is changing and both at school and at home they start worrying about her. Things escalate when Lance tries to force him on her. Molly manages to leave the house unharmed, but not before Lance has taken some saucy pictures of her without her shirt on. Her worst nightmare comes true as Lance starts publishing those photos online... And her life becomes a living hell. Molly is not sure she can coope with the humiliation...



This is a very strong novel that touches some sensitive themes and contains some colorful language, so it is not suited for those who are offended easily. That said, it is a definite must read if you want to learn more about virtual bullying and its consequences. Nothing Everything Nothing is a novel I won't forget soon, and the quote at the beginning of this review is a perfect motto to live by!

P.S. Find more of my reviews here.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young adult book that tackles many of the most important topics kids have to deal with in today's world - social media presence, popularity, body image obsessions, pressure to have sex, bullying and suicide. It follows Molly, a normal teen who has found herself finally hanging out with the popular girls. Then she meets a cute guy named Lance who seems as interested in her as she is in him, and her own popularity skyrockets. Unfortunately her "friends" are using her, each for their own purposes, and the combined affect is a caustic erosion of Molly's confidence and identity. This is very much a cautionary tale about the risks entailed with "fitting in". As an adult I wish that Molly had been more her own person, but I think she works perfectly as the center of this story, and as someone that teenagers can strongly identify with.

[Ray Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nothing Everything Nothing" is a young adult book centering on a teenage girl whose circumstances lead her to depression. I feel that I should mention that I am a male, nearing 50, as that affects how I take, and understand, this book. It was a bit difficult to really get into the character during the first half of the book, simply because she is female and a lot of the things she does are female based. Make-up, hair, shopping for clothes.. The second half of the book, when things get dark, however, I was pulled right in. The book is well-written and knowledgeable on the subject matter.

It's been quite some time since I was in high school, and though I remember it well, it was a different world than the one we live in now. The one Molly, the main character, lives in. For me there were no cell phones, there was no social media, no Facebook. Bullying all took place in person, face to face. Casia Schreyer does an excellent job of showing how much easier it is to bully someone now, to pressure them, even from the safety of their own bedroom.

While I never went through the exact circumstances Molly did to bring her down into the darkness, I was depressed through much of my childhood and went to years of therapy, so I was looking forward to seeing how Ms. Schreyer dealt with the issue. I was not disappointed. I finished the book in two days. I had other things to do but I kept picking the book up, reading further.

Good job on some very important subject matters. Depression, bullying, teen suicide, cutting, purging, the need to feel popular.. If you're a parent, I think this is definitely a book you and your child (children) should read and then talk about. It can be a good starting point for some important discussions.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was a good understanding to see how easy it is to get bullied at school and with the social media today, how fast gossip can spread that can ruin the life of someone. Casia Schreyer wrote a novel based on facts, and I say this because we see it happen every day. We were all in school one time or another, but things have changed drastically in bullying. You don't like someone, post it on Facebook and see how fast your reputation gets destroyed.

I enjoyed this book for the simple fact that it was true and real. I was glad to see the parents understanding in this novel and being supportive because so many teens think our parents don't get it or would understand.

So many people think that depression is something you can just "get over" and "deal with it". If anyone deals with people who have depression knows this is not true and it takes time, support and sometimes medicine to help those get through it.

A recommended read to parents and teens!

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down—a real page-turner with an authentic teen voice. Gets into the head of a vulnerable teenage girl. I highly recommend this book. It touches a lot of issues that teenage girls deal with including suicide, online bullying, self-esteem, sexual exploitation and weight issues. Great tension and excellent writing.

Now I'd like to get into the head of the male 'bully'. I'm sure he has a story, too.